Black-figured Neck Amphora (Storage Vessel) (Primary Title)
attributed to, Diosphos Painter (Artist)
“But Athena, the daughter of aegis-bearing Zeus, came to confront Ares, holding her dark aegis.” – Pseudo-Hesiod, Shield of Herakles
Athena was a fierce warrior, protectress of Athens, and goddess of wisdom. In this scene, Athena and Ares, the god of war, brandish spears as they stride forward to help in the fight between Herakles and Kyknos (shown on the other side). Kyknos, Ares’ bloodthirsty son, wished to honor his father by building a temple of skulls from passersby he had killed. Athena helped prevent him from including the skull of Herakles.
Adolph D. and Wilkins C. Williams Fund
Image released via Creative Commons CC-BY-NC
Some object records are not complete and do not reflect VMFA's full and current knowledge. VMFA makes routine updates as records are reviewed and enhanced.
