♦ Athens, Hephaisteon: Metopes with Theseus and different bandits on his journey around the Isthmos, plus the Bull of Marathon and the Minotaur
Theseus and Sinis
C.H. Morgan, “The Sculptures of the Hephaisteion I,” Hesperia vol. 31.2, 1962, pl. 74b
♦ Theseus and Skiron
B. Sauer, Das sogenannte Theseion und sein plastischer Schmuck (1899), pl. 5
Photo E. R. Deats pre 1948
♦ Theseus and Kerkyon
B. Sauer, Das sogenannte Theseion und sein plastischer Schmuck (1899), pl. 5
Photo E. R. Deats pre 1948
♦ Theseus and the Bull of Marathon
B. Sauer, Das sogenannte Theseion und sein plastischer Schmuck (1899), pl. 5
C.H. Morgan, “The Sculptures of the Hephaisteion I,” Hesperia vol. 31.2, 1962, pl. 75a
♦ Theseus and the Sow of Krommyon
B. Sauer, Das sogenannte Theseion und sein plastischer Schmuck (1899), pl. 5
Photo E. R. Deats pre 1948
♦ Theseus and the Minotaur
B. Sauer, Das sogenannte Theseion und sein plastischer Schmuck (1899), pl. 5
Photo E. R. Deats pre 1948
♦ Theseus and Periphetes?
B. Sauer, Das sogenannte Theseion und sein plastischer Schmuck (1899), pl. 5
Photo E. R. Deats pre 1948
♦ Theseus and Prokroustes?
B. Sauer, Das sogenannte Theseion und sein plastischer Schmuck (1899), pl. 5
C.H. Morgan, “The Sculptures of the Hephaisteion I,” Hesperia vol. 31.2, 1962, pl. 74a
Four Theseus metopes from southeast corner of Hephaisteion, Wikimedia Commons
Four Theseus metopes from northeast corner of Hephaisteion
♦ London, British Museum E36: Attic red-figure cup with Theseus and the Bull of Marathon, the Sow of Krommyon, Prokroustes, Kerkyon, and the Minotaur.
Beazley Archive Pottery Database
♦ Florence, Museo Archeologico 91456: Attic red-figure cup with Theseus and Sinis, Minotaur, Prokroustes, Skiron, Kerkyon and the Bull of Marathon.
Beazley Archive Pottery Database
♦ Paris, Cabinet des Medailles fragments 535A, 536A and 647: Attic red-figure cup with Theseus and Sinis, Skiron, Kerkyon, Prokruustes and the Bull of Marathon.
Theseus and Kerkyon from interior of cup, J.E. Harrison, “Two Cylices Relating to the Exploits of Theseus,” Journal of Hellenic Studies (1889), pl. 2
Drawing by J.D. Beazley of head of Theseus from interior of cup, from Beazley Archive Pottery Database
Theseus and Prokroustes from exterior of cup, J.E. Harrison, “Two Cylices Relating to the Exploits of Theseus,” Journal of Hellenic Studies (1889), pl. 2
Drawing by J.D. Beazley of Theseus from exterior of cup, from Beazley Archive Pottery Database
♠ Euripides, Suppliants 714-17
Then he seized a fearsome club, weapon of Epidaurian warfare, [715] and using it like a sling, he tore apart necks and covered heads at once, reaping and snapping off helmets with the cudgel. Greek Text
♠ Diodoros Siculus, Library of History 4.59.2
The first, then, whom he slew was he who was called Corynetes, who carried a korynê, as it was called, or club which was the weapon with which he fought, and with it killed any who passed by, and the second was Sinis who made his home on the Isthmus. Greek Text
♠ Ovid, Metamorphoses 7.436-437
“And Periphetes, wielder of the club,
was worsted when he struggled with your strength;
“And fierce Procrustes, matched with you
beside the rapid river, met his death;
“And even Cercyon, in Eleusis lost
his wicked life—inferior to your might;
“And Sinis, a monstrosity of strength,
who bent the trunks of trees, and used his might
“Against the world for everything that’s wrong.
For evil, he would force down to the earth,
“Pine tops to shoot men’s bodies through the air.
Even the road to Megara is safe,
“For you did hurl the robber Scyron,—sheer—
over the cliff. Both land and sea denied
“His bones a resting place—as tossed about
they changed into the cliffs that bear his name. Latin Text
♠ Ovid, Ibis 405-406
♠ Hyginus, Fabulae 38
He slew Corynetes, son of Neptune, by force of arms. Latin Text
♠ Hyginus, Fabulae 158
SONS OF VULCAN: Philammon. Cecrops. Erichthonius. Corynetes. Cercyon. Philottus. Spinther. Latin Text
♠ Plutarch, Theseus 8.1
And so in the first place, in Epidauria, when Periphetes, who used a club as his weapon and on this account was called Club-bearer, laid hold of him and tried to stop his progress, he grappled with him and slew him. Greek Text
♠ Pausanias, Description of Greece 2.1.4
For Theseus rid of evildoers the road from Troezen to Athens, killing those whom I have enumerated and, in sacred Epidaurus, Periphetes, thought to be the son of Hephaestus, who used to fight with a bronze club. Greek Text
♠ Apollodoros, Library 3.16.1
And he cleared the road, which had been beset by evildoers. For first in Epidaurus he slew Periphetes, son of Hephaestus and Anticlia, who was surnamed the Clubman from the club which he carried. For being crazy on his legs he carried an iron club, with which he despatched the passers-by. That club Theseus wrested from him and continued to carry about. Greek Text
Munich, Antikensammlung 2670: Attic red-figure cup by the Pistoxenos Painter, Theseus and Periphetes.
Beazley Archive Pottery Database
Artistic sources edited by R. Ross Holloway, Elisha Benjamin Andrews Professor Emeritus, Joukowsky Institute for Archaeology and the Ancient World, Brown Univ., and by Frances Van Keuren, Prof. Emerita, Lamar Dodd School of Art, Univ. of Georgia, July 2016.
Literary sources edited by Elena Bianchelli, Retired Senior Lecturer of Classical Languages and Culture, Univ. of Georgia, March 2023
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