Wine cup used by Pericles found in grave north of Athens

[jimmy olsen]

Cool

http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_wsite1_1_30/07/2014_541804

Wine cup used by Pericles found in grave north of Athens

A cup believed to have been used by Classical Greek statesman Pericles has been found in a pauper's grave in north Athens, according to local reports Wednesday.

The ceramic wine cup, smashed in 12 pieces, was found during building construction in the northern Athens suburb of Kifissia, Ta Nea daily said.

After piecing it together, archaeologists were astounded to find the name "Pericles" scratched under one of its handles, alongside the names of five other men, in apparent order of seniority.

Experts are "99 per cent" sure that the cup was used by the Athenian statesman, as one of the other names listed, Ariphron, is that of Pericles' elder brother.

"The name Ariphron is extremely rare," Angelos Matthaiou, secretary of the Greek Epigraphic Society, told the newspaper.

"Having it listed above that of Pericles makes us 99 per cent sure that these are the two brothers," he said.

The cup was likely used in a wine symposium when Pericles was in his twenties, and the six men who drank from it scrawled their names as a memento, Matthaiou said.

"They were definitely woozy, as whoever wrote Pericles' name made a mistake and had to correct it," he said.

The cup was then apparently gifted to another man named Drapetis ("escapee" in Greek) who was possibly a slave servant or the owner of the tavern, said archaeologist Galini Daskalaki.

"This is a rare find, a genuine glimpse into a private moment," she said.

Ironically, the cup was found on Sparta street, Athens' great rival and nemesis in the Peloponnesian War that tore apart the Greek city-states for nearly 30 years.

General of Athens during the city's Golden Age, Pericles died of the plague in 429 BC during a Spartan siege.

The cup will be displayed in the autumn at the Epigraphical Museum in Athens. [AFP]

[Caliga]

μονστρους

[CountDeMoney]

What of his other brother, Testicles?

[garbon]

They must have been woozy as some had to correct the name spelling?

[grumbler]

What of his other brother, Testicles?

Wow!  Haven't heard that one since third grade.  Thanks for the blast from the past.

[CountDeMoney]

Only thing surprising about this find is that "grumblus" wasn't carved in the cup, too.

[grumbler]

Only thing surprising about this find is that "grumblus" wasn't carved in the cup, too.

Wow.  You really are going for the obvious in this thread.  Way to challenge yourself.

[CountDeMoney]

What do you want from me, it's still way before noon.

[Martinus]

What of his other brother, Testicles?

Wow!  Haven't heard that one since third grade.  Thanks for the blast from the past.

Were you also teasing Pericles about his name back in the third grade?

[The Minsky Moment]

grumbler had already been ostracized for driving the ekklesia up the wall with his criticisms of trireme tactics.
Had he still been there, the spelling error would have been averted and the course of history changed forever.

[Legbiter]

grumbler had already been ostracized for driving the ekklesia up the wall with his criticisms of trireme tactics.

If only they'd have listened to grumbler, Athens would have won the Peloponnesian War.

[Malthus]

grumbler had already been ostracized for driving the ekklesia up the wall with his criticisms of trireme tactics.

If only they'd have listened to grumbler, Athens would have won the Peloponnesian War.

Back then, though, war was a young man's game. 

[The Brain]

Beer Pericles is best Pericles.

[garbon]

[Malthus]

Spoken like a born aristocrat.