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amphorae and amphora stamps, Greek  

Mark L. Lawall

Article

Publication History:

Published online:
22 December 2015
In
Oxford Classical Dictionary
Transport amphorae, used throughout the ancient Mediterranean world, were plain clay vessels with two handles, used for the transportation and storage of wine, olive oil, and many other commodities. The specific shapes of the jars varied over time and from region to region, so they can be identified with some degree of accuracy today. Stamped impressions of names and images on the jars were used at times to manage civic control over their production and perhaps facilitate their distribution. The stamps are often helpful, too, by indicating the place and date of manufacture. As these jars played such an important role in ancient commerce, studies of their distribution patterns can shed light on trade routes and commercial networks around the Mediterranean.The term amphora derives from the Greek ἀμφί- (both) and φέρω (to carry), hence an amphoreus (pl. amphoreis/amphorēs) is a vessel carried on both sides. As the term implies, an amphora has two handles, one on either side of the central opening (mouth) (.

Article

Archilochus, Greek iambic and elegiac poet  

Laura Swift

Article

Publication History:

Published online:
22 December 2015
In
Oxford Classical Dictionary

Archilochus of Paros is one of the earliest surviving Greek poets, and can be dated to the 7th century bce. He composed iambus and elegy, and is most famous for his invective poems, which range from light-hearted banter with friends to vitriolic attacks on his enemies, and whose tone can be high-flown or vulgar. Despite the later tradition that narrowed the reception of Archilochus’s work to focus almost exclusively on abuse poetry, he was in fact one of the most wide-ranging of the Greek poets. The topics he treats include battle narratives, erotic stories, philosophical reflection, political criticism, lamentations for men lost at sea, heroic myths, and animal fables. Archilochus’s work survives only in fragments, but in antiquity he was highly rated as a poet, and his work is distinctive for its energy, its care with language and imagery, and its lively persona. His influence can be seen on classical, Hellenistic, and Roman writers.