Skyphos (drinking cup); Front: Theseus and Procrustes; Back: Theseus and Sciron
Artist: The Theseus Painter (Greek)
Date: about 490 BCE
Dimensions:
H: 6 9/16 in.; Diam (lip): 8 7/8 in.; Diam (with handles): 11 11/16 in.; Diam (foot): 5 17/32 in.
Medium: Black Figure; Wheel-thrown, slip-decorated earthenware with incised details
Place of Origin: Greek, from Attica
Classification: Ceramics
Credit Line: Purchased with funds from the Libbey Endowment, Gift of Edward Drummond Libbey
Object number: 1963.27
Label Text:The legendary hero Theseus was the illegitimate son of king Aegeus of Athens and Aethra, a princess of Troezen in central Greece. On reaching adulthood he traveled to Athens, having adventures and slaying enemies along the way. The scenes on this cup show his encounters with Procrustes (on the front) and with Skiron. Procrustes invited travelers to spend the night on his iron bed, then stretched or cut them to fit. Theseus dispatches him with a double-headed axe. Skiron was a bandit who forced travelers to wash his feet and when they knelt before him, he kicked them off a cliff. Theseus returns the favor, pushing Skiron to his death.
On view
In Collection(s)