Oeneus in Greek mythology

Oeneus with coat and sceptre, Attic white-ground lekythos, c. 500 BC, Staatliche Antikensammlungen (Inv. 1905)

This artwork depicts Oeneus, a figure from Greek mythology, in a white-ground lekythos. He is shown wearing a coat and holding a scepter, symbols of his royal authority as the king of Calydon. The lekythos is a type of ancient Greek pottery used to store oil, and was often decorated with scenes from mythology or everyday life. This particular artwork dates back to around 500 BC and is part of the collection of the Staatliche Antikensammlungen in Germany (Inv. 1905).

Oeneus was a figure in Greek mythology, known as the king of Calydon, a city in western Greece. He was the son of Porthaon and Euryte and the husband of Althaea, with whom he had several children including Tydeus, Meleager, and Deianeira. Oeneus was also known for being a skilled farmer and for cultivating the first vineyard in Greece, which he dedicated to Dionysus. He was an important figure in the myth of the Calydonian Boar Hunt, during which Meleager killed the massive boar and awarded its pelt to Atalanta, causing a conflict between himself and his mother Althaea.