DOI chapter:
Divison D: The Acropolis, from the Propylaea to the statue of Athene Lemnia
DOI chapter:Section XVIII
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.61302#0620
446
MYTHOLOGY OF ANCIENT ATHENS
DIV. D
these technical matters are mythologically of minor importance in
the case of a masterpiece by Pheidias, the interest is exceptional,
and what is known of the Parthenos must briefly be gathered together
before the question of the origin of her art-type and its relation
to other aspects of the goddess can be discussed. From Pausanias
we learn that Athene stood upright, clad in a cloak to the feet;
on her breast the head of Medusa, on her head a helmet adorned
with gryphons at the side and surmounted by a sphinx ; in one
hand she held a Nike four cubits high, in the other a spear ; and
at her feet was set a shield, and near her spear a snake. On
the pedestal was represented the birth of Pandora. Pliny97 sup-
plements the account with some important details ; he passes
over the splendour of the figure which was accredited, and its
height of twenty-six cubits, and calls attention to its remarkable
accessories as testimony to the skill of Pheidias—“ He worked
on the convex side of the shield the battle of the Amazons, on
the concave the battle of the gods and giants, on the sandals the
battle of the Lapiths and Centaurs. . . . On the basis the subject
carved is what they call ‘ the birth of Pandora,’ and the gods
present at the birth (nascenti for nascentes') were twenty in number.”
Connoisseurs specially admire the Victory and the snake, and the
bronze sphinx under the very crest. From other passages and
inscriptions it is known that the face, feet, and hands were, as
would be expected, ivory, and the pupils (“the middle of the
eyes ”) of precious stone ; that the figure of Nike wore a golden
wreath ; and that the spear held by the goddess was made of a
reed, presumably gilt. To these literary sources the following
works of art must be added :—
(1) The Varvakeion statuette in the Central Museum at Athens,
discovered 1880 (fig. 47).
(2) Certain Athenian coins (fig. 48, a and <5).
(3) The Lenormant statuette in the Central Museum at
Athens, discovered 1859 (fig. 49).
(4) The Strangford shield in the British Museum, discovered
1864 (fig. 51).
(5) The medallion of the Hermitage, discovered 1830 (fig. 52).
It must not be supposed that this list exhausts the probable
copies of the Parthenos. The four monuments to be discussed
present, however, all the actual details that can be recovered from
monumental sources.
A. The Vatvakeion statuette (fig. 47), though its value was at
first much over-estimated, gives the most complete notion of the
MYTHOLOGY OF ANCIENT ATHENS
DIV. D
these technical matters are mythologically of minor importance in
the case of a masterpiece by Pheidias, the interest is exceptional,
and what is known of the Parthenos must briefly be gathered together
before the question of the origin of her art-type and its relation
to other aspects of the goddess can be discussed. From Pausanias
we learn that Athene stood upright, clad in a cloak to the feet;
on her breast the head of Medusa, on her head a helmet adorned
with gryphons at the side and surmounted by a sphinx ; in one
hand she held a Nike four cubits high, in the other a spear ; and
at her feet was set a shield, and near her spear a snake. On
the pedestal was represented the birth of Pandora. Pliny97 sup-
plements the account with some important details ; he passes
over the splendour of the figure which was accredited, and its
height of twenty-six cubits, and calls attention to its remarkable
accessories as testimony to the skill of Pheidias—“ He worked
on the convex side of the shield the battle of the Amazons, on
the concave the battle of the gods and giants, on the sandals the
battle of the Lapiths and Centaurs. . . . On the basis the subject
carved is what they call ‘ the birth of Pandora,’ and the gods
present at the birth (nascenti for nascentes') were twenty in number.”
Connoisseurs specially admire the Victory and the snake, and the
bronze sphinx under the very crest. From other passages and
inscriptions it is known that the face, feet, and hands were, as
would be expected, ivory, and the pupils (“the middle of the
eyes ”) of precious stone ; that the figure of Nike wore a golden
wreath ; and that the spear held by the goddess was made of a
reed, presumably gilt. To these literary sources the following
works of art must be added :—
(1) The Varvakeion statuette in the Central Museum at Athens,
discovered 1880 (fig. 47).
(2) Certain Athenian coins (fig. 48, a and <5).
(3) The Lenormant statuette in the Central Museum at
Athens, discovered 1859 (fig. 49).
(4) The Strangford shield in the British Museum, discovered
1864 (fig. 51).
(5) The medallion of the Hermitage, discovered 1830 (fig. 52).
It must not be supposed that this list exhausts the probable
copies of the Parthenos. The four monuments to be discussed
present, however, all the actual details that can be recovered from
monumental sources.
A. The Vatvakeion statuette (fig. 47), though its value was at
first much over-estimated, gives the most complete notion of the