DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.7897#0074
( 56 )
present composition, seems to allude to this event. The plant is, indeed, not
a vine; hut if this were the only objection, it would be of little weight, since
in figuring similar accessaries, ancient artists were not scrupulously exact.
Proceeding with the explanation on this principle, the aged personage
would be Teuthras : the action of this figure, seems in fact, that of a person
endeavouring to separate the combatants , and informing them of their
error. The other personages are a Greek and Mysian warrior who follow
their respective chiefs. Victory accompanies Achilles, holding a wreath, em-
blematic of success.
The armour, dress, and other accessaries, now claim our attention. In the
scene of departure, Achilles is armed with a cuirass of a remarkable kind:
the upper part or breast-plate (10) being solid, while the under part is lami-
nated (n). Over it are large plates of metal, to protect the shoulders; and
the belt with the leather appendants, called wings (12), is added to it. His
helmet is furnished with flaps (i3) to cover the cheeks and neck. The two
attendants of Achilles are dressed with tunics, aud one of them has a Thes-
salian hat. Patroclus has simply a tunic, and is armed with a helmet and
shield; the latter has the appendant, descrihed in a preceding plate (14).
Peleus rests one hand on a staff, and is seated on a square stone like those
mentioned by Homer ( i5).
The chariot of Achilles is of a very light construction, like those used
by the cruelty of Aleus, he was carried by the
winds to the mouth of the Caicus, where he
was found by Teuthras king of Mysia, who
adopted him as his son.
Hence the combat of Achilles with Telephus
was represented at Tegea, on one of the pe-
diments of the temple of Minerva Alea, built
by Aleus the father of Auge. Pausan. lib. vm.
cap. 45.
(10) This breast-plate seems to be the He-
mithorax, of which the invention was as-
cribed to Jason, tyrant of Thessaly. Pollux.
lib. 1. cap. x. 134.
(11) Laminated cuirasses were much used;
being flexible, and adapted to the movements
of the body, they were more convenient than
those formed of plates of metal. They were
railed Qd.rjx^c, (poXiSuTo!, or Xs-i&wtcji, from
their imitating the scales of fish and serpents.
Herodot. lib. ix. cap. 22. Pollux, lib. 1., 135.
(12) Z<o<TT7ip, Tmc^.x. Homer. Iliad. A. vers
215. The belt was usually buckled on to the
lower part of the cuirass. The leather appen-
dants are called TC-epuye; by Xenophon , de
Re Equest. cap. 12.
It is difficult to say, whether the olaoi of
the cuirass of Agamemnon, which commenta-
tors have not been able to explain, were ap-
pendants of this sort, or the laminae ftpoX^;),
of which the cuirass was formed. Homer. Iliad.
A. vers. 2/4. sq.
(13) Kuvs'vi 7^-/.o7:aoTi'o;. Homer. Iliad. M. vers
i83.
(14) Plate XIX. page 53.
(15) SestoI Xffloi. Iliad. 2. vers 5o4, Odyss.
0. vers. 6.
present composition, seems to allude to this event. The plant is, indeed, not
a vine; hut if this were the only objection, it would be of little weight, since
in figuring similar accessaries, ancient artists were not scrupulously exact.
Proceeding with the explanation on this principle, the aged personage
would be Teuthras : the action of this figure, seems in fact, that of a person
endeavouring to separate the combatants , and informing them of their
error. The other personages are a Greek and Mysian warrior who follow
their respective chiefs. Victory accompanies Achilles, holding a wreath, em-
blematic of success.
The armour, dress, and other accessaries, now claim our attention. In the
scene of departure, Achilles is armed with a cuirass of a remarkable kind:
the upper part or breast-plate (10) being solid, while the under part is lami-
nated (n). Over it are large plates of metal, to protect the shoulders; and
the belt with the leather appendants, called wings (12), is added to it. His
helmet is furnished with flaps (i3) to cover the cheeks and neck. The two
attendants of Achilles are dressed with tunics, aud one of them has a Thes-
salian hat. Patroclus has simply a tunic, and is armed with a helmet and
shield; the latter has the appendant, descrihed in a preceding plate (14).
Peleus rests one hand on a staff, and is seated on a square stone like those
mentioned by Homer ( i5).
The chariot of Achilles is of a very light construction, like those used
by the cruelty of Aleus, he was carried by the
winds to the mouth of the Caicus, where he
was found by Teuthras king of Mysia, who
adopted him as his son.
Hence the combat of Achilles with Telephus
was represented at Tegea, on one of the pe-
diments of the temple of Minerva Alea, built
by Aleus the father of Auge. Pausan. lib. vm.
cap. 45.
(10) This breast-plate seems to be the He-
mithorax, of which the invention was as-
cribed to Jason, tyrant of Thessaly. Pollux.
lib. 1. cap. x. 134.
(11) Laminated cuirasses were much used;
being flexible, and adapted to the movements
of the body, they were more convenient than
those formed of plates of metal. They were
railed Qd.rjx^c, (poXiSuTo!, or Xs-i&wtcji, from
their imitating the scales of fish and serpents.
Herodot. lib. ix. cap. 22. Pollux, lib. 1., 135.
(12) Z<o<TT7ip, Tmc^.x. Homer. Iliad. A. vers
215. The belt was usually buckled on to the
lower part of the cuirass. The leather appen-
dants are called TC-epuye; by Xenophon , de
Re Equest. cap. 12.
It is difficult to say, whether the olaoi of
the cuirass of Agamemnon, which commenta-
tors have not been able to explain, were ap-
pendants of this sort, or the laminae ftpoX^;),
of which the cuirass was formed. Homer. Iliad.
A. vers. 2/4. sq.
(13) Kuvs'vi 7^-/.o7:aoTi'o;. Homer. Iliad. M. vers
i83.
(14) Plate XIX. page 53.
(15) SestoI Xffloi. Iliad. 2. vers 5o4, Odyss.
0. vers. 6.