DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.14696#0324
at Delphoi
261
of Athens1, since Athena, who stands before them wearing a golden
aigis slung across a lilac (?) peplos spangled with gold and having
in her left hand a golden spear, on her head a golden red-crested
helmet, is in the act of receiving a golden olive-wreath from a
Victory, in a bright-coloured peplos, poised on wings of blue and
gold. The remaining figures are less dazzling, being in effect little
more than conventional ' filling' : Selene on her horse led by Hes-
peros to the right; Hermes in waiting behind Zeus ; Aphrodite
with Peitho to the left. The central group plainly recalls the east
pediment of the Parthenon ; and the same great original, haunting
the imagination of the painter, has contributed something to his
Selene, Hermes, and Aphrodite2. The reverse design represents
Dionysos seated with Ariadne. Each holds a ihyrsos, and Eros
hovers between them. Dionysos' panther, caressing Ariadne, and a
Maenad, with a timbrel at her side, complete the picture. Thus
front and back of the vase taken together" portray Zeus, Themis,
magical f3ovXrj or /3ovXai of Zeus (supra i. 14 n. 1). Zeus ' Ap.j3ovXLos at Sparta (Paus.
3. 13. 6 irpbs rovrq} Aids ' Afj.j3ovXlov teal 'Adrjvds eanv 'A/j.j3ov\ias ftufios Kai AioaKovpwv Kai
tovtwv 'Ap-fiovKiLcv, Souid. s.v. ' A/xfiovXios- ovo/na Kvpiov i.e. a theophoric name (?)) was
probably a warlike deity (Wide Lakon. Knlte p. 13 f.), who on some historic occasion,
unknown to us, had saved the state by a sudden change of plans and was therefore
worshipped as 'the Reverser of the Decree'" (cp. Preller—Robert Gr. Myth. i. 145 11. 1,
O. Jessen in Pauly—Wissowa Real-Enc. i. 1816, Gruppe Gr. Myth. Rel. p. 1117 n. 3).
H. van Herwerden Lexicon Graecum supplelorium et dialecticum- Lugduni Batavorum rcjio
p. 81 thinks that the Spartans would have called these deities ap.(3wXoi {sic) and a/xpuXia.
1 The vase has been much misinterpreted. L. Stephani locc. citt., deserted by his
usual good sense, made the meaning of the obverse turn on the nature of the horse-rider :
if she were Selene led by one of the Dioskouroi, the other figures from left to right might
be two Hesperides, Hestia, Hermes, Atlas, Nike, Athena ; but if—as he preferred to
think—she were Artemis Pheraia led by a Satyr, they might be Iphthime, Alkestis,
Hestia, Hermes Pkeraios, Admetos, Nike, Athena. C. Strube loc. cit., followed by
J. Overbeck and A. Furtwangler locc. citt., made a much better suggestion. The vase-
painter had been inspired by the opening scene of the Kypria, in which Zeus took counsel
with Themis how to lessen the tribes of men that burdened the earth by bringing about
the Trojan war (Prokl. chrestom. 1 (p. 17 Kinkel) Zei)j (3ovXeuerai /lerd ttjs Oepidos
(so C. G. Heyne for codd. deriSos) vepi rod TpuiKov woXe/j-ov. irapayevop.ii'ri 5e "Epis
eviaxovpAvLov tuov Oslov ev rots UrjXews yd/xoLS veiKos irepl fcdXXovs eviarricnv 'Adrjvq. Hp$ Kai
'A<ppooiT7], k.t.X. cp. Kypria frag. 1 Kinkel ap. schol. //. 1. 5 f.). Strube's notion that
the horse-rider was Eris led by Oistros is rightly abandoned by Furtwangler. C. Robert
loc. cit. put forward the odd idea that Zeus is about to bear Dionysos, who is as yet
hidden in his left thigh, and that Themis is foretelling the child's future. Robert takes
the rider to be Selene led by Phosphoros—an indication that the scene is laid just before
day-break. W. Klein loc. cit., comparing the famous Dareios-vase (Furtwangler—
Reichhold Gr. Vasenmalerei ii. 142 ff. pi. 88), will have it that Athena and Aphrodite
here stand for Hellas and Asia, that the seductive rider is Apate, etc. S. Reinach loc. cit.
is eclectic naming the dramatis personae Peitho (?), Aphrodite, Hestia (?), Hermes, Zeus,
Nike, Athena, Artemis or Selene led by an Spkebos.
- Infra § 9(h) ii(0).
:; An objection to my view is that late vases of this type as. a rule have for reverse
261
of Athens1, since Athena, who stands before them wearing a golden
aigis slung across a lilac (?) peplos spangled with gold and having
in her left hand a golden spear, on her head a golden red-crested
helmet, is in the act of receiving a golden olive-wreath from a
Victory, in a bright-coloured peplos, poised on wings of blue and
gold. The remaining figures are less dazzling, being in effect little
more than conventional ' filling' : Selene on her horse led by Hes-
peros to the right; Hermes in waiting behind Zeus ; Aphrodite
with Peitho to the left. The central group plainly recalls the east
pediment of the Parthenon ; and the same great original, haunting
the imagination of the painter, has contributed something to his
Selene, Hermes, and Aphrodite2. The reverse design represents
Dionysos seated with Ariadne. Each holds a ihyrsos, and Eros
hovers between them. Dionysos' panther, caressing Ariadne, and a
Maenad, with a timbrel at her side, complete the picture. Thus
front and back of the vase taken together" portray Zeus, Themis,
magical f3ovXrj or /3ovXai of Zeus (supra i. 14 n. 1). Zeus ' Ap.j3ovXLos at Sparta (Paus.
3. 13. 6 irpbs rovrq} Aids ' Afj.j3ovXlov teal 'Adrjvds eanv 'A/j.j3ov\ias ftufios Kai AioaKovpwv Kai
tovtwv 'Ap-fiovKiLcv, Souid. s.v. ' A/xfiovXios- ovo/na Kvpiov i.e. a theophoric name (?)) was
probably a warlike deity (Wide Lakon. Knlte p. 13 f.), who on some historic occasion,
unknown to us, had saved the state by a sudden change of plans and was therefore
worshipped as 'the Reverser of the Decree'" (cp. Preller—Robert Gr. Myth. i. 145 11. 1,
O. Jessen in Pauly—Wissowa Real-Enc. i. 1816, Gruppe Gr. Myth. Rel. p. 1117 n. 3).
H. van Herwerden Lexicon Graecum supplelorium et dialecticum- Lugduni Batavorum rcjio
p. 81 thinks that the Spartans would have called these deities ap.(3wXoi {sic) and a/xpuXia.
1 The vase has been much misinterpreted. L. Stephani locc. citt., deserted by his
usual good sense, made the meaning of the obverse turn on the nature of the horse-rider :
if she were Selene led by one of the Dioskouroi, the other figures from left to right might
be two Hesperides, Hestia, Hermes, Atlas, Nike, Athena ; but if—as he preferred to
think—she were Artemis Pheraia led by a Satyr, they might be Iphthime, Alkestis,
Hestia, Hermes Pkeraios, Admetos, Nike, Athena. C. Strube loc. cit., followed by
J. Overbeck and A. Furtwangler locc. citt., made a much better suggestion. The vase-
painter had been inspired by the opening scene of the Kypria, in which Zeus took counsel
with Themis how to lessen the tribes of men that burdened the earth by bringing about
the Trojan war (Prokl. chrestom. 1 (p. 17 Kinkel) Zei)j (3ovXeuerai /lerd ttjs Oepidos
(so C. G. Heyne for codd. deriSos) vepi rod TpuiKov woXe/j-ov. irapayevop.ii'ri 5e "Epis
eviaxovpAvLov tuov Oslov ev rots UrjXews yd/xoLS veiKos irepl fcdXXovs eviarricnv 'Adrjvq. Hp$ Kai
'A<ppooiT7], k.t.X. cp. Kypria frag. 1 Kinkel ap. schol. //. 1. 5 f.). Strube's notion that
the horse-rider was Eris led by Oistros is rightly abandoned by Furtwangler. C. Robert
loc. cit. put forward the odd idea that Zeus is about to bear Dionysos, who is as yet
hidden in his left thigh, and that Themis is foretelling the child's future. Robert takes
the rider to be Selene led by Phosphoros—an indication that the scene is laid just before
day-break. W. Klein loc. cit., comparing the famous Dareios-vase (Furtwangler—
Reichhold Gr. Vasenmalerei ii. 142 ff. pi. 88), will have it that Athena and Aphrodite
here stand for Hellas and Asia, that the seductive rider is Apate, etc. S. Reinach loc. cit.
is eclectic naming the dramatis personae Peitho (?), Aphrodite, Hestia (?), Hermes, Zeus,
Nike, Athena, Artemis or Selene led by an Spkebos.
- Infra § 9(h) ii(0).
:; An objection to my view is that late vases of this type as. a rule have for reverse