A Judgment of Parodies? ‘Momus’ on a Black-Figure Hydria in Chicago

Abstract

A Judgment of Paris scene on a black-figure hydria of ca. 510–500 bc includes a mysterious winged man among its characters. In 1980, Erika Simon identified the figure as Momus, which would make this the only plausible example of the god's depiction to survive in ancient art. This article re-examines Simon's argument through both a reconsideration of the ancient literary sources for Momus and a new visual analysis of the scene on the hydria. By drawing attention to the previously underappreciated parodic elements of the vase painting, it proposes a new interpretation of both the picture's comic tone and the question of the winged figure's identity.