Talk:Cycnus

Comments

We need a Notes section and references for these four figures. --Wetman 08:40, 13 July 2007 (UTC)

man in chariot of this picture is probably not Cycnus/Kyknos

The interpretation that the man in the right chariot of the displayed picture of vase BM B364 is somewhat questionable. He is not in a fighter's dress, has no weapons and no other attributes pictures of Cycnus/Kyknos usually exhibit.

Compare e.g. the painting on the Oinochoe F1732 in Berlin, here names are written to figures, so identification is free of doubt. Kyknos lies dead on the ground in full weapons while Ares is still fighting with Herakles and Athena. Here the two chariots are driven by Herakles' and Ares' drivers, Jolaos and Phobos.

F1732 was published by Gerhard, but Furtwängler spotted some small mistakes in the color plate in his drawing. A very nice and correct black&white drawing was published by Hölder (1890). Both pictures should be in free of copyright now.

• A. Furtwängler: Beschreibung der Vasensammlung im Antiquarium. Berlin 1885, Bd. 1, S. 276-277.
• E. Gerhard: Auserlesene Griechische Vasenbilder, hauptsächlich etruskischen Fundorts, Zweiter Theil: Heroenbilder. Berlin 1843, S. 134-143, Tafel CXXII.
• A. Hölder (Hg.): Wiener Vorlegeblätter für archäologische Übungen 1889. Wien 1890, Tafel 1.

See also the relevant record in CVA and CVA online: www.cvaonline.org. -- 89.247.6.177 09:47, 15 September 2007 (UTC)

Hi! This is an interesting point. I just followed the British Museum's caption when writing the description. It seems there are actually two figures on the chariot, one is indeed a chariot driver but the other one (facing left) is a fully equipped warrior. Shapiro notes in "Herakles and Kyknos" (AJA 88/4, p.524) that the vase has been interpreted as a depiction of the Herakles and Kyknos motif, but also as a Gigantomachy. Shapiro refers to Vian, "Le combat d'Héraklès et de Kyknos" (REA 47, pp.6-32) on this point but I can't access it. Anyway, I corrected the description on Commons to reflect the alternate interpretation. Jastrow (Λέγετε) 20:15, 16 November 2007 (UTC)

Confuseled

I read on the Chiles page that he killed Cycnus so i clicked on the link and on this page it says eracles killed him so is the achilles page wrong or are there contradicting myths or something —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.162.84.125 (talk) 21:00, 5 September 2008 (UTC)

The literal meaning of the name is "swan", and accordingly most of them ended up being transformed into swans.

Kudos to whoever wrote this. I like its offhand matter-of-factness.137.205.101.188 (talk) 09:53, 15 November 2017 (UTC)