Chapter &: The Royal House of Athens
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♦ Rome, Villa Giulia 20760: Attic red-figure cup by Skythes, Theseus and the Sow of Krommyon
Pl. 6 from G.M. Rizzo, “Il ceramografo Skythes,” Monuments et mémoires de la Fondation Eugène Piot vol. 20.1, 1913
Beazley Archive Pottery Database
♦ London, British Museum E48: Attic red-figure cup by Douris with Theseus and Sow of Krommyon
Beazley Archive Pottery Database
♦ Madrid, National Archeological Museum 11265: Attic red-figure cup with Theseus and the Sow of Kommyon
G. Leroux, Vases grecs et italo-grecs du Musée Archéologique de Madrid (1912), pl. 28
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♠ ApE 1.1 – Apollodoros, Epitome
Third, he slew at Crommyon the sow that was called Phaea after the old woman who bred it; that sow, some say, was the offspring of Echidna and Typhon. Greek Text
♠ Thes 9.1 – Plutarch, Theseus
Now the Crommyonian sow, which they called Phaea, was no insignificant creature, but fierce and hard to master. This sow he went out of his way to encounter and slay, that he might not be thought to perform all his exploits under compulsion, and at the same time because he thought that while the brave man ought to attack villainous men only in self defence, he should seek occasion to risk his life in battle with the nobler beasts. However, some say that Phaea was a female robber, a woman of murderous and unbridled spirit, who dwelt in Crommyon, was called Sow because of her life and manners, and was afterwards slain by Theseus. Greek Text
♦ London, British Museum E36: Attic red-figure cup with Theseus and the Sow of Kommyon (on right)
C.H. Smith, Catalogue of the Greek and Etruscan Vases in the British Museum, vol. 3 (1896), pl. 2
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♠ Fab 38 – Hyginus, Fabulae
He killed the boar which was at Cremyon. Latin Text
♠ 4.59.4 – Diodoros Siculus, Library of History
For his third deed he slew the wild sow which had its haunts about Crommyon, a beast which excelled in both ferocity and size and was killing many human beings. Greek Text
♦ Florence, Museo Archeologico 91456: Attic red-figure cup with Theseus and Skiron.
Beazley ArchivePottery Database
♦ Athens, National Museum Akr 1280: Attic black-figure skyphos? fragments with Theseus and Skiron
B. Graef and E. Langlotz, Die antiken Vasen von der Akropolis zu Athen, vol. 1 (1925) pl. 73b
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♦ London, British Museum E 48: Attic red-figure cup by Douris with Theseus and Skiron
♦ Berlin, Antikensammlung (formerly Schloss Charlottenburg) F2288: Attic red-figure cup by Douris with Theseus and Skiron
E. Buschor, “Neue Duris-Gefässe,” Jahrbuch des Deutschen Archälogischen Instituts, vol. 31 (1916), pl. 4
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♦ Paris, Musee de Louvre G104: Attic red-figure cup by Onesimos with Theseus and Skiron
Perseus Art & Archaeology Artifact Browser
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♦ London, British Museum E84: Attic red-figure cup by the Codrus Painter, Theseus and Skiron with other exploits
Detail of Theseus and Skiron from interior, C. Smith, “Kylix with Exploits of Theseus,” Journal of Hellenic Studies vol. 2 (1881), pl. 10
British Museum (exterior)
Beazley Archive Pottery Database
♠ Bak 18.24-25 – Bakchylides Odes
And he has slain the man-killing boar in the valleys of Cremmyon, and reckless [25] Sciron. Greek Text
♠ DS 4.59.4 – Diodoros Siculus, Library of History
Then he punished Sceiron who made his home in the rocks of Megaris which are called after him the Sceironian Rocks. This man, namely, made it his practice to compel those who passed by to wash his feet at a precipitous place, and then, suddenly giving them a kick, he would roll them down the crags into the sea at a place called Chelonê. Greek Text
♠ Thes 10.1 – Plutarch, Theseus
He also slew Sciron on the borders of Megara, by hurling him down the cliffs. Sciron robbed the passers by, according to the prevalent tradition; but as some say, he would insolently and wantonly thrust out his feet to strangers and bid them wash them, and then, while they were washing them, kick them off into the sea. Greek Text
♠ ApE 1.2-3 – Apollodoros, Epitome
Fourth, he slew Sciron, the Corinthian, son of Pelops, or, as some say, of Poseidon. He in the Megarian territory held the rocks called after him Scironian, and compelled passers-by to wash his feet, and in the act of washing he kicked them into the deep to be the prey of a huge turtle. [3] But Theseus seized him by the feet and threw him into the sea. Greek Text
♠ Paus 1.44.8 – Pausanias, Description of Greece
Sciron, who dwelt by them, used to cast into the sea all the strangers he met. A tortoise used to swim under the rocks to seize those that fell in. Sea tortoises are like land tortoises except in size and for their feet, which are like those of seals. Retribution for these deeds overtook Sciron, for he was cast into the same sea by Theseus. Greek Text
♠ Σ Hipp 979 – Scholia to Euripides, Hippolytus – Scholia in Euripidem, ed. E. Schwartz 1, p. 110. Berlin 1887.
♠ Kallimakos, Hekala fr 296 – Callimachus, ed. R. Pfeiffer 2, p. 273. Oxford 1949.
♠ Paus 1.3.1 – Pausanias, Description of Greece
The district of the Cerameicus has its name from the hero Ceramus, he too being the reputed son of Dionysus and Ariadne. First on the right is what is called the Royal Portico, where sits the king when holding the yearly office called the kingship. On the tiling of this portico are images of baked earthenware, Theseus throwing Sciron into the sea and Day carrying away Cephalus, who they say was very beautiful and was ravished by Day, who was in love with him. Greek Text
♠ Simonides 643 PMG – Poetae Melici Graeci, p. 319 ed. D. L. Page. Oxford 1962.
♠ Bak 18.26-27 – Bakchylides Odes
He has closed the wrestling school of Cercyon. Greek Text
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Artistic sources edited by R. Ross Holloway, Elisha Benjamin Andrews Professor Emeritus, Joukowsky Institute for Archaeology and the Ancient World, Brown Univ., July 2016; and by Frances Van Keuren, Prof. Emerita, Lamar Dodd School of Art, Univ. of Georgia, November 2016. Patrick Dix, Graduate Teaching Assistant, University of Georgia Classics department, November 2017.
Literary sources edited by Elena Bianchelli, Retired Senior Lecturer of Classical Languages and Culture, Univ. of Georgia, March 2023
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