A Catalogue of Sculpture in the Department of Greek and Roman Antiquities Part 30

NOTE. The numbers of the slabs, painted in Roman figures on the lower moulding, and placed in the right-hand margin of this catalogue, agree throughout with the numbers of Michaelis. The numbers of the separate figures a.s.signed to them here and painted in Arabic numerals above the frieze, do not agree with those of Michaelis, except in the case of the west side.

EAST FRIEZE OF THE PARTHENON.

[Sidenote: =324.=]

[Rightnote: I.]

[Sidenote: 1.]

A man standing on the return face of slab xliv. (South Frieze), looks back as if to make a signal to the procession approaching along the south side, and thus makes a connection between the south and east sides of the frieze.

[Rightnote: II.]

[Sidenote: 2-5.]

With slab ii. the band of maidens leading the southern half of the procession begins. When complete the slab contained five maidens, each probably carrying a circular bowl, with a boss in the centre ([Greek: phiale omphalote]); portions now remain of four alone; compare however No. 345, _1_. They are draped in long chiton and mantle. [Two casts of the slab are exhibited, side by side, in order to represent the missing portion.]

[Rightnote: III.]

[Sidenote: 6-10.]

Five maidens carry each a wine jug, supposed to be of gold or silver. Several such vessels occur in the Treasure lists of the Parthenon. No. 6 wears a chiton with diplodion; Nos. 7-10 have a chiton and mantle.

[Sidenote: 11-14.]

In front of these are four maidens, walking in pairs. Nos. 12 and 14 each carry in the right hand an object not unlike the stand of an ancient candelabrum, which tapers upwards from its base. This object is more distinctly shown on the marble between Nos. 11 and 12, than between Nos. 13 and 14. It is encircled by a double torus moulding at the top, and above this moulding a hole is pierced in the marble, as if there was here a ring for suspension or to serve as a handle. It is probable that these are metallic objects of some kind, which, like the censer carried by No. 55 on the opposite side of the eastern frieze, were part of the sacred furniture used in the festival and usually kept in the Treasury of Athene. Michaelis suggests that they may be the stands, _krateutae_, in which turned the ends of the spits used in roasting the sacrifice. This would explain the ring at the top.

[Sidenote: 15, 16.]

A pair of maidens with empty hands leads the procession. Nos.

11-16 are all dressed alike, in long chiton, with diplodion, together with a small mantle. They also appear to have the hair similarly dressed. It falls in a ma.s.s on the shoulders, as in the Caryatid of the Erechtheion (No. 407).

[Sidenote: 17.]

[Sidenote: 18.]

In front of the procession is a man, probably one of the marshals, who seems to approach a group of five persons, and to hold out his hand as if with a gesture of greeting to the nearest of the group.

This figure is turned towards the marshal, and leans heavily on his staff which is seen below his knees. The marble fragment with parts of the feet of Nos. 16 and 17 was acquired from the collection of M. Steinhauser. The lower part of No. 18 is cast from a fragment at Athens.

[Rightnote: IV.]

[Sidenote: 19-22.]

On the left of the next slab are four men of the same character as No. 18. They all wear himation and boots. They converse in pairs and stand in easy att.i.tudes, leaning on their staffs. There is a corresponding group of four male figures (Nos. 42-45) on slab vi., and Michaelis supposes that the group of five figures (Nos. 18-22) and the opposite group (Nos. 42-45) of four figures represent the nine Archons. That they are functionaries of high rank can hardly be doubted, when we consider their privileged place between the head of the procession on each side and the seated divinities, but they might well be Athlothetae, who controlled all the arrangements (Aristotle, [Greek: Ath. pol.] ed. Kenyon, 60).

[Sidenote: 23-40.]

The central portion of the eastern frieze now to be described has been the subject of much controversy. Nearly all the authorities who have written on this question agree in recognising the two groups of seated figures as deities. This is indicated not only by the dignity of their appearance but also by their scale. While the figures of the mortals are about 3 ft. 2 in. high, those of the deities are about 4 ft. 4 in. high. Though by the principle known as Isokephalism the heads in a relief are usually nearly on a level, this marked difference of scale can hardly fail to indicate divine rank; compare the frieze of the Theseion (No. 404). There is, however, a wide divergence of opinion as to the particular divinities here represented. From the destruction of most of the faces and the absence of attributes or other indications by which the figures can be severally identified, it is very difficult to judge between the rival schemes of interpretation which have been proposed. In Michaelis' _Parthenon_, pp. 262, 263, a tabular view is given of these schemes (cf. _Guide to the Elgin Room_, I., Table C). The attributions proposed by Michaelis himself are for the most part adopted here, with certain changes suggested by Flasch in his memoir: _Zum Parthenonfries_ (Wurzburg, 1877).

The interpretations proposed by those who hold that the seated figures are deities, are of two kinds. Most writers have tried to identify some at least of the figures with personages who were worshipped near the Acropolis, or connected with the mythological history of Athens. By this system, deities of lower rank such as the Dioscuri, or heroes like Triptolemos are admitted, on the frieze, to the company of the Olympian G.o.ds. Petersen and Flasch, on the other hand, argue that the twelve Olympian deities are represented in the two groups, without regard to local considerations. Hestia alone is omitted, who always stays in Olympos to keep the hearth. (Plato, _Phaedr._, 247_a_). Petersen subst.i.tutes Peitho for Hestia; he also introduces Dionysos (24), making No. 38 Apollo. Artemis is thus excluded from his scheme.

The arrangement of Flasch is happier, as Hestia alone is excluded of the Olympian divinities. The attributions proposed by Michaelis, Petersen, and Flasch are as follow, where they differ between themselves:--

No. Michaelis. Petersen. Flasch.

24. Dionysos. Dionysos. Apollo.

25. Demeter. Demeter. Artemis.

26. Triptolemos. Ares. Ares.

27. Nike. Nike? Iris.

38. Apollo Patroos. Apollo. Dionysos.

39. Peitho. Peitho. Demeter.

[Sidenote: 23.]

[Sidenote: 24.]

[Sidenote: 25.]

[Sidenote: 26.]

The earlier writers saw the Dioscuri, Castor and Pollux in the two figures, Nos. 23, 24. It is now generally agreed that the youthful elastic figure to the left is Hermes, of whom the high boots, and the petasos spread on his knees are specially characteristic. His right hand is pierced and has held a metallic object, probably the herald's staff, caduceus. The drapery is a small chlamys fastened by a brooch, but at present worn about the loins. The more robust figure leaning on his shoulder (No. 24), has his body turned in a direction contrary to that of Hermes, and the singular manner in which his lower limbs are so arranged as to clasp between them the knees of the seated G.o.ddess (No. 25) seems to indicate some intimate and special relation between them. The G.o.ddess holds a torch, the usual attribute of Demeter, and Michaelis sees in the group (Nos. 24-26) the triad of Dionysos, Demeter, and Triptolemos. Flasch recognises Apollo and Artemis in Nos. 24, 25, on the ground of their intimate relationship. If we adopt this interpretation of this group, it follows that the youthful figure (No. 26) cannot be Triptolemos. We must rather look for an Olympian deity in this figure, and the suggestion that it represents Ares, which has found favour with several interpreters of this frieze, seems liable only to one objection, that the form appears too slight and youthful. The somewhat negligent att.i.tude is that of a person tired of sitting on a seat without a back, and clasping his knee with his hands, to relieve the spine of the weight of the head and shoulders. Flasch absurdly describes the att.i.tude as that of a pa.s.sionate character, forcibly restraining himself.

[Rightnote: V.]

[Sidenote: 27-29.]

The bearded figure (No. 29) on the left of the central group is distinguished from the rest by the form, and ornaments of his chair, which has a back and a side rail which is supported by a Sphinx, while all the other figures are seated on stools. It has been generally admitted that this deity is Zeus. It is therefore reasonable to suppose that the G.o.ddess seated next to him (No.

28) is his consort, Hera. The type and action of this figure who raises her veil, and looks towards Zeus, are very suitable to her.

The winged maidenly figure (No. 27) standing behind Hera must be either Nike or Iris, and is probably Iris, whose station is close to Hera, while Nike is usually more closely a.s.sociated with Zeus (Murray, _Cla.s.s. Rev._ iii., p. 285). The head of Iris which was discovered in 1889 in the excavations on the Acropolis is admirably perfect. The left hand raises a ma.s.s of the hair as if to coil it on the head (Plate vi., fig. 1).

The slab to which the head belongs was removed from its original position at some early time, probably at the conversion of the Parthenon into a church, when an apse was built at the eastern end. In 1672 it stood on the ground (cf. Michaelis, pp. 47, 258), and the faces seem to have suffered deliberate mutilation.

The exquisite preservation of the head of Iris is explained if, as is suggested, it was broken off in the sixth century, and immediately built into a Byzantine wall (Waldstein, _American Journ. of Archaeology_, v. pl. 2, p. 1).

[Sidenote: 30-34.]

Between the group of G.o.ds just described and the corresponding group on the right side of the centre, we have a group of five figures.

We must suppose that these figures are in front of the two groups of G.o.ds who sit in a continuous semicircle. (Murray, ii. pl. 1.)

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 10.--Slave with seat.]

No. 30 is a maiden holding an uncertain object, perhaps a casket in her left hand, and supporting on her head a seat ([Greek: diphros]) covered with a cushion, not unlike the seats on which the G.o.ds are, but smaller. She has a small pad ([Greek: tyle]) on her head to make the weight easier to bear. The legs of the seat are now wanting, but a rivet hole near the maiden's right elbow shows where one leg was attached. The other may have been painted on the ground of the frieze. The cut (fig. 10), showing one of the slaves of Cepheus carrying a stool with a cushion, is taken from a vase in the British Museum, No. E. 188.

No. 31 is another maiden, advancing slowly to the right, bearing on her head a seat similar to that carried by No. 30. The foremost leg of the seat still exists, being of marble. The position of the hinder leg is marked by a rivet hole. On each of these stools is a circular object, probably a thick cushion. These two figures have been called Arrhephori, or Ersephori, on the a.s.sumption that they are carrying those mystic objects, the nature of which it was forbidden to divulge; but it is doubtful whether the Arrhephori took part in the Panathenaic festival. There is evidence that the priestess of Athene had two attendants, of whom one was called [Greek: kosmo] (Adorner), and the other [Greek: trapezophoros]

(Table-bearer, Harpocration), or [Greek: trapezo] (Hesychius emended), and it has been suggested that Nos. 30, 31 may have these t.i.tles, and a corresponding ritual significance. Neither figure, however, carries a table. (Miss Harrison, _Cla.s.s. Rev._ iii., p. 378; cf. _ibid._, p. 423; and Waldstein, _Journ. of h.e.l.len. Studies_, xi., p. 143). The same names were proposed by C.

O. Muller in 1820, but merely on the supposition that two of the Ersephori were thus styled. (Muller, _Minervae Poliadis Sacra_, p. 15.) On the other hand, Diphrophori are mentioned by several ancient authors as being in attendance on the n.o.ble Athenian maidens. They were the daughters of aliens, and perhaps inferior rank as well as youth is indicated by the scale on which they are represented. No. 31 is confronted by a large and matronly woman (No. 32), who raises her right hand to the under side of the chair. Archaeologists have been uncertain whether the woman (No.

32) has just placed the chairs on the heads of the maidens, or is just about to remove them. There can be little doubt, however, that No. 31, if we consider the position of her feet, has hardly ceased approaching to No. 32, who is just raising her hands to lift down the chair (cf. Flasch, _Zum Parthenonfries_, p. 83). The left hand instinctively prevents the himation being displaced by the raising of the right arm.