DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.5253#0428
394 THE AGE OF PHEIDIAS AND OF POLYCLEITOS.
of the series commencing with the Apollo of Thera, and in this developing the
human form in quiet to the highest perfection of formal beauty, may we not
see great wisdom on the part of the Argive master, even though he lacked
the geniality of his brother sculptors of Attica ?
Polycleitos' importance as a teacher being such, it is not strange that he
had many scholars, and that they in turn handed on the old tradition, so that
his school laps far over into the fourth century. Pliny and Pausanias mention
several men as his direct scholars.74° Among them was a younger Canachos
from Sikyon, doubtless a descendant of the ancient master of the same name.
Of another, Periclytos by name, we know that he had scholars who lived on
into the next century. The remainder of Polycleitos' scholars, with other
masters, were employed on a votive offering, seen by Pausanias at Delphi, and
made by the Lakedaimonians after their victory (404 B.C.) over the Athenians
at Aigospotamoi. The number of statues composing this gift was unparalleled
in Greek history. Thirty-three bronze figures of gods and mortal warriors
made up its stately bulk. Among them Poseidon was seen crowning Lysander,
the victorious Spartan commander; and the seer who foretold the issue of the
battle was also there. Even the helmsman on Lysandcr's ship was honored
with a statue, as well as many other warriors. It is a strange fact, that very
many different masters from widely scattered places, even from Thebes and
Arcadia, were called upon to assist in executing this mammoth votive offering.
That this group for Apollo's shrine, as well as other offerings put up in Sparta,
were by foreign artists, seems to indicate, that, in that state itself, there had
been no development, and that Argos was pre-eminently the centre of art-
creation in the Peloponnesos.
Besides the men who are thus definitely mentioned as the scholars of the
great Polycleitos, but of whom we know almost nothing, there were others of
importance in Argos during the latter part of the century when he lived.
The old sculptor Patrocles, with his three sons, Daidalos, Naukydes, and Poly-
cleitos the younger, form a constellation of artists on whose relationship to one
another the recent excavations at Olympia have but just thrown clear light.74'
Patrocles, who must have been an old man at the time of the battle of Aigos-
potamoi, executed several statues for the great Delphic group in its honor ; But
his fame is altogether eclipsed by that of his three sons. Of these, Naukydes
was perhaps the eldest, it being said that he was the teacher of his brother
Polycleitos. He executed the Hebe in gold and ivory which stood beside the
older Polycleitos' great Hera, a bronze Hecate in Argos, a Discobolos, a
Hermes, one offering a ram, and a representation in bronze of the poetess
Erinna, who had lived about 600 B.C., at least two centuries before his day.742
He also executed statues of athletic victors, seen in Olympia by Pausanias ;
and the inscription of one to the Rhodian Eucles, is now given back to us
of the series commencing with the Apollo of Thera, and in this developing the
human form in quiet to the highest perfection of formal beauty, may we not
see great wisdom on the part of the Argive master, even though he lacked
the geniality of his brother sculptors of Attica ?
Polycleitos' importance as a teacher being such, it is not strange that he
had many scholars, and that they in turn handed on the old tradition, so that
his school laps far over into the fourth century. Pliny and Pausanias mention
several men as his direct scholars.74° Among them was a younger Canachos
from Sikyon, doubtless a descendant of the ancient master of the same name.
Of another, Periclytos by name, we know that he had scholars who lived on
into the next century. The remainder of Polycleitos' scholars, with other
masters, were employed on a votive offering, seen by Pausanias at Delphi, and
made by the Lakedaimonians after their victory (404 B.C.) over the Athenians
at Aigospotamoi. The number of statues composing this gift was unparalleled
in Greek history. Thirty-three bronze figures of gods and mortal warriors
made up its stately bulk. Among them Poseidon was seen crowning Lysander,
the victorious Spartan commander; and the seer who foretold the issue of the
battle was also there. Even the helmsman on Lysandcr's ship was honored
with a statue, as well as many other warriors. It is a strange fact, that very
many different masters from widely scattered places, even from Thebes and
Arcadia, were called upon to assist in executing this mammoth votive offering.
That this group for Apollo's shrine, as well as other offerings put up in Sparta,
were by foreign artists, seems to indicate, that, in that state itself, there had
been no development, and that Argos was pre-eminently the centre of art-
creation in the Peloponnesos.
Besides the men who are thus definitely mentioned as the scholars of the
great Polycleitos, but of whom we know almost nothing, there were others of
importance in Argos during the latter part of the century when he lived.
The old sculptor Patrocles, with his three sons, Daidalos, Naukydes, and Poly-
cleitos the younger, form a constellation of artists on whose relationship to one
another the recent excavations at Olympia have but just thrown clear light.74'
Patrocles, who must have been an old man at the time of the battle of Aigos-
potamoi, executed several statues for the great Delphic group in its honor ; But
his fame is altogether eclipsed by that of his three sons. Of these, Naukydes
was perhaps the eldest, it being said that he was the teacher of his brother
Polycleitos. He executed the Hebe in gold and ivory which stood beside the
older Polycleitos' great Hera, a bronze Hecate in Argos, a Discobolos, a
Hermes, one offering a ram, and a representation in bronze of the poetess
Erinna, who had lived about 600 B.C., at least two centuries before his day.742
He also executed statues of athletic victors, seen in Olympia by Pausanias ;
and the inscription of one to the Rhodian Eucles, is now given back to us