The implied presence of a body which is not actually represented was a remarkable novelty in vase painting. Ī single arrow in the lower right corner of side B probably protrudes from a dead Niobid hidden behind the landscape. The Athenians attributed their victory in that battle to the support of Heracles and instituted a cult to him. Another possibility is that Heracles is a statue and that the men surrounding him are Athenian soldiers who wish to place themselves under the protection of the divine hero before the Battle of Marathon. Alternatively the scene depicts the episode of Heracles' descent into Hades to rescue Theseus and Pirithous, who were guilty of an attempted abduction of Persephone. One option is that they are the Argonauts awaiting favorable winds in Iolcos. There are several hypotheses about what the other figures represent. Only Heracles and Athena are clearly recognized. It is uncertain what is being depicted on side A as none of the figures is labeled. To punish Niobe for her hubris, Leto sent Apollo and Artemis to kill all of Niobe's children with arrows. Niobe had bragged that she was superior to the goddess Leto because she had seven boys and seven girls, while Leto was mother to just two children, Apollo and Artemis. This story is rarely represented in Greek art. The massacre of the Niobids by Apollo and Artemis is shown on side B of the Niobid Krater.
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