- chapter 24: Greek myth in Etruscan culture –
Figure 24.23 Alabaster urn from Volterra. Oedipus between his dying sons; behind him Kreon and
Antigone. Volterra, Mus. Guarnacci (n. 63).Figure 24.24 Terracotta urn from Perugia. Sisyphos offering at his own grave, and Death in the shape
of a wolf demon. Perugia, Mus. (n. 63).Thebes. The bearded man with pileus (conical cap) is the Corinthian king Sisyphos. Hades
had allowed him to return to life to perform tomb rites at his own grave. But Sisyphos
fettered Thanatos (Death) with the consequence that nobody could die. In the relief
Sisyphos pours a libation, while chained Death (with wolf paws) rises up and seizes one of
the king’s companions. Behind him the Etruscan fate goddess Vanth appears. Death will
be freed and Sisyphos will have his eternal punishment: pushing a rock up a hill.
In this article metalwork, apart from mirrors, is rarely discussed. The Etruscans were
masters of metalwork, but during hard times bronze statues were chopped up and sold as
raw material. The same was the case for Greek and Roman bronzes. In 1553 the famous
Chimaera was found outside Arezzo, buried at a depth of 5 meters.^64 The monster with a