Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 6.djvu/605

 NOTICES OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL PUBLICATIONS. 4:2:5 bounding from below, appears to sympathise Yith the movements of his mistress. If in this design the swinger were the only figure, we might suppose nothing more to be represented than one of the usual summer amusements of Greek maidens; but the presence of Venus and Love elevates the subject above the sphere of ordinary life into the regions of mythology. It would, however, have been difficult to discover tlie name of the principal personage, but for a clue afforded by a description in Pausanias, of one of the celebrated pictm'es of antiquity. In the Greek fresco of Polygnotus, at Delphi, representing scenes fi-om the infernal regions, Pha3dra, the ill-fated step-mother of Hippolytus, was pictured seated in a swing ; the mode of her death being thus figuratively indicated by the artist. It is this very Phaedra who is the subject of the design before us ; and it is not without meaning that Cupid is the mover of the swing ; this betokens that her calamitous end was the consequence of her guilty love. '• This poetic treatment of so tragical a subject, was not the invention either of the artist who designed this vase, or of the earlier and more celebrated Polygnotus. Its origin must be sought for rather in that mode of softened expression, Euphemisntus, which formed an elementary principle of the Greek religion, and hence exercised a powerful influence over art and language, especially that of poetry. In accordance with this feeling, the Greeks gave Death the friendly name of ' Host of the Univeree,' or ' Gatherer of Nations ;' the image of Death was presented to the eye in the pleasant likeness of sleep, and the Furies -were called Eumenides, or ' gi'acious ones,' a propitiatory name. " The interpretation which we have proposed for this picture, is con- firmed by the accounts left us of a feast peculiar to Athens, called Aiora Tliis festival was held in order to commemorate the suicide of Erigone on the death of her father. King Icarius ; his servants, infuriated by intoxica- tion and the maddening influence of the dog-star, had murdered him, and his daughter in despair hung herself on the tree under which he had been buried. After this catastrophe, many women of Athens, seized with sudden plu'ensy, destroyed themselves by like means, the Oracle declaring that they were visited with this punishment from the gods, because the manea of Erigone was still unappeased. On each anniversary of her death a feast was therefore held, at which, in expiation of the ill-fated suicide, the Athenian women swung themselves. During this mournful rite, lays were chanted, such as Erigone might have sung while seeking her father." The second subject is a victorious Athlete, crowned by the genius or personification of Victory; a very graceful composition, marked by the peculiarity of a palm branch and vitta, or fillet, in each hand of the Athlete; and no doubt indicative of a double victory. We would humbly su'^gest that this double honour may have been more probably gained in the horse- race and foot-race, than in successfully throwing the spear; and the attitude of the youth seated behind, %vith uplifted hand, appears to us more like that of an admiring and congratulating friend, than of an envious and discontented competitor. Be this, however, as it may, we have here a charming design, which appears to have been derived by the potter from a celebrated picture in antiquity, no doubt then readily understood, and