The birth of Athena in art 671
forward remained the dominant type for Athenian vase-painters1.
It was perhaps first brought about by some Megarian resident in
Athens; for S. Reinach2 has given reasons for thinking that the
names painted on the two oldest specimens of it imply a knowledge
of the Megarian alphabet and dialect3. The said specimens are here
Behind him stands a similarly draped Eileilhyia, raising her left hand with open palm to
's head—a gesture repeated by Zeus with his extended left hand. Before him a male
8°a (Hephaistcs?), wearing a cap and a short chitdn, departs towards the left, but turns
0 face Zeus. He too holds his left hand with open palm, but downwards—perhaps
another variety of the same gesture. His right hand was raised and may have held the
^e, 'hough this is uncertain as the relief here passes beyond the limits of the metope.
■ Homolle was the first to recognise the scene as the birth of Athena, l'ayne op. cit.
p- '42 n. 2 says 'the figure of Athena is almost obliterated ': but is she there at all?
Fig. 482.
Kl
Univ. ep"e'heS of Corinth (? early in s. vi h.c: M. H. Swindler Ancient Painting Yale
P^served^5 I?29 P* '44f'' is known t0 have painted a 'Birth of Athena,' which was
6ut °Ur o"1! temPle of Artemis 'A\0eio*/a near the mouth of the Alpheios (Strab. 343).
^"'^uarian y C'Ue l° h'S treatment of the 'heme is the obtuse remark by Demetrios the
V,na<t>tpuv Sepsis ('• 180—140 B.c.) that in it II<xrei5u>>' wtirolvrai Oivvav T$ Ail
^^346 0"™ (Demetr- Skeps./ra^. 5 ed. R. Gaede (Gryphiswaldiae 1880) afi.
^xtes p. "~~c)—of course a mere attribute as often on black-figured vases (A. Reinach
fifhard E lneicler Geburt dcr Athena Wien 1880 p. 9 ff. So on Etruscan mirrors :
' S. ft- ^y^P's- 66, 284, 1, 2, 285, 1, 2.
a'is "JogT^ th<" Rt°' Gr' 1901 xiv" 133 ff" ' = "/- Cu//es> My'hes et Migio™
I Jf°"' * Inst- «• PL 55 (=my fig. 485) ABEYS and K9VEV/VIOS, it. vi.
Oll0 ' ' 4 (~"ly f'S' 49I) IAEV5. ABEYS shows Corinthian and Megarian B = e
» an exP'anatory Athenian E. K(pVEV/VIO$ shows a similar juxtaposition
forward remained the dominant type for Athenian vase-painters1.
It was perhaps first brought about by some Megarian resident in
Athens; for S. Reinach2 has given reasons for thinking that the
names painted on the two oldest specimens of it imply a knowledge
of the Megarian alphabet and dialect3. The said specimens are here
Behind him stands a similarly draped Eileilhyia, raising her left hand with open palm to
's head—a gesture repeated by Zeus with his extended left hand. Before him a male
8°a (Hephaistcs?), wearing a cap and a short chitdn, departs towards the left, but turns
0 face Zeus. He too holds his left hand with open palm, but downwards—perhaps
another variety of the same gesture. His right hand was raised and may have held the
^e, 'hough this is uncertain as the relief here passes beyond the limits of the metope.
■ Homolle was the first to recognise the scene as the birth of Athena, l'ayne op. cit.
p- '42 n. 2 says 'the figure of Athena is almost obliterated ': but is she there at all?
Fig. 482.
Kl
Univ. ep"e'heS of Corinth (? early in s. vi h.c: M. H. Swindler Ancient Painting Yale
P^served^5 I?29 P* '44f'' is known t0 have painted a 'Birth of Athena,' which was
6ut °Ur o"1! temPle of Artemis 'A\0eio*/a near the mouth of the Alpheios (Strab. 343).
^"'^uarian y C'Ue l° h'S treatment of the 'heme is the obtuse remark by Demetrios the
V,na<t>tpuv Sepsis ('• 180—140 B.c.) that in it II<xrei5u>>' wtirolvrai Oivvav T$ Ail
^^346 0"™ (Demetr- Skeps./ra^. 5 ed. R. Gaede (Gryphiswaldiae 1880) afi.
^xtes p. "~~c)—of course a mere attribute as often on black-figured vases (A. Reinach
fifhard E lneicler Geburt dcr Athena Wien 1880 p. 9 ff. So on Etruscan mirrors :
' S. ft- ^y^P's- 66, 284, 1, 2, 285, 1, 2.
a'is "JogT^ th<" Rt°' Gr' 1901 xiv" 133 ff" ' = "/- Cu//es> My'hes et Migio™
I Jf°"' * Inst- «• PL 55 (=my fig. 485) ABEYS and K9VEV/VIOS, it. vi.
Oll0 ' ' 4 (~"ly f'S' 49I) IAEV5. ABEYS shows Corinthian and Megarian B = e
» an exP'anatory Athenian E. K(pVEV/VIO$ shows a similar juxtaposition