In the scene, Herakles rests on a rock while Athena pours him wine from a trefoil oinochoe, and with the exception of the absence of Hermes, it is almost identical with the one on the skyphos. Herakles is wearing the lion-skin in exactly the same fashion as he is portrayed on the skyphos, and he is holding out a kantharos in one hand to receive Athena's wine. His other hand is raised, again in a similar gesture as the other Herakles. The representation of the hero's lion-skin on both the museum skyphos and the kylix presents some points of interest, one of which is that it lends a shade of ambiguity to his position. The pelt could suggest his recent arrival upon Olympus, for he is yet to be completely at rest, being still garbed in the outfit which was characteristic of him as he roamed the earth performing his labors and deeds. Also, in the case of the museum skyphos, the artist has painted Herakles as a large bulky figure, creating a tense musculature with sharp incised lines. This certainly is not a picture of someone at total ease and relaxation, and as a result, there is an ambivalence regarding his status as both a mortal and a god.

The lion-skin also is worn in such a way as to maximize the sense of his ferocity, with the mouth of the beast gaping wide open to reveal Herakles' face. The overall effect thus serves to accentuate the raw power of the hero, who is almost like an animal himself, being enveloped by the lion-skin. There is also another interesting observation about the effect of the pelt, that is the way it covers Herakles, showing only his legs and with the lion's tail very prominently painted. Perhaps to a viewer from afar, the hero may easily be mistaken for another creature like the satyr, and this could imply yet another aspect of Herakles' nature-the bestial side of him manifested in traits like his excessive sexual drive, a characteristic not unknown of satyrs (image).

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