DOI Kapitel:
The mythology of Athenian local cults
DOI Seite / Zitierlink:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.61302#0120
cviii
MYTHOLOGY AND MONUMENTS
that the hero was somewhat a stranger at Athens, better at home
in the border-land of Eleusis and Megara. This one monu-
ment, however, a Roman sarcophagos (fig. 21), gives the story in
such full detail and follows so closely the fable of Hyginus
that it cannot be passed over. The sarcophagos stands in
the front hall of the Cascino of the Villa Pamfili. It has
unfortunately been much restored, but quite sufficient of the
original remains to make the interpretation secure. Nearly in
the centre is seated King Kerkyon, behind him a guard. It
is the moment when the herdsman is brought to tell his story.
The artist represents one herdsman only; he does not seem to
know the story of the quarrel. The whole upper part of the
herdsman’s figure is restored; in the original, one hand lies
loose on the knee, so manifestly he was not bound. At the
FIG. 21.—BAS-RELIEF ! SCENES FROM LIFE OF HIPPOTHOON (VILLA PAMFILI, ROME).
same moment the nurse brings up the child, who stretches out
his arms to his grandfather. Behind, on an ample sculptured
throne, are seated a woman, cowering in fear, and a youth,
who lays his hand about her shoulder. The cowering woman
can scarcely be any one but Alope. It is extremely probable
that to heighten the pathos, some version of the story chose
the time when Alope was betrothed to Theseus for the dis-
closure of her secret. The seated youth would then be her
new lover, to whom she turns for protection. To the left of
the sarcophagos we have the story a stage further advanced.
Alope is immured in the tower, the mare who suckled Hippo-
thoon comes neighing up to see her, and a youth and woman
talk to her through the window. What the precise purport of
the interview is, cannot be certainly said; but the introduction
of the mare without the repetition of the child is certainly
MYTHOLOGY AND MONUMENTS
that the hero was somewhat a stranger at Athens, better at home
in the border-land of Eleusis and Megara. This one monu-
ment, however, a Roman sarcophagos (fig. 21), gives the story in
such full detail and follows so closely the fable of Hyginus
that it cannot be passed over. The sarcophagos stands in
the front hall of the Cascino of the Villa Pamfili. It has
unfortunately been much restored, but quite sufficient of the
original remains to make the interpretation secure. Nearly in
the centre is seated King Kerkyon, behind him a guard. It
is the moment when the herdsman is brought to tell his story.
The artist represents one herdsman only; he does not seem to
know the story of the quarrel. The whole upper part of the
herdsman’s figure is restored; in the original, one hand lies
loose on the knee, so manifestly he was not bound. At the
FIG. 21.—BAS-RELIEF ! SCENES FROM LIFE OF HIPPOTHOON (VILLA PAMFILI, ROME).
same moment the nurse brings up the child, who stretches out
his arms to his grandfather. Behind, on an ample sculptured
throne, are seated a woman, cowering in fear, and a youth,
who lays his hand about her shoulder. The cowering woman
can scarcely be any one but Alope. It is extremely probable
that to heighten the pathos, some version of the story chose
the time when Alope was betrothed to Theseus for the dis-
closure of her secret. The seated youth would then be her
new lover, to whom she turns for protection. To the left of
the sarcophagos we have the story a stage further advanced.
Alope is immured in the tower, the mare who suckled Hippo-
thoon comes neighing up to see her, and a youth and woman
talk to her through the window. What the precise purport of
the interview is, cannot be certainly said; but the introduction
of the mare without the repetition of the child is certainly