Analysis Of Onesimos Kylix

The vase that I have chosen is the Onesimos Kylix (ca.500-490BC), which depicts the sack of Troy. We are focusing on the segment that shows the rape of Cassandra by Ajax. This vase is a Kylix cup, red figure, painted by Onesimos. The cup offers a way of telling the whole story uniquely by having separate fragments to tell each event after the other. The figures on the cup are presented in such detail that it makes deciphering their characters much easier by seeing their unique armour and drapery. Ajax is seen in full armour, pulling on Cassandra’s hair showing him dragging her away from the Athena Palladium. This is obviously an act of violence in the middle of the sack of Troy. Cassandra is seen here holding on to the Athena Palladium, she

The Onesimos Kylix (ca.500-490BC) is showing the rape of Priam’s daughter, Cassandra by Ajax during the sack of Troy. In this image we can see Ajax grabbing at Cassandra’s hair and Cassandra holding on to a statue of Athena. We can see that it is Athena because she is carrying a shield, is wearing armour, and is seen wearing a breast plate that is coated in scales and fringed with snakes which also represents the head of Medusa. The plot is shown through the configuration of figures in relation to each other; the way Ajax is grabbing Cassandra’s hair and her obvious discontent while holding on to Athena Palladium for strength shows his intentions towards her. This image relates to what comes before because it is shown in the middle of the sacking of Troy and relates to the multitude of other offensive things the Greeks have done in the middle of sacking the city. We can see that they are in the midst of battle given that Ajax is

This vase was painted around the same time as the Onesimos Kylix (ca.500-490BC) which is clear given that their styles are very similar. Not much differs between the vases given the composition of the story, although we do see more people weeping and more dead bodies on the Hydria, giving off more of a sense of destruction and havoc. The figures do differ quite a bit; mostly Athena, as she is clearly seen with a spear on the Hydria but lacks the full armour that she is seen wearing on the Kylix. The figures are presented with less detailed drapery on the Hydria, but their facial expressions are clearer; as you can see the discomfort on Cassandra’s face on the Hydria. There are some new elements introduced on the Hydria such as; the weeping woman under the palm tree and the fallen soldier under Ajax. The focus of the story on the Hydria isn’t clear as there is no main centre point on the vase, the story is told around the outside of the vase which makes it a continuous loop of each separate event that occurred during the sack of Troy. I believe this makes the story flow more evenly and is easier to interpret. Just as the Onesimos Kylix portrays a message of destruction and chaos, the Kleophades does not stray from that message. The view on each of these vases is showing the lack of compassion the Greek soldiers had while sacking the city of Troy. They are both in