e, from the form of the letters and the order according to which
they are traced, the greater or lesser antiquity of the vase can be
recognized, these inscriptions necessarily following all the changes
of the Greek alphabet; care must be taken to examine whether the
inscription goes from right to left, whether the long vowels, the
double letters are replaced by the silent vowels, or single letters;
these are in general signs of relative antiquity which prove that of
the vase itself; secondly, because the names invariably explain the
subject of the painting, and even indicate by a name hitherto unknown,
either some personage who sometimes bore another name, or a person
whose real name was unknown, in fine, some mythic being of whom
ancient writers give us no information.

The information derived from vases is of great importance for the
study of Greek mythology viewed in its different epochs, and for the
interpretation and understanding of ancient tragic or lyric poets.
Moral or historical inscriptions, in prose and in verse, have also
been found on vases. The letters of these inscriptions are capital or
cursive; they are very delicately traced, and often require a great
deal of attention to perceive. They are traced in black or white with
a brush, sometimes they are incised with a very sharp point.

On some which had been gifts to some "beautiful youths," we find the
inscription, "the handsome boy," and also the form, "the handsome
Onetorides," "the handsome Stroibos." One youth is called "the most
handsome Hippocritus." The names of females, whether brides, beauties,
or hetairae, are found accompanied with the expression, "the lovely
Oenanthe," "the fair Rodon." On others, salutatory expressions are
sometimes found, such as "Hail to thee;" "Happy as possible."

The subjects represented on painted vases, although of infinite
variety, may be reduced to three classes, which include them all: 1.
Mythological subjects; 2. Heroic subjects; 3. Historical subjects. The
_Mythological_ subjects relate to the history of all the gods, and
their adventures in human form are reproduced on them in a thousand
shapes. It requires a deep and intimate knowledge of Greek mythology,
in order to explain the different subjects. One of the oldest and most
popular subjects in Greece was the Gigantomachia, which is found
represented as a whole upon many vases, while others contain
individual incidents from it.

Among the Olympic deities rep