“Theseus Taught by Pittheus” from An Argive Hero by Plutarch, published in London by Arthur H. Moxon in 1877, with illustrations in the manner of early Greek paintings by J. Moyr Smith.
Theseus was a divine hero in Greek mythology. His father was Aegeus, King of Athens, and his mother was Aethra, the daughter of Pittheus, the King of Troezen. Theseus was famous for slaying the Minotaur.
Plutarch (c. 40-120 A.D.) was a Greek philosopher, historian, and biographer.
John Moyr Smith (1839-1912) was a Scottish architect, artist, and designer, known chiefly for his work on ceramic tiles, in a style very similar to the illustration shown here.