Water Jar with Dionysos and Poseidon

Several deities meet on the main panel of this Athenian black-figure hydria. The gods are easily identified by their attributes. At the left, Dionysos, the god of wine, holds a vine and a kantharos or drinking cup. At the right, Poseidon, the god of the sea, holds his trident. The identity of the goddess in the center is harder to determine, since she has no attributes. She may be Ariadne, Dionysos's wife, or the scene may represent Dionysos introducing Amphitrite to Poseidon, her future husband. On the shoulder of the hydria, two groups of warriors fight over the body of a fallen comrade. Ancient Greeks used the hydria for carrying water. Its three handles were designed to facilitate pouring and lifting.