Hades

This is a mixing vessel with artwork portraying Hades and Persephone watching a fury bind Theseus and Perithoos. Made Apulia, 365 - 360 BC. Creators: Suckling-Salting Group and G. Jatta

Franklin Thai

        When we look at the art piece of Hades and Persephone watching a fury bind Theseus and Perithoos we are brought into the perspective of a ruler and his wife watching as one of the Furies of the Underworld depicts judgment upon Theseus and Perithoos. Theseus and Periothoos came down into the Underworld in an act to save Persephone as Perithoos helped Theseus carry the child Helen. Although, in their attempt, they were captured and eventually freed by Heracles. While this is just one instance of judgment within the Underworld it is definitive in looking at Hades and his role within the overall world and how others perceive the deity.

Hades was the ruler of the Underworld in contrast to his brothers Zeus ruling the sky and Posiden ruling the Sea. In some regards, Hades was the odd one out as the Underworld is a fragmented part of the world in which Zeus and Posideon have more living parts. In some ways, this associates Hades as being negative like in the case where Theseus and Perithoos go to save Persephone even though her life with Hades all be it contained she is living well. While the Underworld was a place for the dead to go there are many instances where the living come down to interact with the dead. This gives life to the Underworld as even though this is the resting place of many brave warriors like Achilles it gives a connection that in some regards is unattainable in our real world.

Many Greek myths explore the Underworld as a passageway for grief or longing like mentioned before Achilles regretted death and even though his life lived was legendary he sought living even willingly enough to become a slave rather than to keep living among the dead. Hade's role was more administrative as the furies being the judgment he lived his life serving to rule the place and all its death. Hade as the ruler of a place for the end of he was made out to be monstrous, loathsome, and pitiless. On the other hand, Hades had no choice in the matter of what realm in his rule as it came down to dice. Death in greek society was seen as a state of the soul leaving the body and thus the matter of judgment was not as thought-invoking as a murderer being punished for his deeds within life. Thus, Hades is the one to rule this place in many instances letting the mortals who did not live for eternity interact with their loved ones could be seen as a blessing in disguise.

Katrina Alejandro

        The image of Hades and Persephone Watching a Fury Bind Theseus and Perithoös depicted on the krater displays exactly what is said to be the title of this piece. There are many versions of this myth, depicting different individuals binding the two men or alternating who is freed from the underworld. Generally, Theseus is saved from the underworld, but there are versions that tell of the saving of Perithoös. There are also versions where there is no fury present, and the binding is done by Hades himself. Although the krater itself is a common form of media, the image that is shown gives way to a variation of this myth, displaying how different presentations of a myth can result in the same overarching story.

The myth that is depicted shows the binding of Theseus and Perithoös as a consequence of their conquest. Prior to their venture to the underworld, there is a war between the Lapiths and the centaurs. As a consequence to this, Perithoös’ wife, Hippodamia, dies, and he and Theseus later swear to marry daughters of Zeus. After they capture Helen, they venture into the Underworld in pursuit of Persephone, where they are caught and bound. It is only later that Heracles saves Theseus, and, unable to save Perithoös, leaves the other bound (The Editors of the Encyclopaedia Britannica). This is only one variation of this myth. Other tellings are more explicit, such as the krater, where they show a fury binding the two men. Alternatively, some say that Hades himself binds them, intercepting them before they reach Persephone (PEROTHEUS). These renditions of this myth both tell the same story–of men caught in the midst of their pursuit–but ultimately show the workings that occur in the underworld.

Looking at Furies in particular, it is clear that their actions of binding Theseus and Perithoös is reflective of their nature. According to Morford et. al. in their work Classical Mythology, Furies are beings that live in the “realm of Hades”. Although their appearance in the krater differs from more common renditions, they are known as “pitiless and just avengers of crime,” mainly focusing on murder and blood-related crimes done to relatives. Additionally, Morford notes that they “represent the old moral order of justice within the framework of primitive society, where the code of ‘an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth’ is meted out” (379-80). This is directly reflected in the image that is displayed on the krater: in response to Theseus and Perithoös attempting to kidnap Persephone so that the latter can marry her, which can be seen as a form of binding, the fury shown literally binds them, keeping them from succeeding in their plot. Additionally, this type of primitive exchange can be seen in other depictions, such as the variation in which Hades himself binds the two men as mentioned above; in exchange for attempting to bind his wife into marriage, Hades binds them, leaving them in the underworld until they can be rescued.

This stark variation in the telling of this myth despite the root similarities in their actions truly displays how myth can be told in different ways without obscuring the overarching story. In both tellings, the cause of Theseus and Perithoös’ binding is rooted in both primitive society and divine punishment. Although the specific reasoning for punishment may differ between the fury and Hades, both sought out the capture of Theseus and Perithoös to literally confine them to the underworld. The act of confinement is an aspect of the underworld itself, with Morford et. al. writing that “The Romans called him [Hades] and his realm Orcus, which probably means ‘the one or the place that constrains or confines’” (378). All tellings of this myth, barring the different versions of who is freed by Heracles, depict this very exchange and confinement, regardless of the perpetrator of the binding, showing the flexibility of many myths. There exists many versions of this single myth, alternating between what causes the war between the Lapiths and the centaurs, who binds the two men, or even who gets freed from the underworld. But every version tells the same story: the binding and confinement of two men in the underworld, or Hades, in exchange for their attempt to bind Persephone to one of them.

Work Cited

Museum, Getty. “The Getty Museum.” Getty Museum, https://www.getty.edu/art/exhibitions/ancient_underworld/inner.html.

Morford, Mark, et al. Classical Mythology. 11th ed., Oxford UP, 2019.

PEROTHEUS. www.columbia.edu/dlc/garland/deweever/PQ/perotheu.htm.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Theseus | Adventures, Family, and Festival.” Encyclopedia Britannica, 16 Jan. 2023, www.britannica.com/topic/Theseus-Greek-hero.