Greek Myth on Etruscan Urns from Perusia: the sacrifice of Iphigenia

Abstract

The production of cremation urns of Perusia is one of the most important of North Etruria, and many of them were decorated with scenes of myth. The meaning of a myth is strictly related to its social and cultural context. Indeed, the reception of an iconographical theme depends on the specific cultural setting and each society perceives and re-elaborates the same image in different ways. This paper examines the use of the myth of the sacrifice of Iphigenia for the local Etruscan context of the second and first century B.C.E. The representation of that myth enjoyed in Perusia a success that is much greater than in Greek context, revealing the creative approach of the Perusian sculptors and the culture of their patrons.