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

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dred golden fringes suspended to it, all well
woven, each worth a hecatomb/' In this de-
scription, we trace the characteristics of the
a^gis which adorned the statue in the Pedi-
ment.

On each projecting angle we find a hole,
from whence depended, doubtless, the golden
fringe; and in the centre of the breast an-
other, in which was inserted the Gorgon's
head. There is no appearance of scales, nor
do we find any mention of them in Homer.
They are, however, generally apparent on
antique monuments of the goddess ; and are
particularly mentioned by Virgil. Whenspeak-
ing of the labours of the Cyclops, he says,
that they " decorated the formidable oegis,
the armour of the warlike Minerva*, with
golden scales of serpents : that they wrought
upon the breastplate of the goddess, the de-
capitated Gorgon's head, with its intertwining
snakes and revolving eyes."

* iEgidaque honiftcam, turbatas Palladis arma,
Certatim sr/uamis serpentum, auroque polibant:
Connexosque angnes, ipsamque in pectore Divae
Gorgona, dcsecto vcrtcntem lumina collo.

Virg. Mo- viii. 435.