850 The aigis and Gorgoneion of Athena
Wuilleumier1 has suggested, by Pythagoras' bronze Perseus2, or, as
Furtwangler3 and Glotz4 have maintained, by Myron's masterpiece
on the Akropolis representing ' Perseus fresh from the slaughter
of Medousa6,' though these sculptors themselves may have drawn
their inspiration from the Pindaric Perseus 'bearing off the head
of fair-cheeked Medousa6.'
Fig. 665.
lungen Berlin 1894 ii. 215—230 pi. 6, O. Jahn in Philologus 1868 xxvii. 16 pl> r' ^'
Head in three-quarter position.
1 P. Wuilleumier in the Rev. Arch. 1929 ii. 199. ^,
2 Pythagoras of Rhegion made a bronze statue of Perseus with wings (on his fte .
(Dion Chrys. or. 37 (ii. 296, 3 f. Dindorf)). We have no right to assume that this is
blundered reference to Myron's Perseus.
3 Furtwangler Masterpieces of Gk. Sculpt, p. 201.
4 G. Glotz in Daremberg—Saglio Diet. Ant. ii. 1627. ^
5 Paus. I. 23. 7 Kai &Wa ev ttj 'A.6-qvalii)v &KpoTr6\ei 8eao-dp.€vos oWa...Kai Mypwros fl€P
to es yiiSovaav Zpyov eipyaap-evov, Plin. not. hist. 34. 57 fecit (sc. Myron)...et PerseU^^
6 Pind. Pyth. 12. 28 f. evirapdov Kpdra trv\d<rais Medolaas | vibs Aavdas with s ,
vet. on 24 b eitrdpaov 8t ip-qai ttjv "SAitiovaav, oix Sri oCtw tptiirews flx^i ^Tt ,j-j,is
eavrfs i) M^Sovffa ws eup.6p(pou 5l€K6ltq- 5i6 Kai irepi KaWous rrj'A.8rjvq, t(pihoveiKT)0'zv' ^r
contest of beauty between Medousa and Athena was a commonplace of the later ta^e[g,
graphers (Apollod. 2. 4. 3, schol. vet. Pind. Nem. 10. 6, interp. Serv. and Serv. trt■ j)i
Aen. 6. 289 (citing Serenus (Sammonicus?) the poet), Lact. Plac. narr.fab. 4- 20' ^l0-
Vat. 1. 131, 2. 112, alii.). According to Ov. met. 4. 794ff., clarissima forma I 01 ^jt,
rumque fuit spes invidiosa procorum | ilia, nec in tota conspectior ulla capillis | ParS 0f
Cic. in Verr. 2. 4. 124 tells how Verres carried off from the gold and ivory .^0,
Athena's temple on the island of Ortygia at Syracuse 'Gorgonis os pulcbC1
crinitum anguibus.'
Medousa as a beauty is irapa trpoaioKlav and calls for explanation. The^ ^
evrdpaos is clearly complimentary (Poll. 2. 87, 9. 162) and could hardly he ' jn
'large-cheeked, broad-faced.' Nor would it be safe to see in it a mere euphemis'11
EueiSijs, Ei5xa'T,?!! ar>d tne I il-ce (supra ii. nun. 7). We must fall back on the ass
Wuilleumier1 has suggested, by Pythagoras' bronze Perseus2, or, as
Furtwangler3 and Glotz4 have maintained, by Myron's masterpiece
on the Akropolis representing ' Perseus fresh from the slaughter
of Medousa6,' though these sculptors themselves may have drawn
their inspiration from the Pindaric Perseus 'bearing off the head
of fair-cheeked Medousa6.'
Fig. 665.
lungen Berlin 1894 ii. 215—230 pi. 6, O. Jahn in Philologus 1868 xxvii. 16 pl> r' ^'
Head in three-quarter position.
1 P. Wuilleumier in the Rev. Arch. 1929 ii. 199. ^,
2 Pythagoras of Rhegion made a bronze statue of Perseus with wings (on his fte .
(Dion Chrys. or. 37 (ii. 296, 3 f. Dindorf)). We have no right to assume that this is
blundered reference to Myron's Perseus.
3 Furtwangler Masterpieces of Gk. Sculpt, p. 201.
4 G. Glotz in Daremberg—Saglio Diet. Ant. ii. 1627. ^
5 Paus. I. 23. 7 Kai &Wa ev ttj 'A.6-qvalii)v &KpoTr6\ei 8eao-dp.€vos oWa...Kai Mypwros fl€P
to es yiiSovaav Zpyov eipyaap-evov, Plin. not. hist. 34. 57 fecit (sc. Myron)...et PerseU^^
6 Pind. Pyth. 12. 28 f. evirapdov Kpdra trv\d<rais Medolaas | vibs Aavdas with s ,
vet. on 24 b eitrdpaov 8t ip-qai ttjv "SAitiovaav, oix Sri oCtw tptiirews flx^i ^Tt ,j-j,is
eavrfs i) M^Sovffa ws eup.6p(pou 5l€K6ltq- 5i6 Kai irepi KaWous rrj'A.8rjvq, t(pihoveiKT)0'zv' ^r
contest of beauty between Medousa and Athena was a commonplace of the later ta^e[g,
graphers (Apollod. 2. 4. 3, schol. vet. Pind. Nem. 10. 6, interp. Serv. and Serv. trt■ j)i
Aen. 6. 289 (citing Serenus (Sammonicus?) the poet), Lact. Plac. narr.fab. 4- 20' ^l0-
Vat. 1. 131, 2. 112, alii.). According to Ov. met. 4. 794ff., clarissima forma I 01 ^jt,
rumque fuit spes invidiosa procorum | ilia, nec in tota conspectior ulla capillis | ParS 0f
Cic. in Verr. 2. 4. 124 tells how Verres carried off from the gold and ivory .^0,
Athena's temple on the island of Ortygia at Syracuse 'Gorgonis os pulcbC1
crinitum anguibus.'
Medousa as a beauty is irapa trpoaioKlav and calls for explanation. The^ ^
evrdpaos is clearly complimentary (Poll. 2. 87, 9. 162) and could hardly he ' jn
'large-cheeked, broad-faced.' Nor would it be safe to see in it a mere euphemis'11
EueiSijs, Ei5xa'T,?!! ar>d tne I il-ce (supra ii. nun. 7). We must fall back on the ass