DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.1118#0163
ILLUSTRATIONS OF HISTORY IN MINOAN ART 517
of some other material that has not afforded a strong resistance to pressure.1
The backs of the gold-plated beads thus show a greater or lesser amount
of small depressions or blunt indentations—in the case of Fig. 460, g, a
partial rupture of the plating. The general correspondence in condition is
well brought out by the photographic reproductions in Fig. 460.2 Of great
interest is the fact that all, including a—as to the genuineness of which
there can be no legitimate doubt—reflect the tradition of the grooved back
characteristic of L. M. I a (see above, p. 493). The central section of this,
being slightly embossed, has specially suffered.
Omue ignotum pro false is itself a dangerous motto in the Minoan field.
Aigisthos, and the Pictorial Illustrations of History or Recent Traditions
by Minoan Artists.
If, as there seems to be good reason for supposing, the scene depicted
on the bead-seals illustrated in Figs. 458, 459, does in fact refer to the
traditional story of the murder of Agamemnon and Klytemnestra, the name
of Aigisthos, the villain of the piece, is of great interest, as showing a direct
affinity with the most characteristic of all old Cretan and kindred Philistine
and Anatolian forms that has been preserved to us.3 The engraved bead, here Anatolian
ascribed to the early part of the Fifteenth Century B.C., would thus supply an Philistine
association of the name of Aigisthos with a prince of Mainland Greece JjJjJL'^f
about the time of the appearance of the envoys of Keftiu on Egyptian Aigisthos.
monuments. It may therefore be something more than a coincidence
that under the form Akashou—reasonably identified with the Philistine
Akish—it appears on the ' London Tablet' of XVIIIth Dynasty date as a
representative personal name of Keftiu.
Such a reference to more or less current events has already been Historical
illustrated by the siege scene on the silver ' rhylon', itself in keeping with Minoan 5
similar Egyptian records, and was as much a feature of Minoan Art as the a,tlsts-
instantaneous sketches of birds and animals. The attitude of mind on the
part of the artist is essentially modern and far removed from the inhibitions of
the great clays of Classical Greek Art, though quite intelligible to a Roman.
Pictorial scenes like the above may at times be recognized as the
reflection of greater works existing on the Palace walls. In the preceding
volume the elaborate illustration of the Minoan Underworld supplied by
1 he beads seem to have fallen faee clown- appears in the LXX as 'Ay^is and 'Ayxous. An
1Yards. Ikistisu, king of Idalion is mentioned among
1 he hoop of the ring e was much pressed Cyprian princes tributary to Esarhaddon and
down- Assurbanipal and Ikausa is the Assyrian
Seelii/tgof 'Nestor, e>£, pp. 40, 47. Achish form of a contemporary king of Ekron.
M m 2
of some other material that has not afforded a strong resistance to pressure.1
The backs of the gold-plated beads thus show a greater or lesser amount
of small depressions or blunt indentations—in the case of Fig. 460, g, a
partial rupture of the plating. The general correspondence in condition is
well brought out by the photographic reproductions in Fig. 460.2 Of great
interest is the fact that all, including a—as to the genuineness of which
there can be no legitimate doubt—reflect the tradition of the grooved back
characteristic of L. M. I a (see above, p. 493). The central section of this,
being slightly embossed, has specially suffered.
Omue ignotum pro false is itself a dangerous motto in the Minoan field.
Aigisthos, and the Pictorial Illustrations of History or Recent Traditions
by Minoan Artists.
If, as there seems to be good reason for supposing, the scene depicted
on the bead-seals illustrated in Figs. 458, 459, does in fact refer to the
traditional story of the murder of Agamemnon and Klytemnestra, the name
of Aigisthos, the villain of the piece, is of great interest, as showing a direct
affinity with the most characteristic of all old Cretan and kindred Philistine
and Anatolian forms that has been preserved to us.3 The engraved bead, here Anatolian
ascribed to the early part of the Fifteenth Century B.C., would thus supply an Philistine
association of the name of Aigisthos with a prince of Mainland Greece JjJjJL'^f
about the time of the appearance of the envoys of Keftiu on Egyptian Aigisthos.
monuments. It may therefore be something more than a coincidence
that under the form Akashou—reasonably identified with the Philistine
Akish—it appears on the ' London Tablet' of XVIIIth Dynasty date as a
representative personal name of Keftiu.
Such a reference to more or less current events has already been Historical
illustrated by the siege scene on the silver ' rhylon', itself in keeping with Minoan 5
similar Egyptian records, and was as much a feature of Minoan Art as the a,tlsts-
instantaneous sketches of birds and animals. The attitude of mind on the
part of the artist is essentially modern and far removed from the inhibitions of
the great clays of Classical Greek Art, though quite intelligible to a Roman.
Pictorial scenes like the above may at times be recognized as the
reflection of greater works existing on the Palace walls. In the preceding
volume the elaborate illustration of the Minoan Underworld supplied by
1 he beads seem to have fallen faee clown- appears in the LXX as 'Ay^is and 'Ayxous. An
1Yards. Ikistisu, king of Idalion is mentioned among
1 he hoop of the ring e was much pressed Cyprian princes tributary to Esarhaddon and
down- Assurbanipal and Ikausa is the Assyrian
Seelii/tgof 'Nestor, e>£, pp. 40, 47. Achish form of a contemporary king of Ekron.
M m 2