1Fig. 1: One of a series of gold plaques decorated with bee-women, from Rhodes; seventh century BC. Actual size 2.5 by 2.7 cm. (Berlin Staatl. Mus. Misc. 8946.) Drawing by R. Aston.

2Fig. 2: Boiotian black-figure Lekanis; c. 550 BC. Sirens, birds and panthers. University of Reading Ure Mus. 80.7.1. © Ure Museum 2010

3Fig. 3: East Greek bronze statuette of a centaur; late sixth century BC. (Collection of Shelby White and Leon Levy.) Drawing by R. Aston.

4Fig. 4: Attic black-figure lekythos; c. 490-480 BC. Peleus wrestles with Thetis. (London BM 1904,0708.5.) © Trustees of the British Museum.

5Fig. 5: Attic red-figure neck-amphora attributed to the Berlin Painter; c. 490-480 BC. 30.8x18 cm. A merman with dolphin and sceptre. (Harvard Art Museums, Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Gift of Edward P. Warren, Esq., 1927.150.) Photo: Junius Beebe © President and Fellows of Harvard College.

6Fig. 6: Cycladic terracotta ‘Melian relief’; c. 465-435 BC. Skylla with fish tail and dogs’ heads. (London BM 1867,0508.673.) © Trustees of the British Museum.

7Fig. 7: Detail of Attic black-figure dinos by Sophilos; c. 580 BC. Okeanos with fish-tail. (London BM 1971.1101.1.) © Trustees of the British Museum.

8Fig. 8: Detail from Etruscan black-figure amphora attributed to the Ivy-Leaf Group; c. 530 BC. Siren with arms holds flower. (Virginia MFA 60.3.) Drawing by R. Aston.

9Fig. 9: Detail from Korinthian black-figure pyxis attributed to the Chimaera Painter; c. 570 BC. Bearded Siren. (Malibu J. Paul Getty Mus. 88.AE.105.) Drawing by R. Aston.

10Fig. 10: Attic red-figure stamnos, name-vase of the Siren Painter; c. 480-470 BC. Odysseus resists the Sirens’ song. (London BM 1843,1103.31.) © Trustees of the British Museum.

11Fig. 11: Panel of the Harpy Tomb at Xanthos, Lykia; c. 480-470 BC. A Siren bears away a soul of the dead. (London BM 1848,1020.1.) © Trustees of the British Museum

12Fig. 12: Egyptian wooden model of a Ba-bird; Late Dynastic – Early Ptolemaic period, c. 525-305 BC. (Boston MFA 72.4182.) Drawing by R. Aston.

13Fig. 13: Relief dedicated by Xenokrateia at Echelidai, Attica; early fourth century BC. Numerous gods shown, including Acheloos. (Athens NM 2356.) National Archaeological Museum, Athens. © Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Tourism/Archaeological Receipts Fund.

14Fig. 14: South-Italian bronze statuette of Acheloos; early fifth century BC. (Private coll.) Drawing by R. Aston.

15Fig. 15: Marble votive relief, provenance unknown; later fourth century BC. Acheloos, Hermes and nymphs. (New York Metr. Mus. 25.78.59.) © Photo SCALA, Florence, 2010.

16Fig. 16: Marble votive relief from Athens; fourth or third century BC. Nymphs and Acheloos. (London BM 1895,1029.10.) © Trustees of the British Museum.

17Fig. 17: Marble votive relief from the Vari cave in Attica; mid fourth century BC. Pan, Hermes, nymphs; Acheloos as mask. (Athens NM 2008.) National Archaeological Museum, Athens. © Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Tourism/Archaeological Receipts Fund.

18Fig. 18: Detail of Attic red-figure column krater; c. 475-25 BC. Herakles fights Acheloos. (Paris Louvre G 365.) Drawing by R. Aston.

19Fig. 19: Detail of Attic red-figure amphora attributed to Oltos; c. 520 BC. Cheiron holds the infant Achilles. (Paris Louvre G 3.) Drawing by R. Aston.

20Fig. 20: Detail of Cycladic relief-pithos from Boiotia; second quarter of the seventh century BC. Perseus kills Medusa, the latter in centaur form. (Paris Louvre CA 795.) © RMN/Les frères Chuzeville.

21Fig. 21: Detail of Archaic Rhodian kylix; c. 560 BC. Mare-headed Medusa. (London BM B 1885,1213.12.) Drawing by R. Aston.

22Fig. 22: Bronze group of upright goats from Methydrion; seventh or sixth century BC. (Athens NM 13788.) National Archaeological Museum, Athens. © Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Tourism/ Archaeological Receipts Fund.

23Fig. 23: Fragment of Attic black-figure krater; c. 490 BC. Pan as upright goat playing the pipes. (Amsterdam Allard Pierson Mus. 2117/8.) Drawing by R. Aston.

24Fig. 24: Attic black figure oinochoë attributed to the Theseus Painter; c. 490-480 BC. Pan as upright goat, with Hermes. (Private coll.) Drawing by R. Aston.

25Fig. 25: Marble figure of Pan from Sparta; c. 400 BC. (Athens NM 252.) National Archaeological Museum, Athens. © Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Tourism/Archaeological Receipts Fund.

26Fig. 26: Attic red-figure vase attributed to the Penthesileia Painter; c. 450 BC. Two Panes greet the arrival of Persephone from the Underworld. (Boston MFA 01.8032.) Photograph © 2011 Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

27Fig. 27: Detail of Attic red-figure rhyton; c. 470-450 BC. Kekrops and Nike. (London BM 1873,0820.265. © Trustees of the British Museum.

28Fig. 28: Lucanian red-figure bell-krater attributed to the Pisticci Painter; c. 440-420 BC. Eos pursues a young man. (London BM 1849,0518. 12.) © Trustees of the British Museum.

29Fig. 29: Attic red-figure bell krater, name-vase of the Pan Painter; c. 470 BC. Pan pursues a youth. (Boston MFA 10.185.) Photograph © 2011 Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

30Fig. 30: Carved veil from the statue-group of Damophon in the sanctuary of Despoina at Lykosoura; date uncertain. (Athens NM 1737.) Drawing from two angles by R. Aston.

31Fig. 31: Mixanthropic terracotta votive from the sanctuary of Despoina at Lykosoura; Roman period. Drawing by R. Aston after Kourouniotis (1912), eik. 23. (Lykosoura Archaeol. Mus.)

32Fig. 32: Boiotian black-figure Cabirian skyphos by the Mystes Painter; early fourth century BC. Odysseus and one of his transformed companions. (London BM 1893,0303.1.) © Trustees of the British Museum.

33Fig. 33: Attic black-figure kylix of the Wishbone Type, by the Painter of the Boston Polyphemos; mid sixth century BC. Odysseus’ men, transformed by Circe. (Boston MFA 99.518.) Photograph © 2011 Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

34Fig. 34: Apulian red-figure chous, attributed to near the Black Fury Group; c. 360 BC. Kallisto transforms into a bear. (Malibu J. Paul Getty Mus. 72.AE.128.) © The J. Paul Getty Museum, Villa Collection, Malibu, California.

35Fig. 35: Apulian red-figure krater; c. 340-330 BC. Horned Aktaion attacks a stag. (Naples Mus. Arch. Naz. 31.) Drawing by R. Aston.

36Fig. 36: Chalcidian black-figure amphora; c. 530 BC. Odysseus, Circe, and two of the former’s transformed companions. (Vulci Antiquarium del Castello dell’ Abbadia.) Drawing by R. Aston.

37Fig. 37: Detail of Etruscan black-figure hydria attributed to the Micali Painter; c. 510-500 BC. Pirates turned into dolphins by Dionysos. (Toledo Mus. 1982.134.) Drawing by R. Aston.

38Fig. 38: Detail of Attic black-figure neck-amphora; c. 530 BC. Satyr-face. (Chicago Art Inst. 1980.75.). Drawing by R. Aston.

39Fig. 39: Acheloos-head antefix from Tarentum; c. 420-400 BC. (London BM 1884,0322.1.) © Trustees of the British Museum.

40Fig. 40: Attic black-figure amphora, attributed to the Group of Brussels R312; c. 525-500 BC. Dionysos between dancing maenads. Reading Ure Mus. 50.3.1. © Ure Museum 2010.

41Fig. 41: Attic red-figure stamnos by the Painter of Eupolis; c. 450-440 BC. Women tend a cult image of Dionysos. (Paris Louvre G407.) © RMN/Hervé Lewandowski.

42Fig. 42: Attic black-figure hydria made by Panthaios; c. 520 BC. Dionysos and the thiasos. (London BM 1849,0620.11.) © Trustees of the British Museum.