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

Tragedians toward Art in

Parthenon. Even more convincing than this is
the fact that Euripides calls Prometheus the
deliverer of Zeus1. This is strong evidence
that the central group of the east gable by
Pheidias represented Prometheus in the room
occupied by Hephaistos on the black figured
Attic vases. Pheidias had followed the Attic
legend, however, and made the Attic hero Pro-
metheus direct the blow which brought Athena
from the head of Zeus2. The work of the great
sculptor captivated Euripides, who likewise as-
signs the honourable position to Prometheus.
He never would have dared to do this in a
tragedy whose chief aim was to glorify Athens
and her history, if he had not been in harmony
with the greatest of Attic monuments which
told the story of the birth. One has further to
remember that the helm of Achilles in the
Elekfra was borrowed, with modifications, from
the Parthenos. It is again instructive to note

1 Ion, vs. 455 f.

2 Cf. Schneider, Die Gcbuii der Athena, p. 32 ff. The relief on
the Madrid Puteal is the most authentic record of the central
group of the east gable, and the youthful, muscular figure behind
Zeus can, as I believe, be none other than Prometheus. The
relief is published by Schneider, op. cit. pi. i. 1. (No. 2 gives the
Tegel replica of the same on which the head of Prometheus is
better preserved.) Also in Baumeister's Denkmaler, i. fig. 172
= Wiener Vorlegcblattcr, viii. pi. ir. 3.