DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.3332#0059
55
CHAPTER VI.
STATUETTES FROM THE TEMENOS OP APHEODITE.
(43) All that has been said as to the circum-
stances under which the fragments of pottery
were discovered in the temenos of Aphrodite
applies equally to the statuettes. These were
scattered about in quite as much confusion as
the vases themselves, though, from the nature
of their material, they were not broken into so
many fragments. But portions of the same
figure were often found in distant parts of
the sacred precinct. The statuettes show even
more indications than the vases of an intentional
destruction; almost all the fractures, upon
careful examination, show some signs of a
severe blow upon one side. Hence it appears
that they must have been violently broken up
and then scattered—and by some enemy not
only of the Greeks, but also of their religion.
Such a proceeding is in accordance with what
we know of the Persians; and hence yet
further confirmation is gained by the con-
jecture, already well-founded, that it was the
Persian invasion that led to a destruction of
the temples at Naukratis, and gave a serious
check to the prosperity of the city.
(44) But at present we are not concerned
with the destruction of the statuettes, but with
their origin, and with the history and progress
of the art that produced them. And it will be
well at this point to quote a passage of
Athenaaus, already referred to more than once,
which has a direct bearing upon the origin of
the statuettes discovered in the temenos of
Aphrodite at Naukratis. Athenseus, himself
a native of JSaukratis, quotes from a work of
his fellow-citizenPolycharmus," On Aphrodite,"
the following story. "In the twenty-third
olympiad, Herostratus, a fellow-citizen of ours,
was on a journey ; and having sailed round many
lands, he touched also at Paphos in Cyprus ;
there he bought a statuette of Aphrodite, a
span high, of archaic style, and went off with
it to Naukratis. Now, when his ship was near
Egypt, a storm suddenly came on, and they
could not see whereabouts they were ; so all of
them took refuge by the image of Aphrodite,
praying her to save them. And the goddess,
with her wonted favour to the people of Nau-
kratis, suddenly filled all the region about her
with green myrtle, and made the ship full of
the sweetest odour, when the crew had now
given up hope in their severe sickness. They
were at once freely relieved, and the sun shone
forth; so they made out their land-marks and
reached Naukratis. Then Herostratus, rushino-
from the ship with the image, and also with
the green myrtle boughs that had suddenly
come forth, dedicated them in the temple of
Aphrodite. And having sacrificed to the god-
dess, and dedicated the image to Aphrodite, he
called his friends and relations to a banquet in
the temple itself, and gave to each of them
also a garland of myrtle, to which he thereupon
gave the name Naukratite." Such is Polychar-
mus' story, which is quoted to prove that the
garlands called Naukratite were made of myrtle.
This question does not immediately concern us
at present, but neither the miracle recorded
nor the probably erroneous date need distract
our attention from the tradition that the tale
CHAPTER VI.
STATUETTES FROM THE TEMENOS OP APHEODITE.
(43) All that has been said as to the circum-
stances under which the fragments of pottery
were discovered in the temenos of Aphrodite
applies equally to the statuettes. These were
scattered about in quite as much confusion as
the vases themselves, though, from the nature
of their material, they were not broken into so
many fragments. But portions of the same
figure were often found in distant parts of
the sacred precinct. The statuettes show even
more indications than the vases of an intentional
destruction; almost all the fractures, upon
careful examination, show some signs of a
severe blow upon one side. Hence it appears
that they must have been violently broken up
and then scattered—and by some enemy not
only of the Greeks, but also of their religion.
Such a proceeding is in accordance with what
we know of the Persians; and hence yet
further confirmation is gained by the con-
jecture, already well-founded, that it was the
Persian invasion that led to a destruction of
the temples at Naukratis, and gave a serious
check to the prosperity of the city.
(44) But at present we are not concerned
with the destruction of the statuettes, but with
their origin, and with the history and progress
of the art that produced them. And it will be
well at this point to quote a passage of
Athenaaus, already referred to more than once,
which has a direct bearing upon the origin of
the statuettes discovered in the temenos of
Aphrodite at Naukratis. Athenseus, himself
a native of JSaukratis, quotes from a work of
his fellow-citizenPolycharmus," On Aphrodite,"
the following story. "In the twenty-third
olympiad, Herostratus, a fellow-citizen of ours,
was on a journey ; and having sailed round many
lands, he touched also at Paphos in Cyprus ;
there he bought a statuette of Aphrodite, a
span high, of archaic style, and went off with
it to Naukratis. Now, when his ship was near
Egypt, a storm suddenly came on, and they
could not see whereabouts they were ; so all of
them took refuge by the image of Aphrodite,
praying her to save them. And the goddess,
with her wonted favour to the people of Nau-
kratis, suddenly filled all the region about her
with green myrtle, and made the ship full of
the sweetest odour, when the crew had now
given up hope in their severe sickness. They
were at once freely relieved, and the sun shone
forth; so they made out their land-marks and
reached Naukratis. Then Herostratus, rushino-
from the ship with the image, and also with
the green myrtle boughs that had suddenly
come forth, dedicated them in the temple of
Aphrodite. And having sacrificed to the god-
dess, and dedicated the image to Aphrodite, he
called his friends and relations to a banquet in
the temple itself, and gave to each of them
also a garland of myrtle, to which he thereupon
gave the name Naukratite." Such is Polychar-
mus' story, which is quoted to prove that the
garlands called Naukratite were made of myrtle.
This question does not immediately concern us
at present, but neither the miracle recorded
nor the probably erroneous date need distract
our attention from the tradition that the tale