DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.5253#0256
CHAPTER XIV.
ADVANCED ARCHAIC SCULPTURE, FROM ABOUT 500 TO ABOUT 450 B.C.: ASIA
MINOR AND THE ISLANDS.
Introductory. — State of Asia Minor and Greece at the Commencement of the Fifth Century B.C.—
Triumph of the Greeks over the Persians. — Its Results. — Exalted Position of Athens. — The
Development of Philosophy, Poetry, and Art.—The Athletic Games. — Their Antiquity. — Revival
of Olympic and other Games. — Honors awarded to the Victors. — Influence of Games on Art. —
The Temple.— Its Purposes. — Plan of the Structure. — Its Adornments and Great Statue.—
Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian Orders. — Influence of Painting. — Ionian Sculptures. — Lykian
Sculptures. — Sculptures in the British Museum. — Leucothea Relief. — Sculptures and Terra-cot-
tas from the Islands. — Thasos Reliefs.— Philis'Tombstone.— .Egina.— Its Political Position.—
Traditional Character of its Art. — Its Early Artists. — Preference for Bronze. — Importance of
Statues of Athletes. — Glaukias, Callon, and Onatas. — Remains of Sculpture at Olympia. — Ona-
tas' other Works. — .Eginctan Marbles at Munich.— Sculptures of West Pediment. — Their
advanced Archaism. — Sculptures of East Pediment. — Their Superiority to those of the West
Pediment. —Difficulty of forming a Correct Impression of these Marbles. — Their Authors. — Their
General Characteristics. — Dodona Bronze. — Strangford Apollo. — Marble Tombstone from
/Egina.
During the sixth century B.C., which we have discussed in the two preced-
ing chapters, important changes had come over the Greek world. The armies
of the Persian kin"- had conquered the Greek states of Asia Minor, which were
incorporated by that monarch into his empire. Kvery attempt at revolt had
been ruthlessly met, as in the destruction of Miletos. Thus the Ionian civili-
zation on the eastern shores of the /Egean had received a cruel check, and the
ambitious Persian now began to lust after Greece itself. The Greek states had
Steadily developed independent institutions : Corinth had a profitable trade,
controlling the Western waters ; /Egina's fleets ruled the ^Egean ; while Athens
was still absorbed in her internal affairs.
But the storm-clouds rolling up from the Past threatened to ingulf the little
land ; and, in the first and second decades of the fifth century, Darius, and then
Xerxes, poured their hordes, collected from a vast empire, into Greece, laid
waste her sacred places, and destroyed Athens by fire. Terror fell upon all
the land, but not that of despair ; for the noble deeds of Marathon, Salamis,
Plataiai, and Mycale checked the conqueror's course. The Greek David over-
came the Eastern Goliath with the little stone of Hellenic freedom and culture.
Xerxes and his army were scattered, like forest-leaves before the autumn wind ;
223
ADVANCED ARCHAIC SCULPTURE, FROM ABOUT 500 TO ABOUT 450 B.C.: ASIA
MINOR AND THE ISLANDS.
Introductory. — State of Asia Minor and Greece at the Commencement of the Fifth Century B.C.—
Triumph of the Greeks over the Persians. — Its Results. — Exalted Position of Athens. — The
Development of Philosophy, Poetry, and Art.—The Athletic Games. — Their Antiquity. — Revival
of Olympic and other Games. — Honors awarded to the Victors. — Influence of Games on Art. —
The Temple.— Its Purposes. — Plan of the Structure. — Its Adornments and Great Statue.—
Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian Orders. — Influence of Painting. — Ionian Sculptures. — Lykian
Sculptures. — Sculptures in the British Museum. — Leucothea Relief. — Sculptures and Terra-cot-
tas from the Islands. — Thasos Reliefs.— Philis'Tombstone.— .Egina.— Its Political Position.—
Traditional Character of its Art. — Its Early Artists. — Preference for Bronze. — Importance of
Statues of Athletes. — Glaukias, Callon, and Onatas. — Remains of Sculpture at Olympia. — Ona-
tas' other Works. — .Eginctan Marbles at Munich.— Sculptures of West Pediment. — Their
advanced Archaism. — Sculptures of East Pediment. — Their Superiority to those of the West
Pediment. —Difficulty of forming a Correct Impression of these Marbles. — Their Authors. — Their
General Characteristics. — Dodona Bronze. — Strangford Apollo. — Marble Tombstone from
/Egina.
During the sixth century B.C., which we have discussed in the two preced-
ing chapters, important changes had come over the Greek world. The armies
of the Persian kin"- had conquered the Greek states of Asia Minor, which were
incorporated by that monarch into his empire. Kvery attempt at revolt had
been ruthlessly met, as in the destruction of Miletos. Thus the Ionian civili-
zation on the eastern shores of the /Egean had received a cruel check, and the
ambitious Persian now began to lust after Greece itself. The Greek states had
Steadily developed independent institutions : Corinth had a profitable trade,
controlling the Western waters ; /Egina's fleets ruled the ^Egean ; while Athens
was still absorbed in her internal affairs.
But the storm-clouds rolling up from the Past threatened to ingulf the little
land ; and, in the first and second decades of the fifth century, Darius, and then
Xerxes, poured their hordes, collected from a vast empire, into Greece, laid
waste her sacred places, and destroyed Athens by fire. Terror fell upon all
the land, but not that of despair ; for the noble deeds of Marathon, Salamis,
Plataiai, and Mycale checked the conqueror's course. The Greek David over-
came the Eastern Goliath with the little stone of Hellenic freedom and culture.
Xerxes and his army were scattered, like forest-leaves before the autumn wind ;
223