Smith, Arthur H.; British Museum <London> / Department of Greek and Roman Antiquities [Editor]: A Catalogue of the sculptures of the Parthenon, in the British Museum (London, 1900)

18 CATALOGUE OF SCULPTURE.

pediment, to have consisted of the following figures, in
order from the left:—Standing figure, stepping inwards
(cf. Hermes of the west pediment); standing figure;
seated figure in profile to the right; figure standing
immediately behind Zeus; Zeus and Athene; Hephaestos
(H); seated figure in profile to the left; standing figure ;
standing figure turned to the left (J); standing figure
turned outwards (compare G).

If we confine our attention to the extant pedimental
figures, we find wide differences of opinion as to their
interpretation. The figures in the angles are the only-
ones as to which there can he no doubt. On the left the
sun-god, Helios, rises from the ocean, driving his car, and
on the right the moon-goddess Selene sets beneath the
horizon.

These two figures may be interpreted as marking the
boundaries either of Olympos or of the universe. It has
also been suggested that the Helios indicates the hour
at which the birth took place. This, according to Attic
tradition, was at sunrise.

Thus far the interpretation rests upon sure grounds.
Of the remaining figures in the pediment, J has been
generally recognised as Victory greeting the newly born
Goddess, and G has been generally taken for Iris,
announcing the news to the world (but see below, G).
None of the remaining figures have been conclusively
identified. Most of the numerous schemes of interpreta-
tion that have been proposed are exhibited in a table by
Michaelis (Der Parthenon, p. 165; cf. Guide to the Elgin
Boom L, Table A). As regards the general principles of
interpretation it is to be observed that the schemes may be
divided into two classes. We may either suppose with
the earlier critics, and, recently, with Furtwaengler, that
the space bounded by Helios and Selene represents
Olympos, and that all the figures contained within this