DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.14696#0176
The Pillar of Light
century repeatedly introduce a ladder into scenes of mystic incense-
gathering (P)1, such as that on a fine polychrome hydria from
Kyrenaike, now in the British Museum (pi. vi)2, or those on a
couple of aryballoi from Apollonia in Thrace, which passed from
the Van Branteghem collection to the Hermitage and Berlin
respectively (pi. vii):!. It is therefore permissible to conjecture that
the Orphic initiate actually mounted a ladder in order to ensure his
entrance upon the Elysian soul-path4.
Reallex. p. 851 f., H. Hepding Attis seine Mythen und sein Kult Gieszen 1903 p. 163
n. 2, W. Dennison in the Am. Journ. Arch. 1905 ix. 37, and the monograph of W. Jdst
Tatowiren, Narbcnzeichnen, und Korperbemalen Berlin 1887 pp. 43 f., 102 f.
1 See the materials collected by F. Wieseler Commentatio de scala symbolo apnd Graecos
aliosque popidos veteres Gottingae 1863 pp. 3—17. The list of vase-paintings id. p. 3 f-
must, however, be used with caution, since Wieseler appears to have included certain
representations of a musical instrument resembling a dulcimer in shape (G. Nicole in
Daremberg—Saglio Diet. Ant. iv. iioSf.). The subject has been handled with more
discretion by Furtwangler—Reichhold Gr. Vasenmalerei ii. 98 f. pi. 78, 1 ('eine festliche,
von Aphrodite und Eros vorgenommene Weihranchernte') and by G. Nicole Meidias et
le style fleuri dans la cer antique attique Geneve 1908 Append, ii ' Sur le motif de l'echelle
dans les scenes de gynecee ' with fig. 43 and pi. 8, 1—6, pi. 9 (' une recolte mystique de
l'encens, fete religieuse accompagnee de melodies et de danses sacrees'). Not improbably
the gatherer mounted the ladder to symbolise the celestial nature of the harvesting.
2 Brit. Mus. Cat. Vases iii. 186 no. E 241, G. Nicole Meidias et le style fleuri dans la
ciramique attique Geneve 1908 p. 150 fig. 43. My pi. vi is from a photograph taken by
Mr C. O. Waterhouse. In the centre is a long ladder, and beside it a tall plant with berries
(gilded) in clusters of three. Aphrodite (?), bare to the waist, descends the ladder and
scatters something into a two handled vase held by a woman (drapery blue)—hardly
Adonis, as Furtwangler op. cit. ii. 99 asserts. On the right another woman closely
wrapped in a himdtion (pink), which passes over her mouth, dances to the flutes of a
hovering Eros (wings gilded). Further to the right is a second dancing woman, who
plays the castanets. On the left are a third dancing woman, a woman playing the flutes,
and a small bearded Pan, with goat's legs and horns (gilded?), also dancing. Height
15^ ins.
3 W. Froehner Collection van Branteghem Bruxelles 1892 nos. 98 and 99 pi. 31—34
( = my pi. vii), G. Nicole op.%cit. p. i5of. pi. 8, 5 and 6. Variations of the same scene,
marked by the presence of a thymiatdrion, which on a polychrome aldbastron from
Naukratis (E. A. Gardner—F. LI. Griffith Naukratis Part ii London 1888 p. 28 pi. 16,
20, Brit. Mus. Cat. Vases iii. 355 no. E 721, G. Nicole op. cit. p. i5off. pi. 8, 1) is held
by Eros as he descends the ladder. *
4 In an elegiac epitaph from Doxato near Philippoi the soul that has entered the
Elysian fields is brought into connexion with the tattooed mystics of Dionysos (L. Heuzey—
H. Daumet Mission Archeologique de Macedoine Paris 1876 Texte p. 128 ff. no. 61, Corp.
inscr. Lat. iii no. 686, 11 ff., F. Bucheler Carmina Latina epigraphica Lipsiae 1897 ii.
577 ff. no. 1233, 11 ff. [tu placidus, dum nos cr]uciamur volnere victi, ] et reparatus item
vivis in Elysiis. | sic placitum est divis a[e]terna vivere form[a] | qui bene de supero
[njumine sit meritus : | quae tibi castifico promisit munera cursu | olim iussa deo simpli-
citas facilis. | nunc seu te Bromio signatae mystidis aise | florigero in prato congregi in
Satyrum | sive canistriferae poscunt sibi Naides aequ[e] | qui ducibus taedis agmina festa
trahas, | sis quodcumque, puer, quo te tua protulit aetas, | dum modo [----]. The
meaning of mystidis aise is doubtful. Bucheler ad loc. takes mystidis to be for mystides,
adding 'an nomen pueri hie fuit ut Aesi?' F. C. Wick in Studi italiani di fllologia
classica 1909 xvii. 198 f. (a reference for which I am indebted to Mr A. D. ,Nock of
century repeatedly introduce a ladder into scenes of mystic incense-
gathering (P)1, such as that on a fine polychrome hydria from
Kyrenaike, now in the British Museum (pi. vi)2, or those on a
couple of aryballoi from Apollonia in Thrace, which passed from
the Van Branteghem collection to the Hermitage and Berlin
respectively (pi. vii):!. It is therefore permissible to conjecture that
the Orphic initiate actually mounted a ladder in order to ensure his
entrance upon the Elysian soul-path4.
Reallex. p. 851 f., H. Hepding Attis seine Mythen und sein Kult Gieszen 1903 p. 163
n. 2, W. Dennison in the Am. Journ. Arch. 1905 ix. 37, and the monograph of W. Jdst
Tatowiren, Narbcnzeichnen, und Korperbemalen Berlin 1887 pp. 43 f., 102 f.
1 See the materials collected by F. Wieseler Commentatio de scala symbolo apnd Graecos
aliosque popidos veteres Gottingae 1863 pp. 3—17. The list of vase-paintings id. p. 3 f-
must, however, be used with caution, since Wieseler appears to have included certain
representations of a musical instrument resembling a dulcimer in shape (G. Nicole in
Daremberg—Saglio Diet. Ant. iv. iioSf.). The subject has been handled with more
discretion by Furtwangler—Reichhold Gr. Vasenmalerei ii. 98 f. pi. 78, 1 ('eine festliche,
von Aphrodite und Eros vorgenommene Weihranchernte') and by G. Nicole Meidias et
le style fleuri dans la cer antique attique Geneve 1908 Append, ii ' Sur le motif de l'echelle
dans les scenes de gynecee ' with fig. 43 and pi. 8, 1—6, pi. 9 (' une recolte mystique de
l'encens, fete religieuse accompagnee de melodies et de danses sacrees'). Not improbably
the gatherer mounted the ladder to symbolise the celestial nature of the harvesting.
2 Brit. Mus. Cat. Vases iii. 186 no. E 241, G. Nicole Meidias et le style fleuri dans la
ciramique attique Geneve 1908 p. 150 fig. 43. My pi. vi is from a photograph taken by
Mr C. O. Waterhouse. In the centre is a long ladder, and beside it a tall plant with berries
(gilded) in clusters of three. Aphrodite (?), bare to the waist, descends the ladder and
scatters something into a two handled vase held by a woman (drapery blue)—hardly
Adonis, as Furtwangler op. cit. ii. 99 asserts. On the right another woman closely
wrapped in a himdtion (pink), which passes over her mouth, dances to the flutes of a
hovering Eros (wings gilded). Further to the right is a second dancing woman, who
plays the castanets. On the left are a third dancing woman, a woman playing the flutes,
and a small bearded Pan, with goat's legs and horns (gilded?), also dancing. Height
15^ ins.
3 W. Froehner Collection van Branteghem Bruxelles 1892 nos. 98 and 99 pi. 31—34
( = my pi. vii), G. Nicole op.%cit. p. i5of. pi. 8, 5 and 6. Variations of the same scene,
marked by the presence of a thymiatdrion, which on a polychrome aldbastron from
Naukratis (E. A. Gardner—F. LI. Griffith Naukratis Part ii London 1888 p. 28 pi. 16,
20, Brit. Mus. Cat. Vases iii. 355 no. E 721, G. Nicole op. cit. p. i5off. pi. 8, 1) is held
by Eros as he descends the ladder. *
4 In an elegiac epitaph from Doxato near Philippoi the soul that has entered the
Elysian fields is brought into connexion with the tattooed mystics of Dionysos (L. Heuzey—
H. Daumet Mission Archeologique de Macedoine Paris 1876 Texte p. 128 ff. no. 61, Corp.
inscr. Lat. iii no. 686, 11 ff., F. Bucheler Carmina Latina epigraphica Lipsiae 1897 ii.
577 ff. no. 1233, 11 ff. [tu placidus, dum nos cr]uciamur volnere victi, ] et reparatus item
vivis in Elysiis. | sic placitum est divis a[e]terna vivere form[a] | qui bene de supero
[njumine sit meritus : | quae tibi castifico promisit munera cursu | olim iussa deo simpli-
citas facilis. | nunc seu te Bromio signatae mystidis aise | florigero in prato congregi in
Satyrum | sive canistriferae poscunt sibi Naides aequ[e] | qui ducibus taedis agmina festa
trahas, | sis quodcumque, puer, quo te tua protulit aetas, | dum modo [----]. The
meaning of mystidis aise is doubtful. Bucheler ad loc. takes mystidis to be for mystides,
adding 'an nomen pueri hie fuit ut Aesi?' F. C. Wick in Studi italiani di fllologia
classica 1909 xvii. 198 f. (a reference for which I am indebted to Mr A. D. ,Nock of