DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.796#0178
146 THE ACROPOLIS OF ATHENS
the original design of Phidias, but was added at a later time
when some damage or defect in the complicated mechanism
of the chryselephantine statue required an external support
of the hand on which the Nike stands. As additional
arguments against the view that this pillar was part of the
original design Waldstein (90) calls attention to two points,
first that it does not seem probable that in a statue which
was decorated with reliefs or paintings wherever there was
a bare space (even the soles of the sandals had on their
edges reliefs of a battle between Greeks and Centaurs), a
pillar, which in the original must have been at least 12 or
15 ft. high, should have been left wholly bare and unadorned ;
and secondly, that the pillar in question is of a late Roman
type and not Greek. To complete the description of the
Varvakeion statuette, we must mention the shield which is set
upright on its edge at her left side, with her left hand resting
upon it, and has carved on its outer side the Gorgon's head
in the middle of the shield. Between the shield and the
goddess is coiled the serpent with head erect and protruding
from the rim of the shield. The statue retains numerous
traces of color, which doubtless points to the application of
color in the original. The Varvakeion statuette is commonly
regarded as a late Roman copy, and differs from the description
of the ancient writers in lacking the spear, the griffins on
the" helmet, the reliefs on the shield and on the sandals, and
also that on the pedestal which represented the birth of
Pandora in the presence of the gods. The statue of the
Parthenos is known to have been in existence as late as
430 a.d. (see p. 306 below), but not long after this date,
when the Parthenon was converted into a Christian church,
the image was removed and disappeared.
Now that the original is lost, no copy can give us an
adequate idea of the beauty and splendor of the original.
Its height, including the pedestal, was 26 cubits, the gold
used in constructing the statue and its attributes could,
we are told, all be removed, and weighed from 40 to 50
talents according to various ancient authorities. The pupils
of the eyes were probably of precious stones. "It was evidently
the wish of the artist," says Professor Gardner, " in giving
his great statue this richness of decoration, not merely to
the original design of Phidias, but was added at a later time
when some damage or defect in the complicated mechanism
of the chryselephantine statue required an external support
of the hand on which the Nike stands. As additional
arguments against the view that this pillar was part of the
original design Waldstein (90) calls attention to two points,
first that it does not seem probable that in a statue which
was decorated with reliefs or paintings wherever there was
a bare space (even the soles of the sandals had on their
edges reliefs of a battle between Greeks and Centaurs), a
pillar, which in the original must have been at least 12 or
15 ft. high, should have been left wholly bare and unadorned ;
and secondly, that the pillar in question is of a late Roman
type and not Greek. To complete the description of the
Varvakeion statuette, we must mention the shield which is set
upright on its edge at her left side, with her left hand resting
upon it, and has carved on its outer side the Gorgon's head
in the middle of the shield. Between the shield and the
goddess is coiled the serpent with head erect and protruding
from the rim of the shield. The statue retains numerous
traces of color, which doubtless points to the application of
color in the original. The Varvakeion statuette is commonly
regarded as a late Roman copy, and differs from the description
of the ancient writers in lacking the spear, the griffins on
the" helmet, the reliefs on the shield and on the sandals, and
also that on the pedestal which represented the birth of
Pandora in the presence of the gods. The statue of the
Parthenos is known to have been in existence as late as
430 a.d. (see p. 306 below), but not long after this date,
when the Parthenon was converted into a Christian church,
the image was removed and disappeared.
Now that the original is lost, no copy can give us an
adequate idea of the beauty and splendor of the original.
Its height, including the pedestal, was 26 cubits, the gold
used in constructing the statue and its attributes could,
we are told, all be removed, and weighed from 40 to 50
talents according to various ancient authorities. The pupils
of the eyes were probably of precious stones. "It was evidently
the wish of the artist," says Professor Gardner, " in giving
his great statue this richness of decoration, not merely to