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Grace Porter
CLAS1020H-86838
Myth Project
11/21/14
Peirithoos and the Birth of Helen Kylix
In chapter nine, “Theseus’ Later Exploits”, artistic source 37 on page 294 mentions a
“shallow, thin-walled, stemless [drinking] cup”, also known as a kylix, which presents the myth
of the birth of Helen, along with an image of Peirithoos in the interior of the cup (Beazley).
Thought to be created by Xenotimos the Painter, the cup is equipped with handles, of which the
inside is reserved. Originating from the Attica area of Greece from approximately 430-425 B.C.,
the shape and techniques of the kylix such as the use of tooling off the bottom of the cup “so as
to from some kind of base” is consistent with other cups found in the area during similar time
periods (Beazley). While the cup itself is intriguing with its red figure design and intricate black
detailing, the myth represented is the focal point of the piece.
According to Greek myth, Leda, queen of Sparta and wife of Tyndareos, was “ravished
by the father of the gods [Zeus] in the form of a swan” on the same night she also had relations
with her husband (Bell). The relations produced two eggs, one mortal and one divine, from
which four of Leda’s children were born: Helen, Clytemnestra, Pollux, and Castor. Though there
is some discrepancy involving which children hatched from which eggs, the predominant myth
attributes Helen and Pollux as children of Zeus, while Clytemnestra and Castor are children of
Tyndareos. Some variations of the myth given in Cypria claim that Nemesis, a “usually rather
stern and sexless goddess whose job it was to curb excesses” was the woman seduced by Zeus in
the form of a swan, thus producing an egg at Rhamnus (Bell). In one version of the myth, a
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shepherd finds the eggs and presents them to Queen Leda to raise the children. However, most
scholars “conjecture that in the Attic version, it was Hermes who brought the egg… to Sparta”
and subsequently to Leda, as told by Hyginus (Beazley). In both variations of the myth, Helen is
confirmed as a child of Zeus, thus making her bloodlines divine in nature.
In his kylix, Xenotimos chooses to convey the latter variation of the myth in which Leda
appears to have found the eggs delivered to Sparta by Hermes. The focal point of the vase, the
birth itself, “occupies both halves” of the kylix, only “interrupted by the palmettes at the
handles” (Beazley). An altar, presumably to Zeus, stands at the center in the foreground, holding
an egg and an eagle. On one side, Leda, dressed in simple, typical fashion, seemingly shocked by
the birth, “starts away with arms extended” (Beazley). Her reaction is typical in Greek art of
someone who has seen a strange object for the first time, suggesting that the origin of the egg is
foreign to her. Chapouthier attests that Leda’s surprise is not due to the egg, as he argues that she
brought it to the altar, but due to the eagle (Beazley).
On the opposite side of the altar, Tyndareos, “white-haired and white-bearded” is shown
standing, “right leg bent and frontal… holding a scepter in his left hand” (Beazley). Behind him,
Clytemnestra stands quietly, not playing a particularly active role in the action. The inclusion of
Clytemnestra during the birth confirms the artist’s conviction that she is not in fact of child of
Zeus, as she is not being born out of the egg with Helen, but instead a mortal child of Tyndareos.
In addition, unique to this kylix, the inclusion of Clytemnestra in place of the sons of Tyndareos
usually present in other images of the subject provides a feminized version of the story in which
the women are at the crux of the piece. Furthermore, the side group presented on the kylix is also
made up of women: Kleopatra, Phylonoe, and an unnamed third woman, thus elevating the
female presence to an even higher degree.
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The inclusion of the eagle upon the altar to Zeus has various scholarly interpretations.
Though other images of the birth of Helen include the presence of an eagle, typically swooping
down from the sky, this kylix is the only image in which the eagle is perched on the altar. Some
scholars claim that the eagle, a sign of Zeus, has come to “pick the egg open and so assist the
child to come forth” (Beazley). Others state that the eagle is present as an identifier of the altar as
one of Zeus or as an identifier of the paternity of the child. Finally, others claim that the eagle is
Zeus himself present at the scene of his daughter’s divine birth (Beazley). Though the exact
meaning of the eagle remains up to scholarly interpretation, the sentiment that Zeus is indeed
present in the scene in some form or representation remains predominantly clear.
Finally, inside the circle, Peirithoos sits upon a chair, dressed in traveler’s clothing,
characterized by his cloak and distinctive hat. While Peirithoos and Theseus are usually
represented seated rocks, the artist chose to replace the typical seating with “an ordinary chair”
meant to be “a magic throne” in which Peirithoos will never arise (Beazley). Without the
inclusion of his name, Peirithoos is hard to identify in this piece. The only other Attican
representations of Peirithoos depict the attempted but failed quest of Heracles to save him, as
shown by Heracles struggling to pull him from the rock on which he is seated. Compared to
other works in which the plight of Peirithoos is the prominent image, the artist here chooses a
“slight representation of the stark hero, doomed for a fearful transgression to sit in Hades for
ever” (Beazley). The almost unrecognizable Peirithoos still maintains his fate to be forever
trapped in the Underworld.
While the inclusion of Peirithoos’ presence on the same piece as the depiction of Helen’s
birth is not clearly identified, the close connection between the two mythological characters may
be the reason for the link between the two on this particular cup. When Helen was rather young,
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Peirithoos helped Theseus kidnap her for the purpose of making her his wife. When Peirithoos
also wanted a daughter of Zeus for a wife, he and Theseus ventured to the Underworld to ask for
Persephone, where “both were imprisoned, Peirithous forever” (Bell). Indirectly, the abduction
of Helen leads to Peirithoos’ imprisonment in Hades, as if he had not helped Theseus with his
crime, he would not have traveled to the Underworld. Therefore, the intimate connection
between the Peirithoos and Helen lead to the inclusion of both on the same kylix, though their
paths do not necessarily cross during the event depicted.
Thus, the myth presented on the particular kylix illustrates the complex nature in which
myths arise and are retold. Like the artist of the piece, each artist is free to interpret the myth in
any way, thus providing various versions and depictions of the same story. Here, Xenotimos
chooses to stray from the norm by including a majority of women in his scene, in addition to the
eagle resting on the altar. Likewise, the presence of Peirithoos provides an association with
further myths regarding Helen. The work provides scholars with a depiction of a common myth,
while still maintaining a degree of originality and uniqueness.
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Works Cited and Works Referenced
Beazley, J.D., and C.D. Caskey. "Attic Vase Paintings in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston 163.
99.539 STEMLESS CUP PLATE XCIX." Perseus Digital Library. Tufts University, n.d.
Web. 20 Nov. 2014.
Bell, Robert E. "About Helen of Troy." Modern American Poetry. University of Illinois, n.d.
Web. 20 Nov. 2014.
"Drinking Cup (kylix) Depicting Peirithoös and the Birth of Helen." Museum of Fine Arts,
Boston. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, n.d. Web. 20 Nov. 2014.