On this amphora, a warrior is lying on the ground while three rampaging centaurs pound him with rocks. The warrior attempts to defend himself with his shield, which ironically features the protective device of a raised centaur-head.
The murder taking place may be that of the tragic hero Kaineus. Born a woman called Kainis, she was raped by the god Poseidon. Granted one wish as compensation, Kainis asked to be reborn as a man who was invulnerable, but forgot to ask for immortality.
The warrior Kaineus became a powerful chieftain, but over time became impious. As retribution, Zeus determined he should be punished. Although supposedly invulnerable, when Kaineus fought the centaurs, they killed him by pounding him into the earth.
