DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.796#0080
THE EARLIEST HISTORIC PERIOD
55
in the round. It consisted originally of six slabs, only four of
which have been preserved. The hero stands at the right of
the centre of the gable. His head and right arm are gone.
He strides to the right extending his left hand towards the
advancing Hydra. His coat of mail fits close to his body
and reproduces in hard lines the contours of his chest. The
sword-band hangs from the right shoulder across his breast.
The body of the Hydra is three-fold, each part ending in
three heads, but of the nine heads only six remain, and four
of these show their forked tongues between their open jaws.
The left half of the gable is occupied by Iolaus, who is shown
at the moment when he is mounting his chariot. He wears a
short and close-fitting coat and turns his head in a significant
Fig. 15.—Heracles and Triton.
way towards the hero, thereby indicating the unity of idea
that binds the composition of the group. Farther to the left
is the huge crab which has been sent by Hera to aid the
Hydra. Many traces of color used in the conventional way
were found. Particularly noteworthy is the aim to represent
by different colors the stripes and scales of the serpents. A
second and very fragmentary group represents Heracles
wrestling with Triton " the old man of the sea." The hero
grapples the monster about the chest with his mighty arms.
Triton stretches out his right hand as if for aid ; his body
terminates in a tail covered with scales. Still another
pediment group of the same style and material but of better
technique represents a strange monster having three heads
and busts which run together in coils and end in a huge
serpent-like tail filling the corner of the gable. This monster
is generally supposed to be Typhon. In the only hand of
55
in the round. It consisted originally of six slabs, only four of
which have been preserved. The hero stands at the right of
the centre of the gable. His head and right arm are gone.
He strides to the right extending his left hand towards the
advancing Hydra. His coat of mail fits close to his body
and reproduces in hard lines the contours of his chest. The
sword-band hangs from the right shoulder across his breast.
The body of the Hydra is three-fold, each part ending in
three heads, but of the nine heads only six remain, and four
of these show their forked tongues between their open jaws.
The left half of the gable is occupied by Iolaus, who is shown
at the moment when he is mounting his chariot. He wears a
short and close-fitting coat and turns his head in a significant
Fig. 15.—Heracles and Triton.
way towards the hero, thereby indicating the unity of idea
that binds the composition of the group. Farther to the left
is the huge crab which has been sent by Hera to aid the
Hydra. Many traces of color used in the conventional way
were found. Particularly noteworthy is the aim to represent
by different colors the stripes and scales of the serpents. A
second and very fragmentary group represents Heracles
wrestling with Triton " the old man of the sea." The hero
grapples the monster about the chest with his mighty arms.
Triton stretches out his right hand as if for aid ; his body
terminates in a tail covered with scales. Still another
pediment group of the same style and material but of better
technique represents a strange monster having three heads
and busts which run together in coils and end in a huge
serpent-like tail filling the corner of the gable. This monster
is generally supposed to be Typhon. In the only hand of