Page:Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology (1870) - Volume 3.djvu/264

Rh 252 PHEIDIAS. goddess, by Lachares. (Paus. Lc.) Bet^'cen the shields were inscriptions. The tympana of the pediments of the temple were filled with most magnificent groups of sculpture, that in the front, or eastern face, representing the birth of Athena, and that in the western face the contest of Athena with Poseidon for the land of Attica. (Paus. i. 24. § 5.) Tile mode in which the legend is represented, and the identification of the figures, in each of these groups, has long been a very difficult problem. The most recent and most elaborate essay on the subject is that by Welcker, On the sculptured Groups in the Pediments of the Parthenon, in the Classical Musetim^ vol. ii. pp. 367, &c. We pass on to the other works of Pheidias at Athens. 9. A bronze s<^atue of Apollo Parnopius in the Acropolis. (Paus. i. 24. § 8.) 10. An Aphrodite Urania of Parian marble in her temple near the Cerameicus. (Paus. ibid.) 11. A statue of the Mother of ilie Gods, sitting on a throne supported by lions, and holding a cymbal in her hand, in the Metroum, near the Cerameicus. The material is not stated. (Paus. i. 3. § 4; Arrian. PeripL Pont. Eux. p. 9.) 12. The golden throne of the bronze statue of Athena Hygieia, in the Acropolis, is enumerated by Sillig as among the works of Pheidias ; but we rather think that the words t^s ^(^ov refer to the great statue in the Parthenon, and not to the appa- rent antecedent in the preceding sentence, which is, in fact, part of a digression. Of the statues which Pheidias made for other Greek states, by far the first place must be as- signed to — 13. The colossal irjory and gold statue of Zeus in his great temple in the Altis or sacred grove at Olympia. The fullest description of the statue is that given by Pausanias (v. 1 1 ). The statue was placed in the prodomus or front chamber of the temple, directly facing the entrance, and with its back against the wall which separated the prodomus from the opisthodomus^ so that it at once showed itself in all its grandeur to a spectator entering the temple. It was only visible, however, on great festivals, at other times it was concealed by a magnificent curtain ; the one used in the time of Pausanias had been presented by king Antiochus. (Paus. v. 12. § 4.) The god was re- presented as seated on a throne of cedar wood, adorned with gold, ivory, ebony, stones, and co- lours, crowned with a wreath of olive, liolding in his right hand an ivory and gold statue of Victory, with a fillet in her hand and a crown upon her head, and in his left hand supporting a sceptre, which was ornamented with all sorts of metals, and surmounted by an eagle. The robe, which covered the lower part of the figure, and the sandals of the god were golden, the former, as we learn from Strabo, of beaten gold {(xcpvfy^Karos), and on the robe were represented (whether by painting or chasing Pausanias does not say, but the former is by far the more probable) various animals and flowers, especially lilies. The throne was brilliant both with gold and stones, and with ebony and ivory, and was ornamented with figures both painted and sculptured. There were four "Victories in the attitude of dancing, against each leg of the throne, and two others at the foot of each leg. Each of the front legs was surmounted by a group representing a Theban youth seized by PHEIDIAS. a Sphinx, and beneath each of these groups (that is, on the face of the bar which joined the top of the front legs to the back) Apollo and Artemis were represented shooting at the children of Niobe. The legs of the throne were united by four straight bars (Kavovis) sculptured with reliefs, the front one representing various athletic contests, and the other two (for the back one was not visible) the battle between the Amazons and the comrades of Hercules, among whom Theseus was represented. There were also pillars between the legs as addi- tional supports. The throne was surrounded by barriers or walls {cpvfxaTa rpoirov Toixuf Trenoir]- fJLeva), which prevented all access to it. Of these the one in front was simply painted dark blue, the others were adorned with pictures by Panaenus. The summit of the back of the throne, above the god's head, was surmounted on the one side by the three Graces, on the other by the three Hours, who were introduced here as being the daughters of Zeus, and the keepers of heaven. The footstool of the god was supported by four golden lions, and chased or painted with the battle of Theseus against the Amazons. The sides of the base, which supported the throne and the whole statue, and which must not be confounded with the Avails already mentioned*, were ornamented with sculp- tures in gold, representing Helios mounting his chariot ; Zeus and Hera ; Charis by the side of Zeus ; next to her Hermes ; then Hestia ; then Eros receiving Aphrodite as she rises from the sea, and Peitho crowning her. Here also were Apollo with Artemis, and Athena and Heracles, and at the extremity of the base Amphitrite and Poseidon, and Selene riding on a horse or a mule. Such is Pausanias's description of the figure, which will be found to be admirably illustrated in all its de- tails by the drawing, in which M. Quatremere de Quincy has attempted its restoration. (Bcittiger, who also gives an elaborate description of the statue, interprets some of the details differently. Andeutimgen., pp. 93 — 107.) Flaxman also has given a restoration of it {Lectures on Sculpture., pi, XX.), in which he assigns far less importance to the throne than De Quincy does, and less, indeed, than the description of Pausanias seems to suggest. The dimensions of the statue Pausanias professes ins inability to state ; but we learn from Strabo that it almost reached to the roof, which was about sixty feet in height. We have no such statement, as we have in the case of the Athena, of the weight of the gold upon the statue, but some idea of the greatness of its quantity may be formed from the statement of Lucian, that each lock of the hair weighed six minae {Jup. Trag. 25). The comple- tion of the statue is said by Pausanias to have been followed by a sign of the favour of Zeus, who, in answer to the prayer of Pheidias, struck the pave- jH ment in front of the statue with lightning, on a " spot which was marked by a bronze urn. This pavement was of black marble (no doubt to set oflf the brilliancy of the ivory and gold and colours), surrounded by a raised edge of Parian marble, which served to retain the oil that was poured over the statue, to preserve the ivory from the in- jurious effects of the moisture exhaled from the marshy ground of the Altis, just as, on the con- trary, water was used to protect the ivory of the article Panabnus.
 * This confusion was inadvertently made in the