Sarcophagus Of The Amazons: Etruscan Coffin With Paintings Of Dynamic Fighting Scenes Of Greeks With Amazons

A. Sutherland  - AncientPages.com - The Sarcophagus of the Amazons is a large Etruscan sarcophagus of an unknown artist, dated back to the third quarter of the 4th century BC, and preserved in the National Archaeological Museum of Florence.

It is a rare example of an ancient painting still preserving much of its extraordinary freshness. However, the  2007 restorations also contributed to the coffin's appearance.

The painted alabaster sarcophagus dates to the 4^th century BC (c. 350-325 BC). The four sides of it are decorated with polychrome paintings depicting dynamic scenes of Greeks and Amazons in battle. The beautiful artifact represents an ancient Greek tradition of Amazonomachy, depicting the struggle between the Greeks and the Amazons, illustrated in a variety of ways: on horseback, on foot, in a chariot, etc.

Some brave women are winning, but others must die in this terrible fight. Those who fought the Amazons were Achilles, Bellerophon, Dionysus, Theseus, and Heracles.

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See also: 

Tuchulcha: Wicked, Hideously Grotesque Etruscan Demon Identified With Both Male And Female Genders

Tages: Etruscan Prophet Who Revealed Sacred Knowledge Before He Vanished

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