DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.5309#0036
ANTIQUE SIREN.
The woman in this bass-relief, so masterly executed, who appears with the legs of a
bird, and all the symptoms of distraction in her countenance, in the act of tearing her
hair, might be taken for one of the two daughters of Pandion, King of Athens, either
Philomel or Progne, both transformed into birds, the first into a nightingale, and the
other into a swallow. What gives some weight to this opinion is, that Pausanias1
mentions a sculpture by Alcamenes, and placed by him in the Acropolis, in which
Progne was drawn in such attitude as expressed her resolution to murder her son Itys.
We find likewise, in the same author, that the portals of the Ceramicus were decorated
with the images of those ancient females, that were renowned for their adventures.2
Notwithstanding all this, I am led to think that our marble represents a Siren in a
state of affliction from the victory obtained by the Muses ; the enticing daughters of
Achelous and Calliope having had the same unfortunate contest, that is related of the
Pierides, as appears in many monuments. The legs of a nightingale, or of a swallow,
are characteristical in the figuration of Sirens, but cannot be thought sufficient to indi-
cate the metamorphosis of Philomel or Progne. Nor can it avail to object, that besides
the legs of birds, the Sirens have also wings ; for in this particular the ancients differ.
Heraclides,3 in his book de Incredibilibus, mentions the Sirens in two places, and in
both describes them with the legs of birds, and without wings. It is not unreasonable
to suppose that our Siren was sculptured without wings, the better to express the occa-
sion of her grief; since Poets tell us, that the Sirens had their wings clipped by the
Muses, and the name of Aptera, a city in Crete, is traced to that adventure.4
TELEPHUS.
The hero half naked in this monument evidently appears to be Telephus, son of
Hercules. Having derived his name from the hind, by which he was suckled, that
animal is generally made the characteristic of his representation. The mutilated female
figure may be Auge, his mother. This bass-relief was discovered at Megara, a Doric
city5 peopled by the posterity of Hercules, who probably meant to honour the memory
of their ancestor with this sculpture.
17
The woman in this bass-relief, so masterly executed, who appears with the legs of a
bird, and all the symptoms of distraction in her countenance, in the act of tearing her
hair, might be taken for one of the two daughters of Pandion, King of Athens, either
Philomel or Progne, both transformed into birds, the first into a nightingale, and the
other into a swallow. What gives some weight to this opinion is, that Pausanias1
mentions a sculpture by Alcamenes, and placed by him in the Acropolis, in which
Progne was drawn in such attitude as expressed her resolution to murder her son Itys.
We find likewise, in the same author, that the portals of the Ceramicus were decorated
with the images of those ancient females, that were renowned for their adventures.2
Notwithstanding all this, I am led to think that our marble represents a Siren in a
state of affliction from the victory obtained by the Muses ; the enticing daughters of
Achelous and Calliope having had the same unfortunate contest, that is related of the
Pierides, as appears in many monuments. The legs of a nightingale, or of a swallow,
are characteristical in the figuration of Sirens, but cannot be thought sufficient to indi-
cate the metamorphosis of Philomel or Progne. Nor can it avail to object, that besides
the legs of birds, the Sirens have also wings ; for in this particular the ancients differ.
Heraclides,3 in his book de Incredibilibus, mentions the Sirens in two places, and in
both describes them with the legs of birds, and without wings. It is not unreasonable
to suppose that our Siren was sculptured without wings, the better to express the occa-
sion of her grief; since Poets tell us, that the Sirens had their wings clipped by the
Muses, and the name of Aptera, a city in Crete, is traced to that adventure.4
TELEPHUS.
The hero half naked in this monument evidently appears to be Telephus, son of
Hercules. Having derived his name from the hind, by which he was suckled, that
animal is generally made the characteristic of his representation. The mutilated female
figure may be Auge, his mother. This bass-relief was discovered at Megara, a Doric
city5 peopled by the posterity of Hercules, who probably meant to honour the memory
of their ancestor with this sculpture.
17