The Construction of Masculinity in Fifth-Century Athenian Amazonomachie

This thesis examines the ways in which masculinity was constructed in Classical Athenian society through depictions of Amazonomachies on ceramic vessels. This subject matter was common on vessels used in the all-male drinking parties called symposia; therefore the viewers of these objects were primarily men. A calyx and a volute krater held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art serve as the focal point of this study. Through the theoretical lenses of gaze, memory, and gender, I argue that Greeks projected the gendered roles of society onto Amazonomachies, which contributed to the construction of masculinity in Greek society. These images taught Greek men about themselves in relation to 'others,' especially women.;During the fifth-century, the birth of democracy led to political and social change in Athens that intensified the need to control Athenian women in order to ensure legitimate offspring. I contend that the social tension caused by these changes manifested in vase painting through Amazonomachies, which constructed masculinity through portrayals of men and women. My analysis situates the calyx and volute kraters within a broader trend of depicting more balanced battles in Amazon scenes during the Classical period. This change to depicting more balanced battle scenes has not previously been fully explained.;Amazonomachies had been part of the Greek artistic corpus since the early Archaic period, but the manner in which these scenes are depicted changes during the mid-Classical period. The images now demonstrate the possibility that the Greeks will lose and be overcome as Amazons are increasingly placed in positions of power and dominance.;In my thesis, I examine how images of Amazons were recruited---and modified from their earlier, Archaic period precedents---to construct and maintain this relatively new social order in the specific cultural moment of the Athenian early Classical period. I argue that Amazonomachies of the fifth-century constructed masculinity by suggesting the dangers of failing to adequately perform maleness in Athenian society; in particular, failing to control women. I contend that through structures of gaze, memory, and gender, these vessels depicting transgressive female actions implored Greek men to maintain social and civic order through the domination of women and the correct performance of ideal Athenian masculinity. I suggest that the method of analysis that I have used to consider the volute and calyx kraters should be more broadly applied to Amazonomachy vessels of the Classical period to explore the construction of masculinity.