Attic trefoil oinochoe with inscription

On the shoulder of the vase the oldest testimony of Greek alphabetic writing is preserved. The first of the two sentences, written in verse, is easy to read: “hoς νῡν ὀρχεστῶν πάντων ἀταλλότατα παῖζει” (Whichever of all the dancers now skips most graciously). On the contrary, the letters of the following sentence are illegible.

This inscription reminds of the Homeric poems, as concerns both on its verse and on its vocabulary. The word “ὀρχηστής” is the Homeric dancer, while “ἄτταλος” means the young man. The verb “παῖζει” (play) recalls playful dancing scenes, like those described in the Odyssey (viii. 251 et seg.).

Maybe the vase was a prize for a ball-game, perhaps the one called ourania.