What is the function of a kylix?

The primary use for the kylix was drinking wine (usually mixed with water, and sometimes other flavourings) at a symposium or male “drinking party” in the ancient Greek world, so they are often decorated with scenes of a humorous, light-hearted, or sexual nature that would only become visible when the cup was drained.

Why was Greek wine watered down?

The Greeks diluted their wine with water (1 part wine to 3 parts water), although the Macedonians scandalously drank theirs neat. This dilution helped prevent excessive alcoholism, which was (at least by the elite) considered a trait of ‘barbarian’ foreign cultures and which was widely parodied in Greek comedy plays.

Did the Greeks water down their wine?

The Ancient Greeks and Romans likely watered down their wine, or more accurately added wine to their water, as a way of purifying (or hiding the foul taste) from their urban water sources.

How big is a kylix?

14.2 × 45 × 37 cm (5 5/8 × 17 3/4 × 14 1/4 in.)

What was one very typical function of the white ground lekythos?

1. The white- ground slips of these oil vessels were painted with depictions of the basic events of the funeral prothesis, procession, inhumation, and subsequent visitation of the grave by the living as well as the transfigurative journey of the deceased from the world of the living into the afterlife.

Where was the kylix found?

490 bce; in the Louvre, Paris. Kylix, a drinking cup used in ancient Greece. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

How alcoholic was ancient Greek wine?

Wine was almost always drunk diluted with water: the ratio varied, normally ranging between 2 : 3 and 1 : 3, which would give a range in alcoholic strength of about 3 to 6\% and generally at the lower end of this range (roughly the same as British draught beer).

Did Romans drink unmixed wine?

Wine growing was less important to the Romans, who, in the early years of the Republic, were fighting to expand their domination of the peninsula. (In part, the wine trade with Gaul was so extensive because its inhabitants, writes Diodorus Siculus, were besotted by wine, which was drunk unmixed and without moderation).

Why did people drink wine in ancient times?

Romans believed that wine was a daily necessity, so they made it available to slaves, peasants, woman and aristocrats alike. As Pliny, the Elder famously said, “There’s truth in wine.” At the high point in the empire’s history of wine, experts estimate that a bottle of was being consumed each day for every citizen.

How does white-ground differ from red and black-figure painting?

White-ground painting is less durable than black- or red-figure, which is why such vases were primarily used as votives and grave vessels.

Why is lekythos important?

A lekythos is a vessel used to store oil used for religious or funerary purposes (1). This lekythos is an example of an ancient Greek vase decorated in the black-figure technique (2).

What is the form of kylix?

kylix, also spelled cylix, in ancient Greek pottery, wide-bowled drinking cup with horizontal handles, one of the most popular pottery forms from Mycenaean times through the classical Athenian period.

What is a kylix cup used for?

The primary use for the kylix was drinking wine (usually mixed with water, and sometimes other flavourings) at a symposium or male “drinking party” in the ancient Greek world, so they are often decorated with scenes of a humorous, light-hearted, or sexual nature that would only become visible when the cup was drained.

What was the purpose of the kylix in ancient Greece?

The shape of the kylix enabled the drinker to drink whilst recumbent, as was the case in the symposia. It also enabled them to play kottabos, a game played by flinging wine lees at targets. A typical bowl held roughly 8 oz/250ml of fluid, though this varied greatly with size and shape.

What is the Greek word for wine cup?

In the pottery of ancient Greece, a kylix (/ˈkaɪlɪks/ KY-liks, /ˈkɪlɪks/ KIL-iks; Ancient Greek: κύλιξ, pl. κύλικες; also spelled cylix; pl.: kylikes /ˈkaɪlɪˌkiːz/ KY-li-keez, /ˈkɪlɪˌkiːz/ KIL-i-keez) is the most common type of wine-drinking cup.

What is the most famous Greek drinking cup?

…is best known for a kylix (drinking cup), frequently called the Brygos Cup, now in the Louvre, Paris. A work of about 490 bc, it depicts the “Iliupersis” (“The Sack of Troy”). …Greek black-figured drinking vessels called kylikes (“eye cups”), from the 6th century bc.