Actaeon is the hapless fellow who saw the goddess Diana/Artemis in the nude while she was bathing together with her nymphs; as a punishment, he was turned into a stag and devoured by his own dogs. In this vase painting, however, it is a very human Actaeon who is being attacked by his dogs! In this larger view of the scene, you can see Artemis in her chariot cursing the poor hunter; on the right, a messenger takes the news of Actaeon's death to his parents.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitZ0rfH_E2HTOeDXcLM4BzAHmalNSI0zrfo7bcY2-QcQ6rWYi6xRl4Ga0xRtb4Lq8QuL98mikZHPZTfysTZPpW6rh3so5YHZBKSC89WWsnFXbAEIRz-OqzAbBqqxzsyumMqEc9WizqGHc/s400/Screen+shot+2012-01-31+at+9.14.42+PM.png)