INTRODUCTION.
37
upon them; most of them also have the two breasts of a
woman, and upon the back traces of long female hair. One
of these owl-headed idols has the form of a vessel, with a
funnel on each side in the shape of a smaller vessel; the
front part of the body of the goddess, up to the neck, is
covered by a long shield, and on the back of the body there
is the long female hair hanging down, like that of the
Karyatides in the Acropolis of Athens. Upon several of
these terra-cotta idols there are indications of wings.
No. 31. Remarkable Trojan Terra-cotta Vase, representing the Ilian Athena (9 M.).
These owl-faced female figures, which occur so fre-
quently upon the cups, vases and idols, can represent but
one goddess, and this goddess can be none other than
Athena, the tutelary goddess of Troy, all the more so as
Homer continually calls her " 6ea yXavKamis 'AOtjvt) ; " for
yhavKtovis" has been wrongly translated by the scholars
°f every century, and does not signify " with bright and
sparkling eyes," but "with the face of an owl." The
natural conclusion, in the first place, is that Homer per-
fectly well knew that the owl-faced Athena was the tutelary
goddess of Troy; secondly, that the locality whose depths
* have ransacked for three years must be the spot " ubi
iroja fuit;" and thirdly, that, in the progress of civilization,
alias Athena received a human face, and her former owl's
head was transformed into her favourite bird, the owl,
37
upon them; most of them also have the two breasts of a
woman, and upon the back traces of long female hair. One
of these owl-headed idols has the form of a vessel, with a
funnel on each side in the shape of a smaller vessel; the
front part of the body of the goddess, up to the neck, is
covered by a long shield, and on the back of the body there
is the long female hair hanging down, like that of the
Karyatides in the Acropolis of Athens. Upon several of
these terra-cotta idols there are indications of wings.
No. 31. Remarkable Trojan Terra-cotta Vase, representing the Ilian Athena (9 M.).
These owl-faced female figures, which occur so fre-
quently upon the cups, vases and idols, can represent but
one goddess, and this goddess can be none other than
Athena, the tutelary goddess of Troy, all the more so as
Homer continually calls her " 6ea yXavKamis 'AOtjvt) ; " for
yhavKtovis" has been wrongly translated by the scholars
°f every century, and does not signify " with bright and
sparkling eyes," but "with the face of an owl." The
natural conclusion, in the first place, is that Homer per-
fectly well knew that the owl-faced Athena was the tutelary
goddess of Troy; secondly, that the locality whose depths
* have ransacked for three years must be the spot " ubi
iroja fuit;" and thirdly, that, in the progress of civilization,
alias Athena received a human face, and her former owl's
head was transformed into her favourite bird, the owl,