Amphora by the Berlin Painter with a Scythian Warrior in the Getty Villa, July 2008

Storage Jar with a Scythian Warrior
Greek, made in Athens, 480-470 BC
Red-figured amphora attributed to the Berlin Painter

Inventory # 96.AE.98

Glancing anxoiously over his shoulder, a Scythian warrior flees from a Greek foot soldier, who appears on the other side of this vase. The warrior wears a typical Scythian costume: a tall cap; tight, patterned garments; and soft, pointed shoes. He is further identified as a foreigner by his stiff red hair and beard and his snub nose. The Scythians were renowned in antiquity as skilled horsemen and archers.

The depictions on this storage jar may refer to the Greek triumph over the Persians in 479 BC, a recent event when the vessel was painted. The Scythians were allies of the Persians during that invasion.

Text from the Getty Villa label.