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Small painting with Hippolytus and Phaedra Painted plaster Pompeii, origin unspecified Pompeii Archaeological Park, Inv. N. 20620 21½ × 24⅜ in.; thickness 1⅝ in.
1st century CE (Third Style) © MIC – Parco Archeologico di Pompei
According to the mythical tale presented here—written by Euripides, taken up by Seneca, and widely depicted in Pompeian painting—Phaedra, wife of Theseus, falls madly in love with her stepson Hippolytus who is a chaste follower of Artemis and does not reciprocate her passion. Phaedra thus kills herself, leaving a note accusing Hippolytus of rape. Refusing Hippolytus’s proclamation of innocence, Theseus asks Poseidon to kill him. In the pinax (painting) presented here, we find ourselves faced with a type of narration defined as “continuous,” typical of the late Third Style, in which, inside architecturally well-defined spaces, progressive events that occur in consecutive action are presented simultaneously. Phaedra, in the left corner of the scene, with a handmaid behind her, has just revealed her love for her stepson; Hippolytus, in the foreground, about to leave for the hunt accompanied by a squire, is blocked from listening to the revelation of Phaedra’s feelings, which will have devastating consequences for them both. We are faced with a subject that lent itself well to lively discussions during banquets. —AC
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