Dioscuri spartani, Dioscuri beotici: alcune testimonianze iconografiche

Abstract

The paper discusses an iconographic type recorded on a series of pinakes from the Mannella sanctuary at Locri Epizephyrii portraying two young horsemen (one has a lyra, the other a kantharos) in front of a female figure. This is thought to be the variant of a more common type representing the Spartan Dioskouroi with a shield and phiale. The attributes of the horsemen (kantharos and lyra), unusual for the Tyndaridai, have been interpreted as a reference to the educational value of music and symposia relating to the male element within the context of wedding rituals held in the sanctuary. The lyra, however, may not be a simple element to enrich the meaning of the image, but rather an attribute aimed at clarifying the identity of the two characters, which we propose interpreting as Amphion and Zethus, the so-called Theban Dioskouroi.