DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.14134#0031
legend, was also produced by the stroke of the sea-god's
trident in this contest, may have been introduced into this
pediment between the Poseidon and the figure (0), who is
generally called Amphitrite. The vase picture published
by Stephani (Compte-rendu pour l'annee 1872, Plate I.)
gives some support to this conjecture. In that design
Poseidon and Athene form an antagonistic group, which
in composition presents considerable resemblance with
the central group in the pediment. The olive-tree is
placed between them, and Poseidon controls, with his
left hand, the upspringing horse. But neither in the
protagonists nor in the rest of the design on the vase is
there that close correspondence in type and action which
would justify the conclusion that the vase-painter copied
directly any portion of the pedimental composition, and,
on the other hand, the attitude of the so-called Amphitrite
(0), as drawn by Carrey, suggests the action of a
charioteer holding the reins with the hands in advance
of the body and the shoulders leaning forward. The
space between the Poseidon (M) and the Amphitrite as
measured on Dalton's drawing seems rather too long
for two horses, and on this and other grounds it has been
suggested that the chariot of Poseidon was drawn by
Hippocamps. On the other hand, if the fragments of
horses, found on the Akropolis and believed to have fallen
from the Western pediment, do belong to that pediment,
it follows, as will be presently shown, that there must
have been originally a second pair of horses, which was no
longer on the pediment when Carrey drew it.
If we assume that this second pair of horses was
attached to the chariot of Poseidon and that they occupied
about the same length on the pediment as the horses of
Athene, room may be found for a representation of the
salt spring between the left leg of the Sea God and the
forelegs of his chariot horses. Tor the vase picture already
trident in this contest, may have been introduced into this
pediment between the Poseidon and the figure (0), who is
generally called Amphitrite. The vase picture published
by Stephani (Compte-rendu pour l'annee 1872, Plate I.)
gives some support to this conjecture. In that design
Poseidon and Athene form an antagonistic group, which
in composition presents considerable resemblance with
the central group in the pediment. The olive-tree is
placed between them, and Poseidon controls, with his
left hand, the upspringing horse. But neither in the
protagonists nor in the rest of the design on the vase is
there that close correspondence in type and action which
would justify the conclusion that the vase-painter copied
directly any portion of the pedimental composition, and,
on the other hand, the attitude of the so-called Amphitrite
(0), as drawn by Carrey, suggests the action of a
charioteer holding the reins with the hands in advance
of the body and the shoulders leaning forward. The
space between the Poseidon (M) and the Amphitrite as
measured on Dalton's drawing seems rather too long
for two horses, and on this and other grounds it has been
suggested that the chariot of Poseidon was drawn by
Hippocamps. On the other hand, if the fragments of
horses, found on the Akropolis and believed to have fallen
from the Western pediment, do belong to that pediment,
it follows, as will be presently shown, that there must
have been originally a second pair of horses, which was no
longer on the pediment when Carrey drew it.
If we assume that this second pair of horses was
attached to the chariot of Poseidon and that they occupied
about the same length on the pediment as the horses of
Athene, room may be found for a representation of the
salt spring between the left leg of the Sea God and the
forelegs of his chariot horses. Tor the vase picture already