DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.14134#0086
76
absence of sheep among the victims and the greater
throng of drovers and conductors of the cattle on the
South side, he infers that these represent the Hekatomb
offered by the Athenians themselves. All the victims are
cows, in accordance with Greek ritual which ordained the
sacrifice of male animals to a god, and of female animals
to a goddess.
The order in which the slabs xxxviii. to xliii. are
arranged in the Museum, differs from that of Michaelis,
because No. 84 (126 in his series) has been identified
as joining on to the right side of xli. which now follows
xxxvi., xxxviii. taking its place. Among the throng
who accompany the cattle we may distinguish those
who are guiding the animals along by ropes (Nos.
97, 94, 92, 88, 85, 81), from other figures who move in a
more leisurely manner. These latter we may suppose
to be the pompeis or honorary escort to the victims
who are mentioned in an Athenian decree relating to
sacrifices to Athene, probably at the Panathenaia (see the
Berlin Corpus Inscript. Attic, ii. No. 163). All are clad
in the himation which, in the figures actively engaged in
controlling the cattle, slips down leaving one or both
shoulders free. The himation of No. 104 has attached to
its lower corner a small leaden weight to hold the corner
down. No. 96 has both hands raised to his head as
if adjusting a crown which must have been of metal. The
ropes by which the victims are guided must have been
painted on the marble. The left lower corner of slab xl.
is added in plaster from the original fragment at Athens.
What was the number of cattle in this part of the frieze
cannot now be ascertained, but there is evidence that there
were at least nine.
In the next part of the procession slabs xxxv. xxxvi.
are made up of two fragments, one of which, xxxvi.,
is cast from the original at Athens. The slabs of which
absence of sheep among the victims and the greater
throng of drovers and conductors of the cattle on the
South side, he infers that these represent the Hekatomb
offered by the Athenians themselves. All the victims are
cows, in accordance with Greek ritual which ordained the
sacrifice of male animals to a god, and of female animals
to a goddess.
The order in which the slabs xxxviii. to xliii. are
arranged in the Museum, differs from that of Michaelis,
because No. 84 (126 in his series) has been identified
as joining on to the right side of xli. which now follows
xxxvi., xxxviii. taking its place. Among the throng
who accompany the cattle we may distinguish those
who are guiding the animals along by ropes (Nos.
97, 94, 92, 88, 85, 81), from other figures who move in a
more leisurely manner. These latter we may suppose
to be the pompeis or honorary escort to the victims
who are mentioned in an Athenian decree relating to
sacrifices to Athene, probably at the Panathenaia (see the
Berlin Corpus Inscript. Attic, ii. No. 163). All are clad
in the himation which, in the figures actively engaged in
controlling the cattle, slips down leaving one or both
shoulders free. The himation of No. 104 has attached to
its lower corner a small leaden weight to hold the corner
down. No. 96 has both hands raised to his head as
if adjusting a crown which must have been of metal. The
ropes by which the victims are guided must have been
painted on the marble. The left lower corner of slab xl.
is added in plaster from the original fragment at Athens.
What was the number of cattle in this part of the frieze
cannot now be ascertained, but there is evidence that there
were at least nine.
In the next part of the procession slabs xxxv. xxxvi.
are made up of two fragments, one of which, xxxvi.,
is cast from the original at Athens. The slabs of which