Aita ( Etruscan: ๐๐๐๐), also spelled Eita ( Etruscan: ๐๐๐๐), is an epithet of the Etruscan chthonic fire god ลuri [1] [2] [3] [4] as god of the underworld, roughly equivalent to the Greek god Hades ( Epic Greek: แผฯฮดฮทฯ, romanized: รรฏdฤs). [5]
Aita is a relatively late addition to the Etruscan pantheon, appearing in iconography and in Etruscan text beginning in the 4th century BC, and is heavily influenced by his Greek counterpart, Hades. [6] [7] Aita is pictured in only a few instances in Etruscan tomb painting, such as in the Golini Tomb from Orvieto and the tomb of Orcus II from Tarquinia. [8] In these tomb paintings, he is shown with his consort Persipnei ( Etruscan: ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐), also spelled Phersipnai ( Etruscan: ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐), the Etruscan equivalent to the Greek Persephone. [9]
Although Aita is very rarely depicted, he may appear enthroned and sometimes wears a wolf cap, borrowing a key attribute from the earlier Etruscan underworld wolf-deity, named Calu. [10] Other examples of Aita in Etruscan art depict his abduction of Persipnei. Aside from tomb painting, Aita may be identified in a few examples in other media, including on a 4th-century painted vase from Vulci, two 2nd century alabaster ash urns from Volterra, and a Red Figure 4thโ3rd century Oinochoe. [11]
Aita ( Etruscan: ๐๐๐๐), also spelled Eita ( Etruscan: ๐๐๐๐), is an epithet of the Etruscan chthonic fire god ลuri [1] [2] [3] [4] as god of the underworld, roughly equivalent to the Greek god Hades ( Epic Greek: แผฯฮดฮทฯ, romanized: รรฏdฤs). [5]
Aita is a relatively late addition to the Etruscan pantheon, appearing in iconography and in Etruscan text beginning in the 4th century BC, and is heavily influenced by his Greek counterpart, Hades. [6] [7] Aita is pictured in only a few instances in Etruscan tomb painting, such as in the Golini Tomb from Orvieto and the tomb of Orcus II from Tarquinia. [8] In these tomb paintings, he is shown with his consort Persipnei ( Etruscan: ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐), also spelled Phersipnai ( Etruscan: ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐), the Etruscan equivalent to the Greek Persephone. [9]
Although Aita is very rarely depicted, he may appear enthroned and sometimes wears a wolf cap, borrowing a key attribute from the earlier Etruscan underworld wolf-deity, named Calu. [10] Other examples of Aita in Etruscan art depict his abduction of Persipnei. Aside from tomb painting, Aita may be identified in a few examples in other media, including on a 4th-century painted vase from Vulci, two 2nd century alabaster ash urns from Volterra, and a Red Figure 4thโ3rd century Oinochoe. [11]