Eight non-joining wall fragments, a and b with rim and strengthened with plaster. Band on inside at rim, a narrower one 0.068 below rim. Glaze fired red on inside, slightly misfired below figures on outside. Surface on b pitted in places. P.H. a) 0.35; est. diam. at rim 0.50; max. dim. b) 0.395, c) 0.145, d) 0.056, e) 0.068, f) 0.084, g) 0.10, h) 0.085. C. Boulter, Hesperia 22, 1953, pl. 23: there, the sequence of letters begins afresh for each side; to avoid confusion in the description, I include the old letter in parentheses after the new; L. Ghali-Kahil, Les enlèvements et le retour d'Hélène, Paris 1955, pl. 63:1 (Side A); LIMC II, 1984, p. 292, no. 888, pl. 262 s.v. Apollon; LIMC II, p. 141, no. 1479, s.v. Aphrodite; LIMC IV, 1988, p. 544, no. 280, s.v. Hélène. In all these illustrations, the floating fragment (h) is incorrectly placed. See also Prange, Niobidenmaler, p. 210, cat. no. GN 26 (incorrectly numbered P 21325).

A, Menelaos and Helen. Fragment b (a + b) (illustrated) shows part of this scene. At the left is Menelaos (head with Chalcidian helmet, part of shoulders with flaps of corslet, a little of his round shield seen from the inside) standing to right, facing Apollo (head with laurel wreath, left shoulder with himation), who probably stood frontally, head turned to left. Behind him is the top of a laurel tree. Then comes Helen (top of head, a little bit of fillet at break) followed by Eros (head, fingers, start of wings) flying behind her. He has been sent by Aphrodite to rekindle Menelaos' love for his wife. Fragment h (c) (illustrated) preserves drapery of two figures and the start of a foot, more of the fleeing Helen. The vertical folds on this fragment belong to Apollo's himation, the diagonal folds to Helen's, and the preliminary sketch makes clear that her right leg was quite diagonal. The narrow object is the trunk of the laurel tree. Helen runs to right, looking back, because what remains of her fillet indicates that her head faced left. All that remains of Aphrodite on fragment b (a + b) is the top of her head with stephane. She faces left. Fragment e (b) comes from this side and shows more of Aphrodite's hair and some of her himation (the glaze confirms this). B, woman running toward a king. Fragment a shows a portion of this scene. At the left is the woman (most of head and shoulders missing) hurrying to right, her right arm outstretched. She wears a chiton and himation. All that remains of the king are the ends of two locks of his beard, a little of his himation, and the top of his scepter. He stood frontally, head turned to left, scepter in left hand, and thus faced the approaching woman. Behind him is a woman (part of head) with a torch (tip with flame), to left. Fragment c (d) gives a good portion of this woman (sleeve of chiton, much of himation) and a bit of a tendril on the right from the configuration under handle B/A. Fragment d (c) shows a little of her hair and shoulder (the glaze indicates this positioning). At the left of fragment a, part of the handle ornament (palmette and lotus) as well as the start of handle A/B, its root ornamented with a tongue pattern. Below the figures, stopped-maeander pattern (a, f, g). The last two also give part of a handle root and its configuration (palmette with spirals). On rim, laurel wreath (a and b) to left. Preliminary sketch. Rim of shield incised (compass-drawn). Dilute glaze: inside of shield; decoration on corslet flap; hair of Eros. White (flaked): flames.

Boulter thought there should be four figures on Side B, but normally here are only three, and this works out when one compares the two sides with regard to the positioning of the figures in relation to the handles (a bit of the glaze or pattern survives here and there).

For the subject of A, where Menelaos has not yet reclaimed Helen, the best discussions are Ghali-Kahil, Les enlèvements, pp. 71--98 and E. Simon, AK 7, 1964 [ pp. 91--95], pp. 92--94; very briefly, LIMC II, 1984, pp. 140--141, s.v. Aphrodite (A. Delivorrias et al.) and in LIMC II, pp. 292--293, s.v. Apollon (W. Lambrinoudakis); in LIMC IV, 1988, pp. 557--558, s.v. Hélène (L. Kahil), all with bibliography.

The inclusion of Eros in scenes depicting the Recovery of Helen occurs mainly in those in which Aphrodite and others are present. With one exception, all these date between 460 and 425. Since the examples are not very numer-ous, it is worthwhile to list them, because the composition of 303 stands somewhat apart with regard to the position of Eros. Onesimos: Malibu, the J. Paul Getty Museum 83.AE.362, 84.AE.80, and 86.AE.385: Eros hovers between Helen and Menelaos, who has dropped his sword (LIMC IV, p. 544, no. 277 [the accession number is incorrectly given as 85.AE.385.2], pl. 341; D. Williams, in Greek Vases in the J. Paul Getty Museum 5 [OPA 7] [ pp. 41--64], p. 55, fig. 8:j). The namepiece of the Painter of Bologna 235: two Erotes, one on each side of Menelaos, fly towards him; the left one seems to hold a fillet in his outstretched hand (ARV2 517, 6). A column-krater near the Leningrad Painter, Tübingen 67.5806: Eros stands on Aphrodite's outstretched left hand as Menelaos approaches and Helen runs away (ARV2 585, 27; Paralip. 393, 27; LIMC IV, p. 542, no. 265, pl. 338). A fragmentary hydria in Boston, Vermeule, attributed by Bothmer to an early mannerist: Eros hovers above Menelaos' shield (LIMC IV, p. 544, no. 279 bis, pl. 342). The Chicago Painter: Brauron, no no.: here Eros flies toward Menelaos, holding a phiale (ARV2 631, 42; Addenda 272). Polygnotos, Malibu, the J. Paul Getty Museum 81.AE.183 B: Eros stands on the outstretched right hand of Aphrodite, looking at Menelaos (LIMC IV, p. 543, no. 276, pl. 341; Matheson, Polygnotos, p. 483, cat. no. PGU 186, pl. 169: Group of Polygnotos: Undetermined). The Group of Polygnotos, Undetermined: Once Rome, E. Strong (unpublished): Eros flies towards Menelaos, holding a phiale in both hands (ARV2 1056, 93; Ghali-Kahil, p. 95, no. 78 for a description; Matheson, p. 466, cat. no. PGU 103). The Menelaos Painter: Louvre G 424: Eros flies towards Menelaos empty handed (ARV2 1077, 5; LIMC II, p. 140, no. 1474, pl. 144, no. 1474). The Leningrad Painter, St. Petersburg inv. 4524: Eros flies toward Menelaos, Helen flees (ARV2 1194, 7; LIMC IV, p. 543, no. 272, pl. 340). Vatican 16535, an oinochoe somewhat connected with the Heimarmene Painter and with Polion but earlier than their work: Eros flies toward Menelaos, holding a garland (ARV2 1173, ---; Paralip. 460, top; Addenda 339). Parthenon, North Metopes 24--25: here, it is impossible today to determine what Eros held in his hands (cf. F. Brommer, Die Metopen des Parthenon, Mainz 1967, pls. 101, 105, 109; p. 50 for discussion).

303 seems to be the only example in which there is a figure (or figures) between Eros and Menelaos; thus Eros is not as close to achieving his goal as he is in those where he hovers directly in front of Menelaos. It is unclear on 303 what if anything Eros held in his hand. Ghali-Kahil (p. 94) thought perhaps a phiale, but a fillet or garland is just as likely.

For a good parallel for the king on Side B (only reversed), see the figure in the lower zone of the hydria in the Vatican by the Painter of the Woolly Satyrs, 17882 (ARV2 614, 11; Prange, Niobidenmaler, p. 221, cat. no. GN 76, pl. 18:left).

Manner of the Niobid Painter (ARV2 609, 12; Addenda 268).