Fragments of a terracotta kylix (drinking cup) 515 BC

These fragments of a terracotta kylix, or drinking cup, were made by Euthymides, an Athenian potter and painter active in the late 6th century BCE. The symposium, or drinking party, was a key social institution in ancient Greece, largely reserved for aristocratic men. Vessels like this kylix would have been central to such gatherings, acting as a canvas for images of revelry, mythological narratives, or scenes of everyday life. In terms of gender, these cups offer a glimpse into a male-dominated social structure, where women were largely excluded from such events, except as entertainers. The act of piecing together these fragments mirrors the broader project of reconstructing the past. What stories might this cup have told when it was whole? What hands held it, and what conversations did it witness? Approaching these fragmented objects can evoke a sense of both connection to and distance from the past.