Compare & Contrast Essay:

Analyzing a Greek and Roman Amphora

Ricardo Maldonado

ARH 2050: Art History

Dr. Lisa Vigil

July 6, 2018
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Compare and Contrast

In pottery, like many of the other artworks the Romans produced, there has been a strong

influence from Greece’s artistic culture. In some cases, a direct imitation of the form. Although,

many times Romans innovate, iterate on and explore other ideas in these works that give it their

own character. This paper will discuss and compare the similarities and differences between such

two vases. One is a Greek jar or vase known as the Amphora with Ajax and Achilles, the other is

known as the Portland Vase from Rome. The first part will explore where, by whom and when

the vases were made. Then, the physical properties of the shape and the materials used. Lastly,

an examination on the illustrated imagery and style on display.

The Amphorae is a two-handed jar or clay pot container or vase, often used by both

Greeks and Romans and other early civilizations in the region, to store and transport various wet

and dry products like wine and grain.1 They came in a variety of sizes for different functions and

decorations or illustrations on these amphorae were quite common. The amphora of Ajax and

Achilles was created by the Athenian painter and potter Exekias during the mid-6th century

BCE.2 This amphora currently resides at the Musei Vaticani or the Vatican Museum. The

Portland Vase, held at the British Museum, is a Roman Amphora created around 1-25 AD (circa)

but the artist of this work seems to be currently unknown.3

1. Watts, Tim. “Amphora.” World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras, ABC-CLIO,
2018, ancienthistory2.abc-clio.com/Search/Display/586680. (Accessed July 5, 2018).

2. “Exekias” The J. Paul Getty Museum. The J. Paul Getty Museum.

http://www.getty.edu/art/collection/artists/42/exekias-greek-attic-active-540-520-bc/
(Accessed July 4, 2018).

3. “The Portland Vase” Collection Online. The British Museum.

http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectI
d=466190&partId=1&searchText=Portland+Vase&page=1 (Accessed July 6th 2018).
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Each Amphorae was created out of different materials and built differently depending on

the era or purpose. Like the Greek amphora discussed here, many are made out clay. Later

variations like the Roman one, which are arguably considered more advanced, are created with

early types of glass-like materials or metals like the alloy cobalt. The general shape of these two

Greek and Roman amphorae are similar, a slender neck to a wide topped body to a narrowing

base and two handles, however, there are more drastic aesthetic deviations between them. The

Portland one has a much more rounded body and sleek rounded handles, shorter top and wide

bottom without a foot. The Greek vase has a rim wrapped around the mouth of the opening, and

flatter and relative to the amphora’s size smaller handles and a narrower base with a wide

rounded foot at the bottom to stand on. According to the British Museum, the Portland Vase

dimensions stands at about 9.8 inches tall by 7 inches at the widest and when compared to the

Greek one, is much smaller as that one stands at about 2 feet tall. The Portland Vase seems to

have warped or warn edges assumed due to age, mishandling handling and the elements.

Other differences between the two amphorae are the unique illustrations and sculptural

quality. On Exekias’ amphora, he uses the negative space and the color of the container to draw

out the figures using the black-figure technique,4 on a strip wrapped all the way around creating

a narrative. The figures are two stylized soldiers in profile, Ajax and Achilles, on standby while

intently engaged in a board game. Both figures are dressed in combat gear, helmets and patterned

cloaks, while diligently holding their spears as if prepared to act.5 Around the amphora’s body

4. Trustees of the British Museum. “Black-figured amphora.” Ancient History

Encyclopedia. https://www.ancient.eu/image/512/ (Accessed July 6, 2018).

5. Spitz, Ellen Handler. “Homage to illustration: Story telling in Paint and Marble.”
Journal of Aesthetic Education, vol, 49, no. 3, 2015, p. 66+. Academic OneFile,
http://go.galegroup.com.db29.linccweb.org/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA456100704&v=2.1&u=lincc
lin_ccla&it=r&p=AONE&sw=w (Accessed July 4, 2018).
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bordering the image, bottom and handles, geometric patterns wrap throughout the vase. While

the overall colors seem to fairly contrast well with the jar’s color, the range of the muddy yellow

and brown colors remain quite analogous.

The Roman amphora also illustrates a scene around the entire body of the container.

Unlike Exekias’ version, the Roman one has rendered much more realistic figures using both

painting and etching, creating depth and three-dimensionality. The overall theme seems to

express leisure and sensuality, perhaps during peacetime unlike the other which has the soldiers

in “leisure” during wartime. The image all around has a lot going on, what can be seen is a

woman reclining on a rock with an arm over her head; another woman sits beside her with bow

in hand and a man leans reclined to her left.6 All the persons are dressed in a mix of robes and

topless, and it is assumed that scene is thought to be part of a marriage between mythological or

historical figures.7 If the object is viewed from the sides or back, there are large bearded heads

above the image believed to be that of Jupiter.8 There is a high contrast between the whites

painted on with the cameo glass’ dark blue to black color. There no use of geomatics but the

backgrounds are decorated with trees, stones or slabs creating a much livelier environment for

the figures to reside in, emphasizing that sense of leisure.

6. “The Portland Vase.” The J. Paul Getty Museum.

http://www.getty.edu/art/collection/objects/187063/william-chaffers-the-portland-vase-1871/
(Accessed July 5, 2018)

7. S. J. Harrison. "The Portland Vase Revisited." The Journal of Hellenic Studies 112 (1992):
150-53. doi:10.2307/632159. www.jstor.org/stable/632159. (Accessed July 5, 2018 through the
Valencia Library)

8. “The Portland Vase” Collection Online. The British Museum.

http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectI
d=466190&partId=1&searchText=Portland+Vase&page=1 (Accessed July 6th 2018).
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While the Romans have been known to borrow a lot of ideas and imagery from the

ancient Greeks, it is works like these that show that they have their own distinctions and creative

works. They come in their own variety of sizes and shapes and could be made out drastically

different materials. Both amphorae have displayed amazing artwork but in very different ways,

giving scholars and interested minds today greater insight beyond the mythological oral stories.

The images help our imaginations to understand the myths but the amphora themselves can go

even further, helping us study and understand how people then worked, traded and lived

providing us greater appreciation of ancient history.

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Bibliography

Watts, Tim. “Amphora.” World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras, ABC-CLIO, 2018,
ancienthistory2.abc-clio.com/Search/Display/586680. (Accessed July 5, 2018).

“Exekias” The J. Paul Getty Museum. The J. Paul Getty Museum.

http://www.getty.edu/art/collection/artists/42/exekias-greek-attic-active-540-520-bc/
(Accessed July 4, 2018).

“The Portland Vase” Collection Online. The British Museum.

http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?
objectId=466190&partId=1&searchText=Portland+Vase&page=1 (Accessed July 6th
2018).

Trustees of the British Museum. “Black-figured amphora.” Ancient History Encyclopedia.

https://www.ancient.eu/image/512/ (Accessed July 6, 2018).

Spitz, Ellen Handler. “Homage to illustration: Story telling in Paint and Marble.” Journal of
Aesthetic Education, vol, 49, no. 3, 2015, p. 66+. Academic OneFile,
http://go.galegroup.com.db29.linccweb.org/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA456100704&v=2.1&
u=lincclin_ccla&it=r&p=AONE&sw=w (Accessed July 4, 2018).

“The Portland Vase.” The J. Paul Getty Museum.

http://www.getty.edu/art/collection/objects/187063/william-chaffers-the-portland-vase-
1871/ (Accessed July 5, 2018)

S. J. Harrison. "The Portland Vase Revisited." The Journal of Hellenic Studies 112 (1992): 150-
53. doi:10.2307/632159. www.jstor.org/stable/632159. (Accessed July 5, 2018 through the
Valencia Library)

“The Portland Vase” Collection Online. The British Museum.

http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?
objectId=466190&partId=1&searchText=Portland+Vase&page=1 (Accessed July 6th
2018).