8io
The owl of Athena
a dead warrior (? Kekrops1) across the sea. Her protective air
recalls Aischylos'2 phrase at the end of the Eumenides: 'them
that shelter beneath the wings of Pallas the Father honoureth.'
Yet the same poet3 in the same play makes Athena come from
Troyland 'without wings, flapping but the aigis-io\& Clearly
Fig. 619.
1 This is possible, but far from certain. On the one hand, the representation sU t
myth of Athena Atdma (supra p. 783 f.). On the other hand, the myth does not sa^c£pt
Kekrops was actually dead when carried off by Athena to Megara; and, unless we -^ffl
Pausanias' assumption (1. 5. 3) that there were two kings named Kekrops, We
expect him to be serpentiform (supra pp. 181, 186 f., 770, 773).
2 Aisch. Rum. 1001 f. UaWddos 5' virb irrcpoLS | ofras a^erai Trarvp. faef
3 Id. ib. 404 wrepwii drep pmfiSowa. k6\ttov alylSos. The expression 7rrf/'u"^^^j0d
suggests that Athena had only recently shed her wings (I am indebted for the obsei^ ^
to Miss D. Lamb of Newnham College : see also Harrison Proles'. Gk. Rel. P' 3
The owl of Athena
a dead warrior (? Kekrops1) across the sea. Her protective air
recalls Aischylos'2 phrase at the end of the Eumenides: 'them
that shelter beneath the wings of Pallas the Father honoureth.'
Yet the same poet3 in the same play makes Athena come from
Troyland 'without wings, flapping but the aigis-io\& Clearly
Fig. 619.
1 This is possible, but far from certain. On the one hand, the representation sU t
myth of Athena Atdma (supra p. 783 f.). On the other hand, the myth does not sa^c£pt
Kekrops was actually dead when carried off by Athena to Megara; and, unless we -^ffl
Pausanias' assumption (1. 5. 3) that there were two kings named Kekrops, We
expect him to be serpentiform (supra pp. 181, 186 f., 770, 773).
2 Aisch. Rum. 1001 f. UaWddos 5' virb irrcpoLS | ofras a^erai Trarvp. faef
3 Id. ib. 404 wrepwii drep pmfiSowa. k6\ttov alylSos. The expression 7rrf/'u"^^^j0d
suggests that Athena had only recently shed her wings (I am indebted for the obsei^ ^
to Miss D. Lamb of Newnham College : see also Harrison Proles'. Gk. Rel. P' 3