Lekythos, Odysseus & Polyphemus

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Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin
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published on 21 November 2015
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Oil, especially olive oil, is stored in a specialized Greek pottery; lekythos (pleural, lekythoi). Many lekythoi were found inside tombs; they were used to anointg the dead bodies of single men. Mainly dull red and black paints were used by artists to decorate these ceramics. This is a scene from Homer's Odyssey. Odysseus and his men tie themselves to the underside of sheep to escape the giant cyclops Polyphemus. Attica, Greece, circa 520 BCE. (National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh, UK)

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About the Author

Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin
Associate Professor of Neurology and lover of the Cradle of Civilization, Mesopotamia. I'm very interested in Mesopotamian history and always try to take photos of archaeological sites and artifacts in museums, both in Iraq and around the world.

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APA Style

Amin, O. S. M. (2015, November 21). Lekythos, Odysseus & Polyphemus. World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://www.worldhistory.org/image/4188/lekythos-odysseus--polyphemus/

Chicago Style

Amin, Osama Shukir Muhammed. "Lekythos, Odysseus & Polyphemus." World History Encyclopedia. Last modified November 21, 2015. https://www.worldhistory.org/image/4188/lekythos-odysseus--polyphemus/.

MLA Style

Amin, Osama Shukir Muhammed. "Lekythos, Odysseus & Polyphemus." World History Encyclopedia. World History Encyclopedia, 21 Nov 2015. Web. 22 Feb 2025.

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