DOI article:
Waldstein, Charles: [Excavations and discoveries at Eretria, 1891-1895]
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.8681#0192
180
SCULPTURE FKO.U ERETRIA.
a narrow face and a thick-lipped mouth, rather sensual, almost
Ethiopian. A portrait-face like this always challenges to an
estimate of the character behind it. This man was probably a
man of good mental endowments: such a dome must have con-
tents. But he was probably shrewd and crafty, perhaps revengeful
and lustful. Whom does the head represent ? As it does not
coincide with any of the known portraits of Roman times, where
it probably belongs (judging by locks of hair like those often
appearing on heads of the Antonincs), the most reasonable sup-
position is that it is a local gymnasiarch like Elpinikos or
Mantidoros. Tt is, however, more distinctly Roman in appearance
Figure 4.—Enlarged view op Fragment found in Gymnasium.
than the heads of the Kosmetai in the Athenian Museum, who, as
far as hair, beard, and features go, might stand for some of the
" solid men of Boston."9
No. 3. Figure 5. This is a fragment containing the right
upper part of a face.10 A glance at it reveals a representative of
good Greek times, and the fact that we have here a part, unfor-
tunately only a small part, of a head really deserving attention as
a work of art. The sex of a figure found in a gymnasium,
can hardly be in doubt. The longitudinal depression in the
forehead marks it plainly as that of a man.11 When we come to-
9 Dumont in BCH, i, p. 229, plates 3 and 4; also ii, plates 5 and 6.
10 The forehead is 0.0G m. high : the eye is 0.03 m. X 0.013 m.
11 E. F. Benson in Jour, of Hell. Studies, xv, p. 194 ff.
SCULPTURE FKO.U ERETRIA.
a narrow face and a thick-lipped mouth, rather sensual, almost
Ethiopian. A portrait-face like this always challenges to an
estimate of the character behind it. This man was probably a
man of good mental endowments: such a dome must have con-
tents. But he was probably shrewd and crafty, perhaps revengeful
and lustful. Whom does the head represent ? As it does not
coincide with any of the known portraits of Roman times, where
it probably belongs (judging by locks of hair like those often
appearing on heads of the Antonincs), the most reasonable sup-
position is that it is a local gymnasiarch like Elpinikos or
Mantidoros. Tt is, however, more distinctly Roman in appearance
Figure 4.—Enlarged view op Fragment found in Gymnasium.
than the heads of the Kosmetai in the Athenian Museum, who, as
far as hair, beard, and features go, might stand for some of the
" solid men of Boston."9
No. 3. Figure 5. This is a fragment containing the right
upper part of a face.10 A glance at it reveals a representative of
good Greek times, and the fact that we have here a part, unfor-
tunately only a small part, of a head really deserving attention as
a work of art. The sex of a figure found in a gymnasium,
can hardly be in doubt. The longitudinal depression in the
forehead marks it plainly as that of a man.11 When we come to-
9 Dumont in BCH, i, p. 229, plates 3 and 4; also ii, plates 5 and 6.
10 The forehead is 0.0G m. high : the eye is 0.03 m. X 0.013 m.
11 E. F. Benson in Jour, of Hell. Studies, xv, p. 194 ff.