DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.9804#0131
THE SOUNDNESS OF MR. EVANS'S METHOD 105
of the Throne or the cinquefoil four-cusped arch on a
porcelain figurine,1 and have never seen the lily design of
the frescoes in the south-east house apart from William
Morris's wall-papers,'- it does not help us much to trans-
fer the scene of operations to the seventh century B.C.
Thirdly, the standard of excellence reached by the art of
Dipoinos and Skyllis, as we hear of it in later literature,
was most certainly that of their own period, and we can
appraise it from the contemporary work of other parts of
Greece. The tradition which handed down to the Homeric
bards " the dancing-ground that Daedalus wrought at
Knossos for fair-haired Ariadne " is far surer literary
evidence for the glory of Minoan art than any that can
be claimed for the seventh or sixth centuries. Mr. E. S.
Forster's interesting study of the large terracottas from
the Altar Hill of Prassos 3 shows us, indeed, the early
classical art of Crete in situ, and that reaching the standard
which we should expect of it. The statement that "no
single trace " of early classical art has been found in
Crete is shown by this single instance to be an exaggera-
tion ; the true way of putting it, that on the whole
Minoan remains greatly predominate over Hellenic, need
not surprise us at all, if we remember the insignifi-
cant part played by Crete in the politics of every period
of classical Greek history. Even at Knossos—although,
as Mr. Evans suggests, the tradition of the ancient
sanctuary survived and prevented the actual Palace
site being inhabited—there is a zone, including the greater
part of the Theatral Area, where geometrical, classical
Greek and Roman remains occur in normal proportions
and in natural stratification.1
This leads us to our final and conclusive argument.
Mr. Evans's results are not obtained from mere stylistic
comparisons ; there is no danger that he has confused the
1 B.S.A. ix. fig. 58, p. 82. 2 Ibid. p. 5.
3 Ibid. viii. pp. 271-81. See especially Plate XIII. fig. [.
* Ibid. x. p. 51.
of the Throne or the cinquefoil four-cusped arch on a
porcelain figurine,1 and have never seen the lily design of
the frescoes in the south-east house apart from William
Morris's wall-papers,'- it does not help us much to trans-
fer the scene of operations to the seventh century B.C.
Thirdly, the standard of excellence reached by the art of
Dipoinos and Skyllis, as we hear of it in later literature,
was most certainly that of their own period, and we can
appraise it from the contemporary work of other parts of
Greece. The tradition which handed down to the Homeric
bards " the dancing-ground that Daedalus wrought at
Knossos for fair-haired Ariadne " is far surer literary
evidence for the glory of Minoan art than any that can
be claimed for the seventh or sixth centuries. Mr. E. S.
Forster's interesting study of the large terracottas from
the Altar Hill of Prassos 3 shows us, indeed, the early
classical art of Crete in situ, and that reaching the standard
which we should expect of it. The statement that "no
single trace " of early classical art has been found in
Crete is shown by this single instance to be an exaggera-
tion ; the true way of putting it, that on the whole
Minoan remains greatly predominate over Hellenic, need
not surprise us at all, if we remember the insignifi-
cant part played by Crete in the politics of every period
of classical Greek history. Even at Knossos—although,
as Mr. Evans suggests, the tradition of the ancient
sanctuary survived and prevented the actual Palace
site being inhabited—there is a zone, including the greater
part of the Theatral Area, where geometrical, classical
Greek and Roman remains occur in normal proportions
and in natural stratification.1
This leads us to our final and conclusive argument.
Mr. Evans's results are not obtained from mere stylistic
comparisons ; there is no danger that he has confused the
1 B.S.A. ix. fig. 58, p. 82. 2 Ibid. p. 5.
3 Ibid. viii. pp. 271-81. See especially Plate XIII. fig. [.
* Ibid. x. p. 51.