Ancient Greek Vessels

THE DAILY LIFE IN ANCIENT GREECE: ANCIENT GREEK VESSELS
The alimentary habits of ancient Greeks was characterized by the austerity, something that reflected the difficult conditions under which  the Greek agricultural activity was held. They used various vessels in order to  store wine and other liquid and drinkable products : the crater, the kylix, the oinochoi,the skyfos,the psyktir, the kyathos, the ryto, the beetle, the sac and the acetabulum.

The ancient Greeks drank their wine mixed with water, wine 'kekrammeno' that is to say. Those who drank the wine net, they were called akratopotes, something proportional with current drunkard. The crater was the vessel, in which  water and  wine were mixed. The crater has usually a round body, wide orifice, heavy base and handholds on both sides. In general it is categorized in four types, according to the form of the body or the handholds. The helical crater has handholds on both sides in the form of a helix. The columnar crater has handholds in a columnar form and the kalykoschimos crater has a  body in the form of a cartridge. The kodonoschimos crater has a  body in the form of an upside down ' kodona'.

 
Types

Helical crater    

Distinguishable neck, heavy support and two handholds in the form of a spiral that is extended by the shoulder of the vessel up to the opening. The form was imported about 575 B.C., even if the 'melanomorfa' samples are infrequent and they were made at the end of 6th  B.C. in Apoulias, Greek colony in  Southern Italy.

   Kionotos crater

  It is distinguished by the round body, the distinguishable neck with the firm orifice and verge and heavy support. Each handhold is constituted by a pair of cylindric stalks that leads to a horizontal member, linked in the verge. This form passed in the production from the first half of 6th century B.C. and was also maintained up to the 5th century B.C., and then lost his popularity. The decorative scene is usually developed in the body. The verge has occasionally 'melanomorfi thiriomorfiki zoforo'.

 Kalykoschimos crater

  The kalykoschimos crater is characterized by the deep body with the more inferior department of convex, and the superior lightly concave.

 Kodonoschimos crater
This particular type of vessel has a kodonoschimo body with curved handholds, that are placed  in the body and are bent lightly. The particular type was imported after the beginning of 'erythromorfi' technique and was preferred particularly after  the fifth  century. The decorative scene is set  in the body and the decoration  is very simple.

Skyfoeidis crater
The body of this particular type is a round bowl with small handholds. This form was preferred only in the premature 'melanomorfi' period. The epipomatio (cover), the body and the base are decorated and they usually have 'zoforoi' .

      

     

    

                 

Oinochoi
Oinochoi is a jug for the discharge of wine that was used in antiquity. Its name is a complex word from wine and cheo ( pour ). The name is applied for this particular type, thus as it is answered in each philological testimony.

Skyfos
Skyfos was a kind of ancient Greek vessel with two handholds  that was manufactured  from timber or clay, (ceramic) or from noble metal silver or gold.

Psyktir (vessel)

The Attic 'melanomorfos psyktiras'  portrays the departure of warrior, per. 525-500 P.K.E. Louvre, No of exhibit F 319.Psyktiras in the ancient Greek ceramics  is a vessel in the form of a mushroom, that was used for the refridgeration of wine. It was usually placed in a bigger vessel, a  crater, that contained cool water. Various forms of vessels for the refridgeration of wine were previously used, too . Psyktires of however particular form were made round 520 B.C., obviously in combination with the 'kalykoto crater', a form that was used in 530 B.C. Their use was very short.

Ryto
Ryto  is a container for potable liquids or 'choes' which was used during rituals.

Beetle
The beetle is a vessel which was used to adore  god Dionysos, and constitutes his symbol. During the  classic and hellenistic era it is also met also in  daily life, and it is associated with the bravery, the men's life and the adoration of deads. The bigger beetles that were found  were placed on graves.

Storage vessels

  Some vessels were used in order to store foods :  amforeas, peliki, boiler, pithos, ydria and stamnos.

Amphoreas
 It was occasionally used for the storage of wine and oil.

Peliki

Pithos

Ydria (vessel)

Vessels for funerals and rituals.

Kernos
Kernos  was an ancient Greek vessel that was used in Eleusinia Mysteries for the sacrifice of inmates. Kernoi  were also found in Crete, in the palace of Malia. Discoveries are exposed today in Louvre, as well as in the Archaeological Museum in Irakleion.

LIKYTHOS
Likythos was used to store oil and it was placed on the grave of unmarried dead but also in wedding ceremonies.

Artistry
The representations that they had were often scenes of daily activities or rituals. They were often used in funeral rituals, and  had  scenes of loss, separation or even departure.

Kalpis (vessel)
 The name kalpis appears to have the same meaning with that of ydrias. The production of this particular vessel was continuous.The decorative scene is  in the body, more seldom in the frame.

Perirrantirio
  It was used to store  water. It was made from carved Stone, marble and more seldom from cooked clay.