Part 25 (1/2)

There was also a row of small horses at the front of the helmet. All available s.p.a.ce was covered with reliefs. A battle between Greeks and Amazons (see below, Nos. 301, 302) was seen on the exterior of the s.h.i.+eld, and one between G.o.ds and Giants on its interior. On the base was a representation of the birth of Pandora (see No. 301) and on the edges of the sandals was a battle between Centaurs and Lapiths.

The statue disappeared from view with the fall of paganism. Nos.

300-302 afford some of the materials for its reconstruction. Rough reproductions of the figure also occur on Attic reliefs, such as Nos.

771-773.

The statuette, No. 300, is of service for the details of the composition, although it is artistically a poor copy. The Lenormant statuette, No. 301, though rough and incomplete, is of more value for its rendering of the features.

The column beneath the hand of Athene (in No. 300) presents some difficulty, as it is not mentioned in descriptions of the statue and seldom occurs in reproductions of it. It is seen in an Attic relief (_Michaelis_, pl. 15, fig. 7) on a lead ticket (_Zeitschr. fur Numismatik_, x., p. 152) and, in the form of an olive tree, on a Lycian coin of the time of Alexander (_Zeitschr. fur Num._, _loc.

cit._; Murray, ii., pl. 11). It is more probable that an existing support should be omitted in reliefs, than that it should be inserted if non-existent. It is possible, however, that the support was not a part of the design of Pheidias, but was an addition, found to be necessary before the time of Alexander.

[Sidenote: =300.=]

Cast of a statuette, copied from the Athene Parthenos. The G.o.ddess wears a helmet, aegis, chiton with diplodion girt round the waist, bracelets and sandals; her left hand rests on her s.h.i.+eld, which stands on its edge at her side. In the centre of the outside of the s.h.i.+eld is a mask of Medusa, and inside a serpent; the right hand of Athene is extended in front and rests on a column with the palm open upwards, holding a figure of Victory, in whose hands are remains of what is thought to be a garland. The head of the Victory is wanting. On the centre of the helmet of Athene is a Sphinx, and at each side has been a Pegasos.

The statuette was found in a shrine in a private house. Compare the vision of Proclos, who was bidden to prepare his house for Athene, when her statue was being removed by the Christians from the Parthenon, about 430 A.D. (Marinus, _Proclos_, 30; Michaelis, p. 270.)

The original, which is of Pentelic marble, is in the National Museum at Athens. Height, with plinth, 3 feet 5 inches. Found in 1880, _near the Varvakion in Athens. Athenische Mittheilungen_, VI., pls. 1, 2, p. 56; _Journ. of h.e.l.len. Studies_, II., p.

3; Schreiber, _Athena Parthenos des Phidias_, pl. 1; Brunn, _Denkmaeler_, Nos. 39, 40; Waldstein, pl. 14; Harrison, _Mythology and Monuments of Anc. Athens_, p. 447. For literature see Waldstein, _Essays_, p. 270; Wolters, No. 467.

[Sidenote: =301.=]

Cast of a statuette, copied from the statue of Athene Parthenos.

Athene wears a helmet, aegis, and chiton with diplodion girt round the waist; her right hand is extended in front with the palm open upwards as if to hold out the figure of Victory. In this part the statuette is unfinished, the marble underneath the right arm not having been hewn away. The left hand of the G.o.ddess rests on her s.h.i.+eld, which stands on its edge at her side; inside the s.h.i.+eld is a serpent; outside are reliefs representing the battle between Greeks and Amazons, which is seen in more detail in No. 302. Among the figures, we recognise several which occur on No. 302. The figure of Pheidias (_a_, see No.

302) is near the top of the relief, and holds a stone, as described by Plutarch. Next him perhaps is Pericles (_b_) separated from the fallen Amazon (_c_), which is at the bottom of the s.h.i.+eld, as in No. 302. The group of the Greek seizing an Amazon (_d_) is seen on the right as in No. 302. The fallen Amazon (_e_) with hands above her head is high up, on the left of the relief. In place of the group of an Amazon supporting her companion (_f_) which is in No. 302, we have here the same subject, but differently treated. The Gorgon's head is roughly indicated near the middle of the s.h.i.+eld. From the manner in which the rest of the figure corresponds to the chryselephantine statue, it has been a.s.sumed that the rude outlines of figures in relief on the base of the statuette represent the composition of Pheidias, of which the subject was the birth of Pandora (Paus., i., xxiv., 7.)

The original of this statue, which is of marble, is in the National Museum at Athens. Height 1 foot 4-3/4 inches. Found in 1859 _near the Pnyx, at Athens_. Lenormant, _Gazette des Beaux Arts_, 1860, VIII., p. 133; Jahn, _Pop. Aufsatze_, p. 215, pl.

1; Michaelis, pl. 15, fig. 1, p. 273; Overbeck, _Gr. Plast._, 3rd ed., I., p. 253, fig. 54; Brunn, _Denkmaeler_, No. 38; Wolters, No. 466; Harrison, _Mythology and Monuments of Anc. Athens_, p.

449. For the Pandora relief, see Puchstein, in _Jahrbuch des Arch.

Inst._, V., p. 113.

[Sidenote: =302.=]

Fragment of s.h.i.+eld supposed to be a rough copy from the s.h.i.+eld of the statue of Athene Parthenos. Pliny (_H. N._, x.x.xvi., 18) and Pausanias (i., 17, 2) state that the outside of the s.h.i.+eld was ornamented with the representation of a battle between Greeks and Amazons. Plutarch adds (_Pericles_, 31) that one of the figures represented Pheidias himself as an old bald-headed man raising a stone with both hands, while in another figure, who was represented fighting against an Amazon, with one hand holding out a spear in such a way as to conceal the face, the sculptor introduced the likeness of Pericles. This story is probably of late origin, and invented to account for two characteristic figures on the s.h.i.+eld. A head of Medusa, or Gorgoneion, encircled by two serpents, forms the centre of the composition on the fragment. Below the Gorgoneion is a Greek warrior (_a_, cf. No. 301), bald-headed, who raises both hands above his head to strike with a battle-axe. This figure has been thought to correspond with that of Pheidias in the original design. Next to him on the right is a Greek (_b_) who plants his left foot on the body of a fallen Amazon (_c_) and is in the act of dealing a blow with his right hand; his right arm is raised across his face and conceals the greater part of it.

The action of this figure again presents a partial correspondence with that of Pericles as described by Plutarch. To the right of the supposed Pericles are two Greeks: the one advances to the right; the other (_d_) seizes by the hair an Amazon falling on the right. Above this group is an Amazon running to the right and a Greek striding to the left. His s.h.i.+eld has the device of a hare. Above him are three armed Greeks, and the remains of another figure. On the left of the figure described as Pheidias is a Greek who has fallen on his knees.

Further to the left is a fallen Amazon (_e_) who lies with her head towards the lower edge of the s.h.i.+eld. Near her is a wounded Amazon (_f_) supported by a companion of whom but little remains. The lower part of a third figure, probably that of a Greek, is also seen. All the Amazons wear high boots and a short chiton, leaving the right breast exposed; their weapon is a double-headed axe. Red colour remains on the two serpents which encircle the Gorgon's head, on the s.h.i.+eld of one of the Greeks and in several places on the draperies.--_Obtained by Viscount Strangford from Athens._

Pentelic marble; height, 1 foot 4-3/4 inches; width, 1 foot 6 inches. Conze, _Arch. Zeit._, 1865, pls. 196, 197; Jahn, _Pop.

Aufsatze_, p. 216, pl. 2, 1; Michaelis, pl. 15, fig. 34. Overbeck, _Gr. Plast._, 3rd ed., I., p. 255, fig. 55; Mitch.e.l.l, p. 313; Mansell, No. 729; Wolters, No. 471; Harrison, _Mythology and Monuments of Anc. Athens_, p. 453. There is a fragment of a similar s.h.i.+eld in the Vatican, Michaelis, pl. 15, fig. 35.

EASTERN PEDIMENT OF THE PARTHENON.

[Sidenote: =303.=]

We know from Pausanias (i., 24, 5) that the subject of the composition in the eastern pediment had relation to the birth of Athene, who, according to the legend, sprang forth, fully armed, from the brain of Zeus. As all the central part of this composition was already destroyed when Carrey made his drawing of the pediment, we have no means of ascertaining how the subject was treated; and whether the moment immediately after the birth was represented, as has been generally supposed, or, as has been also suggested, the moment immediately before the birth.

A relief surrounding a _puteal_ or well-head, now at Madrid, has been thought to throw light on this question. There Zeus is enthroned, looking to the right; Athene is before him, armed, and advances to the right. A Victory flies towards her with a wreath. Behind the throne of Zeus is Hephaestos, who has cleft the skull of Zeus with his axe, and starts back in astonishment. On the extreme right of the composition are the three Fates (Schneider, _Geburt der Athena_, pl. 1; Mitch.e.l.l, p. 350, fig. 157). Unfortunately the subordinate figures have not a sufficient resemblance to those which are still extant of the Parthenon pediment, to allow us to a.s.sume a direct connection between the pediment and the relief. Some such composition, however, seems more consonant with the dignity of Athene than the scheme which occurs on vases and Etruscan mirrors (_e.g._ on a vase in the British Museum, No. B. 53; _Mon. dell' Inst._, iii., pl. 44) where the G.o.ddess is represented as a diminutive figure, above the head of Zeus. This conclusion is confirmed by Sauer's recent examination of the ground of the pediment. It is now proved that the middle of the east pediment was occupied by two figures of equal importance, and not by a single central figure of Zeus, such as is required, if we suppose that the subject was treated according to the tradition of the vase painters.