DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.14697#0378
12 i o Appendix N
in the midst of his trusty followers is, to those at least who have in mind the
coinage of Lydia and Kilikia1, reminiscent of the child Zeus or Dionysos seated
on his throne with the Kouretes grouped about him ; and the framework of
grape-vines adds point to the analogy.
On the whole, piecing together the evidence of shape, technique, style, and
subject, I conclude that the chalice of Antioch was made at some date not far
removed from the year 100 A.D.2 ; that it was then adorned with figures of Christ
sitting in Judgment with the Saints3, ten in number merely because ten was a
typical plurality4; and that these assessors were later, by means of graffiti,
identified with individual Apostles and canonical authors, including perhaps all
the recognised writers of the New Testament5. Further, I hold that the decora-
tion of the chalice, though essentially Christian, owes certain of its features to
pagan antecedents, in particular to Anatolian representations of Zeus and
Dionysos6. Here, as elsewhere, the art-types of the Greek Father and Son were
both taken into the service of the conquering creed and alike used to portray the
form of Him who said : ' I and the Father are one7.'
1 Supra i. 152 f. figs. 125—128, i. 646 f.
2 Prof. Strzygowski, after personal inspection of the chalice and prolonged study of
its detail, refers it to the first century A.D. (J. Strzygowski 'Der "Silberkelch von
Antiochia'" in the Jahrbuch der asiatischen Kunst 1924 pp. 53—61 pi. 28 f., especially
p. 61). But when he attributes the Berlin pyxis also to the first century {ib, p. 59), we
part company.
3 Supra p. 1207.
4 M. H. Farbridge Studies in Biblical and Semitic Symbolism London 1923 p. 140 ff.
(citing E. W. Bullinger Number in Scripture Bromley 1894 p. 243).
5 Supra p. 1200 n. 4. 6 Supra p. 1209 f. 7 John 10. 30.
in the midst of his trusty followers is, to those at least who have in mind the
coinage of Lydia and Kilikia1, reminiscent of the child Zeus or Dionysos seated
on his throne with the Kouretes grouped about him ; and the framework of
grape-vines adds point to the analogy.
On the whole, piecing together the evidence of shape, technique, style, and
subject, I conclude that the chalice of Antioch was made at some date not far
removed from the year 100 A.D.2 ; that it was then adorned with figures of Christ
sitting in Judgment with the Saints3, ten in number merely because ten was a
typical plurality4; and that these assessors were later, by means of graffiti,
identified with individual Apostles and canonical authors, including perhaps all
the recognised writers of the New Testament5. Further, I hold that the decora-
tion of the chalice, though essentially Christian, owes certain of its features to
pagan antecedents, in particular to Anatolian representations of Zeus and
Dionysos6. Here, as elsewhere, the art-types of the Greek Father and Son were
both taken into the service of the conquering creed and alike used to portray the
form of Him who said : ' I and the Father are one7.'
1 Supra i. 152 f. figs. 125—128, i. 646 f.
2 Prof. Strzygowski, after personal inspection of the chalice and prolonged study of
its detail, refers it to the first century A.D. (J. Strzygowski 'Der "Silberkelch von
Antiochia'" in the Jahrbuch der asiatischen Kunst 1924 pp. 53—61 pi. 28 f., especially
p. 61). But when he attributes the Berlin pyxis also to the first century {ib, p. 59), we
part company.
3 Supra p. 1207.
4 M. H. Farbridge Studies in Biblical and Semitic Symbolism London 1923 p. 140 ff.
(citing E. W. Bullinger Number in Scripture Bromley 1894 p. 243).
5 Supra p. 1200 n. 4. 6 Supra p. 1209 f. 7 John 10. 30.