In the scene on this drinking cup, Heracles engages in the ninth of his Twelve Labours, fighting the Amazons to steal their queen Hippolyte’s leather belt. Heracles carried out the Twelve Labours in order to seek atonement for murdering his first wife and their children, which he had done under a madness inflicted upon him by the spiteful goddess Hera. In completing these tasks, Heracles rid much of the Greek world of dangerous monsters.
Heracles is the central figure on both sides of the band cup, accompanied by youths, lions and the lone Amazon Hippolyte. She is depicted with white skin and clad in her coloured chitoniskos (short tunic) and is pursued by Heracles wielding his sword for battle. The Amazons were warrior women whose way of life defied Greek societal norms, which promoted a patriarchal society.
