Gallery

Danaë and Zeus
The daughter of king Acrisius. Zeus visited her in the form of a shower of gold and as a result she gave birth to Perseus.

Deianeira and Nessus
Heracles and Deianeira came to the river Euenus in Aetolia, across which the centaur Nessus used to carry travelers for a small sum of money. Heracles himself forded the river, and gave Deianeira to Nessus to carry her across. Nessus attempted to violate or abduct her: Heracles heard her screaming, and as the centaur brought her to the other side, Heracles shot an arrow into his heart.

Heracles at the Crossroads
The sophist Prodicus' famous allegory of Heracles at the crossroads: the hero chose the arduous road to virtue in stead of the broad and easy road to pleasure.

Leda and the Swan
The consort of the Spartan king Tyndareus. By Zeus she is the mother of the Dioscuri, Clytemnestra, and Helen.

Medea
One of the great sorceresses of the ancient world. She was the daughter of King Aeëtes of Colchis, and wife of Jason.

Midas and Bacchus
A son of Gordius, a wealthy but effeminate king of Phrygia, a pupil of Orpheus, and a promoter of the worship of Dyonisus.

Odysseus in Polyphemus' Cave
This giant devoured one after another six of the companions of Odysseus, and kept the unfortunate Odysseus and the six others as prisoners in his cave. In order to save himself Odysseus contrived to make the monster drunk with wine, and then with a burning pole deprived him of his one eye. He now succeeded in making his escape with his friends by concealing himself and them under the bodies of the sheep which the Cyclops let out of his cave

Odysseys at Alcinous' Court
Odysseus was one of the most prominent Greek leaders in the Trojan War, and was the hero of Homer's Odyssey.

Penthesilea and Achilles
The daughter of Ares, queen of the Amazons. After Hector's death she helped the beleaguered Troy, but was killed by Achilles.

Perseus and Andromeda
One of the Amazons. Her name is found only on vases, where she battles and is defeated by Heracles.

Perseus with Medusa's Head
The son of Zeus and Danaë. A famous Argive hero, he killed Medusa and rescued Andromeda from being sacrificed to a sea monster.

Sisyphus
Sisyphus' wickedness during life was severely punished in the lower world, where he had to roll up hill a huge marble block, which as soon as it reached the top always rolled down again.

The abduction of Persephone
The daughter of Zeus and Demeter. She was abducted by Hades who made her his wife and queen of the underworld.

Theft of Helios' Oxen
Helios is described even in the Homeric poems as the god who sees and hears every thing, but, notwithstanding this, he is unaware of the fact that the companions of Odysseus robbed his oxen, until he was informed of it by Lampetia.

Theseus and Aethra
Aethra shows her son where to find the sword and sandals, the tokens which had been left by Aegeus.

Woman with the Head of Orpheus
After his death, the Muses collected the fragments of his body. His head was thrown upon the Hebrus, down which it rolled to the sea, and was borne across to Lesbos.