DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.7897#0021
( 3 )
ship of Minerva established in places of the same name(io). According to
the tradition of the Libyans (n), Minerva was the daughter of Neptune and
the lake Tritonis ; having received an injury from her father, she implored
the assistance of Jupiter, who took her under his protection, and adopted
her as his daughter: hence probably arose the subsequent fables of the birth
of Minerva from the head of Jupiter, and of her contest with Neptune for the
possession of Attica. The Greeks who received the worship of Minerva from
the Libyans, adopted their tradition respecting her parents, as we see by the
dolphin painted on her shield, and by various concurring testimonies (12).
Herodotus (i3), as a proof of this origin of Minerva, says, that the Greeks
had taken from the Libyan women, the dress and the aegis with Avhich her
statues were represented : this dress was of leather: the aegis, as its name im-
plies , was simply a goatskin died red and worn over the shoulders like a
mantle: the extremity of it was cut into shreds or tassels (i4)> which the
lively fancy of the Grecian artists converted into serpents. The present paint-
ing (i5) shows us the original form of the aegis as it was worn by the Libyan
women, and illustrates the description given by Herodotus. The Gorgonian
head usually placed on the aegis (16), but which is not seen here, or on monu-
ments of an early age, was an addition made at a later period.
Before the figure of Minerva is the inscription, TON A0ENEON A0AON EMI
in letters of a very ancient form, and written from right to left, according to
(10) The Boeotians pretended that Minerva
was born near the river Tritonis, in Boeotia,
and not near the lake of the same name in
Libya. Alluding to this tradition, the epithet
of Tritogeneia is given to Minerva by Homer
and the early poets. That of Alalcomenais was
likewise taken from a city of the name of Al-
alcomenae, situated near the river Tritonis, in
Bceotia. Paus. lib. ix, cap. 33.
The Arcadians pretended also that the god-
dess was born near a fountain called Tritonis,
at Aliphera, in Arcadia. Pausan. /. vui, c. 26.
(11) Herodotus, lib. iv, cap. 180.
(12) The epithet of y^auxSms was given to
Minerva on account of her having blue eyes,
like Neptune her father , and other marine
divinities. Pausan. lib. 1, cap. 14.
(13) Herodotus, lib. iv, cap. 189.
(14) Oiiuavot—«iyi? Gucsavoewa. Iliad. E, v. 738,
It is evident from the tassels with which the
a?gis of Homer was fringed, that it was taken
from the ai-gis of the Libyan women. But as
every thing belonging to the gods was marvel-
lous and supernatural, the poet supposes the
divine aegis to have been of gold, the work of
Vulcan, and. endowed with the property of
inspiring terror and dismay.
(15) The account given by Diodorus Siculus
( lib. in, cap. 69) of the origin of the aegis, was
probably a later fable.
(16) The yopyew xspxXvi which Homer ascribes
to the aegis is merely a figurative expression,
to indicate the power of inspiring terror. He
attributes for the same reason the yopyib pko-
Gupum? to the shield of Agamemnon. Iliad. A.
vers 36.
TheGorgons in Homer's time were supposed,
to be females of monstruous forms, who resided
ship of Minerva established in places of the same name(io). According to
the tradition of the Libyans (n), Minerva was the daughter of Neptune and
the lake Tritonis ; having received an injury from her father, she implored
the assistance of Jupiter, who took her under his protection, and adopted
her as his daughter: hence probably arose the subsequent fables of the birth
of Minerva from the head of Jupiter, and of her contest with Neptune for the
possession of Attica. The Greeks who received the worship of Minerva from
the Libyans, adopted their tradition respecting her parents, as we see by the
dolphin painted on her shield, and by various concurring testimonies (12).
Herodotus (i3), as a proof of this origin of Minerva, says, that the Greeks
had taken from the Libyan women, the dress and the aegis with Avhich her
statues were represented : this dress was of leather: the aegis, as its name im-
plies , was simply a goatskin died red and worn over the shoulders like a
mantle: the extremity of it was cut into shreds or tassels (i4)> which the
lively fancy of the Grecian artists converted into serpents. The present paint-
ing (i5) shows us the original form of the aegis as it was worn by the Libyan
women, and illustrates the description given by Herodotus. The Gorgonian
head usually placed on the aegis (16), but which is not seen here, or on monu-
ments of an early age, was an addition made at a later period.
Before the figure of Minerva is the inscription, TON A0ENEON A0AON EMI
in letters of a very ancient form, and written from right to left, according to
(10) The Boeotians pretended that Minerva
was born near the river Tritonis, in Boeotia,
and not near the lake of the same name in
Libya. Alluding to this tradition, the epithet
of Tritogeneia is given to Minerva by Homer
and the early poets. That of Alalcomenais was
likewise taken from a city of the name of Al-
alcomenae, situated near the river Tritonis, in
Bceotia. Paus. lib. ix, cap. 33.
The Arcadians pretended also that the god-
dess was born near a fountain called Tritonis,
at Aliphera, in Arcadia. Pausan. /. vui, c. 26.
(11) Herodotus, lib. iv, cap. 180.
(12) The epithet of y^auxSms was given to
Minerva on account of her having blue eyes,
like Neptune her father , and other marine
divinities. Pausan. lib. 1, cap. 14.
(13) Herodotus, lib. iv, cap. 189.
(14) Oiiuavot—«iyi? Gucsavoewa. Iliad. E, v. 738,
It is evident from the tassels with which the
a?gis of Homer was fringed, that it was taken
from the ai-gis of the Libyan women. But as
every thing belonging to the gods was marvel-
lous and supernatural, the poet supposes the
divine aegis to have been of gold, the work of
Vulcan, and. endowed with the property of
inspiring terror and dismay.
(15) The account given by Diodorus Siculus
( lib. in, cap. 69) of the origin of the aegis, was
probably a later fable.
(16) The yopyew xspxXvi which Homer ascribes
to the aegis is merely a figurative expression,
to indicate the power of inspiring terror. He
attributes for the same reason the yopyib pko-
Gupum? to the shield of Agamemnon. Iliad. A.
vers 36.
TheGorgons in Homer's time were supposed,
to be females of monstruous forms, who resided