DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.807#0738
692
THE PALACE OF MINOS, ETC.
Wounded
champion
support-
ing him-
self on
one arm.
Scene of
Comba-
tants on
Mycenae
signet
adapted
from
agonistic
types.
crested helmet, traces of which are visible on the head of the champion on
the right, is in this case fully in place, for it is clearly an armed combat, and
his right arm is drawn back in the act of thrusting a spear at his opponent,
who seems indeed to be already stricken.
The parallelism with the boxing scenes is, moreover, carried further by
the figure of the fallen champion behind, here, too, supporting himself on an
arm and with his head bent downwards. The attitude is instinct with pathos
and manifests an artistic mood comparable with that which in a much later age
produced the ' Dying Gaul'. We shall see that it was not in this episode alone
that Minoan Art in its greatest days anticipated the Pergamene spirit.
The seal-impression itself, like the parallel example from the Repository,
was obviously taken from the elongated oval bezel of a gold signet ring and,
though both are imperfectly preserved, the details visible show that the en-
graving of the originals must have been of the finest quality. It is therefore
of special interest to note the points of comparison presented between the
Hagia Triada impression and the subject of the more or less contemporary
gold signet-ring presenting a scene of combat found in the Fourth Shaft
Grave at Mycenae1 (Fig. 513).2 In both cases we have to deal with two
pairs of combatants. In both cases, too, we see a protagonist striking an
already half-fallen adversary, while behind is the prostrate figure of the
wounded champion raising himself on one arm. On the other hand the
points of distinction are equally marked. Except apparently for the
crested helmet, the figures on the sealing are entirely nude, while on the ring
they wear belts and loin-clothing of the bathing-drawers kind. The warrior
there on the left, moreover, is protected by a shield of the arched, square-
shouldered form. Still more siVnificant is the scene of the combat. The
pillar, indicative of the Minoan arena, is here wanting, and instead we see the
borders of the field set round with rocks which may be taken to show that
the fight is supposed to have for its scene a wild mountain glen.
None the less it is clear that the essential mechanism of the composi-
tion is taken over from that older Cretan artistic cycle which depicted the
sports, gladatorial or otherwise, held in honour of the Minoan Goddess. The
dual group of combatants, the central episode of the fallen warrior painfully
raising his body, protected by the protagonist—all is there. It seems
legitimate to recognize the work of some engraver in the Conqueror's
train at Mycenae, inspired by the new Berserker fury of combat, foreign to the
older spirit of the insular art—though the details, such as the crested helmet
1 Halbherr, Mon. Ant., xiii, already noted 2 This Figure was specially drawn for me
the resemblance to the signet-ring from the by Monsieur E. Gillieron.
IVth Shaft Grave.
THE PALACE OF MINOS, ETC.
Wounded
champion
support-
ing him-
self on
one arm.
Scene of
Comba-
tants on
Mycenae
signet
adapted
from
agonistic
types.
crested helmet, traces of which are visible on the head of the champion on
the right, is in this case fully in place, for it is clearly an armed combat, and
his right arm is drawn back in the act of thrusting a spear at his opponent,
who seems indeed to be already stricken.
The parallelism with the boxing scenes is, moreover, carried further by
the figure of the fallen champion behind, here, too, supporting himself on an
arm and with his head bent downwards. The attitude is instinct with pathos
and manifests an artistic mood comparable with that which in a much later age
produced the ' Dying Gaul'. We shall see that it was not in this episode alone
that Minoan Art in its greatest days anticipated the Pergamene spirit.
The seal-impression itself, like the parallel example from the Repository,
was obviously taken from the elongated oval bezel of a gold signet ring and,
though both are imperfectly preserved, the details visible show that the en-
graving of the originals must have been of the finest quality. It is therefore
of special interest to note the points of comparison presented between the
Hagia Triada impression and the subject of the more or less contemporary
gold signet-ring presenting a scene of combat found in the Fourth Shaft
Grave at Mycenae1 (Fig. 513).2 In both cases we have to deal with two
pairs of combatants. In both cases, too, we see a protagonist striking an
already half-fallen adversary, while behind is the prostrate figure of the
wounded champion raising himself on one arm. On the other hand the
points of distinction are equally marked. Except apparently for the
crested helmet, the figures on the sealing are entirely nude, while on the ring
they wear belts and loin-clothing of the bathing-drawers kind. The warrior
there on the left, moreover, is protected by a shield of the arched, square-
shouldered form. Still more siVnificant is the scene of the combat. The
pillar, indicative of the Minoan arena, is here wanting, and instead we see the
borders of the field set round with rocks which may be taken to show that
the fight is supposed to have for its scene a wild mountain glen.
None the less it is clear that the essential mechanism of the composi-
tion is taken over from that older Cretan artistic cycle which depicted the
sports, gladatorial or otherwise, held in honour of the Minoan Goddess. The
dual group of combatants, the central episode of the fallen warrior painfully
raising his body, protected by the protagonist—all is there. It seems
legitimate to recognize the work of some engraver in the Conqueror's
train at Mycenae, inspired by the new Berserker fury of combat, foreign to the
older spirit of the insular art—though the details, such as the crested helmet
1 Halbherr, Mon. Ant., xiii, already noted 2 This Figure was specially drawn for me
the resemblance to the signet-ring from the by Monsieur E. Gillieron.
IVth Shaft Grave.