The fascinating story-telling of Etruscan mirrors – the meaning behind 8LER 1 The fascinating story-telling of Etruscan mirrors – the meaning behind 8LER by Mel Copeland Update September 8, 2017 The Etruscans were masters in many arts, including manufacture of gold and silver jewelry, pottery and mirrors. Their mirrors have been found from Africa to the Black Sea, and what is most fascinating about their mirrors is their gifted way of retelling “their” mythology. We put the word “their” in quotes, because their mythology seems to be focused around Greek mythology. However, the Etruscan version of the Greek tales often had an unexpected, sometimes wry, twist. The unique perspectives of Etruscan mythology, seen in the murals of their tombs and engraved on their mirrors, tend to focus around heroes of the Trojan War and Helen of Troy. 1 Regardless of the subject matter, the Etruscan story-tellers excelled at making one think about the plot behind the scene, and there are many such mirrors with unusual twists. For instance, we have the Volterra Mirror, Script AH, 2 which shows a bearded Heracles (Etr. Hercle, L. Hercules, Gr. Heracles) suckling at the breast of the Etruscan goddess Uni (Etr. VNI, L. Juno, Greek Hera). This plot involved Hera’s jealousy over the philandering ways of her consort Zeus (Etr. TINIA, L. Jupiter). It seems that Alcmene was seduced by Zeus, who had disguised himself as her husband, Amphitryon, while he was away at sea fighting Taphian pirates, and produced a son, Heracles. Hera attempted to stop the delivery by causing the goddess Eileithyia to tightly cross her legs and fingers, as a charm to prevent the birth while waiting outside the delivery room. However, one of Alcmene’s attendants, Galanthis saw the charm and suddenly rushed out of the room crying out joyfully that the child had been born. Startled, Eileithyia rose up, forgetting the charm, and then the cries of two babies could be heard. Alcmene had given birth to twins, Alcaeus or Heracles and Iphicles. Fearing the wrath of Hera, Alcmene attempted to expose Heracles, but the goddess Athena found him and persuaded the unsuspecting Hera to suckle him. Another version of the story says that Zeus put the baby to the sleeping Hera’s breast. When she awoke, 1 “Unique Perspectives of Etruscan Mythology,” Mel Copeland, https://www.academia.edu/721298/_Unique_perspectives_in_Etruscan_mythology_Rev._1.28.13 2 Text and image from “Etruscan Phrases,” Mel Copeland, http://www.maravot.com/Etruscan_Phrases_a.html . Updated versions of Etruscan Phrases texts are available at academia.edu/MelCopeland. Uni suckling Heracles, Script AH. This mirror was found in Volterra and is in the Museo Archeologico, Florence.