English: 1664 Etching by Balthasar Moncornet after Remigio Cantagallina depicting Peleo et Talamone Argonauti Condotti da Tetide - Peleus and Telamon Argonauts Guided by Thetis. Full Title: Peleo et Talamone Argonauti condotti da Tetide, from The magnificent pageant on the Arno in Florence for the marriage of the Grand Duke (Le Manifique Carousel fait sur le fleuve de l'Arne a Florence, pour le mariage du grand Duc).

The original version of this image was uploaded by user:AishaAbdel. This version of the image has been digitally white-balanced, cropped slightly, and resized for deeper resolution.

This scene is an illustration from early Greek literature, including the following references:

Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 1. 136 (trans. Aldrich) (Greek mythographer C2nd A.D.) : "The ship [Argo] then came successively to Kharybdis (Charybdis), Skylla (Scylla), and the wandering rocks called Planktai (Planctae), beyond which a mighty flame and smoke were seen rising. But Hera sent for Thetis and the Nereides, who escorted the ship through these hazards."

Apollonius Rhodius, Argonautica 4. 757 - 967 ff (trans. Rieu) (Greek epic C3rd B.C.) : "[Hera commands Iris :] ‘Dear Iris . . . speed away on your light wings and ask Thetis to come here to me out of the salt sea depths. I need her . . .’

Iris, spreading her light pinions, swooped down from Olympos and cleft the air. Plunging first into the Aigaion (Aegean) Sea where Nereus lives, she approached Thetis, delivered the message from Hera, and urged her to go to the goddess . . . Thetis, leaving Nereus and her sisters in the sea, reached Olympos and presented herself to Hera. The goddess made her take a seat beside her and disclosed her mind. ‘Listen, Lady Thetis,’ she said. ‘I was anxious to have a word with you. You know the strength of my regard for the noble son of Aison and the others who supported him in his ordeal . . . It still remains for them to pass the great cliff of Skylla and the gurgling whirlpool of Kharybdis (Charybdis). Now you will not have forgotten that I brought you up myself and loved you more than any other Lady of the Sea. [The story of the marriage of Thetis follows, see the section above.] . . . And there is something else that I must tell you, a prophecy concerning your son Akhilleus (Achilles), who is now with Kheiron (Chiron) the Kentauros (Centaur) and is fed by water-nymphs though he should be at you breast. When he comes to the Elysian Fields, it has been arranged that he shall marry Medea the daughter of Aeetes; so you, as her future mother-in-law, should be ready to help her now. Help Peleus too. Why are you still so angry with him? He was very foolish; but even the gods are sometimes visited by Ate (Delusion). It is for you to see that they [the Argonauts] come safely home. The only things I fear are the rocks and those tremendous waves. I count on you and your sisters to deal with these. And do not let [them] . . . fall into [the whirlpool]Kharybdis . . . [or] go too near the hateful den of Ausonian Skylla (Scylla) . . . What you must do is to guide the ship that they escape disaster, if only by a hair's breadth.’