( fl c. 340–c. 330 BC). Vase painter, active in Apulia. Possibly active in Tarentum, he was the leading artist in his field of his time, exercising a strong influence on late Apulian vase painting in general (see also UNDERWORLD PAINTER below). The Darius Painter is named after his monumental volute krater in Naples (h. 1.3 m; Mus. Archeol. N., 81947) depicting the Persian king Darius, who is identified by an inscription, and his entourage listening to a messenger. This elaborate, multi-figured scene may relate to an historical event at the beginning of the Ionian Revolt in 499 BC (i.e. more than 150 years before the painter’s own time), which was reported by Herodotos (Histories V.cv–cvii). The rare or unique subjects of many of his other works, which are sometimes identified by inscriptions accompanying the main characters, also evince his surprising erudition. Unusually, instead of always depicting heroes, he frequently chose myths involving well-known heroines, such as Andromeda, Antigone, Antiope and Kreousa, and more obscure female figures such as Rhodope (calyx krater; Basle, Antikenmus., S34) and the daughters of the Delian king Anios, who actually occur twice (calyx krater, Miami, priv. col.; loutrophoros, Naples, priv. col.).

Part of the Vase painters family

• Darius Painter
  • Greece, ancient, §V, 6(ii)(b): South Italian Red-figure potterty: Apulian