ADONIS
Aphrodite and Persephone vie for the love of Adonis, and so Aphrodite asks Zeus to arbitrate. Zeus decided that Adonis should share his life be-tween the two. Here Zeus is represented sitting on his throne on the upper tier between Persephone to the left, and Aphrodite to the right. Aphrodite appears as a person who acts suppliant, holding a little cupid in her arms. On the far sides you can hardly distinguish Hermes and Calliope. Adonis is repre-sented as a little boy still, holding the scepter of Zeus. In the middle tier Adonis is lounging on a very luxurious bed half naked; Cupid ap-proaches him, and he is surrounded by Artemis to the left, and Persephone and Aphro-dite to the right. In the lower tier the muses are represented. [Apulian pelike, 4th C. B.C. Naples Museo Nazionale Archeologico]