Sir Richard C. Jebb, Commentary on Sophocles: Oedipus at Colonus

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κοίλου … κρατῆρος. (1) Schneidewin takes this to mean a large brazen vessel set in a rift of the ground, over which Theseus and Peirithous slew the victims when they made their pact (“ὅρκια” “ἔταμον”). He cites Eur. Suppl. 1201, where Theseus is directed thus to make a covenant with Adrastus; the throats of nine sheep are to be cut over a bronze “τρίπους”, and the terms of the pact (“ὅρκοι”) are then to be graven in its basin (“τρίποδος ἐν κοίλῳ κύτει”). (2) The schol., whose view is more likely, understands a basin or hollow in the rock: “κοίλου πέλας κρατῆρος: τοῦ μυχοῦ: τὰ γὰρ κοῖλα οὕτως ἐκάλουν ἐκ μεταφορᾶς: ὅθεν καὶ τὰ ἐν τῇ Αἴτνῃ κοιλώματα κρατῆρες καλοῦνται”. Cp. Arist. De Mundo 6 “τῶν ἐν Αἴτνῃ κρατήρων ἀναρραγέντων”. Plat. Phaedo 111D says of the subterranean cavities, “συντετρῆσθαί τε πολλαχῇ...καὶ διεξόδους ἔχειν, ᾗ πολὺ μὲν ὕδωρ ῥεῖν ἐξ ἀλλήλων εἰς ἀλλήλους ὥσπερ εἰς κρατῆρας”. The scholiast adds:—“λέγει δι᾽ οὗ” (sc. “μυχοῦ”) “καταβῆναι φασὶ τὴν Κόρην ἁρπαγεῖσαν”. That is, the schol. took this “κρατήρ” or “μυχός” in the rock to be the actual cavity in which the “καταρράκτης ὀδός” began. In each case the “κρατήρ” was close to the “ὀδός”.

Θησέως. Theseus went down to Hades with Peirithous, king of the Thessalian Lapithae, to help him in carrying off Persephone. Both heroes were made prisoners by Pluto. Theseus was afterwards delivered by Heracles, when sent by Eurystheus to capture Cerberus. According to another version, adopted by Eur. in his “Πειρίθους”, Heracles delivered Peirithous also.