The Chigi Vase: Greek Art and the Birth of the Hoplite

The History of Greece: Philosophy, Empire, and Endless Reinvention — Fexingo History · Jun 24, 2026 · 7m · transcript

Episode 118 dives into the story of the Chigi Vase, a 7th-century BC Corinthian pot that rewrites what we know about early Greek warfare and art. Found in an Etruscan tomb, this tiny olpe (wine jug) bears the earliest known depiction of hoplite phalanx formation — soldiers marching in lockstep with round shields and long spears. But it also shows a lion hunt, a chariot race, and a mythological scene, revealing how Greek artists exported their culture across the Mediterranean. We explore the vase's journey from Corinth to Veii, its role in the Orientalizing period, and what it tells us…