a tic terracotta and the gardens of adonis

8/3/2019 A tic Terracotta and the Gardens of Adonis

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A Hellenistic Terracotta and the Gardens of AdonisAuthor(s): John H. Oakley and Laurialan ReitzammerSource: The Journal of Hellenic Studies, Vol. 125 (2005), pp. 142-144Published by: The Society for the Promotion of Hellenic Studies

Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/30033350Accessed: 07/05/2009 19:40

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142 SHORTERCONTRIBUTIONSI concludethat,if I amrightto hail J.A. Smithas the most likely originatorof Burnet'scon-strual,there are two possible routes of transmission. The firstpossibility is that the construal,

togetherwith an explanationof its philosophical significance, passed from Smith to Williamsonin anundergraduateutorial,andthen in written orm to Burnet,who consultedWilliamson'sedi-tion of theApologywhenpreparinghis own. Thiswould help to explain why Williamson'snoteon 30b 2-4 conveys the philosophical moral of the passage in fuller and clearerterms thanBurnet'snote on the same text. Williamsonwas closer to the source.But a second possibility is that Smith conceived the idea in his undergraduate ays and told

Burnetdirectly,while Williamsongot the same message from Smith later. If in theirrespectiveeditionsWilliamsonexpressedit betterthanBurnet,well, we have it on Smith'sauthority hatas anundergraduate urnet showed no particularnterest n philosophy'.13The interest n Platofor which we know him began aftergraduationwhen he went to St Andrewsto serve as privateassistantto Lewis Campbell, o whose Chairhe would soon succeed.On the whole, I favourthe second, simplersolutionto the mystery. M.F.BURNYEATAll Souls College, Oxford

13DNB 1922-30, 138.

A HELLENISTICTERRACOTTAAND THEGARDENS OFADONIS*Abstract:A HellenisticerracottaromMyrinanow in the Louvre s interpreteds showinga youngwomantendingthe 'gardensof Adonis' in connection with the rites of the Adonia. Furtherassociationsaremadebetween heperfume pparentlyeingpouredntoa planterroman alabastronhat heyoungwomanholds,Adonis'motherMyrrha,heproveniencef the terracottaMyrina)ndgrave ituals.CONSIDERABLEttentionhas been paid to the Adonia since the 1972 publication of MarcelDetienne'sground-breakingookLesjardinsd'Adonis,as well as to the Athenianvase-paintingswhich have been thought to be associated with various aspects of the festival, including thegardens.' To these monumentswe now would like to add an EarlyHellenistic (325-250 BC)terracottafigurine in the Louvre whose subject we believe is connected with the Adonia(PLATE a-b).2

* We are very grateful to Violaine Jeammet andMichaelMaaB or the photographsof the objects in theircare andpermissionto publishthem.1M. Detienne, Les jardins d'Adonis (Paris 1972);translatedby J. Lloyd andrepublishedas The GardensofAdonis.Spices in GreekMythology Hassocks 1977). S.Ribichini, Adonis. Aspetti 'orientali' di un mito greco(Rome 1981); B. Servais-Soyez, LIMC 1.1 s.v. Adonis222-9; C. Edwards, Aphroditeon a ladder',Hesperia53(1984) 59-72; G.J. Baudy, Adonisgadrten. tudien zurantiken Samensymbolik (Beitriige zur klassischenPhilologie 176, Frankfurt 986);H. Tuzet,Mort et resur-rectiond'Adonis. Etudede l'evolutiond'un mythe(Paris1987); W.D. Furley, 'Die Adonis-Feier in Athen, 415v.Chr.', Ktema 13 (1988) 13-19; E. Stehle, 'Sappho'sgaze: fantasies of a goddess and a young man', in E.Greene(ed.), ReadingSappho(Berkeley 1990) 193-225;J. Winkler,The Constraintsof Desire. TheAnthropology

of Sex and Genderin Ancient Greece (New York 1996)188-209; J. Reed, 'The sexuality of Adonis', CA 14(1995) 317-47; R.R. Simms, 'A date with Adonis',Antichthon31 (1997) 45-53; eadem,'Mourningand com-munityat theAthenianAdonia', CJ93 (1998) 121-41.2 Paris, Louvre Inv. Myr. 233: E. Pottier and S.Reinach,La N&ropole de Myrina (Paris 1887) 424-30and 550, no. 233, pls 37-8; F. Winter,Die Typenderfigiirlichen Terrakotten (Berlin 1903) 124, no. 6; S.Mollard-Besques,Musdedu Louvre.Catalogueraisonnedesfigurines et reliefs en terre-cuitegrecs et romains2:Myrina(Paris 1963) 48, pl. 57d;A. Muller,'Nik6 ou lesavatars d'une Beotienne &Myrina et Thasos', REA 95(1993) 171-2, fig. 9; V. Jeammet, Tanagra. Mythe etarcheologie (Paris 2003) 178-9, no. 122. This terracottafigurewas foundin a graveas partof a groupof thirteenfemalefigurinesof variousheights. Eleven of thefigurinesare elaboratelydraped; hree areveiled. They appear o


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J.H. OAKLEYAND L. REITZAMMER:THE GARDENS OF ADONIS 143The figurinewas found in 1883 duringthe French School's excavationsat Myrina n Aiolison the west coast of Turkey. It depicts a young girl kneeling down on her rightknee before acontainer ntowhich she poursthecontentsof an alabastron hat she holds in herrighthand. Sheis smartlydressedin a high-girdedchiton and sandals,her hairfastened at the back to formalong, wavy pony-tailthat runs down the back of herneck. On thegroundbefore her is the upperhalf of an amphorawhich has been turnedupside down to serve as a planter. Remnantsof thelower partof the handleon each side remain,andthejagged upper edge furtherhighlightsthevessel's fragmentarynature. Inside the amphoraare visible the stalks of several plants that

appear o have been cut off and surrounded y a ringof seven roundobjects(PLATEb).This planter s similar to those shown on a vase that all scholarsagree is connectedwith theAdonia: a late fifth-centuryAttic red-figure squat lekythos in Karlsruhe PLATE 7).3 On theground n the centre of the pictureon this vase is theupside-downupperhalf of an amphora hathas sprigsof plantsrendered n white protruding rom its top. A secondplanterwith the sameform and contents is handed over by a winged male figure, almost certainlyEros, to a femalefigure, perhapsAphrodite,who standson a ladder.Flanking he figuresarerichlydressedyoungwomen who hold their handsup palms forwardatwaist level. On the groundbeforethe one ontherightstandsanothervessel which containsroundobjectscolouredwith gold and white sprigs.It has the form of a shallow basin with handlesatopa highpedestalbase.

These planters representthe 'gardens of Adonis', which played an importantrole in theAdonia, a festival to Adonis celebrated n Athensby women on the roofs of houses - the ladderon the lekythosis thoughtto indicatethatthe plantersarebeing moved up to the roof, althoughno architectural eatures are shown on the vase. Several ancient sources tell us that ostraka,brokenpots suchas these amphorae,were used as planters ntowhichquickly germinating eedswere planted.4 As to which plants were actually grown in the pots, fifth- and fourth-centurywriters remainsilent, althoughthey do mention thatAphroditeburiedAdonis'body in lettuce.5Laterlexicographers n an attemptto explainthe 'gardensof Adonis' indicatethat a varietyofplantswere used in the ritual. Hesychius and the Suda (s.v. 'A8dwvt8ogcfKot)mention fennel(ipctCpapov)nd lettuce (Opi(8a); a scholiast to Theocritus 15.112) names wheat (Rop6;g) ndbarley (Icpt0~1). t is important o note here that the same combinationof sproutsand roundobjectswhich are shown on the vase arealso foundin the terracotta's lanter,even if we cannotidentifywhat the roundobjects andplantsare. The short-livednatureof the gardensof Adonisbecameproverbial or thingsthatdo not last long enoughto produceanythingof value.6We believe thatthe Louvre terracotta epresentsa young womanpouringa libation into the'gardensof Adonis'. Her use of an alabastronwould be consideredvery unusualif she weremeantto be wateringplants,since the alabastronwas avessel normallyused for oil andperfumedbe connected as a group,and in fact the excavatorsug-gested thatthey be arranged n the shape of a pediment,with the taller ones nearer he centre andthe shorteronesat the sides. Of the thirteenfigurines,one consists of agroup of two female figures: a woman who stands andanotherwho kneels and embraces he lower body of thestandingone, possibly in a gestureof sorrow. Althoughnothing directly connects any of them with the Adonia,one wonders if they could have been thoughtof as par-ticipatingin it, especially as one of the figurinesholds atympanum,an instrument associated with female reli-gious ritual.3 Karlsruhe,Badisches LandesmuseumB 39: CVAKarlsruhe1 Germany7 pl. 27, nos.1-4; LIMC 1.2 p1.169,Adonis 47; V. Pirenne-Delforge, L'Aphroditegrecque.Contribution l'etudede ses cultes et de sa personnalite

dans le pantheon archaiqueet classique (Athens 1994)21-4; and E. Reeder, Pandora. Women in ClassicalGreece(Princeton1995) 236-8, all with earlierbibliogra-phy. Afternotingthe relationshipof the terracottao thisvase-painting, he excavatorsdismissed the idea thattheterracottawas related o the festival: Pottierand Reinach(n.2) 429-30. For the problemof associatingother vase-paintings with the festival, see Edwards (n.1) 62-72;Reed (n.1) 320 n.15; Simms (1997) (n.1) 45-6; Simms(1998) (n.1) 123 n.13.4 Theophrastus,Hist.pl. 6.7.3; Hesychiusand Suda,s.v. 'A8&OvtSogKfot.5Eubulusfr. 13 K-A; cf Callimachusfr.478 Pf.6 See Reed (n.1) 324 n.30 and 338 for the proverb,and 323-46 and Simms (1998) (n.1) 128-33 for variousinterpretationsf the meaningand use of the garden.


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144 J.H. OAKLEYAND L. REITZAMMER:THEGARDENS OFADONISliquids. Butone of Detienne's contributionswas to demonstrateAdonis' close associationswithperfumes, specifically myrrh, which is connected with his mother Myrrha'sname. Whilepregnantwith Adonis, she was changed nto a myrrh reefromwhich he was born. Certainper-fumes areproductsof the myrrh ree,and the association of the alabastronandof perfumewithAdonis and his festival is corroborated y the dirgesingerattheAdoniadescribed n Theocritus'Idyll 15 who says thatArsinoe hadplaced golden alabastrawith Syrianperfumenext to Adonis(15.114).Alabastrawere also popularfuneraryvases, andwe see them being brought o the grave bywomenon manyAthenianvases.7 Ourfigurineholdsan alabastron an objectthatcan be locatedwithin a funerarycontext- andpoursthe contentsinto a 'gardenof Adonis'. This is an appro-priategesture,given thatthe Adonis festival was in large parta mimesis of a funeral: he activ-ity at theAdonia centredon lamenting he dead, short-livedAdonis. Thus,while the Karlsruhelekythosprovidesus with a representation f the festival at the momentin which the 'gardensofAdonis' are transferred o the rooftops, the terracotta igurine provides us with a view of thefestival at a differentmoment,when attention s focused on tendingthe 'gardensof Adonis'.R. Simmsrecently suggestedthat the gardensservedas the funerarybier for the small idolsof Adonis at which he was mournedas if at theprothesis, the ancient Greekequivalentof thewake.8At least in the case of ourterracottahereis no sign of an idol. Mightthe gardens nsteadhave servedas the gravewhereAdonis was lamented,forjust asAdonis was short-lived,so toowere the gardens?9 Since we know that women made libations of oil and perfume fromalabastraatrealgraves,ourgirlcouldthenbe understoodas pouring ibations o thedeadAdonisat his grave. If so, the girl'suse of the alabastron n the Louvreterracottawould make sense onseveral levels in anAdonianmilieu.

Finally, et us not forgetthat ourterracotta omes fromand was madein Myrina,which is notonly the city's name,but a wordthatis reminiscentof Myrrhine,a diminutive of Myrrha littleMyrrha),Adonis' mother.10It is perhapsnot surprising,therefore,that thanksto the Louvreterracottawe can now say that the cult of Adonis was known in a city to the east of mainlandGreecewhose name can be associatedwith one of the mythologicalfiguresrelatedto thatcult.This city lay acrossthe water fromLesbos,where Sappho ived and where theAdoniawas pre-sumablycelebratedas earlyas the sixthcenturyBC. Adonis was one of Sappho'sfavouritesub-jects, and a greatmany of her poems are connectedwith Aphrodite.l In fact, fragment140,whichmay have been meant for choralproduction,has a chorus of youngwomen andAphroditemournthe death of Adonis.12

JOHNH. OAKLEYTheCollege of WilliamandMary in Virginia

LAURIALANREITZAMMERUniversityof Californiaat Berkeley

7 H.E. Angermeier,Das Alabastron(Giessen 1936)and H. Gericke, Gefdssdarstellungenauf griechischenVasen Berlin 1970) 72-5.8 Simms (1997) (n.1) 48 n.17; Simms (1998) (n.1)129-37.9InBion's EpitaphiusAdonidis 77 thedeadAdonis isto be sprinkledwith Syrianunguentsandperfumes.10 Myrrhine in Aristophanes' Lysistrata (940-9)makes use of perfumes in the seduction scene withKinesias.

11 ForAdonis, seefr. 140,fr. 168,fr. 211b.iii (Loeb)= 211c Voigt.12Lesbos has been suggested as one of the conduitsfor the importation f the cult fromthe eastwhereit orig-inated: Simms (1998) (n.1) 124. M. Alexiou, The RitualLament in GreekTradition Cambridge1974) 55 arguesthatfr. 140 was meantfor choralperformance.


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PLATE6 THEGARDENS OF ADONIS JHS 125 (2005)

(a) TerracottaigurinefromMyrinaParis,LouvreInv.Myr.233(photograph:P.Lebaube)

(b) Terracottaigurine:detail(photograph:A. Chauvet)


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JHS 125 (2005) THE GARDENS OF ADONIS PLATE7

(a) Atticred-figuresquat lekythos,Gardensof AdonisKarlsruhe,BadischesLandesmuseumnv.B 39(photograph:BadischesLandesmuseum)

a tic terracotta and the gardens of adonis

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