CAVI Lemma: Lekane. From Athens. Unattributed. Second quarter fifth. Ca. 470-460.
CAVI Subject: Two black lines mark the handle zone; otherwise unglazed except for the rim.
CAVI Inscriptions: Grr.: on the inside, in large letters, upside down to the pot, circular and
in two lines facing out: Πυθοδορος | καλο[ς]. On the underside, in three lines
of about equal length, horizontal: Αλ{λ}καιος | καλος· το δο|κει Μελιτι{1}. On
the outside, upside down and curving: με φερε{2}.
CAVI Footnotes: {1} Lang (1976), p. 14 prints το, but comments: "το seems to be τω; for the
form see LSJ, s.v. τῳ [`therefore, then'; but this seems to be poetic]."
Threatte (1996), 340 suggests that ΤΟ is = τω[ι], `to someone'. {2} so Lang
(1976), with the comment: "the third letter was originally read as theta, but
compare other theta-like phi's: D 15 [Agora P 12,212], F 43 [Agora P 8]."
Talcott, reading Μεθερε, compares Acr. ii, 1493, q.v. [where Peek's reading is μ
' εφερε, but should perhaps also be με φερε, do not ..] and an unexplained
inscription cited by Kretschmer (1894), 200. Lang does not explain what με φερε
means.
CAVI Comments: Pythodoros: cf. Acr. ii, 1506: Πυθο̣[δορ]ο ειμι. Alkaios: kalos on Berlin
2332, by Achilles Painter (ARV[2] 988/20); also in two other graffiti, Agora P
5167 and 5169; perhaps a different man from that of Berlin 2332. Melis: Talcott
thinks a term of endearment rather than a name, but Lang in Lang (1976) refers
to SEG 22.237 [LGPN ii lists under unaccented Μελις, which does not settle the
question whether the name is masculine or feminine]. Talcott gives parallels for
the phrasing: CIG 541: Ιππεος [sic] καλος Αριστομεδει δοκει (Gr. on an unbaked
tile). Cf. D.M. Robinson (1934), 135. RF alabastron, London E 718: Αφροδισια
καλε; and: τος δοκει Ευχιροι. RF lekythos in Naples (3135), Kretschmer (1894),
109: καλε δοκες. Attic alphabet. Phi with horizontal bar.
CAVI Number: 0339
AVI Bibliography: Talcott (1935), 512/94, fig. 25. — Talcott (1936), 348/3, figs. 10, 17 and
18. — Lang (1956), 18/74. — ARV[2] (1963), 1561/1. — Sparkes–Talcott (1970),
361/1792, pl. 84. — Lang (1976), 13/C 19, pl. 5 (dr.). — Threatte (1996), 332
and *340-41.
CAVI / AVI Data from Henry Immerwahr's Corpus of Attic Vase Inscriptions (CAVI), updated by Rudoph Wachter's Attic Vase Inscriptions (AVI)
