DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.786#0191
174
VOLTERRA.—The Museum.
[chap. xli.
The mythical history of Thebes has afforded numerous
subjects to these Etruscan urns—perhaps chosen for the
moral of retributive justice throughout expressed.
Cadmus.—Here he is contending with the dragon of
Mars, which has enfolded one of his companions in its
fearful coils.3 There he is combating the armed men who
sprung from the teeth of the dragon which Minerva
ordered him to sow—his only weapon being the plough
with which he had opened the furrows. This scene, how-
ever, will apply to Jason, as well as to Cadmus, for the
former is said to have sown half the teeth of the same
dragon, and to have reaped the same fruits. This is a
very common subject on Etruscan urns, especially on those
of terra-cotta.4
be an Etruscan version of the mother.
For the analogy between Perseus and
Bellerophon, see Ann. Inst. 1834, pp.
328—331. Due de Luynes. cf. Bull.
Inst. 1842, p. 60. The scene of this
exploit of Perseus is said to have been
at Joppa, in proof of which the skeleton
of the monster was shown there at the
commencement of the Empire, and was
brought to Rome to feed the appetite of
that people for the marvellous. Its
dimensions are chronicled by Pliny.
N. H. IX. 4 ; Mela, I. 11 ; cf. Strab.
I. p. 43 ; XVI. p. 759.
Another urn represents Perseus, with
the gorgtmion in his hand, attacked by
two warriors; a female genius steps
between him and his pursuers. Inghir.
I. tav. 54.
3 Inghir. I. tav. 62, p. 519. Inghi-
rami (I. p. 657) offers a second inter-
pretation of this scene—that it may be
Adrastus slaying the serpent of Nemea,
and that the figure in its coils is the
young Opheltes. Gori, I. tab. 156.
4 Lanzi took this scene to represent
Jason ; Inghiranri referred it to Cad-
mus ; Passeri and Winckelmann to
Echetlus, or Echetfeeus, the mysterious
rustie who, in the battle of Marathon,
with his plough alone made fearful
slaughter of the Persians (Pausan. I.
32, 5 ; cf. I. 15, 3) ; Zoega, to some
Etruscan hero of whom history is silent.
See Inghir. Mon. Etr. I.pp. 402,527 etseq.
It is likely to represent a mythical rather
than an historical event. Dr. Braun
doubts if the instrument in the hands
of the unarmed man be a plough, and
takes the figure to represent Charun
himself, or one of his infernal atten-
dants, who is about to take possession
of one of the warriors who is slain.
Ann. Inst. 1837, 2, p. 264. This
scene, and the death of the Theban
brothers, are the most common of all
on Etruscan monuments, and will be
found in every collection of such anti-
quities. There are several of it in the
British Museum. For illustrations see
Dempster, Etrur. Reg. tab. 64 ; Inghir.
I. tav. 63, 64 ; VI. tav. L 3. Gori, I.
tab. 157.
VOLTERRA.—The Museum.
[chap. xli.
The mythical history of Thebes has afforded numerous
subjects to these Etruscan urns—perhaps chosen for the
moral of retributive justice throughout expressed.
Cadmus.—Here he is contending with the dragon of
Mars, which has enfolded one of his companions in its
fearful coils.3 There he is combating the armed men who
sprung from the teeth of the dragon which Minerva
ordered him to sow—his only weapon being the plough
with which he had opened the furrows. This scene, how-
ever, will apply to Jason, as well as to Cadmus, for the
former is said to have sown half the teeth of the same
dragon, and to have reaped the same fruits. This is a
very common subject on Etruscan urns, especially on those
of terra-cotta.4
be an Etruscan version of the mother.
For the analogy between Perseus and
Bellerophon, see Ann. Inst. 1834, pp.
328—331. Due de Luynes. cf. Bull.
Inst. 1842, p. 60. The scene of this
exploit of Perseus is said to have been
at Joppa, in proof of which the skeleton
of the monster was shown there at the
commencement of the Empire, and was
brought to Rome to feed the appetite of
that people for the marvellous. Its
dimensions are chronicled by Pliny.
N. H. IX. 4 ; Mela, I. 11 ; cf. Strab.
I. p. 43 ; XVI. p. 759.
Another urn represents Perseus, with
the gorgtmion in his hand, attacked by
two warriors; a female genius steps
between him and his pursuers. Inghir.
I. tav. 54.
3 Inghir. I. tav. 62, p. 519. Inghi-
rami (I. p. 657) offers a second inter-
pretation of this scene—that it may be
Adrastus slaying the serpent of Nemea,
and that the figure in its coils is the
young Opheltes. Gori, I. tab. 156.
4 Lanzi took this scene to represent
Jason ; Inghiranri referred it to Cad-
mus ; Passeri and Winckelmann to
Echetlus, or Echetfeeus, the mysterious
rustie who, in the battle of Marathon,
with his plough alone made fearful
slaughter of the Persians (Pausan. I.
32, 5 ; cf. I. 15, 3) ; Zoega, to some
Etruscan hero of whom history is silent.
See Inghir. Mon. Etr. I.pp. 402,527 etseq.
It is likely to represent a mythical rather
than an historical event. Dr. Braun
doubts if the instrument in the hands
of the unarmed man be a plough, and
takes the figure to represent Charun
himself, or one of his infernal atten-
dants, who is about to take possession
of one of the warriors who is slain.
Ann. Inst. 1837, 2, p. 264. This
scene, and the death of the Theban
brothers, are the most common of all
on Etruscan monuments, and will be
found in every collection of such anti-
quities. There are several of it in the
British Museum. For illustrations see
Dempster, Etrur. Reg. tab. 64 ; Inghir.
I. tav. 63, 64 ; VI. tav. L 3. Gori, I.
tab. 157.