Ancient Italy; Etruscan civilization; 6th Century BC.Fa莽ade of the Etruscan temple in the sanctuary at Pyrgi (Santa Severa); port of Caere (Cerveteri). (Central Italy).Painted terracotta; but only small patches of the original color are preserved. Restoration of the relief meant the reassembling of over 2000 fragments. - Date: 470-460 BC.- The myth represented is that of the 鈥楽even against Thebes;' . The myth recounts the contest between two twins; Eteocles and Polynices; sons of Oedipus; for the throne of Thebes. The two should have taken turns reigning; but Eteocles refuses to return the kingdom to his brother; and Polynices along with seven heroes attacks Thebes. In the lower part of the central scene we see one of Polynices' supporters; Tydeus; in the midst of brutally biting the head of the Theban Melanippus. This horrible act provokes the disgust of Athena; recognizable in the background on the left; who recoils and hides the ampule of immortality that would have saved him. To the right; Capaneus; having succeeded in scaling the walls of Thebes; dares to curse the gods and is struck by the lightning bolt of Zeus 2nd from left); who looms over the other figures in the center of the pediment.Photo; 2021.National Etruscan Museum; Rome; Italy.