Amphora of Achilles
- Audio guide stop: 231
- Gallery: Room 13
- Maker: Exekias
- Culture: Attic; Archaic Greek
- Made in: Attica (Greece)
- Date: 535BC (circa)
- Object type: amphora
- Materials: pottery
- Museum number: 1849,0518.10
- Museum: The British Museum
- Collection record: British Museum website
- Image © The Trustees of the British Museum, shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 licence.
Listen to the free audio guide
About this object
This is the "Amphora of Achilles," painted in black-figure style by the renowned artist Exekias. Before you is a striking example of Archaic Greek pottery, crafted in Attica around 535 BCE.
On each side of the vase is a powerful battle scene. On one side, Memnon, a warrior of great reputation, is shown with a dog emblazoned on his helmet, facing two African attendants wielding clubs. On the other, Achilles is captured mid-act of slaying Penthesilea, a warrior queen, with detailed armor and expressive movement.
Look closely at the painted patterns—swirling spirals, palmettes, and lotus blooms—demonstrating Exekias's careful attention to decorative detail. The Greek inscription reads "Amasis," which historians debate: could it be the name of one of the warriors or the pot itself?
This work reflects the artistic peak of ancient Greece, where storytelling through pottery was both refined and powerful.
See it in person
Amphora of Achilles is on display in Room 13 at the British Museum on Great Russell Street, Bloomsbury, London — free to enter. Choose British Museum on audioguide.london and type its audio guide stop number, 231, from the gallery label, or take a photo of it, to hear this free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
New, in beta. British Museum support has just launched and is still improving: over 1,000 objects so far, with more added all the time.
