DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.973#0025
EASTERN PEDIMENT OF PARTHENON. 17
forth, fully armed, from the brain of Zens. As all the
central part of this composition was already destroyed
when Carrey made his drawing of the pediment, we have
no direct information as to how the subject was treated.
A relief surrounding a puteal or well-head, now at
Madrid, has been thought to throw light on this question.
There Zeus is enthroned, looking to the right; Athene
is before him, armed, and advances to the right. Victory
flies towards her with a wreath. Behind the throne of
Zeus is Hephaestos, who has cleft the skull of Zeus with
his axe, and starts back in astonishment. On the extreme
right of the composition are the three Pates (Schneider,
Geburt der Athena, pi. 1; adapted to a pediment shape by
Faddegon and Six, Jahrbueh des Arch. Inst., 1894, p. 84).
Unfortunately the subordinate figures have, not a sufficient
resemblance to those which are still extant of the Parthe-
non pediment, to allow us to assume a direct connexion
between the pediment and the relief. Some such com-
position, however, seems more consonant with the dignity
of Athene than the scheme which occurs on vases and
Etruscan mirrors (e.g. on a vase in the British Museum,
No. B244; Guide to Dept. of Greek and Soman Antiqs., p. 168)
where the Goddess is represented as a diminutive figure,
above the head of Zeus. This conclusion is confirmed by
Sauer's recent examination of the ground of the pediment.
It is now proved that the middle of the east pediment
was occupied by two figures of equal importance, and not
by a single central figure of Zeus, such as is required, if
we suppose that the subject was treated according to the
tradition of the vase painters. It is further shown to be
probable that Zeus was seated on the left of the centre,
seen in profile and turned to the right, and that Athene
stood on the right of the centre, holding a spear in her
outstretched right hand. The whole group between the
figures G and K is thought, from the indications on the
forth, fully armed, from the brain of Zens. As all the
central part of this composition was already destroyed
when Carrey made his drawing of the pediment, we have
no direct information as to how the subject was treated.
A relief surrounding a puteal or well-head, now at
Madrid, has been thought to throw light on this question.
There Zeus is enthroned, looking to the right; Athene
is before him, armed, and advances to the right. Victory
flies towards her with a wreath. Behind the throne of
Zeus is Hephaestos, who has cleft the skull of Zeus with
his axe, and starts back in astonishment. On the extreme
right of the composition are the three Pates (Schneider,
Geburt der Athena, pi. 1; adapted to a pediment shape by
Faddegon and Six, Jahrbueh des Arch. Inst., 1894, p. 84).
Unfortunately the subordinate figures have, not a sufficient
resemblance to those which are still extant of the Parthe-
non pediment, to allow us to assume a direct connexion
between the pediment and the relief. Some such com-
position, however, seems more consonant with the dignity
of Athene than the scheme which occurs on vases and
Etruscan mirrors (e.g. on a vase in the British Museum,
No. B244; Guide to Dept. of Greek and Soman Antiqs., p. 168)
where the Goddess is represented as a diminutive figure,
above the head of Zeus. This conclusion is confirmed by
Sauer's recent examination of the ground of the pediment.
It is now proved that the middle of the east pediment
was occupied by two figures of equal importance, and not
by a single central figure of Zeus, such as is required, if
we suppose that the subject was treated according to the
tradition of the vase painters. It is further shown to be
probable that Zeus was seated on the left of the centre,
seen in profile and turned to the right, and that Athene
stood on the right of the centre, holding a spear in her
outstretched right hand. The whole group between the
figures G and K is thought, from the indications on the