DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.9184#0267
Chap. VIII.] The Excavation of the Atlienian Acropolis. 245
stance of the application of archaeological method that
we must give a more detailed account of it.
An archaic helmeted head of Athena of sixth-century
work was found many years ago on the Acropolis, and
!S Well-known from casts (at South Kensington, Oxford,
and Cambridge) and from engravings in the histories of
sculpture. To this head Studniczka joined an almost
shapeless fragment of more recent discovery, which turns
out to be the shoulder of the goddess covered with the
aegis, on the edges of which were ranged snakes, painted,
according to the crude fashion of colouring then in use
for marble, with red and green paint. Head and shoulder
being thus placed together, it becomes evident that we
have before us no detached figure, but part of a group,
for Athena looks downward, and her arm is outstretched
as if in conflict. And if in conflict, she could not but
be represented as victorious, looking down on an over-
thrown enemy. To find this enemy, it was necessary to
examine the numerous fragments of human figures stored
Jn the Acropolis Museum. The lower part of a male
figure was discovered which in scale and in species of
marble corresponded to the Athena. The position of his
legs showed that he was lying on his back. And on
the upper surface of one leg were at regular intervals
spots which seemed on careful examination to arise from
the dripping of water mixed with red and green colour.
Now the intervals between these spots corresponded so
nearly to the spaces between the different snakes on
the aegis of Athena, which were painted in these very
colours, as to leave small doubt that it was from these
very snakes that the rain-water fell in drops upon the leg
of the prostrate man; so he must have lain directly
under the aegis. Here then, was the opponent of
Athena, a prostrate foe, no doubt one of the earth-
born Giants, whom in so many sculptures, and on so
stance of the application of archaeological method that
we must give a more detailed account of it.
An archaic helmeted head of Athena of sixth-century
work was found many years ago on the Acropolis, and
!S Well-known from casts (at South Kensington, Oxford,
and Cambridge) and from engravings in the histories of
sculpture. To this head Studniczka joined an almost
shapeless fragment of more recent discovery, which turns
out to be the shoulder of the goddess covered with the
aegis, on the edges of which were ranged snakes, painted,
according to the crude fashion of colouring then in use
for marble, with red and green paint. Head and shoulder
being thus placed together, it becomes evident that we
have before us no detached figure, but part of a group,
for Athena looks downward, and her arm is outstretched
as if in conflict. And if in conflict, she could not but
be represented as victorious, looking down on an over-
thrown enemy. To find this enemy, it was necessary to
examine the numerous fragments of human figures stored
Jn the Acropolis Museum. The lower part of a male
figure was discovered which in scale and in species of
marble corresponded to the Athena. The position of his
legs showed that he was lying on his back. And on
the upper surface of one leg were at regular intervals
spots which seemed on careful examination to arise from
the dripping of water mixed with red and green colour.
Now the intervals between these spots corresponded so
nearly to the spaces between the different snakes on
the aegis of Athena, which were painted in these very
colours, as to leave small doubt that it was from these
very snakes that the rain-water fell in drops upon the leg
of the prostrate man; so he must have lain directly
under the aegis. Here then, was the opponent of
Athena, a prostrate foe, no doubt one of the earth-
born Giants, whom in so many sculptures, and on so