DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.14144#0211
PHEIDIAS.
i7S
earlier years, but we can easily imagine the effect of those spirit-
stirring events on the susceptible mind of this richly gifted youth, as
he was just entering into life, in the full flush of his country's triumph.
Pheidias was the son of Charmidas,1 of whom nothing is known ; but
the fact that his brother, Pancenus,2 like Pheidias himself in his earlier3
years, was a painter, renders it probable that he belonged to a family
of artists. His first teacher—probably in the technical part of the
sculptor's art—was Hegcsias or Hegias.4 His second and most im-
portant instructor was Ageladas of Argos, who probably came to
Athens in Ol. 75. 4 (B.C.'476), when the rebuilding of the city began,
and when Pheidias was still a young man. Pheidias appears to have
begun his career as a painter, and as such to have come into contact
with his great contemporary Polygnotus, whose pictorial influence on
the style of Pheidias is traced by some writers in the sculptures of
the Thcseion. As an independent sculptor he appears first under the
administration of Cimon, about the year B.C. 471 ; but his greatest
works were executed during the brilliant administration of his friend
and patron Pericles, who entrusted to him the entire and absolute
control over the public works with which he sought to enrich and
adorn the city. From the meagre notices which have come down
to us, we gather that he shared in the illustrious statesman's perils
as well as his glory. Like the philosopher Anaxagoras and the
gifted hetacra, Aspasia, he was exposed to the bitter enmity of those
who envied him his fame and the friendship of Pericles.'' ' When he
became the friend of Pericles, and acquired the greatest influence
through him, some became his enemies through envy, and others
wished to test in him the opinion of the Demos concerning Pericles,1'
whom they feared to attack directly.' A brother artist of Pheidias,
named Medon, was suborned to accuse him of embezzling the gold
of which the robe of the Athene Parthenos7 was to be made. When
1 Stiabo, viii. p. 353. Pausan. v. 10. 2.
The inscription on the base of the Zeus at
Olympia was 4>ci5i'as Xap/iiSov v"us 'AOTjcaios
fi' t7TOl'7J(T€.
' Pausan. v. II. 6. Strabo (viii. 353)
calls Pancenus a8f Acj>i5»0s.
" 1'lin. A'. 11. xxxv. 54.
4 Dio Chrysostom, Oral. 35. 1, p. 282.
1 Plut. Perk. 13 : Tli-vra 5e 8ieTir( xal
tTti<TKO-KOS fjV aUTtp 'I'liOim ....
jVfffTOTCi rois Tex^iVais 5ia <pi\'iav TlfptK\tous.
Conf. Dio Chrysostom, Oral. 12. 55, p. 402.
• Plut. Peric. 31.
' Eusebius (Chron.) dates this statue
i7S
earlier years, but we can easily imagine the effect of those spirit-
stirring events on the susceptible mind of this richly gifted youth, as
he was just entering into life, in the full flush of his country's triumph.
Pheidias was the son of Charmidas,1 of whom nothing is known ; but
the fact that his brother, Pancenus,2 like Pheidias himself in his earlier3
years, was a painter, renders it probable that he belonged to a family
of artists. His first teacher—probably in the technical part of the
sculptor's art—was Hegcsias or Hegias.4 His second and most im-
portant instructor was Ageladas of Argos, who probably came to
Athens in Ol. 75. 4 (B.C.'476), when the rebuilding of the city began,
and when Pheidias was still a young man. Pheidias appears to have
begun his career as a painter, and as such to have come into contact
with his great contemporary Polygnotus, whose pictorial influence on
the style of Pheidias is traced by some writers in the sculptures of
the Thcseion. As an independent sculptor he appears first under the
administration of Cimon, about the year B.C. 471 ; but his greatest
works were executed during the brilliant administration of his friend
and patron Pericles, who entrusted to him the entire and absolute
control over the public works with which he sought to enrich and
adorn the city. From the meagre notices which have come down
to us, we gather that he shared in the illustrious statesman's perils
as well as his glory. Like the philosopher Anaxagoras and the
gifted hetacra, Aspasia, he was exposed to the bitter enmity of those
who envied him his fame and the friendship of Pericles.'' ' When he
became the friend of Pericles, and acquired the greatest influence
through him, some became his enemies through envy, and others
wished to test in him the opinion of the Demos concerning Pericles,1'
whom they feared to attack directly.' A brother artist of Pheidias,
named Medon, was suborned to accuse him of embezzling the gold
of which the robe of the Athene Parthenos7 was to be made. When
1 Stiabo, viii. p. 353. Pausan. v. 10. 2.
The inscription on the base of the Zeus at
Olympia was 4>ci5i'as Xap/iiSov v"us 'AOTjcaios
fi' t7TOl'7J(T€.
' Pausan. v. II. 6. Strabo (viii. 353)
calls Pancenus a8f Acj>i5»0s.
" 1'lin. A'. 11. xxxv. 54.
4 Dio Chrysostom, Oral. 35. 1, p. 282.
1 Plut. Perk. 13 : Tli-vra 5e 8ieTir( xal
tTti<TKO-KOS fjV aUTtp 'I'liOim ....
jVfffTOTCi rois Tex^iVais 5ia <pi\'iav TlfptK\tous.
Conf. Dio Chrysostom, Oral. 12. 55, p. 402.
• Plut. Peric. 31.
' Eusebius (Chron.) dates this statue