Antiquities Discussion Forums > Egyptian Antiquities

Acheloios from the Temple of Aphrodite at Naukratis?

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Molinari:
One produces abundance, very broadly understood, by grasping the bull by the horns. But it is a long story  ;D

Molinari:
Here is the tag.

JBF:
I can imagine some kind of folk tale or fable regarding the horns of a dilemma, grasping them, and vaulting over.  I could see a development of the folk tale or fable with Heracles not only avoids the horns, but also destroys them.  This is what you do with encountering a bull beast, this on the other hand, is what you do _if_ you are Heracles encountering a bull-beast.  What do you think Molinari?  Or am I reading too much into it?

Molinari:
There’s a basic connotation of regulated rivers and the agricultural abundance that is produced as a result, but there are also tales of grappling with water deities to gain access to some form of arcane knowledge. So the meaning is twofold, at least in the Greek tradition.

Molinari:
I found this interesting example today, in similar style and about the same size, presumably depicting Acheloios’ counterpart, Herakles.  The leopard skin headdress indicates, to me, eastern Greek and perhaps also Naukratis.  From the Metropolitan Museum, New York (labeled as "Eastern Greek, Faience). Catalogued in Hoppin, James C. and Albert Gallatin. 1926. Corpus Vasorum Antiquorum, USA 1, Hoppin and Gallatin Collections. p. 2, Gallatin pl. 2.12, Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

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