Burrow, Edward John: The Elgin marbles: with an abridged historical and topographical account of Athens (Band 1): Illustrated with forty plates (London, 1817)

04

the mother and her unborn offspring. Feel-
ing, however, some time after, as he well de-
served, an excessive head-ache, he had re-
course to Vulcan, w ho. in the capacity of ac-
coucheur, clave his skull with a tremendous
hatchet,and produced a child, Minerva—arm-
ed at all points, cle pied en cap, and of ma-
turest form. This unreasonable fiction con-
stituted the argument of the composition,
which very appropriately graced the front of
the most splendid temple dedicated to the
virgin goddess. Such is the fable of Hesiod,
and so was it generally received and represent-
ed !* by the ancients. With the allegorical or
real history of which it is fabricated, and on
which mythologists are totally at variance, we
have no concern at present. By the denomi-
nation of Athene or Minerva, she is acknow*

* Upon a bas-relief figured in Winkelmann's Monum. ined.
Jupiter is seen seated upon his throne with the imperial attri*
butes, and behind him Vulcan with his double hatchet, doubt-
ing, as it would seem, the beneficial consequences of its ap-
plication. Upon a Patera, mentioned by Dempster, Etrur*
Beg. I. I*, the whole business is depicted: Diana is extracting
the adult infant from the cleft which has just been made by
Vulcan, who looks on much more at his ease than Jupiter, al-
though the latter is consoled by Venus on the other side.