Mitchell, Lucy M.: A history of ancient sculpture (New York, 1883)

392 THE AGE OF PHEIDIAS AND OF POLYCLEITOS.

almost as discouraging to seek for a suggestion of Polycleitos' Hera in the
marble heads and figures of our museums. The Hera of epos was a far-,
seeing, stern, and jealous goddess. Her epithet, ox-eyed (bobpis), is difficult of
explanation. Brunn conceives, that to the later Greeks this term indicated
a force expressed rather by the position than the shape of the eye; and in a
marble bust of the Naples museum, which, on account of its stephane, is prob-
ably a Hera, he thinks such a force is expressed733 Here there is no feminine
softness and luxurious beauty such as we see in the famous Ludovisi Hera,
but a very marked and almost repellant harshness : the very shape of the
stcplianc, of equal width all around, is less graceful than the head-dress worn
by other representations of the goddess. The eyes, shaded by heavy eyelids,
are not wide open, with the serene look of later Hera ideals, but narrow, and
far apart, extending even into the temples, and giving the expression of all-
embracing vision. The low but projecting forehead; the sharp, metallic lines
of the heavy eyelids ; the threatening mouth, with pronounced, almost scornful,
under lip; the large, square chin and small cheeks, in which is no lovely ful-
ness; and the ears, set higher than nature,—all combine with the eyes to
make a face, every feature of which speaks the decision and will of the Homeric
ideal of Hera, while they mark this head as the echo of a strong time, like
that in which Polycleitos lived, and possibly of his celebrated chryselephantine
Hera.

Polycleitos was a distinguished architect as well as sculptor. Among the
hills of Epidauros, across the bay from Athens, was the most celebrated health-
resort of antiquity, sacred to Asclepios, and where his priests directed medical
treatment. For the crowds of invalids gathered there, places of amusement
as well as houses of worship were in demand, as at watering-places of to-
day. Polycleitos built there the theatre and tliolos. In describing this theatre,
Pausanias for once grows enthusiastic, saying, the Romans excel all others in
the luxurious richness of their theatres,—for size the theatre of Megalopolis is
most remarkable ; but what architect could compete with Polycleitos in the truth
of proportion and beauty of this work at Epidauros ? 734 Among the few frag-
mentary sculptures brought to light from its ruins is a draped female, perhaps
representing Hygieia, thought to show some of the traits ascribed by antiquity
to Polycleitos. But as he was so emphatically a worker in metal, not a single
figure of his in marble being reported, his relationship to these marbles must
doubtless be taken with reserve.

All notices of Polycleitos as a painter seem to be based on a confusion of his
name with that of Polygnotos, the Thasian painter. His skill in casting in
bronze and in toreutic was great. This latter art, seeming to have reference to
the goldsmith's work, as well as to the final chiselling and finishing given to the
surface of bronze, he is said to have carried to greater perfection than Pheidias ;
and Strabo declares, that technically his Hera greatly excelled Pheidias' works,