Southern Italy was populated by a large number of Greek colonies from the 8th century BC onwards – so much so that the Romans referred to the area as Magna Graecia – Great Greece. These Greek colonies were instrumental in bringing Greek culture and thought to Italy, greatly influencing Roman literature, philosophy, and material culture in turn. The pottery from the area is easily recognisable by its lustrous black glaze and by the use of polychromatic pigments, such as white, ochre, and maroon.
An oenochoe, also spelled oinochoe, which means wine-pourer, is a wine jug and a key form of ancient Greek pottery. There are many different forms of oinochoe; Sir John Beazley distinguished ten types. The earliest is the olpe (ὀλπή, olpḗ), with no distinct shoulder and usually a handle rising above the lip. Key characteristics are the trefoil mouth, curved body and single handle.
