Huddilston, John H.: The attitude of the Greek tragedians toward art (London, 1898)

98 The Attitude of the Greek

Sphinx in the centre and on either side a crouch-
ing four-legged animal, most generally recognized
as a Pegasos. Pausanias says, to be sure, that
these latter figures were Gryphons, but his
words are to be taken as referring not to the
figures on the top of the helm but to the reliefs
worked on the cheek-pieces. These being
turned up he had not seen the springing Pegasoi
or four-footed animals behind1. The plurality
of Sphinxes on Achilles' shield takes the place
of the variety of animals which the St. Peters-
burg medallions and many other monuments
show as about to spring over the front rim.
This important feature of the Parthenos helm is
fully proved for us, not by Hellenistic or Roman
copies, but by such a fifth-century product as
the gold medallions. In this particular again
the Pheidian spirit of Euripides comes to the
surface2. We may be. assured that if the
sculptor had not invented the new designs for
the Parthenos helm, Euripides would never

Albani Athena, published in Clarac's Muse'e de Sculpture, pi. 458 :
vid. also Furtwangler, op. at. p. 76, note 3.

1 This has been pointed out by Kieseritzky, Athen. Mitth. 1883,
p. 298 ff., and substantially supported by figures which show the
relative frequency of Pegasoi and other animals on the copies of
the helm.

3 The wide influence exerted on plastic by the Parthenos helm
was well pointed out by Lange, Athen. Mitth. i88r, p. 84 f.