DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.786#0381
364 CHIUSL—The Cemetery. [chap. li.
cypresses—cupressus funebres. The action of both men
and horses is natural and easy ; the latter especially,
though with native peculiarities, have more spirit and free-
dom than any of those in the painted tombs of Tarquinii.7
To the left of the central door, are represented the
games on foot. First is a pair of wrestlers, or it may be
tumblers, for one is inverted with his heels in the air and
his body resting on the shoulders of the other, who is
kneeling.8 They strongly resemble certain figures in the
painted tombs of Egypt. An agonothete in blue pallium,
and holding a wand, stands by to direct the sport. Next,
a naked man, whose attitude may remind you of the cele-
brated dancing faun at Naples, is boxing with an imagi-
nary opponent, to the sound of the double-pipes.9 A female
follows, dancing to the same music, and to the castanets
which she rattles herself. She is draped with boddice and
light transparent gown, and a chlamys or scarf on her
shoulders ; and in attitude as well as costume she is very
like the dancing-girls in the tombs of Tarquinii.1 Next to
this group is a naked man, with crested helmet, round
shield, and long wavy spear, running as if to charge the
foe ; or he may be practising an armed dance, such as the
ancients were wont to perform.2 The last figure is a naked
' The whole race-scene is very like de' Dei, who has an opponent. He
one on a relief in the Museo Casuccini; has no cestms, though one fist is closed,
but the latter is more stiff and archaic, Mus. Chius. tav. CLXXXII.
and the chariots are trigce instead of ] See Vol. I. pp. 275, 289.
biffw. Ut mpra, p. 339. Micali, Mon. 2 That the Etruscans had armed
Ined. tav. XXIV. 2. dances is proved by other monuments,
3 For illustrations of Etruscan turn- especially by a silver gilt vessel in very
biers see Micali, Ital. av. Rom. tav. archaic style found at Chiusi. Demp-
LVI. ster, I. tab. 78 ; Inghir. Mon. Etrus.
9 This figure seems at first to be III. tav. XIX MUUer (Etrusk. IV. 1,7)
beating nothing but the air with his is of opinion that the Etruscan histriones,
hands, and time with his feet; but that who formed an essential part of the
ho is a pugilist is rendered evident by a pageantry of the circus, danced armed,
precisely similar figure in the Deposito because they are compared by Valerius
cypresses—cupressus funebres. The action of both men
and horses is natural and easy ; the latter especially,
though with native peculiarities, have more spirit and free-
dom than any of those in the painted tombs of Tarquinii.7
To the left of the central door, are represented the
games on foot. First is a pair of wrestlers, or it may be
tumblers, for one is inverted with his heels in the air and
his body resting on the shoulders of the other, who is
kneeling.8 They strongly resemble certain figures in the
painted tombs of Egypt. An agonothete in blue pallium,
and holding a wand, stands by to direct the sport. Next,
a naked man, whose attitude may remind you of the cele-
brated dancing faun at Naples, is boxing with an imagi-
nary opponent, to the sound of the double-pipes.9 A female
follows, dancing to the same music, and to the castanets
which she rattles herself. She is draped with boddice and
light transparent gown, and a chlamys or scarf on her
shoulders ; and in attitude as well as costume she is very
like the dancing-girls in the tombs of Tarquinii.1 Next to
this group is a naked man, with crested helmet, round
shield, and long wavy spear, running as if to charge the
foe ; or he may be practising an armed dance, such as the
ancients were wont to perform.2 The last figure is a naked
' The whole race-scene is very like de' Dei, who has an opponent. He
one on a relief in the Museo Casuccini; has no cestms, though one fist is closed,
but the latter is more stiff and archaic, Mus. Chius. tav. CLXXXII.
and the chariots are trigce instead of ] See Vol. I. pp. 275, 289.
biffw. Ut mpra, p. 339. Micali, Mon. 2 That the Etruscans had armed
Ined. tav. XXIV. 2. dances is proved by other monuments,
3 For illustrations of Etruscan turn- especially by a silver gilt vessel in very
biers see Micali, Ital. av. Rom. tav. archaic style found at Chiusi. Demp-
LVI. ster, I. tab. 78 ; Inghir. Mon. Etrus.
9 This figure seems at first to be III. tav. XIX MUUer (Etrusk. IV. 1,7)
beating nothing but the air with his is of opinion that the Etruscan histriones,
hands, and time with his feet; but that who formed an essential part of the
ho is a pugilist is rendered evident by a pageantry of the circus, danced armed,
precisely similar figure in the Deposito because they are compared by Valerius