Stories on Ancient Vessels

K–12 Resource: Close Looking

Look closely to “read” a mythological story about the hero Herakles on the side of an ancient vessel

Title

Caeretan Hydria

Artist/Maker

Attributed to Eagle Painter (Greek (Caeretan), active 530 - 500 B.C.)

Date

520–510 B.C.

Medium

Terracotta

Dimensions

Object: 44.6 × 38 × 33.4 cm (17 9/16 × 14 15/16 × 13 1/8 in.) Object (Rim): 22.9 cm (9 in.)

Place

Caere (?), Etruria

Object Type

Hydria Vessel

Credit Line

The J. Paul Getty Museum, Villa Collection, Malibu, California, 83.AE.346

About

Learning Objectives

In this activity, you will:

  • Examine and describe an ancient object using visual clues.
  • Explain why the owner might have wanted a water jug decorated with a mythological story.
  • Explain and write the story using your own words.

Time

  • 30 – 60 mins

Assignment

Ancient artists were storytellers. Instead of books, they used the surfaces of jars, cups, and jugs to share images of myths, heroes, and moments from everyday life. In this activity, you are going to be a detective, looking carefully to figure out the stories decorating the sides of an ancient vessel.

Explore Using “See - Think - Wonder”

Detectives never jump to conclusions. They gather clues first, then form ideas. The “See - Think - Wonder” thinking routine gives you a structured way to look carefully before you interpret what you see.

Look closely at the images below that show the different sides of the vessel. As you look, answer the following questions.

See

What do you notice? Describe only what you can actually observe; no interpretations yet.

Think

What do your observations make you think? What story or meaning might be here?

Wonder

What questions does this raise for you? What remains mysterious or unexplained?

  • Detail scene of Herakles - Caeretan Hydria

    Detail scene of Herakles. Attributed to Eagle Painter (Greek (Caeretan), active 530 - 500 BCE), painter Caeretan Hydria, 520–510 BCE, Terracotta, Object: 44.6 × 38 × 33.4 cm (17 9/16 × 14 15/16 × 13 1/8 in.), The J. Paul Getty Museum, Villa Collection, Malibu, California, 83.AE.346

  • 3/4 from above right - Caeretan Hydria

    3/4 from above right. Attributed to Eagle Painter (Greek (Caeretan), active 530 - 500 BCE), painter Caeretan Hydria, 520–510 BCE, Terracotta, Object: 44.6 × 38 × 33.4 cm (17 9/16 × 14 15/16 × 13 1/8 in.), The J. Paul Getty Museum, Villa Collection, Malibu, California, 83.AE.346

  • 3/4 from above left - Caeretan Hydria

    3/4 from above left. Attributed to Eagle Painter (Greek (Caeretan), active 530 - 500 BCE), painter Caeretan Hydria, 520–510 BCE, Terracotta, Object: 44.6 × 38 × 33.4 cm (17 9/16 × 14 15/16 × 13 1/8 in.), The J. Paul Getty Museum, Villa Collection, Malibu, California, 83.AE.346

  • Side detail of sphinx - Caeretan Hydria

    Side detail of sphinx. Attributed to Eagle Painter (Greek (Caeretan), active 530 - 500 BCE), painter Caeretan Hydria, 520–510 BCE, Terracotta, Object: 44.6 × 38 × 33.4 cm (17 9/16 × 14 15/16 × 13 1/8 in.), The J. Paul Getty Museum, Villa Collection, Malibu, California, 83.AE.346

  • Side detail of crab - Caeretan Hydria

    Side detail of crab. Attributed to Eagle Painter (Greek (Caeretan), active 530 - 500 BCE), painter Caeretan Hydria, 520–510 BCE, Terracotta, Object: 44.6 × 38 × 33.4 cm (17 9/16 × 14 15/16 × 13 1/8 in.), The J. Paul Getty Museum, Villa Collection, Malibu, California, 83.AE.346

Read About the Caeretan Hydria

Next, learn more about this ancient vessel by reading Explore Caeretan Hydria.

Optional Activity

Watch a video about the hydria.

Your Turn: Imagine the Story

Imagine you are a guest at an Etruscan dinner party around 510 BCE. Your host has just poured a drink into your cup from this hydria. You are looking at the Herakles and Hydra scene.

  • What do you tell your conversation partner about the story on the jug? Use the evidence in the images.
  • Why might the owner have wanted a vessel that included a mythological story as part of its decoration?
  • Why might a host choose THIS story of a hero fighting a monster to decorate a dinner party jar?

Write a 6–8 sentence paragraph with exactly what you would say to the party guest.

Glossary

Hydria (plural: hydriai)

A large clay jar used in ancient Greece for carrying water.

Related Materials

  1. Explore Caeretan Hydria

    Close Looking

    Vase with two people fighting a hydra

    Learn about the heroic tale told on the side of an ancient Etruscan water jug

  2. Video: Hydria

    Watch a Video

    Thumbnail featuring a vase decorated with a hydra painting with text that reads: Hydria, Getty.

    Learn about the heroic tale behind an ancient Greek vessel

  3. Describe, Listen, Draw

    Drawing

    A close-up shot of a hand holding a pen, drawing the outline of a vase on white paper.

    Take turns with a partner to describe and draw an artwork

  4. Object Comparison Exercise: Ancient Vessels

    Writing

    Blue glass wine cup with scenes of Bacchus

    Compare and analyze elements of two ancient vessels using observation and inference

Related Standards

Credits and Licensing

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