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🎨 Wooden Chest of Cypselos (LIMC Achilleus 205)

  • A large chest covered in mythological scenes and inscriptions described by Pausanias as on display at Olympia in the 2nd c. AD and associated with the archaic Corinthian tyrant Cypselos. Does not survive.
  • Source subtype
    Vessel
    Period
    Early Archaic (ca. 700-620 BCE)
    Place of commissioning
    🌍 Corinth (Argolid)
    Other place
    🌍 Olympia (Elis)
    Location of public display in antiquity
    πŸ›οΈ the Temple of Hera at Olympia
    UNESCO status
    Now lost
    LIMC catalog references
    Achilleus 205
    Is the same as
    βš’οΈ Inscriptions on the Chest of Cypselos (Not Extant)
    Reported to have depictions of
    πŸ‘€ Acastos (s. of Pelias) son of Pelias, ArgonautπŸ‘€ Achilles greatest Greek hero at Troy, leader of the Myrmidon contingentπŸ‘€ Admetos (Argonaut) Calydonian boar hunter, ArgonautπŸ‘€ Agamemnon commander of all Greek forces at TroyπŸ‘€ Aias (the greater) son of Telamon, leader of the Salamis contingent at Troy, 'the greater'πŸ‘€ Aias (the lesser) son of Oileus, leader of the Locrian contingent at Troy, 'the lesser'πŸ‘€ Aithra (m. of Theseus) daughter of Pittheus, mother of TheseusπŸ‘€ Alcestis daughter of Pelias, wife of AdmetosπŸ‘€ Alcmaion (epigonos) son of Amphiaraos and Eriphyle, one of the EpigonoiπŸ‘€ Alcmene mother of HeraclesπŸ‘€ Alexander (Trojan) Trojan hero, abducts HelenπŸ‘€ Amphiaraos prophet, Calydonian boar hunter, Argonaut, one of the Seven against ThebesπŸ‘€ Amphilochos (epigonos) son of Amphiaraos, one of the EpigonoiπŸ‘€ Amphitryon mortal father of HeraclesπŸ‘€ Aphrodite Olympian goddessπŸ‘€ Apollo Olympian godπŸ‘€ Ares Olympian godπŸ‘€ Ariadne daughter of MinosπŸ‘€ Asterios (s. of Cometes) son of Cometes, ArgonautπŸ‘€ Atalante Calydonian boar hunter, ArgonautπŸ‘€ Athena Olympian goddessπŸ‘€ Atlas holds up the sky as punishmentπŸ‘€ Baton charioteer of AmphiaraosπŸ‘€ Boreas personification of the north windπŸ‘€ Calais ArgonautπŸ‘€ Cassandra a prophet never believed, daughter of Priam and HecabeπŸ‘€ Castor (Spartan) one of the Dioscouroi, Calydonian boar hunter, ArgonautπŸ‘₯ the Centaurs half-horse half-human beingsπŸ‘€ Cheiron (centaur) centaurπŸ‘€ Circe daughter of Helios and Perseis, encountered by OdysseusπŸ‘€ Dionysos (Olympian) Olympian godπŸ‘€ Eos personification of the dawnπŸ‘€ Eriphyle wife of AmphiaraosπŸ‘€ Eris personification of strife and discordπŸ‘€ Eteocles (Theban) son of OedipousπŸ‘€ Euphemos (Argonaut) son of Poseidon, Argonaut, Calydonian boar hunterπŸ‘€ Euryale (Gorgon) GorgonπŸ‘€ Hera Olympian goddessπŸ‘€ Zeus (Olympian) Olympian godπŸ‘€ Geryon son of ChrysaorπŸ‘€ Hector (Trojan) Trojan hero, son of PriamπŸ‘€ Hephaistos Olympian godπŸ‘€ Heracles greatest Greek heroπŸ‘€ Hermes Olympian godπŸ‘€ Hippodameia (Elian) daughter of Oinomaos, wife of PelopsπŸ‘€ Idas (Argonaut) son of Aphareus, Calydonian boar hunter, ArgonautπŸ‘€ Iolaos son of Iphicles, companion of HeraclesπŸ‘€ Iphiclos (s. of Phylacos) Argonaut, son of Phylacos, father of ProtesilaosπŸ‘€ Jason (Argonaut) leader of the Argonauts🌍 Corinth (Argolid) city in the Argolid🌍 Athens (Attica) city in AtticaπŸ‘€ Theseus Athenian heroπŸ‘€ Pelops (Pisan) son of Tantalos, eponym of the PeloponneseπŸ‘€ Oreithyia (Athenian) daughter of Erechtheus, abducted by BoreasπŸ‘€ Oxylos (Elian) assists HeraclidaiπŸ‘€ Peleus son of Aiacos, father of AchillesπŸ‘₯ the GorgonsπŸ‘₯ the HarpiesπŸ‘€ Helen Helen of TroyπŸ‘₯ the Muses personifications of poetry and musicπŸ‘€ Perseus (Argive) Greek hero, slayer of MedousaπŸ‘€ Phineus (Thracian) blind prophet tormented by the HarpiesπŸ‘€ Polydeuces (Spartan) one of the Dioscouroi, Calydonian Boar hunter, ArgonautπŸ‘€ Polyneices son of OedipusπŸ‘€ Marpessa daughter of EuenosπŸ‘€ Medeia wife of Jason, kills her own childrenπŸ‘€ Melanion (h. of Atalante)πŸ‘€ Memnon son of Eos and Tithonos, leader of the Ethiopian contingent at TroyπŸ‘€ Menelaos son of Atreus, husband of HelenπŸ‘€ Nausicaa daughter of AlcinoosπŸ‘₯ the Nereids daughters of NereusπŸ‘€ Odysseus king of Ithaca, leader of the Cephallenian contingent at TroyπŸ‘€ Oinomaos (Elian) king of PisaπŸ‘€ Stheno (Gorgon)πŸ‘€ Thetis Nereid, mother of AchillesπŸ‘€ Zetes Argonaut🏺 the Palladion (statue) statue of Athena protecting Troy🏺 the Winged Sandals used by Hermes and Perseus🏺 the Bow of Heracles weapon of Heracles, later given to Philoctetes🏺 the Necklace of Harmonia later of Eriphyle, given by the gods🌍 Aitolia region in mainland Greece🏺 the Golden Apple of Eris thrown by Eris; prize for the goddesses🌍 Troy (Troad) city in the Troad🏺 the Golden Apples of the HesperidesπŸ›οΈ the Temple of Athena at Troy in the Citadel of Troy🏺 the Second Armour of Achilles made by Hephaistos🌍 Argos (city) city in the Peloponnese🌍 Elis (region) region in the Peloponnese🏺 the Chariot of Pelops chariot used to win competition for HippodameiaπŸ‘€ the Hydra killed by Heracles⏳ the Funeral Games of Pelias (Iolcos)πŸ‘€ Nyx personification of nightπŸ‘€ Thanatos personification of deathπŸ‘€ Hypnos personification of sleepπŸ‘€ Ker personification(s) of deathπŸ‘€ Iphidamas (Trojan) son of Antenor, killed by Agamemnon at TroyπŸ‘€ Coon son of AntenorπŸ‘€ Aletes (Corinthian) son of HippotesπŸ‘€ Argeios (Argonaut) ArgonautπŸ‘₯ the Horses of Oinomaos driven by MyrtilosπŸ‘€ Demonassa (d. of Amphiaraos)πŸ‘€ Eribotes (Argonaut) Argonaut and competitor in funeral games of PeliasπŸ‘€ Eurydice (Argive) daughter of Amphiaraos and EriphyleπŸ‘€ Mopsos (Argonaut) son of Ampyx, ArgonautπŸ‘€ Neotheus runner in funeral games for PeliasπŸ‘€ Pisos eponym of Pisa, son of PerieresπŸ‘€ Melas (Corinthian) son of Antasos🌍 Spring and River Amymone (Argolid) waterway in the ArgolidπŸ‘€ Phalareus runner in the Funeral games of Pelias🏺 the Crown of AriadneπŸ‘₯ the Horses of Pelops given to Pelops by Poseidon🏺 the Cup of the Taphians given to Alcmene
    Described by
    πŸ“– Pausanias 5.18.1β€‚πŸ“– Pausanias 5.17.5-5.17.8β€‚πŸ“– Pausanias 5.17.7-5.17.8β€‚πŸ“– Pausanias 5.17.9-5.17.11β€‚πŸ“– Pausanias 5.17.5-5.17.11β€‚πŸ“– Pausanias 5.18.1-5.18.2β€‚πŸ“– Pausanias 5.18.1-5.18.3β€‚πŸ“– Pausanias 5.18.1-5.18.4β€‚πŸ“– Pausanias 5.18.1-5.18.5β€‚πŸ“– Pausanias 5.18.6-5.18.8β€‚πŸ“– Pausanias 5.19.1-5.19.6β€‚πŸ“– Pausanias 5.19.7-5.19.10
    Commentary
    A large chest covered in mythological scenes and inscriptions described by Pausanias as on display at Olympia in the 2nd c. AD and associated with the archaic Corinthian tyrant Cypselos. Does not survive.
  • MANTO aggregates data about ancient artifacts from information made available through publications, collections records, and other repositories. More details about the sources we have used frequently appear in Commentary. If you notice any omissions or inaccuracies, please contact us.

    Cite as: '🎨 Wooden Chest of Cypselos (LIMC Achilleus 205)', MANTO, https://resource.manto.unh.edu/11309145 [last modified: 30 07 2026]
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