Walters, Henry Beauchamp: Catalogue of the bronzes, Greek, Roman, and Etruscan in the Department of Greek and Roman Antiquities, British Museum (London, 1899)

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CATALOGUE OF BRONZES.

careful. Apuleius (Met. x. 233) mentions that he saw a pantomime or burlesque of the
Judgment of Paris performed at Corinth, but perhaps the Etruscan origin of this scene is
sufficient in itself to account for any grotesque or unusual details. Anotlier explanation of the
scene is that it represents the race of Atalanta and Meilanion (Murray, op. cit. p. 140).

746. Cista. Round the body is a frieze with scenes from the Trojan cycle : (1)
the combat of Paris and Menelaos (//. iii. 355 ff.). On the 1. Paris advances,
with shield on 1. arm, brandishing his sword in r. ; he is beardless, and wears a
Phrygian helmet with engrailed crest, cuirass, and short chiton. Menelaos
stands with 1. foot on a rock, seen from behind, with face turned to 1. to watch
the onslaught of Paris, against whom he defends himself with shield (device of
Gorgoneion) and sword ; he is bearded, with high-crested helmet in the form of
a Satyr’s mask (bearded), chlamys on 1. arm, and sword-belt over r. shoulder.
Between them is Aphrodite interposing, advancing to r. with sword in r. hand
and pelta in 1.; she is winged, and her hair is tied at the roots with a fillet; she
wears a necklace and from her 1. arm hangs a mantle. (Cf. the episode of
Aeneas and Diomede, II. v. 311.)

(2) Achilles with the corpse of Penthesileia, and Thersites : In the

foreground lies the body of Penthesileia with face upturned, feet to 1., and
elbows bent, the r. side pierced by a spear ; under it is a mantle, which covers
the feet. Achilles stands to the front over it on the further side, with shield on
1. arm (device of Gorgoneion with engrailed border), brandishing a sword in r.
hand ; he is beardless, and wears crested visored helmet, cuirass, short chiton,
greaves, and chlamys floating behind like the wings of a butterfly. On the r.
Thersites advances, with shield on 1. arm (device as Achilles), about to plunge
his spear into the eyes of Penthesileia (as related in the Aethiopis); he is
beardless, with rougli hair, and on his 1. arm is a chlamys. On the 1. of this
scene is a mounted Amazon to r., with spear couched at her side ; she wears a
chlamys and endrcmides.

(3) Combat of Greeks and Amazons, in two groups : (a) An Amazon to
]., with short chiton, cuirass, and chlamys as Achilles above (with border of stars),
seizes the hair of a fallen Greek in 1. hand, and plunges her sword into his r.
shoulder; the Greek is fallen on r. knee to 1., and is nude and beardless, with
sword in r. hand. Next (b) is a Greek w'arrior to the front, looking to r., and
seizing the bridle of a horse on which an Amazon is mounted ; he has a sword
in r. hand, and is beardless, with bordered chlamys floating behind like that
of Achilles. The Amazon attacks him with a battle-axe ; she wears endromides,
and a chlamys round 1. arm. Between these two groups is a shield standing
on its edge. The ground is indicated by rocks throughout. Above and below
the frieze are borders of palmettes alternately upright and inverted. The cista
stands on three feet in the form of lion’s claws, on which are figures of a
iioness in relief, running to 1.

On the cover are two incised designs : (1) Lion to r. and Gryphon con-
fronted, each with one paw raised ; between them, a ram’s head to 1. (2) Two

Gryphons (?) confronted ; the one on the 1. has a goat’s head (?), the other, beak