Final Draft - Preview Matter - Florida State University

smell in forested areas, so it has the “appearance of slinking,” which is fearful to man. 237 When
necessary, the wolf supplements its diet by scavenging and eating carrion and it has been known
to approach human settlements at night in order to find garbage for dining. 238 Despite the wolf’s
habit of living and hunting in packs, it is also viewed as solitary creature, an outsider. The wolf
was one of the largest predatory animals present in ancient Italy, and its dependence on flocks of
sheep and other livestock for food kept it in close contact with man. 239 It was perceived as fierce
and wild and a direct contrast to its domesticated descendents. Even today, the wolf remains a
potent symbol for negative characteristics such as cruelty and ravenous behavior. 240 The
association between the gods of the underworld and a fearsome creature such as the wolf seems
quite logical due to man’s innate fear of both.
The perceived character of the animal is not the only thing that may have influenced the
Etruscan conception of a lupine death god, though. Elliott has suggested that Calu’s iconography
may be a result of Egyptian influence through imagery of the god Anubis being transferred to
Etruria. 241 This goes against a dictum that one meets when trying to discuss animal worship in a
classical context. Leavitt states, “It is not clear how the gods of the dead from ancient Egypt,
represented as a jackal or in human form with the head of a dog, could be tolerated in the
classical world that scornfully rejected zoolatry.” 242 But as has been argued in Chapter I, the
presence of theriomorphic and therianthropic deities in the art and literature of the Etruscans and
Romans argues against the idea that animal worship was entirely rejected.
A bucchero oinochoe currently housed in the Museo Nazionale di Palermo depicts the
tale of Medusa’s death at the hands of the hero Perseus (Fig. III.6). 243 Perseus and the Gorgon
237 Midgley 2001, 185.
238 Boitani 1982, 163. Presumably, garbage is part of the wolf’s diet since it is plentiful and easily obtained; it does
not require a great deal of energy.
239 Boitanti 1982, 166. Fritts, Stephenson, Hayes, and Boitani (2003, 308-9) suggest that wolves do not prey on
livestock as much as one might think, but the perceived threat to livestock, and therefore human interests, is great
nonetheless.
240 Midgely 2001, 183.
241 Elliott 1986, 73.
242 Leavitt 1992, 248.
243 The type of oinochoe and details of its creation suggest an Archaic date and production in Chiusi. The scene
represented is the death of Medusa at the hands of Perseus, common in both Greek and Etruscan art. Stock elements
of the scene include the hideous gorgon, Athena as Perseus’ aide, and an armed figure of Perseus. The artist who
crafted this vessel has added a second warrior and a dog-headed demon. The addition of Etruscan figures to Greek
myths has been noted elsewhere, and one famous example is the scene of Achilles sacrificing Trojan prisoners in the
François Tomb, Vulci. The further addition of the dog-headed demon to this scene need not confuse us. Perhaps
Anubis’ role as psychopomp, one point of contact between Hermes and the Egyptian god, is meant to indicate the
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