Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 4.djvu/143

Rh to liberate his country, and with the aid of certain among his friends, has valorously slain the thirty tyrants. Thrasybulus is an old man with shaven beard and hoary locks, he has his name inscribed beneath his feet, as have all the others.

Within one of the angles of the ceiling at the lower end of the Hall is further to be seen the Praetor Gcnutius Cippus, on whose head a bird had wonderfully alighted in such sort that its wings had the appearance of horns on the head; the oracle being consulted thereon, replied that Genutius would become king of the country, when the Praetor, although much advanced in years, determined to banish himself from his home rather than become instrumental to the subjugation of his native land, and departed into exile accordingly; this figure Domenico has therefore represented with a bird on his head. Beside Genutius is Charondas, who, having returned to his palace from his country house, has hastily repaired to the senate without having first divested himself of his armour, in contravention of a law which forbade the senators to enter into the senate armed, and who slays himself on becoming aware of the oversight which he has committed.

In the opposite angle, which is the last, is a circle exhibiting on one side Damon and Pythias, whose extraordinary friendship is known to all, and with whom is Dionysius, tyrant of Sicily. Beside these, and on the other side of the circle, is the seated figure of Brutus, who condemned his two sons to death because they had conspired to procure the return of the Tarquins to their country. This work, which was indeed a truly remarkable one, caused the Sienese to become fully aware of the art and ability of Domenico, who gave proof of a fine genius, extraordinary judgment, and singular knowledge of his vocation, in all that he did.

When the Emperor Charles Y. arrived for the first time in Italy, it was expected that he would pay a visit to Siena, seeing that he had expressed an intention to that effect to the ambassadors of the Republic. Among other preparations therefore, which were made for the reception of so great an Emperor, Domenico was commissioned to make a Horse, eight braccia high and in full relief; this he formed of pasteboard, or rather a kind of papier maché, hollow within, and maintained in its place by a frame-work of iron. On this