DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.656#0053
whatever of the change into serpents, but seeming rather to ex-
press the luxuriant beauty by which she enchanted her admirers
previous to her metamorphosis by Minerva into the monstrous
form sculptured on the metope1.
The figure to the right of Perseus can be no other than
Minerva, although it must he confessed that the goddess does
not form a very principal feature in the composition. She ap-
pears to be directing the arm of her favoured hero. She is
draped with the peplum, which has the meeander (or labyrinth)
ornament painted on the edge ; on her breast is shewn the aegis,
which is painted red; the form of it is extremely simple, almost
answering to the description given by Herodotus' of the goat-
skins worn by the JLybian women, and which are said to have
given the origin to the aegis. The goddess is without the hel-
met, an omission not very often noticed in her statues ; it was
probably left out, in this instance, in consequence of the de-
crease iii height which its introduction would have occasioned
to the figure, the head of which now reaches to the capital of
the metope. The eyes and eye-brows of this figure were paint-
ed, and the drapery has several vestiges of colour upon it; the
lower part of the garment, and the maeander ornament or bor-
der, appeared to us to hare been gilt. The figure of Perseus
occupies the centre of the metope ; he is armed with the harpe
of Mercury and helmet of Pluto, which latter has a pendant
falling on each shoulder1. An ornamented girdle encircles the
' Apollod. ii. c. iv. Heaod. Theog. Ovid. Met. lib. iv. 618.
■ Herod, lib. iv. cmm.
1 " The helmet of I'lutn with a pendant falling on each shoulder, given to him by the
Cyclops in the war with the giants, and again given lo Perseus when he killed Medusa,
press the luxuriant beauty by which she enchanted her admirers
previous to her metamorphosis by Minerva into the monstrous
form sculptured on the metope1.
The figure to the right of Perseus can be no other than
Minerva, although it must he confessed that the goddess does
not form a very principal feature in the composition. She ap-
pears to be directing the arm of her favoured hero. She is
draped with the peplum, which has the meeander (or labyrinth)
ornament painted on the edge ; on her breast is shewn the aegis,
which is painted red; the form of it is extremely simple, almost
answering to the description given by Herodotus' of the goat-
skins worn by the JLybian women, and which are said to have
given the origin to the aegis. The goddess is without the hel-
met, an omission not very often noticed in her statues ; it was
probably left out, in this instance, in consequence of the de-
crease iii height which its introduction would have occasioned
to the figure, the head of which now reaches to the capital of
the metope. The eyes and eye-brows of this figure were paint-
ed, and the drapery has several vestiges of colour upon it; the
lower part of the garment, and the maeander ornament or bor-
der, appeared to us to hare been gilt. The figure of Perseus
occupies the centre of the metope ; he is armed with the harpe
of Mercury and helmet of Pluto, which latter has a pendant
falling on each shoulder1. An ornamented girdle encircles the
' Apollod. ii. c. iv. Heaod. Theog. Ovid. Met. lib. iv. 618.
■ Herod, lib. iv. cmm.
1 " The helmet of I'lutn with a pendant falling on each shoulder, given to him by the
Cyclops in the war with the giants, and again given lo Perseus when he killed Medusa,