DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.14696#0883
8o2 The thunderbolt of Zeus
other painters represented Pluto with a two-pronged fork in his
hand, and conjectured that this detail must have been taken from
ancient monuments since lost1. F. G. Welcker
Clementino collection shows Pluto enthroned : he wears on his head
a modius decorated with oak-leaves and acorns ; he has at his right
side a three-headed Cerberus, and in his left hand a two-pronged fork.
But, as Visconti indicates, the fork together with the hand that holds
it is a modern restoration5. Again, a desk-shaped terra cotta at
Woburn Abbey has its slanting surface adorned with three bearded
heads wearing the modius: they are characterised as Poseidon, Zeus,
and Plouton by the attributes added below on the front—a trident,
a thunderbolt, and a two-pronged fork. Beneath the thunderbolt
is an inscription in raised letters :
Replicas of this curious monument have been reported from
Vienna7, Paris8, and Wurzburg9. Unfortunately their genuineness is
far from established10. Finally, a two-pronged fork figures among
the amulets on a Tarentine cake-mould in the British Museum11.
O. Jahn, who published this mould in 1855, thought that the fork
might be a symbol of Hades, but regarded it as doubtful12.
1 E. Braun in the Ann. d. Inst. 1837 ix. 274.
2 Welcker Alt. Denkm. iii. 95. 3 Welcker Gr. Gotterl, i. 630 f. n. 28.
4 See also J. Addison Classic Myths in Art London 1905 pp. 25, 29.
5 Visconti A/us. Pie-Clim. ii. 17 ff. pi. 1, Reinach Rep. Slat. i. 440110. r.
6 A. Michaelis Ancient Marbles in Great Britain trans. C. A. M. Fennell Cam-
bridge 1882 p. 745 Woburn Abbey no. 182.
7 Welcker Gr. Gotterl. i. 630 n. 28.
8 F. Wieseler in the Arch. Zeit. 1859 xvl1 Anz. p. 115* f. Pourtales—Gorgier collec-
tion no. 826. <J A. Michaelis op. cit. p. 745.
10 Michaelis described the Woburn Abbey specimen as ' new ' : Dubois, Wieseler, and
Gerhard doubted the antiquity of those from Paris and Wurzburg.
11 Brit. A/us. Cat. Terracottas p. 446 no. E 129, supra p. 131 n. 1 no. (1).
12 O. Jahn in the Ber. sacks. Gesellsch. d. Wiss. Phil.-hist. Classe 1854 p. 52 n. 93
Pi- 5, 3-
in 18512, and again in 1857s, confirmed his
opinion, citing definite works of renaissance
art in which Pluto is so portrayed4. These
scholars and others following in their steps
were also able to name a certain number of
would-be classical monuments in support of
their contention. But a more rigorous criti-
cism would have curtailed or cancelled the list.
Thus a statuette of Italian marble in the Pio-
Fig. 769.
Diis propi- To the propitious gods
M- Herennii of Marcus Herennius.
vivatis Long life to you0.
other painters represented Pluto with a two-pronged fork in his
hand, and conjectured that this detail must have been taken from
ancient monuments since lost1. F. G. Welcker
Clementino collection shows Pluto enthroned : he wears on his head
a modius decorated with oak-leaves and acorns ; he has at his right
side a three-headed Cerberus, and in his left hand a two-pronged fork.
But, as Visconti indicates, the fork together with the hand that holds
it is a modern restoration5. Again, a desk-shaped terra cotta at
Woburn Abbey has its slanting surface adorned with three bearded
heads wearing the modius: they are characterised as Poseidon, Zeus,
and Plouton by the attributes added below on the front—a trident,
a thunderbolt, and a two-pronged fork. Beneath the thunderbolt
is an inscription in raised letters :
Replicas of this curious monument have been reported from
Vienna7, Paris8, and Wurzburg9. Unfortunately their genuineness is
far from established10. Finally, a two-pronged fork figures among
the amulets on a Tarentine cake-mould in the British Museum11.
O. Jahn, who published this mould in 1855, thought that the fork
might be a symbol of Hades, but regarded it as doubtful12.
1 E. Braun in the Ann. d. Inst. 1837 ix. 274.
2 Welcker Alt. Denkm. iii. 95. 3 Welcker Gr. Gotterl, i. 630 f. n. 28.
4 See also J. Addison Classic Myths in Art London 1905 pp. 25, 29.
5 Visconti A/us. Pie-Clim. ii. 17 ff. pi. 1, Reinach Rep. Slat. i. 440110. r.
6 A. Michaelis Ancient Marbles in Great Britain trans. C. A. M. Fennell Cam-
bridge 1882 p. 745 Woburn Abbey no. 182.
7 Welcker Gr. Gotterl. i. 630 n. 28.
8 F. Wieseler in the Arch. Zeit. 1859 xvl1 Anz. p. 115* f. Pourtales—Gorgier collec-
tion no. 826. <J A. Michaelis op. cit. p. 745.
10 Michaelis described the Woburn Abbey specimen as ' new ' : Dubois, Wieseler, and
Gerhard doubted the antiquity of those from Paris and Wurzburg.
11 Brit. A/us. Cat. Terracottas p. 446 no. E 129, supra p. 131 n. 1 no. (1).
12 O. Jahn in the Ber. sacks. Gesellsch. d. Wiss. Phil.-hist. Classe 1854 p. 52 n. 93
Pi- 5, 3-
in 18512, and again in 1857s, confirmed his
opinion, citing definite works of renaissance
art in which Pluto is so portrayed4. These
scholars and others following in their steps
were also able to name a certain number of
would-be classical monuments in support of
their contention. But a more rigorous criti-
cism would have curtailed or cancelled the list.
Thus a statuette of Italian marble in the Pio-
Fig. 769.
Diis propi- To the propitious gods
M- Herennii of Marcus Herennius.
vivatis Long life to you0.