DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.14144#0658
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PASITELES AND HIS SCHOOL.
CHAPTER LII.
PASITELES AND HIS SCHOOL.
PASITELES was a native of Magna Graecia,1 but lie acquired the
Roman citizenship very early in life, probably in the year 89 B.C, after
the Social War. Pliny says that he lived about the time of Pompey
the Great,2 and he was still in activity as late as the year 30 B.c, when
the Portico of Metcllus was rebuilt and received the name of Octavia.
For the Temple of Jupiter and Juno in this building he was commissioned
to make an Ivory statue of Jupiter, w hich would alone suffice to show
the high estimation in which he was held. His contemporary, the
learned Varro,3 speaks of him with great praise, and says that he was
'excellent in all things' which he undertook. Pliny, too, speaks of
him as an admirable writer, saying that he had composed ' five volumes
on the chief works of art throughout the world.'1 VVc learn from
Varro something of the manner in which he exercised his art.
' Pasiteles,' he says, ' called modelling in clay (plastice) the mother of
metal-chasing or toreutics {calatura), statuary and sculpture, and never
executed any work without first forming it in clay.'''
It is evident from the favourable testimony of his contemporaries
Varro and Cicero that Pasiteles developed in the region of art the
sound enlightened judgment, the pure and correct taste, which distin-
guish the literature of the Augustan age. He had the insight and
the wisdom to recognise the incapacity of his generation for original
creation, and endeavoured to found his school on the groundwork of
a deep study, and a close but not servile imitation, of the works of
1 I'lin. A'. II. xxxvi. 40.
' /hiJ. xxxiii. 154.
' Ap. I'lin. A'. //. xxxv, 156.
' A'. //. xxxvi. 39. 1 AW. xxxv. 156.
PASITELES AND HIS SCHOOL.
CHAPTER LII.
PASITELES AND HIS SCHOOL.
PASITELES was a native of Magna Graecia,1 but lie acquired the
Roman citizenship very early in life, probably in the year 89 B.C, after
the Social War. Pliny says that he lived about the time of Pompey
the Great,2 and he was still in activity as late as the year 30 B.c, when
the Portico of Metcllus was rebuilt and received the name of Octavia.
For the Temple of Jupiter and Juno in this building he was commissioned
to make an Ivory statue of Jupiter, w hich would alone suffice to show
the high estimation in which he was held. His contemporary, the
learned Varro,3 speaks of him with great praise, and says that he was
'excellent in all things' which he undertook. Pliny, too, speaks of
him as an admirable writer, saying that he had composed ' five volumes
on the chief works of art throughout the world.'1 VVc learn from
Varro something of the manner in which he exercised his art.
' Pasiteles,' he says, ' called modelling in clay (plastice) the mother of
metal-chasing or toreutics {calatura), statuary and sculpture, and never
executed any work without first forming it in clay.'''
It is evident from the favourable testimony of his contemporaries
Varro and Cicero that Pasiteles developed in the region of art the
sound enlightened judgment, the pure and correct taste, which distin-
guish the literature of the Augustan age. He had the insight and
the wisdom to recognise the incapacity of his generation for original
creation, and endeavoured to found his school on the groundwork of
a deep study, and a close but not servile imitation, of the works of
1 I'lin. A'. II. xxxvi. 40.
' /hiJ. xxxiii. 154.
' Ap. I'lin. A'. //. xxxv, 156.
' A'. //. xxxvi. 39. 1 AW. xxxv. 156.