Attic Legends
Project Gutenberg EPUB3 edition
Walters, H. B. (Henry Beauchamp) and Birch, Samuel
It will now be necessary to deal with sundry isolated subjects, which do not admit of being grouped together round the name of any one great hero or any particular legend. There are, however, a certain number which may perhaps be regarded as having a special connection with Athens, and with these we will begin.[1435] Some of the specially Athenian myths have already been discussed in other connections, notably the story of Theseus (p. 108), the dispute of Athena and Poseidon (p. 24), the sending of Triptolemos (p. 27), and the rape of Kephalos by Eos[1436] and of Oreithyia by Boreas (p. 80). There remain then the following:
(1) The birth of Erichthonios, who is represented as received by Athena from Gaia emerging out of the earth, in the presence of Kekrops and his daughters. It only occurs on the later R.F. vases; the type closely resembles that of the birth of Dionysos (p. 19).
B.M. E 372; Berlin 2537 = Reinach, i. 208 = Wiener Vorl. B. 12; Munich 345 = Reinach, i. 66; and Reinach, i. 113 = Wiener Vorl. iii. 2. Also a scene from the childhood of Erichthonios: B.M. E 788.
(2) The reception of Dionysos in Attica (by Ikarios or Amphiktion).
B 149, B 153, and E 166 in the British Museum appear to refer to this, but not certainly. See above, p. 56.
(3) The story of Tereus and his daughters, Prokne and Philomela.[1437]
(a) Tereus meeting Apate (Deceit); Prokne and Philomela in chariots.
Naples 3233 = Reinach, i. 240.
(b) Prokne and the dumb Philomela:
Reinach, i. 308 (in Louvre).
(c) Aedonaia slaying Itys.
J.H.S. viii. p. 440 (= Munich 799a).
(4) The three sons of Pandion, Lykos, Nisos, and Pallas,[1438] with Orneus the son of Erechtheus.
Reinach, i. 510 = Roscher, ii. 2187.
(5) The death of Prokris by the agency of Kephalos.
B.M. E 477 (with Siren as soul of Prokris or death-deity).
(6) Kreousa defended by Apollo from the attack of Ion.
Reinach, i. 375: cf. Eur. Ion. 1250 ff.
(7) Danaos taking refuge in Attica (?).
Reinach, i. 244 = Wiener Vorl. iii. 4, 2 (in Louvre).
(8) Echelos carrying off Basile.[1439]
Arch. Anzeiger, 1895, p. 39: see p. 27.
(9) The story of Diomos, the eponymous deme-hero (?).
B.M. B 178 = J.H.S. xiii. p. 116.
(10) Kodros, the last king of Athens.
Bologna 273 = Baumeister, iii. p. 1998, fig. 2148 = Jahrbuch, 1898, pl. 4.
The Kodros cup (completely published in Wiener Vorl. i. 4) is decorated with groups of figures intended to illustrate the legendary history of the great Attic families, in accordance with the genealogising tendencies of the period (about 450 B.C.). The outer scenes represent Theseus taking leave of Aigeus, and Ajax taking leave of Lykos; and Aigeus and Ajax (Aias) are eponymous heroes of two Attic tribes. On the Meidias vase in the British Museum[1440] we see a group of Athenian tribal heroes, such as Akamas, Antiochos, Demophon, and Hippothon, together with Medeia, who is also connected with Athens in the Theseus scene of the Kodros cup.
Other isolated myths which occasionally appear on vases, but defy more exact classification, may be briefly recorded here:
(1) Admetos and Alkestis.
Bibl. Nat. 918 = Reinach, i. 395 = Dennis, Etruria2, ii. frontispiece. See also p. 69.
(2) Agamedes and Trophonios as prisoners fed by Augias.
Louvre E 632 = Reinach, i. 349 (see Paus. ix. 37, 5; Ann. dell’ Inst. 1885, p. 130).
(3) Agrios seized by Oineus and bound on the altar.
B.M. F 155: see Anton. Liber. 37 and Vogel, Scenen Eur. Trag. p. 125.
(4) Atalante offering a cup to her antagonist Hippomenes.
R.F. kotyle in B.M.
(5) Atreus and Thyestes (the latter as suppliant in the former’s palace?).
Millingen-Reinach, 23 = Wiener Vorl. B. 4, 1.
(6) Daidalos and Ikaros, flight of.
Naples 1767 = Gaz. Arch. 1884, pls. 1–2.