Page:Greek Buildings Represented by Fragments in the British Museum (1908).djvu/141

 THE PARTHENON AND ITS SCULPTURES. 125 It may be recalled that Falkener, writing about 1850, in the "Classical Museum," suggested that a relief of Zeus and Hephaistos at Rome represented the left hand part of the central group. This was a remarkable intuition, for a similar pair of figures are on the larger relief at Madrid, which is now generally accepted as an authority for the pedimental figures. The best starting point for the interpretation of the sculptures of the eastern gable would seem to be other repre- sentations of the birth scene. Reinach, in his " Repertoire " of painted vases, 1899, gives eight versions, and another, still more important, is on the just-mentioned marble relief at Madrid. This last selects the moment when Athena of full stature con- fronts Zeus, and it probably not only represents the Parthenon form of the story but derives from it. All versions agree in having Zeus seated facing to the right ; all, except the marble, agree in having Ilithyia present, the goddess who attends at births (Fig. 124) ; one vase has her only besides Zeus and Athena. Most, except the marble, have several gods attendant on the scene — ^ApoUo, Poseidon, Hermes, Hera, Hephaistos, Ares, Dionysos, De- meter. On the marble and one vase appear the three Fates. We gather from this that the birth of Athena was a great traditional subject, for most of the vases are earlier than the Parthenon. Phidias might cast it into a classical form, but he might hardly vary outside a limited range. The existing figures may be conjectured to be anything, but the evidence should compel us to take the identifications which agree best with the tradition. Zeus must have been enthroned to the left of the centre facing to the right ; next to him must have been Athena and Hephaistos. The existing noble triad of goddesses to the right should be the Fates, as proposed by Visconti. The pair to the left should be Demeter and (probably) Persephone, as many have thought. (Fig. 119.) The reclining god still further to the left must be Dionysos. (Fig. 118.) He jni£-/i£ he Theseus, Fig. 124. — Zeus and Ilithyia ; from a Vase at the British Museutn.