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Immagines)
"The Imagines of the Elder Philostratus must count as one of the great ruins of antiquity."--"Philostratus and the Imaginary Museum" by Norman Bryson cited in Vision and Textuality (1995)
"I was lodging outside the walls in a suburb facing the sea, where there was a portico built on four, I think, or possibly five terraces, open to the west wind and looking out on the Tyrrhenian sea. It was resplendent with all the marbles favoured by luxury, but it was particularly splendid by reason of the panel-paintings set in the walls, paintings which I though had been collected with real judgment, for they exhibited the skill of very many painters. The idea had already occurred to me that I ought to speak in praise of the paintings, when the son of my host, quite a young boy, only ten years old but already an ardent listener and eager to learn, kept watching me as I went from one to another and asking me to interpret them. So in order that he might not think me ill-bred, “Very well,” I said, “we will make them the subject of a discourse as soon as the young men come.” And when they came, I said, “Let me put the boy in front and address to him my effort at interpretation; but do you follow, not only agreeing but also asking questions if anything I say is not clear.”"--context of first volume The Imagines
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Eikones (Images or Imagines) is a work in Ancient Greek in two volumes describing and explaining various artworks. The first volume is generally attributed to Philostratus of Lemnos, or possibly to his more famous father-in-law Philostratus of Athens. The second volume is by the grandson of Philostratus of Lemnos, known as Philostratus the Younger. It ostensibly describes 64 works of art seen by Philostratus in Naples. The entire work is framed in terms of explaining art, its symbols and meaning, to a young audience. The author of the work in the introduction states that the ten-year old son of his host was the immediate cause of the composition of this work and that the author will structure the book and each of its chapters as if this boy is being addressed.
Goethe, Welcker, Brunn, E. Bertrand and Wolfgang Helbig, among others, have held that the Imagines are ekphrases of actually existing works of art, while Heyne and Friederichs claim that they are imaginary paintings. In any case they are interesting as showing the way in which ancient artists treated mythological and other subjects, and are written with artistic knowledge and in attractive language. A second series of Imagines was produced by his grandson.
See also
Full text[1]
Edited and translated by T. E. Page, E. Capps, and W. H. D. Rouse
Full text of "Imagines"
OH
THE LIBRARY
of
VICTORIA UNIVERSITY
Toronto
THE LOEB CLASSICAL LIBRARY
EDITED BY
T. E. PAGE, LiTT.D.
E. CAPPS, PH.D., LL.D. W. H. D. ROUSE, litt.d.
PHILOSTRATUS THE ELDER
IMAGINES
PHILOSTRATUS THE YOUNGER
IMAGINES
CALLISTRATUS
DESCRIPTIONS
THE LYRE OF AMPHION
BOOK I DESCRIPTION lO
NOTE OX ILLUSTRATION
The fronljspiece is an atlempted reconstruction of the
Lyre described in 1. 10. The drawing is made from the
description of Philosfratus interpreted in the light of
various Greet vase paintings by J/?s>? 31. L. Fairbanks,
PHILOSTEATUS
IMAGINES
CALLISTEATUS
DESCRIPTIONS
WITH AX ENGLISH TRAXSLATION BY
ARTHUR FAIRBANKS, Litt.D.
PROFESSOR OF FEfE ARTS IN DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
LONDON: WILLIAM HEINEMANN LTD
NEW YORK: G. P. PUTNAM'S SONS
MCMXXXI
133/
Printed in Great Britain
4-9704-
4-11-31
CONTENTS
PAGE
LIST OF DESCRTPTIO>'S vi
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS ix
MANUSCRIPTS ; EDITIONS xii
PHILOSTRATUS THE ELDER
INTRODUCTION XV
IMAGINES, BOOK I 1
,, BOOK II 127
PHILOSTRATUS THE YOUNGER
INTRODUCTION 275
IMAGINES 281
CALLISTRATUS
INTRODUCTION 369
DESCRIPTIONS 375
INDEX 425
LIST OF DESCRIPTIONS
PlIILOSTRATUS, IMAGINES, BoOK I
PAGE
Introduction 3
1. Scamandcr 7
2. Comus 9
3. Fables 13
4. Menoeceus 15
5. Dwarfs 19
6. Cupids 21
7. Memnon 29
8. Amymone 33
9. A Marsh 35
10. Amphion 41
11. Phaethon 45
12. Bosphoros 49
13. Bosphoros 55
14. Semele 59
15. Ariadne 61
16. Pasiphae 65
17. Hippodameia . 69
18. Bacchantes 73
19. The Tyrrhenian Pirates 75
20. Satyrs 81
21. Olympus 83
22. Midas 85
23. Narcissus 89
24. Hyacinthus 93
25. Andrians 97
26. Birth of Hermes 99
27. Amphiaraus 105
28. Hunters 107
29. Perseus 115
30. Pelops 119
31. Xenia 123
vi
LIST OF DESCRIPTIONS
Book II
pac;e
1. Singers 129
2. The Education of Achillea- 133
3. Female Centaurs 139
4. Hippolytus 141
0. Rhodogoune 145
6. Arricliion 149
7. Antilochus 155
8. Melcs 159
9. Pantheia 165
10. Cassandra 171
11. Pan 177
12. Pindar 179
13. The Gvraean Pvocks 181
14. Thessaly 185
15. Glaucus Pontius 187
16. Palaemon 191
17. Islands 195
18. Cyclops 211
19. Phorbas 215
20. Atlas 219
21. Antaeus 223
22. Heracles among the Pygmies 229
23. The Madness of Heracles 231
24. Theiodamas 237
25. The Burial of Abderus 239
26. Xenia 243
27. The Birth of Athena 245
28. Looms 249
29. Antigone 253
30. Evadne 255
31. Themistocles 259
32. Palaestra 263
33. Dodona 267
34. Horae 269
Philostratus the Younger, Imagines
Prooemium 283
1. Achilles on Scyros 287
Pyrrhus on Scyros 291
vii
LIST OF DESCRIPTIONS
PAGE
2. IMarsyas 295
3. Hunters 297
4. Heracles or Acheloiis 303
5. Heracles in Swaddling-clothes 307
6. Orpheus 309
7. Medea among the Colchians 313
8. Boys at Play 317
9. Pelops 321
10. Pyrrhus or the Mysians 325
11. The Argo or Aeetes 343
12. Hesione 347
13. Sophocles 351
14. Hyacinthus 353
15. Meleager 357
16. Nessus 361
17. Philoctetes 365
Callistratus, Descriptions
1. On a Satyr 377
2. On the Statue of Bacchante 381
3. On the Statue of Eros 385
4. On the Statue of an Indian 389
5. On the Statue of Narcissus 391
6. On the Statue of Opportunity at Sicyon .... 395
7. On the Statue of Orpheus 401
8. On the Statue of Dionysus 403
9. On the Statue of Memnon 407
10. On the Statue of Paean 411
11. On the Statue of a Youth 413
12. On the Statue of a Centaur 417
13. On the Statue of Medea 419
14. On the Figure of Athamas 421
Vlll
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Philostratus the Elder
Frontispiece : The Lyre. From a drawing.
FIG. PAGE
1. — The Nile with Dwarfs. Marble statue in the
Vatican. From a photograph . . . To face 19
2. — Erotes Wrestling and Boxing. From a sarco-
phagus in Florence. Baumeister, Denkmdler,
I. 502 25
3. — Death of Memnon. Red-figured vase painting.
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Inventory 97.
368. From a photograph To face 29
4. — Poseidon and Amymone. Red-figured vase paint-
ing. Lenormant-De Witte, ^/iie ceVa/n., III. 18 35
5. — Fallof Phaethon. Arretine bowl in Boston. From
a drawing. Chase, Arretine Pottery in the
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, No. 66 . To face 47
6. — Ariadne deserted. Red-figured vase painting in
Boston, Inventory 00. 349 .... To face 63
7. — Wooden Cow made by Daedalus. From a drawing.
Pompeian wall painting. Bomische Mittheil-
xingen, XI. (1896), p. 50 67
8. — Race of Oenomaiis and Pelops, with Eros. Roscher,
Lex. Myth., III. 782 To face 69
9. — Death of Pentheus. Red-figured vase painting in
Boston. Inventory 10. 221a .... To face 73
10. — Marsyas brought in bonds to Midas. Red-figured
vase painting. Monumenti delV Instituto, IV.,
PI. 10 87
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
rUi. PAGK
11. — Narcissus gazing into a Pool. Pompeian wall-
painting. Roscher, Lex. Myth. III. 19 . . . 89
12. — Hyacinthus wounded b}' the Discus. Furtwiingler,
Antike Gemmen, PI. XX. 31 95
13. — Descent of Aniphiaraiis into the Earth. Kelief on
an Etruscan urn. Roscher, Lex Myth. I. 299 .
To face 105
14. — Boar Hunt. Relief on a sarcophagus. Hamdi Bey-
Reinach, Une necropcle a Sidon, PI. XVI. 2 .
To face 109
15. — Perseus and Andromeda. Red-figured vase paint-
ing. Roscher, Lex. 3Iyth. 111. 2053 . . To face 115
16. — Quadriga. Coin of Syracuse. From a drawing . 121
17. — Education of Achilles. Pompeian wall painting.
Roscher, Lex. Myth. I. 26 135
18. — Head of Female Centaur. Red-figured vase paint-
ing in Boston, Inventory 13. 306 . . To face 139
19. — The Death of Hippolvtus. Red-figured vase paint-
ing. Arch. Zeit. 1883, PI. VI. . . . To face 141
20. — Nose with "up-curved" Nostrils. Red-figured vase
painting. Pfuhl, Malerei der Griechen, 415 c.
7' o face 171
21. — Helios with Rays. Coin of Rhodes. From a
drawing. Roscher, Lex. 3Iyth. I. 2003 ... 219
22. — Atlas bent under the Heavens. ^Marble statue in
Naples. From a drawing . 221
23. — Madness of Heracles. Red-figured vase paiiiting.
Baumeister, Denkmdler, I. 665 . . . To face 233
24. — Spiderweb with Cables. From a drawing . . . 251
25. — Palaestra. Medallion on Roman terracotta jar.
From a drawing. Inscriptions : Schoeneus
(father of Atalante), Atalante Hippomedon,
Palaestra. The hexameter inscription above is
omitted. Cf. Gaz. Arch. 1889, p. 56 ... . 265
PllILOSTRATUS THE YoUNGEK.
26. — Marsyas : Slave whetting knife. Marble statue
in Florence. Clarac, Mus. Sculpt., PI. 543, 1141 295
List OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Fir;. PAGE
27. — Heracles strangling tlie Serpents. Coin of Thebes.
From a drawing. Brit. M us. Cat, Central Greece,
PI. XIV. 8 307
28. — x\nimals charmed by the Music of Orpheus. Pom-
peian wall-painting. Roscher, Lex. Myth. III.
1178 311
29. — Boys at Play (the children of Medea). Pompeian
wall-painting. Baumeister, Denkmdler, I. 142 . 317
30. — Calydonian Hunt. Marble sarcophagus in the
Capitoline Museum. Baumeister, Denhndler,
II. 918 To face 357
31. — Deianeira at the Death of Xessus. Pompeian wall
painting. Baumeister, Denkmdler, I. 667 To face 363
Callistratus
32. — Satyr playing Flute. From a drawing. Brunn-
Bruckman, 435 377
33. — Palatine Eros. Marble statue in the Louvre.
Roscher, Lex. 3Iyfh. I. 1360 387
34. — Narcissus. Marble statue (called Ganymede) in
the Museo Chiaramonti. Clarac. 3Ii(s. Sculpt.
PI. 407, 703 391
35. — Opportunity. Marble relief. Arch. Zeit. XXXIII.
Pl.Ll 397
36. — Dionysus. Marble statue in the Louvre. Clarac,
2l'us. Sculpt. PI. 275, 1574 405
37. — Dionysus. Marble statue in Madrid. Clarac,
3Ius. Sculpt. PI. 690, B, 1598 a 407
XI
MANUSCRIPTS ; EDITIONS
The important Manuscripts are as follows :
Philostkatus the Elder
Laurcntianus, LXVIX (30), XIII cent, F.
Parisiensis, gr. 1696, XIV cent., P.
Vindohonensis, 331, XIV cent, V^.
Vatkanus, 1898, XIII cent., V2.
98, XIII cent, V.
Philostratus the Younger
Laurentianus, LVIII (32), XII cent. :
Callistratus
Laurentianus, LIX (15), XI cent., Nos. 1-5.
Parisiensis, f^r, 1696, XIV cent., Nos. 1-7.
Vaticanus, 1898, XIII cent., Nos. 9-14.
Editions
Olearius: Leipzig, 1709.
Heyne : Gottingen, 1796.
Jacobs: Leipzig, 1797, 1825.
Kayser : Turin, 1842-1846.
Westermann : Paris, 1849 (witli Latin translations),
1878.
xu
MANUSCRIPTS ; EDITIONS
Literature
K. Friedrichs : Die Philostratischen Bilder.
Erlangen, 1860; and Jahr. Phil. Suppl. V
(1864), 134 f.
H. Brunn : Die Philostratischen Geindlde gegen
K. Friedrichs vertheidigt ; and Jahr. Phil.
Suppl. IV (1861), 179 f.; XVII (1871), If.,
81 f.
Matz : De Philostratorum in describendis imaginihus
fide. Bonn, 1867 ; and Philol XXXI (1872),
585 f.
C. Nemitz : De Philostratorum imaginihus. ^"ratisl.
1875.
E. Bertrand : Un critique d'art dans l'a7diqnite :
Philostrate et son ecole. Paris, 1887.
A. Bougot : Philostrate l' Ancien : nne o^alerie
antique. Paris, 1881.
o
PHILOSTRATUS THE ELDER
IMAGINES
INTRODUCTION
The position of the sophists in the literary, the
educational, and the social world was never more
important than during the second and third centuries
A.D. They wandered from one centre to another, or
they occupied established chairs of rhetoric in some
principal city, attracting to their lecture halls the
youth who desired a higher education and men who
took pleasure in rhetorical display. They were the
university professors of their day, treating science
and history and philosophy as well as literature and
the different forms of rhetoric in their discourses.
It was characteristic of the men and of their age,
however, that lecturers and hearers alike laid the
emphasis on the form of the discourse, and that
subject-matter was completely subordinated to the
mode of presentation,
A Lemnian family furnished three or four success-
ful exponents of this art in the period under dis-
cussion, all of them bearing the name of Philostratus.
Suidas mentions a Philostratus (1) son of Verus, as
having written the dialogue entitled Xero^ Ilavius
Philostratus (2), probably his son or grandson, was
born about a.d. 170 and educated in Athens under
the most famous sophists of his day. He is the
^ Included in the MS. of Lucian.
XV
INTRODUCTION
author of the Life of Apollonius of Tyana,^ of the
Lives of the Sophists, and presumably of some minor
works extant under his name. He calls himself a
Lemnian (£/;. 70), though he is generally known as
Philostratus the Athenian " in distinction from his
son-in-law, the son of Nervianus, whom he refers to as
'• Philostratus the Lemnian" (/7/. soph. 617, 627-8).
Philostratus son of Nervianus (3), who was born
about A.D. 190 (for he was twenty- four years old in
the reign of Caracalla, Fit. soph. 623), is generally
regarded as the author of the earlier series of
Imagines.'^ His grandson, of the same name, and
referred to as Philostratus the Younger (4), wrote
about A.D. 300 a series of Imagines of much the
same type as his grandfather's.
Philostratus son of Nervianus (3) has been called
the "father of art criticism," but the phrase is
hardly appropriate, for Lucian, Polemon, Apuleius
and other writers had previously made paintings and
sculpture the subject of their discourse. The re-
newed interest in art in this period, a critical, rather
than a creative interest, and the need of new themes
for the rhetorical discourses of the sophist, made it
natural for these lecturers to find their themes in
works of art. Philostratus points out that his interest
is in the paintings themselves, not in the lives of
the painters nor in their historical relation to each
other {infra, p. 5). That rhetoric should take its
themes from painting is all the more natural be-
cause painting in Greece had so commonly taken
its themes from literature. It will be found that
^ Translated by Conybeare in L C. L.
^ Cf. allusions to Athens in the Imagines, ivfra Index
uixler "Athens, Attica, which show his interest in Athens."
xvi
INTRODUCTION
all but six or eight of the paintings described by
Philostratus are based either directly on literary
sources or on the myths which found expression
both in literature and painting. We may even say
that in this epoch literature and painting actually
vied with each other in the presentation of the same
themes. Certainly Philostratus seems to try to out-
do the painter whose work he is describings and
often passes beyond the limits of pictorial art without
stopping to note what the picture itself gives and
what he adds to make his account of the theme more
attractive.
The failure of our author to confine himself
closely to what was depicted in the painting he
is describing may be regarded as his inheritance
from the descriptions of works of art in earlier
Greek literature. From the Homeric poems on-
w^ard the poet's skill is used in describing works of
art. The cup of Nestor is quite simply described
{Iliad, 11. 632 f.) ; on the other hand Homer's account
of the Shield of Achilles is very elaborate (Iliad, 18.
483 f.), including the description in detail of one
scene after another^ scenes which may have been
suggested by some simple means, but which can
hardly have been wrought with all the detail given
by the poet. Such description becomes a definite
type of literary ornament, and the poet who uses
it feels no need to limit himself very closely to
some actual object which he had seen or might
have seen. So Euripides describes statues which
were used to adorn the sterns of ships (Iph. Aid.
230 f.), and puts in the mouth of Ion an account
of the treasures in the temple of Apollo {Ion, 192 f.,
1133 f.). Apollonius of Rhodes tells of the mantle
INTRODUCTION
wrouglit by Pallas for Jason^ and gives a detailed
account of scenes mainly mythological with which
it was decorated (Argon. 1. 730 f.). Later Greek
writers^ as well as the Latin poets, adopt the same
literary device and pass with the same freedom
from the actual description of a work of art to
elements of the story which presumably could not
be or were not included in the painting or statue
or embroidered scene they were describing. It is
by no means unnatural that Philostratus, for whom
description is not a side issue but the main purpose,
should retain the same freedom. If we recall that
he claims to be speaking in the presence of the
paintings themselves, we can hardly blame his
procedure as lacking in clearness.
Foreign as the procedure is to our point of view,
it is the tendency of Philostratus to discuss paintings
almost as if they were w^orks of literary art. The
scene or scenes are described for the story they
tell, and for the sentiment they express in this
story. The excellence of the picture for him lies
in its effective delineation of character, in the pathos
of the situation, or in the play of emotion it repre-
sents. Its technical excellence is rarely mentioned,
and then only as a means for successful represent-
ation. Of colour we read only that it is brilliant ;
of drawing only that it is able to give perspective.
Composition and design are not mentioned. The
painter's insight, which enables him to see a new
reality in his subject and to depict it in such wise
as to make the world larger and richer for one who
sees his work, is unknown to Philostratus. In a
word, the whole discussion centres on literary pro-
blems rather than on problems of painting.
xviii
INTRODLCTIOX
This point of view explains itself^ however, if
we turn to extant paintings of the Graeco-Roman
period. Most of these have been found in Campania,
at Pompeii and elsewhere. While the Campanian
wall-paintings carry on in a measure the tradition
of Greek painting, the spirit of Greek art has
practically disappeared, and these late paintings
show much the same literary tendency as that which
appears in the paintings described by Philostratus.
Helbig^ finds it possible to classify Campanian wall-
paintings under rubrics familiar to literature, as epic
in their style, or tragic, or idyllic. For example,
the painter like the poet may treat stories of gods
and heroes in a grand manner, emphasizing the
greatness of the beings he depicts and the superior
importance of their actions as compared with the
activities of ordinary men. Representations of the
deeds of Heracles and of Theseus in painting were
commonly of this character. The appeal of such
paintings is like the appeal of epic poetry, in that
they directed attention away from man's ordinary
activities, as relatively insignificant, to a world in
which everything was on a higher, nobler plane.
Among the descriptions of Philostratus the Amphia-
raus (1,27)2 and the Gyrae (II, 13) illustrate the
epic style in painting. Campanian paintings,
decorative as was their aim, include many that were
based on tragic myths and emphasized the great
conflicts in life which were the basis of the tragic
drama. The conflict of emotion when Medea plans
to slay her children, the conflicts in the stories of
Oedipus and of Hippolytus, furnished themes for
^ Untersuchungen zv.r cawpanischen JVandmalerei.
2 Book I, Description 27.
INTRODUCTION
the painter as well as for the poet. The Menoeceiis
of Philostratus (I, 4) and the Cassandra (II, 19)
describe paintings in the manner of tragedy.
Philostratus describes no paintings which are re-
lated to comedy ; we do, however, find several
paintings which depict light, humorous themes
based on mythology, like the thefts of Hermes
(I, 26), the Theiodamas (II, 24) and the Pygmies
(I I, 22). Perhaps in greater number are paintings
in the idyllic manner, depicting a landscape in
which is some scene that expresses tender human
sentiment ; as, for example, Perseus freeing Andro-
meda or Pelops winning Hij)podameia as his bride.
The Cyclops of Philostratus (II, 18) and the Olympus
(I, 20-21) are the examples of the idyllic manner
in his paintings. Such genre scenes as the Female
Centaurs (II, 3) and the Singers (II, 1) may be
classed here ; and the sentiment for nature in pure
landscape, e.g. the Marsh (I, 9) and the Islands
(II, 17), is not unrelated to idyllic poetry. It is
characteristic of Hellenistic sculpture, if not of later
painting, to present idealized portraits of historical
characters, portraits which express to the eye the
characters which the historian portrayed in language.
The Themistocles of Philostratus (II, 31) is such a
portrait, and the Pantheia (II, 9) is described as a
historical portrait based on the description of
Xenophon. It should be noted, however, that in
general the historical paintings of Philostratus
merely draw the material from history instead of
mythology, and emphasize now the tragedy, now
the simple beauty of the scene in the same way
as paintings with a mythological content.
Granted that painting in this epoch was intimately
INTRODUCTION
allied with literature, the question arises whether
paintings described by Philostratus were actually
based on some literary w^ork. In a few cases, but
only in a few cases, is such a connection clear.
The Scamander (I, 1), the Memnon (I, 7), the
Antilochus (II, 7) may be regarded as illustrations
for the Iliad ; the Hippolytus (II, 4), the Pentheus
(I, 18), and the Madness of Heracles (II, 23) follow
the version of Euripides very closely, though not
with literal exactness ; and the Antigone hardly
varies from the treatment by Sophocles. While it
is reasonable to assume that these paintings were
actually based on the extant literary treatment of
the same themes, it would not be strange if
Philostratus overstressed the dependence on litera-
ture, for, as we have seen, it is his method to discuss
the story of the painting as it may have appeared
in literature instead of limiting himself to what he
saw in the painting.
No reader can forget that Philostratus is a sophist^
that his first preoccupation is the literary form in
which he writes his descriptions. Whatever the
paintings themselves may have been, it is his aim
to emphasize and develop the sentiment, be it epic
or tragic or idyllic, which he found in the paintings.
The very subjects of the paintings show that the
sentiment existed, and all the powders of his literary
art were used in exploiting it. For the moment he
is attempting to w^nte tragedy or again to develop a
sentiment for the beauties of nature. However
tedious he may become, however foreign to our
ideas his method may be, the reader must remember
that he is simply trying to outdo the paintings he
describes in this appeal to the emotions. In this
xxi
INTllODUCTION
connection it is not uninteresting]^ to read Goethe's
version of these pictures [Philostrats GemaeJdc, 1818),^
in wliich lie goes beyond Piiilostratus himself in the
word painting of sentiment.
In the Introduction Piiilostratus clearly states the
aim of the Imagines. They were written as lectures
or rhetorical exercises to display the powers of the
sophist. In so far as he was a teacher, they were
models to be followed by his pupils ; at the same
time, because they dealt with works of art, they
served to stimulate the imagination and to train
a-sthetic taste according to the standards then in
vogue. We have no right to expect literal and
complete descriptions by which the paintings could
be reconstructed in detail ; some of them can be
reconstructed in a measure, while others baffle the
attempt ; but this type of descrij)tion is not the
sophist's aim. Further, he explicitly states that he
leaves to others the history of painters and painting.
One reference to a painter with whom he once
studied (p. 5) is the single case in which the name
of a painter appears. Nor are we to expect technical
data about paintings. Rarely he speaks about
draughtsmanship and only as something to be
assumed, or of perspective only as a curious device
of the j)ainter's, or of correct proportion as an
essential element in the truth of painting, or of the
successful use of shadow to bring out form in three
dimensions. Rhetorically he lays stress on brilliant
colours, but colour plays a relatively small part in his
descriptions. Following the tradition of literary
allusions to painting, he lays much stress on the
illusion of reality, but one may suspect that his in-
^ See Note at the end of this Introduction.
INTRODUCTION
terest in it is largely because it is a useful rhetorical
device. The reader is never allowed to forget the boy
who represents the audience of Philostratus and the
writer's effort to develop imagination in his hearers.
Philostratus as a rhetorician must be judged by
his aim and by the standards of his age. While
we miss the "very pure Attic Greek" and the
"extreme beauty and force" of his description
which his grandson praises (infra, p. 283), we
cannot fail to be impressed by his effort to repro-
duce the language of the golden age of Greek
literature. He evidently seeks the simplicity w^hich
is suitable to the audience he presupposes; none
the less a simplicity more studied or more often
interrupted by grandiloquent and complicated
passages would be difficult to imagine. The loose
nominatives, the choppy phrases, the frequent
parentheses are apparently intended to give the
illusion of a casual conversation about the paintings.
A relative simplicity is attained in certain short
descriptions (Pan, II, 11 ; Thessaly, II, 14 ; Pygmies,
II, 22) ; but such complicated ones as the Arrichion
(II, 6) or the Cupids (I, 6), and the grandiloquent
treatment of the Gyrae (II, 13) or the Evadne
(II, 30) pass quite beyond the sphere of simple
conversations. Moreover, the figures of speech,^ the
paradoxical expressions and the tricks of phrase-
making,2 often become quite laboured. Even the
^ p. 183 : "As if using the flames as a sail."
p. 123 : " Pelops glows with the radiance of his shoulder,
as does the night with the evening star."
2 p. 75: "From those locks he derived vigour, and he
imparted vigour to them ; but this was itself his madness,
that he would not join Dionysus in madness."
INTRODUCTION
effort to write ^' pure Attic Greek" is almost buried
under tlie mass of literary allusion and quotation,
till it becomes itself a device of rhetoric. Words
or phrases are quoted from Homer more than a
hundred times, from Euripides more than forty
times, from Pindar twenty-five times ; and in all some
twenty authors furnish recognized quotations. Such
is the acquaintance with the classics which was
demanded both of the sophist and of his hearers.
Tiie frequent introduction into the descriptions
of bits of curious knowledge is to be regarded
as a rhetorical device which is appropriate to the
discourses of a sophist "professor," and which
lends another interest to the paintings as well
as to the description of them. This curious know-
ledge has a wide range. It has to do with geo-
graphy : the fertility of Egypt (1, 5), the detailed
explanation of Tempe and the draining of the
Thessalian plains (II, 14; II, 17, 4), the account
of volcanic springs and streams (II, 17, 5), the
nature of the river Alpheius (II, 6, 1). It deals
with material things : the painter's pigments (I, 28),
the origin of amber (I, 11), the origin of limestone
(I, 12, 2), the nature of bitumen and sulphur (II,
17, 5), the fiery element in the universe (I, 11, 1).
It includes both fact and fancy as to plants and
animals: the relation of trees to soil (I, 9, 1), the
sexual instinct in date palms (I, 9), the characteristics
p. 147 : " She prays to conquer men even as now she has
conquered them ; for I do not think she loves to be loved."
p. 157: "His bright hair is his pride," ko/xS. . . . kSjutj ;
cf. 300, 13 K.
p. 144: A mouth "most sweet to kiss, most difficult to
describe."
p. 167 : "A beautiful burial offering are these arms."
xxiv
INTRODUCTION
of tunny-fish (I, 13, 7), the habits of the wild boar
(I, 28, 1), of ants (II, 22, 1), of gulls (II, 17, 11)
and of spiders (II, 28), the details of the tortoise-
shell (I, 19, 2), the different breeds of dogs (I, 28, 5),
the fertility of the hare (I, 6, 6). It does not omit
the field of medicine : the disease of Heracles
(II, 23), the effect of eating owl's eggs (II, 17, 8),
the use of gulls' stomachs as a remedy (II, 17, 11).
And naturally it covers the various forms of human
activity : occupations like agriculture (I, 6, 2) and
hunting (I, 28) and fishing (I, 13) and carpentry
(I, 16, 2), religious rites (II, 24, 4; II, 33), athletic
games (II, 6, 4-5; II, 25, 2), war and the use of
the chariot in war (I, 1, 2 ; I, 4, 2 ; I, 17, 1). All
these curious facts may be supposed to have
educational significance, but they are introduced
primarily as a rhetorical device to stimulate the
interest of the hearer or reader.
The method of presentation of course varies with
the theme. Frequently Philostratus begins with
references to the story as given by Homer or by
some other writer. More commonly he states
rather abruptly the striking points of the picture
[e.g. II, 5), then develops the mythological or
historical theme before he describes the picture
itself, and concludes with an effort after striking
sentiment or phrase. His actual descriptions of
paintings are rather meagre ; his praise of the beauty
of men and women and landscape is the main end
of his rhetoric ; as he says (p. 5), his effort is to
praise the skill of the painter and to cultivate the
taste of the observer.
The estimate placed on this work of Philostratus
depends largely on the spirit in which it is
INTRODUCTION
approached. Goethe^ filled \vith iindiscriminating
enthusiasm for all the products of Greece and Rome
which had been developed by Winckelmann and
his associates, found the Imagines as thrilling in
form as the paintings they described were admirable.
FriedrichSj applying to these paintings the standards
of the great periods of Greek art, questioned
whether they could be called Greek, and even
whether they existed outside the sophist's imagina-
tion. It remained for Brunn with his wider and
more critical knowledge to show that the paintings
described by Philostratus were not in any way
foreign to later Greek art. Whether they were
all actual paintings, whether some M-ere real paint-
ings and others created by the imagination of the
sophist, whether there ever was such a gallery as
is described, we have no means of knowing. Two
points, however, are clear. First, Philostratus was
primarily a sophist, who developed the description
of paintings as a form of literary art ; he would be
quite consistent in describing paintings that were
figments of his imagination, provided only he
succeeded in preserving the illusion that he dealt
with existing paintings. Secondly, there is little
or nothing to indicate any inconsistency between
the paintings existing in his day and the paintings
he describes. The student of late Greek paintings
is fully justified in treating these examples as data
for his study, whether or not they were actual
paintings.
INTRODUCTION
NOTE OX GOETHE, "PHILOSTRATS
GEMAELDE "
(Ed. Cotta, 1868, Vol. XXVI, 276 f.)
In 1818 Goethe published an essay on the paintings
of Philostratus in which he refers to the enthusiasm
of the Weimarsche Kunstfreunde " for this work,
and to the extended study which they had given it.
His essay was intended, he says, to preserve some
of the results of this study, as the times were
not favourable for the publication of the elaborate
edition, with illustrations, which they had hoped
to make. To his translation of a series of the
Descriptions reference has already been made
(p. xix).
Goethe finds the greatest difficulty for the
appreciation of Philostratus' work in what he calls
the confused arrangement of the Descriptions. He
arranges them under nine headings as follows :
1. Heroic, tragic subjects; II. Love and Wooing;
III. Birth and Education ; IV. Deeds of Heracles ;
V. Athletic Contests; VI. Hunters and Hunting;
VII. Poetry, Song, and Dance; VIII. Landscapes,
including pictures of the sea ; IX. Still Life. This
arrangement serves to emphasize the variety of the
paintings described by Philostratus, even if it is
not very logical. In the following list are included
Goethe's references to ancient and modern paintings.
I. Heroic, tragic subjects.
1. The death of Antilochus. Book II, Descrip-
tion 7.
INTRODUCTION
2. The death and burial of Memnon. I, 7.
3. The Scamander overcome by Hephaestus. I, 1.
4. The death of Menoeceus. I, 4.
5. The death of Hippolytus. II, 4.
Hippolytus and Phaedra. Ilercul. Altcrih?-
iii. pi. 15.
6. Antigone's burial of her brother. II, 29.
7. Evadne's death on her husband's pyre. II, 30.
8. Pantheia's death on her husband's pyre. II, 9.
9. The death of Ajax. II, 13.
10. The sufferings of Philoctetes. Phil. Jun. 17.
11. The death of Phaethon. I, 11.
Icarus mourned by his father. Ilercul.
Alterth. iv. pi. 63.
Phrixus and Helle. Ibid. iii. 4.
12. Hvacinthus, beloved of A])ollo. Phil. Jun. 14.
13. The death of Hyacinthus. I, 24.
"Cephalus and Procris," by Giulio Romano.
14. Amphiaraus and his oracle. I, 27.
15. Cassandra.
16. Rhodogoune victorious. II, 5.
Victor and goddess of victory. Hercul,
Alterth. iii. pi. 39.
17. Themistocles. 11, 32.
II. Love and IVooing.
18. Cupids at play. I, 6.
Birth of V^enus. Ilercul. Alterth. iv. pi. 3.
1 Gori, Le antichite di Ercolano, 1757 ; German translation,
C. G. V. Muir, 1777-1802.
xxviii
INTRODUCTION
19. Poseidon and Amvmone. I, 7.
Theseus and the rescued children. Hercul.
Alterth. i. pi. 5.
Ariadne deserted. IhicL ii. pis. 14-15.
20. Ariadne asleep. I^ 15.
Ariadne asleep. Ibid. ii. pi. 16.
Leda with the swan. Ibid. iii. pi. 8.
Leda on the Eurotas ; birth of twins from the
egg. Giuiio Romano.
21. Pelops as suitor. I, 30.
22. Pelops as suitor. Phil. Jun. 9.
23. Pelops winning Hippodameia, I, 17.
24. The coming of the Argonauts. Phil. Jun. 8.
25. Glaucus prophesying to the Argonauts. II, 15.
26. Jason and Medea. Phil. Jun. 7.
27. The return of the Argonauts. Phil. Jun. 11.
28. Perseus and Andromeda. I, 29.
29. C3^clops and Galatea. II, 18.
Cyclops in love. Hercul. Alterth. i. p. 10.
30. Pasiphae's love for the bull. I, 16.
31. Meles and Critheis. II, 8.
Ill, Birth and Educcdion.
32. Birth of Athena. II, 27.
33. Semele and the birth of Bacchus. I, 11.
Fauns and Nvmphs. Hercul. Altetih. ii.
pi. 12.
34. Birth of Hermes. I, 26.
35. Achilles brought up by Cheiron. II, 2.
Achilles and Cheiron. Hercul Alterih. i. pi. 8.
36. Achilles on Scyros. Phil. Jun. 1.
37. Centaur families, II, 4.
xxix
INTRODUCTION
IV. Heracles.
38. The deeds of Heracles as a babe. Phil. Jun. 5.
Heracles as a babe. Ilercid. Alleiih. i. pi. 7.
39. Achelous and Deianeira. Phil. Jun. 4.
40. Deianeira rescued from Xessus. Phil. Jun. 16.
41. Antaeus overcome. W, 21.
42. Hesione freed by Heracles. Phil. Jun. 12.
Heracles and Hesione. Hercul. Alterth, iv.
pi. 64.
43. Atlas and Heracles. II, 20.
Hylas and Nymi)hs. Ilercul. A Iter/ h. iv. pi. 6,
and Giulio Romano.
44. Death of Abderus. H, 25.
Heracles as a father. Ilercul. Alterth. i. pi. 6.
45. Heracles insane. II, 23.
Heracles and Admetus. Weimarsche Kunst-
freunde.
46. Theiodamas. II, 24.
47. Heracles and the pygmies. II, 22.
Heracles and the pygmies. Giulio Romano.
V. Athletic Contests.
48. Palaestra. II, 33.
49. Arrichion. II, 6.
50. Phorbas killed by Apollo. II, 19.
VI. Hunters and Hunting.
51. Meleager and Atalante. Phil. Jun. 15.
^' Meleager and Atalante." Giulio Romano.
52. Boar-hunt. I, 28.
53. Hunters feasting. Phil. Jun. 3.
54. Narcissus as a hunter. I, 23.
XXX
INTRODUCTION
VII. Poetry, Song, and Dance.
55. Pan and Nymphs. II, 11.
56. Midas and Satyrs. I, 22.
57. Olympus blowing the flute. I, 21.
Olympus taught by Pan. Hercul. Alterih.
i. pi. 9.
58. Olympus and Satyrs. I, 20.
"Olympus playing the flute." Hannibal
Carracci.
59. The defeat of Marsyas. Phil. Jun. 2.
60. Amphion and the walls of Thebes. I, 10.
61. Aesop and the Fables. I, 3.
62. Orpheus charming animals, plants and stones.
Phil. Jun. 6.
Orpheus charming animals. Antique gem.
63. The birth of Pindar. II, 12.
64. Sophocles and Melpomene. Phil. Jun. 13.
65. Aphrodite hymned by maidens. II, 1.
VIII. Landscapes, including Pictures of the Sea.
66. Dionysus and the Tyrrhenian pirates. I, 19.
67. x\ndros, island favoured by Dionysus. I, 25.
68. Palaemon. II, 16.
69. Bosphorus. I, 12.
70. The Nile. I, 5.
The Nile. Mosaic by Palestrina.
71. The Islands. II, 17.
72. Thessaly freed from water when Poseidon opens
Tempe. II, 14.
73. Marsh. 1, 9.
xxxi
INTRODUCTION
71. Fishermen catching tunny-fisli. I, 13.
"Catching dolphins/' by GiiiHo Romano.
Cf. Hercid. Alterth. ii. pi. 50.
75. Dodona. II, 34.
76. ComuSj a feast at night. I, 2.
IX. Still Life.
77. Xenia. I, 31.
78. Xenia. II, 26. Cf. Ilercul. Alterth. ii. pi. 56 f.
79. Spider webs. II, 29.
PHILOSTRATUS
IMAGINES
BOOK T
4)IA02TPATOY
EIKONES
294 K. (1) "OcTTf? /x?) ciaTrd^eTai ti]v ^coypacptav,
aSiKel rrjv aXijOeiav, aSi/cet koI aocpiav, orroarf
e? 7roi7]Ta(i i]K€L — (f^opci yap tat] ajiKpolv e? ra tmv
r)p(oa)v epya Kal ecST] — ^vpfierpLav re ov/c eTTaivel,
6 hC r)v KoX \6yov i) re^vr) aTrreraL. Kal fiovXo-
fxevcp fxev ao^l^ecOaL Secov to euprj/j-a Blci re ra
iv yfj eiSr], oiToaa tov<; \€LfiMva<; at ^flpac ypd-
(povai, hid re ra iv ovpavw (f)at.v6fjL€va, /3aaavL-
^ovTL he TTjv yeveaiv t?}? re^i^?;? /j.L/jii](Ti<; fxev
10 evprjjia Trpeaffvrarov fcal ^vyyevearaTcv rrj
(j)v<jer evpov Se avryv aocpol avSpe<^ to /j,€v
^(i)ypa<plav, to Be Tr\aaTLKi)v (f)i]aavTe<;.
(2) 7T\aaTLKi]<; /nev ovv iroWa etSr] — Kal yap
avTO TO irXdTTeiv Kal t) iv tm ')(a\Kw jiifxriaL^
15 Kal ol ^eo^'T69 ttjv XvySlvrjv rj tiiv Yiapiav \i6ov
Kal 6 iXe(pa<; Kal vi] Aua i) yXvcpLKr] irXaaTiKi] —
^(oypa(f)ia Be ^v/jL^efiXrjTat jxev iK %pct)/xaTa)i^,
iTpdTTei he ov tovto /jlovov, dXXa koI irXeiw
(TO(f>i^eTai diTo tovtov €V0<; ovto<; rj diro twv
^ " Lygdiau stone " : an unusually fine white marble used
both for sculpture and for gems. Pliny, iV^.^. 36. 13 ; Diod.
Sic. II. p. 135.
2
PHILOSTRATUS
IMAGINES
BOOK 1
Whosoever scorns painting is unjust to truth ;
and he is also unjust to all the wisdom that has been
bestowed upon poets — for poets and painters make
equal contribution to our knowledge of the deeds
and the looks of heroes — and he withholds his
praise from symmetry of proportion^ whereby art
partakes of reason. For one who wishes a clever
theory^ the invention of painting belongs to the
gods — witness on earth all the designs with which
the Seasons paint the meadows^ and the mani-
festations we see in the heavens — but for one who is
merely seeking the origin of the art, imitation is
an invention most ancient and most akin to nature ;
and wise men invented it, calling it now painting,
now plastic art.
There are many forms of plastic art — plastic
art proper, or modelling, and imitation in bronze,
and the work of those who carve Lygdian^ or Parian
marble, and ivory carving, and, by Zeus, the art of
gem-cutting is also plastic art — while painting is
imitation by the use of colours ; and not only does it
employ colour, but this second form of art cleverly
accomplishes more with this one means than the
PHILOSTRATUS: IMAGINES
20 ttoWmv 7] ^ erepa rix^r). aKidv re 'yap airo-
(f)aLi>€L fcal l3Xe/jLfia ywcoaKei, ciWo fxev rov jie-
/jLtjvoto^^ aXXo Be rod aXyovvTO<; i) ^(^aipopTO^,
KoX av'ya<; o/jL/jlutcov oirolai elaiv 6 TrXaartKcx;
ixev Ti? ijfCLara ipyd^eraL, x^^porrov Se ofjuixa koI
25 yXavKov Kol fieXav ypa<^LKr) olSe, koI ^avdr]v
295 K. KOfiTjv olhe Kol TTvparjV Kol i)XtS)aav koI iaOf]TO<;
XpMfJia Kol ottXcov OaXdfiovi re Koi olKLa<; koI
dXat] Kol 6p7] Kol irriyh'; koI top alOepa, iv
u) ravra.
5 (8) ocroi fiev ovv Kpdro^ 'tjpavTO tt}? eTTiarrj-
/i7]<^ KOL oaai TToXet? Kal oaot ^acnXel^ epcori e?
avTTjv e;\;/^7;c^a^'T0, dXXoi<; re eipTjrat Kal 'Apiaro-
B7]/jL(p TUi €K Kapta?, ov iyot) eVt ^coypa(f)ia ^evov
eTTOirjadfJLrjv eTCov reacrdpcov — eypac^e he Kara
10 Tr]V ^vfirjXov GO^iav iroXv to iTTixapc e? avrrjv
(j)epo)V — X6yo<; Be ov irepl ^coypd^wv ovB'
iGjopia^ avroiv vvv, dXX etSy] ^{oypa(f)ia<;
dirayyeXXofjueu ofiiXia^; avra roh veoi<; ^vvtl-
Oevre^;, dcf)^ mv epiirjvevaova-L re Kal rov BoKLfMOv
eTnfieXrjcTOVTai.
15 (4) d(j)opj:ial Be /jloi tovtwvI tcov Xoycov aiBe
eyevovTO' rjv fxev 6 irapd roU NeaTToXtraf? dycov
— ?; Be TToXf? iv 'IraXio, (pKiarai yevo<; "EXXi]ve<i
Kal dcTTiKOL, oOev Kal ra? GTT0vBd<; roov Xoycov
'EXXrji'iKOL elai — /SovXo/jievw Be jiot ra? fxeXera^
20 piT] iv Tw (j)avep(p TroLelaOai Trapelx^v 6)(Xov rd
aeipaKia (f)0LT(0VTa inl tjjv olkIuv tov ^evov.
KareXvov Be efo) rov TeLXOV<; iv irpoaareiw
reTpa/JL/xevw e? OdXaaaav, iv w arod t^? e^wKO-
^ 7) added by Jacobs.
BOOK I
other form with its many means. For it both repro-
duces light and shade and also permits the observer
to recognize the look, now of the man who is mad,
now of the man who is sorrowing or rejoicing. The
varying nature of bright eyes the plastic artist does
not bring out at all in his work ; but the " grey
eye," the '^blue eye," the ^'^ black eye" are known
to painting ; and it knows chestnut and red and
yellow hair, and the colour of garments and of
armour, chambers too and houses and groves and
mountains and springs and the air that envelops
them all.
Now the story of the men who have won mastery
in the science of painting, and of the states and
kings that have been passionately devoted to it,
has been told by other writers, notably by Aristo-
demus of Caria, whom I visited for four years in
order to study painting ; and he painted in the
technique of Eumelus, but with much more charm.
The present discussion, however, is not to deal with
painters nor yet with their lives ; rather we propose
to describe examples of paintings in the form of
addresses which we have composed for the young,
that by this means they may learn to interpret paint-
ings and to appreciate what is esteemed in them.
The occasion of these discourses of mine was as
follows : It was the time of the public games at
Naples, a city in Italy settled by men of the Greek
race and people of culture, and therefore Greek in
their enthusiasm for discussion. And as I did not
wish to deliver my addresses in public, the young
men kept coming to the house of my host and
importuning me. I was lodging outside the walls in
a suburb facing the sea, where there was a portico
PHILOSTRATUS: IMAGINES
hofi^-jTO Kara ^ecpvpov avefjuov eVt Terrdpcov ol/xai
25 rj Kal irevre 6pocf)cbv a^opwaa e? to TvppijviKov
7T€Xayo<;. ya-rpaTrre fxei' ovv Kal XiOoi^, oiroaov^
eiraivel Tpv(j)/], pdXtcrra Se yvOei ypa(j)ai<i ivijp-
fio(7 jjLevcov avrfj ttlvolkcov, ou? ipLol BoKeiv ovk
d/jLad(o<; ^ Ti9 crvveXe^aro' ao(f)La yap iv avroU
30 iBi]\ovTo TrXeiovcov ^coypdcfxov. (5) iyo) p.ev an
ifiavTOv cp/jirjv Selv eiraLvelv rd'^ ypa(f)d<;, rjv he
dpa vi6<; TO) ^€V(p ko/jLlStj v60<;, ei? eT09 SeKarov,
7]Ei] cf)iX7]Koo<; Kal y^aipcov tm fxavQdveiv, o?
€7T6(f)vXaTre yue iiriovTa avTa^; Kal iSelro fiov
35 €p/JL7jv€V6Lv Ttt? ypa(f)d^. Xv ovv /xt) GKaiov fie
i^yolro, " earai ravTa,^' ecfiijv "Kal eirihei^Lv
296 K. avjd TroLTjao/jueOa, iireihav yjKy rd fieipdKta.
d(piKOfjL€V(ov ovv " 6 fiev Trat?," €(f)7}v, " Trpo/Se-
/3X7](Tdu) Kal dvaKeiadw tovtm i) (TirovSr] rod
Xoyov, L'/xet9 3e eireaOe /jbrj ^vvriOe/j^evoL /jlovov,
dXXd Kal epcoTMvre^, €l ti p.?] aac^o}'^ (ppd^oL/xi,.
a' 2KAMANAP0S
5 (1) "Eyi^co?, (a) iral, ravra 'Op.7]pov ovra rj ov
TraoTTore 6yv(OKa<; SrjXahj] 6avp.a i)youixevo'^, ottw^
hijiroTe 6^7] 2 TO irvp iv rw vBari, ; crvfifidXcopLev
ovv 6 TL voet, av Be dirojSXeylrov avrcov, oaov
€K€Lva loeiv, d(j)^ wv y ypacp/]. olaOd irov t?}?
10 'iXtttSo? Trfv yv(op,7]v, iv ol? "Op.i'}po<^ dviaryjcri,
pev Tov ^ A)(^LXXea iirl tw WarpoKXw, KivovvraL
Be ol 6eol TToXepetv dXXi]Xoi<^. rovrcov ovv rcxiv
irepl Tov<; 6eov<; ?; ypa<f)r] rd p,€v dXXa ovk olBe,
^ aixad'Jcs Reiske and Thiersch : anadi^s.
2 ^C^i F and M 1 P ; Cv Reiske.
BOOK I. I
built on four, I think^ or possibly five terraces, open
to the west wind and looking out on the Tyrrhenian
sea. It was resplendent with all the marbles
favoured by luxury, but it was particularly splendid
by reason of the panel-paintings set in the walls,
paintings which I thought had been collected with
real judgment, for they exhibited the skill of very
many painters. The idea had already occurred to
me that 1 ought to speak in praise of the paintings,
Avhen the son of my host, quite a young boy, only
ten years old but already an ardent listener and
eager to learn, kept watching me as I went from one
to another and asking me to interpret them. So in
order that he might not think me ill-bred, ^'^ Very
well," I said, "we will make them the subject of a
discourse as soon as the young men come." And
when they came, I said, " Let me put the boy in
front and address to him my effort at interpretation;
but do you follow, not only listening but also asking
questions if anything I say is not clear."
1. SCAMANDER
Have you noticed, my boy, that the painting
here is based on Homer, or have you failed to do so
because you are lost in wonder as to how in the
world the fire could live in the midst of the water ?
Well then, let us try to get at the meaning of it.
Turn your eyes away from the painting itself so as to
look only at the events on which it is based. Surely
you are familiar with the passage in the Iliad where
Homer makes Achilles rise up to avenge Patroclus,
and the gods are moved to make battle with each
other. Now of this battle of the gods the painting
PHILOSTRATUS: IMAGINES
TOP Be 'Hcpaiaroi' eiiireaelv (f)y]ac tm Xfca/xdvSpo)
15 TToXvv Kal aKpaiov. (2) opa hi] TrdXiv irdvTa
eKeWev. vyjn]\i] pev avT7] i) ttoX^? koX ravrl ra
KpijhepLva rod 'Wiou, irehiov he rovrl p,iya koI
diTOXpoiv Ti-jv Wcriav irpo'^ Trjv ^vpcoTrrjv clvtl-
rd^ai, TTvp he rovro iroXv p.ev irXifp.p.vpel Kara
20 Tov irehlov, ttoXv he irepl tcl^; 6')(da<i epirei rov
irorapov, co? p^^jKert avrro hei^hpa elvai. to he
dp,(f)l TOV ' Hcpaiarov irvp eirippel rw vhari, Kal
6 7Torapio<; dXyel Kal iKerevei rov "H(paL(TTOV
avTo^;. aXX,' ovTe 6 7roTap.o<; yeyparrraL Kop,MV
25 vTTo TOV irepLKeKavaOai ovTe x^^Xeucov 6 "H.cf)at.a-
T09 VTTO TOV rpi^^eiv Kal to dv6o<; tov rrvpo^
ov ^avOov ovhe ttj eWiap^evr] o'^jrei, dXXa
XpV(T0€ih€<; Kal ijXtoohef;. ravTa ovKen 'Opbrjpov.
297 K. P KHMOX
(1) 'O haipLWv 6 Kw/i09, Trap ov rot? dvdpd)-
7rois TO Kcopid^eiv, ecfieaTijKev ev OaXdpiov Ovpai<;
')(^pvaal^ olpLai, /Spahela he /; KaTdX7]yjn<; avTOJV
VTTO TOV o)? eV vvktI elvai. yeyparrTai he 7) vv^
6 ovK dirb tov o-(t}p,aTO<;, ciXX^ diro Kacpov, hrjXol
he TCL rrpoirvXaia vvpc^iov^ p.dXa 6X/3iOv<i ev
evvfj KelaOai. (2) kuI 6 K.cop,o(; 7]Kei veo<^ irapa
i>eovs. diraXo^; Kal ovirw e(p7]/3o<i, epvOpo<i viro
o'ivov Kal KuOevhcov 6p9o^ vtto tov pbeOveiv.
^ Not only is the story from the Iliad, but words and
bits of description are taken from Homer ; cf. Tpot'r/s
Upa K^r}5fiJ.pa, Iliad 16. 100 ; <p\6ya iro\\'i)v, 21. 333 ; iv
8
BOOK I. 2
ignores all the rest, but it tells how Hephaestus
fell upon Scamander with might and main. Now
look again at the painting; it is all from Horner.^
Here is the lofty citadel^ and here the battlements
of Ilium ; here is a great plain, large enough for
marshalling the forces of Asia against the forces of
Europe ; here fire rolls mightily like a flood over the
plain, and mightily it creeps along the banks of the
river so that no trees are left there. The fire which
envelops Hephaestus flows out on the surface of the
water and the river is suffering and in person begs
Hephaestus for mercy. But the river is not })ainted
with long hair, for the hair has been burnt off; nor
is Hephaestus painted as lame, for he is running ;
and the flames of the fire are not ruddy nor yet of
the usual appearance, but they shine like gold and
sunbeams. In this Homer is no longer followed.
2. COM US
The spirit Comus ^ (Revelry), to whom men owe
their revelling,is stationed at the doors of a chamber —
golden doors, 1 think they are ; but to make them out
is a slow matter, for the time is supposed to be at night.
Yet night is not represented as a person, but rather
it is suggested by what is going on; and the splendid
entrance indicates that it is a very wealthy pair just
married who are lying on a couch. And Comus has
come, a youth to join the youths, delicate and not
yet full grown, flushed with wine and, though erect,
he is asleep under the influence of drink. As he
TreSi'y TTvp Soi'eTo, 21. 343 ; ah 5e "Eavdoio nap' ox^as SeVSpea koI',
21. 337 f.
2 Cf. Milton's Comus, 46 f, where Comus is described as
the son of Bacchus and Circe.
9
PHILOSTRATUS : IMAGINES
10 KaOevSei Se to fiev irpoacoirov eirl ra arepva
pL\jra<; Kal rfj^; Seipt}'^ iK<^aii'WV ovSev, rrjv Se
apLarepav TrpoXo/Slo) ^ iirey^wv €l\i](j)OaL Sk i)
%el/9 BoKovaa Xverai Kal afxeXel, to elw6o<; ev
(ipXV '^^^ /caOevSeiv, OTav (TaivovTO<; r)/jid<; vttvov
15 iJLeTep)(rjTaL 6 Xoyiafio<^ et? Xijdrjv ojv avve)(^ei,
66ev Kal TO ev tt} Se^id \a/i7rd8iov eoiKe Sia-
<f)€vjeLP TYfV %et/30t KaTappadvjjLovvTo^ avTrjv tov
VTTvov. SeSicot; Be 6 Kco/uo? irpoaffdWov to
TTVp Tw aKeXeL Trapacpepec ttjv fxev kpjJ/xtju ti]v
20 dpiaTepdv iirl tcl Se^id, to Be Xa/nrdSiov ev
dpKJTepd, Iv eKKXivot tov ut/iov tov 7rvpo<;
eKKeifievq) tw jovutl d(f)io'Td<; Tr]V ')(elpa.
(3) TTpoacoira he o^elXeTai /xev irapd twv
^coypdcftcov T0i<; ev cSpa Kal TV(f)X(i)TT0vai ye
25 dveu TOVTCov al ypa(f)ai, tw Be K.a)/j.(p cr/jLLKpd
Sec Tou TrpoacoTrov vevevKOTi Kal eXKovTt Tr]v utto
Trj<; Ke(paXi]<; aKidv KeXevet Be ol/jiai, fir) dirapa-
KaXvTTTOv^ Kcofid^eiv tol? ev i)XLKia tovtov. Ta
Be XoLTTOL TOV ad)jjLaT0<; BirjKpl^wTaL iravTa irept-
30 Xd/jLTTOVTO^ avTCL tov XafJLiraBiov Kal eU </)(W9
dyovTO^. (4) 6 (TTe^avo^ Be tojv poBcov eVat-
veiaOco fxev, dXXd /jLT] diro tov elBov^ — ^avdol^
yap Kal Kvavol<;, el TvyoL^ y^pcjopiaaLV diTop.i-
jielaBai Td<; twv dvOecov eiKova^; ov /ieya<; 6
298 K. dOXo^ — dXX' eiraivelv XPV '^^ %ai}i^oi^ tov aTe-
cf)dvov Kal aTraXov eiraivdi' Kal to evBpoaov
TMv poBcov Kal cf)t]p.l yeypd(f)OaL avTa fxeTu r?}?
0(j/i,r}9.
(5) Tt XoLirov TOV kco/jLOV ; tl 3' dXXo ye rj
5 01 Ka)p.d^ovTe<; ; t) ov irpoajSdXXei ae KpoTaXa
^ irpoXofiicf Benndorf, Furtwjingler : irpo0o\i(f.
lO
BOOK 1. 2
sleeps the face falls forward on the breast so that
the throat is not visible^ and he holds his left hand up
to his ear.^ The hand itself, which has apparently
grasped the ear^ is relaxed and limp, as is usual at
the beginning of slumber, when sleep gently invites
us and the mind passes over into forgetfulness of its
thoughts ; and for the same reason the torch seems
to be falling from his right hand as sleep relaxes it.
And for fear lest the flames of the torch come too
near his leg, Comus bends his lower left leg over
towards the right and holds the torch out on his
left side, keeping his right hand at a distance by
means of the projecting knee in order that he may
avoid the breath of the torch.
While painters ought usually to represent the faces
of those who are in the bloom of youth, and with-
out these the paintings are dull and meaningless,
this Comus has little need of a face at all, since his
head is bent forward and the face is in shadow.
The moral, I think, is that persons of his age should
not go revelling, except with heads veiled. The
rest of the body is sharply defined, for the torch
shines on every part of it and brings it into the
light. The crown of roses should be praised, not so
much for its truth of representation — since it is
no difficult achievement, for instance with yellow and
dark blue pigments, to imitate the semblance of
flowers — but one must praise the tender and delicate
quality of the crown. I praise, too, the dewy look
of the roses, and assert that they are painted fragrance
and all.
And what else is there of the revel } Well,
what but the revellers ? Do you not hear the
^ i.e. resting his head upon his hand.
PHILOSTRATUS: IMAGINES
Kal Opov<; evav\o<; koI mS)] araKTO'^ ; Xainrdhtd
T€ V7r€ K(f)aiV6Tac, Trap' a)v earc Tot<; Kcofid^ovai
Kol rd iv iToalv opdv Kal T]/j,tv fxi] opdaOat. avve^-
aiperat Be Kal ttoXi)? 76X0)9 Kal yvvata per
10 dvBpcov 'lerai Kal viroBrjp^a * * 1 Kal ^covvvrai
irapd TO OLKetov avjx^P^^ ^^ KO)po<; Kal
yvvaLKl dvSpL^ecrOat, Kal dvSpl dqXvu ivSuvac
aTo\7]v Kal OrjXv /Saiveiv. Kal 01 aiec^avoi ovk
dvOrjpol en, aXV cKpyprjrat avTol<; to IXapov
15 V7T0 Tov Tat9 K6(pa\aL<; €(papp,6TTea6at 8i,d to
aTaKTelv ev tco Spop^w' 1) yap tcov dvdecov iXev-
Oepia irapaLTeLTai tyjv X^^P^ ^^ piapaivovaav
avTa TTpo TOV ;^/9o^'Of. pipelTai Tiva y ypa(^ii
Kal KpoTOv, ov pdXiaTa SelTat 6 K(opo<;, Kal rj
20 Se^id Tot9 SaKTvXoi<; vrrecrTaXpevoL^ v7roK€Lp,evr)v
TTjv dpicTTepdv 7rXi]TT€C €9 TO KolXov, Xv axTiv
al %et/3e9 ^vp^cpcovoi irXrjTTop.evai TpoTrrp Kvp-
/SdXcop.
7' MTBOI
(1) ^oiTcoaip 01 Mvdoi irapd tov AtacoTrov
25 dya7rcovT€<; avTov, oTt avTMP eTTLp^eXeLTac. ipieXi^ae
puev ydp Kal 'Opyjpw pvOov Kal 'Ho^to^w, eTi he
Kal WpxiXo^fp TTpo^i AvKdp^^fjV, ttXX' AtVooTrct)
TrdpTa Ta tcov dvOpdoircdv eKpepvOcoTai, Kal Xoyov
Tot9 Orjplot^ pieTahehwKe Xoyov eveKev. irXeove-
30 ^iav re ydp eTriKoiTTei Kal v^piv eXavvec Kal
djrdTTjv Kal TavTa Xewv 7^9 avTco viroKpiveTai
^ avSpe^ov viroSeWai suppl. Schenkl., vTr65r}/j.a Kotvhv ^xovai
Bruxell. 11182, viroSovuTai V^, vtroBelrai Kayser.
^ Eur. Bacch. 836, 852, drjXuu iiSvvai aroxiiv.
BOOK I. 3
castanets and the flute's shrill note and the dis-
orderly singing ? The torches give a faint light,
enough for the revellers to see what is close in
front of them, but not enough for us to see them.
Peals of laughter rise, and women rush along with
men, [wearing men's] sandals and garments girt in
strange fashion ; for the revel permits women to
masquerade as men, and men to " put on women's
garb " ^ and to ape the walk of women. Their
crowns are no longer fresh but, crushed down on
the head on account of the wild running of the
dancers, they have lost their joyous look ; for the free
spirit of the flowers deprecates the touch of the
hand as causing them to wither before their time.
The painting also represents in a way the din which
the revel most requires ; the right hand Avith bent
fingers strikes the hollowed palm of the left hand,
in order that the hands beaten like cymbals may
resound in unison.
3. FABLES
The Fables are gathering about Aesop, being
fond of him because he devotes himself to them.
For while Homer also cared for fable, and Hesiod,
and Archilochus too in his verses to Lycambes, Aesop
has treated all sides of human life in his fables, and
has made his animals speak in order to point a moral. '^
For he checks greed and rebukes insolence and deceit,
and in all this some animal is his mouthpiece —
2 \6yoj, literally "for the sake of thought or reason/'
plays on the \6yov used just before in the primary sense of
"speech"; it might be translated "so as to express
thought."
13
PHILOSTRATUS: IMAGINES
Kal dXcoTT'i]^ Kal 'itttto'; ^ in] Ata, Kal ovSe i)
299 K. ^€Xd)V7] a(f>(i)vo<;, vcf)' ojv ra iraihia fiaO')]Tal
yivovTai TMV rod ^iov Trpay/jLarcov. (2) evSoKi-
fiovvTe<; ovv ol ^IvOoL Sea top AiacoTrov (poircocrLV
inl Ta<; 6vpa^ rov <JO(pov raiviac^ avrov avaSi]-
5 aovT€<; Kal aT€(f)ava)(TOVT€<; avrov OaWov
aTe(f)dp(p. 6 Se olfxai riva vcj^aivei fivOov ro
'yap fieihiafia rov AlaMTrou Kal ol o^Oakfiol
Kara iy7](; 6aTC0Te<; tovto hifkovaiv. olSev 6
^coypd(po<;, on ai tmv /j.v9cov (j^povri^e^ dv€i/jLevr]<;
10 T?}? "^^X^l^ heovrai. <pi\o(TO(f)€L Se rj 'ypa(f)r) Kal
ra TO)v Wvdwv aMfiara. Otjpla yap avfJb^dX-
\ovaa dv6pa)7roL<; TrepiiaTijai ')(^opov tw Kladiirco
diTO T^i9 eKeivov <TKr]vr}<^ crv/xTrXdaaaa, Kopv^aia
he Tov X^P^^ V aXooTrr]^ yeypainai' XPV'^^^ l^P
15 avrfi AiVajTro? BiaKovo) TOiv irXeicyTwv vnoOe-
aecov, coarrep 7) KcofiwSia tm Ada).
B' MENOIKETX
(1) &r)/3a)V fiev 1) iroXiopKia, to yap reixo^
kiTTdTTvXov, y) arpand he UoXvveLK7]<; " o rov
OtStVoSo?' ol yap Xoxoi eTrrd. ireXd^ei avroh
20 'AfjL(j)LdpecD<; ddvjJiw eXhec Kal ^vvievTL a ireiaovTai,
Kal ol pev dXXoi Xo^^^jol hehiacn — ravra Kal
rd^; ^e?/3a? e? top Ala al'povai — KfiTrai^eu^ he ra
Teixv I^Xeirei irepi^popcdp rd^; eVaXfef? co?
^ 'c'ttttos, Koi fTj Ata ouSe conj. Benndorf.
2 UoXvuiUovs rov conj. Reiske.
14
BOOK I. 4
a lion or a fox or a horse, and, by Zeus, even the
tortoise is not dumb— that through them children
may learn the business of life. So the Fables,
honoured because of Aesop, gather at the doors
of the wise man to bind fillets about his head and
to crown him with a victor's crown of wild olive.
And Aesop, methinks, is weaving some fable ; at
any rate his smile and his eyes fixed on the ground
indicate this. The painter knows that for the
composition of fables relaxation of the spirit is
needed. And the painting is clever in representing
the persons of the Fables. For it combines animals
with men to make a chorus about Aesop, composed
of the actors in his fables ; and the fox is painted
as leader of the chorus, since Aesop uses him as a
slave in developing most of his themes, as comedy
uses Davus.
4. MENOECEUS
This is the siege of Thebes, for the wall has seven
gates ; and the army is the army of Polyneices,
the son of Oedipus, for the companies are seven
in number. Amphiaraiis approaches them with
face despondent and fully aware of the fate in store
for them ; and while the other captains are afraid
— that is why they are lifting their hands to Zeus
in prayer — Capaneus ^ gazes on the walls, revolving
in his mind how the battlements may be taken
1 Cf. Eur. Phoen. 180-182.
"And where is Capaneus — he who hurls at Thebes
Insult of threats ? a
There : he counts up and down
The wall-stones, gauging our towers' scaling height.
Trans. Way, L.C.L.
15
PHILOSTRATUS: IMAGINES
KXifxaKi dXoyrd^. ov fii-jv ^dWerai tto) utto
25 TMV iiraX^ewv 6kvovvt€<; ttov o'l ^rj^aloL dp^ai
fidxv'^-
(2) rjSv TO a6(f)L(Tfj,a tou l^a)ypd(f)OU. irepL-
^dWwv TOi<; Tei)(^€ariv dvhpa<i ot)7r\La/j,€i^ov^ tou?
/jL€V dpriov^ irapey^et opdv, tov^ Be dcra(f)eL<; rd
30 a/ceXT], tov<; Se i>)/jLLaea<; fcal arepim eviwv koI
K€(pa\a<; fjL6va<^ kol KopvOa^ fiova^, elra alxP'd<;.
dvaXoyia ravra, co Tral' Bel yap KXeirreaOaL
300 K. TOv<; 6(f)0aXp,ov<; toI<; eViTT/Setof? kvkXoi<; avv-
aiTLovra^;.
(3) ovSe al (&rj,8ai dfidpreuror Xoyiov yap ri
6 T€Lpe(Tia<; XeyeL relvov eV MevoiKea top tov
KpeovTO<;, co? diroOavcov, ev9a i) %eia. rov
5 BpdKovTO^, eXevOepa rj 7roXi9 €k tovtov eh).
6 Be dirodi'rjaKei XaOoov rov irarepa eX€eLvo<; puev
T/}? '))XiKia<i, evBaifiwv Be rov Odpaov^. opa yap
rd rov ^coypdcfyov. ypd(peL iieLpaKiov ov XevKov
10 ovB^ €K rpvcj)rj<;, dXX' euyjrvxov fcal 7raXaLarpa<=;
iTveov, olov ro rcov p€Xt')^p6cov dv6o<=;, 01)9 eiratvel
o rov 'A/)t(7TCi)7'0?, BLa(^pdrrei Be avro arepvoi^;
ev^acpiai Kal 7rXevpaL<; Kal yXovrw avpL/ierpM
Kal fn]p^' eppcorai Kal Mfxwv eirayyeXia Kal
15 ovK drpeirrw revovri, fierex^t Be koI K6fir]<;, oaov
^ Literally " the principle of proportion.'
16
BOOK I. 4
with scaling ladders. As vet^ however, there is
no shooting from the battlements, since the Thebans
apparently hesitate to begin the combat.
TJie clever artifice of the painter is delightful.
Encompassing the walls with armed men, he
depicts them so that some are seen in full figure,
others with the legs hidden, others from the waist
up, then only the busts of some, heads only, helmets
only, and finally just spear-points. This, my boy, is
perspective;^ since the problem is to deceive the
eyes as they travel back along with the proper
receding planes of the picture.
Nor are the Thebans without their prophet,
for Teiresias is uttering an oracle pertaining to
Menoeceus the son of Creon, how that by his death
at the dragon's hole- the city should thenceforth
be free. And he is dying, his father being all
unaware of his fate, an object of pity indeed
because of his youth, but really fortunate because
of his bravery. For look at the painter's work I He
paints a youth not pale, nor the child of luxury,
but courageous and breathing of the palaestra, as
it were the choicest of the "honey-coloured " youth
whom the son of Ariston^ praises; and he equips
him with a chest deeply tanned, strong sides and a
well-proportioned hip and thigh ; there is strength
both in the promise of his shoulders and in his
supple neck ; he has long hair also, but not the
^ Cf. 11. 22. 93, Cos 8e hpaKwv iirl x^^fjy ^-^d Eur. Phoen. 931 f. :
" In that den where the earth-born dragon lay
Watching the streams of Dirce, must he yield,
Slaughtered, a blood-oblation to the earth."
Trans., Way, L.C.L.
- Plato, cf. Rep. 474, fj.e\ix^<^'pov5, but in Plutarch's
quotation of the passage, Mor. 56 d, we find /xeXixpow.
17
c
PHILOSTRATUS: IMAGINES
fiij KOfiav. (4) €(f)ear7]K€ Se rfj %em tou Spd-
Kovro<; ekKOv to ^t(/)o? e'/^SeSu/co? ?)S>/ rrj irXevpa.
Kal he^cojjLeOa, to iral, ro al/xa koXttov ^ avrw
viTO(JxovT6<^' eKyjelTai 'yap, Kal rj '^v)(^t] ijBr]
20 ciTreiai, fiiKpov he varepov Kal rerpLyvLa'^ avrrj<;
aKovaij. epcora yap rcov KaXcov acofidrcov Kal
al -^vxal l'a)(^ouaiv, oOev aKovaai avrcop diraX-
"Xdrroprai. vit€^l6vto<^ 8e avTW rod aJ/xaro?
OKXd^ec Kal daTrd^erat, top OdvaTov KaXcp Kal
25 i]hel Tw ofjL/jLari Kal olov virvov eXKOVJi.
€ nHXEI^
(1) Uepl TOP 'NelXov oi Il7])(6i<i dOvpovai irai-
hia ^v/jL/jL€Tpa rw ovofiarL, Kal 6 NciXo? avTOi<;
vvrepydwrai rd re dXXa Kal otl KTjpvTTOvcriv
avTop, 6ao<; At^uTrrtot? 7rpoe)(v07]. irpoadyerai
30 yovp Kal olop ep^^erai ^ avrcp eK rod vBaTO<;
/Specj^r] diraXa Kal ixeihiMPra, ixerex^i'V ^e
olfiai TC avra Kal rov XdXov. Kal ol /lev
rol<; Mfioi^ avTOv icj^i^dpovaip, ol Be tcop irXoKd-
301 K. fiwp eKKpefiaPTai, ol he rfj dyKdXrj eyKaOev-
Sovaip,^ ol Be K03[id^ov<jLP eVl rov areppov. o
Be dpaBlBcoaip avrol<; dpO'q rd fiep diro rov
koXttov, rd Be diro rPj<; dyKdXy]<;, co? crrecfedpovf;
5 re drr avroiv BiarrXeKOiep Ka\ KaOevBoiep iirl
roip dpdewp lepol Kal eucwSef?.* Kal eTrapa^ai-
vovaip dXXo dXX(p rd iraiBia (TeiarpoL<^ dfia'
^ KaATTii/ (" pitclier ") conj. Valckenaer, Hercher ; but cf.
koKtvov vn^x^h 311 K 26.
2 €\K€rai conj. Jacobs, but cf. 380. 17.
" iyicaOevSovaiv Reiske, Jacobs : nadevSovaiy.
^ dfiwdeis ("divine ") conj. Brunn, cf. 332. 18.
i8
[To face p. 19.
BOOK I. 5
long hair of luxury. There he stands at the
dragon's hole, drawing out the sword which has
already been thrust into his side. Let us catch the
blood, my boy, holding under it a fold of our gar-
ments ; for it is flowing out, and the soul is already
about to take its leave, and in a moment you will
hear its gibbering cry. For souls also have their
love for beautiful bodies and therefore are loath to
part from them. As his blood runs slowly out, he
sinks to his knees and welcomes death with eye
beautiful and sweet and as it were inviting sleep.
5. DWARFS 1
About the Nile the Dwarfs are sporting, children
no taller than their name ^ implies ; and the
Nile delights in them for many reasons, but par-
ticularly because they herald his coming in great
floods for the Egyptians. At any rate they draw
near and come to him seemingly out of the water,
infants dainty and smiling, and I think they are
not without the gift of speech also. Some sit on
his shoulders, some cling to his curling locks, some
are asleep on his arms, and some romp on his
breast. And he yields them flowxrs, some from
his lap and some from his arms, that they may
weave them into crowns and, sacred and fragrant
themselves, may have a bed of flowers to sleep
upon. And the children climb up one on another
with sistra in their hands, instruments the sound of
^ Cf. the allusion to them in Lucian, Rhetorum Preceptor,
§ 6 ; a statue of the Nile with dwarfs sporting over it is
found in the Vatican (Fig. 1).
19
c2
PHILOSTRATUS: IMAGINES
ravrl yap evavXa eKeivw tw vSart. (2) KpoKO-
SeiXoL fXeV OVV KoI Ol TTOTdjliOL TMV LTTTTWV, OV^
10 Tft) NetXw TLv't<i irpoaypd^ovaLv, diroKeivrai, vvv
eV [BaOela rrj hivij, fir) 8eo9 to?? 7raihioL<i ifxireaoL.
yecopyta^; Se kol vavTL\ia<^ av/ji^oXa Sy]\oL rov
KelXov eK TOiovSe, w Trat, XoyoV NetXo? AtyvTrrov
•nXwTijv €pyaa-d/ji€vo<; evKdpircp rfj yfj ')(^prj(j6aL
15 SiScoaiv VTTo Tcop TreSicov e/CTTO^et?, iv AlOiOTTLa
Be, oOev dp^^eruL, Ta/iiLa<; avrw Sal/iwv i(p€aT)]/c6v,
v<f ov irefMireTaL raU oipac^ av/jL/xerpo^;. ye-
ypaiTTai he ovpavofxi'jK'ii^ e7nvoi)aai koX rov
TToSa eirex^i ^ TaL<; 7rr)yaL^ olov Yioaeihoyv irpoa-
20 v6V(jov. 6l<; tovtov 6 TTorayLto? ^Xeirei kuI alrel
TCL /3p6<pi] avTM TToXXd elvuL.
^' EPHTES
(1) MrjXa "Eyocore? ISov rpvycoaip' el Be
7rXi]0o<; avTO)v, firj davfidar)<;. Nv/i(f)a)v yap Sr]
TTulSe's ovTOL yivovraL, ro Ovqrov dirav SiaKV-
25 ^€pvcovT€<;, TToXXol Sid TToXXd, ojv ipMCTLv dvOpco-
7T0L, Tov Be ovpdvLov (j^aaiv iv rw ovpavw irpdr-
T€LV rd Oela. fxayv eirrjaOov tl tPj<; dvd rov
KYjiTOv €ucoBia<; i) ^paBvvec aot tovto ; dXXd
irpoOviJLO)^ UKOve' Trpoa/BaXel ydp ae /lerd rov
30 Xoyov Kol rd fj.7]Xa.
(2) dp)(^OL fxev OVTOL (f)VTa)v opOol iropeuovrai,
^ cTre'xfi Jacobs, cf. Phil. iuti. 405. G: ex^' P^*> *X*^' '"'P'^* ■^•
^ Cf. Philostratus, Vita Apollon. 6. 26, where the allusion
is based on Pintlar (Bergk, Frag. 282).
BOOK I. 6
which is familiar to that river. Crocodiles^ how-
ever, and hippopotami, which some artists associate
with the Nile in their paintings, are now lying
aloof in its deep eddies so as not to frighten the
children. But that the river is the Nile is indicated,
my boy, by symbols of agriculture and navigation,
and for the following reason : At its flood the
Nile makes Egypt open to boats ; then, when it
has been drunk up by the fields, it gives the people
a fertile land to till ; and in Ethiopia, where it
takes its rise, a divinity is set over it as its steward,^
and he it is who sends forth its waters at the riffht
seasons. This divinity has been painted so as to seem
heaven-high, and he plants his foot on the sources,
his head bent forward like Poseidon. 2 Toward him
the river is looking, and it prays that its infants may
be many.
G. CUPIDS
See, Cupids are gathering apples ; and if there
are many of them, do not be surprised. For
they are children of the Nymphs and govern all
mortal kind, and they are many because of the many
things men love ; and they say that it is heavenly
love which manages the affairs of the gods in heaven.
Do you catch aught of the fragrance hovering over
the garden, or are your senses dull } But listen
carefully ; for along with my description of the
garden the fragrance of the apples also will come
to you.
Here run straight rows of trees with space
- Cf. the gem published by Overbeck, Kunstmythologie,
Poseidon, Gemmentafel III. 3 : Poseidon bending forward
and Nymph.
21
PHILOSTRATUS: IMAGINES
Tov fieaov Be avjcov iXevOepla /Sadl^eiv, rroa he
302 K. airaXi-j Kaikyei tov<; Bp6/jL0v<; oXa Kal KaraKXi-
devTi arpcofivy] elrai. air' uKpcov Be tmv o^cov
fifjXa 'Xpvaa Kal irvpaa /cal tjXlcoBtj Trpoadyovrai
TOV €(T/jLov oXov to)v 'EpcoTcov yecopyelv avrci.
5 (f)ap6TpaL fiev ovv y^pvaoiraaroL Kal ')(pva'd ^ Kal
ra ev avTal<^ /SeXt], yvfivrf rovrcov i) dyeXTj irciaa
Kal Kov(f>ot BLairerovraL TTepiapTi^aavre^ avTa<;^
ral^ /uL7)\eai<;, at Be e^eo-r/otSe? al iroLKiXaL Kelvrai
fiev ev rfj iroa, pLvpia Be avTOiv ra dv6r). ovBe
10 €aTe(f)(ivcovTaL rd^; K€(j)a\d<; co<; aTroxpdxrrjf; avTOL<;
T?}? Kofiy^i. iTTcpd Be Kvdvea Kal (poiVLKa Kal
Xpvcd evLOL<; jjlovov ov Kavrov TrXtjTTei top depa
^vv dpjjiovia /MovaiKfj. (peu tcov raXdpcov, ei?
OL"? aTroTiOevTaL rd pbfjXa, co? ttoXXt) fiev irepl
15 avTOv<; i) crapBco, ttoXXtj Be rj (T/jLdpayBo<;, dX-yjOj]'^
B' 1] fidpyi]Xi<;, r) avvO)]K7] Be avrow 'HcpalcrTOU
voelaOo). ov Be KXifidKcov Beovrai 'jTpo<; rd
BevBpa Trap avTOV' vyjrov ydp Kal e? avrd
TTerovrat rd fiPjXa.
20 (3) Kal Xva firj rov'^ ')(opevovTa<; Xiyco/jiev rj
T0v<; BiaOeovra<i i) tov^ KaSevBovra^ r) co? ydvvv-
raL T(ov /uLi]X(ov ipcfyayovre'^, iBcofiev 6 ri irore
ovroi voovaiv. ol ydp KuXXtaroL tcov ^KpcoTcov
IBov TeTTape^ vire^eXOovTe^ tcov dXXcov Bvo fiev
2~y'ai)T(bv avTiTrepLTTOvaL firjXov dXX7]\oi<;, ?; Be eTcpa
Bvd<; 6 /ii€v To^evei tov eTepov, 6 Be avTiTo^evet
Kal ovBe uTTeiX't] tol'^ 7rpoa(i}7roi<; eireaTiv, dXXd
Kal arepva irapey^ovaiv dXXyjXoi'i, 7v €K€l ttov Td
^ Xpvaa Olearius : xp^'^°-^-
^ auras Rolide : avrd.
22
BOOK I. 6
left free between them to walk in, and tender
grass borders the paths, fit to be a couch for one
to lie upon. On the ends of the branches apples
golden and red and yellow invite the whole swarm
of Cupids to harvest them. The Cupids' quivers are
studded with gold, and golden also are the darts
in them; but bare of these and untrammelled the
w^hole band flits about, for they have hung their
quivers on the apple trees ; and in the grass lie
their broidered mantles, and countless are the colours
thereof. Neither do the Cupids wear crowns on
their heads, for their hair suffices. Their wings,
dark blue and purple and in some cases golden, all
but beat the very air and make harmonious music.
Ah, the baskets^ into which they gather the apples !
What abundance of sardonyx, of emeralds, adorns
them, and the pearls are true pearls ; but the work-
manship must be attributed to Hephaestus ! But
the Cupids need no ladders wrought by him to reach
the trees, for aloft they fly even to w^here the apples
hang.
Not to speak of the Cupids that are dancing
or running about or sleeping, or how they enjoy
eating the apples, let us see what is the meaning
of these others. For here are four of them, the
most beautiful of all, withdrawn from the rest ; two
of them are throwing an apple back and forth, and
the second pair are engaged in archery, one shooting
at his companion and the latter shooting back.
Nor is there any trace of hostility in their faces ;
rather they offer their breasts to each other, in
order that the missiles may pierce them there, no
^ Cf. the wool basket of Helen which was the work of
Hephaestus, Od. 4, 125 dpyvpiov TaKaoov
23
PHILOSTRATUS: IMAGINES
f^eXy Trepdaj].^ koKov to atviy/jLa' aKoirei, y^'tp, el
30 7T0V 2 ^vvL7]/j.L Tou t^wy pdc^ov . (piXla ravja, m
rral, koI aWi]X(DV 'ifjicpo^. ol jxev yap Slci tov
fi/jXov 7raL^ovT€<; iroOov dp^ovrai, odev 6 fxev
d(j)L7]aL (^iXi]aa^ ro /ir]Xov, 6 Be virriaL^ avjo
VTToSex^'T^CLL rah X^P^ ^^l^ov co? dvTLCpiXyjacov, €t
35 Xdfioi, Kal avTiirefji^^rcdv avro' to Be tmv to^otwv
303 K. ^evyc; i/jL7reBovaiv epwTa r]B'>] (pddvoi'Ta. Kai
<f)7j/J.c TOV<; fjiev Trai^eiv eirl tm dp^aaOai tov ipdv,
Toi)? Be To^eveiv eirl tm fir] XPj^ai tou ttoOov.
(4) eKelvoL fxev ovv, irepl ou? ol irdXXol Oeaiai,
5 dvfjLW o-v/jLTreTTTcoKaac Kal e)(ei tl<^ avT0v<; irdXr] .
Xe^o) Kal Ti]v irdXrjV' Kal yap tovto eKXiirapel^;.
6 fiev yprjKe tov dvTLiraXov 7repLTrTd<; avTfo KaTa
T(x)V vcoTcov Kal et? irvlypba diroXa/jL^dveL Kal
KaTaBel toI<; (TKeXeaiv, 6 Be ovTe uTTayopevec Kal
10 6pOo<; viravidTaTai Kal BiaXvet tj-jv yelpa, vcj)' r)(;
dyyeTaiy oTpe^Xdiaa'^ eva TOiV BaKTvXcov, jieO^
ov ovKeTi ol XoLTTol e^ovaiv ovBe elaiv ev tw
dirpi^, dXyet Be 6^ aTpe/3Xov/jievo<; Kal KaTeaOiei
TOV avfMTraXaiaTov ^ to ol-?. odev Bvaxepalvov-
^ Tre pdffT} Hercher : Trerao-?; F, TTehdarj cet.
- (1 TTov Schenkl : otrov F, eJ; ri P.
^ b added by Reiske and Jacobs,
■* (TVfxTra\ai(TTOv Sclienkl : TraKaiarov.
^ For Cupids engaged in athletic sports, see the sarco-
phagus relief in Florence, Baunieister, Denkmaler I, p. oOli,
fig. 544 (Fig. 2).
24
BOOK I. 6
doubt. It is a beautiful riddle ; come, let us see if
perchance I can guess the painter's meaning. This
is friendship, my boy, and yearniiig of one for the
other. For the Cupids who play ball with the
apple are beginning to fall in love, and so the one
kisses the apple before he throws it, and the other
holds out his hands to catch it, evidently intending
to kiss it in his turn if he catches it and then
to throw it back ; but the jiair of archers are con-
firming a love that is already present. In a word,
the first pair in their play are intent on falling
in love, while the second pair are shooting arrows
that they may not cease from desire.
Fig. 2, — E roles boxing and wrestling.
As for the Cupids further away, surrounded by
many spectators, they have come at each other
with spirit and are engaged in a sort of wrestling-
match.^ I will describe the wrestling also, since you
earnestly desire it. One has caught his opponent
by lighting on his back, and seizes his throat to
choke him, and grips him with his legs; the other
does not yield, but struggles upright and tries to
loosen the hand that chokes him by bending back one
of the fingers till the others no longer hold or keep
their grip. In pain the Cupid whose finger is being
bent back bites the ear of his opponent. The
Cupids who are spectators are angry with him for
25
PHILOSTRATUS: IMAGINES
15 div 01 Oea)/jL€VOt, tcop ""Epcorwv ci)? ahiKovvri kuI
iKrraXaiovTL kol /jli]\ol<; avrbv KaraXidovai.
(5) /jLT]Se 6 Xayco^; y/jLd<; eK6ii'0<; Sia(f)uyeTco,
trvvdijpdaM/iev C€ avrhv to6? "ILpcoat. tovto to
Oiipiov v7TOKad/)fi€VOV raL<; fitfK.eai'^ koI (JLTOVfie-
20 vov TCL TTLTTTOvra ft? ji]!' /xf/Xa, TToXXa Se /cal
7]/jLi0pa)Ta KaraXeliTOv hiaO)]p(x)aiv ovtol kul kut-
apdaaovaiv 6 fiev KpoKO \eLp(jiV, 6 he KeKpay(jt)<;, 6
he dvaaelcov rijv )(Xaiivha, koI ol fiev virepireTOV-
rac Tou Orjpiou KaTa^owvre<^, ol he [xedeirovcnv
25 avTO ire^ol Kar t%^'09, 6 5' to? eirippi-\\rwv eavrov
Mpfjijcre. Kal to Orjpiov dXXi]v eTpdireTO, o he
eTTi/SovXevet rw aKeXet tov Xayo), top he Kal
hicoXiaOTjaev rjprjKOTa. yeXcbaiv ovv Kal KaTa-
TreTTTco/caaiv 6 fiev e? irXevpdv, 6 he 7rpr]vj]<;, ol he
30 vTTTLOi, TraVre? he ev toI<; tT;? hiafJiapTia^; cr^V-
paai. To^evei he ou^et?, dXXd TreipcovTai avTOV
eXeiv ^wvTa lepeiov ttj K^pohiTr] i]htaTOV. (6)
olaOa yap irov to irepl tov Xayco Xeyofievov, C09
TToXv tt)? W(f)pohiT7]<; fieTeaTiv avTfo. XeyeTai
35 ovv iTEpl filv TOV Ot']Xeo<; Oi^Xd^eiv Te avTO a
304 K. eVe/ce /cal diroTLKTeLv irdXiv eirl TavTw ydXaKTr
Kal eTriKvtaKei ^ he Kal ovhe el? ')(p6ro<; avTcp tov
TOKSTov k€p6<;. TO he cippev (JTreipei Te, co? (fyvai^;
dppevwv, Kal diroKviaKei irap' 7re(f)VKev. ol he
^ Herod. III. 108 iiriKvia-KeTai jxavvov iravrwv Orjpiuv ;
quoted by Athenacus 400 E with the reading iiriKviaKd.
26
BOOK I. 6
this as unfair and contrary to the rules of wrestling,
and pelt him with apples.
And let not the hare yonder escape uS; but let
us join the Cupids in hunting it down. The
creature was sitting under the trees and feeding on
the apples that fell to the ground but leaving many
half-eaten ; but the Cupids hunt it from place to
place and make it dash headlong^ one by clapping
his hands, another by screaming, another by waving
his cloak; some fly above it with shouts, others on
foot press hard after it, and one of these makes a
rush in order to hurl himself upon it. The creature
changes its course and another Cupid schemes to
catch it by the leg, but it slips away from him just
as it is caught. So the Cupids, laughing, have
thrown themselves on the ground, one on his side,
one on his face, others on their backs, all in atti-
tudes of disappointment. But there is no shooting
of arrows at the hare, since they are trying to catch
it alive as an offering most pleasing to Aphrodite.
For you know, I imagine, what is said of the hare,
that it possesses the gift of Aphrodite to an unusual
degree. 1 At any rate it is said of the female that
while she suckles the young she has borne, she
bears another litter to share the same milk : forth-
with she conceives again, nor is there any time at all
when she is not carrying young. As for the male,
he not only begets offspring in the way natural to
males, but also himself bears young, contrary to
nature. And perverted lovers have found in the
^ This tradition of the fertility of the hare is frequently
mentioned by ancient writers ; of. Herod. Ill, 108 : Arist.
dt gen. anim. 777 a 32, TJi-t. anim. 542 b 31, 574 b 30. 585 a
5 ; Plut. Mor. S29e; Aelian. Hist. aniw. 13. 12.
PHILOSTRATUS: LMAGINES
5 aroTTOL tcoi> epaarcov koI TreiOco rtva €pcoTiK7]v ev
avTO) Kareyvayaav /ScaLO) Te^vrj to, TTaihiKa
6ripa)fievoi.
(7) ravra fiev ovv KaraXiTTcofiev dvOp(t)7roi<;
dSiKoi^ Kal dva^ioL<^ rov dvrepaaOaL, av Si fioi
10 Trjv 'A(f)poSiTr)v /SXeire. ttov 8;) Kal Kara tl twz^
/jLrjXwv eKeivj) ; ^ 6pa<; rr/v viravrpov irerpav, 779
vd/xa Kvavcorarov vTreKrpex^i yXwpov re Kal
TTOTifiov, Byj Kal 8L0-)(6T€veTaL iTOTOv elvat ral<i
fit]\eaL<; ; ivravOd /j,oi T?)^' ^ X(^ pohirriv voei, Nf/.t-
15 (^o}v olfiat avTi-jv iBpvfievcov, 6tl avrd^; eiToii]aev
'EpcoTcov /jLi]r6pa<; Kal Bid rovro eviraiBa';. Kal
KajoTTTpov Be TO dpyvpovv Kal to vrro^pvcrov
eKelvo aavBdXiov Kal at irepovat al ')(^pvaal,
ravra iravra ovk dpyo)^ dv))7rrac. Xeyet Be
20 'A^/?o5tT7;? elvai, Kal ykypairrai rovro, Kal
^v/jL(f)a)v Baypa elvat Xeyerac. Kal 01 "Epcore<; Be
uTrdp^^ovrai rcbv /llijXmv Kal 'repLecrrcore^; ev^ov-
rai KaXov avrol^ elvaL rov k?]itov.
f' MEMNHN
(1) 'H fiev arparid ^lep^vovo^, rd oirXa Be
25 avrol^ diroKeirai Kal irporiOevraL rov p^eyiarov
avrwv eVl Op7]V(p, (3epXi)raL Be Kara ro crepvov
€/jloI BoKelv VTTO tT/? yLteXia?. eupcov ^ ydp ireBiov
evpv Kal aK')]vd<; Kal reL')(o<; ev arparoireBw Kal
TToXiv avfiTTecj^pay/jLevrjv reixeaiv ovk olB' ottox;
30 OVK AWL07re<i ovroL Kal 'Vpoia ravra, Opt-jvelrai
^ iKiivri Olearius : ixelyr]. ^ Rohde conj. Spwi-
28
Fig. 3. — Tht Luath of Memnon.
[Tofuo' p. 29.
BOOK 1. 7
hare a certain power to produce love, attempting to
secure the objects of their affection by a compelling
magic art.^
But let us leave these matters to men who are
wicked and do not deserve to have their love
returned, and do you look, please, at Aphrodite.
But where is she and in what part of the orchard
yonder? Do you see the overarching rock from
beneath which springs water of the deepest blue,
fresh and good to drink, which is distributed in
channels to irrigate the apple trees ? Be sure that
Aphrodite is there, where the Nymphs, I doubt
not, have established a shrine to her, because she
has made them mothers of Cupids and therefore
blest in their children. The silver mirror, that
gilded sandal, the golden brooches, all these objects
have been hung there not without a purpose. They
proclaim that they belong to Aphrodite, and her
name is inscribed on them, and they are said to be
gifts of the Xymphs. And the Cupids bring first-
fruits of the apples, and gathering around they pray
to her that their orchard may prosper.
7. MEMXOX
This is the army of Memnon ; their arms have
been laid aside, and they are laying out the body of
their chief for mourning ; he has been struck in the
breast, I think, by the ashen spear. For when I
find a broad plain and tents and an entrenched
camp and a city fenced in with walls, I feel sure
that these are Ethiopians and that this city is Troy
^ i.e. by making a present of a hare they exercise a sort of
constraint upon the beloved.
29
PHILOSTRATUS: IMAGINES
he yie/jLVwv 6 r/)? 'HoO?. tovtov cK^iKoixevov
305 K. cifivvaL rfj Tpoia KreiveL, (fiaaiv, 6 rod n7;Xe&)9
/iieyav I'jKovra /cal ovSev av avrov fxeiw. (2) (jko-
irei yap, 6ao<; /aev Kelrai Kara tt]<; yr}<;, 6ao<; 8e
6 TMV /3oaTpv)(wv aaTa')(y<^, ov<^ ol/iai NetXw
o €Tp€(f)€' KelXou yap AlyvimoL fiev e^ovat Ta9
eK^oXd^;, AldioiTe<; he Ta<; 7rr)yd<;. opa to etSo?,
CO? eppwraL Kal tmv 6(f)0a\/jLMv ciiroXwXoTCOv,
opa TOP LOvXov &)? /caO^ rjXiKiav tw KrelvavTi.
ovS' av fxeXava ^at?;? rov MepLvova' to yap
10 ciKpciTw^i ev avTw fiiXav v7ro(f)aiP€i, tl dv6ov<;.
(3) al he psTew poL haipove<i 'Ho)? eirl T(p
iraihl irevOovaa KUTrjipi] nroiel tov WXlov Kal
heiTai T?}? Nf/CTO? d(f)LKea6at irpo Kaipov Kal to
(TTpaTOTTehov iiT Lay^elv , 'Iva eyyevr^Tai ol KXe^\rai
15 TOV viov, Afo? TTOV TttVTa v€V(TavTO<;. Kal Ihov
eKKeKXeTTTai Kal eaTLV eirl Teppbaai tt}? ypa(f)rj<;}
iTov hrj ^ Kal KaTO. tl t% y^]^ ; Td<^o<^ ovha/xov
^\epLvovo<^, 6 he ^lepLVcov ev AWLOTTia peTa/Se-
l3Xr}Kco<; €L<; Xldov pieXava. Kal to a')(^fj/j.a KaOij-
20 p,evov, TO he elSo? eKeivov,^ olpaiy Kal irpocr-
/^dXXei T(p dydXpaTL ?; a/cri? tov 'HXlov. hoKel
yap 6 HXto? oiovel irXrjKTpov KaTo, aTopa
^ Ta.(f>os add. Brunn, Symh. 443 ; " his tomb is at the edge
of the painting."
^ TTov 57} Jacol)S : airovZi].
^ iK€Lvov Fairbanks : e/felfo.
^ According to Pliny [N.H. 6. 182) Memnon was king of
the Ethiopians in Africa (not of the Ethiopians in the Far
East) at the time of tlie Trojan war. The western section of
Thebes in Egypt was known as Memnoneia, and here on the
left bank of the Nile still remain the two colossal seated figures
of Memnon erected by Amenhotep III. They are made of a
30
BOOK I,
and that it is Memnon, the son of Eos, who is being-
mourned. When he came to the defence of Troy, the
son of Peleus, they say, slew him, mighty though he
was and likely to be no whit inferior to his opponent.
Notice to what huge length he lies on the ground,
and how long is the crop of curls, which he grew,
no doubt, that he might dedicate them to the
Nile ; for while the mouth of the Nile belongs to
Egypt, the sources of it belong to Ethiopia. See
his form, how strong it is, even though the light has
gone from his eyes ; see his downy beard, how it
matches his age with that of his youthful slayer.
You would not say that Memnon's skin is really
black, for the pure black of it shows a trace of
ruddiness.
As for the deities in the sky, Eos mourning over
her son causes the Sun to be downcast and begs
Night to come prematurely and check the hostile
army, tliat she may be able to steal away her
son, no doubt with the consent of Zeus. And look I
Memnon has been stolen away and is at the edge of
the painting. Where is he ? In what part of the
earth ? No tomb of Memnon is anywhere to be seen
but in Ethiopia he himself has been transformed into
a statue of black marble.^ The attitude is that of a
seated person, but the figure is that of Memnon
yonder, if I mistake not, and the ray of the sun falls
on the statue. For the sun, striking the lips of
conglomerate limestone and are 20 metres in height above
the pedestal. The northern one of the two, which has been
broken in several pieces and set up again, is the figure here
referred to. The marvellous tone or "voice" presumably
was produced (before the figure was broken) by the sudden
expansion of the stone from heat, when the rays of the
rising sun fell on it.
3^
PHILOSTRATUS: IMAGINES
i/iiTTLTTTCop T(p Ms/ivovi eKKokelaOaL (f)covy]v
eKeWev Kal XaXovvrt aocpia/iari Trapa/uvOelcrOai
25 Tr]V 'Hfiepav.
v' AMTiVmNH
(1) Ue^evovTL rrjv OdXaaaav tco YloaeihiovL
€VT6Tvxv^^^ ol/J-ai Trap' 'O^i-jpcp, ore Kara rov<;
A')(^aiov^ uTTo Ar/ojv areWerat, kol rj ddXaaaa
yaXijvrjv dyei irapaTTeinrovaa avrov avroh
30 iTTTTOi? Kal avTol^ Ki]Teai' Kcifcel^ yap i/celva
eireTai Kal aaivei tov Yloaethodva w? evrav-
6a. eKel fiev ovv i^Treipcoroov ol/iai rcov 'lttttcov
alaOdvTj — ')(^aXK6iTohd^ re yap avTOv<; d^iol
elvai Kal WKVirera^; Kal pbdariyL TrXfJTrea-
306 K. uaL — ivravOa Se iTTTroKafiTroL to dp/xa, €(f)vSpoi
Trt? OTrXa? Kal vevarLKol Kal yXauKol Kal vrj
A /a oaa heX<^lve<^. KuKel [lev hva-x^epaivetv 6
Yloaeihoiv eoiKe Kal vefieaav tw Atl kXlvovtl to
5 EXXrjviKov Kal ^pa^evovTL avTOi<; diro tov
')(eipovo<;, ivTavOa Be ^aiSpo<; ykypaiTTai Kal
iXapov ^Xeirec Kal aeao^yjTaL fidXa ipcoTLKM^;.
(2) A^vjj.d)vi] yap i) /^avaov Oa/j-i^ovaa iirl to
TOV ^Ivdy^ov vEcop KCKpdTi^Ke tov Oeov Kal
10 (TTeXXeTat Orjpevawv avTt]v ovirco ^vvLelaav,
OTL epcLTai. TO yovv 7repL(j)o^ov t/}? K6piis
KUi TO TTaXXeaOat, Kal rj KdXm<; i) ■^(pva)]
Bia(f>evyovaa Ta^; ■)(€?pa<^ SrjXot ttjv Wfiv/jLcovyjv
€K7r67rXT})(6aL Kal drropelv, tl /3ouXo/xei'o? 6
15 Tiocrei^wv eKXetTrei rravavBl ti]v OdXaaaav,
^ KOLKU Jacobs : Kal.
32
BOOK I. 8
Memnon as a plectrum strikes the lyre^ seems to
summon a voice from them, and by this speech-
producing artifice consoles the Goddess of the Day.
8. AMYMONE
Poseidon's journey over the sea I think you have
come upon in Homer, when he sets forth from
Aegae^ to join the Achaeans, and the sea is calm,
escorting him with its sea-horses and its sea-monsters;
for in Homer they follow Poseidon and fawn upon
him as they do here in the painting. There, I
imagine, your thought is of dry-land horses — for
Homer 2 maintains that they are '^'bronze-hoofed,"
"swiftly flying," and "smitten by the lash" — but
here it is hippocamps that draw the chariot, creatures
with web-footed hoofs, good swimmers, blue- eyed,
and, by Zeus, in all respects like dolphins. There
in Homer ^ Poseidon seems to be angry, and vexed
with Zeus for turning back the Greek forces and for
directing the contest to their disadvantage ; while here
he is painted as radiant, of joyous look, and deeply
stirred by love. For the sight of Amymone, the
daughter of Danaus,as she visits the waters of Inachus,
has overmastered the god and he sets out to pursue
the girl, who does not yet know that she is loved.* At
any rate the fright of the maiden, her trembling, and
the golden pitcher falling from her hands make it
evident that Amymone is astounded and at a loss to
know with what purpose Poseidon so precipitately
^ //. LS. 27 ff. 2 II 13. 23 f.
3 Cf. 11. 5. 37 and 15. 510.
- The pursuit of Amj-nione by Poseidon was frequently
depicted on vase paintings, cf. Overbeck, Kunstmithologie,
Poseidon, p. 370 f. (Fig. 4).
33
D
PHILOSTRATUS : IMAGINES
XevKiiv T€ VTTO (j>v<T€(t)<i ovaav ;\;/3L'cro? irepL-
(rrlXlBei Kepaaa<^ t?]V auyr]p tm vhaji. inreK-
arcofiev, o) irat, rfj vvfic^r)' Koi yap KVfxa ■i)hii
KVpTovrai €9 TOP yd/jLOV, yXavKov en koi tov
20 x^poirov Tpoirov, 7rop(f)vpovp Se avro 6 Yloaeihcop
ypdy^ei.
6' EAOS
(l)"T7ro/jL^pO'^ fiev rj 7/}, cpepet Se KuXa/xov
KOi (pXoiov, a 8r} dcrirapTa kcli dvrjpoTa hihwaiv
T) Tcov eXcop 6V(f)VLa, Kol fivpiKT] yeypaTTTat kol
25 Kuireipop' koX yap ravrd iart rodv eXcop. oprj
Se oupapo/i7]Kr) 7r€pLl3e/3X7]TaL (pvaew^; ov fj,id<;'
TCL fiep yap rrjP ttltvp 7Tape)(6/jL€Pa XeiTToyecop
ridel, TCL he KVirapiTTM KouMPra rrj<^ dpycXcohov^
^ Cf. Od. 11. 24.3: TTopipvpfov 5' apa Ki-fia . . , KvpTudfv,
- Thus enriching tlie marriage chamber, and concealing
the pair.
^ <hl. 9. 109 : ra y' aoira >Ta Kai ai^r}JOTa iravra (p 'lovrai, of the
island of the C3'clopos.
34
BOOK I. 9
leaves the sea; and her natural pallor is illumined
by the gold of the pitcher, as its brightness is re-
flected in the water. Let us withdraw, my boy, and
Fig. 4. — Poseidon pursuing Amymone.
leave the maiden; for already a wave is arching ^
over for the nuptials, and, though the water is still
bright and pellucid in appearance, Poseidon will
presently paint it a purple hue.^
9. A MARSH
Tlie earth is wet and bears reeds and rushes,
which the fertile marsh causes to grow " un-
sown and untilled,"^ and tamarisk and sedge ^ are
depicted ; for these are marsh-plants. The place
is encompassed by mountains heaven high, not all of
one type ; for some that are covered with pine trees
suggest a light soil, others luxuriant with cypress
trees proclaim that their soil is of clay, and yonder
- Suggested by II. 21. 350 f. : jjivplKai . . . ■t]5e Kvireipov.
D 2
35
PHILOSTRATUS: IMAGINES
Xeyei, iXuTai Se eKelvat ri ciWo ye r) hvo-^ei-
ZO /J-epov Koi Tpax^ to 6po<; ; ou yap dairdi^ovjai
/36j\ov ovSe dyaTTCjai OakireaOaL' raurd tol kol
diroLKOvcn t(ov ireSlcov o)? iv rot<{ opeat paov
av^ofxevai ro) dvefiw} injyal Be diro^Xv^ovcn
- }07 K. TO)v opcov, at S?) peovaat kutq) kol KOLvovfievai
TO vSwp e\o9 l/tt' avTCov to TreSlov, ov fxrjv
uTaKTov ye ovSe olov 7re(pvpOaL' SnjKTat, Se
avTov TO vafia viro t>}9 ypa(f)r)<;, 0)9 av kol rj
5 <^uo"£9 avTO Stijyayev 77 ao(f)}} ttuptcov, /JLatdvhpov<;
Be 7ro\XoL'9 eXiTTet aeXlvov PpvovTa<^ dyaOov^
ravTiXXeaOai toU opviat toU vypol^;. (2) 6pa<i
ydp TTOV Ta9 vi]TTa<;, co? ecpvBpoL BcoXiaOdvouaiv
di'a(f)vacocTaL TLva<; olov avXov<; tov vBaTo<;. tl
10 Br] TO Tcov ')(7jv(ov e6vo<i ; Kal ydp Brj KUKelvoi
yeypd(paTaL KUTa Tr)v eavTMV (pvaiv enniT oXaLoi
re Kal TrXcoTrjpe^;. tov<; Be iirl fxaKpolv toIv cTKeXolv,
T0U9 TrepiTTov^ TO pd/jL(j)o<i ^€P0v<; olfiai alaOdvrj
Kal dfipov<; dXXov dXXov TTTepov. Kal Ta
15 a')(^r]/uiaTa Be avTcov TTOLKiXa' 6 fiev ydp eVt
7reTyoa9 dvairavei too iroBe KaTa eva, 6 Be i/ru^et
TO TTTepov, 6 Be eKKaOaipei, 6 Be f/pr]Ke tl e/c tov
vBaT0<;, 6 Be el<; ttjp yrjv dirovevevKev eTTiaLTLcraa-
6ai TL €Kel6ev.
20 (3) 7-}VLO\ela6aL Be 701)9 kvkvov^ vtto tmv
^KpcoTcov 6avfia ovBeV dyepw^oi ydp 01 deol
Kal Beivol TraL^eLv €9 701)9 6pvi6a<;, o6ev fii]Be ttjv
r)VL6')(r)(TLV dpya)<; 7rapeX6a)/iev fii]Be avTO to
^ Jacolis : TOV &vji>.
^ Cf. //. 11. 256: ave/uLjTpecpes fyx^s, "a wind-nurtured
spear,"
36
BOOK I. 9
fir trees — what else do they mean than that the
mountain is storm-swept and rugged ? For firs do
not Hke rich soil nor do they care for warmth ;
accordingly their place is at a distance from the
plains, since they grow more readily in the moun-
tains because of the wind.^ And springs are
breaking forth from the mountain sides ; as they
flow down and mingle their waters below, the plain
becomes a marsh ; not, however, a disordered marsh
or the kind that is befouled with mud; but the course
of its waters is directed in the painting just as if
nature, wise in all things, directed it, and the stream
winds in many a tortuous meander, abounding in
parsley and suited for the voyaging of the water-
fowl. For you see the ducks, I am sure, how they
glide along the water-course blowing jets of w^ater
from their bills. ^ And what of the tribe of geese ?
Indeed, they too are painted in accordance with their
nature, as resting on tiie water and sailing on it.
And those long-legged birds with huge beaks, you
doubtless recognize as foreign, the birds delicately
coloured each with different plumage. Their at-
titudes also are various ; one stands on a rock
resting first one foot and then the other, one dries
its feathers, one preens them, another has snatched
some prey from the w^ater, and yet another has bent
its head to the land so as to feed on something
there.
No wonder that the swans are ridden by Cupids ;
for these gods are mischievous and prone to sport
with birds, so let us not pass by without noticing
either their riding or the waters in which this
^ For avXovs cf. Od. 22. 18 ; avhhs ava p'lvas iraxvs fiKdev
a'ifj.aTos.
37
PHILOSTRATUS: IMAGINES
vBcop, ev o) ravra. ro fiev yap Sr] vScop tovto
25 KoXkiaTOv Tov €Xov<; TTTjyrj^; avro SLSova7]<; avro-
OeVy avviararaL Se et? /coXv/jb/SijOpav TrayfcdXyjv.
oia jieaov yap tov vBaro^i afxdpaina vevei rd
fiev evdev, rd he eKeWev, rjhelf; daTd')(ye<^ Kal
PdWovTE'^ dv6eL ro vBcop. irepl tovtov<; ijvlo-
30 y^ovcTLv "Epwre? i€pov<; xal 'X^pvao^aXivov^ 6pvi<;
6 fxev irdaav rjviav ivhihov<;, 6 Be dvaKoirrwv, 6
Be eiriarpe^cov, 6 Be irepl ryp vvaaav iXavvcov —
Kal TTapaKeXevofjievwv roi? kvkvol<^ d/coveiv BoKei
Kal dTTeiXovvTcov dXXrjXoL<i Kal rccOa^ovrcov'
35 ravra yap roU 7rpoao)7roi<; eTreartv — 6 ^e Kara-
^dXXcL rov ireXa^;, 6 Be Kara^e^XrjKev, 6 Be
308 K. rjydrrrjaev eKrreaelv rov 6pvi6o<;, &)? Xovaatro
ev r(p iTTTToBpo/jLa). (4) kvkXw Be ral^ o'^Oat';
i(j)eardaiv ol fiovaiKwrepOL rcov kvkvwv eird-
Bovre^ oljiai rov opOiov co? iTpo<^ rpoirov rol<;
6 dfiiXXay/jiivotfi. arj/jLelov tt}? <^Brj<; 6pa<; rb Trrrjvbv
fieipaKioV dve/jLO<; rovro Zecjyvpof; rrjv wBrjv rot?
KVKVoi^ evBLBov<;, yeypairrai Be diraXov Kal
XapUv €i? acvty/jLa rov 7rv€v/uLaro<;, Kal at
7rrepvye<; ijirXcovrac rol<; kvkvol<^ 7rpo<; ro irXijr-
10 reaOat viro rov dve/xov.
(5) IBov Kal 7rora/jLo<; v-ne^ep)(^eraL rov eXov^
evpv<; Kal viroKV/xaLvayv, Bia^alvovai 8' avrov
aliToXoL Kal vo/jieU eirl ^evyfiaro^. el Be rcov
alyojv eiraLVOir}'; rov ^coypdcpov, on. avrd<; viro-
15 aKiprdiaa^ Kal dyepco^ov^ yeypa(^ev, i) ro)V rrpo-
jSdrcov, ore a)(^oXalov avrol^ ro (Sdhidfia Kal
38
BOOK I. 9
scene lies. Here indeed is the most beautiful
water of the marshy issuing direct from a springs
and it forms a swimming-pool of exceeding beauty.
In the midst of the pool amaranth flowers are nod-
ding this way and that, sweet clusters that pelt
the water with their blossoms. It is among these
clusters that Cupids are riding sacred birds with golden
bridles^ one giving free rein, another drawing in,
another turning, another driving around the goal-
post. Just imagine that you hear them urging on
their swans, and threatening and jeering at one
another — for this is all to be seen in their faces.
One is trying to give his neighbour a fall, another
has done it, still another is glad enough to have
fallen from his bird that he may take a bath in the
race-course. On the banks round about stand the
more musical swans, singing the orthian strain, ^ I
think, as befits the contestants. The winged youth
you see is an indication that a song is being sung,
for he is the wind Zephyrus and he gives the swans
the keynote of their song. He is painted as a tender
and graceful boy in token of the nature of the south-
west wind, and the wings of the swans are unfolded
that the breezes may strike them.
Behold, a river also issues from the marsh, a
broad rippling stream, and goatherds and shepherds
are crossing it on a bridge. If you were to praise
the painter for his goats, because he has painted
them skipping about and prone to mischief, or for
his sheep because their gait is leisurely as if their
fleeces were a burden,^ or if we were to dwell
^ "Orthian strain," a familiar high-pitched melody.
2 Cf. Hesiod, Op. 234, " Their woolly sheep are burdened
with fleeces."
39
PHILOSTRATUS: IMAGINES
olov a-^6o^ ol jxaWoi} rci^; re avpiy'ya<; el
hie^ioLjJLev fj tou? ^yoco/xei'ou? aurat?, &>? virearaX-
fxevM T(p arofiari avXovcn, afjbitcpov eiraweao-
20 fxeOa rri<^ ypacpij^; kol oaov et? p,iixi]aLv 7]/<eL,
<TO(j)Lav 5e ovK eTraiveaoiieOa ovhe Kacpov, a Brj
Kpdriara Bok€L Tr]<; re')(vr]<;. (G) rt? ovv rj
aocpla; ^euy/ia (poivLKcov iTTL/SiffXrjKe rw Trorafiw
KOL pLuXa ijBvv eTT avTw Xoyov' €lBa}<; yap to
25 Trepl tmv (^oivlkcov Xeyojievov, on avrayp 6 fiev
dpayjv Tis, f) Be OifKeia, kol irepl rod ydfxov acpcov
BiaK7]Koco<;, OTL dyovrat, Td<; Orfkeia^ Trept/SaXXov-
T69 avTd<; TOL<; KXdBoL^ koI eiriTeivovre^ avrov^; eV
auTa9, «^' eKarepov tov yevou<; eva Kara fiiav
30 oxO^lv yeypacpev. elra 6 fiev epa Kal eTTLKXiverai
Kal virepdXXeTai tov Trora/JLOV, Trj<; Be 6T]Xeia<^ en
d(f)€aTd)aT]<; ovk e')(^cov eTrtXa/Seadat Kelrai kol
BovXevet ^ev^a^ to vBcop, Kal ecTTi tol<; Bia/3al-
vovaiv da(paXr]<; viro tt)? tov ^Xolov T/oa^u-
35 t7]to<;.
309 K. c AMmN
(1) TrJ? Xvpa<; to o-6(f)ia/xa Trpwro? 'Ep/jii]<; rryj-
^aaOai XeyeTai KepdToiv Bvolv fcal ^vyov Kal
')(eXvo<; Kal Bovvai fxeTa tov ' AttoXXw Kal ra?
Moucra? 'A/i(jiLOVi tco ^ij^auo to Boipov, 6 Be
5 OLKMV ra? 07;/3a? oviro) TeTei)(Laixeva^ d^rjKS
Kaid Tcov XlOcov fieXif Kal aKovovTe'; ol XiOot
avvOeovai' TavTa yap tcl ev tj} ypa(f)fj.
^ ol jxaWoi Jacobs : ^ /uiaWoi'.
40
BOOK I. 10
on the pipes or on those who play them — the way
they blow with puckered lips — we should praise an
insignificant feature of the painting and one that has
to do solely with imitation ; but we should not be
praising its cleverness or the sense of fitness it
shows, though these, 1 believe, are the most
important elements of art. Wherein, then, lies its
cleverness ? The painter has thrown a bridge of
date palms across the river, and there is a very
})retty reason for this ; for knowing that palms are
said to be male and female, and having heard about
their marriage, that the male trees take their brides
by bending over toward the female trees and em-
bracing them with their branches, he has painted a
palm of one sex on one bank and one of the other
sex on the other bank. Thereupon the male tree
falls in love and bends over and stretches out over
the river ; and since it is unable to reach the female
tree, which is still at a distance, it lies prone and
renders menial service by bridging the water, and it
is a safe bridge for men to cross on because of the
roughness of its bark.
10. AMPHION
The clever device of the lyre, it is said, was
invented by Hermes, who constructed it of two horns
and a crossbar and a tortoise-shell ; and he presented
it first to Apollo and the Muses, then to Amphion of
Thebes.^ And Amphion, inasmuch as the Thebes of
his day was not yet a walled city, has directed his
music to the stones, and the stones run together when
they hear him. This is the subject of the painting.
1 Cf. Paus. 9. 5. 8.
41
PHILOSTRATUS: IMAGINES
(2) 7rp(6Ti]v ovv SiaOeoj rijv Xvpav, el KaO'
avT7]v yeypairrai. to fievyap Kepa<;^' alyos l^dXov^'
10 7roLT)Tai (j)aai, ')(prjTaL he avrco o fiev ixovaiKO^ 6?
TrjV Xvpav, 6 Se to^ottj^ e? ra oUeca. fxeXava
Kol TTpiovcora 6pa<; ra Kepara kol Beiva ivapd^ai,
^vXa Be, oaa Sel rf) Xvpa, irv^ov rrchra aTpv(f)vov
Kal Xeiov top o^ov — eXe(pa<; ovSa/xov t)]<; Xvpa^,
15 ovTTO) 01 dvO pwiTOi 6t8oTe9 ovTe avTo TO Orjpiov
ovTe 6 Ti T0i9 Kepacnv avTOv ^pi]aovTai — Kal 77
%eXu9 IxeXaiva fjuev, Bu]/cpL0(i)TaL Be Kara ttjv
cf)vcnv Kal Xayapov<; Trepi^e/SXrjTat kvkXov<; dXXov
^vvdirTOVTa<^ akXw ^av9ol<i rot? 6cf)daXfjL0i<;,
20 vevpal he tcl fiev viro tt] fiaydBt, TrpoaKecvTat Kal
TOt? 6ijL(f)aXol<; aTravTOjat, Ta he vrro tco ^vyw
KolXat ^ SoKovar ayn)iid irov tovto avTCov
dvaXoyd)TaTOP dvaKeKXiaOac a(pd<; opOw^ ^ ev Trj
Xvpa.
25 (3) 6 Be 'AiJL(f)io)V Tt cf)7]aL ; tl dXXo ye rj^
Telvei Tov vovv e? t^^jv TryjKTiBa Kal TTapacpaivec
T(oi> oBovTwv oaov drro^pri tw liBovTi ; aBei Be
ol/jLai T7]P yrjv, oTLirdvTcov yevereipa Kal fnjTtjp ovcra
Kal avTo/JLUTa ijBi] rd Tei^n BiBwcnv. rj ko/xt] Be
30 rjBela fxev Kal KaO^ eavTrjv evaXvovaa jiev tm
/leTcoTTO), (TvyKaTLOvaa Be tm lovXo) irapd to ov<;
Kal ')(^pvaov TL em^aivovaay tjBlwp Be fieTa t7]<;
/xtT/3a9, 'y]P (paaip 01 tcov dirodeToyv TrocrjTal
^ koFAoi Jacobs : Ko7\a.
2 opOws Benndorf : opdohs or opOds.
^ After 17 tlie M8S. give \pd\\(i Koi ti krepa x^^p ', Jacobs
deletes r] ereoa x^^p 5 Benndorf deletes the whole phrase,
comparing 310 K 7.
^ Cf. //. 4. 105: Td^ov . . . f^dhou aly6s.
42
BOOK I. lo
Look carefully at the lyre first, to see if it is
painted faithfully. The horn is the horn "of a
leaping goat/' ^ as the poets say, and it is used by
the musician for his lyre and by the bowman for his
bow. The horns, you observe, are black and jagged
and formidable for attack ^ All the wood required
for the lyre is of boxwood, firm and free from knots —
there is no ivory anywhere about the lyre, for men did
not yet know either the elephant or the use they were
to make of its tusks. The tortoise-shell is black, but its
portrayal is accurate and true to nature in that the
surface is covered with irregular circles which touch
each other and have yellow eves ; and the lower
ends of the strings below the bridge lie close to the
shell and are attached to knobs, Avhile between the
bridge and the crossbar the strings seem to be with-
out support, this arrangement of the strings being
apparently best adapted for keeping them stretched
taut on the lyre.
And what is Amphion saying ? ^ Certainly he
keeps his mind intent on the harp, and shows his
teeth a little, just enough for a singer. No doubt
he is singing a hymn to Earth because she, creator
and mother of all things, is giving him his walls,
which already are rising of their own accord. His
hair is lovely and truthfully depicted, falling as it
does in disorder on his forehead and mingling with
the doAvny beard beside the ear, and showing a glint
of gold ; but it is lovelier still where it is held by the
headband — the headband wrought by the Graces, a
^ Cf. the frontispiece for a reconstruction of this lyre.
2 The text is faulty. Probably the sense is "What do
you say Amphion is doing? What else than keeping his
mind intent . . ,'J "
43
PHILOSTRATUS: IMAGINES
\dpiTa<^ KafJLUV, ayaX/ia r^hiarov Kal irpoa-
310 K. e-)(^eaTaTOv rfj Xvpa. Bokm /jloi tov 'Ep/jLt']v epwn
KaT€i\y/jL/ii€vov Sovvai tm AficpLovt a/jL(f)a) ra
8ct)pa. Kal Tj ')(\a/jiv<;, 7)v ^opel, KaKeivfj irapa
TOV 'Ep/jiov Ta%a* ov yap icj)' €v6<; fievet XP^~
5 fxaTo<;, dWa Tpeirerai Kal Kara rijv 'Ipiv /xerav-
del. (4) KaOijrat 8e eirl koKwvov rep fxev irohl
Kpovcov avpLiJ.e\es, rfj he^ia Se irapa'irXi'jTTwv rdf;
v€vpd<;' yjrdWei Kal rj erepa %et/? opdaU Tai<;
t6)v haKTvXwv 7rpo^o\at<;, oirep (p/irjv irXaa-
10 TLKTjv aTravOaSieiadaL fiov^jv. elev. (5) rd Se
TOiv \id(Dv TTw? e')(^ei ; irdvre^; eirl rrjv (pSrjv
avvOeovai Kal aKouovac Kal yiverai relxo'i. Kal
TO pev i^(pKoh6p,r)Tai, to Be dva^aivei, to he
dpTL KaTe/3d\ovTo} (piXoTip-oi Kal T^^et? ol \i6oi
Xo'Kal Oi-jTevovre^^ p,ouaiKf}, to Be Tel)(o<; eirTdiTvXov,
oaoL tt}? \vpa<; ol tovol.
La cI)AE©nN
(1) Xpvcrd TU)v 'HXidScov to, hdKpva. ^aiOovTi
X6yos avTCL pelv tovtov yap iralSa HXl'ov yevo-
pi€vov €7TiTo\p,r]aaL T(p irarpcpw hi^pw Kara
20 epcoTa rjVioxf')creco<; Kal /xr; KaTaa-^ovra ttjv i]viav
a<^aXrjvaL Kal ev tw ^Wpihavw ireaelv — Tavra
^ KaT(fid\ovTo Schenkl ct al. : KanXi^ovro or /fortAaSej/.
^ Plato, PhaedriLS 252a quotes a passage on Love from
the Secret Verses (Jowett, "apocryphal writings") of
Homer. The subject is discussed by Lobeck, Aglaophamusy
861 f.
44
BOOK I. II
most lovely ornament/' as the poets of the Secret
Verses^ say — and quite in keeping with the lyre.
My own opinion is that Hermes gave Amphion
both these gifts, both the lyre and headband, because
he was overcome by love for him. And the
chlamys he wears, perhaps that also came from
Hermes ; for its colour does not remain the same
but changes and takes on all the hues of the rain-
bow.2 Amphion is seated on a low mound, beating
time with his foot and smiting the strings with his
right hand. His left hand is playing, too, with
fingers extended straight,^ a conception which I
should have thought only plastic art would venture.
Well, how about the stones ? They all run to-
gether toward the singing, they listen, and they
become a wall. At one point the wall is finished, at
another it is rising, at still another the foundation is
just laid. The stones are eager in rivalry, and happy,
and devoted slaves of music ; and the wall has seven
gates, as the strings of the lyre are seven.
11. PHAETHON
Golden are the tears of the daughters of Helius.
The story is that they are shed for Phaethon;
for in his passion for driving this son of Helius
ventured to mount his father's chariot, but because
he did not keep a firm rein he came to grief and fell
into the Eridanus — wise men interpret the story as
2 Does this mean that Hermes descends by the rainbow ?
Certainly the rainbow {i.e., Iris) is like Hermes, a messenger
from the gods to men,
^ i.e. the left hand is raised, after the stroke, and the
fingers, pointing toward the spectators, are foreshortened.
45
PHILOSTRATUS: IMAGINES
TOt? fiev ao(f)ot<i irXeove^ia Tt? elfac Sokcl tov
TTf/JcoSof?, 7roLt]Tat<; Be Kal ^(oypd(f)ot(; Xttttol koI
cipfia — Kal avyy^elrai ra ovpdvia. (2) aKoiret
25 yap' vv^ fi€i> €k /i€a7]fi^pia^ eXavvei ti]v yp^epav,
6 Be 7]\iov kvk\o<^ et? yrjv pewv e\K€L tov<^ dare-
pa<^. at Be "^flpai rd^; irvXa^ eKXiirovaat (pevyov-
aiv eU Ti]v diravTcoaav avral^; d')(\vv, Kal ol
'lttttol tT;? ^evy\r)<; eKireaovre^ otarpw (pepovrac.
30 dirayopevei Be t) Tf] Kal rd<; ')(^elpa^ alpeu dvco
payBaiov tov 7rvpb<; 69 avTr]v 16vto<;. eKiriirTeL
Be TO fieipdKLov Kal KUTacpepeTaL — Tijv tc yap
311 K. KOfirjv €/jL7re7rpi]aTaL Kal ra CFTepva v7roTV(peTaL
— TTOTa/iu) Te ^HpiBavd) epbireaelTat Kal Trape^et
fivOov TLva Tw vBaTL. (3) KVKVoi yap Br} dva-
(pvao)VT€<; r)Bv tl evOev Kal evOev^ Kal irou]-
5 aovTai wBtjv to fxeipdKtov, dyeXac Te avTcov
dpOelaai KavaTpco TavTa Kal "iaTpcp aaovTai,
Kal ovBev dv7]Koov eaTai tov tolovtov \6yov,
Zecpvpo) t€ 'Xp^o'OVTai 7rpo<; ttjv wBtjv eXacppw
Kal evoBiw' XeyeTat yap avvavXiav tov 6pi}vov
10 TOi? KVKVOI'^ 6p,o\oyr}aai. raOra tol Kal Trdp-
eaTL Toh opviaiv, ware opa - Kal yfrdWeiv
avTov<i olov opyava.
(4) TO, Be eirl tt} o^drj yvvaia, at ovttco BevBpa,
(paal Ta9 'llXidBa<; errl tw dBeX^w /jLeTa(f)VPai
^ TL ivOev Kol ivQiv Jacobs : r)) (uQ^v or rh iunvQiv.
^ opa Welcker: wpa.
1 Cf. Lucretius 5. 392 ff.
^ Cf. //. 8. 485 f. : iv 5' eTrea' ' CiK^avw Kap-irphv (pdos rjeXloio,
(\KOVTa vvKTa /nfKaivav ^irl ^eidwpov &poupav.
3 Cf. mfra Phil. II, 34.
46
[ To face p. 47.
BOOK I. II
indicating a superabundance of the fiery element in
nature,^ but for poets and painters it is simply a
chariot and horses — and at his fall the heavens are
confounded. Look ! Night is driving Day from
the noonday sky^ and the sun's orb as it plunges
toward the earth draws in its train the stars. ^ The
Horae^ abandon their posts at the gates and flee
toward the gloom that rises to meet them, while the
horses have thrown off their yoke and rush madly on.
Despairing, the Earth raises her hands in supplication,
as the furious fire draws near her. Now the youth
is thrown from the chariot and is falling headlong ^ —
for his hair is on fire and his breast smouldering with
the heat ; his fall will end in the river Eridanus
and will furnish this stream with a mythical tale.
For swans scattered about, breathing sweet notes,
will hymn the youth ; and flocks of swans rising aloft
will sing the story to Cayster and Ister ; ^ nor will any
place fail to hear the strange story. And they will
have Zephyrus, nimble god of wayside shrines, to
accompany their song, for it is said that Zephyrus
has made a compact with the swans to join them in
the music of the dirge. This agreement is even
now being carried out, for look I the wind is playing
on the swans as on musical instruments.
As for the women on the bank, not yet com-
])letely transformed into trees, men say that the
daughters of Helius on account of their brother's
- The fall of Phaethon is depicted, e.g. on an Arretine
bowl (Fig. 5) and a Roman sarcophagus, both figured in
Roscher, Lexikon d. griech. u. ram. Myth. III. 2, p. 2195 f.
^ The swans were said to spend the summer on the Cayster
river in Lydia and the winter on the Danube (Ister) among
the Hyperboreans. Cf. Himerius 79, \ld.
47
PHILOSTRATUS: IMAGINES
15 Ka\ 6t9 SevBpa Xij^ai SciKpvd re cK^iivai. /cal ?;
ypacf)r) ravra olSe' pi^a<; yap ^aWo/nevr) Tal<;
Kopv(j)aL<; ra fxev et9 o/KpaXov SevSpa avrat, ra?
8e %6t/3a9 o^oL (pddvovat. cf)€v r;)? KOfjLy]^;, &>?
alyeipov irdvra. (fiev rcjv Sa/cpvcov, 009 xpvad.
20 Kal TO fiev TrXrj/i/jLvpov iv rfj rcov ocpOaX/jicov
ehpa "^^apOTralfi eTravyd^et rah KopaL^; Kal olov
uKTlva €\k€L, to Be Tai9 irapeial^ evTvyyavov
IxapfxaipeL irepl to eKeivt] €pev6o<;, tcl he aTd^ovTa
KUTCL Tov (jTepvov '^pvao<; 7;8>/. (5) dprfvel Kal
25 6 TTOTa/jLO'; dveywv t^9 3tV?;9 Kal tw fxev ^aeOovTi
KoXrrov VTre^ei — to yap (T)(^P]fia Be^o/Jbevov — Ta9
Be 'HXcdBa^i yewpyrjaei avTiKa' aupai^ yap Kal
Kpv/JL0L<;, 01)9 dvaBlBcoaL, XiOovpyijaei Kal ire-
aovTa vTToBe^eTai Kal Bid ^aiBpov tov vBaTOf;
30 dird^ei tol<; iv TlKeavu) ^apfidpoi<; Ta tcov
alyeipwv '^r)yfiaTa.
(1 ) — Ta Be eirl ttj o-^Oy yvvaia^ irapafiocoai,
TvapaKaXelv Be Kal 701)9 'iTrTrov^; eoLKacTL fir]
plyp-ai Ta iraiBia fii]Be aTroirTvaai, tov )(aXiv6v,
312 K. eXelv Be Kal avfiiraTijcraL Ta Orjpia, ol Be aKOvov-
aiv ol/xai Kal ttoiovcjl TavTa. 6ripd(javTa<^ Be
avT0v<i Kal BacTa yprjKOTa^i BiairopO/jLevei vav^
^ TO . . . yuvaia deleted by Kaj'ser, as repeated from
311.10 K. The beginning of this sketch is lost.
^ Amber was explained l)}- the ancients as the "tears of
the daughters of Helius." The river Eridanus is a mythical
48
BOOK I. 12
mishap changed their nature and became trees^ and
that they shed tears. The painting recognizes the
story, for it puts roots at the extremities of their
toes, while some, over here, are trees to the waist, and
branches have supplanted the arms of others. Behold
the hair, it is nothing but poplar leaves ! Behold
the tears, they are golden ! While the welling tide
of tears in their eyes gleams in the bright pupils
and seems to attract rays of light, and the tears on
the cheeks glisten amid the cheek's ruddy glow,
yet the drops trickling down their breasts have
already turned into gold. The river also laments,
emerging from its eddying stream, and offers its
bosom to receive Phaethon — for the attitude is of
one ready to receive — and soon it will harvest the
tears of the daughters of Helius;^ for the breezes
and the chills which it exhales will turn into stone
the droppings of the poplar trees, and it will catch
them as they fall and conduct them through its
bright waters to the barbarians by Ocean us.
12. BOSPHOROS
[The w^omen on the bank] are shouting, and
they seem to urge the horses not to throw their
young riders nor yet to spurn the bit, but to catch
the game and trample it underfoot ; and these, I
think, hear and do as they are bidden. And when
the youths have finished the hunt and have eaten
stream in the far west near the end of the world, where
lived the daughters of Helius. Geographers later connected
it with the Po or the Rhone, which \a.\ on the routes by
which amber came to the Greeks from the North Sea and the
Baltic, where lived " the barbarians b}' Oceanus.
49
PHILOSTRATUS : IMAGINES
air 6 T?}? ^vpa)7ry]<; e? TrjP 'Aalav crTaSiof?
6 /jLaXiard ttov Terra/ja? — tovtI yap to iv fieaw
TOLV eOvolv — Kal avreperai irXeovaiv.
(2) Ihov Kol irelajxa ^dWovTai, Bex^rat Be
avTov<i OLKta fxaXa rjSela Oa\d/jLOv<; viroc^aivovaa
Kol dvSp(i)va<; Kal OvpuScov tX^V* ^^ Telxo^ Be
10 Trepi^e/SXrjrac Kal iirdX^ei^ ^X^f. to Be koK-
Xiarov avTf]<;, i^jilkvkXo'^ TrepLearrjKe ajod rfj
OaXdaar) Kippo€tBr]<; viro rod iv avrfj XlOov,
yeveai^ €k Tnjycov rw XiOw' Oepfiov yap vd/xa
vireKpeov rd t^}? Karco ^pvy[a<^ opi] Kal to pevfxa
15 eU Ta? Xidoro/xLa<; eadyov V7r6/jLl3pov<; ipyd^erai.
rwv irerpcov evia^ Kal vBarcoBrj iroLel rijv eKcpvaiv
rcov Xl6o)V, o6ev avrcov Kal vroXXd rd ;^/3&)yLtaTa.
OoXepov fxev yap ev6a Xifivd^ec Kippo€iBe<; BlBcoai,
KaOapov Be oirov KpvaraXXoeiBe^ eKeWev, Kal
20 TToiKiXXei Ta? TreV/Qa? ev TroWaZ? BtaiTLvoiievov
raU Tpo7ra2<;.
(3) Tj aKTT] Be vyj/rjXr) Kal roLovBe ixvOov c^epei
avfi/SoXa. Kopij Kal iraU d/jL(p(o KaXd> Kal
(jiOLTMVTe ravrtp BiBaaKdXw TTpoo-eKavOrjaav dX-
25 X7]XoL<; Kal Trepi^dXXetv ovk ova7]<; dBeca*;
ojp/JLTjaav diTodavelv diro ravr^ial tt)? 7reTpa<;
Kavrevdev rjpOrjaav et? tt^v OdXaaaav ev vard-
rai'; Kal irpoDrat^i irepi/SoXaU. Kal 6 "Rpco<; eVt
rf) irerpa reivei rrjv %e?y9a e<; rrjv OdXarrav,
30 u7roai]/jLaLvcov rov fxvOov 6 fwy/oa^o?.
(4) r) Be e(pe^P]<i olKia, XVP^^^^ '^^ yvvaiov
^ The marble of Hierapolis is liere described ; cf. Strabo,
p. 629, Vitruvius 8. 3. 10.
" Cf. Xenophon, Coiiviv. 4. 23 avfKponwv els ravTo. hiSaaKa-
5°
BOOK I. 12
their meal^ a boat carries them across from Europe
to Asia, about four stades — for this space intervenes
between the countries — and they row themselves
across.
See, they throw out a rope, and a house is receiving
them, a charming house just showing chambers
and halls for men and indications of windows, and it
is surrounded by a wall with parapets for defence.
The most beautiful feature of it is a semi-circular
stoa following the curve of the sea, of yellowish
colour by reason of the stone of which it is built.
The stone is formed in springs ; for a warm
stream flowing out below the mountains of Lower
Phrygia and entering the quarries submerges some
of the rocks and makes the outcroppings of the stone
full of water so that it assumes various colours.^
For the stream is foul where it is sluggish and
produces a yellowish colour ; but where the water
is pure a stone of crystal clearness is formed, and it
gives to the rock various colours as it is absorbed in
the many seams.
The lofty promontory gives a suggestion of the
following tale : A boy and girl, both beautiful
and under the tutelage of the same teacher, burned
with love ^ for each other ; and since they were not
free to embrace each other, they determined to die
at this very rock, and leaped from it into the sea in
their first and last embrace. Eros on the rock
stretches out his hand toward the sea, the painter's
symbolic suggestion of the tale.
In the house close by a woman lives alone ;
Aelo eVeiVqi) . . . irpoaeKavdr). "This hot flame of his was
kindled when they used to go to Gchool together." Trans.
Todd, L.C.L.
5^
e2
PHILOSTRATLTS: IMAGINES
€^€\7]\v06^ Tov daT€o<; 8t' 6-)(Xov vecdv apird-
aeaOai 'yap avro €(f)aaav Kal d^ezSco? eKco/xa^ov
fcal S(t)poi<; irreipcov. i) 8' oljjiai KOfiyfrov n e?
35 auTOu? e^ovaa Kvi^et ra /ji€tpd/cia Kal Bevpo
vTT6^e\6ovaa ol/cet t7]v i^vpdv ravrrjv ol/ciav.
- il3 K. GKey\raL 'yap 6l>^ oyy^vpwrar Kpi]/jLi>o<; rfj OaXdrrj]
€(f>6aT^]Ke rd fiev Kkvl^ofieva virooXLaOiiKoo^, ra Be
dv(o v7r€pK6L/i6vo<^ ecf)a\6v riva ravryp dvk\wv
oiKiav, v(f)^ ?/? Kal 7] ddXarra Kvavcoripa (palve-
5 rai Ka6i€/Jiev(ov e? avrrjv twv 6(f)6a\/jicop, Kal rj
7?) TTapex^raL rd i^eox? Trdvra irXrjv rod KivelaOai.
€9 Tovro i]KOvaav to (ppovpiov ovSe 009 aTroXeXoi-
TTaaiv auT7]v ol ipMvre^i, dXX 6 fiev kv avoir pwpov,
6 he j^pvaoiTpwpov, 6 he dXXo<; d\Xo tl rcov
10 ttoiklXcov aKaTLcov e/A/3e/3?7/ca)9 TrXet, kco/jLO<; avrr},
KaXoi T6 Kal iaTecpavco/xevoi. Kal 6 jiev avXel,
6 Se KpoTelv ^ cf)7jaLv, 6 8e aSeu ot/jLac, (7Te(l)dvov<;
8e dvappLTTTOvai Kal cf)LX7]/iaTa. Kal ovSe iper-
rovaiv, dXX' iirexovat rrjv elpeaiav Kal icjiop/jil-
15 t^ovjai Tw Kpy]/ii>a). to Se <yvvaLOV diro rrj^;
olKia^ olov €K irepLcoTTi]'; opa ravra Kal yeXa
Kara rod kco/jlou, ^(XiSoyaa eh tou? epowra^ co?
ov irXelv ijlovov, dXXd Kal velv dvayKat^ovaa.
(5) Kal 7roi/jLvaL<; ivrev^r) irpox^P^v Kal
20 /jLvk(d/jL€V(ov aKovcrrj /3oo)V Kal avplyyayv /So/)
TTepLrj-^^i^aeL ere kol KVV7jyeTaL<; evrev^rj Kal
yecop'yoU Kal TTOTa/jLoU Kal XL/ivai<; Kal injyaU
—eK/JLe/JLaKTac 'ydp rj 'ypacfyrj Kal rd ovra Kal rd
yivofxeva Kal (jo<^ dv yevoiTO evia, ov hid 7tX)]6o<;
^ KpoTflv Olearius : Kponl.
52
BOOK I. 12
she has been driven out of the city by tlie im-
portunity of her suitors ; for they meant to carry lier
off, and pursued her unsparingly with their attentions
and tempted her with gifts. But she, I think, by
her haughty bearing spurred them on, and coming
hither in secret she inhabits this secure house. For
see how secure it is : a cliff juts out into the sea, its
base bathed by the waves, and, projecting overhead,
it bears this house out in the sea, a house beneath
which the sea seems darker blue as the eyes are
turned down toward it, and the land has all the
characteristics of a ship except that it is motionless.
Even though she has reached this fortified spot her
lovers do not give her up, but they come sailing, one
in a dark-prowed boat, one in a golden-prowed,
others in all sorts of variegated craft, a revel band
pursuing her, all beautiful and crowned with gar-
lands. And one plays the flute, another evidently
applauds, another seems to be singing ; and they
throw her crowns and kisses. And they are not
rowing any longer, but they check their motion and
come to rest at the promontory. The woman gazes
at the scene from her house as from a look-out
tower and laughs down at the revelling crowd,
vaunting herself that she is compelling her lovers
not merely to sail but also to swim to her.
As you go on to other parts of the painting,
you will meet with flocks, and hear herds of cattle
lowing, and the music of the shepherds' pipes will
echo in your ears ; and you will meet with hunters
and farmers and rivers and pools and springs — for
the painting gives the very image of things that
are, of things that are taking place, and in some cases
of the manner of their taking place, not slighting
53
PHILOSTRATUS: IMAGINES
25 avTcov paSiovpyovaa t7]v dXtjOeiav, aXX' eVt-
reXovaa to e/cdarov olfcelov, o)? kuv el ^ ev
TL €'ypa(f)€P — ear^ dv icp' lepov cKpiKco/jieda. Koi
TOP €K€L veoov olfiaL 6pa<; kol ar^Xa^;, at Trept-
iBpuvrac avTcpj Kal top iirl tw arofxaTi irvpaov,
30 0? 7]pT7]Tai e? (ppvKTcoplav TOdv vewv, at irXeovaiv
Ik tov TiovTov.
I7 ^ (G) " TL ovv ovK eir dXXo dyei^; ; iKavco<;
yap fjLoi rd tov BoaTropov Siavev6r]TaL.^' tl
^^a6L<; ; XeXoLTre fie to tcov dXtewv, o KaT dp-)(a<^
35 €.Tn]yyeCXdpui-]v . IV ovv fxi-j irepl afiiKpcov Bie^ioi-
314 K. fjL€v, dXXd irepl wv Xeyeuv d^tov, tou? /lep /ca-
Xdfio) OrjpodPTa^ 7; tcvpTW Tey^pdl^ovTa^ rj 6t r/?
dvLfxa hiKTVOv rj epapdTTei Tpiaipap, d(f)iX(i)/xep
TOV Xoyov — afXLKpop yap dKOvaei irepl avTCJp
5 Kal cf)aP6LTai aoL fiaXXop t)Si)afiaTa t?}? ypa(^i)<;
— Tou? 8e e7Ti')(^eipovpTa^ toU 6vvpol<^ iScofiev
d^LOi yap ovToi Xoyov Sid fxeyeOo^ t?)? Oqpa'^.
(7) (^oiTwaip ol Ovvvoi Tjj e^o) OaXaTTrj irapd
TOV YloPTOV yepeaiv ip avTw a)(^6pTe<i Kal pojjid^^
10 Td<i fiep l')(6vo3P, Td<^ he IXvcop Kal ^(vfMMP eTepoyp,
ov<; "laTpo<; e? avTOP cj^epec Kal Matcort?, vcf)' oov
yXvKVT€po<; Kal 7roTi/ji(OTepo<i dXX7]<; $aXdTT7]<;
6 IIoz^TO?. veovai he olop aTpaTicoTcop (pdXay^
eTTi OKTW Kal e(^' eKKaiheKa Kal SU togol Kal
15 vTroKV/jiaTi^ovaip dXXyXoi<i, dXXo<; dXXw eirt-
peopTe^, ToaovTOP ^d6o<; oaov avTcop to evpo'^.
^ ws Kh.u el Jacobs : ojcrave] /c&j/ et.
- In the earl}' editions the following part of tlie Twelftli
Picture was treated as an independent sketch, numbered 13,
and entitled 'AAjeTr, "Fishermen."
54
BOOK 1. 13
the truth by reason of the number of objects shown,
but defining the real nature of each thing just as if
the painter were representing some one thing alone
— till we come to a shrine. You see the temple
yonder, I am sure, the columns that surround it, and
the beacon light at the entrance which is hung up
to warn from danger the ships that sail out from the
Euxine Sea.
(13)
'^ Why do you not go on to another painting ?
This one of the Bosphorus has been studied enough
for me." What do you mean? I have yet to speak
of the fishermen, as 1 promised when I began. Not
to dilate on small matters, but only on points worth
discussing, let us omit any account of those who fish
with a rod or use a basket cunningly or perchance
draw up a net or thrust a trident — for you will
hear little about such^ and they will seem to you
mere embellishments of the painting — but let us
look at the men who are trying to capture tunn}^-
fish, for these are worth discussing because the hunt
is on so large a scale. For tunny-fish come to the
outer seal from the Euxine, where they are born
and where they feed on fish and sediment and
vegetable matter which the Ister and Maeotis bring
to it, rivers which make the water of the Euxine
sweeter and more drinkable than that of any other
sea. And they swim like a phalanx of soldiers,
eight rows deep and sixteen and twice sixteen, and
they drop down in the water, one swimming over
another so that the depth of the school equals
1 i.e. the Mediterranean.
55
PHILOSTRATUS: IMAGINES
(s) ISeaL fxev ovv, KaO' ti? aXiaKOVTai, /xvpi'ai'
Koi 'yap aihiipov eariv eV avTOv<; 0)]^aaOai kul
(^dpidaKa eTTiirdaaL koI /iiKpov rjpKeae Slktvov,
20 oTcp dirox^pt^ Koi cr/jLLKpov n rr}? dy€\7]<;.
dpiari] Be ySe y) dtjpa' aKOTricopetTat yap rt? ac/)'
vyjnjXov ^v\ov ra^vs /aev dpLdfirjaat, rrjv Be
oyjfiv LKavo^i. Bel yap avrw ireirrjyevai fxev tov<;
6(f)6a\p,ov<^ e? T7]v OdXarrav e^LKvelaOai re
25 TroppcoTaTd), Kav i/uL^dWovra^; tov<^ ^'X^i^? '^Brj,
^or]<; T€ o)? fxeyiCTTT]^ Bel avro) Trpo? tov<; iv rot?
dKartoi^;, kol tov dpiOfiov \eyei, kol ra? /iivpidBa<;
avTMV, 01 Be d7ro(ppd^avT€<; avrov'^ /SaOet Kal
KXeiaTw BiKTvo) Be)(^ovTaL Xajjurpdv aypav, vcf)'
30 7^9 Kal TrXovrelv eroL/mov rep tt}? 0)]pa<; i)yep,6vL.
(9) ^Xeire Trpo? T7]P yp(i(l)r)v rjBrj' /caroyfret
yap avra Kal Bpoifxeva. 6 fiev aK07ncopo<; e?
Tr)v OdXarrav /SXeirei BiaTre/jiTrwv rov<; 6(j)6aX/jLOV(;
e? rrjv rod dpi6/jLov avXXyjyp-iv, ev yXavKW Be
35 ro) rPfs OaXdrrrj^i civOec rd rcov l')(0v(ov ')(p(t) jxar a'
/jLeXav€<; fxev oi dvco BoKOvatv, rjrrov B' ol e<^efr}9,
315 K. ol Be puer eKelvov^ yBi] TrapayjrevBoprai rr]v oyjriv,
elra aKLa>BeL<;, elra vBapol v7rovoi]aar Kara-
/Saivovcra yap 69 to vBwp ?; o\^f9 djjb^Xvvejai
BiaKpilBovv rd ev avrw. (10) o Be rcov dXtecov
5 Bf]p.o<; 'ijBeU Kal ^avOol rrjv XP^^^ ^'^^ '^^^
SepeaOai. Kal 6 pev rrjV kcott^jv ^evyvvaiv, 6 Be
eperret p.dXa Bie^qyByjKon rCo /Spax^'OVL, 6 Be
eiTiKeXeverat ray 7reXa<;, 6 Be iraiei rov fu]
eperrovra. jBor] Be rjprau rcov dXiecov efXTreirra)-
10 Korcov 7]B7] rwv IxOvcjv 6t9 TO BiKrvov. Kal rov<i
/lev ypi'^Kaai, rov<; Be aipovaiv. dpLi-jxavovvre'^
Be ri ;^/3?J(J0i^Tat rw irXyjOei Kal rrapavoiyovaL
56
BOOK I. 13
the width. Now the ways of catching them are
countless ; sharp iron spears may be used on them
or drugs may be sprinkled over them, or a small net
is enough for a fisherman who is satisfied with some
small portion of the school. But the best means of
taking them is this : a look-out is stationed on a
high tree, a man quick at counting and keen of
vision. For it is his task to fix his eyes on the sea
and to look as far as he can ; and if perchance he
sees the fish approaching, then he must shout as loud
as he can to those in the boats and must tell the
number of the fish, how many thousands there are ;
and the boatmen compassing them about with a
deep-laid net that can be drawn together make a
splendid catch, enough to enrich the captain of the
hunt.
Now look at tlie painting and you will see just
this going on. The look-out gazes at the sea and
turns his eyes in one direction and another to get
the number ; and in the bright gleam of the sea the
colours of the fish vary, those near the surface seem
to be black, those just below are not so black, those
lower still begin to elude the sense of sight, then
they seem shadowy, and finally they look just like the
water ; for as the vision penetrates deeper and deeper
its power of discerning objects in the water is
blunted. The group of fishermen is charming, and
they are brown of complexion from exposure to
the sun. One binds his oar in its place, another
rows with swelling muscle, another cheers his neigh-
bour on, another strikes a man who is not rowing.
A shout rises from the fishermen now that the fish
are already in the net. Some they have caught,
some they are catching. And at a loss what to do
57
PHILOSTRATUS: IMAGINES
Tou SiKTvov KOI avyx^povcTiv iviov<i Siacpvyecv
Kol BccKTreaelv' roaovrov e? t?;i> d/jpav rpv-
15 ^(bcriv.
tS' SEMEAH
(1) BpovT7] iv et'Set crKkripw Kal ^Aarpairr]
(T6\a<; €K Tcov ocfyOaX/jicvv lelo-a irvp re payhalov
i^ ovpavov rvpavviKrj<; olKia^ eTTei\7]fXfievov \oyov
TOiouSe, el fiTj ayvoeU, aTrrerai. (2) iTvpo<i
20 ve(j)e\r] irepia'X^ovaa ra<; ©7//3a? eh rrjv rou
K.dS/jLov crreyyv pijyvurai, KcofxdaavTO'^ ein Trjv
^e/jie\T]v Tov Ato9, Kal diroWvTaL fiev, &)? hoKov-
fiev, 7] XefJieXr], rlfCTerat Be Aiovvao^ olfiat vrj
Ala 77/909 TO irvp. fcal to fxev r/j? Se/jLe\f]<; elSo<;
25 d/jLvSpop BiacfyalveTat lova-r](; e? ovpavov, kol al
Movaat avTrjv eKel aaovTai, 6 Se Aiovvao^; Trj<^
fiev firfTpo^i eKOprpaKei payelaij^; ttjv yaarepa,
TO Be TTvp d)(\va)8e<i epyd^erai (^aihpo<; avTo<;
olov daTTjp Ti? dwaaTpdiTTcov. (3) Biaa)(0vaa
30 Be 7] (f)\o^ dvTpov tl tm Aiovvaw aKLaypac^el
iravTO'^ 7]Biov ^ Aaavplov re Ka\ AvBlov eX.t/t€9 re
yap Trepl avTo TeO/jXaac Kal klttov Kopvfi^oL Kal
r}Brj dfjbireXoL Kal Ovpaov BevBpa ovtco tl eK0vaT]<;
316 K. dva(T)(^6vTa T)}<; y*}?, w? Kdv ^ tm irvpl etvat eina.
Kal ov ^prf Oavfid^eiVi el aTe(pavoL to irvp eirl
TW Aiovvaw 7) yrj, i) ye Kal avpi^aK^evGei avrip
Kal olvov d(j)va(Teiv €k jnjywv BcoaeL ydXa re olov
1 Thunder (Bronte) and Lightning ^Astrape^. Cf. Plin}',
N.E., 25. 96 : pinxit (Apelles) et quae pingi non possunt,
58
BOOK I. 14
with so many they even open the net and let some
of the fish swim away and escape : so proud are they
of their catch.
14. SEMELE
Bronte stern of face, and Astrape ^ flashing
light from her eyes, and raging fire from heaven that
has laid hold of a king's house, suggest the following
tale, if it is one you know. A cloud of fire
encompassing Thebes breaks into the dwelling of
Cadmus as Zeus comes wooing Semele ; and Semele
apparently is destroyed, but Dionysus is born, by
Zeus, so 1 believe, in the presence of the fire. And
the form of Semele is dimly seen as she goes to the
heavens, where the Muses will hymn her praises : but
Dionysus leaps forth as his mother's womb is rent
apart and he makes the flame look dim, so brilliantly
does he shine like a radiant star.- The flame, divid-
ing, dimly outlines a cave for Dionysus more charm-
ing than any in Assyria and Lydia ; for sprays of ivy
grow luxuriantly about it and clusters of ivy berries
and now grape-vines and stalks of thyrsus ^ which
spring up from the willing earth, so that some grow
in the very fire. We must not be surprised if in
honour of Dionysus the Fire is crowned by the Earth,
for the Earth will take part with the Fire in the
Bacchic revel and will make it possible for the revel-
tonitrua, fulgura, quae Bronten, Astrapen, Cerauuobolian
appellant,
2 On the birth of Dionysus, see Overbeck, Kanstmythologie,
Zen^, p. 4101
^ The wand carried by followers of Dionysus, properly a
wand wreathed with ivy and with a pine-cone at the top.
59
PHILOSTRATUS: IMAGINES
5 uTTo /la^Mv eXKeiv to fiev eV jScoXov, to he iic
TreVpa?. (4) ciKove tou Uav6<;, o)? tov ^Lovvaov
aSeiv €0iK€v iv Kopv(f>aL<; tov KiOaLpcovo<; vttogklp-
T(ov Ti evLov. 6 KL^aipoiv Be oXocpupeTui iv eiSei
avOpcoTTOv TO, fiiKpov vaTcpov ev avTW a^^ koi
10 KiTTOv (pepei (TT e^avov cnroKkivovTa t?}? K€(j)aXfi<;
— aTe(j)avovT(U yap Srj avTco a(f)6Spa ciKoyv —
eXcLTrjv re avTcp 7rapa(f)VT€V6L Meyaipa Kal
7ry]yr]v ava^aivei vSaTO<; eirl rw 'A/cratcoro? oljiai
Kal IlevOew'; a'tfiaTi.
Le APIAANH
15 (1) ' Otl Tr)vW.ptdSvr)p 6 (^//crei'? aSiKa Spo)i> — •
01 3' ovK aSiKci (j)aaLV, ciW' 6k Aiovvaou — /caTe-
Xiirev ev Ala Tjj injafo KaOevhovaar, Tu^^a irov
fcal TiTOr)<; StaKijKoa';' ao(f)al yap eKelvai to,
TOiavTa Kal BaKpvovaiv eV avTol<;, orav eOeXwaiv.
20 ov fJLrjV BiofjLai. Xeyeip ^rjaea fiev elvai tov ev Trj
vrjL, Aiovvaov Se tov ev Trj yfj, ovS^ w? dyvoovv-
Ta ^ e7ri(7Tpe(f)0ifi av e? rr/t* eirl tCov ireTpoyv,
(jt)<; ev fiaXaKw KeiTai tw vttvo).
^ Benndorf would read 07
voovna a
1 Cf. P:ur. Bacch. 726:
"The liills, the wild things all, were thrilled
With ecstasy: naught but shook as on they rushed " :
and 707 f. :
" One grasped her thyrsus staff, and smote the rock.
And forth up leapt a fountain's showery spray,
One in eartii's bosom ])lanted her reed-wand,
And up therethrough the (Jod a wine-fount sent,
And whoso fain would drink white foaming draughts
60
BOOK I. 15
lers to take wine from springs and to draw milk from
clods of earth or from a rock as from living breasts. ^
Listen to Pan, how he seems to be hymning Dionysus
on the crests of Cithaeron, as he dances an Evian ^
Hing. And Cithaeron in the form of a man laments
the woes ^ soon to occur on his slopes, and he wears
an ivy crown aslant on his head — for he accepts the
crown most unwillingly — and Megaera causes a fir
to shoot up beside him and brings to light a spring
of water, in token, I fancy, of the blood of Actaeon
and of Pentheus.*
15. ARIADNE
That Theseus treated Ariadne unjustly — though
some say not with unjust intent, but under
the compulsion of Dionysus — when he abandoned
her while asleep on the island of Dia,^ you must
have heard from your nurse ; for those women are
skilled in telling such tales and they weep over
them whenever they will. I do not need to say
that it is Theseus you see there on the ship and
Dionysus yonder on the land, nor will I assume you
to be ignorant and call your attention to the woman
on the rocks, lying there in gentle slumber.
Scarred with their tinger-tips the breast of earth,
And milk gushed forth unstinted."
Trans. Way, L.C.L.
2 Evios is an epithet of Dionysus, derived from the cry
Euo7 (Evoe) uttered by his worshippers.
^ The rending of Pentheus asunder by his mother Agave
and the Bacchantes.
- According to Eur. Bacch, 1291 f. Pentheus was killed on
the same spot as Actaeon,
^ The ancient name of Xaxos, where Theseus stopped with
Ariadne on his way back from Crete, where with her aid he
had killed the Minotaur.
61
PHILOSTRATUS: IMAGINES
(2) ovS' aiTo^prj Tov i^(O'ypd(f)0v eTraLvelv, d(j)
25 u)V Kav dX\o<; iiraivolTO' paSiov yap diravri
Kokrjv fiev TTjV WpLuSvrjv <ypd(f)€iv, koKov he tov
®7]a€a, Acovvaou re jjLvpia ^dafxara toU ypdcpeiv
rj TrXdrrecv l3ov\o/i€voi<;, o)V Kav fxiKpov rvxi) Ti?,
yprjKe tov Oeov. koI yap ol Kopv/jL^oi aTe(^avo<:;
30 oVt69 Alovvctov yvdipiafxa, Kav to Si]/jLiovpyj]p,a
<j)avXci)<; €X{]i Kal K€pa^ vTreKcpvopLevov tmv Kpo-
Td(po)v Aiovvaov S7]\oi, Kal 7rdpSa\i<; vTreKcpaivo-
jievT) av TOV Oeov av/j.l3o\ov' dXX' ovt6<; ye 6
317 K. Aiovvao^; ck /lovov tov epdv yeypaiTTai. GK.evr)
pev yap -qvOiapLevij Kal Ovpaot Kal ve/3piB€<;,
eppLiTTai TavTa co? efo) tov Kaipov, Kal ovSe
KvpL^d\oL<i al T^dK)(ai, ')(p(JovTac vvv ovSe ol
5 XdTvpot avXovaiv, dWd Kal 6 Udv KaTeyei to
(TKipTijp^a, CO? p,T] SiaXvaeie tov vttvov t/}? Kopi^^,
dXovpyiht. re (rretXa? kavTOV Kal Tt]v K€(paXr]v
poBoL^; dvOiaa^i epx^Tai irapa ttjv 'ApidSvijv 6
Aiovvao^;, p,edv(ov epcoTC cpyjal jrepl tmv dKpaTco<;
10 ipd)VT(ov 6 T7]io<;. (3) 6 &r]aev<; Be epa p,ev,
dXXd TOV Tcov ^AOfjVMV KaiTvov, 'ApidBvTjv Be
0VT6 olBev eTL ovTe e^i^w iroTe, (f)7]pl B' avTov
eKXeXrjadaL Kal tov Xa/SvpivOov Kal pirjBe elirelv
e)(^eLv, e^' oTcp ttotc 6? Tr]v Kp^Ttjv errXevaev
15 ovTQ) povov TO. €K TT/jcopa? ^XcTrei. opa Kal ttjv
- ApidBvr}v, p,dXXov Be tov vttvov yvpvd p,€v el<i
6p,(f)aX6v aTepva Tama, Beprf Be vTTTia Kal aTraXr]
^ Anacreon, Frag. 21, Edmonds, Lyra Graeca II, L.C.L.
2 Cf. Od. 1. 58: " IJut Odysseus, in his longing to see
were it but the smoke leaping up from his own land, 3'earns
to die." Trans. Murray, L.O.L.
^ Cf. Theocritus, 2. 45 f. : " be that mate forgotten even
62
Fig. 6. — The slttpiny Ai ttulnc (lent/ltd by I
[To face jt. (33.
BOOK I. 15
Nor yet is it enough to praise the painter for
things for which someone else too might be praised ;
for it is easy for anyone to paint Ariadne as beautiful
and Theseus as beautiful ; and there are countless
characteristics of Dionysus for those who wish to
represent him in painting or sculpture, by depicting
which even approximately the artist has captured
the god. For instance, the ivy clusters forming a
crown are the clear mark of Dionysus, even if the
workmanship is poor ; and a horn just springing
from the temples reveals Dionysus, and a leopard,
though but just visible, is a symbol of the god ; but
this Dionysus the painter has characterized by love
alone. Flowered garments and thyrsi and fawn-skins
have been cast aside as out of place for the moment,
and the Bacchantes are not clashing their cymbals
now, nor are the Satyrs playing the flute, nay, even
Pan checks his wild dance that he may not disturb
the maiden's sleep. Having arrayed himself in fine
purple and wreathed his head with roses, Dionysus
comes to the side of Ariadne, '^ drunk with love " as
the Teian poet ^ says of those who are overmastered
by love. As for Theseus, he is indeed in love, but
with the smoke risin^c from Athens,^ and he no longer
knows Ariadne, and never knew her,^ and I am sure
that he has even forgotten the labyrinth and could
not tell on what possible errand he sailed to Crete, so
singly is his gaze fixed on what lies ahead of his prow.
And look at Ariadne, or rather at her sleep *; for her
bosom is bare to the waist, and her neck is bent
back and her delicate throat, and all her right side
as old Theseus once forgot the fair-tressed damsel in Dia."
Trans. Edmonds, L.C.L.
- Cf. The Sleeping Ariadne, Fig. 6.
63
PHILOSTRATUS: IMAGINES
(f)dpvy^, /j,aax<^i\r} Se i) he^ta (j>av€pa iracra, i) he
irepa x^lp eTrUeirai rfj -^Xalvj], fiyj alcrxvprj tl 6
20 avefJLO^. olov, o) Aiovvae, kuI co? 7581; to aaOfia.
el Be /jLi]Xa)v rj /Sorpvcov airo^ei, (piXyjaw^ ep€L<i.
If' HASIOAH
(1) 'H UaaKpdi] rod ravpov epa /cal iKerevet
Tov AalSaXov cro(j)iaaadaL riva ireLOco rov Oi^piov,
6 he epyd^erat 0ovv KoiXrjv TrapaifKrjaiav dyeXaia
25 /9o6 TOV ravpov eOdhi. koI /Jrt? p,ev y) evvt) acjiwv
eyevero, BijXol to tov MtvcoTavpov et^o? aTOTTO)?
avvTeOev ttj (fyvaer yeyparrTai he 01)^ rj evvt] vvv,
dXX' ipyaaTJjpiov fiev tovto ireirolriTai tov Aat-
hdXov, TrepiecTTrjKe he avrco dydX/jLUTa to, fiev ev
30 /jL0p(f)ai<i, TCL he ev to) hiopOovaOai, /Se^rjKOTa ijh^
/cal ev eirayyeXla tov ^ahl^eiv. tovto he apa rj
318 K. irpo AathdXov dyaXfiaToiroila ovira) €<; vovv
e/Se^XrjTO. avTo<; he 6 AaiSaXo? dTTiKL^ei /xev
fcal TO elho<; v7repao(f)6v tl Kal evvovv (BXeirwv,
aTTiKL^ei he Kal avTo to aX'rjp-ct' cpaiov yap
5 Tpl/Scora tovtov dixTre^eTai 7rpoayeypaiJifxevii<^
avTW Kal dvv7roh>]aia<;, 7; /idXiaTa ht) 01 WttikoI
Koa/xovvTai. (2) KdOrjTat he ecj)' dpfiovla Trj<i
0oo<; Kal Tou? "E/D&)Ta? ^uvepyov^ TroielTai tov
/xiT^avyj/jLaTOi;, co? \\(f)pohiTr]<; tl avTM eTVLhelv.
1 Cf . Robert, Der Pasiphae- Sarkophag, XIV Hall. Winokel-
mannsprogr., where Cupids are present but not assisting in
the work. Man, Rom. Mitth. XI (1896), p. 50, published a
64
BOOK I. i6
is visible^ but the left hand rests on her mantle
that a gust of wind may not expose her. How fair
a sight, Dionysus, and how sweet her breath !
Whether its fragrance is of apples or of grapes, you
can tell after you have kissed her !
16. PASIPHAE
Pasiphae is in love with the bull and begs Daedalus
to devise some lure for the creature ; and he is
fashioning a hollow cow like a cow of the herd to
which the bull is accustomed.^ What their union
brought forth is shown by the form of the Minotaur,
strangely composite in its nature. Their union is
not depicted here, but this is the workshop of
Daedalus ; and about it are statues, some with forms
blocked out, others in a quite complete state in that
they are already stepping forward and give promise of
walking about. ^ Before the time of Daedalus, you
know, the art of making statues had not yet conceived
such a thing. Daedalus himself is of the Attic type
in that his face suggests great wisdom and that the
look of the eye is so intelligent; and his very dress
also follows the Attic style ; for he wears this dull
coarse mantle and also he is painted without sandals,
in a manner peculiarly affected by the Athenians. He
sits before the framework of the cow and he uses
the Cupids as his assistants in the device so as to
connect with it something of Aphrodite. Of the
Pompeian wall-painting which depicts Pasiphae, Daedalus
with a young assistant, and the wooden cow, Fig. 7, p. 67.
^ Greek legend emphasized the skill of Daedalus as a
sculptor b}^ saying that he made statues which could walk
about and even could speak. Cf. Eur. Hecuba, 838.
65
PHILOSTRATUS: IMAGINES
10 evapy6l<i fi€V tmv Kpcorcov /cal ol to rpunavop, co
Tral, aTp6(j)0VT€<^ /calpt] At* ol rw aKeirapvu) \eai-
vovTt<i ra fi7]7ra) 7]Kpi/3co/J.ei'a tP]<; ^oo<; kuI ol
o-TaO/jLco/ievoL tijv ^vfXfieTpiav, e(j> rj^; i) ^i-jpLiovpyia
jSaiveL. ol 8e irrl rov iTpLovo<^ evvoidv re VTrep/Se-
15 fiXyJKaaL iraaav Kal aocplav, oiroa)] \eLp6<; re koX
')(^pco/jLdTcov. (3) Xkottci ydp' irplwv i/jL^e^Xrjrai,
Tft) ^v\(p Kal Bu]K6L avrov 'IjBr), Bidyovai Be
avTOv ovroL ol "E/Jwre? o /lev €k t^? yr]<;, 6 8' aTTO
/i7j')(^ain]<; 6p6ov/j,6V(o re koX irpovevovre. rovrl
20 8' evaWd^ iiyoDpueOa' 6 fiev ydp vevevKev co?
dvacrrrja6/JL€vo<;, 6 Be dvearTjKev co? vevacov, Kal
6 /JLev d-TTO rl]<; 7^9 eVl to arepvov dva-
7r€/jL7rei to daOfia, 6 B' diro rov fierecopov Kara ^
rr)v yaarepa TTLfiTrXarat Kdrco (jvvepeiBwv roo
25 (4) 'llIlaoi(f)d7] Be e^d) Treplrd /BovKoXLairepia-
Opel rov ravpov, olopbevq rrpoad^eaOai avrov ro)
elBet, Kal rfj aroXfj Oelov re aTroXa/xirova-rj Kal
virep Trdaav Ipiv ^Xerrei re dfjLiJxavov — Kal ydp
ytvcoaKei, ottolcov ipd — Kal 7re pi/SaXXeiv ro 6t]piov
30 cop/jL')]Kev, 6 Be tT;? fiev ovBev ^vviy](Ti, /SXeirei Be
rrjv eavrov /3ovv. yeypairrai Be 6 fxev ravpo<;
dyepcoxo'i re Kal 7]ye/xd)v tt)? dy€Xr]<;. evKepco^; re Kal
XevKo<; Kal l3e^7]Kd)<^ i]Bri Kal ^a6v<; rrjv (pdpvyya
Kal TTicov rov av')(€va Kal IXapov fiXeTrwv €<? rrjv
35 ^ovv, 7] Be dyeXaia re Kal dvero<; Kal \evKr] irdaa
^ Kara. Beiinclorf : Kal.
1 Lit. "all skill of hand and colours."
66
BOOK I. i6
Cupids, my boy, those are visible who turn the drill,
and those by Zeus that smooth with the adze portions
of the cow which are not yet accurately finished, and
those that measure off the symmetrical proportions
on which craftsmanship de-
pends. But the Cupids that
work with the saw surpass
all conception and all skill in
drawing^ and colour. For
look ! The saw has attacked
the wood and is already pass-
ing through it, and these
Cupids keep it going, one on
the ground, another on the
staging, both straightening
bending: forward
Fig. 7.
movement to be
up and
in turn. Let us consider this
alternate ; one has bent low as if about to rise up,
his companion has risen erect as if about to bend
over ; the one on the ground draws his breath into
his chest, and the one who is aloft fills his lungs down
to his belly as he presses both hands down on the saw.
Pasiphae outside the workshop in the cattle-
fold gazes on the bull, thinking to draw him to
her by her beauty and by her robe, w^hich is
divinely resplendent and more beautiful than any
rainbow. She has a helpless look — for she knows
what the creature is that she loves — and she is eager
to embrace it, but it takes no notice of her and
gazes at its own cow. The bull is depicted with
proud mien, the leader of the herd, with splendid
horns, white, already experienced in love, its dewlap
low and its neck massive, and it gazes fondly at the
cow ; but the cow in the herd, ranging free and
67
f2
PHILOSTRATUS: IMAGINES
319 Iv. €7TL fieXaLVT] rjj Ke^aXf), aira^Lol Be rov ravpov
a/cLpTij/jia yap viroc^aiveL Kopi]^ S/; TLVO<i vwocpev-
yovarjf; ipaarov v^piv.
I'i mnoAAMEiA
(1) 'II pukv eicirX'T^^i^ eir Olvo/ndo) tco 'ApKuSi,
ol Se eV avTw /3ocovt6<; — dKov6L<; yap irov — ?/
Te ^ApKaSia iarl Kal ottoctov i/c r/}? UeXoTrov-
vrjCTov. ireTTTWfce Be avvrpi/Sev to dpfjua rex^rj
^IvpTiXov, TO Be 'lttttcov avyfceiTat TeTTupwv
TovTL yap 69 p-ev Ta TToXep^iKa outto) eOapaelTO, ol
10 Be dy(ove<; eylvcoaKov t€ avTO Kal eTi/jLcop' Kal ol
AvBol Be (piXLTTTTOTaTOL 6Vt69 €7rl fiev HeXo7ro<i
TeOpLTTiroi Te r)aav Kal i^Bfj cippaTtTat, fieTa
TavTa Be TeTpappvfiov Te 7]\lravT0 Kal XeyovTai
irpwTOL Toi/? OKTco a^elv.
15 (2) "Opa, iral, tov<; p,€v tov Olvop^dov, o)? Beivol
Te elat, Kal (T(f)oBpol opp^ijaai Xvtttj^; t€ Kal
d<l)pov p,€aTOL — tovtI Be irepl tov^ 'ApKdBa<;
evpoL<; fidXiaTa — Kal o)? p,eXave<;, eTreiBr] evr'
aVoTTOi? Kal ovK ev(f))]p.0L<^ e^evyvvvTO, TOv<; Be tov
20 ITeA-OTTo?, ft)? XevKoi Te elai Kal ttj rjrla Trpocrcfio-
poL YleiOnv^; Te eTatpot Kal ')(p€p,eTL^opre<i ijp.epov
Ti Kal ev^vveTOV t/}? z-tV?/?, tov Te Olvofiaop, co?
I'aa Kal Atop.yjBr](; 6 %pq,^ l3dp^ap6<; Te KetTai
^ The stor}' is that Oenomaiis promised his daughter
Hippodanieia to the suitor who should beat him in a chariot
race, but with tlie understanding that he siiould slay the
unsuccessful suitors. Thirteen suitors had thus met their
death, when Myrtilus, the charioteer of Oenomaiis, gave the
race to Pelopsby removing the pin that held a wheel in his
master's chariot. The chariot race of Pelops and Oenomaiis
68
[To face p. G9.
BOOK I. 17
all white but for a black head, disdains the bull.
For its pose suggests a leap, as of a girl who avoids
the importunity of a lover.
17. HIPPODAMEIA
Here is consternation over Oenomaiis the Ar-
cadian ; ^ these are men w^ho shout a warning for
him — for perhaps you can hear them — and the
scene is Arcadia and a portion of the Peloponnesus.
The chariot lies shattered through a trick of Myrtilus.
It is a four-horse chariot ; for though men were not
yet bold enougli to use the quadriga in war, yet in
the games it was known and prized, and the Lydians
also, a people most devoted to horses, drove four
abreast in the time of Pelops and already used
chariots, and at a later time devised the chariot with
four poles and, it is said, were the first to drive
eight horses abreast. ^
Look, my boy, at the horses of Oenomaiis, how
fierce they are and keen to run, full of rage and
covered with foam — you will find such horses
especially among the Arcadians — and how black
they are, harnessed as they were for a monstrous and
accursed deed. But look at the horses of Pelops,
how white they are, obedient to the rein, comrades
as they are of Persuasion, neighing gently and as if
aware of the coming victory. And look at Oenomaiis,
how like he is to the Thracian Diomedes as he lies
is not infrequently depicted on vase-paintings, of. Arch. Zeit.
1853, PI. 5.) ; Mon. Inst. II. 32.
^ Cf. Xen. Cyrop. 6. 4. 2 : T(Tpdppv/j.ov apina Koi 'iTrirccu oktv,
"And Abradatas's chariot with its four poles and eight
horses."
69
PHILOSTRATUS : IMAGINES
Kal a)/xo9 TO et3o?. olfiai Be ovBe tw YleXoTTL
25 n7ricrTtj(T€i<;, &)? HoaeiScov irore avrou yyaaOrj rry?
wpa? olvo'X^oovvra iv SittiiXw T0t9 Oeol^; koI
dyaaOeU dveOi-jKev e? tovtI to ap/xa fieipaKiov ye
7)8?; oina. TO Be ap/ia icra ttj yrj ti]v OdXaTTav
hLa(TTei')(6L, Kal ovBe pavl<; dir avT7]<; Tn-jBa ei? tov
30 d^ova, fie/Sala Be, ttj yfj eoiKvla, viroKeiTai Toh
iVttoz?. (3) Tov fjuev ovv Bp6/.L0v 6 YleXoyfr re Kal
7] 'iTTTroBdfieia vLKoyaiv e^eaTrjKoTe dji^w tm
320 K. dpfiaTi kuksZ av^vyeuTe, dXXijXwv Be oi/ro)?
jjTTTjaOov, &)? iv opfxfj TOV 7repi/3dXXeiv elvai.
ecTTaXTat Be 6 fiev tov AvBiov re Kal d^pov
TpOTTOV IjXiKiaV T€ KOI 0)pav dyWV, TjV KOI /jLlKpO)
5 TTpoadev elBe<;, OTe tov^ Ittttou? tov HoaeiBwva
e^rjTei} /; 8' eaTaXTai tov ya/JLLKov Tpoirov dpTi
TTjv irapeidv dvaKaXvTrTovcra, 6t€ e? dvBpo^;
TjKeiv vevLKTjKe. TTi-jBa Kal 'AX^eto? ^k t/)? Blviis
KOTLVOV TLvd e^alpcov (TTe(f)avov roG UeXoiri irpoa-
10 eXavvovTL ttj 6-)(^dr].
(4) Ta Be ev tm LiT7roBpo/j,rp aijfiaTa ol /ivrj-
(TTrjpe^ eKel eOdivTOVTO, ov<; diroKTeivcov 6 Olvofiao'^
dvefidXXeTO tov tt]^ OvyaTpo^ yd/jLov eirl Tpia-
KaiBeKa 7]By] veoL<;. dXXd ?; yrj vvv dvOrj (f)uet
15 irepl TOt? cn]p,aaLV, co? ixeTe^aev tl KUKelioi tov
aTe(f>avovadaL BoKelv e-nl ttj tov Olvo/xdov Blktj.
^ ilyJTfi Reiske and Jacobs : e'C'/jrei.
70
BOOK I. 17
there, a barbarian and savage of aspect. But as to
Pelops, on the other land, you will not, 1 think, be
inclined to doubt that Poseidon once on a time fell
in love with him for his beauty when he was wine-
pourer for the gods on Mount Sipylus,^ and because
of his love set him, though still a youth, upon this
chariot.^ The chariot runs over the sea as easily as
on land, and not even a drop of water ever splashes
on its axle, but the sea, firm as the earth itself,
supports the horses. As for the race, Pelops and
Hippodameia are the victors, both standing on the
chariot and there joining hands ; but they are so
conquered by each other that they are on the point
of embracing one another. He is dressed in the
delicate Lydian manner, and is of such youth and
beauty as you noticed a moment ago when he was
begging Poseidon for his horses ; and she is dressed
in a wedding garment and has just unveiled her cheek,
now that she has won the right to a husband's
embrace. Even the Alpheius leaps from his eddy to
pluck a crown of wild olive for Pelops as he drives
along the bank of the river.
The mounds along the race-course mark the
graves of the suitors by whose death Oenomaiis
postponed his daughter's marriage, thirteen youths
in all.'^ But the earth now causes flowers to spring
up on their graves, that they too may share the
semblance of being crowned on the occasion of
Oenomaiis' punishment.
1 Cf. Find. 01. 1. 61 f.
2 Cf. Pinrl. 01 1. 139 f.
' Cf. Find. 01. 1. 127 f : eVel rpeTs ye Kai 54k' ai'Spa oAfaais
ip'ivras avaffdWerai, ydjxQv dvyarpSs.
71
PHILOSTRATUS : IMAGINES
ui BAKXAI
(1) VeypaiTTai /xiv, o) iral, kuI to, ev tm
KiOatpwri, BaK)(^o)v X^P^'^ ^^^ viroivoi irerpat
Kai veKTap etc iSorpvwv fcal o)? <yd\aKTL Trjv
20 jSCdknv t) yf] XnraLvei. kul lSov kltto<^ eprrei
Kai 6(f)€i<; opdol fcnl Ovpaov^ SevBpa olpai fJueXi
ard^ovra. Kai I'jSe ctol i) iXdrrj ^^/xal yvvaiKMV
epyov CK Aiovvaov jxeya, TreirrwKe he rov ilevOea
dTroaeiaafievr] rah B«/c;!^af9 iv el'Set XeopTO^;. al
25 he Kara^aivovai ^ to Oi'jpafia fit^rijp eKeivj] Kai
dhe\(f)al firjTpof; al fiev dTropprjyvvaat ra? ')(,^lpa<^,
?} he eTTLGTTOdaa rov vtoi> t>}? x^^'^'V^' €l'7roi<; 8'
dp Kai ft)? dXaXd^ovaiu, outu><^ eviov avTac'i to
daO/na. Ai6rvao<^ he avTo<> fJLev iv Trepiwirfi rov-
30 Twv earrjKev eyu,7rX 7/cra? rrjv irapeidv ^^Xov, rbv
he oJarpov 7rpo(T^aK)(€iiaa<; Tal<; yvvai^iv. oure
opcbai yovv rd hpdtfxeva Kai oiroaa iKerevei 6
Uei'Oev<; XeovTo<i dKoveiv (paal (Spvxo^pevov.
321 K. (2) Tavrl p-ev rd iv rfo opei, rd he iyyv<; ravra
Sfj/Sac 7/8?; Kai l\dhp,ov oreyt] Kai dpf]i'o<^ inl rfj
dypa Kai avvapporrovaiv oi Trpoa/jKovre'; rov
veKpov, 66 TTT} awOeii] T(p Td(f)(p. TTpoaKeiTai Kai
5 i) KecpaXf) rod UevOeco'; ovKeri d/ji(f)i/3oXo<i, dXX'
oXa Kai r(p Aiovvaw iXeelv, vewrdn] Kai diraX})
rrjv yevvv Kai Trupat] ta? K6/iia<;, a? ovre Ktrro^;
^ dvpaov Pierson : dvpcroi.
^ Kara^aivovcri Reiske : Ka\ ^aifovffi,
1 Cf. Hartwig, " Der Tod des Pentheus," Jahr. Jnst. VII
(1892). p. 153f., PI. V.
2 Cf. Eur. Eacch. 142 f., 101L,ci. supra, p. 60.
3 Cf. ihid. 1109, 1141 for the felling of the fir, and Pentheus
imagined to be a lion.
72
Fig. 9.— The Death of Fentheus.
ITofacep. 73.
BOOK I. i8
18. BACCHANTES 1
Here are also painted, my boy, scenes from Mount
Cithaeron — choruses of Bacchantes, and rocks flow-
ing with wine, and nectar dripping from clusters
of grapes, and the earth enriching the broken soil
with milk. 2 Lo ! ivy creeps over the ground,
serpents stand erect, and thyrsus trees are dripping,
I think, with honey. This fir you see lying on the
ground is a great deed of women inspired by
Dionysus ; it fell as it shook off Pentheus in the
form of a lion ^ into the hands of the Bacchantes.
They rend in pieces their prey — that mother of his
and his mother's sisters, they tearing off his arms
while she is dragging her son by the hair.* You
would even say they w^ere raising the shout of
victory, so like the Bacchic cry^ is their panting.
Dionysus himself stands where he can watch them,
puffing out his cheek with passion and applying the
Bacchic goad to the women. At any rate they do
not see w^hat they are doing, and in the supplication
of Pentheus they say they hear a lion's roaring.
That is what is taking place on the mountain ;
but here in the foreground we now see Thebes and
the palace of Cadmus and lamentation over the J)rey,
while the relatives try to fit the corpse together that
it may perhaps be rescued for burial. There lies the
head of Pentheus, no longer a dubious thing, but
such as to excite the pity even of Dionysus — very
youthful, with delicate chin and locks of reddish hue,
not wreathed with ivy or bryony or sprays of vine,
- Cf. ibid. 1127 f., which describes the tearing oflF of
Pentheus's arms.
'" i.e. their lips seem to form the cry "Evoe."'
73
PHILOSTRATUS : IMAGINES
i]pey\rev ovre a/iLXaKO<; i) d/jLireXov KXfjfia ovre
av\6<; eaeiae t/9 out oJarpo^, eppcovvvro /lev
10 VTT avTMV KUi ippcovvvev avTci^;, ifiaiveTO he avro
TO fir] fiera Aiovvaou /xalveaOai.
(3j 'EXeeiva Kal ra tojp jwuikcop I'lycofieOa.
oca fiev yap iv tm KiOaipayvL i)yv6rj(7av, ola he
evravOa ytvwcTKOvatv. airoXeXoiTre he avTO,^ ov^
15 // fjiavia fiovov, aWa Kal 7) poojjLr], KaO^ tjv
e^dK\evaav. Kara fiev yap tov KiOaipcova
opa<;, ft)9 fxearal rod dOXov (pepovraL avve^al-
povaai ryv '^x^ '^^^ opov<;, evTavOa he irapl-
aravTai Kal et? vovv tmv f^e^aKX^vpievwv yKovaiv,
20 i^dvovaal re Kara r?}? 7/}? t^? fiev e/? yovara rj
Ke(j)aXrj ^pidet, t/}? he eh oifiov, r} Wyavr)
TrepLpdXXeiv pev tov vlov cop/jLy]'ce, Otyelv he
6<cvei. 7rpo(Tp.efjiLKTat 3' avTJ} to tov TratSo?
alfia TO /i€P e? ')(,^lpa<^, to he 6? irapeidv, to he
26 e? Ta yvp,vd tov p^a^ov.
(4) 'H he 'Appovla Kal 6 Kdhp.o<; elal p,eu, dXX*
ovx OLonrep ijaav hpuKOVTe'^ yap ijhrj €K prjprbv
ywovTai, Kal <j)oXl<^ i)hy] avTov^ ^X^^' 4>povhoi
TToSe?, (f)povhoc yXovTOi, Kal rj pi€Ta/3oXr) tov
30 eihov^ epirei dvw. 01 he eKTrXijTTovTat Kal irept-
/SdXXovaiv dXX}]Xov<;, olov ^vve)(0VTe<; to, Xoiird
TOV crcofiaTO'^, co? eKelva yovv avT0v<; p.rj <j)vyr).
id' TTPPHNOI
(1) NaO? Oe(opl<; Kal vavs XrjaTpiKy]. ttjv fxev
Atovvao^ evOvvei, ttjv 3' ep-fie/SyjKaat Tvppyvol
322 K. XrjaTal tt)? irepl avTOV^ daXdTTr)<^. 1) fiev hr)
^ The ship used for convej'ing a sacred mission.
74
BOOK I. 19
nor are they tossed in wild disorder by flute or
Bacchic frenzy. From those locks he derived his
vigour^ and he imparted vigour to them ; but this
itself was his madness^, that he would not join
Dionysus in madness.
Pitiful also we must consider the state of the
women. For of what things were they unaware on
Cithaeron, and of what things do they here have
knowledge I Not only has their madness left them,
but also the strength they possessed in the Bacchic
revel. On Cithaeron you see how, inspired by the
conflict, they rush headlong, rousing the echoes on
the mountain side, but here they are still and have
come to a realization of what they did in their
revels ; sinking to the ground one rests her head on
her knees, another on her shoulder, while Agave
is eager to embrace her son but shrinks from touch-
ing him. Her son's blood is smeared on her hands
and on her cheek and on her naked breast.
Harmonia and Cadmus are there, but not as
they were before ; for already they have become
serpents from the thighs down and already scales are
forming on them. Their feet are gone, their hips
are gone, and the change of form is creeping
upward. In astonishment they embrace each other
as though holding on to what is left of the body,
that this at least may not escape them.
19. THE TYRRHENIAN PIRATES
A mission ship ^ and a pirates' ship. Dionysus
steers the former, on board the latter are Tyr-
rhenians, pirates who ravage their own sea.^ The one
2 i.e. the Tyrrhenian sea.
75
PHILOSTRATUS : IMAGINES
lepa vav<;, ^a/c)(6U6L iv avrj} ^Lovvao'i Kal iirip-
podovaiv ai Ba/c;^at, apfjbovia he, o-nocyr) opyid^ei,
KaTi]X€i T/}? OaXuTT}]^, i) Se uTrex^i tm Aiovvaco
5 ra eavTfj<; vcora, KaOdirep i) AvScov yrj, rj Be
irepa vav<; pLaivovrai Kal rf]^ elpe(7ia<; eKXavOdv-
ovrai, TToWoi? Se avrwv aTroXcoXaaiv 7;S;; at
X€ipe<;. (2) Tt? 7) ypa<f>i] ; rov Aiovvaov, w ttcu,
Xo^^coaL Tvppijvol Xoyov e? avTov<; r}KOvro^, &)<?
10 6?]Xv<; T€ eh] Kal d'yupT7]<; Kal 'X^pvaov^ rrji' vavv
iiTTo rod iv avrrj itXoutov yvvaid re avro)
ofiaproiii Avhia Kal ^drupoi Kal^ avXifral Kal
vapOT]KO(f)6po<; yepwv Kal olvo<^ ^lap(ov€io<; Kal
avTo<; o }^\dpa)v. Kal Ildua<; avrw ^vp^-rrXelv
15 aKOvovTe<; ev elhei rpdywv avrol fxev d^eaOai
e/xeXXov^ Td<; ^dK)(a<;, alya<; 8e din^aeiv €KeiPOi<;,
a<; 7) Tvpp^]V(ov yr) jBoaKec. (3) 'H p,ev ovv
XrjarpiKr] vav<^ rov p.d)(ip,ov irXel rpoTTov eVo)-
Tiai re yap KareaKevaaTai Kal epi/SoXa) Kal
20 athrjpal avry %et/9e9 Kal al')(^pLal Kal hpeirava
iirl hopdrcov. &)? 8'^ €K7rX7]TTOL tol/? ei'Tvyxd-
vovTa<; Kal Orjpiov n avrol^ eKc^aivoLJO, yXavKol^;
fiev yeypairrai ypaopLaai, /3XoavpoL<i he Kara
iTpcppav 6(f)0aXpLot<; olov /BXeirei, XeTrrrj Se rj
25 iTpvpn-a Kal p^rjvoeiSt)^ KaOdirep rd reXevrcovTa
Tojv l\6v(iiv. (4) 'li he rov Aiovvaov vav<; ra
1 ical Benndorf deletes, cf. 322, 26 ff. k.
- a^eadai ijueWov Hercher : ^(aOai.
^ 5' adiled b}' Pveiske and Kayser.
^ Narthex : a plant with hollow stalk which furnished the
Bacchic -wands.
2 Cf. Od. 9. 147 f. Maron was a priest of Apollo, who
gave Odysseus wine in gratitude for protection. Later,
76
BOOK I. 19
is a sacred ship ; in it Dionysus revels and the
Bacchantes cry out in response to him, and orgiastic
music resounds over the sea, which yields its broad
surface to Dionysus as readily as does the land of the
Lydians ; on the other ship they go mad and forget
to row and already the hands of many of them
are gone. What does the painting mean ? Tyr-
rhenian sailors, my boy, are lying in wait for
Dionysus, as word has come to them that he is
effeminate and a vagabond and a mine of gold so
far as his ship is concerned, because of the wealth it
carries, and that he is accompanied only by Lydian
women and Satyrs and fluteplayers, and an aged
narthex-bearer,! and Maronian wine, and by Maron ^
himself. Hearing that Pans sail with him in the
form of goats, they planned to carry off the Bac-
chantes for themselves and to turn over to the
Pans she-goats,^ such as are raised in the land of
the Tyrrhenians. Now the pirate ship sails with
warlike mien ; for it is equipped with prow-beams
and beak, and on board are grappling-irons and
spears and poles armed with scythes. And, in order
that it may strike terror into those they meet and
may look to them like some sort of monster, it is
painted with bright colours, and it seems to see with
grim eyes set into its prow,* and the stern curves up
in a thin crescent like the end of a fish's tail. As
for the ship of Dionysus, it has a weird appearance ^
because of the fame of his wine, he was thought of as an
attendant of Dion3'sus.
^ i.e. in place of Bacchantes.
- It was customary to paint eyes on the prow of Greek
ships, apparently with the idea that thus the ship might see
its wa}'.
^ See critical note.
77
PHILOSTRATUS : IMAGINES
fxev aWa Trerpa jioi SielfcaaraL,^ cfyoXiScoTf]
8e opdrac to 6? irpv/ivap'^ kv/jl/SciXcov avrfi
irapaWa^ iprjp/xoapivcov, IV, el Koi Xdrvpol
30 TTore vtto ol'vou Kadevhoiev, 6 Ai6vvao<; /ly
ay\ro4>i^rl irXeoL, tj-jv he Trpwpav e? ')(^pvarjv
TTcipBaXiv eiKaaTai, re koI e^fj/crai. (f)i\ia Be
rfp Aiovvacp tt/jo? to ^mov, eTreiSr) OepfioTarov
t6)v ^(p(ov earl /cal TrrjBd Kov(f)a koI Xaa evciBi.
35 o/oa? yovv Koi avro to Orjplov — cFV[X'JT\eovaa<^ rw
Aiovvao) Kol 7T7]Ba)(Ta<; eirl rov<; Tvppr}vov<; purjirw
323 K. Ke\evovTO<;. 6vpao<; Be cvrocrl eV p,ecr7]<; i^eo)?
€K7re(f)VKe ra rod larov irpdaacov, Kal laria
fieOijTTTaL dXovpyfj peravyd^ovra ev rw koXtto),
')(^pvaai Be evvc^avrai ^aKyat, ev T/jlcoXo) /cat
5 Aiovvaov rd ev AvBla. fcarrjpecfir] Be rrjv vavv
dfiTreXo) kol /clttw (^aiveaOai kol fiorpv^; virep
avTrj<; alwpelaOai Oavfia fxev, dav/iaaicorepa Be
r) Trrjyrj rod olvov, d><; kolXt] avjov rj vav<^ €kBI-
Borac KOL avrXelraL.
10 (5) 'AXX' eVt Tou? Tvppi]vov(; cwpev, ew? elaiv
6 yap Atovvao^ avrov^ €Kfiijva<; evrpexovat Tot?
Tvppr)voi<; IBeai BeXcplvayv ovtto) eOdBwv ovBe
eyx^wpiwv rfj OaXdaarj. Kal ru) jxev rd irXevpa
Kvdvea, rw S' 6XiaOy]pd rd arepva, tm B
15 eKcpverai Xo(pid irapd rw /jLeTa(ppev(p, 6 Be
eKBiBcocn rd ovpaia, Kal tm fiev rj KecjiuXr]
^ The text is corrupt in the M8S., irerpa/xoi^i eUaa-rai.
Various conjectures have been proposed, rtpari (Capps)
VV AP (Jacobs) elfKatrrai.
^ Trpv/uLvav Jacobs : irpdipav.
^ Cymbals where, in a ship of war, shields would be
hung.
78
BOOK I. 19
in other respects, and it looks as if it were covered
with scales at the stern, for cymbals ^ are attached
to it in rows, so that, even if the Satyrs are overcome
by wine and fall asleep, Dionysus may not be with-
out noise on his voyage ; and its prow is drawn out
in the semblance of a golden leopardess. Dionysus
is devoted to this animal because it is the most excit-
able of animals and leaps lightly like a Bacchante.
At any rate you see the very creature before you ; ^ it
sails with Dionysus and leaps against the Tyrrhenians
without waiting for his bidding. And the thyrsus
here has grown in the midst of the ship^ and serves
as a mast, and sails dyed purple are attached to it,
gleaming as they belly out in the wind, and woven
in them are golden Bacchantes on Mount Tmolus
and Dionysiac scenes from Lydia. That the ship
seems to be embowered with vine and ivy and that
clusters of grapes swing above it* is indeed a marvel,
but more marvellous is the fountain of wine,^ for the
hollow ship pours forth the wine and lets it drain away.
But let us turn to the Tyrrhenians while they
still remain ; for under the maddening power of
Dionysus the forms of dolphins ^ are creeping over the
Tyrrhenians — not at all the dolphins we know, how-
ever, nor yet those native to the sea. One of the
men has dark sides, one a slippery breast, on the
back of one a fin is growing, one is growing a tail,
the head of one is gone but that of another is left,
2 i.e. the figure-head which forms the prow.
^ Cf. the ship of Dionysus on a black-figured kylix, JFien.
Vorlegehldf.ter, 1888, PI. VII. \a.
- Cf. Horn. Homns 7. 38 ff. for a description of the vine.
^ Cf. ibid. 7. 35 f. for the fountain of wine.
^ Cf. ibid. 7. 51 f. for the transformation of the sailors
into dolphins.
79
PHILOSTRATUS : IMAGINES
V7T€p TO)V TToBcOV aTTLOVTWV ^od.
(6) '^O he Xiovvao^i iic irpcppa^i <ye\a ravra koI
20 Ke\ev€L tvl^ TvpprjuoU tci fiev elhif l-y^OvaLV e^
avOpcoTTcov, TCI he yOrj ')(pr)aTot<; Ik (f)av\(ov.
oy^i^aeTaL >yoi)v jiiKpov varepov UaXaL/icov eVl
3eX(^tz^o? ovhe e<ypi)'yopai'^ ovro^;, aXV vtttlo^; eir
avTOu Kadevhoiv, koI 'Apicov he 6 eirl Tatvdpw
25 hrjXol T0U9 heXcfylva'^ eraipovi re elvat dv6pco7roi<;
Kal ooSt)? cf)L\ov(i Kal o7ov<i napaTa^aaOai tt/oo?
X-pard^i VTTep dvOpoo-ncov Kal /iovaiK7]<i.
K SATTPOI
(1) KeXaa'al fiev to -ycopiov, oaov ai 7n]yal
Kal TO dvTpov, eKTTohcov he 6 Mapava<; rj ttol-
30 fiaivcov rj fiera t7]v epiv. /juyj eiraiveL to vhwp'
Kol jdp el TTOTifiov Kal yaXijvov yeypaiTTai,
TTOTi/jLcoTeprp evTeu^i] tco ^OXv/j.7r(o. KaOevhet,^
he /leTa T7]v avXijaip d^p6<; ev d/3pOL<; dvOeat
avyKepavvv's tov IhpcoTa tjj tov Xeificovo<;^ hpoaot,
324 K. Kal 6 Ze(f)vpG<; eKKaXel avTov irpoaiTvecov Trj
KOfiT), 6 he dvTLirvel tw dvefi(p^ cXkcov to diro
TOV GTepvov aaOfia, KdXafioi Te avXovvTS^ 7]ht]
irapdKeiVTai tw 'OXv/itto) Kal aih/jpia en, oh
5 eTTLTpvirdiVTaL ^ 01 avXoi. (2) 'E/^wi^re? he avrov
^ KadfvSei Kayser : Kai a^ai.
' \€i/j.a)pos Olearius : x^ 'M^'^'o^-
^ di'TiTTi 6? TCf avf/xcv Jacobs : avaTri'tt rov ap^fxov.
- iniTtivtrctiVTai .Salmasius : iitiSpvirrovTai.
^ It is implied that henceforth the transformed pirates will
have the traits which later Greek legends attribute to
dolphins.
8o
BOOK I. 20
the hand of one is melting away, while another
laments over his vanishing feet.
Dionysus on the prow of his ship laughs at the
scene and shouts orders to the Tyrrhenians as fishes in
shape instead of men, and as good in character instead
of bad.^ Soon, at any rate, Palaemon will ride on a
dolphin's back, not awake, but lying prone upon it
sound asleep ; and the Arion at Taenarum^ makes it
clear that dolphins are the companions of men, and
fond of song, and worthy to take the field against
pirates in defence of men and the art of music.
20. SATYRS
The place is Celaenae, if one may judge by the
springs and the cave ; but Marsyas has gone away
either to watch his sheep or because the contest is
over. Do not praise the water ; for, though it
looks sweet and placid, you will find Olympus ^
sweeter. He sleeps after liaving played his flute, a
tender youth lying on tender flowers, whilst the
moisture on his forehead mingles with the dew of
the meadow ; and Zephyrus summons him by
breathing on his hair, and he breathes in response
to the wind, drawing the air from his lungs. Reeds
already yielding music lie beside Olympus, and also
the iron tools with which the holes are bored
in the pipes. A band of Satyrs gaze lovingly
^ i e. the bronze statue of Arion seated on a dolphin,
which Herodotus (1. 24) describes.
^ i.e. the figure of Olympus which he is about to describe.
Olympus was a pupil of Marsyas and beloved by him ; cf. the
red-figured vase painting, Roscher, LexUcon. d. gr. ii. rom.
Myth. III. 861.
8r
PHILOSTRATUS : IMAGINES
^arvpoH' Ti? dyeX^] KaraOecourac to fieipaKLOv
ipvOpol Ka\ a€a7]p6T€<^, 6 fiev rov arepvov 6iy€LP
S6u/jievo<;, 6 Se ificpvi'aL rfj Seprj, 6 he airdaaL tl
€7riOv/j,(hv (^i\r)fia, dvOi] re eViTraTTOucrt Kal
10 irpoaKwovcFLv OD<i dyaX/jta, 6 cro(/)60TaT09 he avTCOv
€Ti Oep/jLov Oarepov avXov^ tj-jv jXctyrrav dva-
a7rdcra<i eadiei /cal rov "OXufiirov ouro) (^iXelv
OieTai,(j)i]al Se Kal diToyevaao-OaL rod TTvevjiaTO^.
Ko! OATMnOS
(1) TtVi avX€L<;, "0Xv/jL7r€ ; tl Se epyov /lov-
15 aLKpj(; iv ipiipaa ; ov ttoi/jl/jp aoi Trdpeariv, ovk
al7r6Xo<^ ovSe Nv/x(f)aL<; avXet^;, at KaX(i)<; av
v7rQ)p-)(^7]aavTO ro) auXw, /xaOcop Se ovk olha 6
TL y^aipeif; tw eVl t^ ireTpa vSan Kal /SXeVei?
eV avTo. TL ii6Te\ci)v avrov ; Kal yap ovt6
20 KeXapv^eL aoL Kal Trpo? tov avXov VTraaeTaL ^
ouT€ hiafierpovixev aoL ttjv ij/aepav, o'i ye /3ou-
XoL/j,e6' dv Kal e? vvKTa<; dirorelvaL to avXi^pa.
el Be TO KdXXo<; dvaKpiveL's, tov vBaro<; dfieXeL'
r}li€L<; yap iKavcoTepoL Xe^aL tcl ev aol diravTa.
25 (2) To iJiev o/uLfia aoL ')(^a poir 6v , iroXXd 8e avTOV
7r/509 TOV avXov to, Kevrpa, d(f)pv<; Se avTw irepi-
^ej3\.'>]TaL SLaat]/j.aLvovaa tov vovv tmv avXtf-
fidrcov, rj Trapetd he TrdXXeaOai Sokcl Kal olov
V7rop-)(^eLaOaL tm p.eXeL, to irvevpia Se ovSev
30 eiraipeL tov irpoadnrov viro tov ev tm avXrp
^ Schenkl omits rov before avKov.
^ u-nacmai Kolule and (Joniperz : virocaTai.
82
BOOK I. 21
upon the youth, ruddy grinning creatures, one
desiring to touch his breast, another to embrace his
neck, anotlier eager to pluck a kiss ; they scatter
flowers over him and worship him as if he were a
divine image ; and the cleverest of them draws out
the tongue of the second pipe which is still warm
and eats it, thinking he is thus kissing Olympus,
and he says he tasted the boy's breath.
21. OLYMPUS
For whom are you playing the flute, Olympus?
And what need is there of music in a desert place ?
No shepherd is here with you, nor goatherd, nor
yet are you playing for Nymphs, who would dance
beautifully to your flute; and 1 do not understand
just why you take delight in the pool of water by
the rock and gaze into it.^ What interest have
you in it ? It does not murmur for you like a brook
and sing an accompaniment to your flute, nor do we
need its water to measure off the day ^ for you,
we who w^ould fain prolong your music even into
the night. If it is beauty you are investigating,
pay no heed to the water ; for we are more com-
petent than it to tell all your charms. Your eye is
bright, and many a })rovoking glance comes from it
to the flute ; your brow overarching the eye in-
dicates the meaning of the tune you play ; your
cheek seems to quiver and as it were to dance to
the melody ; your breath does not pufl" out your
^ Cf. Narcissus gazing at his reflection in a pool, Descrip-
tion 23 infra, p. 89.
2 An allusion to the water-clock used in the courts to time
the speeches.
83
g2
PHILOSTRATUS : IMAGINES
elvai, y Kofxi] re ovk apyi] ovre Kelrat KaOdirep
iv aariKM /jLeipaKifo XiTTMaa, dW' iyyjyeprac fxev
325 K. viTo Tov avx/^ou, 7ra/oe;^eTafc he avxiJLripov ovSev
ev o^eia fcal ^(Xwpci rfj ttltvi. Ka\o<; yap o
aT€(pai'0<^ Kal Setvo'^ eiTL7rpey\rai toI<; ev 6)pa, ra
le dvO)] irap6evoL<i dvac^veaOco koI yvvatOL^ epev-
5 6o<; eavTol<i epya^eaOco. (f)T]fXi aoi Kal rd arepva
01) iTvevparo^ epbirXea elvat fiovov, dX\d Kal
evvoia<=; /jiOvcnKrj<^ Kal hiaGKe'\\rew<^ rojv avKrj-
fidrcov. (3) AIe^/3£ rovrcou ae to vScop ypdcfiet
KaraKvirrovra e? avro diro t?}? Trerpa^;. el oe
10 koTrjKOTa eypa(j)ev, ovk dv eva')(r}[iova rd vtto
TO) crrepvcp ehei^ev eTriTroXaioi ydp ai /xt/z/ycrei?
T(ov vBdrcov diTO tov crvvt^dveiv ev avTol^ Ta
/i-qKt]. TO Be Kal KXv^ea-Sat ctol tyjv aKidv eaTco
pev Kal irapd tov avXou t^^v 7T7]yy]v KaraiTveovTo^,
15 eaTco Se Kal irapd tov Zecf^vpov TavTa TrdvTa, hi
ov Kal av ev tw avXelv Kal 6 avXo<; ev tm irvelv
Kal i) TT-qyrj ev tm KaTavXelaOai.
K^ MIAAS
(1) Y^aQevhei 6 ^drvpo^, Kal vcpeip^errj rfj
(payvrj irepl avrov \eycop.ev, p,r] e^eyeipriTai Kal
20 SiaXvcFt] ra opcopeva. XllSa<; avTOV oI'vm TeBi]-
paKev ev ^Ppvyua irepl avrd, co? opdf;, Ta Spy],
^ Olympus is standing far enough back from the pool, so
that he sees onl}' the reflection of his head and l)reast ; these
are bent forward so as to be nearly ])arallel to the surface of
tlie water, and therefore the reflection is not unduly fore-
84
BOOK I. 22
cheeks because it is all in the flute ; your hair is
not unkempt, nor does it lie smooth, made sleek
with unguents as in a city youth, but it is so dry
that it is fluffy, yet without giving the impression
of squalid dryness by reason of the bright fresh
sprays of pine upon it. Beautiful is such a crown
and well adapted to adorn beautiful youths ; but let
flowers grow for maidens and let them produce
their rosy colour for women. Your breast, I should
say, is filled not merely with breath for the flute, but
also with thoughts of music and meditation on the
tunes you will play. As far as the breast the
water pictures you, as you bend down over it from
the rock ; but if it pictured you full length, it would
not have shown you as comely from the breast
down ; for reflections in the water are but on the
surface, imperfect because stature is foreshortened
in them.^ The fact that your reflection is broken by
ripples may be due to your flute breathing upon the
water of the fountain, or all that we see may be due
to Zephyrus, who inspires you in playing the flute,
the flute in breathing its strain, and the spring in
being moved by the flute-playing.
22. MIDAS
The Satyr is asleep ; let us speak of him with
bated breath, lest he wake and spoil the scene
before us. Midas has captured him with wine in
Phrygia ^ on the very mountain-side, as you see, by
shortened ; whereas, if he had been standing near enough to
the water to see the rest of his body, the reflection of it
would have been very much foreshortened.
2 The story is told by Xen. Anab. 1. 2. 1.3, and Philo-
stratuSj Vita A poll. 6. 27.
8s
PHILOSTRATUS : IMAGINES
Tijv Kp)]injv OLVOXoyj(Ta<^, ev r) Kelrai 7rapaj3\v^wv
rOV OLVOV €V Tft) VTTVM.
Zarvpcov Se t)Bu fiev to acpoSpov, ore 6p-
25 \ovvTai, rjSu Se to ficofjUoXoxov, ot€ fxethLMat.
Koi €p(t)cnv 01 yevvaloL ical vTroiroLOvvTai Ta<;
AvSa<; aLKdXXovT€s avTa<; Te^^in]. KUKelvo
avTCov eTL' aK\7]pol ypdcfyovTUL Kal UKpaTOL to
al/jia KoX rrepiTTol tcl oiTa koI kolXol to la'^iov,
30 dykpwxoi irdvTa Kal to iirl to, ovpala lttttol.
(2) To Se Oj]pa/ia tov WlSov tovto yeypaiTTaL
fjLev oaa eKelvoi, KaOevSei Be viro tov ol'vou to
aaOpLa eXKwv co? Ik ixe6ri<;. koX t) /lev KpyjvJ]
326 K. iriiroTaL avTw paov i) 6Tepw kv\l^, ai Se Kvfxcpai,
Xopevovai ToyOd^ovaat tov ^uTvpov inl rco
Kadevheiv. &)? d/Bpo^; 6 MtSa?, o)? 8e padvpo<;.
/jLiTpa<; eTTtpbeXeLTat Kal ^oaTpvx^ov Kal Ovpaov
5 (fiepet Kal aToXi^v ey^pvaov. Ihov Kal wra
/xeydXa, v(f)' cjv ?;56t9 ol oc^OaXpuol SoKovvT€<i
virvrfKol (^alvovTai Kal peOekKovai ti^v rjBovijv
et? TO V(o6p6i\ alvLTT0/ji€V)]<; (TTrovSfj t;'}? ypa(j))']<;
eK/ie/jLrjvvaOai TavT ijS'] Kal SiaSeSoadat toU
10 dvdpd)7roi<; iv KaXd/jifo, p.t] KaTaa')(ova'ri^ Ty]<;
7779 a i^Kovaev.
^ The older type of representing Satyrs is here described :
Benndorf.
2 On a black-figured kylix by Ergotiinus ( IViencr Vorlcge-
b/dft^r, 1881, PI. IV. 2) the captured Seilenus is being led
to Midas by attendants carrying a rope and a wine skin ; cf.
also the red-figured amphora, Fig. 10, p. 87.
^ Tlie ears of an ass, which Apollo gave JNIidas because
he presumed to think his own music superior to that of
Apollo.
- The story runs that Midas concealed the ass's ears from
everyone but liis hairdresser, who was sworn to secrec}' ;
but the latter whispered the secret to a hole in the earth,
86
BOOK I. 22
filling ^vith wine the spring beside which lie lies
disgorging the wine in his sleep.
Charming is the vehemence of satyrs when they
dance^ and charming their ribaldry when they
laugh ; they are
given to love,
noble creatures
that they are,
and they sub-
due the Lj'dian
women to their
will by their ^^^- In-
artful flatteries. And this too is true of them : they
are represented in paintings as hardy, hot-blooded
beings, with prominent ears, lean about the loins,
altogether mischievous, and having the tails of
horses.^
The Satyr caught by Midas'^ is here depicted
as satyrs in general are, but he is asleep as a result
of the wine, breathing heavily like a drunken man.
He has drunk up the whole spring more easily than
another would have taken a cupful, and the
Nymphs dance, mocking the Satyr for having
fallen asleep. How dainty is Midas and how he
takes his ease ! He is careful of his head-dress and
his curling locks, and he carries a thyrsus and wears
a robe woven with gold. See the long ears,^ which
give his seemingly attractive eyes a sleepy look and
turn their charm into dullness ; for the painting
purposely hints that this story has already been
divulged and published abroad among men by the
pen, since the earth could not keep secret what it
heard.*
and bushes that grew there when shaken by the wind told
the storv to the world.
87
PHILOSTRATUS : IMAGINES
Ki NAPKISSOS
(1) 'H yi\v iri'i'yri ypd(f)€i rov NdpKiaaov, r)
Se ypa(f)r} ttjv irijyrjv Kol rd rov ^ap/claaov
irdvra. /jbetpd/ciop dpri 6)]pa'^ d-TTtjWayfieuou
15 m]yfj 6(f)eaT7]K€i' eXKOv rivd e'^ avrov Ifxepov
KOL ep6)V T% eavTov (opa<;, dcnpdirreL he, &)?
opa<^, e? TO vhwp. (2) To fxev ovv avrpov
' A\e\(pov fcal Nu//.0coj^, yeypairrai Be rd eUora'
(f)avXov re ydp Te-^v)]<^ rd dydX/uLara kol \i6ov
20 Tov ^ eurevOev, fcal rd fiev TrepiTerpnTrai vwo
Tov ')(p6i'ov, rd Se ^ovkoXwv rj iroLpevcov TratSc?
7r6pL€K0\lrav en vi^moL Koi dvaiaOi^TOt tov deov.
Koi ovSe d/3dK)(^euT0<; 7) irriyij tov i^iovvaov olov
dva^r]vavT0^ avTrjv rat? Krival<^' d/jiireXw yovv
25 Koi KiTTW TjpeTTTat Koi eki^L /caXaU /cal ^oTpixov
/jbeTeaxv^^ f<^^i' ^ o6ev ol Ovpaor Kcop-d^ovai, re
eTT* avTi]v^ ao(f)ol 6pvL6e<^, co? e/cdaTou dpfjLOvia,
Ka\ dvdi-j Xevicd ttj Trrjyfj TrepiirecpvKev ovirw
ovTa, aXX" eVl toj /jLecpa/clfo ^vofxeva. Ti/uLwaa
30 Be T) ypa(f)rj T^/^' dXijOeiap kol hpocrov tl Xei/Sei
diTo TMV dvOewv, ol^ Kal fxeXtTTa e(f)i^dvet Ti?,
ovK olBa etV e^airaTrjOelaa vtto t>]<; ypa(f)t]<^,
^ TOV added by Ka3'ser. ^ /cat added by Lindau.
^ avrii V Keiske : outtj.
^ Narcissus gazing at his reflection in a pool is the subject
of a Ponipeian wall-painting, Fig. 11, p. 89 (Ternite,
Waiulgcinaclde, III. 4. 25).
88
BOOK I. 23
23. NARCISSUS
The pool paints Narcissus, and the painting
represents both the pool and the whole story of
Narcissus.^ A youth just returned from the hunt
stands over a pool_, drawing from within himself a
kind of yearning and falHng in love with his own
beauty ; and, as you see, he sheds a radiance in-
to the water. The cave is sacred to Acheloiis and
the Nymphs, and the scene is painted realistically.
For the statues are of a
crude art and made from a
local stone ; some of them
are worn away by time,
others have been mutilated
by children of cowherds or
shepherds while still young
and unaware of the presence
of the god. Nor is the pool
without some connection
with the Bacchic rites of
Dionysus, since he has made
it known to the Nymphs of
the wine-press ; at any rate it is roofed over with vine
and ivy and beautiful creeping plants, and it abounds
in clusters of grapes and the trees that furnish the
thyrsi, and tuneful birds disport themselves above
it, each with its own note, and white flowers grow
about the pool, not yet in blossom but just springing
up in honour of the youth. The painting has such
regard for realism that it even shows drops of dew
dripping from the flowers and a bee settling on the
flowers — whether a real bee has been deceived by the
painted flowers or whether we are to be deceived into
89
Fig. 11.
PHILOSTRATUS : IMAGINES
el're j]/u.a<^ e^i]iraT?]G6ai ^(py) eliai avTi']v. aXX.'
527 K. earco. (3) IXe fxevTOi.^ /jieipd/cioi', ov ypacj)/] rt?
€^7]7rdT7]a€U, ovSe )(p(t)/j.a(TLV rj Kiipw 7TpoaT6T}]Ka<;,
dW eKTVTTMaav ae to vScop, olov elhe^i avTO, ovk
oLaOa ovre to tt)? Tnjyri^ €X€j)(ei<; a6(f)ia/jLa,
5 vevaac Seiv'^ kol TrapaTpeyjrai, lov etSov; kol
Ti-jV X^lpci viroKLvrjaaL Kal pbrj iirl tuvtov eaTarai,
av 5' coaiTep eTaipw evTV)(cov TuKeWev 7repi/J.€V€i<^.
etTa GOi 7) TTiryr) /jlvOw ')(^pi](J€Tai; ol'TO? fiev ovv
ouS' iiraiei tl i)imo)v, aXV €/X7T67rT0)K€P iirl to
\0 vBcop avTOL'^ wal kol avTOL<; 6/j,/iaaiv, avTol^
Be 7]/jL6t<;, oiarrep 'ye'ypaiTTai, Xiyw/iei'.
(4) 'Op6ov dvairaveTai to fieipd/ciov ivaWd^av
tol> TToSe Kal Ttjv %ei/3a eTTe')(ov TreinfyoTL tCo
aKOVTLW iv dpiaTepa, ?'; 8e|'ia Be TrepirJKTat 6iV to
15 ia')(^iov dvaay^elv t€ avTov kol (T^rnia irpaTTew
eKKeipLevoiv twp jXovtcov Bid T}]v twv dpiaTepwi
eyKXiaiv.^ BeiKvveL Be /; %eip depa fiev, KaO' o
fcvpTovTai 6 dyK(jL>v, pvTiBa Be KaO^ o aTpe/3Xov-
Tai 6 KapTTO's Kal (jKidv rcapeyeTai avvi^dvovaa
20 6i9 TO Oevap, Xo^al Be al^ dKTLve<; tT/? aKLd<;
Bia Tr]v etao) eTTiaTpocprjv tmv BaKTvXwv, to Be
ev Tw (TTepvM daO/ia ovk olBa elVe KwrfyeTiKov
eTL eLT€ yBr] epwTiKov. to ye fiyv opLfxa iKavMS
€pMVT0<;, TO yap ^apOTrov avTOv Kal yopyov eV
25 (pv(Teco<i irpavvet Tf? ecpitdvcov l'/jLepo<;, Bokcl 8'
^ ixivroi Kayser : jxtv 16.
2 SeTi/ Schenkl, Z4ov Kayser : 5e or re.
- (yKKiaiv Keiske : iKKXiaiv.
90
BOOK I. 21,
thinking that a painted l)ee is real^ I do not know.
But let that pass. As for you, however, Narcissus,
it is no painting that has deceived you, nor are you
engrossed in a thing of pigments or wax ; but you
do not reahze that the water represents you exactly
as you are when you gaze upon it, nor do you see
through the artifice of the pool, though to do so you
have only to nod your head or change your expres-
sion or slightly move your hand, instead of standing
in the same attitude ; but acting as though you had
met a companion, you wait for some move on his
part. Do you then expect the pool to enter into
conversation witli you ? Nay, this youth does not
hear anything we say, but he is immersed, eyes and
ears alike, in the water and we must interpret the
painting for ourselves.
The youth, standing erect, is at rest ; ^ he has
his legs crossed and supports one hand on the spear
which is planted on his left, while his right hand is
pressed against his hip so as to support his body and
to produce the type of figure in which the buttocks
are pushed out because of the inward bend of the
left side. The arm shows an open space at the
point where the elbow bends, a wrinkle where the
wrist is twisted, and it casts a shadow as it ends
in the palm of the hand, and the lines of the
shadow are slanting because the fingers are bent in.
Whether the panting of his breast remains from
his hunting or is already the panting of love I do
not know. The eye, surely, is that of a man deeply
in love, for its natural brightness and intensity are
softened by a longing that settles upon it, and he
^ Cf. the attitude of Oenomaiis in the east pediment of the
temple of Zeus at Olympia.
91
PHILOSTRATUS : IMAGINES
to-axf Kal avTepacrOai, ^Xeirovcn^^; avrov r/}?
aKLa<;, w? vtt avrov opdrai. (5) HoXya Kal
irepl tT;? ko/jLT]^; eke)(^9r] civ, el dtjpcovrc avru)
iv6Tvxofji€V. fivpiat yap avTy<; al KLVi]aei<; iv
30 Tw hpofxw Kal p^dWov, iireiSdv viro dvi/Jiov tivo<;
ejJUTVOV^ jevfjTai, rv)(OL 8' dv Kal \6yov vvv.
d/jL(j)i\acf)ov<; yap ovcr^]^ avT}]<^ nal olov )(pvari<;
TO /xev 01 Tei>ovTe<^ icpeXKorrai, to S' vtto to)v
WTCDV KpLverai, to Be tw jxeTOtiTrw imaaXeveL, to
35 Se Tfi V7n]vr} eTTippel. laot ^ re dfji(j)a) ol Ndp-
32S K KiaaoL to elSo^; I'aa e/ucpaiPOVTe'; dXXt']X(ov, irX-qv
6aoi> 6 /lev €KK6iTaL tov depo<^, 6 he ttjv 7T)]yi]v
vTTohehvKev. icpeaTrjKe yap to /xeipaKiov tm ev ^
vBaTi kcTTWTL, fxaXXov he dTCVL^ovTL e? avro Kal
5 olov hi-yjron'Tt tov KdX\ov<;.
Kh' TAKINeOS
(1) 'AvdyvcoOi Ti]v huKivOov, yey pairrai yap
Kal (pyjacv dvacpvvai, r?}? yi}^ enl p^etpaKlo) KaXu)
Kal 6py]veL avTO d/xa rw ypc yeveaiv ol/iaL irap^
avTOv Xa/Sovaa, ore drreOave. Kal firj ere XeipLoov
10 dva^dXy rovro, Kal yap evravOa eKire^vKev^
^ Xaoi Jacobs : etV/.
2 Ty eV added by Capps.
1 Hyacinthus, a j^outhful favourite of Apollo, was accident-
ally slain b}' the discus thrown b}' the god, and the event
was coniniemorated b}' the hyacinth which is said to have
sprung from his blood. The accident is here explained as
due to Zephyrus, tlie wind which diverted the discus from
its true course.
92
BOOK I. 24
perhaps thinks that he is loved in return, since the
reflection gazes at him in just the way that he looks
at it. There would be much to say about the
hair if we found him while hunting. For there
are innumerable tossings of the hair in running,
especially when it is blown by a wind ; but even
as it is the subject should not be passed over in
silence. For it is very abundant and of a golden
hue ; and some of it clings to the neck, some is
parted by the ears, some tumbles over the forehead,
and some falls in ripples to the beard. Both the
Narcissi are exactly alike in form and each repeats
the traits of the other, except that one stands out
in the open air while the other is immersed in the
pool. For the youth stands over the youth who
stands in the water, or rather who gazes intently
at him and seems to be athirst for his beauty.
24. HYACINTHUSi
Read the hyacinth, for there is writing on it ^
which says it sprang from the earth in honour of
a beautiful youth ; and it laments him at the be-
ginning of spring, doubtless because it was born
from him when he died. Let not the meadow delay
you with the flower, for it grows here^ also, no
different from the flower which springs from the
Furtwangler, Ant. Gemmen, PI. XX. 31, publishes an
Etruscan scarab representing Hyacinthus ; the youth is
bending forward, drops of blood fall from his head, and at
his feet is the discus that caused his death (Fig. 12, p. 9-5).
2 Referring to the letters AI AI ("woe, woe") on the
petals of the flowers.
^ i.e. in the curling hair of the j'outh Hyacinthus in the
painting.
93
PHILOSTRATUS : IMAGINES
OTToia T/y? 7/}? a/eV^e. Xeyet Be 1) <ypa(j)j] koI
vaKLvOiVTjV eli'ai rro fieipaKiw ryjv k6/xi]v kol to
alfia e/jb/Siov ry yfj yiio/ievov^ ei? oUelov ri
')(p(io(jai TO arOo<;. pel Se utt' at'T/)? tT;? K€(pa\y]<;
15 €/JL7Te7rT(t)fcoTO<; avTrj tou Sla/cov. Setvr] fiev
r) oia/iapTLa Kal ovBe Trtcrr?; XeyeTat kutcl
Tov A7r6Wo)vo<;' iirel Se ov aocpLGTal tcov
/ivOcov yKOfiev ovSe airLaTelv eTOi/jLOt, OeaToi he
fiovov TMV <yey pa/ijiievfov, e^eTacTM/iev tijv ypacfyrjv
20 Kal irpwTov ye tj-jv ffaX/SlSa tov hiaKOv.
(2) BaX/3i? hiaKe')(^UL>pL(JTaL fiLKpa Kal citto-
')(pcoaa evl ecTTcoTi, el firj to KaToiriv Kal to
he^Lov aKeXo<; avexovaa, irpavf] ra e/xirpoaOev,
Kal Kov(f)L^ovaa OciTepov toIv cjKeXolv, o y^prj
25 avvava/SdXXeaOai Kai av/jLrropevecrdai ttj Be^id.
TO Be ax^l/^ci TOV Blcjkov avexovTO<^' i^aXXd^avTa
Ty]v Ke(f)aX7]v iirl Be^ici ^Ph fcvpTOvaOat tocjov,
baov VTro/SXeylrat to, rrXevpd, Kal piirTeli' olov
dvLpLoovTa Kal irpocrepijBdXXovTa tol<; 8effot9
30 irdaL. (3) Kat 6 ' XiroXXwv ovtco 7ra)9 eBlcr-
KevaeVy ov yap av dXXa}<; d(py]Kev, epLTreacov Be
6 BlaKo^; e? to /ueipdKLOv to fiev KecTat Kal eV
329 K. avTOv ye tov Blokov — AaKcoi'iKov fieipdKLOv Kal
TTjv Kvrj/jL7]v opOov Kal BpojJLWv ovK dyvfxvaaTOv
Kal /3pa)(iOva vireyelpov ^^Br) Kal ti-jv copav tcov
^ Some ^ISS. give 'Kt.v6^iivov for "yivSixevov.
' Cf. Od. 6. 231 : Ko^as, vaKivdivcp &t'dei bjxo'ias.
2 It was a stone slab marked with incised lines which gave
a firm footing to the athlete ; cf. Ausyrahunc/en in Olympia,
94
BOOK I. 24
earth. The painting tells us that the hair of the
youth is '^ hyacinthine," ^ and that his blood, taking
on life in the earth, has given the
flower its own crimson colour. It flows
from the head itself where the discus
struck it. Terrible was the failure to
hit the mark and incredible is the story
told of Apollo ; but since we are not
here to criticize the myths and are not
ready to refuse them credence, but are ^^^- ^^•
merely spectators of the paintings, let us examine
the painting and in the first place the stand set for
throwing the discus.
A raised tli rower's stand ^ has been set apart, so
small as to suffice for only one person to stand on, and
then only when it supports the posterior portions and
the right leg of the thrower, causing the anterior
portions to bend forward and the left leg to be
relieved of weight ; for this leg must be straightened
and advanced along with the right arm. As for the
attitude of the man holding the discus, he must
turn his head to the right and bend himself over
so far that he can look down at his side, and he
must hurl the discus by drawing himself up and
putting his whole right side into the throw.
Such, no doubt, was the way Apollo threw the
discus, for he could not have cast it in any other
w^ay ; and now that the discus has struck the youth,
he lies there on the discus itself — a Laconian youth,
straiglit of leg, not unpractised in running, the
muscles of his arm already developed, the fine
lines of the bones indicated under the flesh ; but
V. 35. The present description closely folloMs tlie well-
known Discobolus of Myron.
95
PHILOSTRATUS : IMAGINES
ocTTMV viTeK(j)alvov — (ITT ear pair TaL he ^ XiroXKwv
6 en €(peaTa)(; rfj ^aXj^lhi /cal Kara 7?}? ^Xeirei.
7T€7rr]<yei'aL (f)7]a€i<; aurov, roaouTov avT(o t>)?
€K7r\7)^€(o<; e/j-TreTTTCOKev. (4) W/jLaO//^ ye 6
Ze(f)vpo<; ve/jiea)]aas avTw /cat rov SlaKOP e? to
lietpuKLOv irapei^, Kal yeXcof; SoKel ru) dve/JLM
10 ravra Kal rwdd^et Trepicoiryv ex(ov. 6pd<^ he
oljjLai avTov ev Trrrfpco rw Kpordcfxp Kal afSpo) tq)
eiSei, Kal areijiavov ^epeu ttuvtcov dvOewv,
fiLKpov he varepoi' Kal ttjv vaKLvOov avrol^
e/jLirXe^ei.
Ke ANAPIOI
15 (1) To Tov otvov pevfia ro ev "Avhpca ttj vr](j(£i
Kal 01 /jLedvovTe<; rov rrorajjiov "Avhpioi X0709
elal tT;? 'ypa(f)ij<;. \\vhpLOL<i jdp 5?; eV Aiovvaov
77 77) VTTOivo^ pijyvvrat Kal iroTapiOV avrol^ dva-
hihaxTLV el pev euOvjJLriOeiri^ vhcop, ovttq) fieya, el
20 he olvov, /jL€ya<i 6 irojapo^ Kal 6elo<^' earc yap
TovTov dpvaa/jievo) KelXov re virepihelv Kal
"IdTpov Kal TTOv (pdvaL Trepl avTcov, otl KaKelvoi
^eXrlov; dv ehoKovv oXlyot flip, dXXd tolovtol
peovre^.
25 (2) \\ai ahovaii' olp^at ravra yvvaioL^i dp.a Kal
iraihloti; earecpavco/ievoi, KLrrw re Kal (jfxiXaKL,
OL ^ fiev ^(opevovre^ e^' €Karepa<; 6)(6ij^, 01 he
KaraKeifxevoi. elKO<; he irov KdKelva elvai rrj<;
(i)h7]<;, ct)9 hovaKa p.ei> 'A^^eXwo?, Y[t]veio<i he
30 TeyUTT); (f)epei, IlafcrroXo<; 8e . . . - dv6i] Xolttoi',
ovroal he o 7rorafio<; 7rXovaiov<; r d7ro(f)aipe
^ Kul before ol deleted Ijy Reiske.
'■^ Westermann notes the lacuna.
96
BOOK I. 25
Apollo with averted face is still on the thrower's
stand and he gazes down at the ground. You will
say he is fixed there, such consternation has fallen
upon him. A lout is Zephyrus, who was angry
with Apollo and caused the discus to strike the
youth, and the scene seems a laughing matter to
the wind and he taunts the god from his look-out.
You can see him, I think, with his winged temples
and his delicate form ; and he wears a crown of all
kinds of flowers, and will soon weave the hyacinth in
among them.
25. ANDRIANS
The stream of wine which is on the island
of Andros, and the Andrians who have become
drunken from the river, are the subject of this
painting. For by act of Dionysus the earth of the
Andrians is so charged with wine that it bursts forth
and sends up for them a river ; if you have water
in mind, the quantity is not great, but if wine, it is
a great river — yes, divine I For he who draws from
it may well disdain both Nile and Ister and may
say of them that they also would be more highly
esteemed if they were small, provided their streams
were like this one.
These things, methinks, the men, crowned with
ivy and bryony, are singing to their wives and
children, some dancing on either bank, some re-
clining. And very likely this also is the theme
of their song — that while the Acheloiis bears reeds,
and the Peneius waters Tempe, and the Pactolus
. . . flowers, this river makes men rich, and power-
ful in the assembly, and helpful to their friends, and
97
PIIILOSTRATUS : IMAGINES
Kal 8vvaTov<; ra iv ajopd koX iirifxekel'^ tcjv
cf)iX(ov Kal Ka\ov<; Kal rerpaTryJx^c^; eK [itKpojv
€(TTL yap KopeaOevTL avrov avWeyeadai ravra
35 Kal eadyecrOaL e? t?;i^ yviofii^v. aSovat Be ttov,
330 K. on /jl6vo<; irorafiMV ovtol /JLijre ffovKo\Loi<; earl
/3aT0(; fxy]0* Ittttol'^, dXX! olvoxoelrai fxev i/c
Aiovvaov, TTLperai Be ciKi^paro^i, /jL6voL<i dv9pa)7roi<;
pecov. ravrl pbev ciKoveiv i)yov Kal aBovrcov avrd
ii'icov, Kare'^jreWia/iievcov rt]v cpcovrjp vtto tov
5 oXvov.
(3) Ta fxevTOi^ opcofieva t?}? ypa^i^]^' 6 fiev
7roTa/j,o<; iv ^orpixov evvfj Kelrai rrjv irrjyrjv ckBc-
Bov^ dKpar6<; re Kal opycov to elBo<;, OvpcroL B' avrw
7r€pi7re(f)VKaaL KaOdirep ol KdXapboi tol^ vBaai,
10 TTapa/jLeiyjravTL Be rh^v yrjv Kal ra ev avrfj ravra
avfiTToaia Tplr(ove<; ijBt] irepl rd<i eV/9oXa9 cnrav-
ro)vr€<^ dpvovrai k6x^ol<; rod o\'vov. Kal ro fxev
irivovaiv avrov, ro Bi* dva(f)vaa)aiv, elal B^ ol Kal
fieOvovcri rcov Tpircovwv Kal 6p)(ovvrat. irXet
15 Kal Atovvao^ eirl KcofMou r?}? "AvBpov Kal KaOcop-
/jLLarat fiev y vav<; 7]Bi], Xarvpov<i Be dva/il^ Kal
Arjvd^i dyec Kal ^€L\r)vov<; oaot-. rov YeXayrd re
ciyei Kal rov Kco/xov, IXapcordrco Kal ^vfiiro-
riKcordrco Baifiove, d)<; yBiara 6 7Torap.o<; avrw
20 rpvywro.
K^' EPMOT rONAI
(1) O KOfitBrj Trat? o en iv crirapydvoi^, 6 rd'i
^oO? eh TO pP]y/j,a r/}? 7/)? iXavvcov, en KdKelvo^
6 avXoov ra /SeXrj rov ^AjroXXcovof;, 'E/)/x>i?
98
BOOK I. 26
beautiful and^ instead of short, four cubits tall ; for
when a man has drunk his fill of it he can assemble
all these qualities and in his thought make them his
own. They sing, I feel sure, that this river alone
is not disturbed by the feet of cattle or of horses,
but is a draught drawn from Dionysus, and is drunk
unpolluted, flowing for men alone. This is what
you should imagine you hear and what some of them
really are singing, though their voices are thick with
wine.
Consider, however, what is to be seen in the
painting : The river lies on a couch of grape-
clusters, pouring out its stream, a river undiluted
and of agitated appearance ;i thyrsi grow about it like
reeds about bodies of water, and if one goes along past
the land and these drinking groups on it, he comes at
length on Tritons at the river's mouth, who are dip-
ping up the wine in sea-shells. Some of it they
drink, some they blow out in streams, and of the
Tritons some are drunken and dancing. Dionysus
also sails to the revels of Andros and, his ship now
moored in the harbour, he leads a mixed throng
of Satyrs and Bacchantes and all the Seileni. He
leads Laughter and Revel, tAvo spirits most gay
and most fond of the drinking-bout, that with the
greatest delight he may reap the river's harvest.
26. BIRTH OF HERMES
The mere babe still in swaddling clothes, the
one who is driving the cattle into the cleft of
the earth, who furthermore is stealing Apollo's
^ A river of pure wine undiluted with water, and turgid,
as if under the influence of wine.
99
h2
PIIILOSTRATUS : IMAGINES
ouTO?. fiaXa i)helai al /cXoiral rov 6eov' (paal
25 yap rov 'E>pfxrjV, ore rrj ISlaia eyevero, ipciv rov
KXeirreiv koI elhevai touto, ovtl ttco ravra
irevia Bpcov 6 9e6s, dW' ev^poavvr) SlBov<; koX
Trai^cov. el Be ^ovXet koI ^^(^vo^; avrov KUTLSelu,
opa ra iv rfj ypa^fj. TLfCTerai p.ev iv Kopvcpal'^
30 Tov 'OXvfXTrou, kut avrov avco, to e8o<? rciiv
Oecov. . €Kel Se "0/x?7/:o9 ovre o/i/Spayv alaOd-
veaOal (pijatv ovre dve/iwv ciKovetv, dXX^ ovSe
X^ovL ^Xi]6r}vaL irore avro hC virepffoXijv, elvai
331 K. he Oelov aTe;\^i^a>? Aral eXevOepov aTrcivrcop iradcov,
a)v fxerex^i' to, roiv dvdpooiToyv opTj. (2) ^Eprav6a
TOV 'Epp.rjv diTOTexdevTa '^flpai KOfJii^ovTai.
yey pa(f)e /cciKeU'a^^, co? wpa efcdaT7]<;, Kal cnrap-
5 ydvot^ avTov dfi7rLa")(^ovaLV eTTLirdTTOvaat, Ta
KdXXtara tmv dvOewv, co? fii^ daijjKov tvxu TOiv
airapydvcov. Kal al fiev eirl ti]V fiijTepa tov
'Rp/jiov TpeiTovTai Xe^^ Kei/ievr]v, 6 3' v7reKSv<;
Tcov arrapydvcdv 7]St] ^aSl^ei Kal tov OXv/xttov
10 Kdreiai. yeyrjOe he avTw to 6po<; — to yap
/jLeiSla/jia avTov olov dvdpcoTrov — voet Be top
"OXv/jLttov x^lpovTa, otl 6 'Ep/jiij<; eKel eyeveTO.
(3) Tt? ovv 7] KXoTn] ; /Soi)? vepiOfieva<; ev tw
TOV 'OXv/jLirov nrpoTToBi, TavTa<; B-qrrov to,^
15 xp^(^0K€pa)^ Kal virep x^ova XevKd^ — dvelvTaL
^ Cf. the red-figured vase in the Museum Gregorianum,
Baunieister, Dcnhndler, fig. 741.
2 Cf. Alcaeus, Frag. 2, Edmond's Lyra Qraeca I ; the story
is told at length in the Homeric Hymn to Hermes.
3 Homer, Od. 6. 4'2flf. "Neither is it shaken by winds,
nor ever wet with rain, nor does the snow fall upon it, but the
BOOK I. 26
weapons — this is Hermes.^ Very delightful are the
thefts of the god ; for the story is that Hermes,
when Maia bore him, loved thievery and was skilled
in it, though it was by no means through poverty
that the god did such things, but out of pure delight
and in a spirit of fun. If you wish to follow his
course step by step, see how the painting depicts
it. He is born on the crest of Olympus,^ at the
very top, the abode of the gods. There, as Homer
says,^ one feels no rain and hears no wind, nor is it
ever beaten by snow, it is so high ; but it is ab-
solutely divine and free from all the ills that pertain
to the mountains which belong to men. There the
Horae care for Hermes at his birth.* The painter
has depicted these also, each according to her time,
and they wrap him in swaddling clothes, sprinkling
over him the most beautiful flowers, that he may
have swaddling clothes not without distinction.
While they turn to the mother of Hermes lying
on her couch of travail, he slips out of his swaddling
clothes and begins to walk at once and descends
from Olympus. The mountain rejoices in him — for
its smile is like that of a man — and you are to
assume that Olympus rejoices because Hermes was
])orn there.
Now what was the theft ? ^ Cattle grazing on
the foothills of Olympus, yonder cattle with golden
horns and whiter than snow — for they are sacred
air is outspread clear and cloudless." Translation of Murray
in L.C.L.
- Cf. Alcaeus, Frag, 3, Edmonds, Lyra Graeca I. ; Philo-
stratus, Vita Apollon. 5. 15. For the Horae, cf. infra, II. 34,
p. 269.
5 Hermes' theft of the cattle is depicted on the vase
mentioned in note 1.
loi
PIIILOSTRATUS: IMAGINES
>yap T(p ^AttoWwvl — ciyet arpo^cjv eh y^cicrixa
T?}? 7^9, ovy^ CO? aiToXoLvro, aX)C o)? a(f)avi(Tdelev
6t? fiiav rj/iiepav, ear av tov ^AttoWo) Buktj
Tovro, Kol o)? ovhev fierov avrw tov yeyovoro^
20 vTroSverai to, airdpyava. i]k6L Kal 6 ^ AiroWcov
irapa rijv ^latav airaiTOiV Ta<; /3ov<;, rj Se
aTTLarel Kal Xrjpelv ol'erai. tov Oeov. (4) BouXet
p.aOelv 6 TL Kal Xiyet ; BoKel yap fxoi p,r) (fxovij^;
fjLOVOv, aWa koX \6yov tl eir LhrjXovv tm
25 7rpo(T(07ra)' eoiKSV co? peWcov 7rpo<; ti-jv ^lalav
Xeyeiv TavTa. " dScKel fie 6 ao<^ vl6<i, ov %^€9
ere/ce?" Td<; yap /Sou?, ah ex^ipov, €/jLl3el3\t]Kev
e? T7]v yrjv, ovK olh^ ottol ti)^ yP]<;. diroXelTai
hii Kal ififfefiXrjaeTaL KaTcoTepo) irpo tcov ySocoi^."
30 ?; 8e Oav/jLci^ec Kal ov 7rpoaSe)(€Tai top \6yov.
(5) "Et' avTOiV dvTiXeyovTWV aXX^yXot? 6 Kp/xf]^
'iCFTaTai KaTOTTLV TOV 'AtToWwI^O? Kal K0V(f)(O(;
eiTLiTrjhr^aa^ rot? ixeTac^pevoi^ dylro(f>7]Tl Xvei to,
To^a Kal (JvXoiV fiev BteXadev, ov prjv rjyvoijdi]
35 aeavX7]K(t)<;. ivTavOa t) aocpla tov ^coypdcpov
Sia'X^ec yap tov ^AttoXXco Kal iroiel ^aipovTa.
332 K. /jLe/jLeTpyjTat he 6 yeXco^i olo<i icpt^dvcov tw
Trp OCT (OTTO) 6vp.ov iKVLK(oa7]<; 7]8ov)}<;.
102
BOOK I. 26
to Apollo — he leads over a winding course into a
cleft of the earth, not that they may perish, but
that they may disappear for one day, until their loss
vexes Apollo ; and then he, as though he had had
no part in the affair, slips back into his swaddling
clothes. Apollo comes to Maia to demand back the
cattle, but she does not believe him and thinks the
god is talking nonsense. Would you learn what
he is saying ? For, from his expression he seems
to me to be giving utterance, not merely to sounds,
but to words ; he looks as though he m ere about
to say to Maia, Your son whom you bore yester-
day wrongs me ; for the cattle in which I delight
he has thrust into the earth, nor do I know
where in the earth. Verily he shall perish and
shall be thrust down deeper than the cattle." But
she merely marvels, and does not believe what he
says. While they are still disputing with one
another Hermes takes his stand behind Apollo, and
leaping lightly on his back, he quietly unfastens
Apollo's bow and pilfers it unnoticed,^ but after
he has pilfered it, he does not escape detection.
Therein lies the cleverness of the painter ; for he
melts the wrath of Apollo and represents him as
delighted. But his laughter is restrained, hovering
as it were over his face, as amusement conquers
wrath.
^ The same scene is described at length in Horace's Ode
to Mercury, I. 10. 11. 9-12:
Te boves olini, nisi reddisses,
Per dolum aniotas, Puerum minaci
Voce dum terret, viduos pharetra
Risit Apollo.
103
PlllLOSTKATUS : IMAGINES
K^ AM4>IAPEn:S
(1) To Toiv hvolu apfia I'ttitolv — to yap eVt
rerrdpcov oviro) to2<; rjpwai hia ^6ipo<; y]V, el firj
5 dpa "KKTopi Tw Opaael — ^epei tov ^A/jL(f>idp€ct)v
€K Stj/Smi' eiravLovTa, oirore avrw tj yij Xeyerai
Siaa)(^elp, &)? fiavrtivoLTO iv rfj 'Attikt} kuI
d\7]devoL croc^o? iv iravcrocpOLf;. eirrd ovroi o'l^
HoXvveiKet tw Si-j^aicp T7]v clp)(r)v KaraKTcofievoi
10 ovS€l<i evocTTrjae TrXrjv ^ Ahpaarov koI A/i(f)tcipeco,
Tou? Be XoiTTou? 7] KaS/xeia KaTea')(€V. diroiXovro
he 01 fiev ciXXoL Sopacri fcal Xi9ol<; koX jreXeKeai,
KaTrareu? he Xeyerat Kepavvw ^e/SXfjaOai,
irpoTcpo'^ olfxai KOfinfo /SaXcov tov Ata.
15 (2) Ovroi fiev ovv erepov Xoyov, KeXevei he i)
ypacpy) ^Xeiret-v e? jjlovov tov 'Aficpuipecov (pevy-
ovTa KaTCL T?}? yr}<^ avTOt<; aTep^fjuaaL koI avTrj
hd(f)Vr]. KOl ol LITTTOL XeVKol Kal 7] hiV71 TOiiV
Tpo)((ov aiTovhrj<^ ep^irXew^i Kal to aaOp^a tcov
20 'iTTTTwv diro 7ravT0<; tov p,v/CT7]po<;, d(f)pa) he rj yrj
hieppavTai /cal 7) ')(aLT7] p,€TaKXLveTaL, hLafip6')(^0L<i
T€ virb ihpa)T0<; ovat irepiKeLTai Xctttt] k6vi<;
rjTTOv /juev fcaXov^ uTTocpaLvovaa tov<; ittttov;,
dXr)6eaT€pov<; he. 6 he 'A/jL(f)idpeco<; tcl p.ev aXXa
25 MirXiaTai, fiovov he dp,eXel Kpdvov<^ dviel<; ttjv
^ 01 added by Schenkl.
^ Cf. p. 69, supra.
2 For Amphiaraiis on his chariot, cf. Benndorf-Xeuniann,
Das Grahmal von Gjolbaschi, p. 194f., PI. XXIV A, 5,
^ i.e. at the Amphiaraum at Oropus in northern Attica, a
dream-oracle and health-resort.
^ Cf. II. 3. 243.
104
[To/ace 2>. 105.
BOOK I. 27
27. AMPHIARAUS
The two-horse chariot — for the four-horse chariot^
was not yet in use by the heroes except by Hector
the Bold — is bearing Amphiaraiis ^ on his way back
from Thebes at the time when the earth is said
to have opened to receive him^ in order that he
may prophesy in Attica ^ and utter true answers,
a sage among men most sage. Of those seven who
sought to gain the kingdom for the Theban Poly-
neices none returned save Adrastus and Amphiaraiis ;
the rest the Cadmeian soil received.* These were
slain by spears and stones and battle-axes, all but
Capaneus, who, it is said, was struck down by a
thunderbolt after he had first, as I recall, struck at
Zeus with a boastful taunt. ^
Now those others belong to another tale, but
the painting bids you look at Amphiaraiis alone as
in his flight he sinks beneath the earth, fillets and
laurel and all. His horses are white, the whirling
of his chariot wheels shows urgent haste, the panting
breath of the horses issues from every nostril, the
earth is bespattered with foam, the horses' manes are
all awry, and fine dust settling on their bodies wet
with sweat makes them less beautiful but more
true to life. Amphiaraiis otherwise is in full armour,
but he has left off his helmet, thus dedicating^ his
^ Aeschylus gives the boast of Capaneiis, Septem : 427 f.
Trans. Smyth, L.C.L. :
" For whether Heaven wills it or wills it not, he vows he
will make havoc of the city, and that even the rival fire of
Zeus, though it crash upon the earth in his path, shall not
stay his course. . . ."
^ di/ieis with double meaning, (a) "leaving it free to the
light" and (b) "dedicating it."
PHILOSTRATUS : IMAGINES
K6(f)a\7]v ^ AiroWayvL, ^Xeircov lepov Kal XPV^'
/jLco8€<;. (3) Tpd(f)€t Be Kal top 'D^pcoirov veaviav
ev y\avKOi<; <yvvaiOL<; — ra Be ian SaXarrai —
ypc'Kpet Kol TO (f)povriaTi]piov WfKJiidpeco, pr/yfia
30 lepov fcal OeiaoBe^;. avrov kol ^ Wi'^Oeia Xevy^ei-
fjLOvovaa, avrov Ka\ oveipwv ttvXt] — Bet yap toi<;
eKsl ixavrevop,evoL<; virvov — kol ^'Ovetpo^; avT6<;
333 K. ev dveL/jteva) rw etBei yeypairiai koli eaOr^ra e^^c
X6VK7]i> eirl fieXaivr], to oljuai vvfCTwp avTov /cal
fieO^ i)liepav. e')(eL Kal Kepa<; ev Talv x^polv w?
TO, evvirvia Blcl Trj<; dX.TfOov'^ dvdycov.
KT) 0HPETTAI
5 (1) M?) TrapaOeiTe 7]fxd<;, m OrjpevTal, /x?;Se
eiTiKeXeveade roi? Xttttol^, Trplv vfiMV e^iyyevaw-
fiev, 6 Ti ^ovXeade Kal 6 tl OrjpdTe. vfjieh fxev
yap eirl ')(Xovvr]v avv (^are 'iea6ai, Kal opco ra
epya tov Otjplov — Td<; eXaia<; e^opoopvxe Kal rd^;
10 dfiireXov^ cKTeTfMTjKe Kal ovBe (tvktjv KaraXe-
XoLirev ovBe iirfXov rj jxifXdvOrjv, Trdvra Be
e^rjprjKev Ik Tr)<^ 77)9 ra fxev dvopvTTwv, Tot? Be
€p,7ri7rT(ov, T0t9 Be jrapaKPco/xevof;. opw Be avrov
Kal rr)v %atT>;i^ (f>pirrovra Kal irvp efM^Xerrovra,
15 Kal OL 6B6vre<; avrw irarayovaiv e'c/)' vp>d<;, w
yevvalor Beivd yap rd roiavrl drfpia ore €K
^ The personification of tlie town of Oropus on the sea-
shore, where the oracle of Amphiaraii.s was situated.
^ i.e. the Gate of Horn, through which come dreams that
are true ; of. Od. 19. 566. Those who consulted the oracle
slept in the shrine, and Avere cured by the god or learned
106
BOOK I. 28
head to Apollo, for his look is holy and oracular.
The painting depicts also Oropus as a youth ^ among
bright-eyed women, nymphs of the sea, and it
depicts also the place used by Amphiaraiis for
meditation, a cleft holy and divine. Truth clad all
in white is there and the gate of dreams ^ — for
those who consult the oracle must sleep — and the
god of dreams himself is depicted in relaxed atti-
tude, wearing a white garment over a black one,
doubtless because his work is at night after day is
done. And in his hands he carries a horn, showing
that he brings up his dreams through the gate of
truth.
28. HUNTERS
Do not rush past us, ye hunters, nor urge on
your steeds till we can track down what your purpose
is and what the game is you are hunting. For you
claim to be pursuing a "^^ fierce wild boar," ^ and
I see the devastation wrought by the creature — it
has burrowed under the olive trees, cut down the
vines, and has left neither fig tree nor apple tree
or apple branch, but has torn them all out of the
earth, partly by digging them up, partly by hurling
itself upon them, and partly by rubbing against
them. I see the creature, its mane bristling, its
eyes flashing fire, and it is gnashing its tusks at you,
brave youths ; ^ for such wild animals are quick to
the means of cure through dreams, a practice called
"incubation."
3 Cf. II. 9. 539 : x^ovv-nv avv.
- Cf. II. 13. 473 f : "He bristleth up his back and his two
eyes blaze with fire, and he whetteth his tusks, eager to
ward ofif dogs and men." Trans. Murray, L.C.L.
107
PIIILOSTRATUS : IMAGINES
TrXecaTov KaraKoveiv rod o/jluSov — iyco /juh'Toi ^
olfiai T7JV copav eKeivov rov /xeipaKcov Sia67]pcovTa<;
v/j.d<; reOrjpaaOaL vir avrov Kal irpOKivSuveveiv
20 edekeiv. rl yap ovrco TrXyaiov ; ri he irapa-
ylraiiovT€<; ; rl Se Trap avro iiriarpa^de ; rl Be
waTL^eaOe tol<; l'7r7roi<; ;
(2) Olov eiraOov. ^^^j^Oyjv viro rr)^ ypa(pP)<;
/jLt] y€ypd(f)daL Sokcov avrov^y elvat he Kal
25 KLvelaOai koI epav — BiaT(o6d^co yovv oo? llkovov
Ta<; Kal Sokco tl civTaKoveadai — av 5' ovS* oaa
eTriaTpeyjrai irapaTraiovTa €(f>0€y^(o tl Trapa-
TrXrjaiw^. ijjLol i'6i'iK7jfievo<;, ovk e^wv dveipyeaOai
T?}? dircLTri^; Kal rov ev avrfj virvov. (TKOTTM/xev
30 ovv ra yeypaixpueva' ypa(f)f] yap irapeari'jKap.ev.
(3) HepLKeiPTai ixev hi] tm fjueLpaKuo veaviai
KaXol Kal KaXd eiTiTiihevovTe<^ Kal ola " evira-
rpihai. Kal 6 fiev iraXaidTpas n iTnhrjXol
334 K. Tw TrpoacoTTO), 6 he ^a/36T09, o he dareior/xov, tov
he dvaKeKV(pevac cf)ija6c<; €k ^l^Xlov. (pepovai
he avToij^ 'ittttol irapairXi'jaiOL ovheU dXXo<;
dXX(p, XevKo^ Ti9 Kal ^av6o<; Kal /zeA,a9 Kal
5 cf)OLvi^, dpyvpo-)^dXivoi Kal ariKJol Kal -^pvaol
rd (f)dXapa — ravrd (paac rd y^pdijiara tov<; ev
^flKeai'U) ^apl3dpov<; ey^^elv rw %aX«ft) hiarrvprp,
rd he avviaTaaOaL Kal XiOovaOac Kal aoj^eiv d
iypd(l>t] — ovhe ti]v eaOrjTa av/i/Salvovaiv i) ti-jv
^ /xevToi Kayser : fj.fu. - ofa l\olule : oToy.
^ i.e. as they try to get near the youth.
2 Addressed to the boy to whom he is interpreting the
pictures.
io8
[To face p. 109.
BOOK I. 28
hccar the liunter's din from a very great distance.
But my own opinion is that^ as you were hunting the
beauty of yonder youth, you have been captured by
him and are eager to run into danger for him. For
why so near ? Why do you touch him ? Why have
you turned toward him? W^hy do you jostle each
other with your horses P^
How I have been deceived ! 1 was deluded by
the painting into thinking that the figures were not
painted but were real beings, moving and loving — at
any rate 1 shout at them as though they could hear
and I imagine that 1 hear some response — and you ^
did not utter a single word to turn me back from my
mistake, being as much overcome as I was and unable
to free yourself from the deception and the stupe-
faction induced by it. So let us look at the details
of the painting ; for it really is a painting before
which we stand.
About the lad are gathered beautiful youths,
who engage in beautiful pursuits, such as are be-
coming to men of noble parentage. One shows in
his face a touch of the palaestra, another shows
grace, another urbanity, and the fourth, you will
say, has just raised his head from a book. The
horses they ride are no two alike, white and chestnut
and black and bay, horses with silver bits, dappled
horses with golden trappings — these pigments,^ it is
said, the barbarians living by Oceanus compound of
red-hot bronze, and they combine, and grow hard,
and preserve what is painted with them — nor have
the youths the same clothing or equipment. One
2 The pigments used by the ancients were ordinarily earth
colours (not vegetable colours, or chemical preparations),
and were often brought from a great distance.
109
PHILOSTRATUS : IMAGINES
10 (JTo\i]v. fiev yap €v^covo<; iTrTrd^eraL koI kov-
009, dKOVTiari]'; olfiai dyaOo'^ mv, 6 Se irec^paKTaL
TO (JTepvov direiXodv iraki^v riva tw Oyjpiw, 6 Se
Kol Ta<; Kin]/j.a<;, 6 3e ^ Kal rd aKeXr] Tricj^paKrai.
(4) To Be fieipuKLOv ox^lrat jxev e<f 'lttttov
15 XevKOV, iiekaiva Be, &)? 6pa<;, i) Ke(pa\y] too 'lttttw
Koi XevKov dTTOTeropvevTai kvkXov eVl rov
/jLercoTTOV Kar avro t?}? a€\7]vij<i ro ttXtJ/og?, kul
(bciXapa ex^i XP^^^ ^^^ ^aXii^w kokkov Mt;-
BiKov' tovtI yap to xP^/^^ TrpoaaaTpdiTTei rw
20 XP^^V K^cL^direp ol 7rvpoi}Bei<; XlOol. aroXrj rw
jxeipaKiw x^^f^^^ exovad ri dvepLOV Kal koXttov
— TO fiev XP^P-^ ^'^ (t>0Lvi,K7]<i dXovpyia<;, r}V
eiraivovcn ^^olvik€<;, dyairdaOco Be tmv dXovpycov
fxdXiaTa' Bokovv yap aKvOpwird^eiv eXKei rivd
25 irapd rov ifKiov topav Kal tw Tr](; 61X779- dvOet
paiveraL — alBol Be rov yvfivovaOai irpo^ tou?
nrapovra^; earaXrai x^^P'-^^'^V 4^oivikw, avp,-
fxeTpelrai Be 6 ^^iTcoz^ e? y/jLiav rod fxrjpov Kal taa
Tov dyKMVO^. Kal ixeiBia kol x^po^rov ^Xeiret,
30 Kal KOfid oaov fxi] einaKOTelaOaL tov<; 6(f)0aX-
/jlov<;, ore draKryjaet 7) ko/jLtj vtto tov dve/j,ov.
Tuxa Ti? Kal TTjV irapeidv eiraiveaerai Kal rd
pier pa t?]<; piv6<; Kal KaO' ev ovrcoal rd ev ra>
7rpoad)7r(p, iyo) Be dyapiai rov (f)pov7]fjLaTO<;' Kai
35 yap co? drjpajy]^ eppwrat Kal vtto tov LTTTrou
335 K. iirripTac Kal avvL7-jan>, on epdrai. (5) ^Kevo-
(popovcTL Be avTOL<; 6pe2<^ Kal opewKOfxo^; iroBo-
cTTpa/Sa? Kal dpKv<^ Kal irpo^oXia Kal uKovjia
^ b h\ Koi Tos Kvn/xas, 6 Sf supplied by Schenkl and
Benndorf.
2 fVATjj Reiske, cf. 3S7. 21k : Uvs.
IIO
BOOK I. 28
lightly armed horseman wears his tunic girt up, a
good javelin thrower 1 suppose, another has his
breast protected with armour, threatening fight with
the wild beast, another has his shins protected,
another his legs. That youth ^ rides on a white horse
which, as you see, has a black head, and a white
medallion is fashioned on his forehead in imitation
of the full moon ; and it has golden trappings,
and a bridle of Median scarlet ; for this colour
flashes on the gold with the effect of fiery-red
jewels. The youth's garment is a chlamys bellying
out in the wind ; in colour it is the sea-purple ^
which the Phoenicians love, and it should be prized
above other purple dyes ; for though it seems to be
dark it gains a peculiar beauty from the sun and is
infused with the brilliancy of the sun's warmth.
And from shame of exposing himself unclad to those
about him he wears a sleeved chiton of purple
which reaches half-way down his thighs and like-
wise lialf-way to his elbows. He smiles, and his
eye flashes, and he wears his hair long, but not long
enough to shade his eyes when the wind shall
throw it into disorder. Doubtless many a one will
praise his cheeks and the proportions of his nose
and each several feature of his face, but 1 admire
his spiritedness ; for as a hunter he is vigorous
and is proud of his horse, and he is conscious of
the fact that he is beloved. Mules and a muleteer
bring their luggage, snares and nets and boar-
spears and javelins and lances with toothed blades;^
^ i.e. the central figure, the leader.
2 This " sea-purple" was obtained from a shell-fish, murex.
2 On the equipment of the hunter of. Xen. De Venat. ix,
11 f. ; X. 2f., 16.
Ill
PHILOSTRATUS : IMAGINES
Ka\ Xo7;^a9, e<^' mv ol KV(ji)SovTe<;, kol Kvvaycoyol
5 avarparevovai kol aKoncwpol koI tci eOvi] rcbv
fcvvcov, ovy^ al ti]v plva dyadal fjLovai rj al
rax^lcLt avTcov, aWa Kal al yevracar eSei yap
Kal d\Ki]<; iirl to Otipiov. ypdcpei Si] Ao/c/otSa?
AaKaLva<; ^IvSi/cd'^ KpjjriKd^;, rdf; fiep dyepco^^^ov^;
10 Kal vXaKTOvaa<;, . . . . ^ Ta9 Se €Pi>oovaa<;, al Se
jieOeiTOvaL kol aeajjpaac Kara rod lxvov<;. (6) Kal
Ti]v Wyporepav 7rpoiuvT€<i aaovrac i^ecu? yap
T£9 avTrj<^ eKsl Kal dyaX/na Xeiov viro rod ')(p6vov
Kal (Tvcov KecpaXal Kal dpKTCop, ve/uLerai, Be avrfj
15 Kal 6r)pLa dvera, vefipol Kal \vkol Kal Xaycool,
irdvTa yjfjiepa Kal fxi] heSioja rov^ dvOpcoirov^.
e)(ovrat fierd rrjv €v)(vv tt)? 6i]pa^.
(7) Kat TO Oiipiov ovK dvkyeTai XavOdveiv,
dXX' eKTTTjSa Tt}? XoXP^V^' ^^'^^ ipTTLTTTet TOL<i
20 LTTTTevaL Kal TapdTTei fiev avTovs Ik 7rpoa^oXi]<;,
vLKCLTaL Be VTTo TMV /SaXXovTcov Kaipia jxev ovk
ivTVXjOdV Bid re to (ppaTTCiv tt/oo? ra? 7rXr]yd<;
Bid T€ TO jJbrj VTTO OappovvTCdv ffdXXeadcn, fiaXa-
')(6el<^ Be TrXrjyfj eTmroXaicp KaTci tov firipoi)
25 (pevyei Bid rr}? uX?;?, eKBe^eToi Be avTov eXo?
j^a6v Kal XLpLV7] 7rpo<; tCo eXei. (8) AiooKovaiv
ovv (3ofj 'xpco/jLevoi ol fxev dXXoi fi€')(pi tov eXov^;,
TO Be fjieipdKiop avve/ii/SdXXet tw Orjpicp e? ti]v
XifjLvrjv Kal TeTTape'i ovtol Kvve^, Kal to jiev
30 Orjpiov 'leTai Tpcoaai tov I'ttttov, diroveuaap Be
tov 'lttttov to /iieipdKLOv Kal e? to, Be^ia jxeTa-
KXlvav d(f)ir)ai ttj ^e^/^l Trday Kal ^dXXet tov
^ Lacuna marked b}' Schenkl.
112
BOOK I. 28
masters of hounds accompany the expedition and
trackers and all breeds of dogs, not alone the
keen-scented and swift of foot^ but also the high-
spirited dogs, for courage also was required to
confront the wild beast. And so the painting
shows Locrian, Laconian, Indian, and Cretan dogs,i
some sportive and baying, . . . and some attentive ;
and they all follow the trail with grinning muzzles. ^
And the hunters as they advance hymn Artemis
Agrotera ; ^ for yonder is a temple to her, and a
statue worn smooth with age, and heads of boars
and bears ; and wild animals sacred to her graze
there, fawns and wolves and hares, all tame and
without fear of man. After a prayer the hunters
continue the hunt.
The boar cannot bring himself to keep out of
sight, but leaps from the thicket and rushes at the
horsemen ; at first it confuses them by its sudden
onset, then it is overcome by their missiles, though
it is not mortally wounded, partly because it is on its
guard against their thrusts and partly because it is
not hit by some of the over-confident youths ; but,
weakened by a superficial wound in the thigh, it
runs through the woods till it finds refuge in a deep
marsh and a pool adjoining the marsh. So with
shouting the rest follow it to the edge of the marsh,
but the youth keeps on after the creature into the
pool and these four dogs with him ; the creature
tries to wound his horse, but bending well over on
his horse and leaning to the right he delivers with
^ On hunting dogs cf. ihid. ix. 2 ; x. 1.
^ Cf. Xen, De Venat. iv. 3 : iix/j-fi^LSxraL /xev irphs ra Xxvr].
2 Artemis the Huntress. Cf. Xen. De Venat. vi. 13 ; Eur.
Hipp. 58 f. gives the huntsmen's hymn to Artemis.
I
PHILOSTRATUS : IMAGINES
avv /car avro fidXiaTa to avvdiTTOV ttjp ttXoltjjv
Tfi Seprj. rovvrevOev ol fxev Kvve<; KaTayovat
36 Tov avv e? rijv yyjv, ol Be ipaaral ^ocoaiv citto
T^}? o^0r)(; olov <^i\,otl[xovijl€vol irpo'; d\\t]\ov<;,
336 K. OCTTl^ V7T€pK6Kpd^€TaL TOV TTeXtt?, Kul TTeiTTCOKe
Tt9 diro TOV I'ttttov fxy KaTaa')(^d>v, aXV i/cOopv-
l3i^(Ta<i TOV LTTiTov 0? St] KOi aTe<^avov avTw
irXeKei irapa tov Xeipioivo^ tov iv tw eXei. ctl
6 iv Trj Xlfivr) to fietpdKtov, 6Ti eirl tov o-^Tj/jLaTCi,
CO TO irakTov d(f))]K€v, ol Se eKTreTrXijyaai koI
Oewpovaiv avTO olov ypacpev.
kO' DEPSETS
(1) 'AXX' ovK 'EpvOpd ye avTij OdXaaaa ovB*
^IvBol TavTa, KWioTTe^ he koX dvtjp "¥^XX7]v iv
10 AWioirtq. Kal dOXo^ tov dvhpo^, ov eKcbv €T\rj
KUTCi epcoTa, ol/jLal ore, c5 Tral, /li] dv)]K00v elvai
TOV Tlepae(jo<^, 6v cj)aaiv 'ATXavTiKov diroKTelvai
KYjTO^ iv AWiOTTLa Tre^evov iirl Ta9 dyeXa<; Kal
Tov<{ iv yf) dvOpco7rov<;. (2) TaOr' ovv iiraivCiV 6
15 ^(oypd(f)o^ Kal oiKTelpcov ttjv ^AvSpofieBav, otl
KTjTeL i^eSoOrj, TeTeXeaTat ySr) 6 adXo<;, Kal to
fiev KrjTO^ eppiTTTat irpo ti)^ r)6vo<; ifiirXiifJipLvpovv
irriyal^ a'lfxaTo^y vcf)^ mv ipvOpd 7) OdXaaaa, ttjv
Be ^AvSpo/jLeSav diraXXdTTei tov Beafxov 6 "E/oo)?.
20 yeypaiTTaL Be 7rT7]vo<; /lev to elcoOo^;, v€avia<; Be
^ The story is that Andromeda was bound on the seashore
as prey for the sea monster, that thus the city of her father
might be saved. There Perseus finds her as he goes on his
114
[To race p. 115.
BOOK I. 29
the full force of his arm a blow that hits the boar
just where the shoulder-blade joins the neck. There-
upon the dogs drag the boar to the ground^ and the
lovers on the bank shout as if in rivalry to see who
will outshout his neighbour ; and one is thrown from
his horse which he excited beyond control instead
of holding it in check ; and he weaves for the youth
a crown of flowers from the meadow in the marsh.
The lad is still in the pool, still in the attitude in
which he hurled his javelin, while the youths stand
in astonishment and gaze at him as though he were
a picture.
29. PERSEUS
No, this is not the Red Sea nor are these inhabitants
of India, but Ethiopians and a Greek man in Ethiopia.
And of the exploit which I think the man undertook
voluntarily for love, my boy, you must have heard
— the exploit of Perseus^ who, they say, slew in
Ethiopia a monster from the sea of Atlas,^ which
was making its way against the herds and the people
of this land. Now the painter glorifies this tale
and shows his pity for Andromeda in that she was
given over to the monster. The contest is already
finished and the monster lies stretched out on the
strand, weltering in streams of blood — the reason the
sea is red — while Eros frees Andromeda from her
bonds. Eros is painted with wings as usual, but
quest for the head of Medusa ; he slays the monster, frees
the girl, and carries her oflf to be his wife.
2 Cf. Eur. Andromeda, Frag. 145 Nauck : ktjtos . . . e|
'ArXavTiKrii a\6s. Cf. the vase-painting reproduced in Fig 15.
i2
PHILOSTRATUS : IMAGINES
Trap b e'lcdde, koI aadfiaivwv 'ye'ypairraL koI ovk
efo) Toi) /j,€/j,o)(^OTjKevaL' kol yap ev^h^ ^i'Ve^akero
T(p "E/jci)T Iiepa6v<^ irpo rod epyov jrapelvai
avTov KoX Kara rod dijpcov av/jLTrireadaL, 6 Se
25 a(f)LK6T0 Kal yKOvae rod "EWr/vo^;, (3) 'H Kopi]
06 i)hela fiev, on Xcvkj] iv AWioTrta, 7]Sv Se
avTO TO €lBo<;' jrapiXOot av Kal AvSrjv a/3pav Kal
'ArOlSa uTToae/JLVov Kal ^irapTidriv ippcofievrjv.
K€Ka\X(t)7ncrTai Be airo rod Katpov' Kal yap
30 aTTLareLP eoiKe Kal y^aipeL /jl6t €K7r\7]^6Ci)(; Kal
TOP Uepaea /SXeVei /jLeiSia/id ti ySr] e? avrbv
TrefiTTOvaa. 6 Se ov iroppw rf;? Koprj^; iv i)8eLa
Kal XcffavooSei, iroa Ketrai ard^MV e? t/;z^ yrjv
.337 K. iSpcora Kal to Bely/xa T?J9 Topyov<; e%&)i^ utto-
OeTov, /jL7) €VTV^6vTe<; avrw Xaol XlOol yevcovTat.
TToXXol 01 PovKoXoL yoXa 6peyovTe<^ Kal oivov
eTTKTTTdaaL, 7)Se2<i KlOi07re<; iv tm tov ^p(o/J^aTO<;
5 aroTTft) Kal /SXoavpov /jLetSiMVTe^ Kal ovk dBrjXoL
Xciipeiv Kal 01 irXelcTTOL o/jlolol. (4) 'O Uepa-ev^;
Se daird^eTat fiev Kal TavTa, aTijpl^cov Be eavTov
iirl TOV dpicTTepov dyK(t)vo<; dvkyei tov OdtpaKa
efJbTTVovv VTTo daO/jLaTO<;, i/jL^XeTrcov Trj Koprj, Kal
10 Tr)v ^(Xa/jLvBa tw dveixw iKBiBcoai. (poLVtKPjv ovaav
Kal ffe^XrjfievTjv a'ljxaTO^ pavicn Kal a ^ irpoa-
eirvevaev avTw to Oifplov iv tw dyoovi. ippcoaOcov
^ & Benndoif : &s.
ii6
BOOK I. 29
here, as is not usual, he is a young man/ panting and
still showing the effects of his toil ; for before the
deed Perseus put up a prayer to Eros that he should
come and with him swoop down upon the creature,
and Eros came, for he heard the Greek's prayer.
The maiden is charming in that she is fair of skin
though in Ethiopia, and charming is the very beauty
of her form ; she would surpass a Lydian girl in
daintiness, an Attic girl in stateliness, a Spartan in
sturdiness. Her beauty is enhanced by the circum-
stances of the moment ; for she seems to be incredu-
lous, her joy is mingled with fear, and as she gazes
at Perseus she begins to send a smile towards him.
He, not far from the maiden, lies in the sweet
fragrant grass, dripping sweat on the ground and
keeping the terrible Gorgon's head hidden lest
people see it and be turned to stone. Many cow-
herds come offering him milk and wine to
drink,2 charming Ethiopians with their strange
colouring and their grim smiles ; and they show that
they are pleased, and most of them look alike.
Perseus welcomes their gifts and, supporting himself
on his left elbow, he lifts his chest, filled with breath
through panting, and keeps his gaze upon the
maiden, and lets the wind blow out his chlamys,
which is purple and spattered with drops of blood
and with the flecks which the creature breathed
upon it in the struggle. Let the children of Pelops
^ Eros was often depicted as a youth in the fifth and
fourth centuries B.C., while in the Hellenistic and Roman
periods the Erotes (or Cupids) were winged children.
2 Cf. Eur. Andromeda, Frag. 146 X : tths Se iroip.eva}v t^p^i
\e(iis, 6 jji\v yaKaKTos /cicrtraov cpepwv (TKixpos, 'k6vwv ava^vKTrip',
6 5' afjLTTiKwv ydvos.
117
PIIILOSTRATUS: IMAGINES
YleXoTTiSai irapa top tov Ylepaeax; ojfiov KaXfo
yap ovTi avTQj koI ix^aifJiw irpoa^'jvOrjKe tl tov
1") KafxcLTOv Kal v7ra)h)]KaaLv al (^X,e/9e9, eTrcXd/j,-
(Bavov TOVTO avTd<;, orav 7r\eov€KTj]ar] to acrO/ia.
TToWd Kal TTapd t% Kopy]^ apwrai.
(1) XroXi] Be diraXrj, a)(^rj/jLa i/c AuSta?, Kal
/jbeipciKiop iv VTnjvT) TTpayrrj HocTeiScov re /jL€iSlcov
20 e<» TO /JLCLpaKtov Kal aydWcov avrb i7r7roi<i ByjXol
YleXoira tov AvSov inrl OdXaTTav i-jKovTa, w?
eu^acTO Tft) HoaeiScovL KaTa tov Olvo/xdov, otl
fX7] -ypyjTai yap.jBpS) 6 Olvofiao^, aXXa KTeivwv
TOV'; T?}? 'l7rTroBafi€La<; ipcbpTa<i (ppovel TOt? tov-
Twv dKpo6iviOL<; dpKTcov i)^ XeovTcov K€(f>aXah
25 olov 01 '^ Oijpav yprjKOTe^;. Kal ev')(^opLevw tm
UeXoTTL i]K6t xpvdovv cip/ia €K 6aXdTT7]<;, yireipM-
Tai he 01 'iTTiTOi Kal clot SiaSpafieiv tov Alyalov
avx[X7)pw T(p d^ovL Kal eXa(f)pa Ty oirXij. u /xev
30 ovv ddXo'^ €v8po/jL7]aeL tm UeXoin, tov Se tov
^(i)ypd(l)ov aOXov rj/ieif; i^eTd^cofiev.
(2) Ov yap a/jLiKpov oJ/juaL dywvo^ LTTTrov^; fiev
338 K. ^vvOelvat TeTTapa^ Kal pur) ^vyx^ai tcov aKeXcov to
KaTa eva auTcbv, ip.(3aXelv he avToh pLeTci tov
^ &pKT(Di' i) Schenkl : aTaKTCDu.
2 01 added by Kayser.
^ Lit. " Good-bye to"' ; Pelops (see next Description) was
famous for his ivory white shoiiUler, but the shoulders of
Perseus were more beautiful and withal more muscular.
Il8
BOOK I. 30
perish ^ when it comes to a comparison with the
shoulder of Perseus ! for beautiful as he is and
ruddy of face, his bloom has been enhanced by his
toil and his veins are swollen, as is wont to happen
when the breath comes quickly. Much gratitude
also does he win from the maiden.
30. PELOPS
A delicate garment of Lydian fashion, a lad
with beard just beginning to grow, Poseidon smiling
at him and honouring ^ the lad with a gift of horses
— all this shows that it is Pelops the Lydian who has
come to the sea in order to invoke Poseidon's aid
against Oenomaiis ; since Oenomaiis accepts no son-
in-law, but slaying the suitors of Hippodameia he
takes pride in their severed members as hunters
who have captured game take pride in the heads of
bears or lions. ^ And in answer to Pelops' prayer a
golden chariot has come out of the sea, but the
horses are of mainland breed, and able to speed over
the Aegean with dry axle and light hoof. The task
will go off well for Pelops, but let us examine the
task of the painter.
It requires no small effort, in my opinion, to
compose four horses together and not to confuse
their several legs one with another, to impart to
2 There are reminiscences of Pindar's First Olympian Ode
in the language of this description, ejJi. ayaXXwv, 19, and 01.
1. 139, ipwvras, 23, and 01. 1. 127. Other echoes are noted
below.
^ Sophocles is said to have referred to this practice in his
play entitled Oenomaiis, cf. Frag. 432 N. For the chariot
race of Pelops and Oenomaiis see supra, p. 69 f., and
Philostratus the Younger, p. 331 f.
119
PHILOSTRATUS : IMAGINES
')(^a\ivov (f)p6vr]/ia (rrijaai re top fxev iv avroy ray /jLtj
6e\eii> eardvai, rov 8' €i> t(o Kpoaiveiv ^ovXeaOai,
5 TOP B' iv Tft) . . . .^ TtOeaOai, 6 Be ydrvrai rfj copa
rod IleXoTro? Kal evpelat avTO) al plve<i, oaa XP^~
fi6TL^ov7i. (3)"ETt KCLKelvo aocf)La<i' 6 HoaetBwv
Tov fjL€ipaKLov ipd Kal dva(f)€p€i, avro e? rov Xe/Srjra
Kal Ti-jv K\(oO(o, ore UiXoyjr darpdylrai iBoKcc tm
10 M/io), Kal rod fxev fyajJielv ovk dirdyeL avrov,
eTreiBr) a>p/j,rjK€v, dyaTTcov Be dW' i^dy^aadat t%
')(^eLp6<; €fi7re(f)VKe rfj Be^ia rov TleXoTro? vttoti-
Oefievo<; avrw rd e? rov Bpopuov, 6 Be virepippov
ifBrj Kal WX^eiov irvel, Kal i) 6(f)pv<; /xerd rcov
15 'iTTTTcov. fiXeirei Be rjBv Kal pLerewpov viro tov
ridpa eiTLo-o^elv, 779 ola XP^^<^^ Xt/QaSe? /; KopLr]
TOV pbeipaKLov dirodTd^ovaa //.eTOOTTft) opoXoyel
Kal lovXrp avvavOel Kal pLeTairiiTTovaa rrjBe
KdKelae ev tco Kaipicp pevei. (4) TXovtov Kal
20 arepva Kal oaa irepl rov yvpLVOu tov IleXoTro?
eXex^V ^^> /caXvTTTei rj ypa(f)y]' eV^r/? %ei/c>t, iaOrj^;^
1 Schenkl would supply in the lacuna, €.(j. tV' KecpaKrjv
2 xf*P*> eo-0T9s added by Schenkl.
^ Benndorf observes that Philostratus is describing the
four-horse team as it is so often depicted on the vases of
the fifth century B.C., one of tlie four turning back his head
toward the cliarioteer, and one I'aising his head. The same
sclienie appear.s on a coin of .Syracuse, here reproduced; Fig. IG.
2 Cf. Pindar, 01. 1. 39f. The story that Tantalus served
his son Pelops to the gods at a banquet is denied by Pindar,
who explains it as malicious gossip ; but Pindar accepts the
120
BOOK I. 30
them high spirits controlled by the bridle, and to
hold them still, one at the very moment when he
does not want to stand still, another when he wants
to paw the ground, a third when he [wants to lift
up his head], while the fourth
takes delight in the beauty of
Pelops and his nostrils are dis-
tended as though he were neigh-
ing.^ This too is a clever touch :
Poseidon loves the lad and
brings him to the cauldron and
to Clotho, after which Pelops'
shoulder seemed to shine ; ^ FicTTo^
and he did not try to divert him
from the marriage, since the lad is eager for it, but
being content even to touch his hand, he clasps the
right hand of Pelops while he counsels him about
the race; and already Pelops proudly ^^ breathes
Alpheius," ^ and his look follows the steeds. Charm-
ing is his glance and elated because he is proud of
the diadem, from which the hair of the lad trickling
down like golden sprays of water follows the lines
of his forehead, and joins the bright down on his
cheeks, and though it falls this way and that, yet
it lies gracefully. The hip and breast, and the other
parts of the naked body of Pelops which might be
mentioned, the painting conceals ; a garment covers
"pure cauldron" from which Clotho, goddess of birth, took
Pelops with the ivory shoulder. Pindar also tells of
Poseidon's love for Pelops, and of the gift of the golden
chariot with winged steeds b}- which Pelops won Hippo-
danieia.
• "breathes Alpheius," as in Aristophanes, Birds, 1121,
of a runner at full stretch like an Olympic runner. The
Ol^tnpic race-course was on the banks of the Alpheius.
121
PllILOSTRATUS : IMAGINES
avrfj Kal kv/j/xt}. AvSol yap Kal ^ oi avco ^dp(3apoi
Ka0€ip^avT6<; e? roLuaSe ea6rjTa<^ ro kciWo'^ Xa/z-
TTpvvovTaL TOLOtaSe v(j)d(T/jLa(Ttvivov\a/jL7rpvv6a6at
25 TJ] (f)vaet,. Kal ra fiev ciWa dcpavf] Kal elaw, to he
T}]<; cTToA,?}?, €vda 6 w/io? 6 dpiaT€p6<i, Te)(yr}
i)lJLek'qTai, a)? iirj KpvinoLTO avTOV y avyr)' vv^
re yap iire^et, Kal XafiTrpuverac to5 u>/jlw to
jxeipaKLov, ocFov rj vv^ toS ecnrepo).
\a HENIA
30 (1) KaXov Kal avKaaai Kal firjhe TavTa irapeX-
delv (Kpccvov^. avKa pbiXava ottS) \eL^6[ieva
aeaaypevTat /xev iirl cfivWcov dfnreXov, yeypairTai
Se /xeTa to)v tov (jiXoiov pi^y/jLUTCOv. Kal to, fxev
331) K. viTOKext^ve irapaiTTVOVTa tov iiekiTO'^, tcl 8' vtto
T?J9 wpa^ olov e(T;^£(7Tat. irXi^aiov he avTwv
6^o<; eppcTTTai fid AC ovk dpyo<; rj k€vo^ tov
KapTTOV, (TKid^ei Be Kal avKa ra pLev co/xa Kal
5 6Xvv6ov^ eTi, Ta Be pvad Kal e^copa, ra Be
viroaearjire ^ jrapacpaivovTa tov Xfyuou to dv6o<^,
TO B^ €7T^ UKpCp TOV O^OV (7TpOv6o<^ BlOpd)pVy^6V,
a By) Kal rjBiaTa avKwv BoKel. (2) Ka/^yot? Be
dirav eaTpcoTac T0vBa(f)0<^, o)v Ta fxev TrapaTeTpiiT-
10 Tat, TOV eXvTpov, Ta Be eyKeiTai fxepiVKOTa, Ta Be
Trape/jL^alveL ttjv Biacpvtjv, dXXd Kal 6y)(va<; eV*
6y)(^i>aL<; opa Kal fxrjXa eirl /jL7]Xol<; acopoixi re avTMi
Kal BeKdBa<;, evcoB^] irdvTa Kal viro^pvaa. to Be
ev avToh epevdos ovBe €7n/3el3Xf]a0at, (f)i]aei^,
^ Only the inferior MSS. give wal, which seems necessary.
- L/TTco-eo-TjTre Lindau : viroa-fo-rjpf.
122
BOOK I. 31
his arms and even his lower legs. For the Lydians
and the upper barbarians, encasing their beauty in
such garments, pride themselves on these weavings,
when they might pride themselves on their natural
form.^ While the rest of his figure is out of sight
and covered, the garment by his left shoulder is
artfully neglected in order that its gleam may not
be hidden ; for the night draws on, and the lad
glows with the radiance of his shoulder as does
the night with that of the evening star.
31. XENIA
It is a good thing to gather figs and also not
to pass over in silence the figs in this picture. Purple
figs dripping with juice are heaped on vine-leaves ;
and they are depicted with breaks in the skin, some
just cracking open to disgorge their honey, some
split apart, they are so ripe. Near them lies a
branch, not bare, by Zeus, or empty of fruit, but
under the shade of its leaves are figs, some still
green and ^^ untimely," ^ some with wrinkled skin
and over-ripe, and some about to turn, disclosing
the shining juice, while on the tip of the branch
a sparrow buries its bill in what seems the very
sweetest of the fijjs. All the ground is strewn
with chestnuts, some of which are rubbed free of
the burr, others lie quite shut up, and others show
the burr breaking at the lines of division. See,
too, the pears on pears, apples on apples, both
heaps of them and piles of ten, all fragrant and
golden. You will say that their redness has not
^ Cf. Hdt. i. 10 : the Lydians consider it a disgraceful
thing for even a man to be seen naked.
2 The kind that are picked green and seldom ripen.
123
PIIILOSTRATUS : LMAGINES
15 dW' evhov viT))v6rjKevaL. ('3) Kepdaov he ravra
Scopa OTTcopa Tt? avT7] /SorpvSov eV ToXdprp, 6
rdXapo<; Be ov/c dWorpicov ireirXeKTac Xvycov,
aXX' avTov rod (pvrov. tt/do? Be rov ovvBeajiov
Twv K\r]/jLdT(DV el fiXeiTOL^ Koi rd<; €KKpejjia/jL€va<i
20 avTCOV aTa(f)v\d<i Kal d)<; Kara piav at pdye<;,
dcrj] Tov Aioi'vaov olBa fcal d) irorpia ^orpvoScope
irepl T7]<i d/iireXov e'/oet?. ^alrj^ 5' dv Kal tol/?
^oTpv^i TTJ ypa(f)f] iBcohipiov^; elvai Kal v7roivov<^.
(4) }^dKelvo i^Bkttov iirl (f)vX\(ov KpdSrjf; yu,eXt
25 'xXwpov evBeBvKO<i i^Brj rw K-qpS Kal dvairXt-JiJi-
fivpelv copalov, el Ti<i diroOXi^oi, Kal rpocjyaXU
e(/)' erepov (pvXXov veoTrayrj^; Kal craXevovaa Kal
^lrvKT7]pe<; jdXaKTO^; ov XevKOv piovov, dXXd Kal
ariXiTVov' Kal yap ariX/Seiv eoLKev vtto r'fj<i
30 €7n-TToXa^ovai](; avrfo vr^yLteXi}?.
124
BOOK I. 31
been put on from outside^ but has bloomed from
within. Here are gifts of the cherry tree, here is
fruit in clusters heaped in a basket, and the basket
is woven, not from alien twigs, but from branches
of the plant itself. And if you look at the vine-
sprays woven together and at the clusters hanging
from them and how the grapes stand out one by
one, you will certainly hymn Dionysus and speak of
the vine as " Queenly giver of grapes." ^ You would
say that even the grapes in the painting are good
to eat and full of winey juice. And the most
charming point of all this is : on a leafy branch is
yellow honey already within the comb and ripe to
stream forth if the comb is pressed ; and on another
leaf is cheese new curdled and quivering ; and
there are bowls of milk not merely white but
gleaming, for the cream floating upon it makes it
seem to gleam.
^ Aristophanes, Pax 520, where Elprjvn is addressed.
125
BOOK II
BIBAION AEYTEPON
a TMNHTPIAI
340 K. (1) ^A(f)poSLT7]v iXecfiavTLvrjv iv ^ cnrakol'^
/jLVppivojaLv aSovaip diraXal Kopai. 5t8a(7A:a\o9
avra^ ayei (TO(^r] kol ovSe e^copo^i' €(f)i^dv6i yap
Tf? Mpa Kol pvtlSl irpaiTT], yrjpw^ pev to vtto-
5 aepLvov eXKOvaa, tovto) 3' av Kepavvvaa to
aw^opevov t>)9 dKp,y<i. koI to pL€V a')(^r)pa Tr}<i
A(^pohiTii^ AlSov^i, <yvp,vrj kol evcr^rjp^ayv, i) he
vXt] avvd/jKT] pbepiVKOTO^i iXe(f)avTO<;. dXX' ov
(3ovXeTaL yeypdcpOac hoKslv rj de6<i, eKKetTUi he
10 o'la Xa^ecrSat.
(2) BouXef Xoyov tl eTTiXei^cDpiev tw ^cop,w ;
XipavoiTOv yap 'iKap(o<^ e%6t kuI Kaaia<i fcal
ap,vpv7]<;, hofcel Se p,oi Koi ^air^ov^ tl dvarrvelv .
eiraiveTea tolvvv rj ao(j)ia Trj<i ypaif)r]<;, TrpwTOV
15 p,ev OTL ^ Td<; dya7ra)p,eva^ Xi6ov<{ TrepL/SaXovaa
ovK Ik tmv ')(pa)pdT(ov avTa^ epipijaaTO, dXX'
€K TOV </)&)T0?, oloV 6(f)0aXp(p KeVTpOV TrjV
Biavyeiav avTaL<; evOelaa, eiTa otl kol tov
vpvov irapexei dKoveiv. (3j "Khovcn yap al
20 TratSe?, dSovcn, Kal rj StBdcrKaXof; vTro^XeireL
TTjv dirdoovaav KpoTova-a Ta^; ')(elpa^ Kal €9 to
^ eV added by Jacobs.
- '6ri added by Kayser.
128
BOOK II
1. SINGERS
An Aphrodite, made of ivory, delicate maidens
are hymning in dehcate myrtle groves. The
chorister who leads them is skilled in her art,
and not yet past her youth ; for a certain beauty
rests even on her first wrinkle, which, though it
brings with it the gravity of age, yet tempers this
with what remains of her prime. The type of the
goddess is that of Aphrodite goddess of Modesty,
unclothed and decorous, and the material is ivory,
closely joined. However, the goddess is unwilling
to seem painted, but she stands out as though one
could take hold of her.
Do you wish us to pour a libation of discourse
on the altar ? For of frankincense and cinnamon
and myrrh it has enough already, and it seems to
me to give out also a fragrance as of Sappho,
Accordingly the artistry of the painting must be
praised, first, because the artist, in making the
border ^ of precious stones, has used not colours
but light to depict them, putting a radiance in
them like the pupil in an eye, and, secondly,
because he even makes us hear the hymn. For
the maidens are singing, are singing, and the
chorister frowns at one who is oif the key, clapping
^ The edge of the painting seems to be adorned by painted
precious stones : Benndorf.
129
K
PHILOSTRATUS : IMAGINES
fieXo^ ifcav(h<; efJL^i^d^ovaa. . . } to jiev ^/ap TTy?
<jToX>^? airepLTTOv fcal /jlt] Be o^^Xov avral^;, el
aOvpoLev, y) to ev XPV '^^'^ ^cov)]<; i) to et?
25 /Spa^t'Ova tov ^frcoi^o? rj &)? avvTToh-jaia %at/3oy-
(JLv €(f)€aT(oaat ciTraXfj iroa koX uvayjrv^yp eXKovaai
irapa t;}? Spoaov Xei/jLcov re 6 Trepl ra? eaOt]Ta'^ Kal
TO, iv avTaL<; "^^pcofiaTa, &)? dXXo ciXXw eTTtirpeiTeL,
8aifji0VLa)<; i/c/ie/xLfit]Tar to, yap av/ji/SaLvovTa ol
30 /jLTj ypd(f)0VT€<; ovfc dXtjOevovaip iv rat? ypa<f)al<^.
TO, Be etSyj tcov irapOivcov el tw HdpLSi t) dXXw
T(p KpcTTJ iTrcTpeTroL/iiep, dTroprjaai dv SoKel
341 K. yjrijcpia-aaOaL, ToaovTOV d/LiiXXcovTai, /3oSo7r;;;^ef?
Kal eXcfCMTTiSe'^ Kal KaXXtrrdprjoi Kal /xeXicpcovor
^a'7T(f)ov<; TOVTO hij to 7]Sv '7rp6a(f)0ey/ia.
(4) IlapayfrdXXeL 3e avTaU "E/oco? dvaKXiva^
5 tov to^ov top TTTj^vv, Kal 7) vevpd iravapjiovLOV
aSei Kai (jyrjai irdvTa ex^tJ^ oaa 1) Xvpa, Ta^el^;
T€ 01 6(j)daXp,ol TOV Oeov pvOpLov Tiva olpiai
hiavoovvTe^. tl SrJTa aSovai ; yeypaiTTai yap
TL Kal (ijSr]<;' Trjv ^A<f)poBLT7]v €Kcf)vvaL tt}?
10 OaXdTTTj^ Xeyovaiv diroppofj tov Ovpavov. Kal
OTTOv fi€v TOiv vi^cFcov IT podiax^v, ovTro) XeyovcriVf
epovcTi he oJfiai Ila^oz^, ttjv yeveaiv he iKavco^
ciBovaiv' dva/SXeTTovaaL fieu yap e/i<f)aLVov(Tcv,
OTi aTT* ovpavov, ra? Be x^lpa<; viTTia<; vttokl-
^ Editors note a lacuna here.
^ Praise of the maidens themselves seems to be missing at
this point.
^ Uf. Sappho, i'Va^'. 30 : /xeWixocpwuais, "gentle-voiced."
Trans. Edmonds, Lip-a Gracca I. The other epithets in this
passage are also familiar in the poets.
130
BOOK II. I
her hands and trying earnestly to bring her into
tune 1 . . . For as to their garments, they are
simple and such as not to impede their movements
if they should play — for instance, the close-fitting
girdle, the chiton that leaves the arm free, and the
way they enjoy treading with naked feet on the
tender grass and drawing refreshment from tlie
dew ; and the flowered decoration of their garments,
and the colours used on them — the way they
harmonize the one with the other — are represented
with wonderful truth ; for painters who fail to
make the details consistent with one another do
not depict the truth in their paintings. As to the
figures of the maidens, if we were to leave the
decision regarding them to Paris or any other
judge, I believe he would be at a loss how to vote,
so close is the rivalry among them in rosy arms
and flashing eyes and fair cheeks and in " honeyed
voices,"^ to use the charming expression of Sappho.
Eros, tilting up the centre of his bow, lightlv
strikes the string for them and the bow-strin^^
resounds with a full harmony and asserts that it
possesses all the notes of a lyre ; and swift are the
eyes of the god as they recall, I fancy, some
particular measure. What, then, is the song they
are singing.' For indeed something of the subject
has been expressed in the painting ; they are
telling how Aphrodite was born from the sea
through an emanation of Uranus. Upon which
one of the islands she came ashore they do not
yet tell, though doubtless they will name Paphos ;
but they are singing clearly enough of her birth,
for by looking upward they indicate that she is
from Heaven (Uranus), and by slightly moving
131
k2
PHILOSTRATUS : IMAGINES
15 vovaaL BijXovaiv, on eK OaXaTTi]^, to fxeihia^a
he avTO)v 'ya\i]V7]<; iarlv atvt'yiia.
AXIAAEHS TP04>AI
(1) Ne/9/009^ Kal \a7c09, ravra Oijpd/jLara tov
vvv *A')(^iXXeco<i, 6 Si ye ev^Vkiw iroXei'^ alpyjcret
Kal 'iTTirov^ Kal avhpoiv (Tr'f)(^a<;, Kal 01 TTOTafiol
20 avTW iia\ovi>Tai /jL7] ecovri avTOv<i pelv, KUKeu'cov
fiev rojp epycov fxiaOov airoLaerai l^pla7]L8a Kal
ra(; €k Aeafiov kirra Kal y^pvaov Kal rpLirohaf;
Kal TO Toi'9 'A^afOL/? eV avroj elvat, ra Se irapa
T(p ^eipcovL ravra pn^Xwy SoKec Kal Krjpicov a^La,
25 Kal d'ya7rd<;, o) 'A^^^iXXeD, p.iKpa hcopa TToXei?
dira^Lcoacov rore Kal ro KrjSo<; rod 'Aya/jL€/j,voi'o<^.
6 p,ev ovv errl rrj<i rd(f)pov Kal KXiva<; roix;
T/3wa9 eV /lovov rod ^orjaat Kal 6 Krelvcov
e7riarpo(f)dS7]v Kal epvOpaivwv ro rod ^Kafidv-
30 Bpov vBcop Xttttol re dOdvarot Kal €X^eL<;^Kropo<;
Kal /5pi;;\;co/x6i^09 iirl rot<; rod HarpoKXov
arepvoL<i 'Ofxi]p(p yeypairrai, ypd(f)eL Be avrov
Kal ahovra Kal ev)(^6/ji€vov Kal opiwpoc^LOV ro)
Ilptd/JLO).
342 K. (2) Tovrovl Be ovttw ^vvievra dperP]^;, dXXa
iralBa en ydXaKrc v7ro6pey^a<^ Kal /lueXcp Kal
fieXcn Seh(OKep 6 ^ielpoyv ypd(f)€ip diraXov Kal
^ v(&p6s Hercher : vf^poi.
^ II. 11. -204, 270 mentions tiie seven Lesbian women,
the gold and the tripods among Agamemnon's gifts to
Achilles.
132
BOOK II. 2
their upturned hands they show that she has come
from the sea^ and their smile is an intimation of
the sea's calm.
2. THE EDUCATION OF ACHILLES
A fawn and a hare — these are the spoils of
hunting of Achilles as he is now^ the Achilles who
at Ilium will capture cities and horses and the ranks
of men, and rivers will do battle with him when he
refuses to let them flow, and as reward of those ex-
ploits he will bear away Briseis and the seven maid-
ens from Lesbos and gold and tripods ^ and authority
over the Achaeans ; but the exploits here depicted,
done at Cheiron's home, seem to deserve apples
and honey as rewards, and you are content with
small gifts, Achilles, you who one day will disdain
whole cities and marriage with Agamemnon's
daughter. Nay, the Achilles who fights at the
trench, who puts the Trojans to rout merely by
his shouting, and who slays men right and left,^
and reddens the water of the Scamander,^ and
also his immortal horses, and his dragging of
Hector's body around the walls, and his lamentation
on the breast of Patroclus — all this has been
de})icted by Homer, and he depicts him also as
singing and praying and receiving Priam under
his roof.
This Achilles, however, a child not yet conscious
of valour, whom Cheiron still nourishes upon milk
and marrow and honey, he has offered to the painter
- The word of Homer, II. 10. 483.
=^ Cf. llmd, 21. 21 ; 16. 154; 24. 50 ff. ; 18. 318 for the
phraseology as well as the story.
PHILOSTRATUS : IMAGINES
a^kpwyov i^aX V^f] fcovcj^ov evOela fiev 'yap ?;
5 Kuyj/xi] Tw TTaiSi, eV yovu Se al %et/oe9 — dyaOal
yap Si) avrac TTO/nirol tou Spo/iov — KOfxr] re
7)o€ta Kal ovSe (iKLvrjro^; — eoiK€ yap TrpoaaOvpcdv
6 ^€(f)vpo<; /leraTaTTeLv avTJjv, o)? /jLeTaTTLTrrovai]^
TTjSe KciKelae aWore, dX\o<; 6 7ral<; eh] — eVf-
10 aKvvLov T6 Kal Ovfioeihe^; (ppvayfid iari fxev rjBrj
Tip TTaiSl, TTpavvet he avrb aKUKfo ^Xep^pan Kal
napeid fxcika l\eo) Kal tt poa ^aWovarj n dirdXov
yeXwTo^. 7] ')(\afiv<; Si, i)v d/jL7re)(^eTai-, irapa r)]<;
/jL7jTpo<; olfxar KaXrj yap Kal aXiiropcjyvpo'; Kal
15 TTVpavyrjf; i^aWdrrovaa rod Kvavrj elvat. (3)
Yi^okaKevei Se avrov 6 ^eipcov olov Xeovra
7rTMKa<; dpird^eiv Kal veffpoU avp^irereadar
ve^pov yovv dpTC yp7]K(o<; rjKei, irapd rov Xelpayva
Kal diraiTel to dOXov, 6 Se ^(^aipeL aTTanovfievo^;
20 Kal TOU? irpoaOiov^ OKXdcra^ et9 taov KadiaTaraL
T(p iraiSiy firjXa dvo rod koXttov opeywv avjw
KaXd Kal evcoSrj — Kal yap tovto avTcov eoLKev
eyyeypdcpOat — Kal Krjplov opiyec rfj %et/)t (rrayova
Xelpov St evvojiiav rcov pLeXiTTcov. orav yap
25 7ruaL<; dyaOal'^ evTV)(^ovaaL KvtdKwai, TTepiTrXrjOrj
rd K7]pia yiverai Kal diro^Xv^ovai to jJLeXi ol
oIkol avToyv. (4) o Se ^eipwv yeyparrTai /xev
oaa KevTavpo<i' dXXd lttitov dvOpwTTM avjjLJ3aXelv
134
BOOK II. 2
as a delicate, sport-loving child and already light of
foot.^ For the boy's leg is straight and his arms come
down to his knees (for such arms are excellent
assistants in the race) ; his hair is charming and
loose ; for Zephyrus in sport seems to shift it about,
so that as it falls, now here, now there, the boy's
appearance may be changed. Already the boy has
a frowning brow and an air of spirited haughtiness,
but these are made gentle by a guileless look and
by gracious cheeks that send
forth a tender smile. The
cloak he wears is probably
his mother's gift ; for it is
beautiful and its colour is
sea-purple with red glints
shading into a dark blue.
Cheiron flatters him by say-
ing tliat he catches hares
like a lion and vies with
fawns in running ; at any
rate, he has just caught a
fawn and comes to Cheiron to claim his reward,
and Cheiron, delighting to be asked, stands with
fore-legs bent so as to be on a level with tlie boy
and offers him apples fair and fragrant from the
fold of his garment — for their very fragrance seems
to be depicted — and with his hand he offers him
a honeycomb dripping with honey, thanks to the
diligent foraging of the bees. For when bees find
good meadows and become big with honey, the
combs get filled to overflowing and their cells pour
it forth. Now Cheiron is painted in every respect
like a centaur ; vet to combine a horse and human
Fig. i:
Cf. Fig. 17, Cheiron teaching Achilles.
^35
PIIILOSTRATUS: IMAGINES
Oav/jLa ovhev, (jvva\el-\\rai /jL7]v kuI €V(oaai kol
30 vt] ^ Ata Sovvai a/i(f)0) XijycLV Kal ap)(€aOai Kal
cia<p€uy€ii' rov(; 6(f)da\/j,ov<;, el to rep/Jia rov
dvOpcoTTOV €\6y')(^oiev, dyaOov olfiaL l^coypiK^ov.
Kal TO Tjiiepov he (palveaOuL to tov XcLpcovo^;
Ofifia ipyd^CTaL fiev Kal 7) SiKatoavvT] Kal to vtt'
343 K. avTt](; ireirvvaOaL, TrpuTTei Be Kal 1) 777/«:Tt?, u^'
77? eK/iiefiovacoTaL' rvvl Se Kal VTroKopLafiov tl
avTO) eirecrTLV e/3ct)? ttou 6 llieLpcov, otl toi)?
iralSa^ tovto fxeiXiaaeTaL Kal Tp€(f)ei /jLciWov t)
5 TO ycika.
(5) TavTl fxev irepl Ovpa<; tov dvTpov, 6 h' ev tw
irehUp irah 6 iTTirrjSbv eVl toO KevTavpov dOvpcov
6 auT09 eTt' Si8daK€L 6 Xelpcov tov 'A^iWea
iTTTrd^eaOac Kal Ke')(prja6ai avTO) oaa ^tttto), Kal
10 av/jL/j,€Tp€LTai, fjLev TOV hpofxav eU to uvektov tw
iraihi, Kay)(d^ovTi Se avTw viro tov TjBeaOac
TTpoafiethia fieTaaTpe(p6/jLevo<; Kal fxovov ov)(l
Xeyei '* ISov aoi Kpoalvco dirXi-jKTO^, IBov Kal
eTTLKeXevofxai cror 6 itttto^; 6^v<; dpa Kal d(paipeL
15 yeXcoTa. Xayapco<; ydp jjlol linTaaOei^;, 6ele iral,
Kal tolmS' iinra) irpeirwv oyi](jr] iroTe Kal enl
'E.dvOov Kal VtaXiou Kal 7roXXd<; fxev iroXeif;
alp7]a€L<;, ttoXXol'? Be dvBpa^ diroKTevel^, Oecov^
oaa, Kal avP€K
0o^.
^ vr) Aia Soi'i'ai Jacobs : Sia5ovuai.
2 6(0)1' X, dehv T.P. The text is corrupt.
^ Cf. 11. 10. 408, where the horse Xanthos prophesies the
impending death of Achilles.
'36
BOOK II. 2
body is no wondrous deed, but to gloss over the
juncture and make the two into one whole and, by
Zeus, cause one to end and the other to begin in
such wise as to elude the eye of the observer who
should try to detect where the human body ends,
this seems to me to demand an excellent painter.
That the expression seen in the eye of Cheiron is
gentle is the result of his justice and the wisdom
that he has acquired through justice, but the lyre
also does its part, through whose music he has be-
come cultured ; but now there is also something of
cozening in his look, no doubt because Cheiron
knows that this soothes children and nurtures them
better than milk.
This is the scene at the entrance of the cave ; and
the boy out on the plain, the one who is sporting on
the back of the centaur as if it were a horse, is still
the same boy ; for Cheiron is teaching Achilles to
ride horseback and to use him exactly as a horse,
and he measures his gait to what the boy can
endure, and turning around he smiles at the boy
when he laughs aloud with enjoyment, and all but
says to him, " Lo, my hoofs paw the ground for you
without use of spur ; lo, I even urge you on ; the
horse is indeed a spirited animal and gives no
ground for laughter. For although you have
been taught by me thus gently the art of horse-
manship, divine boy, and are suited to such a horse
as I, some day you shall ride on Xanthos and
Balios ; and you shall take many cities and slay
many men, you merely running and they trying to
escape you." Such is Cheiron's prophecy for the
boy, a prophecy fair and auspicious and quite unlike
that of Xanthos.^
137
PPIILOSTRATUS : IMAGINES
7 KENTATPIAES
(1) Si) fxev MOV Ti]v Tcor Kevravpoiv dyeXrjv
Bpvcov eK7Te(f)VK€vat koI Trerpcov ?) vt} At'a lttttcov
fxovov, aU TOP Tou 'Iftoi^o? emOopwaOai (paaip,
25 v(f)' ov 01 /cevravpoi ev(i)6evTe<;^ y]\6ov et? fcpdatv.
TOi? Se dpa Kol p,i]T6pe<; o/xocfivXoL rjaav Kal
yvpaifCE'^ ySr] /cat ttcjXol ev elhei ^pe(j)a)i' Kal
oIko<=; /;5i(TT09* ov yap oJ/xal ae a^Oeadai tco
n7;\tfo Kal rfj ev avTco Siairrj Kal to) t>}? /xeXta?
30 (j)VT(i) dv€/ilOTp€(f)€L OPTt Kal '7Tap€)(^0/J,6P(p TO Wv
OfjLOv Kal TO firj KXaaOai ip rfj alxP'JJ- ^al ra
apTpa KuWiara Kal al rrrjyal Kal al Trap
avTOi^ K€PTavpiS€<;, el fxep eTriXaOoL/jieOa tmp
344 K. Ittttcop, oIop NatSe?, el Se p-erd tcop 'lttttcop
avTo,'^ Xoyi^oifieOa, olop ^Apa^6p6<^' y yap tov
yvpaiKetov €iBov<; ci/Spori]^ pcoppvrat avpopw/jtepov
avT(p rov Xttitov. (2) Kepravpot Be ravrl ra
5 ^pe<^ri ra fiep aTrapydpoi^ eyKeirai, rd Be tcop
airapydvcdP vTreKBveTOA, Ta Be KXdeip eoiKe, Ta
Be ev TTpdTTei Kal €vpoovPTO<; tov p,(i^ov p.eiBta,
ra Be dTuXXec viro TaL<; p,r]Tpdai, Ta Be irepi-
^dXXcL avTa<=; oKXa^ovaa^;, 6 Be €9 T7]p firjTepa
10 Xidop d<pL7]aip v/3pL^(i)P i]Br]. Kal to fiep tcop
prjTTicDP elBo<i ovTTco aa(f>e<; e/jirrXrjfji/jLvpovPTO^;
avTch TOV ydXaKTO<;, Ta Be i]Br) aKipTcopTa
eK(f)aLP€t Tt Kal Tpa^vT7]T0<;, V7rdp)(ec Be avTol<^
')(^aiTT] /LieXXovaa Kal oirXal diraXal eTi.
15 'n? KaXal al KePTavpiBe<; Kal ep toI^ ^TnroL^;'
^ fi'udfUTfs Moielli after a correction in L: oVw^eVrtr.
Various other emendations have been proposed.
138
Fig. 18. — I lead of a Ftnidle Centaur.
[To face 2^. IS'.'.
BOOK II. 3
3. FEMALE CENTAURS
You used to think that the race of centaurs sprang
from trees and rocks or^ by Zeus, just from mares —
the mares which, men say, the son of Ixion ^ covered,
the man by whom the centaurs though single
creatures came to have their double nature. But
after all they had, as we see, mothers of the same
stock and wives next and colts as their offspring and
a most delightful home ; for I think you would not
grow weary of Pelion and the life there and its wind-
nurtured growth of ash which furnishes spear-shafts
that are straight and at the same time do not break
at the spearhead. And its caves are most beautiful
and the springs and the female centaurs beside them,
like Naiads if we overlook the horse part of them, or
like Amazons if we consider them along with their
horse bodies ; for the delicacy of their female form
gains in strength when the horse is seen in union
with it. Of the baby centaurs here some lie wrapped
in swaddling clothes, some have discarded their
swaddling clothes, some seem to be crying, some are
happy and smile as they suck flowing breasts, some
gambol beneath their mothers while others embrace
them when they kneel down, and one is throwing a
stone at his mother, for already he grows wanton.
The bodies of the infants have not yet taken on their
definite shape, seeing that abundant milk is still
their nourishment, but some that already are leaping
about show a little shagginess, and have sprouting
mane and hoofs, though these are still tender.
How beautiful the female centaurs are, even where
^ Centaurus, who united with the Magnesian mares and
begat the centaurs according to the version of the story here
referred to.
139
PHILOSTRATUS : IMAGINES
al /lev yap Xevfcat^; 'ittttok; €/jL7r6(f)VKacnv, al he
^av6al<^ avvdiTTOViai, ra':; he iroLKiWei fxevy
airocniX^eL he auTMv olov rt rcjv ev KO/jLihjj
'iTTTTCOV. €fC7r€(f)VKe Kol /jL€\aLPy]<; ITTTTOV XevKi]
20 KevravpU Kal ra ivavTiaoTara tmv 'X^pwfxdrojv
61? Ti-jV Tou KaWov^i avv6}]K7]v o/JLoXoyet,
h' innoATTOS
(1) To fxev OrjpLOP dpd^ ^rjcrew';, e/jLTreTrrcoKe
he ToU 'iTTTroXvTov 'litttol^ ev el'hei ravpov
XevKov Kara tou? heXcf)iva<;, rjKei he Ik daXdrrrjf;
25 Kara tov fxeipaKlov ovhe/iia htxp. fnjrpvLa yap
Oaihpa ^vvdelaa Xoyov eV avrw ov/c oina, &>?
hrj epwTO inro tov 'IttttoXutou — avrrj hf dpa tov
fieipaKiov i]pa — aTTaTaTai 6 ^h](76v<; tw Xoy(p
Kal KaTapcLTai tov iraiho^ to, opcofieva.
30 (2) 0/ fiev hrj 'lttttol 6pa<; tw? aTZ/xacrai^Te? tov
fyyov eXevOepav alpovai ttjv ')(^aiTr]v, ov he^ Kpo-
aLvovT€<; coairep ol XafMirpol Kal e/x(f)pove(;, dXX^
e^ifpfxevoL (f)6l3(p Kal tttoIci, palvovTe^ he d<^pw to
34 o K. irehiov 6 fiev e? to Oypiov erreaTpaTTTaL cj)evyQ)v,
6 8' dveaKipT7]Kev e? avTo, 6 he viro^XeireL, tw
he eh TT]v OdXaTTav i) (popd KaOdirep eavTOV Kal
T/}? 7>}? eKXaOofievw, pvKTVfpcn he opOoh o^v
5 ^(^pefieTL^ovaiVy el /jli] TrapaKOvei^; t/}? ypa(f}i]s.
Tpoy^ol h' dp/xaTO^ 6 /nev e^tjpfioaTai Ta? Kvi]fjLa<;
1 apd Reiske and Jacobs
^ oil 5e iSchenkl: ov^4.
140
[To face p. 141.
BOOK II. 4
they are horses; for some grow out of white mares,
others are attached to chestnut mares, and the coats
of others are dappled, but they ghsten like those of
horses that are well cared for. There is also a white
female centaur that grows out of a hlack mare, and
the very opposition of the colours helps to produce
the united beauty of the whole.
4. HIPPOLYTUS
The wild beast is the curse of Theseus ; i swift as
dolphins it has rushed at the horses of Hippolytus in
the form of a white - bull, and it has come from the
sea against the youth quite unjustly. For his step-
mother Phaedra concocted a story against him that
was not true, to the effect that Hippolytus loved her,
— but it was really herself that was in love with the
youth — and Theseus, deceived by the tale, calls
down upon his son the curse which we see here
depicted.
The horses, as you see, scorning the yoke toss
their manes unchecked, not stamping their feet like
well bred and intelligent creatures, but overcome
with panic and terror, and spattering the plain with
foam, one while fleeing has turned its head toward
the beast, another has leaped up at it, another looks
at it askance, while the onrush of the fourth carries
him into the sea as though he had forgotten both
himself and dry land ; and with erect nostrils they
neigh shrilly, unless you fail to hear the painting.
Of the wheels of the chariot one has been torn from
^ Cf. Eur. Hi'pp. 1166f. ; The description includes many
reminiscences from the plaj' of Euripides.
^ The bull painted white occurs on a vase-painting, Fig. 19,
Arch. Zeit. 188.S, Taf. vi.
141
PHILOSTRATUS : IMAGINES
VTTO Tov avyK\LOrjvai ro cip/ia 6? avrov, 6 S'
eVXeXoiTTO)? rov a^ova (peperac KaO^ eavrov
arpo^ovay]<; avrov en t?}? hivij'^. SieTrroyjvraL
10 Kal ol T(t3V oiraScov ittttol koI rov^ fiev airo-
crelovTaiy tou? S' ay)(ovTa^ irol^ i^hy^ (pepovac ;
(3) Su Be, jueipuKLOv, a(0(f)poavvy]<; epcov ahiKa
fiev VTTO t/}? fi7]TpvLd(; e7raOe<;, dSiKcoTepa Be vtto
TOV 7TaTp6<;, wcrre o)BvpaTO Kal i) ypacprj Opyjvov
15 nva TTOUjTiKov eVt aol ^vvOetaa. a/coTTial fiev
yap avrai, Bi ojv eO)]pa<; avv ^ApTe/jLiBi,
BpvTTTovrai Ta? irapeici^ ev elBeu yvvacKoyv,
\ei-/jL(i)ve<; B' ev Mpa /leipaKicov, ov<; aKijpdrov;
oivoixat^e^, /jLapalvovaiv eVl aol ra avdrj, Nvfjucpai
20 T€ al aal rpocpol rovreovl royv Tnjycjv avaa-^ovaai
airapcLTTOvaL ra? Kofjua^; diroffXv^ovaai, tmv
/xa^MV vBwp. (4) "Hfivve Be aoL ovB' i) avBpeia
ovBev ovBe 6 ^pa)(^L(ov, dWd cfol ra fiev eaTrd-
paKTat TMV iJLe\o3V, ra Be (TwreTpiiTTai, irecpvpraL
25 8' /; k6 p,y], Kal to fxev arepvov efXTTvovv en KaOd-
irep fir] fiediefievov tT;? ^i^X>}?, to Be ofifia Tvepia-
dpel rd TSTpcofieva. (pev tT]<; Mpa<;, &)? drpcoTOf;
Ti? €\e\}]6€t ovaa. ovBe yap vvv dirdXeiireL to
peipuKiov, dW' QTTLirpeTreL tl Kal TOL<i Tpav-
30 fiacTLV.
142
BOOK II. 4
its spokes as the chariot has tipped over upon it, the
other has left its axle and goes rolHng off by itself,
its momentum still turning it. The horses of the
attendants also are frightened and in some cases
throw off their riders, while as for those who grasp
them firmly about the neck, to what goal are they
now carrying them ?
And thou, O youth that lovest chastity, thou hast
suffered injustice at the hands of thy step-mother,
and worse injustice at the hands of thy father, so
that the painting itself mourns thee, having composed
a sort of poetic lament in thine honour. Indeed yon
mountain-})eaks over which thou didst hunt with
Artemis take the form of mourning women that
tear their cheeks, and the meadows in the form of
beautiful youths, meadows which thou didst call
" undefiled," ^ cause their flowers to wither for thee,
and nymphs thy nurses emerging fiom yonder springs
tear their hair and pour streams of water from their
bosoms. 2 Neither did thy courage protect thee nor
yet thy strong arm, but of thy members some have
been torn ofr' and others crushed, and thy hair has
been defiled with dirt ; thy breast is still breathing
as though it would not let go of the soul, and thine
eye gazes at all thy wounds. Ah, thy beauty I how
proof it is against wounds no one would have
dreamed. For not even now does it quit the body;
nay, a charm lingers even on thy wounds.
1 Cf. Eur. EipiJ. 73.
2 i.e. in lieu of tears.
^ TTo? Benndorf : ttoj
143
PHILOSTRATUS : IMAGINES
e' POAOrOTNH
(1) Kal TO alfia 7rpo<; tm ')(^a\K(p kuI Tat<;
(poiVLKiat IT pocF ^dWei tl av6o^ rep aTpajoTrehw,
Kal '^(apiev tT;? ypa(j)T}<; ol aWo<; aA-Xw? Treirjo)-
KOTe^; 'iTTiroL re ciTa/CTOvvre^ /ler eKirXij^eo)^ Kal
346 K. 7rap6(j)dopo<i vBcop TrorapLov, icf)' (p ravra, ol Be
al^pdXcoTOL Kal to eV avTOt'i Tpoiraiov — 'PoSo-
'yovvi'i Kal Wepaat VLKOdaiv ^Appeviov^ ev airovhal'^
dTaKTJ]aavTa<;, otg St] XeyeTac i) 'PoBoyovvr]
5 KpaT7]aaL tt}? pLd^r]<^ ovhe oaov tcl Se^id r/)?
XciiTrj^i dvd\aj3elv ^v'y)(^u)pi](Ta(Ta eavTrj /BpaSvvai.
rj ouK iirfjpTai Kal (^povel eVl tyj vlkj] Kal
^uvLTjcTiv, o)? eaoLTO doihipo^:; iirl tw epyw Kal
ev KiOdpa Kal ev avXcp Kal evBa "E,XXyve<; ;
10 (2) irpoayeypaTTTat Se avTrj Kal ^r^aaia 'itttto^;
peXaiva eirl XevKol^; Toh aKeXeai, Kal to, aTepva
XevKCL Kal TO irvevpa utto XevKov tou pLVKTijpo'^
Kal TO pieTcoTTOv ^ ev dpTiw tw kvkXco. XlOcov
puev ovv Kal oppiwv Kal 7ravT0<^ drraXov Koapuov
15 7rapaKe-)(^(i)pi]Kev y 'PoSoyovvt] T(p 'itttto), &>?
dydXXoLTO Kal d/3p(x)<^ tov ')^aXivov BiaTTTVor
KOKKol3a(pel Se eaOfJTt KaTaXdpireL irdvTa 7rXr]v
TOV eavTP]<; eLSov<;'" ev ySeta pev Trj ^divr] Kal ti]v
eadr)Ta peTpovarj e? yovv, yheia he Tjj dva^vpihi
20 Kal Tvape^opevr) ypa(f)d<; diro KepKLSo<;, to Be diro
o'ypLOv e? dyKOdva tov ')(^iTcora SiaXeiTTovaai TropTrai
^vvdiTTOvaLV viTavi(T)(ova')]<^ eraXXd^ t?}? u>Xf.vi]<;,
^ \evKhu is to be supplied or understood after fxlrunrov. Cf.
suprd 834, 15 K.
2 The text immediately following elfSour is apparently
corrupt.
144
BOOK II. 5
5. RHODOGOUNEi
The blood and also the bronze weapons and the
purple garments lend a certain glamour to the battle-
scene, and a pleasing feature of the painting is the
men who have fallen in different postures, and horses
running wildly in terror, and the pollution of the
water of the river by which these events occur, and
the captives, and the trojihy commemorating the
victory over them. Rhodogoune and the Persians
are conquering the Armenians who broke the treaty,
on the occasion when Rhodogoune is said to have
won the battle, not even having allowed herself to
tarry long enough to fasten up the right side of her
hair. Is she not elated and proud of the victory and
conscious that she will be celebrated for her exploit
with lyre and flute and wherever there are Greeks?
Her horse also is in the painting, a black Nisaean
mare with white legs ; its breast also is white, its
breath comes from white nostrils and its forehead
is marked with white in a perfect circle. Nay,
Rhodogoune has bestowed upon tlie mare precious
stones and necklaces and every dainty ornament, that
it may delight in them and champ its bit delicately ;
and Rhodogoune is resplendent with scarlet raiment,
all except her face ; she wears a charming girdle
which permits her robe to fall only to her knee,
and charming trousers in which designs are woven ;
her chiton is fastened with brooches set at intervals
from shoulder to elbow, the arm showing between
^ Probably the Persian queen of whom Polysenus 27 relates
that while washing her hair word was brought that a subject
tribe had revolted. Hastily binding up her hair and swear-
ing that she would not wash it until she had put down the
rebellion, she leapt upon her horse and went to battle.
145
L
PHII.OSTRATUS: IMAGINES
ep6a o Secr/xo?, 6 Be o)fio^ eyfceLTUL' to a^P)/xa
ovTTCi) 'Ayuafoj^o?. (H) Kttl tt)? acTTTt^o? djaadai
25 ;^p^ TO fMerpiov Kal airoxpcov tw arepvw. fcal
TrjV l(T-)(yv T% ypa<l)i]<; ivravBa i^erdcrar virep-
/SaWovaa yap ?; dpLarepa top iropiraKa e^eTaL
tP]<; alxP'V^ d(f)iaTaaa tov aTepvov tijv ciaTriSa,
6pOfj<; Be 6KK€t/Jiep7]<; tT;? IVfo? opaTai fxev koI tcl
30 e^o) T/}? a(J7ri'5o9* ^ oi) ■)(^pvad TavTa Kal olov
^wa ; TCL Be eaco Kal evOa i) %ei/} dXovpyd,
irpocravOel Be avTol<; 6 7r7]'^v<;.
(4) XlaOdveaOai fxoi BoKet<;, o) Tral, tov ev
avTrj KdXkov<i Kal /SovXeaOai tl Kal irepl tovtov
35 UKoveiv aKOve Bi]. airevBei pev eirl ttj tmv
347 K. ' ApfievLwv Tpoirfj, Kal 7) evvoia evxo/Jievy]<;'
€V)(^6Tat Be a'lpelv tou? dvBpa^, co? ^ vvu yprfKev
ov ydp fioL BoK€L epdv tov epaaOai. Kal to /jl€V
dveiXij/xfievov tcop Tpi')(^Mv alBol KeKoapi^Tat to
5 dyepwyov KoXa^ovar], to Be civeTOV ^aKy^evet
avTrjV Kal pcovvvai. Kal ^avOov /xev Kal "^pvaov
irepa to dTaKTovv tT/? k6/jL1]<;, to Be eirl OdTepa
Kelfievov ex^t- t* f^dl €<; ayy7]v ^ irapaWdTTOV
VTTO TOV TeTayOai. tcov Be 6(^pvcov xapiev pLev
10 TO aTTO ToO avTOv apx^dOat Kal opioOev eKirecftv-
KBvai T/)? pivo<^, yapieaTepov Be to irepiPj^Oar
Bel ydp avTd<; yu,/; 7rpo/3e/3\rja0at tmv 6(^0a\p,MV
p,6vov, dXkd Kal 7r€pt^€/3\fja6ac avT0i<;. (5) 'H
1 COS Olearius : ovs.
^ The dress of the Amazons was a sleeveless chiton girded,
that did not reach quite to the knees.
2 Cf. Aiuicreontea, 16. 13 f.
tJ) fieaocppvov St ^utj /j.01
146
BOOK 11. 5
the fastenings^ though the shoulder is covered ; the
dress is not that of an Amazon. ^ One should also
admire the shield, of moderate size but large enough
to cover the breast. And at this point one should
examine carefully the effectiveness of the painting ;
for the left hand extends beyond the handle of the
shield and grasps the spear, holding the shield away
from the breast : and though the rim is held out
straight, the outside of the shield is also visible — is
it not resplendent and as it were animate with life ?
— while the inside, where the arm is, is of a purple
hue and the forearm shines against this background.
It seems, my boy, that you have a feeling for the
beauty in this figure and desire to hear something
on this point also, so listen. Rhodogoune is pouring
a libation for her victory over the Armenians, and
the artist's conception is of a woman praying. She
prays to conquer men, even as she has now conquered
them ; for I do not think she loves to be loved.
The part of her hair that is fastened up is arranged
with a modesty that tempers her high spirit, while
that which hangs loose gives her vigour and the look
of a bacchant. Yellow, even yellower than gold, is
her disarranged hair; while the hair on the other
side differs also somewhat in hue because of its
orderly arrangement. The way her eyebrows^ begin
at the same point and rise together from the nose is
charming ; but more charming still is the curve they
make ; for the brows ought not only to be set above
the eyes but should also be set in an arch around
ix^Tca S\ oTTws iKeii/T],
Th AeA-TySoTws (rvvo<ppv
^\e(pdpcvv trvs KeAaivr],
Her eyebrows neither join nor sever,
But make (as 'tis) that selvage never
Clearly one nor surely two.
147
l2
PIIILOSTRATUS: IMAGINES
irapeid Se viToh6)(^6TaL jxev top utto tojv o/xfidrcov
15 l)jL€pov, ev(ppaLi'6i he tw IXapu) — to yap (f)i\.o/jL€iSe<i
ev irapeid p^dXiara — Kai o'l 6(pda\/j.ol Ke/cpavrai
fiev diro tov \apoiTov e? to fiekav, 7rap€')(ovTaL
Be TO fiep iXapov diro tov Kaipov, to 3e aypalov
diTo tt)? (f)vaeco<;, rb Se yavpov diro rod dp\€iv.
20 (TTO/jLa Be diraXov /cal dvafiearov oiroipa^ epwri-
Kr)<;, (j)iXi]aaL fxev ySiarov, dirayyelXat he ov
pdSiov. d Se d7r6)(p7] aoL fiaOecv opa, iraihiov
X^^^V dvOijpd Kal taa, (TTopia av/xfjieTpov Kal
Tra pa<p0 eyy 6 fievov rrjv ev^h^ "^^ rpoiraitp' Kav
25 irapaKOvaai ^ovXi^Owp^ev, Td)(a eXXi]viel.
f APPIXmN
(1) 'E? avrd 7;/cei? 'OXvpLiria Kal tcju ev
'OXvfiiTLa TO KaXXiarov rovrl yap B)] dvBpoiv
TO irayKpdTLOv. aTe^avovTai Be avTo^ Wppi^^cov
€7ra7ro6av(bv Trj vlkt] Kal aTecpavoc avTov ovroal
30 'EXXavoBiKi]<i — drpeKT]^ Be TrpoaeiprjaOtii Bid re
TO eTTLixeXelaOai dXr]6eia<; Bid ts to co? eKelvoi
348 K. yeypd<j)6ai — aTdBiov Te t) yrj BiBwaiv ev dirXfj
avXcovi Kal elo-exovarj togovtov, Kal to tov
^ avrh Kayser : avrcf
^ Cf. Pind. Isthm. 2. 6 : 'Acppobiras . . . adia-rav oirupav.
2 The pancratium, so-called because it brought into play
all the powers of those wlio engaged in it, was a combination
of boxing and wrestling. It was permissible to maim or
choke one's opponent, but only at Sparta was biting allowed.
The contest began with the opponents standing, while it
continued if one was thrown down and only ended when one
148
BOOK II. 6
them. As for the cheek, it receives tlie yearning
that emanates from the eyes, yet it delights in
merriment — for it is mostly in the cheek that mirth
is shown — and the colour of the eyes varies from
light blue to black ; the joy they show is due to the
occasion, their beauty is a gift of nature, while their
haughtiness arises from her authority as ruler. The
mouth is delicately formed and filled with "love's
harvest," 1 most sweet to kiss, most difficult to
describe. But you may observe, my boy, all you
need to be told : the lips are full of colour and even
the mouth is well proportioned and it utters its prayer
before the trophy of victory ; if we care to listen
attentively, perhaps it will speak in Greek.
6. ARRICHION
You have come to the Olympic games themselves
and to the noblest of the contests held at Olympia ;
for this is the pancratium- of men, Arrichion is being-
crowned^ for winning this event, having died just
after his victory, and the Judge of the Games yonder is
crowning him — let him be called "'the strict judge,"*
both because he sedulously strives for the truth and
because he is indeed depicted like the Olympic
judges. The land furnishes a stadium in a simple
glen of sufficient extent,^ from which issues the
was killed or acknowledged himself defeated by raising his
hand.
3 Cf. Pans. 8. 40. 2 records this fact ; see note 1, p. lo2.
^ Cf. Pind. 01. 3. 21 : drpe«:r?s 'EAAai/oSi/cas, referring to the
judge at Olympia.
5 The stadium at Olympia was not equipped with rising
tiers of seats like the one at Athens.
149
PIIILOSTRATUS : IMAGIXKS
W(f)€LOv i>a/ia i^ipx^rai. Kov(f)Ov —Tavrd rot Kal
li6vo<; TTorafXMV inl r?}? OdXdrTt]'^ 6)(elrai —
T) Konvoi re avrw TreptreOjjXacrip ev yXavKco el'Set
KaXoi Kal Kara rrjv tmv o-eXlvcov ouXoTijra.
(2) TafTt fiev ovv fiera ro ardSiov eTTiaKe^jro-
fieOa Kal TroXXa erepa, to he epyov tov
Wppi)(^iO)vo<;, TTplv 7) iravaacrdaL avro, aKoirMfiev.
10 eoLK6 'yap /xr] rod civTiirdXov /lovov, dXXa Kal rod
'EjXX7]vlkou KeKpartjKevat' /SoMai yovv dvairiihi]-
aavre^ tmv OdKwv Kal 01 /nev rco %6i/36 dvaaeiov-
(TLv, 01 Be rrfv eadrjTa, 01 Se atpovrai diro rrj<;
yrj<i, 01 8e toI<^ TrXi-jaiov iXapov irpoairaXaiovaL'
15 ra yap 6vt(o<; eKTrXrfKTLKa ov avyX^P^'^ toI<;
d€aTaL<; ev rw KadeKTw elvai. rj tl<; oi/ro)?
dvaia07]To<;, 009 fir] dvaKpayelv errl tw dOXTjrfj ;
/leydXov yap Srj avrCo v7rdp')(0VT0<; rod Sl<; ijBrj
VLKyjaaL rd ^OXv/xTria fxel^ov tovto vvvl, ore Kal
20 T?)? '^V)(ri^ avrd Kryjadpei'O^ eh tov tmv oX/Slwv
Tre/jiTreTai X^P^^ avTrj Kovei. /jL7] Se avvTv^ia
voelaOco tovto' aocpcoTaTa yap TrpovvoyjOrj ttJ?
vLKr](;.
(3) Kal TO TrdXatdfia ; at 7rayKpaTid^ovTe<;,
25 CO Trai, KeKCvSwev/jievr) TrpoaxpayvTaL t/} irdXr)'
Set yap avTol<; vTrcoTriaa/jLcov tg, at /jlt] elaiv
da(f)aXeL<; tw iraXaiovTi, Kal aufiTrXoKcov, ev al?
nrepiyivecrOaL XPV olov TriirTovTa, Bel Be avToh
Kal re;^!'/;? e? to dXXoTe dXXw^ dyx^tv, ol Be
30 avTol Kal ac^vpo) irpoaTraXaiovai Kal ttjv %et/oa
aTpel3Xov(TL TTpocrovTO^ tov iraieiv Kal evdXXeaOciL'
TavTL yap tov rrayKpaTid^eiv epya irXrjv tov
^ Alpheius, an Arcadian hunter, fell in love with Arethusa,
■svho fled across the sea to Syracuse, where she was trans-
formed into a fountain on the island Ortygia. Alpheius
BOOK II. 6
stream of tlie Alpheius, a light stream — that, you
know, is why it alone of rivers flows on top of the
sea^ ; and about it grow wild olive trees of green-grey
colour, beautiful and curly like parsley leaves.
Now after we have observed the stadium, we will
turn our attention to various other points, and in
particular let us take note of the deed of Arrichion
before it is ended. For he seems to have conquered,
not his antagonist alone, but also all the Greeks ; at
any rate the spectators jump up from their seats and
shout, some wave their hands, some their garments,
some leap from the ground, and some grapple with
their neighbours for joy ; for these really amazing deeds
make it impossible for the spectators to contain them-
selves. Is anyone so without feeling as not to applaud
this athlete ? For after he had already achieved a
great deed by winning two victories in the Olympic
games, a yet greater deed is here depicted, in that,
having won this victory at the cost of his life, he is
being conducted to the realms of the blessed witii
the very dust of victory still upon him. Let not
this be regarded as mere chance, since he planned
most shrewdly for the victory.
And as to the wrestling? Those who engage in
the pancratium, my boy, employ a wrestling that is
hazardous ; for they must needs meet blows on the
face that are not safe for the wrestler, and must
clinch in struggles that one can only win by pre-
tending to fall, and they need skill that they may
choke an adversary in different ways at different
times, and the same contestants are both wrestling
with the ankle and twisting the opponent's arm, to
say nothing of dealing a blow and leaping upon the
adversary; for these things are all permissible in the
was changed into a river and followed her across the sea.
Cf. Pausanias 5. 7. 2.
PHILOSTRATUS : IMAGINES
SuKveiv I) 6pvTT€LV. AaKeSacfioviOL fxev ovv koI
ravra vo/j.i^ovaii> diroyv/jpa^ovre^; olfiat eafxou?
35 e? ra<; fid^a^, 'HXetOf Se dycjvef; ravrl fxev
dcpaipovai, rb 8e dy^^eiv eTraivovaiv. (4) "OOev
349 K. Tov Wppi'y^Lcoi'a fieaov y]Sy] yprjKco^; 6 dvTL7Ta\o<;
diTOKTelvai eyvco fcal tov /i€v ttPj^^vp rfi Seipfj i]Sr]
iviffaXev air o(f) parr cov avrw to aaOfia, to, aKeXrj
Se TOi? Kovfiojaiv ivapfioaa^ koI irepLhieipa^ 6?
5 eKarepav djKvXrjv ciKpw tco irohe tco jiev Tri'lyp^ajL
e<^6ii avTOV vrrvifkov rb evrevOev Oavdrov rot?
alad7]T7]pioi<i evTp6)(^ovTO^, TTj he eTTLrdaet rcov
GKeXoiv dveifievr) ')(pj]ad/jLevo<; ovk e(f)0)] rbv
\oyicr/ibv tov ^ AppL^iwvo<i' €K\aKTiaa<i yap tov
10 Tapabv tov ttoSo? ^Appi-^loyv, v(f)^ ov eKLvhvvevev
avTO) TCi Se^id Kpe/JLavvv/jiiv7]<; i^hrj r?}? dyKuXr}^,
eKelvov fxev avve)(^eL tco ^ovjSmvl co? ovket dvTiira-
Xov, TOL'^ Se ye dpL(TTepol<^ evL^i]aa<^ koI to
irepiTTbv aKpov tov ttoSo? evairoKXeiaa'^ Ty
lo dyKvXrj ovk ed fxeveiv to) acpvpo) Tbv dcTTpdyaXov
virb T?)? €t? TO efo) jStaiov diroaTpo^rj';' i) yap
^ Pans. 8. 40. 2 describes an archaic statue of Arrachion
(whom Philostratus calls Arrichion) in the market place of
Phigaleia, which was erected for his victory in the pan-
cratium in the 55th Olympiad (b.c 564). His adversary,
Pausanias says, got the first grip, and "twining his legs
around him held him fast, while he squeezed his throat M'ith
liis hands. Arrachion put one of his adversary's toes out of
joint and expired under the grip that his adversary had on
his tliroat, but the latter in the act of throttling him was
obliged at the same moment by the pain in his toe to give in.
Tlie Eleans crowned and proclaimed victorious the dead body
of Arrachion" (Trans. Frazer).
Philostratus refers to the story again, de arte gym. 21 ;
BOOK II. 6
pancratium — anything except biting and gouging.
The Lacedaemonians, indeed, allow even these, be-
cause, 1 suppose, they are training themselves for
battle, but the contests of Elis exclude them, though
they do permit ciioking. Accordingly the antagonist
of Arrichion, having already clinched him around the
middle, thought to kill him ; ^ already he had wound
his forearm about the other's throat to shut off the
breathing, while, pressing his legs on the groins and
winding his feet one inside each knee of his adversary,
he forestalled Arrichion's resistance by choking him
till the sleep of death thus induced began to creep
over his senses. But in relaxing the tension of his
legs he failed to forestall the scheme of Arrichion;
for the latter kicked back with the sole of his
right foot (as the result of which his right side was
imperilled since now his knee was hanging un-
supported), then with his groin he holds his ad-
versary tight till he can no longer resist, and,
throwing his weight down toward the left while
he locks the latter's foot tightly inside his own
knee, by this violent outward thrust he wrenches
the ankle from its socket. ^ Arrichion's soul, though
and a brief account of it is given by Eusebius, Chron. 1. p.
202, Schune.
^ The pair wrestle standing, the opponent on the back of
Arrichion with one arm clinched about his throat and the
other apparently under his armpit, and with the legs on his
groins and the feet twisted under the inside of his knees.
But when his opponent relaxes his hold in the belief that
Arrichion is conquered, the latter jerks back his right foot
(giving up his firm stance) and throws himself over to the
left. The very weight of his body, as his strength fails,
helps the manoeuvre. His opponent's foot is caught the
more securely under his knee and the force of his leftward
thrust twists the ankle from its socket.
153
PHILOSTRATUS: IMAGLVES
ylrv^Tj aiTiovaa rod aco/iaro^; dSpav€<; fiev avro epyd-
^erai, SiScoaL Se avrfo La)(^v€tv et? o ciirepeiheTaL.
20 (5) VeypaiTTaL he 6 fieu uTroTrvi^a^ veKpcp
eiKacrdi. koI to dirayopevov eTnaij/xaLVwv rfj
X^^P^* he ^ A ppi'^Lcov oaa oi viK6)VTe<i yeypair-rai'
Kol yap TO aljxa ev toj avdet koI 6 ihpw^;
aKpaL^in-j^ en, Kal /jLeiStd KaOdirep oi fwi^re?,
25 eTreihdv VLKtjf; alaOdvwvjai.
f ANTIAOXO^
(1) Tov 'A;\;tXXea ipdv rov ' AvriXoxov 7r6(/)<w-
paKa<; ol/jiac Trap* 'O/xtjpfp, vecorarov tou 'EWtjul-
KOV OpOiV TOV ^AvTlXoXOV Kal TO rj/jLLTdXaVTOV
Tov xp^(^ov evvowv to iirl tw dyoivL. Kal diray-
30 yeWei tco W^xi-XXel KelaOat tov UdTpoKXop,
ao(f)Laap.evov tov Me/eXeco irapafivdlav 6/jLOu ttj
dyyeXia, ixeTaPXey\ravTO<^ 'A;^tXXea)9 et? naiBiKd,
Kal OpTjvel epco/jLevou errl to) irevOei Kal avvex^c
TO) x^Lpe, /jil] diroKTeivrj eavTov, 6 5' olpai Kal
350 K. aTTTOfxevu) xaipei Kal haKpvovTi.
(2) AvTai^ jiev ovv 'Opijpov ypacpal, to Be tov
^a)ypd(f)0v hpdp,a' o 'Mep.vcdv e'f AWiOTTia^
d(f)iK6p,ei'0<; KTeivei tov WvTiXo\ov irpo^e^Xr)-
5 pLevov TOU TraTpos Kal tov<^ 'A^^^a^oi/? olov Seipa
iK7rXi]TTei — 7rp6 yap tov ^[eproi>o<; pivOo^ o'l
^ avTai Jacobs : ai/ra.
^ Cf. II. 15. 569 : " Antilochus, none other of the Achaeanp
is younger than thou, nor swifter of foot." Trans. jNIurray,
L.C.L.
2 Cf. //. 23. 796 : Achilles says, "Nay, I will add to thy
prize a half talent of gold." Trans. Murra}', L.C.L.
BOOK II. 7
it makes him feeble as it leaves his body, yet gives
him strength to achieve that for wliich he strives.
The one who is choking Arrichion is painted to
look like a corpse, and as indicating with his hand
that he gives up the struggle ; but Arrichion is
painted as all victors are ; for his blood is of rich
colour, the perspiration is still fresh on his body and
he smiles as do the living when they are conscious
of victory.
7. ANTILOCHUS
That Achilles loved Antilochus you must have
discovered in Homer, seeing Antilochus to be the
youngest man in the Greek host^ and considering
the half talent of gold - that was given him after the
contest. And it is he who brings word to Achilles^
that Patroclus has fallen, for Menelaiis cleverly
devised this as a consolation to accompany the an-
nouncement, since Achilles' eyes were thus diverted
to his loved one ; and Antilochus laments in grief for
his friend and restrains his hands lest he take his
own life, while Achilles no doubt rejoices at the
touch of the youth's hand and at the tears he sheds.*
Now such is the scene in Homer, but the events
depicted by the painter are as follows : Memnon
coming from Ethiopia slays Antilochus who had
thrown himself in front of his father,^ and he seems
to strike terror among the Achaeans — for before
Memnon's time black men were but a subject for
^ Cf. II. 18. 1 f. for the description of this scene.
- Cf. //. 18. 33 f. : "Antilochus wailed and shed tears,
holding the hands of Achilles . . . for he feared lest he
should cut his throat asunder witli the knife." Trans.
Murray, L.C.L.
^ Antilochus was the son of Xestor.
155
PHILOSTRATUS : IMAGINES
/jL€\ai'e<; — fcpaT0vvT6<i Se oi \\')(^aLo\ rov <7(M)/jLaT0<;
ohvpovTat Tov ' AvTi\o')(ov 01 Wrepelhai /cal 6 etc
tT/? '\0(iK7]<; KOI 6^ TOV Ti/Sew? kgX oi o/jlmvv/jloi,.
10 eTTiSrjXof; Be 6 fi€v ^WaKjjaiOs niro rov aTpvcf)V0v
Koi €yp7]yop6TO<;, 6 Be MereXew? utto tov rjfiepov,
6 Be 'Aya/xepvwp utto tov evdeov, tov Be tov
TuSeco? r] eXevdepia ypdcpei, yv(Dpi^0L<^ B' av koi
tov TeXa/icoviov utto tov fiXoavpov Koi tov
15 AoKpov airo tov eTol/jLOV. (3) Kal r) aTpaTta
TrevOtl TO jieipaKLov it ep tea ToyTe<; avrw Op/jvay
cifxa, 7n]^avT6^ Be Ta<; alxfxci^i ei? TOvBa(f)o<;
evaXXcLTTOvai tco iroBe koX aTijpl^ovTai iirl
Tcbv al-^ixchv airepeiaavTe's oi irXelaTOL Bva(f)op-
20 ovaa^ ra? /ce(f>aXa<; tw cix^t. (4) Tov 'Ax^XXea
fir] diro tt}? KOfxr]^ — otx^'^cii yap tovto avTw /xera
TOV XlciTpoKXov — uXXa TO elBo'^ avTov evBetKvvTO)
Kal TO /xeye^o? Kal avTo to fiy] KOfidv. Oprjvel Be
7rpoaKei/ievo<; rot? (TTepvoL<^ tov WvtlXo^ov, koi
26 TTvpav ol/iai eTrayyeXXeTai Kal to, €9 avT7]v Kal
TO. oirXa Ta-o)? Kal ttjv Kec^aXrjv tov ^le/ivovo<;'
aTTOTelaat yap Kal tov \le/jLV0va oaa tov "KKTopa,
ft)? fitiBe TavTa 6 ^ AvtlXo)(o<; eXaTTOv tov
TlaTpoicXov exoi' o B' ev to) tmv AWioircov
30 (JTpaTcp BeLVO^ eaTi]Kev e%ft»i/ alxM^' ^^^ XeovTrjv
ivr]fiuevo<i Kal aeai]pa)<; e<? TOv'AxiXXea. (o) S/ce-v/r-
(jopeOa ovv Kal tov ' AvtIXo^ov 7)^daK€L fiev
L/TT/J/'?;? TTpoaco, Ko/xa Be ev yXicoarj Kopir). Kovcpo^;
T) KVij/jLTj Kal TO aoipa avfi/jL€Tpov e? paaTMvrjv
35 TOV Bpopov Kal to al/jca olov eir eXecpavTL XP^f^ci
^ fK before tov deleted by Kayser.
1 i.e. the two Ajaxes, the son of Telamon and the son of
Oileus.
156
BOOK II. 7
story — and the Achaeans, gaining possession of the
body, lament Antilochus, both the sons of Atreus
and the Ithacan and the son of Tydeus and the two
heroes of the same name.^ The Ithacan is made
known by his austere and vigilant look, xMenelaus
by his gentleness, Agamemnon by his god-like mien,
while the son of Tydeus is marked by his nobility,
and you would recognize the Telamonian Ajax by
his grimness and the Locrian by his alertness. And
the army mourns the youth, standing about him in
lamentation ; and, their spears fixed in the ground
and their legs crossed, they stand, most of them in
their grief bowing their sorrowing heads on their
spears. You are not to recognize Achilles by his
long hair, for that is gone since the death of Patro-
clus, but let his beauty make him known to you, and
his stature, aye, and the very fact that he does not
wear long hair.^ He laments, throwing himself on
the breast of Antilochus, and he seems to be promising
him a funeral pyre and the offerings to be placed upon
it and perchance the arms and head of Memnon ; for
he proposes that Memnon shall pay all the penalties
Hector paid, that in this respect also Antilochus may
have no less honour than Patroclus had. Memnon
stands, terrible to look upon, in the army of the
Ethiopians, holding a spear and wearing a lion's skin
and sneering at Achilles. Let us next look at
Antilochus. He is in the prime of youth, just
beyond the period of downy beard, and his bright
hair is his pride. His leg is slender and his body
proportioned for running with ease,^ and his blood
2 Cf. 11. 23. 141 f. for Homer's account of Achilles'
dedication of his long hair at the funeral pyre of Patroclus.
3 Cf. IL 23.756; Od. 3. 112.
157
PIIILOSTRATUS: IMAGINES
351 K. r)v6i]Kev €fi7r€aov(T7]<; avTco Kara rod arepvov t/}?
at%yLt/)?. Kelrai Be ov Ka77](f)€<; to /leipuKiov ovSe
veKpo) eLKuaai, (^aihpov 8' eri^ Kai /j-eiSicov T7]v
yap OLfiai ')(apav rrjv eirl tw tov Trarepa acoaai
5 (f)€po)v ev T&) elhei 6 'Avt IXo^^o^; dircoXeTO vtto tt}?
alxf^V^y fcal TO TTpoacoTTOv y ^vxh KaTekiirev ov)(^
&)? ijXyrjaev, dW' w? eireKpciTyjae to ev(f)palvov.
V MEAHS
(1) To /j,€v TOV ^Kvc7reQy<; kul &>? rjpa r) Tvpo)
TOV vBaTO^i, 'OfMYjpu) XeXe/CTat — XiyeL Se aTraTr^v
10 iic Yloaethoivo^ koX to avOo'^ tov KvpuaTO^iy vcp^
w 1] evvj] — ovToal Be 6 X0709 6T€po<;, ovfc €k
(d€TTaXLa<;, aXV ^Icoviko^;. ipa r) KpiOrjU iv
^Icovla TOV j\IeX7;T09, o 8' i<f)j]l3a) eoiKe fcal
opaTUL TO) OeaTfi 6X0^, eKel efc^dXXwv odev
15 dp)(^€Tai. TTiveL Be ov Bi-^wcra Kai Xa/jL/3dv6Tat,
TOV vBaTO<; Kai KeXapu^ovTi irpoaBLaXeyeTai
KaOdirep XaXovvTL, BdKpva Be Xei^ei epcoTiKa
TO) vBari, Kai 6 iroTafJio^ — dvTepa ydp — )(^aLpei
avTMv Trj Kpdaei. (2) ')(^apiev /j.€v ovv t?)?
20 ypa(f))]<; avTo<; 6 MeX^;? ev KpoKw Kai Xcdtoj
- 5' ert Beitndorf : n and tc libri.
^ Cf. 77. 4. 141 f : "As when a woman staineth ivory
with scarlet . . . even in such wise, Menelaiis, were thy
thighs stained with blood." Trans, Murray, L.C. L.
158
BOOK II. 8
shines red, like colour on ivory/ where the spear-
point penetrated his breast. The youth lies there,
not sad of aspect nor yet like a corpse, but still
joyous and smiling ; for it was with a look of joy on
his face (because, I fancy, he had saved his father's
life) that Antilochus died from the spear-thrust, and
the soul left his countenance, not when he was in
pain, but when gladness prevailed.
8. MELES
The story of Enipeus and of Tyro's love for the
river has been told by Homer,^ and he tells of
Poseidon's deception of her and of the splendid
colour of the wave beneath which was their couch
— but the story here told is a different one, not
from Thessaly l3ut Ionian. Critheis loves the river
Meles^ in Ionia, and it takes the form of a young
man and is wholly visible to the spectator, for it
empties into the sea in the region where it arises.
She drinks the water though she is not thirsty, and
takes it in her hands, and keeps up a conversation
with it as though the murmur of the water were
human speech, and sheds tears of love into the water ;
and the river, since it loves her in return, delights to
mingle her tears with its stream. Now a delightful
feature of the painting is the figure of Meles lying
^ Cf. Od. 11. 235. "She (T^to) became enamoured of the
river .... and she was wont to resort to the fair waters of
Enipeus. But the Enfolder and Shaker of the earth took his
form, and lay with her at the mouth of the eddying river.
And the dark wave stood about them like a mountain, vaulted
over, and hid the god and the mortal woman." Trans.
Murray, L.CL.
^ A small river near Smyrna.
PHILOSTRATUS : IMAGINES
K€Lfji€vo<i /cal vaKLv6(o ')(aLp(i)v Si' rjXiKLav rod
av6ov<; Kai 7rap€)(o/jL6vo<; el^o? ci/Sphp /cal jxeipa-
KL())he<\ Kal ovhe aao(f)ov — eLiroL^i civ rov^ 6(f)0a\-
fiovf; Tou yiiXrjTo*; avaaKOirelv ri royv
25 TTOLrjTiKwv — ')(^apiev 8e avrou Kal on jjuy) \d-
yS/oou? ra 9 777/709 iKhihcoai, KaOdirep rov<^ d/jLaOeU
rcjv TTora/jLcoi' ypdcfieadaL vofxo^y dWci ti-jv yfjv
aKpoL^ Tols^ SaKTvXoi^ Bia/j^co/jiepo^; V7r€)(€t rrjv
X^^p(^ '^<P y^cLTi dyfrocprjrl ^Xv^ovri, /cal oparai
30 i)ijlIv, ct)9 rfi <ye Kpidt/lSt vScop ovro^ /cal irapa/cd-
Oi]TaL oveipaTL, W9 (f)aaiv. (3) 'AA,X' ovk ovap
352 K. ravra, m Kpi.07]L<;, ovSe €l<; vScjp rov epcora rou-
Tov ypd(f)6i<i' €pa ydp aov 6 irorafxo^, ev olSa, Kal
ao(f)i^€TaL Tiva v/ullv OdXa/iov KVfia alpwv, v(f)'
(p 7] evvrj earai. el Se aTriareU, Xe^co aoL Kal
5 rifv rov 6aXd/iov Te)(yriv' Xeirrrj avpa KVfia
VTToBpa/jLOvaa ipyd^eraL avro Kvprov Kal irepL-
VX^'^ ^^^ ^11^0 7] pov err 1) yap dvravyeia rov
i)Xlov xP^/^^ Trpoa/SdXXeL /lerecopcp ro) vSari.
(4) Tt' ovv, (h iral, Xa/jL/Sdvy fiov ; ri S' ovk ea9
10 Kal ra Xonrd Sie^ievai t/}? ypa<j>rj<^ ; el ^ovXet,
Kal TTjv Kpt.Or]LBa Siaypdyjr(o/iev, eVe^S?; ;^ai/oet2/
<^?79, orap ivaXvT] avTOL<; 6 X6709. XeyeaOco
^ The principal MSS. vary between &Kpois to7s and &Kpav
Tois. The former seems to be confirmed by Eur. Bacch. 709
6.Kpoi(Ti SaKTvAoicTi biaij.ui<jat x^'^
^, obviously imitated by our
author. The Teubner Text reads &Kpav, i.e. "the surface
only of the earth."
^ i.^., to those who look at the painting.
2 The Teubner editors suggest this explanation: "The
delicate youth Meles, reclining on a high spot among
the flowers, by the striking (tisposition of the figure
provides a double ciiarm ; with his hand he lets the water
flow very gently into the stream, on the bank of which at a
160
BOOK li. g
on a bed of crocus and lotus blossoms and delighting
in the hyacinth because of its fresh young bloom,
and presenting an appearance delicate and youthful
and not at all lacking in cleverness — indeed you
would say that the eyes of Meles were contemplating
some poetic theme. It is a delightful feature also
that he does not pour forth turbulent streams at his
source, as boorish rivers are usually painted ; nay, he
but cuts a passage through the earth with the tips
of his fingers and holds his hand beneath the water
as it trickles noiselessly by; and to us ^ it is clear
that, for Critheis, Meles is water and that it is a
dream,2 as we say, beside which she is sitting. Nay
but, Critheis, this is no dream, nor are you writing this
love of yours in water 3; for the river loves you, I know
it well, and he is devising a chamber for you both by
lifting up a wave beneath which shall be your
couch. If you do not believe me, I will tell you
the very construction of the chamber ; a light breeze
running under a wave causes it to curve over and
makes it resonant and also of brilliant hue ; for the
reflection of the sun lends colour to the uplifted water.
Why do you seize hold of me, my boy ? Why do
you not let me go on and describe the rest of the
painting ? If you wish, let us next describe Critheis,
since you say you are pleased when my tale roams
freely over such things. Well, let us speak of her ;
lower level Critheis stays, giving herself up to her love ; and,
being unseen by her, rocks or bushes for example intervening
between them, he makes it clear to the spectators that toCritheis
he seems to be water and that she is dallying with a dream."
The proverb seems to suggest that the reclining river was
dreaming of her, the beloved, while she sits at his side as a
Greek wife was wont to sit beside her sleeping husband.
^ Another proverbial expression ; cf. Sophocles, frag. 742 n.,
opKovs iyw yuvaiKos els vdcop ypdcpco., " A woman's oaths I write
in water."
i6i
M
PHILOSTRATUS : IMAGINES
Toivvv aj3pov /JL6V avrrj to el^o? kol fidXa
^\(jovlic6v, aiSa)<; Se tco etSet i-KLirpeiTeL koX clito-
15 ')(^pii rovTo rfj Trapeia to avdo<^, rj %atT7; Se
aveL\rjTTTaL fxev vtto to ou?, iTTLKoafietTaL Be
Kol Kp7]Se/ii'(p aXovpyel. Bcopov N?;p?;tSo? ?;
Nai8o<; ol/jLai elvai to fcpijSe/jLvov eZ/co? yap
(Tvy-^opeveLV Ta<i 6ea<; eVl to) MeXrjTi irape-
20 j^opievw ra? 7r7-jya<; ov Troppw t(x)v €/c/3oXcov-
(5) BX-eTTCi Be ovtco tl rjSv koI a^eXi<^, co? fJLTjhe
VTTO Tcov BaKpvcov i^aXXcLTTeiv to I'Xecov. kol
i) Sepr) cTi i)Biwv viro tov firj KeKoafirjaOai'
opfioL yap Kal avyal XlOcov Kal irepiBepaLa Tal<i
25 jiev ev fieTpUo tw KciXXei yvvai^lv ovk ar]hw<;
TTpoaavOovai Kal vij At" copa<; tl e? avTa<;
(f)€povaiv, ala)(pal<^ Be Kal ayav 6ipaiaL<^ avTi-
TrpuTTOVcrr ra? pev yap eXey')(ovcn, tcov Be
airdyovai. too x^^P^ dvaaKoirojpev diraXol oi
30 BaKTvXoi Kal evp,7]K6i<; Kal XevKol KaTa ttjv
coXeprjv. opd^ Be Kal T)]V wXevrjv o)? Bed XevKrj<;
T/}? ea6rjT0<^ XevKOTepa vTrocjiaLveTai Kal oi
fjid^ol opOol viravyd^ovai.
(6) Tt ovv at XlovaaL Bevpo ; tl Be enl Tal<;
353 K. 7rr;7at9 tov Me\?;T09 ; W6i]vaL0L ttjv '\coviav
6t€ dlTCpKi^OV, yiovaaL l)y0VVT0 tov VaVTLKOV
ev etBeL /jlcXlttcov e^atpov yap tt} 'loyvla Bid
TOV MeX7]Ta co? K?;(j6tcroO Kal 'OXpLetov ttotl-
5 p,d>Tepov. evT€v^r] p^ev ovv avTal<; Kal X^pevov-
aaL<; iroTe evTavOa, vvvl Be yeveaiv tu> 'Op^rjpcp
al ^lovaai KXcodovai Molpai^; Bokovv, Kal Bcoaei,
^ Hair covering the ears was a mark of modesty in a girl
(Benndorf).
^ Rivers of Boeotia.
162
BOOK 11. 8
her figure is delicate and truly Ionian, and modesty
is manifest upon it, and the colour we see in her
cheeks suffices for them ; and her hair is caught up
under the ear ^ and adorned with a veil of sea-purple.
I think the veil is the gift of some Nereid or Naiad,
for it is reasonable to assume that these goddesses
dance together in honour of the river Meles, since
it offers them fountains not far from its mouth.
Her glance has something so charming and simple
about it, that even tears do not cause it to lose its
graciousness. Her neck is all the more lovely for
not being adorned, since chains and flashing stones
and necklaces lend a not unpleasing brilliancy to
women of moderate beauty and by Zeus they con-
tribute something of beauty to them, but they are
not becoming to ugly women or to very beautiful
women ; for they show up the ugliness of the former
and detract from the beauty of the latter. Let us
examine the hands ; the fingers are delicate, of
graceful length, and as white as the fore-arm. And
you see the forearm, how it appears yet whiter
through the white garment; and the firm breasts
gleam under the garment.
Why do the Muses come hither? Why are they
present at the source of the Meles ? When the
Athenians set out to colonize Ionia, the Muses in
the form of bees guided the fleet ; for they rejoiced
in Ionia, because the waters of Meles are sweeter
than the waters of Cephisus and Olmeius.^ Some
day, indeed, you will find them dancing there ; but
now, by decree of the fates, the Muses are spinning
the birth of Homer ; and Meles through his son ^
3 i.e. Homer; those who make Smyrna the birthplace of
Homer regard Meles as his father.
163
M 2
PHILOSTRATUS : IMAGINES
Sia rov TraiBb'i o MeX.?;? Hijveia) /lep dpyvpoSlvr}
elvai, TiTap7]aLct) Se Kovcpco Kal evcpopw, ^EvcTrel
10 8e Oeio) kol ^A^lw TrajKaXo), Soxrec Kal "SdvOcp
TO CK Afo? Kol ^riKeavo) to e'f avTov Trai/ra?.
e' HANBEIA
(1) TldvOeia 7] koXtj 'B,€VO(f)copTC /xev diro tov
■tjdov^ yiypaiTTat, otl re ^ Apdairav dirti^iov kol
Kvpov ov^ i]TTdTo Kal 'A^paSdTj) i^ovXeTO kol-
15 vrjv <yrjv eirieaaaOai' oiroia he i) Kopbrj Kal i) 6(f)pv'i
oar] Kal olov e/SXeire Kal o)? et;^6 tov aTo/xaTO^,
ovTro) 6 "Bevocpcov elprjKe KaiTOC 86cv6<; cop irepi-
XaXrjaau TavTa, dXX* dvrjp ^vy'ypd(f>eLv fxev ov^
iKavo^, ypd(f)€Lv he lKavcoTaTO<;, avTJ} fiev Ylav-
20 Oeia ovK evTV^cov, p,evo(f)a)PTi, he ofitXyjaa^
ypd(p6t, Tr]v YldvOecav, oiToiav ttj '^v)(^fj eVe/c-
fMtjpaTO.
(2) Ta TCLXV* ^ Tral, Kal Td<i eixTTLirpajJieva^;
olKia^ Kal al Avhal al KaXai, YlepaaL^ TavTa
25 dcf)co/jL€v dyeiv re Kal alpelv 6 tl avTwv dXco-
^ The chief river of Thessaly ; for the epithet cf. 11. 2. 753.
2 A river of Thessaly ; cf. 11. 2. 751, where, however, the
epithet is l/xepTSs, "lovely."
3 Also in Thessaly; cf. Od. 11. 238.
- The chief river of Macedonia ; cf. II. 2. 850, where the
epithet is KaWia-ros.
^ The chief river of Lycia ; cf. //. 14. 434.
^ Cf. II. 21. 195 f. 'flK60voro e| ovTTfp irdvTfS iroTOLfxdi . . .
vaovffiv.
' Cf. Xen. Cyr. U. 1. 31 f ; 5. 1. 6 ; G. 4. 0. According
to Xenophon {Cyr. 5. 1. 1 f.) Pantlieia, wife of Abradates,
164
BOOK II. 9
will grant to the Peneius ^ to be " silver-eddied/' to
the Titaresius^ to be "nimble" and "swift/' and to
the Enipeus^ to be "divine/' and to the Axius * to
be "all-beautiful," and he will also grant to the
Xanthus ^ to be born from Zeus, and to Oceanus ^
that all rivers spring from him.
9. PANTHEIA
The character of Pantheia the beautiful has been
described by Xenophon/ how she disdained Araspas
and would not yield to Cyrus and Avished the same
earth to cover her and Abradates in the grave ;
but what her hair was like, what the breadth of her
brow, what her glance and the expression of her
mouth Xenophon did not describe, though he was
particularly clever at telling of such things ; but a
man not good at writing though very clever at
painting, who, though he had never seen Pantheia
herself, was nevertheless well acquainted with
Xenophon, here paints Pantheia as from her soul
he divined her to be.
The walls, my boy, and the burned houses and the
fair Lydian women — these let us leave to Persians
to ravage and to capture what of them can be
was assigned to Cyrus as his share of the booty, and was
entrusted by him to his boyhood friend Araspas, who fell
violently in love with her She repulsed his advances (6.
1. 31) and finally appealed to Cyrus ; in gratitude to him for
his protection she persuaded her husband Abradates to de-
sert the enemy and make common cause with Cyrus. Then
Pantheia arrayed her husband for battle in purple raiment
and armour of gold, which she had had made for him, and
exhorted him to bravery. When he was killed in battle, his
wife brought back his body for burial, and plunged a dagger
in her own breast to die on the bosom of her dead husband.
i6s
PHILOSTRATUS : IMAGINES
Tov. Ka\ 6 KpoLcro(;, i(f) ov t) irvpd, ov)(\ avrw
'E,€vo(f)MVTt — ovKovv olhev avTOP y ^^JX^P^^ '^V
Ivvprp — TOV 8e ^ A^pahciTTiv /cat rrjv aTToOavovaav
iiT^ auTw ndvdeLav, eVe^^^ ravra 7) ypa(f)7]
30 ^ovXerai, hiaafC€'yjr(o/jLe6a, olov to Spcifxa' ■ijpwv
ovTOL dW7]\(0P Kol TOV KoajJiov 1) yvvr) tov
eavTrj<i oirXa avTw iiroieLTO ijid'^eTO he dpa
vTrep }^vpov irpo^ Kpolaov iirl TeTpappiifiov
dpfiaT0<i KoX I'ttttcov oktoo . . . v€0(; 6ti iv
35 dTraXfj ttj viryjvr], oiroTe kol ot TroirjTai ra
BevSpa TCL via iXeeivd rjyovvTai, Trj<; 77)9 ix-
354 K. ireaovTU. (3) to, /jlev Srj TpaiffxaTa, c5 irai, ola
iK fxa'xci'ipo^opwv — TO yap KaTaKoirTeiv irpo^
TpoiTov TTJ TOiavTT] P'd'^T) — TOV 5e a\fiaTO<;
dKpai(f)VOv<; oVto? to fxev to, oirXa p^patVe^ to
5 S' aiiTov, eaTi S' /cal hieppavTai KaTa tov
X6(j)0V, 6 Se dpa ')(pV(Tov Kpdvov<; dveaTr)K€V vaiCLV-
6iv6<i avTcp TO) y^pvau) iTraaTpdTTTCov. (4) KaXd
jxev ovv evTacpia koI tuvtI Ta oirXa too ye
fit] KaTai(T')(yvavTL avTa fiijhe diro^aXovTi iv
10 TTJ fJid')(r], iroXXd Se ^Aaavptd t€ Kal AvSta
KOpo? dvhpl dyaOa Bcopa dirdyet Ta t€ dXXa
Kal yjrd/jLfxov ')(pvaP]v eVl dpfiafid^ij^; etc Oyjaavpcov
K^polaov Ta)v dpycov, Tidvdeia Se ovira) to.
TTpoa^opa ex^i'^ ijyeLTaL tov Tdcpov, el fir) iv-
15 Td(f)iov Tu> 'A/SpaSdTTj avTJ] ykvoiTO. tov puev
Brj uKLvdKTjv 8i€X7]XaKev rjhr) tov aTcpvov, dXX*
1 Cf. Hdt. 1. 84, M'here the supposed impregnability of the
Nvalls of Sardis is described.
2 Herodotus (1. 86) describes the pyre erected for Croesus;
but Xenophon (C//r. 7. 2. 9 f. ) says notliing about the pyre,
an<l in his story Croesus is not made prisoner.
166
BOOK II. 9
captured.^ And so with Croesus^ for whom the pyre
was destined,^ though Xenophon himself does not
mention this — hence our painter does not know of
him and does not make him a prisoner of Cyrus.
But as for Abradates and Pantheia, who died upon
his dead body, since this is what the painting aims
to depict, let us consider them, the great tragedy
they enacted. These two loved each other and the
woman had made her own ornaments into armour
for him ; ^ he was fighting for Cyrus against Croesus
on a chariot with four poles and eight horses/ . . .
[and he was slain while] still a youth of downy beard,
of an age when the poets consider even young trees
which have been torn out of the ground to be objects
of pity.^ The wounds, my boy, are such as swords-
men make — for it accords with this style of fighting
so to cut down the foe — some of his pure blood
stains his armour, some the man himself, and some
is sprinkled on the crest which rises hyacinthine red
from the golden helmet^ and sheds splendour on the
gold itself. A beautiful burial offering are these
arms, for one who had not brought shame upon
them nor cast them away in battle ; and Cyrus
brings many Assyrian and Lydian gifts to a brave
man, among other things a chariot load of golden
sand from the over-abundant treasures of Croesus ;
but Pantheia believes that the tomb still lacks the
offerings due it unless she gives herself as a funeral
sacrifice to Abradates. She has already driven the
dagger through her breast, but with such fortitude
^ Quoted from Xen. Cyr. G. 4. 3.
- Quoted from ihid. 6. 4. 2.
^ e.g. II. 17. 53 f.
« Quoted from Xen. Cyr. 6. 4. 2.
167
PHILOSTRATUS : IMAGINES
ovTco TL eppa)/jLei'(o<i, u)<; /u-7;Se ol/j.(oy)iv eV avrco
p7]^ai. (5) K€LTac yovv, to arofia ^v/jL/ierpLuv
rrjv kavTOV (fyvXarrov koI vj] At" (opav, ?;? to
20 civ6o<; OVTCO n eirl ')(^ei\eaLv, o)^ koX aiwiTooati^
€K(f)aLveaOaL. ciTDjpTTjrai, ^ Se ovttco top d/ct-
vcLKi-jVy dXX ivepeihei en ^vve^ovaa t/}? Ka)7ry]<;
avTov — J] Se KGoirr] poirdXtp ^^pucrft* e'lKaarat
a/jLapajBivrp tov<; 6^ov<; — dW' 7jSlov<; ol BdKTvXoi,
25 — ixeTa^e/3X')]Ke re ouhev rod e'cBov^ vnb rov
dXyelv, ?/ je /xySe dXyelv eoiKev, aXV diTLevai
y^aipovaa, on avT)jv TrefMiret. diretaL Be ov)(^
axTTrep i) rov YlpcoreaLXeco Karaare^Oelaa ol^
i^dK-)(^evaev, ovh' wairep i) rov KaTrai^eo)? olov
30 6vaLa<; araXelaa ^ dXX^ daKevaarov ro koXXo^
KoX olov eirl rod W/3paBdrov rjv (f)vXdrrec avro
KoX dirdyei, 'X^airrjv fiev ovro) /xeXaivdv re Koi
d/ji(f)LXa(f)P) irepixeaaa roL<; w/xot? Kal rco av)(^evi,
Bep-qv Be XevKi-jv vireKCpaLVovaa, r]v eBpvyp-aro
35 fiev, ov fxiiv &)? alcr'xyvai' rd yap ai^fxela rwv
ovv^wv rjBico ypa(f)rj<;. (6) To Be ev rfj irapeia
355 K. €pevdo<; ovBe diroOvrjaKOvaav Biacfyevyei, ')(^opt]yol
Be aurov y re copa xal i) alB(t)<;. IBou Kal
^ air-npr-qTai Keiske and Jacobs: avT]prif)Tai.
2 (TTaXflffa Rohde, cf. infra 385. 11 : a^9i~L(Ta. The
restoration is very uncertain.
^ Protesilaiis Mas the first of the Greeks to die before
Troy {11. 2. 70(J f.). The story of his wife's deatli for love
of him as descril)ed in the tragedy- of Euripides (cf. Ma^'cr,
Hermes XX. 114 f.) is illustrated on a sarcophagus in Naples
(Baumeister, Denkmiiler, fig. 1574). Laodameia, Avho was
celebrating Bacchic rites, sinks down in astonishment when
her husband, his prayer for a brief return to his wife being
1 68
BOOK II. 9
that she has not uttered even a groan at the thrust.
At any rate she lies theie, her mouth retaining its
natural shapeliness and by Zeus a beauty the bloom
of which so rests upon her lips that it shines forth
clear, silent though she is. She has not yet drawn
out the dagger but still presses on it, holding it by
the hilt — a hilt that resembles a golden stalk with
emeralds for its branches — but the fingers are more
charming still ; she has lost none of her beauty
through pain, and indeed she does not seem to
suffer pain at all but rather to depart in joy because
she sends herself away. And she departs, not like
the wife of Protesilaiis,i wreathed with the garlands
of the Bacchic rites she had been celebrating, nor
yet like the wife of Capaneus,^ decked out as for
sacrifice ; but she keeps her beauty unadorned and
just as it was while Abradates was alive, and takes
it thus away with her, letting her thick black hair
fall unrestrained over her shoulders and neck, yet
just showing her white throat, which she had torn
in her grief, though not in a way to disfigure it ;
indeed the marks made by her finger-nails are more
charming than a painting.^ The flush on her cheeks
has not left her even in death ; her beauty and
modesty have supplied it. Look at the moderately up-
granted, appears to her. When liis day with her is ended,
slie plunges a dagger in her breast to join him in Hades.
2 Eur. SuppL 1054 f. Evadne, decked in festal attire,
appears on the rocks above the funeral pyre of her husband
Capaneus, and throws herself into the flames.
2 "As in a picture" is a Greek phrase for something
beautiful ; cf. Aesch. Again. 242, irpeiTovcrd. 0' is eV ypa<pa7s of
Iphigeneia. Benndorf compares the scars of wounds on the
well-known bronze statue of a boxer in the Museo Xazionale,
Rome, Ant. Denkm. I. 4. p. 2.
169
PIIILOSTRATUS : IMAGINES
fMVKrPjpe^i dvearaX/jLevot to /jLerpiov koI jSdaiv rfj
pivl 7rpdTT0i'T€<;, t;? coairep irropOoL fi7]vo€LS€t<^ al
5 ocppve^i VTTO \evKcp rro percoTrco peXaivai. roi)?
he 6(f)6a\pov^, w iral, yu?) cnro rov p,€ye6ov<;
p,r]S' el p,eKave<^, ciWa rov re vovv Oewpwpev,
6<70<; ev avTOt<; earc koI vrj ^ia oiroaa tmv
tT;? '^l'X% dyaOojv ecTTraaav e\eeiv(b<; p,ev Sia-
10 Keip^evoL, Tov Se (paiBpcj^; ex^^v ovk diT7fK\a>yp,evot,
KoX OapaaXeoL p.ev, Xoytcrpov 8e e'laci) pdWov
i) ToX/x?;?, Kal rod pev Oavdrov ^vvievre<;, ovTro)
Se tt7rtoz/T69. 67ra86<; Be epcora l'p,epo<; ovtco tl
eniKe'X^VTaL rot? 6(f)6akp.ol^, o)? eTrihrjXoTara By
15 dir' avTMV diToardl^eiv. (6) yeypairrai Kal 6
"E/jft)9 ev laropla tov epyov, yeypaiTTai koI rj
AvBia TO alp,a viToBe')(^opevi] Kal ^(pvaw ye, co?
6pa<;, Tw koXtto).
L KASANAPA
(1) 0/ Keip,evoi kut aXXo^ aXXo tov dvBpwvo^
Kal TO dvapl^ tw o\v(p alp.a Kal ol eKirveovTe^ eirl
20 Tpaire^MV KpaTr^p t€ ovToal XeXaKTLapLevo<^ viro
dvBp6<;, o? Trpo? avTw (Jiraipei, Koprj re 'X^p^fa p,(p-
Bo<; TrjV (TToXi]v et? ireXeKw epLTreaovp,evov eavTrj
1 Cf. the nose of the Farnese Hena with nostrils slightly
curling up, or the head on a vase by Euphronius (Fig. 20),
Tfuhl, Malerei unci Zdchnung der Oriechen, Taf. 415 C.
- Cf. l']ur. ffipjy. 525 f. "E/jws, "Epws, t /car' ofiixdruv ard^eis
irddov.
^ The text is rendered as it stands, but it is probably
corrupt.
170
[To/ace p. 171.
BOOK II. 10
curved nostrils ^ that form a base for the nose from
which the crescent eyebrows spring like branches^
black beneath the white forehead. As for the eyes^
my boy, let us not consider them for their size,
nor ask if they are black, but let us consider the
great intelligence there is in them, and by Zeus all
the virtues of the soul which they have absorbed ;
for though their state excites pity, yet they have
not lost their look of gladness, and though they
are courageous, yet they show the courage of
reason rather than of rashness, and though they
are aware of death, they have not yet departed from
life. Desire, the companion of love, so suffuses the
eyes that it seems clearly to drip from them.^ Love
also is represented in the picture, as a part of the
narrative of the deed ;^ so also is the Lydian woman,*
catching the blood, as you see, in a fold of her golden
robe.
10. CASSANDRA
The men who lie here and there in the men's
great hall, the blood commingled with the wine,
the men who sprawling on the tables breathe out
their life, and yonder mixing-bowl that has been
kicked aside by the man who lies gasping beside
it,^ a maiden in the garb of a prophetess who gazes
at the axe which is about to descend upon her —
- A Lydian woman representing the land of Lydia, which
was the scene of the incident depicted.
^ Cf. the words of the shade of Agamemnon to Odysseus,
Od. 11. 419 f. "Thou wouldst have felt most pity hadst
thou seen that sight, how about the mixing-bowl and the
laden tables we lay in the hall, and the floor all swam with
blood." Trans. Murray, L.C, L.
171
PIIlLOSTRATUSi IMAGINES
/SXenovaa — rov Wy a/jLe/ivova i]KOVTa e/c Tpola^
7] KXvrai/j,V7]aTpa hex^Tai tovtco rpoirw?- xal
25 Tou? fiep dX\ou<; aWoL Kreivovaiv ovtm fxeOv-
ovra^;, 0)9 fcal rbv Aiyia6ov Oaparjaai to epyov,
7; KXvTat/jLV^o-Tpa Se ireirXov re^vrj tivo<;
ciTreipov top ^ Ay a fie /xv ova 7repia)(ovo-a ireXeKW
e? avTov TjKev afKp/jK?] tovtov, 0? Kal ra hevSpa
30 aipel Tci fxeydXa, r/jv re rod Upcdfiov Koprjv
KaXXlarrjv vopLiaOetaap icp ^ XyapbepLVOVL XP^^'
350 K. [xov<; re airLaTovpLerov; oiBovaav dirofCTeivei
deppw" Tw ireXefcei. kol ei fiev &)? hpafia
e^erd^o/jiev, w Trai, ravra, TerpaywSrjrat /xeydXa
ev ajXLKpw, el 3' a)<; ypa(pj]v, TrXeiM ev avroU oyjret.
5 (2) Xfcoiretydp' Xa/x7rT?}/?e9 outol x^oprjyol (f)(0T6<;
— eV vv/ctI yap ravrd irov — KpaTrjpe^; S' eKelvoi
Xoprjyol 7T0T0V (pavorepoi rod 7rvpo<; 01 ^/jfaoi,
7rX?;/oef? he oyfrcop rpdire^ai, jSacrtXeif; wv eac-
rovvTO Tjpcjoe^, ev Koaficp 8e ^ ovBev tovtcov diro-
' The text follows L, except that oD'tw /u^ before koX tovs
fxev aWovs, which is marked as wrong in L, is omitted
(following Kayser). The Teubner text (Benndorf-Schenkl)
reads Tponcf ovtw /x^OuouTa, ws koI, omitting all reference to
the companions of Agamemnon.
2 Ofp/xif in conj. Benndorf, cf. 36G. IG, en d^pixif Dilthoy,
of. Theocr. xvii. 21, Plut. Fabi us 26.
^ 5e Jacobs : re.
^ There is no tradition that Agamemnon was drunk, as
the Teubner text is amended to say ; rather, it is the
drunkenness and powerlessness of his followers which
172
BOOK II. lo
thus Clytemnestra welcomes Agamemnon on his
return from Troy. And wliile others are slaying
Agamemnon's followers.^ who are so drunken as to
embolden even Aegisthus for the deed, Clytemnestra,
enveloping Agamemnon in a device of a mantle
from which there is no escape,^ brings down upon
him this two-edged axe by which even great trees
are laid low,^ and the daughter of Priam, esteemed
by Agamemnon as of surpassing beauty, who chanted
prophecies that were not believed, she slays with
the still warm axe.* If we examine this scene as a
drama, my boy, a great tragedy has been enacted in
a brief space of time, but if as a painting, you will
see more in it than a drama. For look, here are
torches to provide light — evidently these events
take place at night — and yonder are mixing-bowls
to provide drink, bowls of gold brighter than the
torches' flame, and there are tables laden with food,
the food on which hero kino;s were feasting ; but
all these things are in disorder, for the banqueters
embolden Aegisthus to carry out his plan. Apparently the
plan referred to is the ambush of warriors {<Jd. 11. 529 f.)
who can successfully overcome the veterans from Troy only
because the latter are drunken.
2 Aeschylus {Again. 1382) speaks of a net, Euripides
{Orest. 25) of a mantle, " from which there is no escape."
3 Soph. EL 92 f.
"All night I muse upon my father dead,
Not in a foreign land at Ares' call,
But, here at home, by my own mother slain,
Her and Aegisthus, these adulterers twain ;
Felled by their axe's bloody stroke,
E'en as a woodman fells an oak. "
Trans. Storr, L.C.L Cf. II. 1.3. 390 f.
- Cf. Aesch, Agam. 1278. "Butchered by the hot stroke of
bloody sacrifice." Trans. Smyth, L.C.L.
173
PIIILOSTRATUS : IMAGINES
10 6vrj(TKovTe^ yap oi Bairu/ji6v€<i ra fiev XeXuKTicr-
rai, TO, Be avi^TerptTrrai, ra Se drr' avrcou fcelrai.
/cal KvXiK€<; Be Ik ■^(eipMv TriirrovaL TrXijpeL^i at
TToXXal XvOpoVy Kal clXky] t(op aTroOpyaKovTCJV
ovSe/ila' fxeOvovaL yap. (3) Ta Be rcov Kei/xevcop
15 (T)(^7]/iaTa 6 fJLev iKrer/JLijraL rrjv (pdpvyya aijov tl
Tj TTOTOv eXKOvaav, 6 8' diroKeKOTTraL ttjv K€(f)aXr)v
€9 TOP Kparrjpa KviTTdiP, 6 Be aTnjpaKraL ttjp
p^et/ja (jiepovaap eKircofia, 6 Be icfyeXKerai ttjv
rpciTre^ap eKireacop t/}? KXipy)<;, 6 3' a'? (o/jlov<; kuI
20 KecpaXijp KelraL, 7roi7}Tr)<; dp (f)aLrj Kv/jLfia)(^o<;,
6 B' diriarel tw Oavdrw, 6 Be ovfc eppcorat
(f)vyeLP olop iTeBri<; €/uL^€^XTj/bi€P)]<; avrw r/}?
fieOr]^' oiXpo*^ Be ovBeU twp KeLfxepwp, eireiBri
Tou? ep oipo) diToOp-pcTKOPTa^; ovk €vOv<; dTToXeiireL
25 TO dp0o<;
(4) To Be /cvpLcorarop rfj^ (TK7-)pf]<; ^Ayafie/ipcop
e')(eL K6Lfxepo(; ovk ep 7reBiOL<; TpcoiKOL<; ovBe eVl
^Ka/jidpBpov TLPo<i ^ r]i6aLP, dXX^ ep /jLetpaKLOi^;
Kal yvpaioL^, ^ov^ eTrl (pdrpr) — rovrl yap to /nerd
30 T0U9 7r6pov<; re Kal to ep Beiirpw — Kvpicorepa Be
ep oXktw rd t>}? }\.aadpBpa<;, o)? €(f)earrjKe /lep
avTTj fierd tov TreXe/cew? 7; KXvraLfjipyjaTpa
- Foerster suggests Sirrjej/Tos, the Homeric epitliet, for
1 Cf. OcL 22. 19 f. "And quickly he [Antinoiis] thrust
the table from liim with a kick of his foot, and spilled all
the food on the floor, and the bread and roast flesh were
defiled." Trans. Murray, L.C.L. Benndorf points out that
BOOK II. 10
in their death throes have kicked some over,^ others
have been shattered^ others lie at a distance from
the banqueters. And cups^ most of them defiled
with gore, fall from their hands ; nor have the
dying men any power to defend themselves, for
they are drunken. As for the attitudes of those
that have fallen, one has had his throat cut as he
is partaking of food or of drink, another as he bent
over the mixing-bowl has had his head cut off,
another has had his hand lopped off as it carried a
beaker, another as he tumbled from his couch drags
the table after him, another has fallen
head
foremost," as a poet would say,^ upon his shoulders
and head ; one has no suspicion of death, and
another lacks the strength to flee since drunkenness
like a fetter has enchained him. Nor is any one of
the fallen pallid of hue, since when men die in
their cups the flush does not immediately leave
their faces.
The most prominent place in the scene is occupied
by Agamemnon, who lies, not on the plains of Troy ^
nor on the banks of some Scamander, but among
boys and women-folk, like ^^an ox at the crib " * —
for this means rest after toil and partaking of food —
but even more striking in its pathos is the figure
of Cassandra — the way Clytemnestra, her eyes
the description follows the scene on reliefs depicting the
death of the suitors of Penelope, particularly on the reliefs
from Trysa, Benndorf-Neumann, Das Heroon von Gjolhaschi.
^ Cf. II. 5. 585 f. €Kirea€ dlcppov KV/x^axos eV Koiirjaiy,
^ Cf. Aesch. Choeph. 3Q3i. Electrapoints the same contrast
between death on the battlefield and by treachery at home.
- Cf. Od. 11. 411. ws tIs re /coxewTove ^ov;'67rl (pdrvrj. In the
proverb the ox is at rest and eating, i.e. it means rest after
toil and enjoying food.
175
PHILOSTRATUS : IMAGINES
fiavLKov ^XeiTOVcra kuI a€(7o^7]/jLevrj ra? ^atra?
Kol rpa^ela ttjv coXevtjv, avii] he co? d^pco<; re
35 fcal evOeco^; e^ovaa irepLireaelv wp/xijKe to)
'Aya/iefii'ovt pLinovaa d(p' avT}]<i ra aTe/jL/jLara
357 K. Kal olov Trepi/SdWovaa rf} Te)(vr] avjov, Si7]p-
fievov he i]hr) rou TreXe/ceco? dva(TTpe(f)€L tol/?
6(f)0a\/jLOV(; eKel, ^oa he ovtco tl otKTpov, co?
Kol TOP Wyafie/jLvova tw Xoitto) t^9 "^v^V^ iXeelv
5 ravra ciKovovra' jjiefivrjaeTaL yap avrcdv Kal ev
A'lhov 7rpo<; ^Ohvaaea ev rfj ciyopa roov yj/v^cov.
la HAN
(1) Top Tldva al NuyLt<^at 7rov7]pM<; (^aa\v
op'^elcrOai Kal eKirrjhdv rod TrpoarJKOvro^ e^aipovja
Kal dvaOpcpcFKovTa KaTa tov^ dyepcD^ovs to)v
10 Tpdywv, avral h' av ixerahthd^aiev avrov erepav
opxrjaiv rjhico tm ijOei, ir poa e^ovT t, S' avTal<^
ovhev, dWa Treipoovri avrd<^ Kal dTrorera/jLevo}
Tov KoXirov eTTLTiOevraL Kara fieaij/ji/SpLap, ore
hr] \eyerai KaOevheiv o Yldv eK\€\oi7rco<; ryv
15 6i]pav. (2) 'EA'a^eL'Se 5' dpa Trporepov fxev
dveifxevo'^ re Kal Tr/jao? ttjv plva Kal to €7rL)(o\ov
auT/}? Xeaivwv tw vttvm, Tijfxepov he inrep'^^oXa'
TrpocnreaovaaL yap avrw al Nu/x^at, TrepiTJKrat,
fiev ijhy] TO) %etpe 6 Ilaz^, hehce he iwl tol^
^ Cf. Od. 11. 421. The soul of Agamemnon says, "But the
most piteous cry that I heard was that of the daugliter of
Priam, Cassandra, whom guileful Clytemnestra slew by my
side. And I sought to raise my hands and smite down tlie
murderess, dying though I was, pierced through with tiie
176
BOOK II. II
crazed, her hair flying, her arm savagely raised,
stands over her with the axe, and the way
Cassandra herself, tenderly and in a state of
inspiration, has tried to throw herself upon
Agamemnon as she hurls her fillets from her and
as it were casts about him the protection of her
prophetic art ; and as the axe is now poised above
her, she turns her eyes toward it and utters so
pathetic a cry that even Agamemnon, with the
remnant of life that is in him, pities her, hearing
her cry ; for he will recount it to Odysseus in Hades
in the concourse of souls. ^
11. PAN
Pan, the nymplis say, dances badly and goes
beyond bounds in his leaping, leaping up and
jumping aloft after the manner of sportive goats ;
and they say that they would teach him a different
kind of dancing, of a more delightful character;
when he, however, pays no heed to them but,
his garment extended, tries to make love to
them they set upon him at noon, when Pan
is said to abandon the hunt and go to sleep.
Formerly he used to sleep relaxed, with peaceful
nostriP and soothing his angry spirit with slumber,
but to-day he is very angry ; for the Nymphs have
fallen upon him, and already Pan's hands have been
tied behind his back, and he fears for his legs since
sword.'- Trans. Murray, L.C.L. Cf. Aescli. Agam. 1262 f. ;
Eur. Troad. 450 f.
^ Cf. Theocr. 1. 17. "No, no, man ; there's no piping for me
at high noon. I go in too great dread of Pan for that. I
wot high noon's his time for taking rest after the swink o'
the chase ; and he's one of the tetchy sort ; his nostril's ever
sour wrath's abiding place." Trans. Edmonds, Greek Bucolic
Poets, L.C.L.
177
N
PHILOSTRATUS : IMAGINES
'2.0 (TKeXeaw, CTreiSi] ^ovXovrai aipeiv^ avrd. to
Be S?] yeveiov, ov TrXetdTo? avrw X070.9, i^vpijrai
/jLay^aiplScov €a/3€^X7]KVi(ov e? avro, cfyaal he rrfv
'H;)^co avarreiaeiv virepopav re avrov koI fjLrjSe
(f)0eyyea6aL 7rpo<; avrov en. (3) TaOra al
25 NvfKpac iravavhi, av Be Kara hr'jixov^ avra<; opa'
TCL jxev yap TO)v NatScov el'S?; — paviBa<; airoppai-
vovatv avrac r^? k6/jl7]<; — Be Trepl rah I3ovk6\oi<;
av')(/jLb<i ovBev (j)avX6Tepo<; rr)? Bpoaov, al Be
^AvOovcrac Ta9 )(aLTa<; eKire^vfcaaiv vaKLvOivoL^
,30 6 fio id) <; CIV 6 ea LP.
358 K. fyS' niNAAPOS
(1) Ol/iai Oavpd (TOL elvac Ta<; jxeXiTTa^ ovtcj
yXi(T)(^pw^ yeypap.jxkva'^y a)V ye Kal irpovo/JLaia
BjjXr) Kal TToBe^ Kol irrepa /cal to -^pco/ia rr}?
aroXi]^ ovic araKTOvaLV, caa ttj (j)vaeL BiairoLKiX-
5 Xov(n]<; avrd ttJ? ypa(f)y]<;. tl ovv ovk ev aiiJi^XoL^
al ao^ai ; ri Be iv daTei ; KcopLa^ovaiv ivl Ta<;
Tov AalcpdvTov Ovpa<; — yeyove Be r]Br} YlivBapo^,
&)? 6pa<; — irXdrretv ^ kuk vrjTTLOV avrov, 'iv
€p.juLeXr)(; 7]Br] Kal efjL/jLOVcro<; y, Kal TTOiovai ravra.
10 (2) To piev yap iraiBiov eU Bd^vrjv diroKeiTai Kal
KXa)va<; p,vppivy]^ ^vpL^aXXo/jLevov rov Trarpo^i
lepov rev^eaOai rov iiaiBo^, dcf a)v Kvp,^aXd re
Kar)']^ei rf]<; 0LKLa<i, ore eriKrero, Kal rvpLrrrava
r]Kovero Ik 'Pea?, eXeyovro Be Kal al Nvp,(f)ai,
^ So all the MSS. except F and P, which give atptiv.
^ irKaTTdv Welcker : -nXaTTn.
1 Cf. Od. 6. 231. K6fJias vaKivQivo) ^ydei d/j-olas. Cf. supra,
p. 9"), n. 1.
178
BOOK II. 12
the Nym[)hs wish to seize them. Moreover^ his
beard, which he values most highly, has been
shaven off with razors which have been roughly
applied to it, and they say that they will persuade
Echo to scorn him and no longer even to answer
his call. Here are the Nymphs in a group, but do
you look at them by classes ; for some are Xaiads — ■
these who are shaking drops of dew from their hair ;
and the lean slenderness of the pastoral nymphs is
no whit less beautiful than the dew ; and the flower
nymphs have hair that resembles hyacinth flowers.^
12. PINDAR
1 suppose you are surprised that these bees^ are
painted with such detail, for the proboscis is clearly
to be seen, and feet and wings and the colour of
their garb are as they should be, since the painting
gives them the many hues with which nature
endows them. Why, then, are the clever insects
not in their hives ? Why are they in a city ?
They are going on a revel to the doors of
Daiphantes ^ — for Pindar has already been born, as
you see — in order to mould the babe from earliest
childhood that he may even now be inspired with
harmony and music ; and they are busy with this
task. For the child has been laid on laurel
branches and sprays of myrtle, since his father
conjectured that he was to have a sacred son,
inasmuch as cymbals resounded in the house when
the child was born, and drums of Rhea were heard,
and the Nymphs also, it was said, danced for him,
2 Cf. Aelian, Varia Hidoria 12. 45 : UivSdpCf} ras irarpcfas
olKias eKTedfvTi fxeXirrai Tpo^oX iy4vovTO, yirep tov yaAuKTOS
Traparieelaai ih^Xl. See Paus. 9. 23. 2 ; Dio Chrys. Or. 64. 22.
3 The father of Pindar.
179
n2
PHILOSTRATUS : IMAGINES
15 ^(^opevaai ol koI avaaKipTrjaai rov II ai'a' (^aal
he avTov, ore \\ivhapo<; e? to iroielv dcpL/cero,
a/j.e\7JcravTa rod crKcprdv aheiv ra rov IlivBdpov,
(3) 'H 'Pea 5e ayaXfia eKveTroviirai kol /caOl-
Spvrai, /jL6v avTOV koI irepl 6vpa<^, ol/iac Be koI
20 \idov TO ayoKfia (palveaOat KareaKXriKviw^
iuravOa t/}? ypacf)T}<; fcal rl yap dWo rj e^ea-
p,6U7j<; ; dyei koI Td<; NuyLt^a? evBp6aov<; kol
o'La<; €K TTijycov, 6 Be Yldv €^opx€CTaL fiev pvOpuov
Bi] Tiva, (paiBphv Be avTu> to elBo<; kol ri}? pLv6<;
25 ovBev x^XojBe^;. (4) Ai ^e elaco /jLeXcTTUt irepi-
epyd^ovTai to iraiBiov €7ri/3dXkovaai to fieXt koI
Ta KevTpa dveKKOvaai Bkei tov ey)^piaaL. i^
'Tp,7]TT0v Tdya ijKOvai koX diro rwz' XnrapMv
KoX doiBifiwv KOL yap tovto olpai avTd<;
30 eva-Td^ai nivBdpw.
ly TTPAI
(1) A/ TOV ireXdyovi dve(TTr]icvlai ireT paL kol
.359 K. ?; ^eovaa irepl avTd<; OdXaTTa r]p(i)<; re Beivov
/SXeTTcov eirl tmv ireTpcov kul tl Kal (j>povi]fiaTO^
e'X^cjdv eirl tijv OdXaTTav — o AoKpo^ /3e^X7]Tai
/lev T1JV eavTov vavv, e/iTTvpov Be avTp)^ diroiri]-
5 Bi](Ta<; ofjLoae Kex(*^pr]Ke tol^ KUfxao-c, tcov fiev
Bi€K7raicov, Ta Be eTnaTrco/xevo'^, tcl Be viravTXcbv
Tw aTepvcp, Tvpal<; B' evTV)(^d>v — al Be Tvpal
^ Cf. p. 177 supra.
' Pindar, Frag. 76 Bgk. "Oh! the gleaming, and the
violet-crowned, and the sung in story ; the bulwark of Hellas,
famous Athens, city divine." Trans. Sandys, L.C.L.
l8o
BOOK II. 13
and Pan leaped aloft ; nay, they say that when
Pindar began to write poetry, Pan neglected his
leaping and sang the odes of Pindar.
A carefully wrought statue of Rhea has been
set up by the very door, and methinks the statue
is clearly of marble, for the painting has taken on
a certain hardness at this point and wliat else is
it, pray, but carved stone? She brings both the
Nymphs of early morning dew and the Nymphs of
the springs, and Pan is dancing a certain measure,
and his expression is radiant and his nostril ^
without a trace of anger. The bees inside the
house are busily at work over the boy, dropping
honey upon him and drawing back their stings
for fear of stinging him. From Hymettus doubtless
they have come, and from the " gleaming city sung
in story"; for I think that this is what they instilled
into Pindar. 2
13. THE GYRAEAN ROCKS
The rocks rising out of the water and the boiling
sea about them, and on the rocks a hero glaring
fiercely and with a certain proud defiance toward
the sea — the ship of the Locrian^ has been struck
by lightning; and leaping from the ship as it bursts
into flame, he struggles with the waves, sometimes
breaking his way through them, sometimes drawing
them to him, and sometimes sustaining their weight
with his breast ; but when he reaches the Gyrae —
^ Ajax, son of Oileus ; the storj' follows quite closely the
Homeric account, Od. 4. 499 f. According to Hyginus
and the mathematician Hero, where the story is described
in scenes on the stage, it is Athena who causes the shipwreck
and death of Ajax because he had snatched the Palladium
from Cassandra (cf. Schone, Jahr. d. Arch. Inst. V. 73 f. )•
i8i
PIIILOSTRATUS : IMAGINES
nerpaL elalv vTrep^aivovaaL rod Alyalov koXttov
■ — -Xoyov^ v7rep(f)poi>a<; Xeyec Kara rcov Oecov
10 avTcov, e(f) oh o YLoaeihcov avTo<; iirl Ta<; Vvpa<;
areWeraL (po^epo'i, ay iral, Kal x^Cfjbcovo^ TrXeco?
Kal Ta<; ;>^atTa9 €^y]pfJL€Po<;. Kairoi irore Kal
avve/ndx^i' tcS AoKpro Kara to "iXiov, aw^po-
vovvTL he Kal (peiBo/xepo) roov Oecov — eppcovvu
15 avTov Toj aKj]7rrp(p — -fVvv S\ iireiSr] v/Spi^ovra
opa, Tjjv Tpiatvav iir avrov (pepec Kal TreTrXyj^erai
6 av)(r]v rrj? irerpa^; 6 ave)(^cDV top Aiavja, co?
aiTocreiaaLTO avTov avTy v^pei.
(2) 'O /jL€v 8r) X6yo<; tt;? ypa(j)yj<; outo?" ToBe ^
20 8' evapye^' XevKrj jxev vtto KVfidrcov rj OdXaTTa,
GiTiXdhe'^ 8' al irerpai Sid to del paiveaOaL, irvp
he €K fiearj^; arTei ri}? ve(jo<;, e? b ifjurvewv 6 dvefMO'^
irXel i) vav^ en KaOdirep lariQ) XP^/^^^V '^^
TTvpL 6 he ATa? olov Ik jxeOrf^; dva^epwv irepL-
25 adpel to 7reXayo<; ovTe vavv opcov ovTe yrjv, Kal
ovhe"^ Tov Yloaeihoi TrpoaiovTa hehoiKev, dXX
eoLKe hiaTeivofjiev{p err outtco tou? ^pa)(^iova^ i)
poofjirj d-noXeXoiTrev, 6 avx,^]P re dveaTi-jKev olo<;
iirl "EKTOpa Kal Tyowa?. 6 /lev hrj Hoaeihcov
30 e/j,ffaXo)u ttjv Tpiaivav dirapd^et ^ to Tpvcpo^;
avTO) AiavTL T?}9 ireTpas, at he Vvpal al Xonral
^ T('5e Capps : TO 5e. ^ oi/Se Kayser : oIjtc.
182
BOOK II. 13
the Gyrae^ are rocks that stand out in the Aegean
gulf — he utters disdainful words against the very
godsj whereupon Poseidon himself sets out for the
Gyrae, terrible^ my boy, tempestuous, his hair
standing erect. And yet in former days he fought
as an ally of the Locrian against Ilium, when the
hero was discreet and forbore to defy the gods
— indeed, Poseidon strengthened him with his
sceptre ; ^ but now, when the god sees him waxing
insolent, he raises his trident against the man and
the ridge of rock that supports Ajax will be so
smitten that it will shake him off, insolence and
all.
Such is the story of the painting, but what is
shown to the eye is this : the sea is whitened by
the waves ; the rocks are worn by the constant
drenching ; flames leap up from the midst of the
ship, and as the wind fans the flames the ship still
sails on as if using the flames as a sail. Ajax gazes
out over the sea like a man emerging from a drunken
sleep, seeing neither ship nor land ; nor does he
even fear the approaching Poseidon, but he looks
like a man still tense for the struggle ; the strength
has not yet left his arms, and his neck still stands
erect even as when he opposed Hector and the
Trojans. As for Poseidon, hurling his trident he
will dash in pieces the mass of rock along with
Ajax himself, but the rest of the Gyrae will remain
^ Located by the ancients near M3'conos, or, more
commonly, off the Eastern promontor}' of Euboea.
2 Cf IL 13. 59. "Therewith the Shaker of Earth smote
the twain [the two Ajaxesl with his staif and filled them
with valorous strength." Cf. p. 156, n. 1.
^ a-rrapd^fi Reiske, Jacobs : ayarapd^ei F L : dpa|et P.
183
PHILOSTRATUS : IMAGINES
fievovat T€, €9 oaop OdXarra, kuI aavXoL kcni]'
^ovGL T(p Tloaeihcovi.
cB' 0ETTAAIA
360 K. (I) AlyvTrrid^ei /J.ev i) Trpoa^oXy t?}? <ypa<^rj^,
6 X6709 Be avT>]<; ovk AlyvTmo^;, aXX' ol/iai
SerTaXcJv' Al-yvmioi'^ jxev yap irapa rov
NeiXov r) ryrj, ©erraXot? Be Il7jv€i,6<; ov avve')(^oopei
5 TToXaL yrjp e^eiv, Trept^SefiXrjfievcov tol<; TreStoi?
opcjv Kol Tov p€vp.aTO<^ i7TiKXv^ovTO<; avrd vno
Tov /jLtjTTO) eKpaXelv. pij^et ovv 6 YioaeiBwv rfj
TpLaivTj TO, oprj kol TTuXa? rw Trora/jLw epydaerai.
(2) TovTO) yap vvvl toj epyw icpeaTTjKev dOXcov
10 avro fcal dvafcaXvTrrcov ra ireBla, Kal Biriprai
fjcev 1) %6t/3 eU TO dvappTj^ai, ra Be opr], jrplv
7TeTTXrj')(6ai, BiiaTarac to diTO)(po3v raj Trorafiaj
fjLejpov. dycovL^o/j^evi]^; Be tt/jo? to evapye<^ t^9
Te)(yi]<; rd Be^id tov T[oa€iBct)Vos ofiov Kal
15 VTrearaXrai, Kal Trpo/Se/SrjKe Kal direLXel rrjv
TrXtjyrjv ovk diro t/}? 'X,eip6^, dXX' diro tov
<T(i)/jLaTo<;. yeypaiTTai Be ov Kvdveo<; ovBe OaXdT-
^ Cf. Od. 4. 505 f. "Poseidon heard his boastful speech
and straightway took his trident in his mighty hands, and
smote the rock of (iyrae and clove it in sunder. And one
part abode in its place, but the sundered part fell into the
sea, even that on which Aiassat . . . and bore him down into
the boundless surging tleep.'" Trans. Murra}', L.C.L.
2 "That Kgypt to which the Greeks sail is land acquired
o.
by the Egyptians, given them by the river.
Hdt.
^ Cf. Hdt. 7. I'iU : "In ancient days, it is said, tliere
was not yet this channel, but those rivers . . . had the same
volume of water as now, and thereby turned all Thessaly into
a sea. Now the Thessalians sa}' that Poseidon made this
184
BOOK II. 14
as long as the sea shall last and will stand unharmed
henceforth by Poseidon.^
14. THESSALY
This painting suggests Egypt at first view^ but
the story it tells is not Egyptian ; rather, in my
opinion, it deals with the Thessalians. For whereas the
land which the Egyptians occupy is a gift of the Nile,^
the Thessalians in early times were not permitted by
the Peneius to have any land at all, since mountains
encompassed the level spaces, which the stream
continually flooded because it had as yet no outlet.^
Therefore Poseidon will break through the mountains
with his trident and open a gateway for the river.
Indeed, this is the work which he has now under-
taken, the mighty task of uncovering the plains ;
his hand is raised to break the mountains apart, but,
before the blow has fallen, they separate a sufficient
space to let the river through. In the painter's
effort to make the action clear, the right side of
Poseidon has been at the same time both drawn
back and advanced * and he threatens to strike his
blow, not merely with his hand, but with his whole
body. He is painted, not dark blue nor yet as a
passage whereby the Peneius flows ; and this is reasonable ;
for whosoever believes that Poseidon is the shaker of the
earth and that rifts made by earthquakes are that god's
handiwork, will judge from the sight of that passage that it
is of Poseidon's making ; for it is an earthquake, it seems to
me, that haa riven the mountains asunder." Trans. Godley,
L.C.L.
- Apparently the body, including the right side, is bent
backward in order to lend its force to the blow, while it it
twisted so that the right side is more advanced than the left.
185
PHILOSTRATUS : IMAGINES
T/o?, (iX,X' T]7r€Lpa)T7](;. tw tol Kal dcnrd^eTaL ra
irehia Kal ofiaXd IBcov Kal evpea, Kaddirep
20 OaXdrra^i. (3) XaipeL Kal 6 irorajjio^ olov
av)(cov^ Kal (fyuXdrrcov to e<? dyKCjpa — Trora/JLO)
yap 6p6ova9at ov avvrjOe^ — dvaTiOeTai rov
Ttrapyj(TL0V &)? Koucpov Kal Trori/jLcorepov Kal
ofioXoyel rep TioaeihoyvL eKpvi]aea6ai 68a) xpdi-
25 fjL€vo<;, dviaxei Kal 7) QerraXLa avvi^dvovro^
ijSi] Tov vSaTo<; eXala Ko/JLcoaa Kal daTd)(^VL Kal
TTcoXov e^aiTTOfJievrj avvavia^ovTO'^. earat yap
Kal iTTTro? avrfj irapd tov nocretScoz^o?, orav rrjv
diroppoijv TOV Oeov Ka6evhovTO<^ 7) yrj vTroBe^yjTat
30 et? 'lttttov.
le' TAATKOS nONTIOS
(1) T^oaTTOpov Kal ^VfXTrXTjydScov rj 'Apyco
BieKirXevcraaa fiiaov rjSr] Tefivei to poBiov tov
(U K. YiovTOV, Kal OeXyei ttjv OdXaTTav 'O/O^eu? ahwv,
^ For ahx^t' Heberdey and others suggest Aufle/s ("set
free "), Jacobs apOds (" elated "). Most MSS. give alQis.
^ e.g. the river god Cephisus in the west pediment of the
Parthenon.
2 i.e. the river Titaresius is a tributary of tlie river
Peneius; the river and the river-god Peneius are identified
in a way somewhat confusing to the reader.
^ Glaucus, a sea divinity, is associated with Anthedon, a
city on the north coast of Boeotia near the Locrian border.
He M'as the son of Anthedon, eponymous hero of the city, and
Halcyone (the "kingfisher'). A fisherman, he noted that
one of the fish he had caught came to life again by contact
with a certain lierb and leapt into the sea. When he himself
tasted tlie same herb, he also plunged into the sea and became
a sea divinity.
186
BOOK II. 15
god of the sea^ but as a god of the mainland.
Accordingly he greets the plains as he sees that
they are both broad and level like stretches of the
sea. The river also rejoices as one exulting ; and,
keeping the usual posture of resting on his elbow 1
(since it is not customary for a river to stand erect),
he takes up the river Titaresius^ as being light water
and better to drink and promises Poseidon that he
will flow out in the course he has made. Thessaly
emerges, the water already subsiding ; she wears
tresses of olive and grain and grasps a colt that
emerges along with her. For the horse also is to be
her gift from Poseidon, when the earth shall receive
the seed of the god while he sleeps and shall bear
a horse.
15. GLAUCUS PONTIUS 3
After passing through the Bosporus and between
the Symplegadae the Argo is already cutting its way
through the midst of the surging Euxine and Orpheus
is beguiling the sea by his singing, moreover the Euxine
The story of the Argo and the golden fleece, the fleece of
the ram that bore Phrixus and Helle over the Hellespont,
belongs to the heroes of the generation before the Trojan
war. The keel of the Argo was fashioned of the oracular oak
at Dodona, the rustling of whose leaves made known the will
of Zeus in answer to those who consulted the god ; sacred
doves made their home in its branches, and a sacred spring
welled up at its foot (cf. Description 33, infra p. 267). When
the ship Argo was completed, Jason set sail with the heroes
of his day as companions, including Castor and Pollux (the
Dioscuri), Orpheus, Heracles, Peleus and Telamon (son of
Aeacus), and Zetes and Calais (sons of Boreas). It was after
passing through the Hellespont and between the clashing
rocks of the Symplegadae, that they encountered Glaucus
Pontius in the Black Sea (Euxine). Cf. also pp. 49, 319.
187
PIIILOSTRATUS : IMAGINES
i) he uKovei KciL V7T0 rfj rphfj Kelrai 6 Yiovro^.
TO, ^ev Si] dycoyc/jia r?}? veax; AioaKovpoL /cal
HpaArXrJ? AlafcuSai t€ koI BopedSaL koI octov
6 Tyi<i 7)fii6eov (f)opd<; ip'Oei,, Tpo-m^; he v(j)i]pfio(TTai
rfj V7]l hevhpov dp'y^alov, co Kara AwScovrjv 6
Zeu? e? ra /navrela e^prjro. (2) Vvcopirj he e?
Tov itXovv Tjhe' 'Xpvaovp diroKeLrai n iv KoX;)^o^9
Kcohiov Kpiov dp)(^aLOV, 09 Xeyerai Tr]v " EXXtjv
10 opov T(p ^pi^o) hia TOV ovpavuv TropOpevaac
TOVTO idacov ekelv, co Trat, iroLelrai d6\ov —
(f)povpo<; yap ti<; avrw hpaKwv epireirXeKTaL
heivov ^XeiTcov Kal virepopcov tov KaOevheiv —
66ev CLp^ei ttj^; veo)<^, eTreihy] ^XeireL e? avrbv ?;
15 TOV ttXov aLTia. (3) Kat Tt^i;? pev, c5 iral,
Kv^epva, Xeyeiai he ovToal 7rpa)T0<; dv9 pooirwv
diTLCTTOvpLeviiv 6appr}aai ttjp re^i^^/i^, AuY/cei)?
he 6 'A^apeco? emTeTaKTac ttj irpwpa heLvo^ mv
ifc iToXXov Te Ihetv Kal e? ttoXv KaTa/SXeylrat tov
20 /3d0ov<; Kcil TrpojTO^ pev viroKetpevcov eppidTWV
alaOeaOaL, TTyocoTO? he virocpaivovcrav yrjv daird-
aaaOai,
(4) ^AXXci vvv eKTre7rX7])^0aL poi ho/cel Kal to
TOV AvyKeco<; oppa Tr]v Trpoa/SoXiju tov (j)dapaTO^,
25 L'0' ov Kal 01 TrevTiJKOVTa a')(aadp,evoi, ttjv
elpeaiav 'HpaKXrj<; pev ar/oeTTTo? p,eveL tov
OedpaTO^,^ ciTe hrj TToWoi? 6poLOL<^ evTV^cov, 01
he XoLTTol Oavpd tl olpat tovto Xeyovaip'
opaTai yap avTol<; TXavKo^ 6 TI6vtio<;, ovKfjaai
30 he ovToai irOTe XeyeTac T-qv dp')(^aiav \K.i'0rjh6pa
Kal TToa? pev tlvos eirl OaXdTTi]<; yevaaaOai,
Kvp,aTO(; he v7rohpap6vTO<i avTov e? to, tmv
^ Oid/xaros Jacobs : dav/xaros.
188
BOOK II. 15
listens and is calm under the spell of his song.
The freight which the ship carries consists of the
Dioscuri and Heracles^ the sons of Aeacus and of
BoreaSj and all the offspring of the demigods who
flourished at this time ; and the keel which had been
fitted beneath the ship was wrought of an ancient
tree, the tree which Zeus used for his oracular
utterances at Dodona. Now the purpose of the voyage
was as follows : In Colchis is preserved a golden
fleece, the fleece of the ancient ram that ferried Helle
with Phrixus across the sky, as the story goes. Jason,
my boy, undertakes the task of securing this fleece
(a task indeed, for to guard the fleece a dragon of
fear-inspiring look and disdainful of sleep holds it
encircled in his coils); for this reason he is commander
of the ship, since the responsibility for the voyage
devolves upon him. And Tiphys, my boy, is pilot of
the ship ; and he is said to be the first of men to
have been bold enough for the art which was till
then mistrusted ; and Lynceus son of Aphareus is
stationed at the prow, a man gifted in seeing far
ahead and in peering deep down into the depths,
always the first to discern submerged reefs and the
first to salute land as it dimly appears on the horizon.
But now, methinks, even the eye of Lynceus is
stricken with consternation at the approach of the
apparition, which also causes the fifty sailors to stop
their rowing ; Heracles, it is true, remains unmoved
at the sight, as one who has met with many like
monsters, but the rest, I believe, are calling it a
wonder. For they see Glaucus Pontius. The story
is that he once dwelt in ancient Anthedon and that
he ate of a certain grass on the seashore, and that
when a wave came upon him unawares he was borne
PIIILOSTRATUS : IMAGINES
Ix^vcov cLTTiivexOri rfOrj. (5) ^lavjeverai /jl€V
ovv fieya tl, co? etVo? — irepLeari yap avrw rr)^
35 rexyriq — to he elho^ vypol puev avrcp yeveiwv
^oarpvxoi, XevKol Be Ihetv KaOdirep KpovvoL,
3r.2 K. /3ap€U Be TrXoKa/xoL ko/xt]^ kul tol<; co/jloi<; iirox^-
T€vovT€<; oaov eairdaavTO ^aXarT?;?* oc^pv^i
\aaiai, avvdiTTOVcraL 7rpo<; dW7]\a<; olov fiia.
(pev Tou ^paxLovo^, a><; yeyvp^vaarac tt/^o? ttjv
5 OdXaaaav ifiTTLirrcov del toU KVfiaai Kal Xeaivwv
avra 69 ttjv vPj^lv. (pev rodv arepvcov, 6i<^ Xd^yn
fiep avTOL<; eyKaTeairapraL ^pvcov KO/mcoaa Kal
(pvKLwv, yaarrjp Se viro/ceirai irapaXXdrrovaa
Kal dmovaa ijSr]. (6) 'Ix^vv Se elvai rw Xolttw
10 Tov YXavKov hifXol ra ovpala e^r)pfiei>a Kal
TTpb^ TTjv l^vv eTTiarpecfyovTa, to Be /ii]i>oeiBe<^
avTMV dXL7rop(f)vpov tl dvOo<^ ^X^^' '^^ptOeovai
5' avTov Kal dXKVove'^ 6/jlov pev aBouaai to, twv
dvOpdnrciiv, ef oiv avTai t€ Kal 6 FXavKO';
15 peOrjppoadijcrav, 6p,ov B' evBeiKvvpievai t&> ^Opcpel
TTjv eavTOiv (uBijv, Bi i)v ovBe i) OdXaTTa dpovaci)<;
I,-' nAAAIMHN
(1) '0 Ovcov ev 'IaOp,a} Bfj/JLO^; — eh] 5' av 6 eK
T?}? KopLvOoV Kal ^a(TLX€V<i OVTOal TOV B)jp,ov —
^ Palaemon is another name for Melicertes, son of Ino
Leucothea. Incurring the anger of Hera, Ino was stricken
with madness and taking her younger son Melicertes jumped
in tlie sea, whereupon she became the sea-goddess Leucothea,
190
BOOK II. i6
away to the haunts of the fishes. Now he is probably
uttering some great oracle^ for he excels in this art.
As to his appearance^ the curls of his beard are wet,
but white as gushing fountains to the sight ; and
heavy are the locks of his hair, which conduct on to his
shoulders all the water they have taken up from the
sea ; his eyebrows are shaggy and they are joined
together as though they were one. Ah, the arm '
how strong it has become through exercise against
the sea, continually battling against the waves and
making them smooth for his swimming. Ah, the
breast ! what a shaggy covering of seaweed and
tangle is spread over it like a coat of hair; while
the belly beneath is undergoing a change and already
begins to disappear. That Glaucus is a fish as to
the rest of his body is made evident by the tail,
which is lifted and bent back toward the waist ; and
the part of it that is shaped like a crescent is
sea-purple in colour. Kingfishers circle about him
both singing the deeds of men (for they like Glaucus
have been transformed from the men they once were)
and at the same time giving to Orpheus a specimen
of their own song, by reason of which not even the
sea is without music.
16. PALAEMONi
The people sacrificing at the Isthmus, they would
be the people of Corinth ; and yonder king of the
and Melicertes the sea-god Palaemon. The worship of
Palaemon was carried on at the Isthmus of Corinth and at
various points on the shores of Greece. At the Isthmus the
Isthmian games apparently were established in his honour,
and only later were taken up into the worship of Poseidon.
191
PHILOSTRATUS : IMAGINES
20 ^lavcpov ainov ijyco/ieOa — Te/xe^'o? 8e tovtI
IloaeiS(bvo<; t)pefia tl Trpoarj^ovv OaXdrrrj — al
yap TMV iTLTVwv KOfiai. TOVTO aSovai — roidhe, co
jral, arjfiaivei' r) 'Ii/co r/)? y7]<; eKirecrovaa to fiev
€avTr]<; AevKoOea re kol tov twv ^rjpyjiScov
25 kvkKov, to he tov 7raL8o<; y yi) YlaXaLfiovi tw
/Specfyei XPW^'^^^- (2) KaTalpei Be rjhi] €9
auT7]v eirl BeX^plvo^ ew-jviov, koX 6 he\<^\<i ra
vSiTa V7roaTp(ovvu<; (feepec xadevBopTa StoXio-Odvcov
dyjrocprjTl t?)? yaXyvij^;, &)? p,?] eKireaoi tov virvov
30 irpoaLovTL he avTW pi]yvvTai tl /caTO, tov ^ladjxov
dhvTOv Siaa')(^ov(T)j<^ t?}? ^r}? eV UoaeLSa)vo<;, 6v
fioi hoKel fcal ^iavi^w tovtw rrpoeLirelv tov tov
7raiS6<i etairXovv koI otl Oueiv uvtm Beoi. (3)
'.W^ K. Buet Be Tavpov tovtovI peXava d'jT0(J7rdaa<;
oJpai avTov e/c tt)? tov UoaeiBcjvof; dyeXyjf;, 6
p,€V ovv Trj<; 6v<Jia<; X6yo<; kol i) tcov OvcrdvTOiV
i(T6r]<; Kol TO, evayiapaTa, o) iral, kol to
5 a(f)dTT€Lv e? Ta tov Y\aXaipovo<i dTroKelaOco
opyia — aep,vo<^ yap 6 Xoyo'^ Kal KouLiBf] drrroOeTOf;
ciT d7roOei(oaavTO<^ avTov %Lcrv(pov tov ao(f)OV'
ao(f)Ov yap ijBy] irov BjjXol avTOV t) e7riaTpo(f)r}
TOV 6lBov<; — TO Be tov IIo(T€iB(x)j'o<; elBo<;, el pev
10 TCL'^ Tvpa<^ 7reTpa<; rj tu HeTTaXt/cd oprj p)]^eiv
€p,eXX6, Beivo^ dv ttov eypdcpeTo Kal olov TrXyT-
TCOV, ^evov Be tov ^leXi/cepT^v 7roiovp,evo<i w? ev
Ttj yfi e')(^0i, fietBia KaOoppal^opevov Kal KeXevei
TOV
laOp.ov dvaireTdaai Ta aTepva Kal yeveadai
^ fvaylcfiara and (T<pimiv, like 0^740, refer to a class of
sacrifices offered to heroes and chthonic gods, but not to
Olympian gods.
192
BOOK II. i6
people, let us consider him to be Sisyphus ; and
this precinct of Poseidon gently resounding to the
murmur of the sea — for the foliage of the pines
makes this music — all this, my boy, indicates the
following : Ino throwing herself from the land for
her part becomes Leucothea and one of the band of
the Nereids, while as for the child, the earth will
claim the infant Palaemon. Already the child is
putting in towards shore on a dolphin obedient to
his will, and the dolphin making its back level bears
the sleeping child, slipping noiselessly through the
calm water so as not to disturb his sleep. And as
he approaches, a sanctuary opens in the Isthmus as
the earth is split apart by Poseidon, who, I fancy,
announces to Sisyphus here the advent of the child
and bids him offer sacrifice to him. Sisyphus is
sacrificing yonder black bull which he has no doubt
taken from the herd of Poseidon. The meaning of
the sacrifice, the garb worn by those who conducted
it, the offerings,! my boy, and the use of the knife
must be reserved for the mysterious rites of Palaemon
— for the doctrine is holy and altogether secret,
inasmuch as Sisyphus the wise first hallowed it ; for
that he is a wise man is shown at once, me thinks,
by the intent look on his face. And as for the face
of Poseidon, if he were about to shatter the Gyrean
rocks 2 or the Thessalian mountains,^ he would doubt-
less have been painted as terrible and like one dealing
a blow ; but since he is receiving Melicertes as his
guest in order that he may keep him on land, he
smiles as the child makes harbour, and bids the
Isthmus spread out its bosom and become the home
^ Cf. supra, Description 13, p. 181,
^ Cf. supra, Descriptiou 14, p. 182.
PHILOSTRATUS : IMAGINES
15 TO* yieXLKeprr] oIkov. (4) '0 he 'la6/j.6<;, w iral,
yeypanrai fiev iv etSet BaL/jLOvo<; eVuTrrtafo)/^
kavTov rf) yr}, Tera/craL he viro ri)^ (^ucreo)?
Xlyaiov Kal 'ASpiov fieao^ KelaOai KaOcnrep
€7T€^6uy/jievo<; roL<; TreXdyeacv. eari he avTw
20 fieipciKLOv /JL€V 6v Se^id, Ki^aiov tol, Kopai Be iv
upiarepa'^ OdXarrat Be avrat fcdXal kol iKavoi'^
evBiOL TTj TOP 'laOfjiov diro^aivovar] yfj irapa-
KadrjvTai,
i^ NHSOI
(1) VtovXeiy 0) iral, KaOdirep diro i'eco? BiaXe-
25 ycofieda irepX tovtcovI tmv vi]awv, olov irepi-
7rX€0VT€<; avTa<i rod ypo'^, ore Ze(f)vpo<; IXapdv
epyd^erai OdXarrav Trpoairvecov t^? eavrov
aupa<; ; dXX' ottw^ i/coov XeXijarj tt)? 77}?, Kal
OdXarrd aoL ravrl Bo^ec pjjr e^yp/ievrj Kal
30 dvax^aiTi^ovaa 111)6' VTrrla Kal yaXrjvyj, ttXcot/)
Be Tf? Kal olov €fi7rvov<;. IBov efi^e^Xi^Kafxev
^vy)(^fopei<; ydp ttov ; Kal virep rov 7TaiB6<i
diTOKpLvaaOaL' " ^vy^oypod Kal irXeco fxev .^' f)
364 K. fiev ddXarra, co? 6pa<;, ttoXX?/, VTJaot 8' ev avrfj
fia At' ov AecrySo? ovB^ "l/i/Spo'^ 7) Arj/jLV0<;, dXX*
dyeXalai Kal fiiKpai, KaOdirep KOipiai Tiv€<i rj
GTaOfxol r) vrj Ala iiravXia tt)? OaXdrrrj^.
1. 5 (2) 'H fiev Brj 7Tpu)Tr] acpcov ipvpvi] re eari
^ L adds K€7xpfai' nov TaxctC'very likely Cenchreae "),
which most recent editors delete as a gloss.
194
BOOK II. 17
of Melicertes. The Isthmus, my boy, is painted in
the form of a divinity reclining at full length upon
the ground, and it has been appointed by nature to
lie between the Aegean and the Adriatic as though
it were a yoke laid upon the two seas. On the right
it has a youth, surely the town Lechaeum,^ and on
the left are girls ; these are the two seas, fair
and quite calm, which lie alongside the land that
represents the Isthmus.
17. ISLANDS
1. Would you like, my boy, to have us discourse
about those islands just as if from a ship, as though
we were sailing in and out among them in the
spring-time, when Zephyrus makes the sea glad
by breathing his own breeze upon it ? But you
must be willing to forget the land and to accept
this as the sea, not roused and turbulent nor yet
flat and calm, but a sea fit for sailing and as it were
alive and breathing. Lo, we have embarked ; for
no doubt you agree ? Answer for the boy
I
agree, let us go sailing." You perceive that the sea
is large, and the islands in it are not, by Zeus,
Lesbos, nor yet Imbros or Lemnos, but small islands
herding together like hamlets or cattle-folds or, by
Zeus, like farm-buildings on the sea-shore.
The first ^ of these is steep and sheer and fortified
^ Lecliaeum, the north port of Corinth, on the Corinthian
Gulf; Cenchreae (represented by the " girls "), the east port
of Corinth on the Saronic Gulf.
^ Welcker recognized the seven (or nine) islands of Aeolus,
described by Servius ad Virg. Aen. 1. 52; see Pereira, Im
lleiche des Aeolus.
o2
PHILOSTRATUS : IMAGINES
Kal aTTOTO/io? Kal T€^^?;p7;? rijv (f)vaii> dKp(ovv)(iav
e^aipovaa TravoTrrrj llocreLSoJvc, Karappov; re
Kal vypa Kal Ta<; yLteX/rra? ^oaKovaa opeioi^;
avOeaiv, mu hpeireaOai Kal ra<; N7;/37;t'8a? €Ik6<;,
II. 10 orav rf] daXdrTTj eiriiTai^waL. (3) 'Yi-jv he
vrjGOV rijv e^efr;? vnTLap re Kal jeMSr) ovaav
OLKOvai fiep aX-iet? re Kal yecopyol a/xa, ^vfi^dX-
Xovrat Se dyopdv dWi]\ot<; oi fxev rodv yecopyov-
/iiivcov, ol he d)v ijypevaap, Uoaeihco he rovrovl
15 yecopyov eir dporpov Kal ^euyov^; 'ihpvvraL
Xoyiov/xevot avro) rd €K t?}? 7?)?, co? he fir)
cFc^ohpa iJTTeipcoTr]'^ 6 Uoaeihcov (paivoiro, irpwpa
€/LL^e/3X7]TaL T(p dporpw Kal rrjv yrjv pijyvvaiv
III. olov irXewv. (4) A/ 8' exofxevai tovtcop pr}aot,
20 hvo fiia fJLtP dfjL(f)a) irore rjaap, payetaa he viro
rod ireXdyov^ fieaii iroTapiov evpo<; eavTP]<;
dTTijpe^drj. Tovrl 8' earl crot Kal irapd tt)?
ypacpy]^;, m iral, yiPcoaKeiP' rd ydp e(T)(^iafjLepa
tT;? pr](TOV TrapaTrXijaid ttov 6pa<; Kal dXXijXoL^;
25 ^v/ifjuerpa Kal ola epapfioaai KolXa €KKeL/JLepoi<;.
TovTO Kal y) KvpcoTTi] TTore irepl rd Tep-irr) rd
SerraXiKd eiraOe' aeia/xol ydp KdKeLP7]p
dpaiTTv^airef; tj]p apjiopiap tojp 6po)u evairecni-
fjiyjpaPTO ToU T/iyjfiaat, Kal Trerpcop je oIkol
30 (papepol en irapaTrXy^aLOi Tai<; €^i]p/jioa/jiepat<;
^ The type of Poseidon with right foot on the prow of a
ship is illustrated by the Vatican statue (prow and dolphin
restored). As Benndorf points out. the Poseidon of the
picture follow^s tliis familiar type ; but the god is dressed
like a fanner, tlie ship's prow has been transformed to serve
as a plough, and his foot is pressed on the plough like
a farmer's in ploughing. The "yoke" seems to mean a
yoke of oxen. Cf. supra, p. 187.
196
BOOK II. 17
by a natural wall ; it lifts its peak aloft for all-seeing
Poseidon ; it is watered with running water and
furnishes the bees with food of mountain flowers,
which the Nereids also doubtless pluck when they
sport along the seashore. The adjoining island,
which is flat and covered with a deep soil, is
inhabited by both fishermen and farmers, who offer
each other a market, the latter bringing of the fruits
of their husbandry, the former of the fish they
have caught ; and they have set up yonder
statue of Poseidon the Farmer with a plough and a
yoke,^ crediting him with the fruits of the earth ;
but that Poseidon may not seem too much a
landsman, the beak of a ship is attached to the
plough and he breaks the ground as though sailing
through it. The two islands next to these were
formerly both joined in one ; ^ but having been
broken apart in the middle by the sea its two parts
have become separated by the width of a river.
This you might know from the painting, my boy ;
for you doubtless see that the two severed portions
of the island are similar, and correspond to each
other, and are so shaped that concave parts fit
those that project. Europe once suffered the same
experience in the region of the Thessalian Tempe ;^
for when earthquakes laid open that land, they
indicated on the fractures the correspondence of
the mountains one to the other, and even to-day
there are visible cavities where rocks once were,
which correspond to the rocks torn from them,
- Apparently the name of the island of Didyme (modern
Salina) suggested to the painter (or the writer) the
conception of two islands connected by a bridge : Benndorf.
3 Cf. supra, Description 15, p. 185.
PHILOSTRATUS : IMAGINES
a<pa)P 7T6Tpai<;, vXrj 0\ oiroaTjv a)(^La6€VT(ov toov
opMV eTriaTriaOat sIko^, ovttcd d8r]\o<;' XeiTrovrai
yap B)) €TL al evvai tmv BivSpcov. to pev Brj t?}?
in'jaov 7TciOo<; toiovtov 7)ycop,eda, ^evypa Be virep ^
35 Tov 7TOpOp,ov /3e^\r]Tat, w? p^lav vir avrov
365 K. (pau'eaOai, koX to piev vTroTrXelraL tov ^€vypaTO<;,
TO Be dpa^eveTai' 6pa<; yap irov tou? Bia^oLTOiv-
Ta9 avTo, CO? oBoiiropoi Te elau koI vavTUi.
IV. (5) Ti]v Be VTjaov, w iral. Trjv TrXrjaiop 6avp,a
5 7]yu>p,€0a' TTvp yap Brj v7T0TV(f>eL avTrjV Trdaav
(Ti]payyd<^ t6 /cal pv)(^ov<i viroBeBvKo^ rr}? vt)GOV,
Bl 6)v MGTcep aiikoiv i) (pXo^ BieKiraiec pvaKd<; t€
epyd^eTac Becvoix;, irap' ojv eKiriiTTovai iroTapol
TTvpo^ pieydXoi Te Kal ttj OaXaTTrj einKvpLai-
10 i'0VT€<;. fcal (f)tXoao(f)€LV p,ev jSovXap^evcp tcl
TotavTa vyao<; dcr(f)dXT0v Kal Oeiov rrapexopivf]
cj)U(Tiv, eireiBdv v(f)' dX6<; dvaKpadfj, '7roXXoL<;
eKirvpovTai TrvevpLaai ra ttjv vXijv e^epedi^ovTa
irapd tt}? 6aXdTTr](; dvaaTTwaa. i) ypa(f)r) Be tcl
15 TMV TTOirjTCyv eiraivovaa Kal p,vdou ttj vqaw
eiTiypdcpei, yiyavTa piev pejBXrjaOai ttotc evTavOa,
BvaOavaTOvvTL B' avTw ttjv vrjaov eireve'xOrjvai
BeapLov eveKev, eiKeiv Be pbyjirco avTOV, dXX^
^ The island ma}' be the modern Volcano (the ancient
Hiera).
2 Find. Pi/th. 1.21. "Etna, from whose inmost caves
hurst forth the purest founts of unapproachable fire."
Trans. Sandys, L.C.L.
^ The story of Typho (Typhoeus), offspring of Gaia, is told
b}^ Hesiod, fheog.H-IOf. In the batlle of the (iods ajid the
Oiants he is overthrown but not slain by a thunderbolt of
BOOK II. 17
and, moreover^ traces have not yet disappeared of the
heavy forest growth that must have followed the
mountain sides when they split apart ; for the beds
of the trees are still left. So we may consider
that some such thing happened to this island ;
but a bridge has been thrown over the channel^
with the result that the two islands look like one ;
and while ships sail under the bridge, wagons go
over it ; in fact you doubtless see the men making
the passage, that they are both wayfarers and
sailors.
The neighbouring island, my boy, we may
consider a marvel ; ^ for fire smoulders under the
whole of it, having worked its way into underground
passages and cavities of the island, through which
as through ducts the flames break forth and produce
terrific torrents from which pour mighty rivers of
fire 2 that run in billows to the sea. If one wishes
to speculate about such matters, the island provides
natural bitumen and sulphur ; and when these are
mixed by the sea, the island is fanned into flame by
many winds, drawing from the sea that which sets
the fuel aflame. But the painting, following the
accounts given by the poets,^ goes farther and
ascribes a myth to the island. A giant, namely,
was once struck down there, and upon him as he
struggled in the death agony the island was placed
as a bond to hold him down, and he does not yet
Zeus, and a mountain is placed upon him to hold him
confined. \Yhile the story was first localized in Asia Minor,
it was transferred to Sicily, where the eruptions of Etna
were interpreted as the fire of his breath. The story of
Enceladus, the opponent of Athena in the battle of the Gods
and the Giants, was transferred from Attica to various
volcanic regions in Italy and Sicily.
199
PHILOSTRATUS : IMAGINES
ava/jia)(ea6ai inro ttj yfj ovra Kai to irvp rovro
20 (Tvv aireiXfj eKTTvelv. tovtI Be Koi rov Tui^co
(j)aaiv eV "EiKeXia /SovXeaOai kuI rov 'EyKeXaBov
iv 'IraXta tuvti), oO? -ijireipOL re kuI vvjaoL
TTLe^ovcrip ovrrct) fiev redvewTa^, aei Se uTroOpy-
aKovra'^. eari Si croi, w Tral, /jLtjS' v7To\e\€l(p-
25 OuL ho^ai Tr}<; yita;^?;? e? rrjv K0pucf)7]V rod opov^
dTToffXeyjravrL' ra yap eV^ avrrj^i (fiaivofxeva 6
Zeu? d(f)Ly]a-L Kepavvov<i eir] rov ylyavra, 6 h
dirayopevei jxev ?;8>;, Tnarevet he rfj yfj en, koX
rj yij Be cnreipriKev ovk ioyvro^ avrrjv kardvai
30 rov ITocrefSwi^o?. TrepLJSi/SXTjKe Be avroU dxXvv,
ct)9 ojJLOLa yeyovoat fiaXXov rj yivofievoL^ <f)ai-
VOLTO.
IVa. (6) Tov Be irep'nrXovv koXcovov rovrov OLKel
BpuLKwv irXovrov rivo<; olfxai (pvXa^, o? vtto rfj
35 yfj Kelrai. rovro yap Xeyerac ro Orjpiov evvovv
re elvai rco ^pL'crw, Kal 6 ri lBtj -y^puaovv, dyairdv
3(56 K. Kal OdXireiv ro rot kcoBlov ro iv KoXxoi^ Kal rd
r(x)v 'EaTrepiBcov /XTJXa, iTTeiBi] ')(pvad i(f)aLvovro,
BLrrct) dvTTVco ^vvel^^ov BpdKovre Kal eavrolv
iiroiovvro. Kal 6 BpdKcov Be 6 r?}? 'A^r/ra? o
1 An indication that Pliilostratus is writing in Campania,
which confirms the statement in the Froociniurn (295, 14,
p. 5, supra) : Benndorf.
a Cf. Find. ]';,Uk 1. 15 f. "That foeman of the gods,
Typhon with his hundred heads, who was nurtured of old
by the famed Cilician cave, though now the steep shores
above Cyme, and Sicily too, lieth heavy on liis shaggy
200
BOOK II. 17
yield but from beneath the earth renews the fight
and breathes forth this fire as he utters threats.
Yonder figure, they say, would represent Typho
in Sicily or Enceladus here in Italy,^ giants that
both continents and islands are pressing down, not
yet dead indeed but always dying. 2 And you,
yourself, my boy, will imagine that you have not
been left out of the contest, when you look at the
peak of the mountain ; for what you see there are
thunderbolts which Zeus is hurling at the giant,
and the giant is already giving up the struggle
but still trusts in the earth, but the earth has
grown weary because Poseidon does not permit
her to remain in place. Poseidon has spread a
mist over the contest, so that it resembles what
has taken place in the past rather than what is
taking place now.
This hill encircled by the sea is the home of a
serpent,'^ guardian doubtless of some rich treasure
that lies hidden under the earth. This creature
is said to be devoted to gold and whatever golden
thing it sees it loves and cherishes ; thus the fleece
in Colchis and the apples of the Hesperides, since
they seemed to be of gold, two serpents that never
slept guarded and claimed as their own. And the
serpent of Athena, that even to-day still makes its
breast, and the column that soareth to heaven crusheth him,
even snow-clad Etna. . . . And that monster flingeth aloft
the most fearfulfounts of fire. . .
Sandys in L.C.L.
^ Benndorf points out that to-day many Greek islands
abound, or are thought to abound, in snakes, so that such
names as ApaKovLai, 'Ocpiovaaa/'Tbpa, etc., are often applied to
them ; he also quotes Brunn's suggestion that this " home of
a serpent'"' may be the well-known island of Phoenicusa
(Filicudi) now called the
grotto del bove marino."'
201
PHILOSTRATUS : IMAGINES
5 en Kol vvv iv uKpoiroXei olkcov 8ok6l fiOL rov
WOyjvalcov daTrdaaaOai Sfj/xov iirl T(p ')^pvaq), ov
€K€LVOi T6TTiya<i Tttt? K6(f>a\al<; eiTOLOvvTo. iv-
ravOa Sk ')(^pvaov'^ avTo<; 6 SpciKcov' rtjv yap
K€<pa\)]v T)]^ ^£(5? virep/SaWet ScSlco^; o2/j.ai
10 vTrep rod Kcirco ttXovtov.
V. (7) KaTr]pe(f)T]^ Se kitto) re Kal afxlXaKi, kol
ayLtTTeXoi? i]he i) vr]ao<; ovaa dkiovvaw fxev avelaOai
<p7]ai, Tov Aioi'vaov 8' aTrelvat vvv kol iv r^ireipw
TTou l3aK)(€V6iv iiriTpiyjravTa toj ^etXrivo) ra
15 ivravOa airoppiiTa' ra he airopptiTa /cvfi^aXd re
ravra virria Kal KpaTrjpe<; dvearpafxpievot y^pvaol
Kal avXol OepfJLol en Kal ra rv/xTrava a\/ro^ 7;tI
K€i/jL€va, Kal ra? ve^piha<^ 6 ^€(f)vpo<; olov al'pet
diTo T>}9 7%, o(f)€L<; re oi fxev e/jLTrXeKovrac TOi?
20 dvpcroi<;, oi 8' vrro rod ol'vov irapelvrai ^wvivaOai
avrov^ raL<; Ba/c;^a;? Kad€v8ovra<;. (8) Bor/^f?
Be OL fiev opycjaiv, ol he TrepKci^ovaiv, oi 8'
6/jL(f)aKe<;, ol 3' olvdvdai hoKOvat aeao(j)i(Tfievov
rov Aioi'vaov ra? wpa<; rwv dpbireXwv, a)9 a^i
25 rpvycpii. dfi(f)iXa:f)€L<^ h' ovrco n ol /36rpv^, to?
Kal rwv rrerpojv d7Ty]prrja6ac Kal rfj OaXdrrrj
iirLKpe/jLaadai, oircopi'^ovai re 7rpoa7Ter6p.evoc
OaXdrrioi re Kal rjireipMrat, 6pvi6e<^' rip yap
ajjLTreXov 6 Ai6vuao<; irapex^i kolvi-jv irdaL ttXtjv
30 T^9 yXavKOf;, CKelv^v Be fiovrjv apa drrcoOelraL
1 The "serpent of Athena," which was regularly
represented with the Athena of the Athenian acropolis, is
connected with the story of the snake-king Erechtheus.
Probably its home was the crypt beneath the north porch of
the Erechtheum. According to Plutarch, the story that the
honey-cake, with which this serpent was fed each month,
remained untasted at the time of the Persian invasion,
202
BOOK II. 17
home on the Acropolis^ in my opinion has loved
the people of the Athenians because of the gold
which they make into grasshopper pins for their
hair.2 Here the serpent himself is of gold ; and
the reason he thrusts liis head out of the hole is,
I think, that he fears for the safety of the treasure
hidden below.
Canopied with ivy and bryony and grape-vines, this
next island claims to be dedicated to Dionysus, but
adds that Dionysus is now absent^ doubtless revelling
somewhere on the mainland, having entrusted to
Seilenus the sacred objects of this place ; these
objects are yonder cymbals lying upside down, and
golden mixing-bowls overturned^ and flutes still warm,
and drums lying silent ; the west wind seems to lift
the fawn-skins from the ground ; and there are
serpents, some of which are twined about the thyrsi
and others, in a drunken sleep, are at the disposal of
the Bacchantes for use as girdles. Of the clusters
of grapes some are ripe to bursting, some are turning
dark, some are still green, and some appear to be
budding, since Dionysus has cunningly fixed the
seasons of the vines so that he may gather a
continuous harvest.^ The clusters are so abundant
that they both hang from the rocks and are suspended
over the sea, and birds of both the sea and the land
fly up to pluck them; for Dionysus provides the vine
for all birds alike except the owl, and this bird alone
was used by Themistocles to prove that the serpent and
Atliena herself had deserted the city of Athens.
^ The golden cicada, worn by the Athenians before Solon's
time, was an emblem of their claim to be autochthonous, for
the cicada was thought to be earth-born.
3 The author is influenced b}' Homer's description of the
gardens of Alcinoiis, Od. 7. 125 fF.
203
PHILOSTRATUS : IMAGINES
TMV jSorpvwv, eireihrj toI'^ av6poL>iTOL<; Bia^dWeu
TOP olvov, (pa yap t^? y\avKO<; el (f>dyoL iraihiov
vjjTnov re Kal^ dotvov, dire^OdveTaL tco o'lvco
TTciaav rrjv r}\iKLav Kal ovt av ttlol Kal (po^olro
35 Tou? fieOvovra^. (9) 2u 5' ovrw ri Opaaix;, o)
367 K. iraly co? /Lt>;8e tov ^€lX^]vov tovtov, top (j)v\a/ca
tt)^ vi]aov, (ho^eladai /xeOvovrd re Kai ciino-
fievov tT;? Ba/c;^/;?. rj B' ovk d^tol e? avrov
I^Xeireiv, dWa tov Alovv(tov ipwcra dvaTVirovrai
5 avTOV Kal avaypdcpei Kal opa fjui] irapovra' to
yap Tfjiv 6(f)0a\/jLO}v yOo^ Tjj Ba/c;;^?; fieTecopov
pLev, ov pir^v e^co y epcoTiKcov (^povTiBcov.
VT. (10) TavTi he /; cf)vai<; Ta oprj ^vvOeiaa vijaov
elpyaaTat Baaetdu re Kal v\r)<i TrXico, oiroar/
10 KvirapLTTOV re vyjri]\7)<; Kal irevKT)^ Kal i\dTrj<^
BpVMV T€ av Kal KeBpov Kal yap tcl BevBpa
TOV eavTOiv yeypaiVTaL Tpoirov. Ta puev Byj
evdrjpa tP)<; in'/aov auoOrjpai tg dvi)(yevovai Kal
e\a(f)r]06\oc Xoyxa^ ^^rl '^d Otjpla rjppei'OL Kal
15 To^a evLOL. Kal fA.a)(^aLpa<; Be, cj Trat, Kal Kopv-
va<; (ftepovaiv ol dyy^epa\0L a(f)a)v Kal dpaa6L<;,
BiKTvd Te TavTa BtijKTai r?)? vXtj^; Ta puev
iyKoXiriaaadai Oi^piov, Ta Be Brjaai, Ta Be aX'^'^^'
Tou BpopLOV. Kal Ta pLep el'XyjTTTaL Toyv Qy^picov,
20 Ta Be pidx^TaL, Ta Be rjprjh-e tou fidXXovTa'
evepycx; Be Tra? fipax^oyv veavia<i, Kal crvve^ai-
povai fforjv Kvve<i dvBpdaiv, w? Kal ttjv y]X^
1 T6 Koi L, re iTi Koi Marc. CI. xi. 29, Jcicobs conj. tn Kai.
The Teubner editors, while proposing re koI 6.oivov tn,
delete from text vr]iriov . . . aoivov. which seem confirmed,
however, l)y Philost. Vit. ApoU, III. 40 ; see note under
translation.
204
BOOK II. 17
he drives away from the clusters because it gives
man a prejudice against wine. For if an infant child
that has never tasted wine should eat the egcrs of an
owl, he hates wine all his life and would refuse to
drink it and would be afraid of drunken men.^ But
you are bold enough, my boy, not to fear even the
Seilenus here that guards the island, though he is
both drunken and is trying to seize a Bacchante.
She, however, does not deign to look at him, but
since she loves Dionysus she fashions his image in
her mind and pictures him and sees him, absent
though he is; for though the look of the Bacchante's
eyes is wavering, yet assuredly it is not free from
dreams of love.
Nature in fashioning yonder mountains has made
an island thickly grown and covered with forest,
lofty cypress and fir and pine, oaks also and cedar;
for the trees are painted each in its characteristic
form. The regions on the island where wild beasts
abound are tracked by hunters of boar and deer,
some equipped with hunting-spears and with bows.
Knives and clubs, my boy, are carried by the bold
hunters that attack at close quarters ; and here nets
are spread through the forest, some to surround the
animals, some to entrap them, and some to check
their running. Some of the animals have been
taken, some are struggling, some have overpowered
the hunter; every youthful arm is in action, and
dogs join men in an outcry, so that you might say
^ Cf. Philostratus' Life of ApoIIonius, III. 40 (Conybeare's
translation, L.C.L.), where a fatlier is enjoined to make his
infant son a teetotaler by this prescription : " for if it is fed
upon them [owls' eggs] before it tastes wine, distaste for wine
will be bred in it, etc."
205
PHILOSTRATUS : IMAGINES
(j)avaL ^vfjL^aK-^eveiv rrj 61] pa. ra Be /jieydXa
TMV cf)VT(Jov BpvTOfioL aiTaOcoat BiaT€/jiV0PTe<;, koI
25 o fiev Scalpel rov ireXeKw, 6 Be i^/Se/SXrjKev,
6 Be 67'jyec Xa^oov direaro/xia/jLevop vtto tou
7r\i]TT€iv, 6 8' eTTLCTKOTrelTat rrjv eXdrr^v larov
eve/cev TeKfiaip6fievo<i ^ rov BevBpov 7r/3o? rrjv
vavv, 6 Be TO, via Kal opOd twv BevBpwv Te/xvei
30 e? rd eperiKd.
Via. (11) 'H 8' aTToppa)^ irerpa Kal 6 tcov aWvi(ov
Bi'jfMOf; Kal 6 ev fieaaL<; 6pvi<^ diro rov roiovBe
yeypairrai \6yov. 01 dvOpwrroL Tal<; alOviat<;
eTTLTidevTaL /xd AC ov tmv Kpecov eveKa' jxeXav
35 ydp Kal voacoBe^i Kal ovBe Treivcovrc 7)Bu to ef
avTMv Kpea^, yaarepa Be Trapexovjai iraialv
Larpcbi', oXav tou? yevaafievov^i avri}^ evairou*;
368 K. d7ro(f)aLvetv Kal Koixpov^, virvrjXal ovaac Kal
7rvpidXo)TOL' vvKTcop ydp avral^ evaarpdiTTovat,
iTpoadyovTat Be rov Ki]VKa opviv eirl fioipa twv
dXiGKopukvwv /xeXeBcovov elvai Kal irpoeyprjyo-
5 pevai (T(f)Ci)v. 6 Be k/jv^ OaXdmo^; fiev, ')(^p7]aT6<i
Be opvL^ Kal aTTpdyfKov Kal OrjpdcfaL /mev tol
dBpain]<;, tt/do? Be ye vttvov eppcorat, Kal KaOevBei
afJLLKpd. ravrd rot, Kal diroinaOol tou? 6<^6aX-
fjiOV<^ €K€LvaL<;. eTreiBdv ovv iirl Balra aTroTTTw-
10 (TiVy 6 fiev OLKovpel irepl ti-jv irerpav, al 8'
i'jKOvaiv e? eairepav dirdyovaaL BeKdrrfv avrd)
roiv re6)]pa/jLevcov Kal KadevBovaiv yBr) irepl
avToi' ov KaOevBovra ouS' dv yrrrjOePTa vttvov
^ Pikkolos would insert t}> ^itikos before toG hivhpovy "for
a mast, judging the height of the tree in relation to his
ship."
^ See critical note.
206
BOOK II. 17
that Echo herself joins in the revel of the hunt.
Woodsmen cut through the tall trees and trim them;
and while one raises his axe, another has driven it
home, a third whets his axe which he finds dull from
hewing, another examines his fir tree, judging the
tree with a view to a mast for his ship,i and still
another cuts young and straight trees for oars.
The precipitous rock and the flock of seagulls ^ and
the bird^ in their midst have been painted for some
such reason as this : The men are attacking the
sea-gulls, but not, by Zeus, for their flesh, which is
black and noisome and unpalatable even to a hungry
man; but these birds supply to the sons of the
doctors * a stomach of such properties as to assure a
good appetite in those who eat it and to make them
agile. The birds being drowsy are easily caught by
torchlight, for the hunters flash a light upon them
at night. But the gulls induce the tern with a part
of the food they catch to act as a warden and to keep
awake for them. Now though the tern is a sea-bird,
yet it is simple-minded, easy-going, and inefficient
at catching prey ; but in resisting sleep it is strong
and in fact sleeps but little. For this reason it lets
out the use of its eyes to the gulls. So when the
gulls fly away after food, the tern keeps guard around
the home rock, and the gulls return towards evening
bringing to it a tithe of what they have caught ;
they at once sleep round about the tern, and it stays
awake and is never overcome by sleep except when
2 On the island of Filicudi (the ancient Phoenicusa) visitors
are shown a cave near the shore, frequented b}' an immense
number of gulls. Pereira, Im Riiche des Aeolus, p. 90.
' i.e. the tern mentioned below.
- i.e. the medical profession ; sons was the regular name
for disciples, e.g. "Asclepiads" for disciples of Asclepius ;
and " sons of the prophets " for disciples of the prophets.
207
PHILOSTRATUS : IMAGINES
TTOTe, €l fii] avTal (SovXoinai. el he S6\ov rov
15 TrpoaiovTO^; al'aOoiro, o fiev ava/3od ropov re koI
o^v, al h airo avvO/]fiaro<; apdelaai (f)evyovaiv
dve)(^ovaai rov fieXeScovop, el ireroixevo^; direiiTOL
TTOTe. aW ivravOa eaTTjKe fcal rd^ al6via<^
Treptopa. can 8' avrou to fiev ev fieaai^ eardvai
20 rat? opvLaLv 6 T\p(iiTev<; 6 ev rah (f)coKai<;, to ^e
/j,7] KaOevheiv virep rov Tlpwrea.
VII. (12) 'EvravOa Se, o) iral, Kal Kadcopiiiarai
y/jilv, Kal 6 TC /lev ovofia rfj vi'jcxw ovtc olBa,
y^pvai) 8' dv tt/oo? >ye ifiov ovofjud^oiro, el firj
25 fjidrriv ol iroiriral rrjv roidvBe eTrcovvfiiav e^ev-
p}]Kaai. T0L<; Ka\ot<; re Kal OavixaaioL^ irdaLv.
wKLarat fiev Sij, oiroarj /SaaiXeta, fiLKpa Se-
^aaOar ov yap dpoaei ye ivravOd ri^ ov8e
d/jL7re\ovpyjjaei, irepiecm 6' avrfj Trrp/ow, a)V
30 Ta? fiev dKpai(f)veU re Kal y\rv)(pd^ eKSiScocri,
rd<; Be eKirvpcoaaaa. earco 8' ovrw Tf? evpov<;,
ft)? Kal TT) OaXdacnj eTTLirXi'jpLiivpelv. to to^
podiov rovTO 7r7]yal VTroKUfiari^ovai ^eovaai
Kal olov €K \€/3y]T0<; dvairaXXofievai re Kal
35 dva7rr)Sooaai, irepl a? ^e/SXijTai yBe ?; vfjao<;.
309 K. TO fiev ovv Oavpa T7]<i rcov irr/ycov eVSocrew?
el're t/}? 7';? irpoarjKe vofii^eiv e'lTe rfj OaXdaay
oiKeiovv, BiKuaei oBe 6 Ilp(OTev<;' i]Kei yap Bi]
OefiidTevacov rovro. (18) Ta Be TreTroXLafieva
5 T^9 v)jaov aKoiTOifiev. wKiarat yap Brj ev avrf]
TToXeft)? KaXrj^ re Kal \afM7rpd<; el'BojXov oaov
olKia, Kal /SaaiXiKov e'laco rpe<^eTai iraiBiov,
^ The reference is to 01. 4. 413 f.
^ On the modern Basiluz/o, one of the Liparian Islands
("Basilidin," Gcoyr. Rev. V.23, p. 400, 12), thereare still ruin
208
BOOK II. 17
they are willing. If it senses the approach of any
danger it raises a piercing shrill cry, and they rise at
the signal and fly away, supporting their warden if
ever it grows weary in flight. But in this picture
it is standing and watching over the gulls. In that
it stands in the midst of its birds, the tern is like
Proteus among his seals,^ but it is superior to Proteus
in that it does not sleep.
On this island, my boy, we have put ashore ;
and though I do not know what its name is, I at
least should call it " golden," had not the poets
applied this epithet at random to everything beautiful
and marvellous. It is only big enough to have a
small palace ; ^ for no one will plough here or culti-
vate the vine; but it has an abundance of springs, to
some of which it furnishes pure cold water and to
some water that it has heated. Let us conclude that
it is an island so well supplied with water that the
water overflows into the sea. As for this surging
water, bubbling springs that leap up and bound on
high as from a cauldron cause the rippling waves, and
this island surrounds the springs. Now the marvel of
the source of the springs, whether one should assume
that they come from the earth or should locate them
in the sea, Proteus here shall decide ; for he has
come to render judgment on this point. Let us
examine the city that has been built upon the
island. For in truth there has been built there a
likeness of a fair and splendid city no larger than
a house, and therein is nurtured a royal child and
of ancient walls and other remains from antiquity ; and along
its eastern shore gases are said to bubble up in the sea. Pereira,
Im Reiche cles Aeolus, p. 90 (Benndorf). The plural jSaot'Aeta
is used of one palace, ' ' royal quarters. "
209
PHILOSTRATUS : IMAGINES
(iOvp/ia Be avT(p TroXf?. dearpa yap eajLv,
oTToaa avrov re he^acrOai xal tov^ avfiTraidra^
10 TOVTcpl TTalBa^;, iTTTroBpofio^; re i^coKohofiriTai
Tf? ciTTOXpMV Tols MeXiTatot? kviuSloi^ irepL-
Bpajielv avTov 'lttttov'; yap Br] 6 Trai? ravra
TTOLelrai koI avve)(ei cr(f)d<; t^vyov re kol ap/ia,
ijvioxv^ovraL ^ Be vrro rovrcovl rcov 7ri6r]KQ)v,
15 01)9 TO rraiBlov Oepdirovra'; i]yelraL. (14)
\aya)o<i Be ovroal %^e9 olfiai elawKiapievo'^
^vvex^TUC fxev Ifiavn (poivLKco KaduTrep kixvv,
BeBeaOat S' ovk cl^lol kuI Bio\ia6)]aaL tou?
Be(r/iov<; ideXei iriarevcov rot? irpoaOioi^ rcov
20 TToBcop, ^^irraKo^^ re koI Ktrra ev olk'ktkw
irXeKrw Xetpijvoov Bikiiv ev rfj vi]a(p aBovatv
aBei Be rj fiev oiroaa olBev, 6 Be oirocra p.avddveL.
iri KTKAH^
(1) 0/ 6epi'C,ovre<^ re rd Xi'^ia koI rpvywvre^
25 ra? dfXTre\ov<; ovre i'jpocrav, w iral, ravra ovre
€(f)vrevaap, aXX* avrofxara 1) yPj acfiiaiv dva-
rrepiirei ravra' elaX yap Bi] Ki/AcXw7re?, ol? ovk
olBa ef orov rrjv yrjv ol Troirjral jBovXovrai
avro(j)vd elvai o)V (pepet. ireTroLTjrat Be avTov<;
?>0 Kal iroi/jLeva'; rd irpo^ara /SuaKovaa, irorov re
ro ydXa rovrwu rjyovvrai, Kal oyjrov. ol B^ ovr
^ rjyioxvcTourai Schenkl and Benndorf : 7V
oxicra!j' or
yji' 10x^1 (^ Of libri.
^ i.e. Maltese.
2 The first section of the description is full of reminiscences
of Homer: e.g. Oil. 9. 108, the Cyclopes "plant nothing
210
BOOK II. i8
the city is his plaything. There is a theatre large
enough to receive him and his playfellows, and a
hippodrome has been constructed of sufficient size
for little Melitaean^ dogs to run races in; for the
boy uses these as horses and they are held together
by yoke and chariot, and the drivers will be these
apes that the boy regards as his servants. Yonder
hare, brought into the house only yesterday, 1 believe,
is fastened with a purple leash like a dog, but it
objects to being bound and seeks to slip its bonds
with the help of its front feet ; and a parrot and a
magpie in a woven cage sing like Sirens on the
island ; the magpie sings what it knows, but the
parrot what it has been taught.
18. CYCLOPS
These men harvesting the fields and gathering
the grapes, my boy, neither ploughed the land nor
planted the vines,- but of its own accord the earth
sends forth these its fruits for them ; they are in
truth Cyclopes, for whom, I know not why, the {)oets
will that the earth shall produce its fruits spon-
taneously. And the earth has also made a shep-
herd-folk of them by feeding the flocks, whose
milk they regard as both drink and meat. They
with their hands nor plough ; but all these things spring up
for them without sowing or ploughing, wheat, and barley, and
vines"; 112, "Neither assemblies for council have they,
nor appointed laws," but they "dwell on the peaks of the
mountains in hollow caves"; 246 f., Polj^phemus drinks
milk and eats cheese and (291) makes his supper on two of
the companions of Odysseus,
211
p2
PHILOSTRATUS : IMAGINES
ayopav ywcocTKovaiv ovje ^ov\evTi]piov, ovhe^
oIkov, dWa ra py^yixara iaoiKKTci/jievoL rod opovi.
35 (2) Tou? /leu aX\.ov<i ea, \lo\v(j)ij/jio<; Se 6 rod
370 K. lloaeihcovo'^ dypKoraro^ avrcjv olkcl evravOa,
fjLLuv /JL6V vire pr eii'Qjv ocppvv rod o^OaXjJLoi) evo^
6i>T0<;, TrXarela Se rfj pivl 6Tn[3aivwv rod p^etX,ou?
fcal aLTovfX€vo<^ toik; di'dpu>7rou<i oyajrep tmp
XeovTcov 01 cofxoi. vvvl he cnTe-)(^eTaL rov roiov-
5 Tov aiTiov, ft)? /x?) l3opos firjSe dr]Sr]<; ^aivoiro'
ipa yap rr}^ Ta\aT€La<; 7TaL^ovar)<; e? toutI to
TriXayo'; cKpLaropcbv avrrjv airo tov 6pov<;.
(3) Kat ?; /ULEV avpiy^ €tc viro fJidXi]^ Kal arpe/xet,
ecTTL 6' avT(p TTOii^ievLKOv aapta, co? XevKi] re en;
10 fcal yavpo^ Kal ySlayp 6fi(f)a/co<; Kal co? v€fipov<;
Trj TaXaTela aKVfivevec Kal dpKTov^. ahei he
vTTo TTpiv(p TavTa, ovS* OTTOV avTQ) TCL TTpoffaTa
ve/jL6TaL 6t3&)? ovh' oiroaa eaTiV ovh^ ottov t) yi)
€Ti. opCLO^ T€ Kal heLvo<; yeypaiTTaL ')(^aiTr)v puev
15 dvaaeiwv 6p6i]v Kal dfx(f)i,Xa(f)r] 7rLTvo<; hiKTjv,
Kapxdpov<; he viro^aivwv bh6vTa<i eK jSopov tov
yeveiov, aTepvov re Kal yaaTepa Kal to et? ovv^a
rjKOv Xdaio<; irdvTa. Kal /SXeireLV fiev 7]/j,€p6p cf)i]aii'y
■^ ovSi Kayser : ovre.
1 Cf. Theocr. 11. 31 f.,
"One long shag e3ebrow ear to ear my forehead o'er
(loth go,
And but one eye beneatli doth lie, and the nose stands
•wide on the lip."
Trans. Edmonds, Orcelc Bucolic Poets, L.C.L.
2 Theocritus has written the song of the Cyclop's serenade
from whicli Philostratus draws freely in §2; ef. Idi/ll 11,
19 ff.
212
if-
BOOK II. i8
know neither assembly nor council nor yet houses,
but they inhabit tlie clefts of the mountain.
Not to mention the others, Polyphemus son of
Poseidon, the fiercest of them, lives here ; he has a
single eyebrow extending above his single eye and
a broad nose astride his upper lip,i and he feeds
upon men after the manner of savage lions. But at
the present time he abstains from such food that he
may not appear gluttonous or disagreeable ; for he
loves Galatea, who is sporting here on the sea, and
he watches her from the mountain-side. And
though his shepherd's pipe is still under his arm and
silent, yet he has a pastoral song to sing that tells
how white she is and skittish and sweeter than un-
ripe grapes, 2 and how he is raising for Galatea fawns
and bear-cubs.^ All this he sings beneath an ever-
green oak, heeding not where his flocks are feeding
nor their number nor even, any longer, where the
earth is. He is painted a creature of the mountains,
fearful to look at, tossing his hair, which stands
erect and is as dense as the foliage of a pine tree,
showing a set of jagged teeth in his voracious jaw,
shaggy all over — breast and belly and limbs even to
the nails. He thinks, because he is in love, that his
"0 Galatea fair and white, white as the curds in whey,
Dapper as lamb a-frisking, wanton as calf at play,
And plump of shape as rudd^'ing grape, . . ."
7]5L(t}v u^KpaKos seems to be a witticism suggesting Poly-
phemus' idea of a compliment ; in Theocritus 1. 21 (piapocripa
6iii<paKos Mf as, "plumper of shape than ruddying grape," is
found the clue to the interpretation of Philostratus.
3 Cf. Theocr. 11. 40,
"And 0, there's gifts in store for thee,
Eleven fa^vns, all white collars, and cosset bear's cubs
four for thee."
213
PlIILOSTRATUS : IMAGINES
€7r€iB7] epa, ciypiov Be 6 pa koX viroKaOyj/jLevov en
20 KaOdirep ra Orjpla ra avdyKT]^ r)TTa)/jL€va.
(4) 'H Be 6V ciTTokfi rf) Oakdaar) irai^ei
rerpcopoi' B€\(f)LVu>v ^vvdyovaa o/jLo^vyovi'Tcov
fcal ravTov irveovTwv, irapOevoi 3' avTovs ciyovcn
25 TpLT(t)vo<;, al S/xcoal t/}? FaXareta?, iTrLaTo/il-
^ovaai a^a<^, el n dyepw)(^ov re Ka\ irapa rrjv
rjviav irpdrroier. r) 8' VTvep Ke(pa\r)<; dXcTTop-
(f)vpov fiev XtjSlov e? rov ^ecpvpou aipet aKidv
eavrf] elvai /cal lajiov to) cipfiari, d(f)' ou Ka\
30 auyi) n^ eVl to /jLercoTrov Kal ttjv Ke(f)a\T]v ijk€l
ovTTO) i)hi(jdv^ Tov Ti]<; 7Tap€id<; dvOov^, al KOfiai
8' avT?-}<^ ovK dvelvrai rw ^ecpvpw' Bui^poxoL
yap By] elai Kal KpeiTTOV<; tov dvejiov. Kal fxyjv
Kal dyKoov Be^io^ etcKeiraL \evKov BiaKXlvcov
35 'TTr}-)(vv Kal dvairavwv rov<; BafCTvXov<; irpo^
371 K. diraXw rw wfiw Kal coXevac viroKv/jLaiPovaL Kal
/j,a^o<i vTraviararai Kal ovBe ti]v einyovviBa
eKXelirei rj copa. 6 rapao^ Be Kal rj avvairoXi]'
yovaa avrco x«/0£? €(f)aXo<;, w Tral, yey pairrai
Kal eTnyfravei t/}^ OaXdTTrj<; olov Kv^epvcov to
5 dpfia. Oav/xa oi o^OaXjioi- PXe-novcn yap virep-
opiov TL Kal avvaiTLov r(p /j.y]Kei rod ireXdyov^.
lO' (I>OPBAS
(1) 'O fiev TTOTa/io?, w jrai, K7](piao<; BotcoTto?
Te Kal ov Tcop d/jLOvacov, GKrjvovaL B iir avTcp
^Xeyvai ^dp^apoi 7r6Xei<i ovttw ovre'^. ol Be
^ 7i5t'a>j/ Haniaker : T^Sioj/ libri.
^ Phorbas was a mythical king of the Phlegyans, who is
said to have lived at Panopeus in Phocis, and who made
214
BOOK II. 19
glance is gentle, but it is wild and stealthy still,
like that of wild beasts subdued under the force of
necessity.
The nymph sports on the peaceful sea. driving a
team of four dolphins yoked together and working
in harmony ; and maiden-daughters of Triton,
Galatea's servants, guide them, curbing them in if
they try to do anything mischievous or contrary to
the rein. She holds over her head against the wind
a light scarf of sea-purple to provide a shade for
herself and a sail for her chariot, and from it a kind
of radiance falls upon her forehead and her head,
though no whit more charming than the bloom on
her cheek ; her hair is not tossed by the breeze, for it
is so moist that it is proof against the wind. And lo,
her right elbow stands out and her white forearm is
bent back, while she rests her fingers on her delicate
shoulder, and her arms are gently rounded, and her
breasts project, nor yet is beauty lacking in her thigh.
Her foot, with the graceful part above the foot, is
painted as on the sea, my bo}-, and it lightly touches
the water as if it were the rudder guiding her
chariot. Her eyes are wonderful, for they have a
kind of distant look that travels as far as the sea
extends.
19. PHORBASi
This river, my boy, is the Boeotian Cephisus,
a stream not unknown to the Muses ; and on its
bank Phlegyans are encamped, barbarian people
who do not yet live in cities. Of the two men
the sacred way to Delphi unsafe for those who wished to
visit the shrine of Apollo.
PHILOSTRATUS : IMAGINES
10 TTVKTevovTe^ TOP re oI/jiaL 'AiroWcova 6pa<;, 6
8' av ^op^a<; iariv, ov ianjaavro ol ^Xeyvat
fiaaiXea, eVetS?) ytte^a? irapa iravTa^ ovto<^ koi
oj/xoraro^ rod eOvov^. Trv/crevec Se \\7r6Wo)v
7Tpo<; avTOV virep rcov irapoScov. T7]V jap evOv
15 ^PcoKecov re koi i\e\(^6)v 68oi' Karaa^^cov ovre
Ovei Ylv6ol ouSeU ere ovre 7raidva<; airdyeL to)
Oe(p, y^piiafxoi re Kal Xoyta Kal ofx^al TpL7ToBo<;
eKXeXeLTTTai iravra. (2) ArjcrreveL Be tmv dXXcov
^Xeyuwv (i7T0Td^a<; eavrov ryv yap hpvv, o)
20 iral, ravTijv oIkop ireTTOLyjTat, Kal irap avTov
(ponojcriv ol ^XeyvaL BiKaao/iepoi SjJttov iv roU
/3aaLX(:L0L(; tovtoi<;. toi)? Be ^aSiXovra^i e? to
lepov Xafi/Scipcov yepovra^ jxev Kal walBa<^ eh
TO KOivov Tcov ^XeyvMv Tre/jiTreL Xrj^eadai re Kal
25 ciTTOLvav, Tot9 Be ipp(o/ieveo'Tepoi<; dvTaTroBveTai
Kal Tou? fxev KaTairaXaiei, rou? oe virepTpe^ei,
T0U9 Be irayKpaTup alpel koI virepiSoXal^ BLctkcov
Ke^aXci^ re ciiroKOTTTcov dvuTTTei r?}? Bpvo<^ Kal
VITO TOVTO) ^i] T(p XvOpCp, al 8' d7n]pT7]VTai TMl>
30 TTTOpOcov fjLvBcoaai Kal Td<; pev avov<; opa^, ra?
Be 7rpo(7(j)dTOV<;y al Be eh Kpavia TreptyJKOvat,
K. aecnjpaac Be Kal oXoXv^eiu eoucaaiv ela7rveovTO<;
avTd<^ Tov dvep^ov.
(3) ^povovvTi Be avT(p Tah 'OXvp^mdai Tav-
Tttf? rjKeL 6 AiroXXayv elKdcra<; eavTOV p^eipaKLw
TTVKTTj. Kal TO pev TOV Oeov elBo<; dKeipeK6p,r}<;,
5 6) Tral, yeypaiTTai Kal ra? ^atVa? dveiXijcpco^;,
7va €v^(j0P(p Trj Kec^aXfi irvKTevrj, dKTlve^ Be
diraviaTavTai irepi^ ^ tov /ueTuyTTov Kal p,eiBLap,a
' Tf'pl Bcnudorf and Miinsterberg : inpl, Tcapa, or anh.
2l6
BOOK II. 19
boxing you doubtless see that one is Apollo, and the
other is Phorbas, whom the Phlegyans have made
king because he is tall beyond all of them and the
most savage of the race. Apollo is boxing with him
for the freedom of the road. For since Phorbas
seized control of the road which leads straight to
Phocis and Delphi, no one any longer sacrifices at
Pytho or conducts paeans in honour of the god, and
the tripod's oracles and prophetic sayings and re-
sponses have wholly ceased. Phorbas separates him-
self from the rest of the Phlegyans when he makes
his raids ; for this oak-tree, my boy, he has taken as
his home, and the Phlegyans visit him in these royal
quarters in order, forsooth, to obtain justice. Catching
those who journey toward the shrine, he sends the
old men and children to the central camp of the
Phlegyans for them to despoil and hold for ransom ;
but as for the stronger, he strips for a contest with
them and overcomes some in wrestling, outruns
others, and defeats others in the pancratium and in
throwing the discus ; then he cuts off their heads
and suspends these on the oak, and beneath this
defilement he spends his life. The heads hang
dank from the branches, and some you see are
withered and others fresh, while others have shrunk-
en to bare skulls ; and they grin and seem to
lament as the wind blows on them.
To Phorbas, as he exults over these '"^Olympian"
victories, has come Apollo in the likeness of a
youthful boxer. As for the aspect of the god, he is
represented as unshorn, my boy, and with his hair
fastened up so that he may box with girt-up head ;
ravs of lisrht rise from about his brow and his cheek
217
PPIILOSTRATUS : IMAGINES
Ovfio) (jvyKeKpajjievov /; irapeia TTefiirei, ^okai
re 6(f)0a\/jLMV evaKOiroi koI crvve^aipovaai Tal<;
10 ^epaLV ai Se evyjyjravTo tov<; Ifiavra^ i^Ziov^
// el^ aTe(pavot irepl avralf; rjaav. (4) YleirvK'
Ttvrat Se avTov i]8r] — to yap ifjL^e/SXyjKO^ t?)?
8e^fa? evepyov eVt SijXol ttjv X^^P^ '^^^^ ovTrco
KaraXvovaav to a)(^r}pa, (o yprjKev — o ^Xeyva^
15 Be Kelrai tjBt], koI oiroaov fiev eirex^i t>)? 7^9
7ron]TT]<; epel, Ke^^^pV^^ ^^ ^^'*> fcporacjiov aura)
TO Tpavfia Kal to alfjia (oairep eK 7T7]yTj<; ckSl-
SoTai. yeypaiTTat 8e co/i-o? Kal avcoBrj^; to elSo?,
olo<; (jLTelaOai fidWov tol/? ^evov^ 1) KTeiveiv,
20 TO he e'f ovpavov irvp aKfjirTO^; eirl Ttjv hpvv
(pepeTai av/j^cpXe^cov to Bei'Spor, ou firjv i^ai-
prjacov ye ttjv eir avTw /jLVijfiyjv to yap ^co^toi^,
iv <M TavTa, ^pv6<;, co iral, K€(paXal eVt.
K ATA AS
(1) Kal "ATXai^Tt 6 'HpaKXrj'^ ovBe irpoaTci^'
avT0<; FjvpvaB6a)<; i'jpLaeVy go? toi^ ovpavov olacov
2o fidXXov y 6 "ATXa?" tov /xev yap cjvyKeKvc^oTa €copa
^ fl added by Reiske and Hertlein ; el Jacobs : oi.
^ For the " smile mingled with wrath "' Benndorf compares
the expression of Apollo Belvedere ; ra^'s of light emanating
from the forehead are seen on the head of Helios on later
coins of Rhodes, e.g. Fig. 21, Brit. Mus. Cat., Caria, PI. XL.
218
BOOK II. 20
emits a smile mingled with wrath ; ^ keen is the
glance of his eyes as it follows his uplifted hands.
And the leather thongs are wrapped about his
hands^ which are more beautiful than if garlands
adorned them. Already tlie god
has overcome him in boxing —
for the thrust of the right hand
shows the hand still in action and
not yet discontinuing the posture
wherewith he has laid him low —
but the Phlegyan is already
stretched on the ground^ and a
poet will tell how much ground y , .,,
he covers ; ^ the wound has been
inHicted on his temple, and the blood gushes forth
from it as from a fountain. He is depicted as
savage, and of swinelike features — the kind that
will feed upon strangers rather than simply kill them.
Fire from heaven rushes down to smite the oak and
set it afire, not, however, to obliterate all record of
it ; for the place where these events occurred, my
boy. is still called " Heads of Oak." ^
20. ATLAS
With Atlas also did Heracles contend, and that
too without a command from Eurystheus, claiming
that he could sustain the heavens better than Atlas.
For he saw that Atlas was bowed over and crushed
2 Cf. //. 21, 406 f. "Thereupon she smote furious Ares
on the neck, and loosed his limbs. Over seven roods he
stretched in his fall." Trans. Murray, L.C.L.
3 Cf. Hdt. 9. 39. "The pass over'Cithaeron that leads
to Plataea, which pass the Boeotians call the Three Heads,
and the Athenians the Oaks' Heads."
219
PHILOSTRATUS: IMAGINES
fcai 7r€7Ti6a/jiii^ov Kal Keifievov e^'yovv ddrepov ^ kol
jjLiKpa KaraXeiTTo/j^era avTM rod eardvai, avTO<;
8' tiv Kal /i6T€(i)pLaaL top ovpavov Kal arrjaai
civade/ievo^ e/? /laKpov tov \p6vov. to fiev 8?)
(f)i\oTL/iiov TvvTO ovBci/jiov eK^aivei, cf)7]al Se
30 avvaXyelv t€ "ArXai^Ti ecf) oU fiox^^^ ^ctt fieTa-
(T\elv av TOV dxOov<; avTw. 6 h' ovto) tl a(Jiiei>o<;
373 K. eiXrjTTTaL tov 'HpavXeof?, co? UeTeveiv avTov
T\P]VaL TUVTa.
(2) VeypaiTTat he 6 /xev dir€Lpi]K(jc><^, co? iBpcoTi
avfi/SdWeaOai, 6it6(jo<; cut' avTov (TTa^et,
5 l3pax^ov6<i T€ ^vvelvaL Tp€/i0PT0<;, 6 he epa tov
dOXov. SrjXol Be tovto i) re op[xy] tov Trpoacorrov
Kal TO poiraXov KaTa/3€,8X7]/u,6VOi' Kal a'l ^elpei;
dnaiTOvaaL tov aOXov. aKid<; he Td<; fiev tov
'HpaKXiovf; ovTTO) 0avfxd^eiv d^ior, el eppcoPTac^
10 — TO, yap Tcov Keifievcov a)(^}]/jLaTa Kal oi opOol
fidXa evaKLOi, Kal to uKpi/Sovv TavTa outtco
ao(f)6v — ai he tov "ArXaz'TO? aKial ao<^ia<^
Trpoaco- ouTcoal yap tov auvL^tjKOTO^ avjJiiTiTr-
Tovai Te dXX7JXai<^ Kal ovhev tmv €KK€i/x€vwv
15 eTTiOoXovaiv, dXXd ^co? epyd^ovTat irepl rd
^ ddrepop Lobeck : (Tf pop.
220
BOOK II. 2(
by the weight and that he was crouching on one
knee alone and barely had strength left to standi
M'hile as for himself, he averred that he could raise
the heavens up and after setting them aloft could hold
them for a long time. Of course
he does not reveal this ambition
at all, but merely says that he
is sorry for Atlas on account of
his labour and would willingly
share his burden with him. And
Atlas has so gladly seized upon
the offer of Heracles that he
implores him to venture the
task.
Atlas is rej)resented as ex-
hausted, to judge by all the
sweat that trickles from him and
to infer from his trembling arm,
but Heracles earnestly desires
the task. This is shown by
on his face, the
club thrown on the ground
beg for the task.
Fig. 22.— Atlas.
the eager look
^ — ..^ and the hands that
.^ .^. ^..^ v.v^... There is no need to admire
the shaded parts of Heracles' body because they
are vigorously drawn — for the attitudes of re-
cumbent figures or persons standing erect are
easily shaded, and their accurate reproduction is
not at all a mark of skill — but the shadows on Atlas
show a high degree of skill ; for the shadows on a
crouching figure like his run into one another, and
do not darken any of the projecting parts but they
produce light on the parts that are hollow and
2 After eppoovTUL the MSS. have rov aQXov.
Tov aQKov : Kavser and Jacobs delete.
adXoi', and
221
PHILOSTRATUS : IMAGINES
KoTkd re Koi 6Lae\ovTa' rijv yaarepa Kal
rrpovevevKoTO'^ rov "ArXavro'^ 6pdi> re L/vrap^ei
Kal a(Td/j.an'ov(Ty]<; ^vvLevai. rd re iv rep ovpavw,
ov (pepeL, yeypaTTTUL fiev iv aWepi, 67roLO<; irepl
lO darepa^;^ ecrrijKev, ecm Be ^vvelvai ravpov re,
09 Brj iv ovpavo) ravpov;, dpKTcov re, oTrolai ixel
opcovrai. Kal Trvev/jidrcov rd fiev yeypairraL ^vv
dWijXoL'^, rd Se i^ dXXijXcov, Kal toI<; fiev c^iXia
TTpo^ dXXi]Xa, rd Be aw^eiv eoiKS to iv rco
25 ovpavQ) V6CK0<;.
(3) Nvv fjiev ovv dva6r)(jei<^ ravra, 'HpdKXeK;,
fxer ov iToXv he ^vfjL^Kocrei^; avToU iv rep ovpavfo
irivcov Kal irepi^aXXcov to t?j? "H/St;? elBo^i' d^rj
jdp TTjv vewrdrriv Kal Trpea/SvrdTTjv rcjv Oecov,
30 Be avrrjv ydp KOLKetvoL vioi.
Ka ANTAI02
(1) Koi^f? ol'a iv irdXai^ iKeivaL<; iirl Tnjyjj
iXaiov Kal Bvolv dOXi-jTalv 6 jxev ^vvBecov to ov<i,
^ The understanding of shadows in this passage shows
acute observation. No shadow is unvarying solid dark
(black), though the shadows on a figure standing or lying
down are relatively simple. In the case of a crouching
figure the shadows are very complex because of light reflected
from the ground and from the figure itself ; protruding parts
catch more of this reflected light, but even the hollows get
enough to make their form visible,
Philostratus doubtless gives the reader the results of art
criticism current in his day, as interpreted by his own
observation. I'he difficulty with his statement is that he
makes the shadows the agent that fails to darken protruding
parts, and that produces ligiit on the hollows, whereas in
222
BOOK II. 21
retreating.! The belly of Atlas, for instance, one
can see although he is bending forward, and one
can perceive that he is panting. The bodies in the
heavens which he carries are painted in the ether
that surrounds the stars ; one can recognize a bull,
that is the Bull in the heavens, and bears, the kind
that are seen there. Of the winds some are
represented as facing in the same direction and
others as facing in the opposite direction, and while
some are friendly with each other others seem to
keep up their strife in the heavens.
You will uphold these heavenly bodies for the
present, Heracles ; but before long you will live
with them in the sky, drinking, and embracing the
beautiful Hebe \^ for you are to marry the youngest
of the gods and the one most revered by them,
since it is through her^ that they also are young.
21. ANTAEUS
Fine sand, like that found in the famous
wrestling places, hard by a fountain of oil,^ two
athletes, one of whom is binding up his ears ^ and
fact these results are due to the modification of the shadows
bv reflected light.
'2 Cf. Od. 11, 602 f. "For he himself (Heracles) among
the immortal gods takes his joy in the feast, and has to wife
Hebe of the fair ankles." Trans. Murra\% L C.L. Cf. also
Horn. Hymn 15, 7 f. ^ i-e. as the goddess of 3'outh.
- Olive oil was used by the Greeks before athletic contests,
especially wrestling, to protect the perspiring skin from the
sun ; it was also used before and after the bath. So much
oil was needed that a tank for it was often provided.
^ Wrestlers, especially boys, sometimes wore a cap, a^u^ojTt's,
to protect the ears (cf. the red-tigured kylix, Arch. Zeit. 1878,
PI. XI and Schreiber, Kidturhist. Atlas, PI. XXIV. 8).
Greek boxers protected their ears in this way, but in the
games it was not customary for wrestlers,
223
PHILOSTRATUS : IMAGINES
o Be (iTToXvcop \eovTP}<; top m/xop koXwvol re
314K. iinKjjSeioi^ Kal arrfKai kol KolXa ypdii/jbara —
Kal Ai/3w] ravra Kal 'Az^Tat09, op P?} dprJKe
aiveaOai tol/? ^epov; XrjarpLKf] ol^ai ttuXt). (2)
'AOXovPTL Be avTO) ravra Kal ddirroprL ov<;
5 aiTcoXXve rrepl avri'jp, co? o/3a?, rrjp naXaiarpap,
dyei rop llpaKXea )) ypa(f)i] ^pvcrd ravrl rd fxifka
rjpiiKora ijBj] Kal Kara rcop 'EaireplBwp aBofxepop
— ovK eK€LPa<; eXetp Oavfxa rov 'HpaKXeov^, dXX'
6 BpdKcop — Kal ovBe yopv <paal KdfjLyjra<; drroBverat
10 TTpo? rop
Kpralop ep rw rr)<^ oBonropla^ daO/jLari
reipcop rov<i 6(f)daXfiov<^ et9 povp ripa Kal olop
BuiaKe'^iv tT/? 7rdX)}<; €/j,ffe/3Xi]Ke re t)piap rw
OvpLO) fii] eK(f)€p€iif aurop rod Xoyiafiov. vrrep-
(ppopcop Be 6 'Apralo^ eTrfjprai, Bvarijpcjp Be re
16 TralBef; i) ^ roiovrop rt 7r/3o? rop 'HpaKXea eoiKoo^
Xeyeip Kal pwppv<; avrop rfi v^pet.
(3) Et 7rdX^]<; rep 'HpaKXel e/ieXep, ovk dXX(o<;
€7r€(f)iiKei rj &)? yeypairrai, ykypairrai Be layvpo'^
olo^ Kal re^PT]^ epuirXew^ Bi evapixoariap rov
20 crc(}/iaro<;, eirj B' dp Kal 7r€Xcoptos Kal ro elBo<; ep
vnep/SoXfj dpOpcoTTOv. eartp avrcp Kal dp6o<i
a'lfiaro^i fcal al (f)Xel3e<; olop ep odBlpl Ov/jlov ripo^
vrroBeBvK6ro<; avrd<; en. (4) Top Be Wpralop,
6) iraly BeBia^; olpai- Oi-jpicp ydp^ nvi eoiKep
^ iTTiKTih^ioi Lindau : inlTrj^eioi.
2 f; added by Olearius.
^ h.v after yap in F and P, omitted by editors.
^ i.e. to kill the serpent, a terrible monster.
^ "To bend the knee in rest" is the Homeric phrase for
resting after labour, e.(/. II. 7, 118.
224
BOOK II. 21
the other removing a lion's skin from his shoulder,
funeral mounds and monuments and incised letters —
this is Libya, and Antaeus whom Earth bore to do
mischief to strangers by practising, I fancy, a
piratical style of wrestling. To the giant who
undertook these contests and buried those he slew
in the wrestling ground itself, as you see, the
painting brings Heracles; he has already secured
the golden apples here shown and has won renown
for his exploit among the Hesperid Nymphs — to
overcome them was not such an amazing feat for
Heracles, but rather the serpent.^ Without even
bending the knee, as the saying is,- he strips to
meet Antaeus, while yet breathing heavily from
his journey ; his eyes are intent upon some purpose,
as if in contemplation of the contest ; and he has
put a curb upon his anger that it may not carry
him beyond the bounds of prudence. But Antaeus,
disdainful and puffed with pride, seems to say to
Heracles, ^^ Ye children of wretched men," ^ or some
such thing, confirming his own courage by his
insolence.
If Heracles had been devoted to wrestling, his
natural characteristics would not have been different
from those represented in the painting ; for he is
represented as strong, and, in that his body is so
symmetrically developed, as abundantly endowed
with skill ; he might even be a giant and of a stature
surpassing man's. He is red-blooded, and his veins
seem to be in travail as though some passion had
stolen into them. As for Antaeus, I think you
must be afraid of him, my boy ; for he resembles
^ The Homeric phrase used in addressing opponents
contemptuously, cf. //. 21, 151, Sva-r-nycov Se re iraiSes ificf
fievei avTiooicnv,
225
PHILOSTRATUS : IMAGINES
25 oXiyov airohewv iao<; elvai rco fi)JK6i kol to €vpo<i,
Kal 6 av)(^T]v iire^ev/crat roh o)/jLOi<;, mv to ttoXu
iirl Tov av\kva }]Kei, 7r6piy]KTat Be Kal 6 ^pa-^LCov,
oaa Kal co/ioi. GTepva Kal yaaT}]p tuvtI a(f)vp)j-
XaTa Kal to /j,7] bpOov tt}? KPtj/jLy]^;, aWa aveXev-
30 Oepov la-)(ypov p-ev tov ^ XvTalov olSe, ^vvheBe-
p,evov p,i]v Kal ovk eiaco Te-)(yii<;. 6tl Kal yLteXa?
'Ai^rato? K6X(j^pv^0T0<i avTcp tov t)\Iov e? ^a(f))]v.
tuvtI p>ev dp,(f)OLP TO, e? ti]v irdXrjv.
(5) 'Opa<i he avTov^ Kal TvaXaiovTa^, p.dXXov
35 he Tre7raXaLK6Ta<i, Kal tov 'HpaKXea ev Tip
375 K. KpaTelv. KaTairaXaiei he avTov dvco tT;? yt]<i,
OTi T) Tt] TO) ^ XvTaicp avveirdXaie KvpTovp,evrj
Kal p€TO)(XL^ouaa avTOv, oTe KeoiTO,^ diTopcov
ovv 6 'HpaKXrji; 6 tl ')(p)'}aaLTO t[) Vfj (Tvv€'LXi](f)€
6 TOV
KvTalov p,€(TOv dvco Keve(ovo<i, evOa at
irXevpai, Kal KaTa tov p,r]pov opOov " dvaOe-
p,€vo<;, eTL Kal tco %6tpe ^vp,/3aXd)v, tov irrfxyv
Xayapd re Kal dadpaivovarj tj} yaaTpl vTroa')(cov
eKOXi^eL TO irvevpa Kal d7Toa(f)dTT6i tov 'AvTatov
10 o^elaLf; TaL<; irXevpal^ eTriaTpacpelaai^ ei? to rjirap.
6pd<; he irov tov pev olpco^ovTa Kal /SXeirovTa t'?
TTjv Ti]v ovhev avTcp iirapKovaav, tov h' 'UpaKXea
la^vovTa. Kal peihidyvTa tco ^pyo). (6) Tt]v
Kopv(py]v tov 6pov<; p,yj dpyM<; thyj'^, dXX' €K€L iir*
15 avTP]<; Oeov<; InrovueL TrepicoTrijv e)(eiv tov dycovo<;'
Kal ydp TOi \pvaovv yeypaiTTai ve(f>o<;, v(p' (L
^ K€oiTo Kayser ; kivo7to.
' of^dhv Reiske and Kayser : opdls or dpdws.
226
BOOK II. 21
some wild beast^ being almost as broad as he is
tall, and his neck is attached to the shoulders in
such wise that most of the latter belongs to the
neck, and the arm is as big around as are the
shoulders. Yonder breast and belly that are
" wrought with the hammer " ^ and the fact that
the lower leg is not straight but ungainly mark
Antaeus as strong, indeed, but muscle-bound and
lacking in skill. Furthermore, Antaeus is black,
dyed by exposure to the sun. Such are the
qualifications of the two for the wrestling-match.
You see them engaged in wrestling, or rather
at the conclusion of their bout, and Heracles at
the moment of victory. But he lays his opponent
low at a distance above the earth,^ for Earth was
helping Antaeus in the struggle by arching herself
up and heaving him up to his feet again whenever
he was thrust down. So Heracles, at a loss how to
deal with Earth, has caught Antaeus by the middle
just above the waist, where the ribs are, and set
him upright on his thigh, still gripping his arms
about him ; then pressing his own fore-arm against
the pit of Antaeus' stomach, now flabby and panting,
he squeezes out his breath and slays him by forcing
the points of his ribs into his liver. Doubtless you
see Antaeus groaning and looking to Earth, who
does not help him, while Heracles is strong and
smiles at his achievement. Do not look carelessly at
the top of the mountain, but assume that gods have
there a place from which to view the contest ; for,
observe, a golden cloud is painted, which serves,
^ i.e. of wrought metal (not cast), "as strong as iron";
quoted from Theoer. 22. 47.
- The contradiction in terms is of course intentional.
227
q2
PHILOSTRATUS ; IMAGINES
olfiaL a/crji'uvai, Kai o '\\p/jL7J(; ovToal irapci top
'VXpaKkia yK€L arecpavwacop avrou, on avro)
Ka\a)s vTTOKpivejai ti^v iraXi-jv.
fc/S' HPAKAHS EN nTrMAlOlS
20 (1) 'Ei/ XijSvr) KaOevBopTi tco 'WpaKkel fxera
TOP 'ApTalov eiTiTidePTaL oi llvy/jLaloi TL/jiwpeli'
TO) 'ApraLQ) (f)daK0PT6<i' dSeX(f)ol <ydp eipai rou
^Aptulov, yeppaloi tcp€<;, ovk ddXrjral p-ep ovh'
lao7ra\6Ls, yijyepel^i Be koi aX,Xa)? Icrxvpoi, koX
25 ciPLOPTCop eK T?}? 7% viroKvpLaivei i) ylrdp.p.os.
OLKovcn <ydp ol Ylvyp^aloi ti^p yrjp oaa pLVppL'i}Ke<^
Kal dyopcip ipaTTOTiOeprai,^ iTTiaLTi^opraL 8e ovk
dWorpia, iClOC OLKcla Kal avrovpyd' Kal yap
aireipovai Kal Oepl^ovat Kal TTuyp^aio) ^evyei
30 e(f)6(7Tdai, Xeyoprai Se Kal ireXeKei ')(^pr'}aaa6ai
eirl TOP d(na')(yp i)yovpiepoi avrov<; BepSpa elvat,.
dXXci Tov Opdaov^' irrl top 'HpaKXea ovroi, Kal
UK) K. aTTOKTelpai KaOevSopra' Selaetap 8' ap ovS'
iypvyopora. (2) 'O Be ip diraXfj rfj ^^dpip,cp
KaOevBei Kapdrov avrop vTToBeBvKOTo^ ip irdXy
Kal irapjl ro) areppw to da6p,a e<peXKeTai ^apBop
5 epTTLnXdpepo^ tov vttpov, avTo^ t€ 6 "Tttto?
i(l)eaT7]K€P avTO) ep el'Bei p,eya olpai 7roLOvp,epo^ to
eavTOV iirl tco tov 'WpaKXeovi TrTojpaTi. KeiTac
Kal 6 ^ApTaiO<;, dXX' i) Te)^p)] top p,€P 'WpaKXea
ep^iTPOVP ypd(h€L Kal Oeppup, top Be 'ApTalop
10 TedprjKoTa Kal avop Kal KaTaXenrei uvtov tjj
^ So Keiske : aw niBn'ia .
228
BOOK II. 22
I fancy^ as a canopy for them ; and here comes
Hermes to visit Heracles and crown him because
he finds that Heracles plays his part so well in the
wrestling-match.
22. HERACLES AMONG THE PYGMIES
While Heracles is asleep in Libya after
conquering Antaeus, the Pygmies set upon him
with the avowed intention of avenging Antaeus ;
for they claim to be brothers of Antaeus, high-
spirited fellows, not athletes, indeed, nor his equals
at wrestling, but earth-born and quite strong
besides, and when they come up out of the earth
the sand billows in waves. For the Pygmies dwell
in the earth just like ants and store their provisions
underground, and the food they eat is not the
property of others but their own and raised by
themselves. For they sow and reap and ride on a
cart drawn by pigmy horses, and it is said that they
use an axe on stalks of grain, believing that these
are trees. But ah, their boldness ! Here they are
advancing against Heracles and undertaking to kill
him in his sleep ; though they would not fear him
even if he were awake. Meanwhile he sleeps on
the soft sand, since weariness has crept over him
in wrestling ; and, filled with sleep, his mouth open,
he draws full breaths deep in his chest, and Sleep
himself stands over him in visible form, making
much, I think, of his own part in the fall of
Heracles. Antaeus also lies there, but whereas art
paints Heracles as alive and warm, it represents
Antaeus as dead and withered and abandons him
to Earth.
239
PHILOSTRATUS i IMAGINES
(3) H (TTpana he ol Uvy/jLaLOt rov 'HpuKXea
Trepiaxovre^ fiia fxev avrrj (pdXay^ ryjv apiarepav
X^^P^ /BdWovcri, Svo Se ovroi Xox^^i arpareuovaiv
15 eirl Till' Se^idv w? jidWov eppco/ievijv, Kal tco
TToSe TToXiopKOvai To^orai kol a(f)6vhov)]Tcov
6x^0<; €K7TXy]TT6fjL€l'Ol t'i]V KP7]/jL'>]1' Oatj' 01 Sc jf]
K€(f)a\f] TTpoa/jLaxo/jievoL reraKraL fxev ivravOa 6
/3aai\€v<; Kaprepcordrov avTol<; tovtov Bokovvto<;,
20 iirdyovai Be kol olov aKpoiroXei /jL7]XCivd<;, irvp
eirl rrjv Ko/xrjv, eirl to\j<=; ocpOaX/iov^; SUeWav,
6vpa^ Ttpd^^ eirl to aro/Jia Kal TavTa<;'-^ tT;?
piv6<i oi/jiai TTuXa?, ft)9 /jLT) dvaTTvevaai ^ 6
'HpaK\r](;, iiretSdv i) /cecpaXr] dXw. (4) Tavrl
25 hrj^ irepl tov KaOevSovra, ISov Be co? opdourai Kal
CO? eVl to; Kii>Bvv(p yeXa tov<; re TroXe/i-tou? Trav-
avBl (7vWe^dfxevo<i e? T't-jV Xeovrrjv evTiOeraL Kal
ol/iaL Tfp KvpvaOei (pepei,.
Ky HPAKAHS MAINOMENO:^
(1) Mtt;^6c7^e, oi yevvaloi, . . rov 'WpaKXea
30 Kal irpo^are. aXX" ovv^ rov Xonrou ye vratSo?
dTrocrxoiro hvolv ijSr] Keifievoiv Kal aroxct^o-
/jL€vy]<;^ T/)? %e</)o?, w? KaXov 'WpaKXel. fieya^;
/x€P v/jLmv aBXo<y Kal fxeicov ovBev cjv irpo r?}?
^ dvpas Schenkl : dupai ; ruas Capps : riues.
2 ravTas Capps : ras.
•* aianueva-ai iSchenkl : avawuevaoi and avairyeixTr;.
- Stj Schenkl : Se or fxtv.
■' ovv Reiske and others : ov.
^ (TTOxaCofXfvrjs Morelli : (TTa^ojxivqs or aToxo-^o^fvoiv.
230
BOOK II. 23
The army of the Pygmies envelops Heracles;
while this one phalanx attacks his left hand, these
other two companies march against his right hand
as being stronger ; bowmen and a host of slingers
lay siege to his feet^ amazed at the size of his shin ;
as for those who advance against his head^ the
Pygmy king has assumed the command at this
point, which they think will offer the stoutest
resistance, and they bring engines of war to bear
against it as if it were a citadel — fire for his hair,
mattocks for his eyes, doors of a sort for his mouth,
and these, I fancy, are gates to fasten on his nose,
so that Heracles may not breathe when his head
has been captured. All these things are being
done, to be sure, around the sleeping Heracles ;
but lo ! he stands erect and laughs at the danger,
and sweeping together the hostile forces he puts
them in his lion's skin, and I suppose he is carrying
them to Eurystheus.
23. THE MADXESS OF HERACLES 1
Fight, brave youths, [surround] 2 Heracles, and
advance. But heaven grant that he spare the
remaining boy, since two already lie dead and his
hand is aiming the arrow with the true aim of a
Heracles. Great is your task, no whit less great
than the contests in which he himself engaged
^ In early life Heracles by his prowess won the inde-
pendence of Thebes from Orchomenos, and received as a
reward Megara, the daughter of Creon, as his wife. The
end of this happy period in his life is attributed to the
jealousy of Hera, who made him violently insane. In his
madness he slew his young children and his wife Megara.
2 There is no clue to the word lost here.
231
PHILOSTRATUS : IMAGINES
377 K. fxavia^ avTO^ ijOXrjaep. aWa helarjTe fiyjSiv'
aireariv vfiojv "Apyo^ ^XeTrcov Kal rov<; Evpva-
6eiha<; airoKrelvaL Sokcov, iyco Se i'jKOvaa avTov
Trap' KvpiTTiBrj Kal ap/ia i^yovfievov Kal Kevrpa
5 69 Tou? iiTTTOv^ (pepovTO^ Kal Ti]v FjVpuadew^;
OLKiav cnreCKovvro^ eKirepaeLV diraTifKov yap tl
7} fxavia Kal heivov ek tow Trapovrcov ayayelv et?
ra /jur] Trapovra.
(2) TouTo^? p^ev ovv dnoxpn ravra, aol 5e copa
10 yiveaOai t?}? ypa(^7)<;. 6 p,ev Od\ap,o<;, icf)' ov
a)pp,y]K€, "Sleydpav^ e;^efc Kal top iralha en, Kavd
he Kal ')(^epvL^a Kal ovkal Kal ay^i^ai Kal Kparyjp,
rd rou 'EpKeuov, XeXdKTiajai irdvTa Kal 6 p,ei>
ravpos €(TTi]K€V, lepela he TrpoaeppiirTai rw /3a)/xft)
15 fip€(j)r] evyevrj^ dpa^ Kal rfj Xeovrfj irarpof;-
fie/3\7]Tai * 8' 6 pev Kara rov Xaip^ov Kal hi dira-
Xr)? ye rrj? cj)dpvyyo<; eKhehpdprjKev 6 ^ oIgt6<;,
6 he €19 avro hiareTaraL to crrepvov Kal oyKoi
Tov /3eXof9 p-eacov hieKireTralKaai tmv airov-
20 hvXcov, ft)9 hrjXa eh irXevpdv eppip^p^evov.^ at
mapeial he avrcov hid^po^oi, Kal p.r} Oavpidarj^,
el ehuKpvaav rd irepa rod haKpvaar'^ iraial yap
^ Meydpav Olearius : jx^yaipav.
2 €u7€»'f) Reiske : ayfvvr\. ^ d/xa added by Capps.
- )3f^A.7jTai Valckenaer : Trpo(T$e^\r]Tai.
^ 6 added by Benndoif : 6 l<TThs V.
- ippijxfxivov Linda\i : ippiix^fvwv.
' Tlie text is Rohde's : ei 4h6.Kpv(Tdv ri irepl tov ^aKpimai-
naial yap xP^(^o^^ ^b SaKpvov, Kal fxiKphv 5' XffwS Kal fifya.
I To face p- -33.
BOOK II. 23
before his madness. But fear not at all ; he is
gone from you^ for his eyes are directed toward
Argos^ and he thinks he is slaying the children of
Eurystheus ; ^ indeed, I heard him in the play of
Euripides ; he was driving a chariot and applying
a goad to his steeds and threatening to destroy
utterly the house of Eurystheus ; for madness is a
deceptive thing and prone to draw one away from
what is present to what is not present.
Enough for these youths ; but as for vou, it
is high time for you to occupy yourself with
the painting. The chamber which was the object
of his attack still holds Megara and the child ;
sacrificial basket and lustral basin and barley-grains
and firewood and mixing bowl^ the utensils of Zeus
Herkeios,2 all have been kicked aside, and the bull
is standing there ; but there have been thrown on
the altar, as victims, infants of noble birth, together
with their father's lion's skin. One has been hit in
tiie neck and the arrow has gone through the delicate
throat, the second lies stretched out full upon his
breast and barbs of the arrow have torn through the
middle of the spine, the missile having evidently been
shot into his side.^ Their cheeks "* are drenched with
tears, and you should not wonder that they Avept
beyond the due measure of tears ; for tears flow
^ Much of this description seems to be drawn from the
Heracles Furens of Euripides. Cf. 935 f.
"Suddenly with a maniac laugh he spake :
- Why, ere I slay Eurystheus . . . '" Trans. Way, L.C.L.
2 The god of social institutions, and especially the family
and tlie home.
^ i.e., the barb is seen projecting through the spine at an
angle, showing that it entered at the side.
- For the thought Gomperz compares Herodotus, 3. 14.
PHILOSTRATUS : IMAGINES
evpovv TO hiiKpvov, Kav fiLKpov heiawcn kclv fieya.
(8) OlarpovvTL he tm 'WpaKXec TTepi/cetTai 7ra? 6
25 TMP 0LK6Ta)l> S7JflO<i olov /SoVKoXOL TaVpW vfipl-
l,ovri, BijaaL ti<; iiri(3ov\evwv Kal /traracr^etr rt?
a<ya)va 7roLOv/jL€vo<; Kal K€Kpay(o<; €Tepo<;, 6 h'
yjprrjrac ^ tmv ^^LpMv, 6 Se viroaKeXi^eL, oi he
ipdWovrar rw he ataOrjcji^ pulv avTMV ovhejiia,
30 avappLirrel he rov^ 7rpocn6vTa<; Kal avfiirarel,
TToXu pev Tov dcfypou hiaTrrvcov, p^eihtciyv he
^Xoavpov Kal ^evov Kal roU 6(f)0a\poL<; drevl^fov
€69 aura, a hpa, tijp he tov j3\ep,pLaT0^ evvoLav
cLTrdycov et? a e^rjTrdTrjTai. (4) Bpv^aTat he i)
35 (f)dpvy^ Kal 6 civ')(r]v ep^iriirXaTaL Kal dvothovaiv
at irepl avTov (pXe^e^, ht ojv e? tcl Kaipia rrj<;
378 K. Ke(f)a\rjf; dvappel ndaa "^^opi^yia t?}? voaov. tiiv
'FjpLVVV he, i) TavTa ta)(y(Tev, eVt p>ev aKr)vi]<;
elSe? 7ro\XdKi<;, evTavOa he ovk av Xhoi<^' et? avTov
yap elcTfpKiaaTo tov 'HpaKXea Kal hid tov
5 aTepvov ^(^opevei p,ea(p avTw el'aco aKipTcoaa Kal
TOV \oyiap,ov OoXovcra. Ate'x/ot tovtcov 7) ypacpij,
7rou]Tal he TTpodTrapoivovai Kal ^vvhovai tov
'HpaKXea Kal TavTa tov Hpo/ii7)6ea (fydaKOVTe^
vtt' avTov XeXva6ai.
^ ^pTTjrai Reiske and Jacobs : r/TTaraj or ^prai libri.
234
BOOK II. 23
easily with children, whether what they fear be
small or great. The frenzied Heracles is surrounded
by the whole body of his servants, like a bull that
is running riot, surrounded by herdsmen ; one tries
to bind him, another is struggling to restrain him,
another shouts loudly, one clings to his hands, one
tries to trip him up, and others leap upon him.
He, however, has no consciousness of them, but he
overthrows those who approach him and tramples
on them, dribbling much foam from his mouth and
smiling a grim and alien smile,^ and, Avhile keep-
ing his eyes intently fixed on what he is doing,
yet letting the thought behind his glance stray
away to the fancies that deceive him. His throat
bellows, his neck dilates, and the veins about the
neck swell, the veins through which all that feeds
the disease flows up to the sovereign parts of the
head. 2 The Fury which has gained this mastery
over him you have many times seen on the stage,
but you cannot see her here ; for she has entered into
Heracles himself and she dances through his breast^
and leaps up inside him and muddles his mind.
To this point the painting goes, but poets go on
to add humiliating details, and they even tell of
the binding of Heracles, and that too though they
say that Prometheus was freed from bonds by him.
1 Eur. Her. Fur. 934 f.
"While dripped the slaver down his bearded cheek,
Suddenly with a maniac laugh. ..."
Trans. Way, L.C.L.
2 i.e. to the temples.
^ Eur. Her. Fur. 86.3 : oV iyw ard^Lo. hpafxovfxai arepvou els
'HpaK\4ovs (from the speech of the Fury).
235
PHILOSTRATUS : IMAGINES
K^' eEIOAAMAX
10 (1) Tpa)(v<; ouTo<; Kal vi] At" eV rpax^ia rfj
yfj' 'Po3o? yap avj)] i) vr)ao<;, ?/? to Tpa)(^UTaTov
Au'^ioi, J)] aTa(j)iBa<; fiev Kal avKa ayaOi]
hovvai, apoaai he oxjk evSal/icov Kal a/jLa^evaac
aTTopo<;. 6 Se arpvcpvo^ Kai ev co/ia) toj yrjpa
15 y€(opy6<; voelada), ^)eiohd/j,avTa rov Aivhiov et
irov (iKOvaa'^ e;^e/?. uWa rov Opaaovf;' opyi^erai
TO) '\\paK\el %eiohdiJia'sy otl dpovvTi avrco
eVfCTTrtS" d-noa(^('meL rov erepov t6)i> /Sowv Kal
(TLTeLTai (T(f)6Spa iOa<; o)i> rod toiovtov airiov.
20 (2) 'llpaKXel yap irov it a pa Ylivhdpro iveru^^e^,
OTTOre €t? T7]P TOU \s.OpWVOV (JTeyilV d(f)lKO/JL€VO^
(jnelraL ^ovu oXov, a)v p^t'jhe to, oard Trepcrra
y]yelaOaL, (-deioSd/jLavTi Se irepl (3ov\vtov eiri-
cj)oiT)]aa<; Kal irvp Kopucrdixevo'^ — dyaOol Se
26 i/jUTTvpevaaaOai Kal /SoXltol^ — diravO paKi^ei rov
fSovv diroireipcofjievo^ Tcbu aapKcov, el /jLaXdrTOvrai,
'i]Sr], Kal fjLovop ovxl eyKaXcov o)? /SpaSel rfo irvpi.
(3) Ta T^9 ypa(f)fj<; ola pijhe to et6o9 irapewpa-
Kevai T}]<; yf]'^' oirov ydp ri Kal puKpov eauT?}?
30 dpoaai irapahehwKev i) yrj, eoiKeu, el avviij/xL,
^ ^oKiTOL Beiuitlorf : ol \i6oi.
^ In the more usual form of the story Theiotlamas is king
of the Dryopes on the slopes of Parnassus ; in the service of
Apollo, Heracles with Deianeira and the boy Hyllus enters
the land of the Dryopians, asks Theiodamas for food, and,
when refused, consumes entirely one of the yoke of oxen
which the king is driving. Philostratus follows the Rhodian
form of the myth ; here Theiodamas is a peasant ploughing,
one of whose oxen Heracles consumes amid the curses of the
peasant. This story is used to explain the worship of
236
BOOK II. 24
24. THEIODAMASi
This man is rough and, by Zeus ! in a rough
land ; for this island is Rhodes, the roughest part
of which the Lindians inhabit, a land good for
yielding grapes and figs but not favourable for
ploughing and impossible to drive over. We are to
conceive of the man as crabbed, a farm labourer of
"premature old age " ; ^ he is Theiodamas the
Lindian, if perchance you have heard of him. But
what boldness I Theiodamas is angry with Heracles
because the latter, meeting him as he ploughed,
slew one of the oxen and made a meal of it, being
quite accustomed to such a meal. For no doubt you
have read about Heracles in Pindar,^ of the time
when he came to the home of Coronus and ate a
whole ox, not counting even the bones superfluous ;
and dropping in to visit Theiodamas toward evening
he fetched fire — and even dung^ is good fuel for
a fire — and roasting the ox he tries the flesh to see
if it is already tender, and all but finds fault with
the fire for being so slow.
The painting is so exact that it does not fail to
show the very nature of the ground ; for where the
ground presents even a little of its surface to the
plough, it seems anything but poor, if I understand
Heracles, with sacrifice of an ox and curses, at the hot springs
(Thermydrae) near the harbour of Lindus. Cf. Anth. Pal.
16. 101.
^ Cf. Od. 15. 357 : eV ujfjicf yifpai.
' The passage in Pindar is now lost ; Coronus was king of
tlie Lapiths, enemies of the Dorians, who were said to live
near the pass of Tempe.
- The use of dried dung in the East for fuel is very old ;
cf. Livy 38. 18. 4.
237
PHILOSTRATUS : IMAGINES
ovSe airopcp. 6 he ']ApaKki)<; to fiev eppcofievov
ttJ? Biavoia^; eVt top /3ovu €^€L, to Be paOv/xou
avTP]<; Tai<; tov SeioBd/xavTO<; cipaU BeB(OK€P,
379 K. o(TOv Tr)v irapeiav avelaOai, o yecopyo^ Be XlOoi<;
eirl TOV 'HpaKXea. kuI 6 Tpoiro^; t/)? aToXP]<;
Acopio<i, av\ix6<; re t?) Kopuri kcli nrepX to* fxeTcoircp
iriva Koi eTTLyovvl'i koI ^pax^fj^^t o'lov^ ?;
5 (f)L\TdT7] yfj TOL/? eavTr]<; a^X,7;Ta9 aTTOTeXei. (4)
TouTO TOV 'H/^a/cXeof? to epyov /cal 6 (r)eLoBd/jLa<;
OL/TO? oe/iv6<i irapa AlvBloi<;, 66ev /3ov^ /lev dpoTT]^
'HpuKXec OveTUL, KaTap^ovTat Be eirapco/ievoi,
0(7 a ol/iai 6 yecopyo^ Tore, x^lpei Be 6 'Hpa/cX?}?
10 Kal AivBLOL<i BiBa)(TL KaTap(*>ixevoL<i to, dyadd.
Ke ABAHPOT TAcJ^AI
(1) M^ ra? tTTTTOu?, w iral, ra? tov Aio/j,t]Bov<;
aOXov^ i)y(t)ixeda tov 'HpaKXeov;, a? ye /cal
JlprjKev i]Br) koI crvvTeTpicpe toj poTvdXw — koX i)
fjiev KeLTUL avTcop, i) Be dairaLpei, tj]v Be dvair'qBav
15 epel<i, 7] Be TriTTTei, ffdp/3apoL TaU x^^'^^'-^ ^"^
6? OTrXijv Xdauoi Kal aXXw? drjpia' (^uTvaL Be cix?
dvdirXew fieXcav dvOpodireioiV Kal ogtwv elan', oU
1 Benndorf conjectures iLHKf)hy after adKov.
^ Perhaps a reference to Sparta.
2 The story of Abclerus was told to explain the foiuuling
of the city of Abdera on the south coast of Thrace and the
institution of the Abderite games. The death of Abderus is
attributed to the mares of Diomedes, and it is Heracles'
desire to pay special honour to his young friend which led
him to found a city and to establish games which were
called by his name.
238
BOOK II. 25
the picture. Heracles is keeping his thoughts
intently on the ox, and pays but scant attention to
the curses of Theiodamas, only enough to relax his
face into a smile, while the countryman makes
after him with stones. The mode of the man's
garments is Dorian ; his hair is squalid and there
is grime on his forehead ; while his thigh and his
arm are such as the most beloved land ^ grants to
its athletes. Such is the deed of Heracles ; and
this Theiodamas is revered among the Lindians ;
wherefore they sacrifice a plough-ox to Heracles,
and they begin the rites with all the curses which
I suppose the countryman then uttered, and Heracles
rejoices and gives good things to the Lindians in
return for their imprecations.
25. THE BURIAL OF ABDERUS 2
Let us not consider the mares of Diomedes to
have been a task^ for Heracles, my boy, since he
has already overcome them and crushed them with
his club — one of them lies on the ground, another
is gasping for breath, a third, you will say, is leaping
up, another is falling down ; their manes are
unkempt, they are shaggy down to their hoofs,
and in every way they resemble wild beasts ; their
stalls are tainted with flesh and bones of the
2 The slaving of Diomedes and the capture of his man-
eating mares was one of the twelve labours of Heracles ; but
we are here asked to regard the second episode of it as
harder than the first, since the killing of the mares has
proved too easy to have been a "labour." Benndorf's con-
jecture (see crit. note), "a slight task," seems unnecessary.
PHILOSTRATUS : IMAGINES
et9 ri]V i7r7rorpo(f)Lav ravTijv 6 Aio/iy]Sr]<; exp^j-
aaro, avro'^ re 6 i7r7rorp6(f>o<; Kal ^ aypLctirepo^
Ihelv y al 'ittttoi, 7r/30? ah iremodKev — aWa
20 TOVTOVL Tov ciOXov ')(^a\€7r(jL>T€pov ')(pT] Sofcecv
"EyOCOTO? T€ TT/JO? TToWot? 67rLTaTT0VT0^ aVTOV^
T(p 'WpaKkel /jl6)^0ov t€ eV avro)^ ov puKpov
6vT0<i. TOV jap 3?) "A/BSrjpov 6 'HpaK\i]<; 7)111-
^pcoTOv (f)epeL aTToairdaa^i tcov lttttcov, iSaiaavro
25 he avTov airaXov en Kal irpo 'Icpirov veov, tovtI
Be €(7Ti Kal T0i9 \€L\lrdpoi<; avfi/SaXecrOar Ka\d
yap Si] ere iv rt} Xeovrfj Kelrai. (2) Ta /nev
Srj hiiKpva rd eir avroh Kal el Si] ri irepL-
eirrv^aro avrcov Kal 6\o(pvp6fX€vo^ elire Kal to
30 I3apv TOV TrpoacoTTov to eirl irevOeL BeSoaOo) Kal
dWo) ipaaTrj' ciW(p^ e)(eTco tl Kal 7) aTt]\7]
380 K. Ye'/oa? ec^eaTr^Kvla KaXov^ a/jpaTi' 6 8' ou;^ oirep
OL iroXXol ttoXlv t6 tm W/SS/jprp dviaTJjaiv, yv
dir^ avTou KaXov/J.€V, Kal ciycDv tco A^h)]p(p
KeiaeTai, dycovielTaL 3' eV avTW 7rvy/jLr]v Kal
5 •nayKpciTiov Kal ttuXi^v Kal tci evayajvia iravTa
7r\7]V LTTTTCOV,
^ Kx\ Jacobs : ws.
- avrhv Reiske and Heine: avrif.
^ a-jT(f Jacobs, avrhv.
240
BOOK II. 25
men whom Diomedes used as food for his horses,
and the breeder of the mares himself is even more
savage of aspect than the mares near whom he has
fallen — but you must regard this present labour as
the more difficult, since Eros^^ enjoins it upon
Heracles in addition to many others, and since the
hardship laid upon him was no slight matter. For
Heracles is bearing the half-eaten body of Abderus,
which he has snatched from the mares ; and they
devoured him while yet a tender youth and younger
than Iphitus, to judge from the portions that are
left; for, still beautiful, they are lying on the lion's
skin. The tears he shed over them, the embraces
he may have given them, the laments he uttered,
the burden of grief on his countenance — let such
marks of sorrow be assigned to another lover ; for
another likewise let the monument placed upon the
fair beloved's ^ tomb carry some tribute of honour ; ^
but, not content with the honours paid by most
lovers, Heracles erects for Abderus a city, which we
call by his name,* and games also will be instituted
for liim, and in his honour contests will be cele-
brated, boxing and the pancratium and wrestling
and all the other contests except horse-racing.
^ While other labours were assigned to Heracles by
Eurystheus, the present *' labour" is difficult only because
of Heracles' great love for Abderus.
2 KaXos is here used for the 3'outh who is beloved, as, for
instance, on Attic pottery vases.
^ i.e. the inscription reciting the exploits of the departed.
- i.e. Abdera, a city on the south coast of Thrace.
^ aWcf) Benndorf : &Wo.
5 KaXov Lindau : kuK^.
241
PHILOSTRATUS : IMAGINES
KT HENIA
(1) O jjiev iv Tft) OLKiaKM \ayo)b<i Slktvov Oij-
pafxa, KcidqraL Se eVt rcou aKeXoiv vttoklvmv
TOu<? TTpoaOiov^; kciI vireyeLpayp to oS?, dWa kol
10 /SXeiTei iravrl tqj ^\e/j./j,aTL, (SovXerai he KaX
KaroTTiv opav St viroy^iav koI to del TTTijaaeiv,
6 8' €KKpe/id/j,€vo<i T/)? auou 8pv6<; dveppcoyax; tg
Tijv yaaTepa fcai hid toIv Troholv eKhehvKU)^
oiKVTrjTa KaTi]yopel tov kvvu^, o? viro t/}? hpuo<;
15 KdO^iTai hiavairaiKoi' eauTov koX hifkoiv jjlovo's
ypi]K€vaL. Ta^i irXijcrLOv tov Xayco v7]TTa<;, dpiO-
fxei he avTa^^, heva, koX tol*? oaaLirep al vrjTTaL
X^F^'^ ou hel ^Xi/id^eiv diroTeTiXTai yap avTcop
TO Trepl Ta aTepva ttciv IkeI toI<; TrXwrot? opvicrc
20 irXeoveKTOvar}^ tT;? TTifieX?]^. (2) Et he l^V[iiTa<i
dpTOV^ dya7ra<; i) 6KTa(3Xd>p.ov^, e/celt'oi irXriaiov
ev jBaOel tw Kavd). kol el [xev oy^ov tl ^/377^6t?,
avTov^ e^eK; — tov T€ yap /juapdOov f.ieTe)(ovai
Kal TOV aeXivov Kal €ti t?}? /jL^Krovo<;y iJTrep iaTlv
26 rjhvajxa tov vttvov — el he hevTepa<; ^ TpaTre^rjf;
€pa<i, TOVTi e? by^07roLov<^ dvajBdXXov, av he
aiTov Ta dirvpa. (3) Tt ovv ov Ta^i hpv7r€7r6l<;
^ S(uTepa<: cxddeil by Jacobs.
^ "For when the Greeks became more luxurious... they
began to provide dining-rooms, chambers, and stores of
provisions for their guests from abroad, and on the first day
they would invite them to dinner, sending tiiem on the next
chickens, eggs, vegetables, fruits, and other countr}' produce.
Tliis is why artists called pictures representing tilings sent
to guests 'xenia'." Vitruvius, VI. 7, 4, Trans. Morgan.
The account begins with a description of the painting, then
242
BOOK II. 26
26. XENIAi
This hare in his cage is the prey of the net, and
he sits on his haunches moving his forelegs a little
and slowly lifting his ears, but he also keeps looking
with all his eyes and tries to see behind him as well,
so suspicious is he and always cowering with fear ;
the second hare that hangs on the withered oak
tree,- his belly laid wide open and his skin stripped
off over the hind feet, bears witness to the swiftness
of the dog which sits beneath the tree, resting and
showing that he alone has caught the prey. As for
the ducks near the hare (count them, ten), and the
geese of the same number as the ducks, it is not
necessary to test them by pinching them, for their
breasts, where the fat gathers in abundance on
water-birds, have been plucked all over. If you
care for raised bread or ^^eight-piece loaves," ^ they
are here near by in the deep basket. And if you
want any relish, you have the loaves themselves —
for they have been seasoned with fennel and parsley
and also with poppy-seed, the spice that brings sleep
— but if you desire a second course, put that off till
you have cooks, and partake of the food that needs
no fire. Why, then, do you not take the ripe fruit,
it passes over into an address to the owner of the farm in which
the painting itself is the speaker, and only in the last sentence
does the writer speak in his own name. Cf. supra, p. 123.
2 In early Greek art it was customary to represent trees
without leaves.
^ Quoted from Hesiod, Op. et Dies, 442, "a loaf of four
quarters and eight slices for his dinner." In Hesiod the
loaf is marked with two intersecting lines which divide it
into four quarters ; the scholiast explains the word here
quoted as "giving eight mouthfuls," but Philostratus uses
it as in contrast to leavened bread.
243
r2
PHILOSTRATUS : IMAGINES
ap7rd^€i<;, mv icf)' krepov Kavov acop6<^ ovro^ ; ovk
olaO' OTL fiiKpop varepov ov/ceO' 6/xoiai<i ivrev^r]
30 ravraif;, dWa ^Vfival<i ifirj ri]<; hpoaov ; kuI
fjLJ]S6 Tpayrj/jLciTcov v7repLSr)<i, et tl aoL ixeairiXov
fieXei Koi i\io<i ^aXdvwv^ a? rpecpei XeioraTOv
(f)VTOP iv 6^€t TO) eXvrpcp kuI citottw Xen€LV.^
381 K. ipperco kol to fxeXL^ 7Tapovat]<; 7raXd6r}<; Tavryjai,
Ka\ovfjL€vr]<; koi 6 tl ^ av €LWOL<i' oi/to)? jjSv
TTe'/UyLta. 7r€piafi7TLa)(^€i Be avrifv (f)vXXa olKela
irapi'^opra rrj iraXdOr] tjjp copav.
5 (4) Olfiai Tr)v ypacpijv dirocpepeLV rd ^aua
ravTL TO) Tov dypov heairoTY), 6 Se Xoverai rd-^a
Ylpa/j,v€iov<; /) HaaLov<; /BXeTrcov ivov tt)? y\vKeia<;
rpvyo'^ €7rl ttj Tpaire^r] TTielif, a>9 ei? darv kutlcov
6l,ol areficpvXou kol d7Tpay/.ioavv7]<; kul Kara tmv
10 daTVTpil3(i)V epevyono.
K^' A©HNAS rONAl
(1) 0/ fiep i/cirXijTTOfjLevoi Oeol kol Oeai, irpo-
€ipi]fjL€vop avTOL<; fjLi]Se Ni^/u^a? aTrelpai tov ov-
pai'ov, irapelvai Se avTol^ 7T0Ta/j,0L<i, o)v yivovTai,
^ Aeirav Sclienkland and Beuiulorf : ilire^p or I5uv libri.
^ After uLfXi the MSS. give rf)? twv /crxdSwi^ avvQi^KT]s,
which Jacobs deletes as a gloss on ■naKa.dr]s, Hesychius giving
as a definition of vaXadiq: t] rwv crvKcoy d'ais.
^ '6 Tl Jacobs: elfre.
^ A popular term for sweet chestnuts.
2 The hypothetical speaker uses the term palatht for the
confection as though he were not quite sure of itij being the
244
BOOK II. 27
of which there is a pile here in the other basket ?
Do you not know that in a little while you will no
longer find it so fresh, but already the dew will be
gone from it ? And do not overlook the dessert, if
you care at all for medlar fruit and Zeus' acorns,^
which the smoothest of trees bears in a prickly husk
that is horrid to peel off. Away with even the
honey, since we have here this palathe,^ or whatever
you like to call it, so sweet a dainty it is I And it
is wrapped in its own leaves, which lend beauty ^ to
the palathe.
I think the painting offers these gifts of hospitality
to the master of the farm, and he is taking a bath,
having perhaps the look in his eyes of Pramnian or
Thasian wines, although he might, if he would, drink
the sweet new wine at the table here, and then on
his return to the city might smell of pressed grapes
and of leisure "* and might belch in the faces of the
city-dwellers.
27. THE BIRTH OF ATHENA
These wonder-struck beings are gods and god-
desses, for the decree has gone forth that not even
the Nymphs may leave the heavens, but that they,
as well as the rivers from which they are sprung,^
right word. Its meaning is given by Hesychius as " a layer
of figs set close together."
^ i.e., attractiveness and freshness.
- For similar expressions cf. Aristoph. Nuh. 50,1008.
^ II. 20. 7 f. To the council summoned by Zeus "there
was no river that came not, save only Oceanus,nor an}- nj-mph
of all that haunt the fair copses, the springs that feed the
rivers, and the grassy meadows." Trans. Murray, L.C. L.
245
PHILOSTRATUS : IMAGINES
(ppiTTOvcJi 8e TTjv ^AOrjvav apn ti)<^ tov Aio?
16 K€(f)a\i]<; iv oTrXoi? eKpayeicrav 'Hcfyala-rou /jltj-
y^aval'^, w? <^i]aL 6 ^ ireXeKV^;. (2) Ti^v he v\i]V
tt}? iravoirXia^ ovk av avfi^aXoi rt?" oaa yap
T?}? l'piSo<; y^pcojiara irapaWarrovai^'^ eU aWore
aWo (^w?, Toaavra kol tmv ottXcov. kul 6
20 "H(f)aiaro<; airopelv eoiKev, or ay irore ttjv Oeov
Trpoaaydyyjrar irpoavciXwrai yap avrw to
SeXeap virb rod ra oirXa avv€K(pvval ol. 6 Se
Zev<; dad/jLaivei avv 7)Sovfj, KaOdirep ol /jieyav
iirl /jLeyuXo) Kapirw StaTrov/jaavre^ dOXov, kol
26 Ti]V iralha i^iaTopel (f^povcov rep tokco, Kal ovSe
Tfj<; "Hpa^ ri Seivov ivravOa, yeyr^Oe he, co? av
el Kal avrf]^ eyevero.
(3) Kat OvovdLV i^hif rfi ^A07]va hrjixot hvo eirl
hvolv ciKpoiroXewv, 'AOrjvaloc /cat PoSiOi, yfj Kal
30 OaXaTTY], . . . ^ kol dvOpcoiroL yrjyevel^, ol fxev
dirvpa lepa Kal dreX)}, 6 he ^ KOi^vqai hrjiio<;
TTvp eKel Kal Kvlaav ^ lepoiv. 6 Ka7Tuo<; he olov
eu(oS7j<; yeypairrai Kal fierd r?}? Kviari^^ dvap-
pewv. '66 ev CO? irapa aocfiwrepov^ d<^LKeTo t)
382K. ^60? Kal Ovaavra'^ ev' 'Po8toi? he Xeyerat
^ <p7](Ti 6 added after Jacobs (who puts (p-rjai after TreAf/cus.)
2 An adjective describing the Rhoilians seems to have
fallen out ; Jacobs and 8chenkl suggest 6a\\a7 Toy fuels. But
the lacuna may be more extensive.
^ Ki'laau Capps, Kulaa Reiske and He^'ne : Kvlffaai.
^ The account given has many reminiscences of Pindar, 01.
7. E.g. 38: "Heaven and Mother Earth trembled before
her "' ; 35 : " What time by the cunning craft of Hephaestus,
at the stroke of the brazen hatchet, Athena leapt forth from
the crest of her father's head"; 48: "Thus it was with
246
BOOK II. 27
must be at hand ; and they shudder ^ at the sight of
Athena^ who at this moment has just burst forth
fully armed from the head of Zeus, through the
devices of Hephaestus, as the axe tells us. As for
the material of her panoply, no one could guess it ;
for as many as are the colours of the rainbow, which
changes its light now to one hue and now to another,
so many are the colours of her armour. Hephaestus
seems at a loss to know by what gift he may gain
the favour of the goddess; for his lure^ is spent in
advance because her armour was born with her.
Zeus breathes deeply with delight, like men w^ho
have undergone a great contest for a great prize,
and he looks searchingly at his daughter, feeling
pride in his offspring ; nor yet is there even on Hera's
face any trace of indignation ; nay, she rejoices, as
though Athena were her daughter also.
Two peoples are already sacrificing to Athena on
the acropolis of two cities, the Athenians and the
Rhodians, one on the land and one on the sea, [sea-
born] and earth-born men ; the former offer fireless
sacrifices that are incomplete, but the people of
Athens offer fire, as you see yonder, and the savour
of burnt flesli. The smoke is represented as fragrant
and as rising with the savour of the offerings.
Accordingly the goddess has come to the Athenians
as to men of superior wisdom who make excellent
sacrifices. For the Rhodians, however, as we are
told, gold flowed down from heaven and filled their
fireless sacrifices that, on the citadel, the}' laid out the sacred
precinct " ; 49 f . : " He (Zeus) caused a yellow cloud to draw
nigh to them and rained on them abundant gold."' Trans.
Sandys, L.C.L.
2 As when, for instance, he made a gift of golden armour
to Thetis for Achilles.
247
PHILOSTRATUS : IMAGINES
Xpvao^ ef ovpavov pevaai Kal Sia7T\y]aai a^MV
ra(; OLKia<i Kal tov<; arevwirov^' v€(p6Xrjv et?
avTov^ pi]^avTO^ rod Aio?, otl KUKecvot tT;?
6 *A^7;m? ^vvPjKav. (4) 'E(^ecrT?;«:e rrj d/cpoTToXet
Kal 6 haijJLwv 6 IlXouTO?, 'yeypaiTTai, he Trr^/ro?
pev ft)? e/c v€(f>MV, ■)(^pvaov<; Se airo t?}? i^X»/9, eV
r/ €(f)dvTj. yeypawTat Kal /BXeircov Ik 7rpoi'Oia<;
yap auTOt? a<^tVeTo.
«>/ ISTOI
10 (I) 'EttcI toi^ T7J9 ll7]V€\67ry]<^ larov a^ez? eVre-
TVXV'^(*^'^ dyaOfi ypa(f)fj Kal Sokel aoi iravra
larov €)(€LV, <TT7]fioaL re iKUPOt)^ evTerarac Kal
avuea Kelrai vtto tmv p^ltcov Kal /jlovov ovy
VTT 0(^6 eyy eraL // K€pKl<; avri] re 7; Yir^veXoirii
15 KXaiei 8a.'cpvoi<;, ot? rrjv y^iova T7]K€l 'O/jLrjpo^;,
Kal dvaXvei a Blv(J)i]V€v. opa k6u ti^v dpd)(^v7]v
vcpaivovaav €k yeiTovwv, el /ni] Trapvcpacvei Kal
Tr]v Tly]V€X67ry]v Kal tou? '%r}pa<; en, wv rd
virepXe-ma Kal p.6Xi<i opard. (2) OlKia<; fiev
2 Plutus is usually conceived of as blind.
^ Although Kayser suggests that the description of a
painting representing Penelope's loom once preceded this
Description 28 and has been lost, Schenkl regards this
introductory paragrapli as merely a rhetorical device of the
sophist. The writer assumes that " the boy " has spoken of
a painting near by of Penelope's loom, and uses this device
to enrich his description of the present painting.
lienndorf calls attention to representations of Penelope's
loom in M071. Inst. IX. 42, and Froehner, Collection
Brantcghem, PI. 45 ; also to a painting of spiders' webs,
Helbig, Campan. Wandmal. PI. 99.
248
BOOK II. 28
houses and their narrow streets, when Zeus caused
a cloud to break over them, because they also gave
heed to Athena. The divinity Plutus ^ also stands
on their acropolis, and he is represented as a winged
being who has descended from the clouds, and as
golden because of the substance in which he has
i)een made manifest. Moreover, he is painted as
having his sight ; ^ for of set purpose he has come to
them.
28. LOOMS 3
Since you sing the praises of Penelope's loom,
having found an excellent painting of it, and you
think the loom complete in all its parts — and it is
stretched tight with the warp, and lint gathers
under the threads, and the shuttle all but sings,
while Penelope herself sheds tears so hot that
Homer* melts the snow with them, and she unravels
what she has woven, look also at the spider weaving
in a picture near by, and see if it does not excel in
weaving both Penelope and the Seres ^ too, though
the web these people make is exceedingly fine and
scarcely visible.^ Now this doorway belongs to a
- Od. 19. 204 f. What Homer really sa3-s is, "Her tears
flowed and her face melted as the snow melts on the lofty
mountains . . . and as it melts the streams of the rivers
flow full : so her fair cheeks melted as she wept."' Trans.
Murray.
'" The people of the country of silk (sericus), somewhere in
eastern Asia.
^ Cf. the description of the spider's web in Od. 8. 284 :
" When the snare was fashioned for Ares, many of the bonds
were hung from above, from the roof beams, fine as spiders'
webs, so that no one even of the blessed gods could see
them." Trans. Murray.
249
PHILOSTRATUS : IMAGINES
20 ovK €v TT parr ova 7]<; irpoirvXaia ravra' (pijaei'i
avTrjv ')(r}p€V€iv SeairoTMV, avXrj Bk €p7]fjLo<; ercrw
Trapacpaiverai, kol ovhe ol kLove^ avTrjv en
epeiSovaiv vtto tov avvi^dveiv koI Karappelv,
aXX' eanv oIktjtck; apd)(vaL(; iJL.9vaL<;' (f>i\el yap
25 TO ^(pov ev i)(TV)(^ia hiairXeKeLv. 6 pa xal ra
juLyjpvp^ara' touto civaTrrvovaaL to vrjfxa /cad-
idaiv 6t9 rovSa(po<; — hetKvveL he avTd<; 6 ^coypd(f)o<;
KaTtovaa<; hi' avrou kuI dvappc'x^coiJLeva'; depai-
7roT7]rov<; Kara tov ^Waiohov Kal fjueXerdyaa^;
30 TrertaOat — Kal olKLa<; Se 7rpoav(f)aLvovai Tat?
y(0VLai(i Ta? /xev evpela^, rd^ Se KoiXa's' tovtcov
at fiev evpelau ^prjaral Oepi^eiv, a? ^ he KoiXa^
33 v^aivovcTiv, dyaOov rovro ;^e//iwi'09. (3) KaXd
383 K. /xev ovv Ka\ ravra tov ^wypd^ov' to yap ovtco
yXia)(^pw^ apd^i'V^ '^^ ayTijv hiairovrjaaL Kal
aTL^ac Kara ti-jv (f)vacv Kal to epiov avT7]<;
inropoxO^-jpov ypdyjrai Kal to ^ dypiov dyadov
6 h-fp^Lovpyov Kal Secvov rrjv dXtjOeiav. 6 8' rjp^lv
Kal ra XeirTa Swcpijvev. ISov' TeTpdy(ovo<; p.ev
avTrj py]pLv6o<; Trepi^e/SXyjTai. Tal<; ya}mai<^ olov
Tretapa tov laTOu, rrepiijirTai Se ttj p,r)pivOfp
XeTTTo? /o-To? TToXXov^ aTroTeTopvev pLevo^ tov^
^ h.s Brunn : tos. ^ ^^ added by Jacobs.
^ One looks through the doorway into a court surrounded
by columns ; the wooden columns have given way, the flat
roof has fallen in, and the room is occupied only by spiders.
2 Quoted fi'om Hes. Op. et Dies, Til.
^ One must assume one of the three alternatives : (1) that
Philostratus did not observe accurately, for spiders do not
make tlieir webs in squares, or (2) that nTpdywvos should be
amended, e.g. to some such word as t(t pairKdo-ios (" woven of
four strands," cf. Bougot, p 552), or (3) that it should be
interpreted as "four-angled," not with the usual meaning
250
BOOK II. 28
house by no means prosperous ^; you will say it has
been abandoned by its master, and the court within
seems deserted, nor do the columns still support its
roof, for they have settled and collapsed ; nay, it is
inhabited by spiders only, for this creature loves to
weave its web in quiet. Look at the threads also ;
for as the spiders spew out their yarn they let it
down to the pavement — and the painter shows them
descending on it and scrambling up and " soaring
aloft," as Hesiod says,^ and trying to fly — and in
the angles they weave their nests, some spread out
flat, some hollow ; the flat
ones are good to summer in,
and the hollow sort they
weave is useful in winter.
Now the painter has been
successful in these respects
also : that he has w
M
the spider itself in so
painstaking a fashion, has Fi'^- --!•
marked its spots with fidelity to nature and has painted
its repulsive fuzzy surface and its savage nature — all
this is the mark of a good craftsman and one skilled
in depicting the truth. And he has also woven
these delicate webs for us. For look ! here is a
cord forming a square ^ that has been thrown about
the corners to be as it were a cable to hold the web,
and to this cord is attached a delicate web of many
"square." In the latter case the web in the corners would
take the usual form. Bougot (p. 486) quotes Blanchard,
Metamorphoses des Insectcs, p. 684, who describes the web of
the large Epeira as having clearly " a cable to hold the web."
Cf. Fig. 24, which is drawn to represent a web of the Epeira
type, i.e., hung from "cables," the encircling lines in a
spiral, and the whole " four-angled."
PHILOSTRATUS : IMAGINES
10 kvk\ov<^, ^p6\0L he eKJevel^ airo rov irpwrov
kvkXov fiexpi^ '^ou a/jLifcpordrov SiairXeKOvrai 8ia-
X€L7T0VT€<^ uTT ^ d\\7]X(i)v odov 01 kvkXoi. al he
epiOoi Sl avTwv /SaSl^ovaL reivovaai tou? k€-
'y^aXaa/nevov; tmv fiircov. (4) WXXd Kal fiiadhv
15 dpvvvTaL Tov vcfyaiveLV xal aiJOVvjaL Ta<; fiviw;,
eireiSdv rol^ Icrrol^ efiTrXaKcoaiP. odep ovBe ttjv
Otjpav avTOiV iraprjXOev 6 ^coy pd(f)0(;' rj fiev yap
e^eraL tov 7roh6<;, y Be ciKpov rod Trrepou, rj Be
eaOierai t?}? K€(f)aX7]<;, dcTiraLpovai Be TreLpco/jLevac
20 Bia(f)uyeLP, 6/jlo)<; ov rapdrrovaLP ovBe hiaXvovai
TOV lajov.
kO' ANTirONH
(1) Tou? iJLev d/uL(j)L TvBea Kal Kairavea Kal el
Bt] Ti9 'iTTTro/xeBcov Kal TlapOevoTralo^ evTavOa
^AOrjvaloL Odyjrovaiv dyoiva dpdpevoi tov virep
25 T(iiv awfidToyv, YloXvveiKrjv Be tov OlBiiroBo^
WvTiyovi] r) dBeX(f)Tj OdivTeL vvKTcop eK(f)0iT7]aaaa
TOV Teixov<; KaLTot KeK7]pvy/ievov eV avTw /xi]
OdiTTeLV avTov /jirjBe evovv ttj yfj, rjv eBovXovTO.
(2) Ta /Jiev Bij ev tw rreBUp veKpol eirl veKpoU
30 Kal LTTTTOL, CO? €7reaov, Kal tcl oirXa, co? aireppurf
T(ov dvBpoiv, XvOpov re ovToal 7r7;Xo9, (p (fyam
T7]v 'EvvcD %at/?ef J/, vtto Be tw Teix^i to, fiev tcov
383 K. ciXXmv Xox(iy^v acopLaTa, p,eydXoL re elai Kal
vTrepftefiXyjKore^ dvOpconcov, Ka7rav€v<; Be yiyavTi
e'lKaaTaC irpo^ yap tm peyeOeL jBe^Xi^Tai vtto
1 d7r' added by Beutle}'.
252
BOOK II. 29
concentric circles, and tight lines, making meshes,
running from the outside circle to the smallest one,
are interwoven at intervals corresponding to the
distance between the circles. And the weavers
travel across them, drawing tight such of the threads
as have become loose. But tliey win a reward for
their weaving and feed on the flies whenever any
become enmeshed in the webs. Hence the painter
has not omitted their prey either ; for one fly is
caught by the feet, another by the tip of its wing,
the head of anotlier is being eaten, and they squirm
in their effort to escape, yet they do not disarrange
or break the web.
29. AXTIGOXE
Tydeus and Capaneus and their comrades, and
any Hippomedon or Parthenopaeus that may be
here, will be buried by the Athenians, when they
take up the war to recover their bodies ; but Poly-
neices the son of Oedipus is being buried by his sister
Antigone, who steals outside the walls at night,
though proclamation has been made that no one
shall bury him or commit him to the earth he had
tried to enslave. And so we see in the plain corpses
upon corpses, and horses lying as they fell, and the
arms of the warriors as they slipped from their
hands, and this mire of gore in which they say
Enyo^ delights; while beneath the wall are the
bodies of the other captains — they are tall and
beyond the normal height of men — and also Capa-
neus, who is like a giant ; for not only is he of huge
stature, but also he has been smitten by the thunder-
^ Goddess of war. the companion of Ares.
253
PHILOSTRATUS : IMAGINES
Tov Aios Kol €71 Tv^erai} rov UoXuveLKrjv Be
5 T) WvTLyovtj fieyav kul fcar eK€ivov<^ ovra Kai
civyjpi]TaL TOV VEfcpov Kal Odyjrei Trpo? rw tov
'Et€0/c\€Ov<; cn^jxaTi SiaWciTTeLP ijyovfjLeprj tov^
aB€\(f>ov(;, 0)9 Xolttov gtl} (3) Tt (fn^aofiev, w
iTOL, TTjV ao(f)Lav T/}? 7/)a(/>7J9 ; aeXijvrj fiep yap
10 TTpoajBdWei (pco^ ovttw tticttov 6(f)da\fioL^, /jLeaTi)
Se eK7r\i]^6co<i i) /copy] Opi^velv o)p/jiy]K6 irepL-
iSdWovaa tov d6€\(j)6v ippcofievoi^ toT? injxeai,
KpaTel he o/aco? tov 6pi]vov SeSoLKvld irov tcl tcov
(j>v\dK(ov a)Ta, TrepiaOpelv t€ /3ov\ofu,evy] irdvTa
15 TO, irepi^ o/ico<i e? tov dSeXcpov fiXeTret to yovv
€9 yr)v KdfiiTTOvaa.
(•i) To 3e rTy? poid<^ epvo<; avTO(f)V€<;, m iral,
XeyeTUL yap 8r] KrjTreuaai avTo 'Epiz^ua? eVi to)
TdcbcD, Kciv TOV KupTTOv a7rdar)s, alp.a €KOLOOTai
20 vvv €Ti. davfia Kal to irvp to iirl Tol<i iva-
yla/jLaaiV ov yap ^vfifidWei, eavTcp ovBe ^vyKe-
pdvvvai TT]v (f>\6ya, to ivTevOev Se dWrjv kuI
dWrjv TpeireTai Kal to dp^LKTOv BifKol tov
Td(j>ov.
V ETA AN H
25 (I) 'H TTVpd Kal TCL e? avTijv ea(f)ayp,ha Kal 6
diroKeip^evo^ eirl tyj irvpa p^el^cov i) dvOpco-rrov
^ 6TJ TiKperai Wesseling and Reiske : i-nirvcptTai.
2 ert Salmasius : eVn.
^ As were the Giants in their battle with the Gods, cf.
supra, Description 17, p. 199 and note 1. For the fate of
Capaneus cf. p. 257.
2 Benndorf calls attention to the relief in the Villa Pamtili
(Robert, Sarkophagreliefs, II. p. 193, PI. 60), where Antigone
BOOK II. 30
bolt of Zeus 1 and is still smouldering. As for the
body of PolyneiceSj tall like his associates, Antigone
has lifted it up ^ and will bury it by the tomb of
Eteocles, thinking to reconcile her brothers in the
only manner that is still possible. What shall we
say, my boy, of the merits of the picture ? Well,
the moon sheds a light that the eyes cannot quite
trust, and the maiden, overcome with fear, is on
the point of uttering a cry of lamentation as she
throws her strong arms about her brother, but
nevertheless she masters the cry because, no doubt,
she fears the ears of the guards, and though she
wants to keep watch in every direction, yet her
gaze rests upon her brother as she kneels on the
ground.
This shoot of a mulberry, my boy, has sprung up
of itself, for the Erinnyes,^ it is said, caused it to
grow on the tomb ; and if you pluck its fruit, blood
spurts out even to this day. Wonderful also is the
fire that has been kindled for the funeral sacrifices ;
for it does not come together or join its flames into
one, but from this point on * it turns in different
directions, thus indicating the implacable hatred that
continues even in the tomb.
30. EVADNE5
The pyre and the victims sacrificed upon it and
the corpse, laid on the pyre, which seems too large
is carrying the body of Polyneices ; and to Helbig's discussion
of night-scenes {Camp. JVandmal. p. 363 f.).
3 i.e., the avenging Furies.
- The speaker apparently points to the place where the
flame begins as a solid mass, before it spreads out in
divergent directions.
^ Compare the story of the death of Evadne, Euripides,
Suppl. 990 f.
255
PHILOSTRATUS : IMAGINES
Bo^ai veKpo<^ 7] yvv)] re ?; a^ohpov ovro) irijBrjpa
e? TO TTvp aipovaa iirl roiotaSe, m iral, yeypairrai'
rov }\.aiTavea ol 7rpocn']KOV7e<i Oc'iTTTOvcnv iv tm
30"Apyei, airedave Se apa iv &)}l3aL<; vtto tou Ato?
€7ri./3e^7]Ka)<; 7J877 rod t€L')(ov<;. ttoitjtmv yap rrov
i]Kovaa<;, &)? K0/jL7rdaa<; tl 69 top Ala Kepavvcp
ej3\i]6ri fcal irplv e? rrfV yrjv ireaelv anreOavev,
ore Si) Kol ol Xo^ayol 01 Xoittoi vtto rfj KaS/jL6ia
35 eireaov.
(2) l^iKJjadvTcov W.6qvaio)V racjiPjvai. (j<^a<; irpo-
385 K. Ketrai 6 Ka7rap6v<i rd fiev ciWa e)(^(ov loaiTep
TuBci/? KOI 'iTTTTOfMeBcOV Kol 01 XoLTTOL, TOVtI Sk
virep TTcivra^i Xo%a70i79 re kol /SacnXea^i' E.vdBpi]
yap T) yvvi] diroOavelv iir avrco cop[xi-jK6v ovre
5 ft(/)09 TL eVt T))V hipi-jv eXKOvaa oure ^poy^ov
TLV0<^ eavT7)v aTTapToyaa, ola yaTrdaavro yvvalKe<;
iir dvhpdaw, dXX' e? avrb to irvp 'lerai ovttco
TOP c'lphpa ex^t'V ^lyovfjiepop} el /jli) kuI avTijp
6X01' TO fieu Si] €PTd(f)iop Tft) KaTTapet toiovtov,
10 /; 8e yvP7) KaOdvep ol e? ra lepela ^ aTe(f)dpov(;
re Kal xp^^^v i^aaK0vpT€<i, co? (f^aiSpd Ovolto
Kal e? X^P^^ '^^^^ 6eol<^, ovtco<^ eavTi^v aTclXaaa
Kal ovBe iXeeiPOP /SXeirovaa TrijSa e? to TTvp
^ So F and the first hand in PL, rjyouyue'j/Tj the other
MSS. ("she ... in the belief that slie does not yet possess
her husband uidess he likewise possesses her "). Some
editors ^vould emend to jield the meaning, "thinking that
her husband had not yet received due honours (irdi'Ta fx^iv
Heyne, ra irpoacpopa <x^"' Schenkl) unless . . .
2 The M.SS. read Upa, M'hich all editors have ooriected.
^ Philostratus apparently follows a different version of
the story from that of Euripides, for in the latter the burial
256
BOOK II. :;o
for that of a man, and the woman who takes so
mighty a leap into the flames, make up a picture,
my boy, to be interpreted as follows. Capaneus is
being buried in Argos ^ by his kinsmen, having been
slain at Thebes by Zeus, as you recall, when he had
already mounted the walls. Doubtless you have
heard the poets ^ tell how, when he uttered a boast
against Zeus, he was struck by a thunderbolt and
died before he reached the ground, at the time
when the rest of the captains fell beneath the
Cadmeia.^
Now when the Athenians have secured by their
victory the burial of the dead, the body of Capaneus
is laid out with the same honours as those of Tydeus
and Hippomedon and the rest, but in this one point
he was honoured above all the captains and kings :
his wife, Evadne, has determined to die for love of
him, not by drawing a knife against her throat nor
by hanging herself from a noose, modes of death
often chosen by women in honour of their husbands,
but she throws herself into the fire itself, which
cannot believe it possesses tlie husband unless it has
the wife as well.* Such is the funeral-offering made
to Capaneus ; and his wife, like those who deck
their victims with wreaths and gold ^ that these may
go to the sacrifice resplendent and pleasing to the
gods, thus adorning herself and with no piteous look,
is conducted by the Athenians, whereas here Capaneus is
being buried by his kinsmen in Argos.
2 e.g. Aesch3'lus, Sept. in Thel
127 f.; Euripides, Phoai. 1172 f.
3 The citadel of Thebes.
- But see the critical note.
^ Probably the reference is to gold-leaf used to cover the
horns of the victim, a practice often mentioned by Homer.
PHILOSTRATUS : IMAGINES
KoXovaa olfiai tov avhpa' koI 'yap (Booiar] eoLKev.
15 SoK€L S' aV flOi Kol T1JV K6(f)a\7]V VlT0(7-)(^elv TO)
aK^TTTw virep tov \\aiTavew<;. (3) Ot hi "E/jcore?
kavTMv TTOLOv/jLevoi ravra rijp irvpav airo rcov
XafiiraSicov amovai koI to irvp ov (f)aai
')(^paiveiv, aW' i^hiovi re /cat KaOapwTepw ')(^pyj(j6(j-
20 Oai 6d\jravT€'; avTw tov^ /caXco? )(pr]aa/jL€VOV<; to)
ipdv,
Xa 0EMISTOKAHS
(1) ' EXX?;!^ iv ^ap^dpoL^, dviip ev ov/c avhpd-
aiv UTe ^ diToXwXoai kol Tpvcpcoaiv, dTTiK(x)<; €)(0)v
/jbdXa TOV TpL/3(ovo<;, dyopevec ao(f)bv oljiai tl
25 fieTaiTOLCdV avTov<i kol fieOiaTd^; tov OpviTTeadai,
MrjSot TavTa koI 3a^vX(ov /juia^] kuI to cn]fjLeiov
TO (SaaiXeiov 6 ')(pvaov<^ iirl r?)? TreXr?;? deTo<i koI o
^aaiXeij^; iirl 'X^pvaov Opovov cttlkto^ olov Tad)(;.
ovK d^iol eTraiveloOai o ^a)ypd<f>o<;, el Tidpav kuXox;
30 fxepipirjTai Kal KaXdaipLV rj KdvSvv ?') drjpLcov
T6paTcoS€L<^ /jLop(f)d(;, ola iroLKiXXovaL /Sdpfiapoi,
^ are added by Schenkl.
^ Ic, the fire of their torches which association with
death will in this instance not pollute, but render more pure.
2 Ostracized from Athens in 472 B.C., Themistocles went
first to Argos, then to Corcyra and Epirus and Ionia. When
258
BOOK II. 31
leaps into the flames^ calling her husband, I am sure ;
for she looks as if she were calling out. And it
seems to me that she would even submit her head to
the thunderbolt for the sake of Capaneus. But the
Cupids^ making this task their own, kindle the pyre
with their torches and claim that they do not defile
their fire, but tliat they will find it sweeter and more
pure/ when they have used it in the burial of those
who liave dealt so well with love.
31. THEMISTOCLES2
A Greek among barbarians, a true man among
those who are not men, inasmuch as they are ruined
and dissolute, surely an Athenian to judge by his
coarse cloak, he addresses some wise discourse to
them, I think, trying to change their ways and make
them give up their luxury. Here are Medes and
the centre of Babylon, and the royal device — the
golden eagle on the shield,^ — and the king on
a golden throne richly spangled like a peacock.
The painter does not ask to be praised for his fine
representation of tiara and tasselled cloak (kalasiris)
or sleeved jacket [kandys) or of the monstrous shapes
of animals with which barbarian garments are em-
Artaxerxes came to the throne in Persia, Themistocles went
up to Susa and won favour with the new king ; he was
assigned the government of the district of Magnesia, where
he died.
^ Xenophon, Anah. 1. 10. 12, uses these same terms in
describing the standard of Cyrus the Younger. "They did
see, they said, the royal standard, a kind of golden eagle on
a shield, raised aloft upon a pole." Trans. Brownson,
L.C.L.
259
s2
PHILOSTRATUS : IMAGINES
dW iiraiveiaOw fiev eirl tu> )(^pvaa) ypdcfxop
38G K, avjov evijrpiov Kal aw^ovra, o i]vdyKaaTaL, koI
VT) Ata eiTi rw rcov evvovx^cdv el'Sei' koI t) avXrj
'X^pvaP] earo) — SoKetynp /x?) yeypd(f)6ai' yeypaTrrai,
yap o'la ojKoBofiJ]aOat — Xi^avwrov re koI afj.vpv7}<;
5 alaOavofieOa — rd^; yap to)v depcov eXevOepia'^
ovTco TrapacpOelpovaLV ol ^dp^apoL — Kal hopv-
(f)opo<; dX\o<; dXXw SiaXeyeadco irepl Tov
RXXr]vo<;
€K7rXi]TT6fM€voi avTov Kajd Sj] Tiva crvvecTLV
fieydXwv avrov epywv. (2) (de/xiaroKXea yap
10 ol/iat TOP Tov Neo/cXeov<; ^ Xdi]vt^6ev e9 ^a^vXoiva
TjKeLv /bLerd rrjv XaXa/iilva jr^v Oeiav diropovvra,
OTTOL a(iidi]aeTaL irore tP]<; 'RXXdSo<;, Kal Bia-
XeyeaOai ^aaiXel irepl 5)v ar parity ovvto<^ avrov
6 He/3f7;9 o)V7]TO. €K7rXi]TT€L Ss avrov ovSev rcov
16 \l7]SLK(t)v, dXXd reOdpaiiKev olov Kadearo)^ irrl
rod XiOoV Kal i) (fxovr) ovk drro rov rj/jLeSaTrov
rpoTTOV fjLijBl^oyv 6 Se/jLcaroKXrj^;' e^eirovifae yap
eKel rovro. el 8
diTLarei<^, opa rov<; aKOvovra^,
&)? TO ^ ev^vverov eTriarjfiaivovaL rol<i o/jUfxaaiv,
20 opa Kal rov (defiiaroKXea ri]v /lev rod irpoaooTTOv
Grdaiv TrapaTrXyaiov rol<^ Xeyovai, rrerrXavi]-
fxevov he rrjv rcov 6^6aXfi(ov evvoiav viro rod
Xeyeiv, w? fierefiaOev.
^ rh added by Kciyser.
^ On tlie dress of Cyrus the Great, see Xenopl)on, C'pr.
8. 3. 13: "Next after these Cyrus himself upon a chariot
appeared in tlie gates wearing his tiara upright, a purple
tunic shot with white (no one but the king may wear such
an one), trousers of scarlet d3'e about his legs and a mantle
{k-(cndys) all of purple. He had also a fillet about his tiara,
and his kinsmen also had the same mark of distinction, and
260
BOOK II. 31
broidered ; ^ but he should be praised for the gold
which he has painted as threads skilfully interwoven
in the cloth and preserving the design to which it
has been constrained, and, by Zeus, for the faces of
the eunuchs. The palace court must also be of
gold — indeed, it seems not to be a painting at all ;
for it is so painted as to seem to be a real building — •
we catch the fragrance of both frankincense and
myrrh — for the barbarians use these to pollute the
freedom of the air ; and let us infer that one spear-
man is talking to another about the Greek, mar-
velling at him from a vague knowledge of his great
achievements. For I think that Themistocles the
son of Neocles has come from Athens to Babylon
after the immortal victory at Salamis because he is
at a loss to know where in Greece he would be
safe, and that he is conversing with the king about
the services which he rendered to Xerxes while in
command of the Greek forces. He is not perturbed
at all by his Median surroundings, but is as bold
as though he stood on the Athenian bema ; and this
language he speaks is not ours, but Themistocles is
using the Median tongue, which he took the pains
to acquire there.^ If you doubt this, look at his
hearers, how their eyes indicate that they under-
stand him easily, and look also at Themistocles, the
posture of whose head is like that of one speaking,
but note that there is hesitancy in the thoughtful
expression of the eyes, due to his speaking a new
language recently learned.
they retain it even now. His hands he kept outside his
sleeves." Trans. Miller, L.C.L.
2 Cf. Plutarch, Them. 126D, tV Uepaiha yXCnrav drro-
)(pa)VTa)S iKfjiaOojv ivervyxcive ^aoLXel St' avrov.
261
nilLOSTRATUS : IMAGINES
Xfi' nAAAISTPA
(1) 'O fi€v xw/30? 'ApKaSla, to KoXXiarov
25 ^ ApKahia^ kuI m /idXiara 6 Zeu? %at/?€t —
^OXv/jLTTiav avTO ovofid^Ofiev — aOXov he outto)
7rdXr]<; ovSe rov TraXaieiv epo)?, dXX' earai.
UaXaiarpa yap ?; 'Kpiiov r)^y]aaaa vvv ev
WpKahia TrdXrjv evpffKe, koi i) yij y^alpei ttw?
30 T&) evpi^fjLari, eireihrj aihrjpo^ /xev iroXe/iiaryjpio';
evaiTovho'^ diroKeio-eraL roU dvOpcoiroi^, ardBca
Be i)Bico arparoTTeScov So^et koi dywviovvraL
387 K. yv/ivoL. (2) Ta /lev St] TTaXalafiara iraihia.
Tavrl yap dyepwya aKipTa irepl rrjv TLaXalarpav
aXXo e-TT^ dXXw e? aini]v Xvyi^ovTa, eh] 8' av
yrjyevrj' ^rjal yap vir dpBpela^ i) KOprj /iijr av
5 yrjiiaadai to) eKOvaa /jli}t av reKetv. Sia7re(f)UKe
Se diT dXXijXcov ra it aXaicr fxara'^ KpdrKTTOv yap
TO ^VVrj/JL/JLeVOV Trj TTVyflf].'^
(3) To he elBo^ r?)? HaXaL(rTpa<;, el iiev ecfyyj/Soy
SiKd^OLTOy Kopi] ecTTai, el he. ei? Koprjv Xa/jL^d-
^ Schenkl and Beinidorf think that something has been
lost from the text after iraXaia/^aTa — an enumeration of the
kinds of wrestling ending witli the pancratium, a combina-
tion of wrestling and boxing (Plato, Hep. i. 338c).
2 Trvy/xfi Kayser : TraAp.
^ Pelops, near whose tomb the Olympic games were cele-
brated, seems to have been originally a deity of the pre-
Dorian population of Arcadia and Pisa ; in the earliest form
of the legend he was the son of Hermes, the autochthonic
262
BOOK II. 32
32. PALAESTRA
The place is Arcadia,^ the most beautiful part of
Arcadia and that in which Zeus takes most delight
— we call it Olympia — and as yet there is no prize
for wrestling nor even any love of wrestling, but
there will be. For Palaestra, the daughter of
Hermes, who has just come to womanhood in
Arcadia, has discovered the art, and the earth seems
to rejoice at the discovery, since iron as an instru-
ment of war will be laid aside by men during the
truce, and the stadium will seem to them more
delightful than armed camps, and with naked bodies
they will contend with each other. The kinds of
wrestling are represented as children. For they leap
sportively around Palaestra, bending towards her in
one wrestler's posture after another ; and they may
be sprung from the earth, for the maiden shows by her
manly aspect that she would neither marry any man
willingly nor bear children. The kinds of wrestling
differ from one another ; ^ indeed, the best is the
one combined with boxing.^
The figure of Palaestra,* if it be compared with a
boy, will be that of a girl ; but if it be taken for a
god of Arcadia. In locating Olympia in Arcadia rather than
EHs, Philostratus follows the pre-Dorian story of the origin
of the Olympic games.
2 See critical note.
^ The reference seems to be to the pancratium ; see critical
note.
- Frohner {Gaz, arch. XIV, 1889, p. 56) published a Roman
terracotta vase with medallions, in which are depicted
Schoeneus, Atalanta with an apple, the victorious Hippo-
medon carrying a palm branch, and Palaestra, a seated
young woman nude to the waist and carrying a palm
branch (Fig. 25, p. 265).
263
PHILOSTRATUS : IMAGINES
10 vono, 6(f)7]/3o(; 86^ei. Ko/xt] re yap oaij /i7]S'
avairXeKecrOai 6/u/ia re d/i(f)OTep(p tm ijOet /cal
ocppix; o'la kol ipdjvrcov virepopav koi iraKaiov-
Tcov' (p7]al jap Trpo^ afitpco ra eOvq ippayaOac
fia^oiv re ovS' ai> iraXaiovTa Oiyelv nva, roaovrov
15 avrfj irepielvai rr}? re^i^?/?. koI avrol Se ol
fia^ol piKpa rf;? 6p/jLf}<; irapacfyaLvovaiv coairep iv
/jL€ipaKi(p (i7ra\(p, 6r}\v re iiraLvel ovBev, 66 ev
ovBe \€VKd)\evo<; deXei elvaL, ovBe Ta<; ^pvdSa<;
€7raiv€LV €0iK6v, OTL XevKalvovaiv eavTa<; iv ral'^
20 aKiaL<;, dXkd tov "WXlov are kolXtjv WpKaSiav
OLKOvaa alrel )(p(o/jLa, 6 8' olov di>Oo<; rt iirdyei
avrfj Kal (poiviTTCi t7]v Kopi-jV fxeTpia rfj eiXr]?-
(4) KaOrjaPai Be, m iral, rijv Koprjv irdvao^ov n
TOV ^(oypdcpoV Trkelarai yap toI<; KaOr)/i€voi<; al
25 (JKial Kal to KaOvjadai avrf}^ iKavco<^ eva')(^ij[iov,
TTpdrret Be tovto Kal 6 OaX\h<; t?)? e\aLa<; ev
yvfivu) TO) koXttw. daTrd^erac Be ttov to (pVTOv
TOVTO i) llaXataTpa, eTreLBrj irdXr] re dptjyei Kal
Xcilpovaiv avTw irdvv dvOpwiroi.
^ f'lArj Heringa and Reiske : tSri.
- ai/rf) Kayser : avTrjs or avTo7s.
1 Cf. p. 263, note 4.
264
BOOK II. 32
girl, it will seem to be a boy. For her hair is too
short even to be twisted into a knot ; the eye might
be that of either sex ; and the brow indicates disdain
for both lovers and wrestlers ; for she claims that she
is able to resist
both the one
and the other,
and that not
even in a wrest-
ling bout could
anyone touch
her breasts, so
much does she
excel in the
art. And the
breasts them-
selves, as in a
boy of tender
years, show but
slight signs of
beginning full-
ness. She cares for nothing feminine ; hence she
does not even wish to have white arms, and
apparently even disapproves of the Dryads because
they stay in the shade to keep their skin fair ; nay, as
one who lives in the vales of Arcadia, she begs Helius
for colour, and he brings it to her like a flower and
reddens the girl with moderate heat. It shows
the skill of the painter, my boy, that the maiden is
sitting, for there are most shadows on seated figures,
and the seated position is distinctly becoming to
her ; the branch of olive on her bare bosom is also
becoming to her. Palaestra apparently delights in
this tree, since its oil is useful in wrestling and men
find great pleasure in it.
265
Fig. 2i
PlllLOSTRATUS : IMAGINES
\y AHAONH
30 (1) 'H fjLev ')(pvar) ireKeia er eVt t?)? Spv6<; iv
\ojiOL<; i) ao(f)y} koI y^p-qajjioi, ou<; eV Ato? dva-
(ftOeyyerat, Kelrai 8' ovto<; 6 7re\€KV<;, ov /uedrJKcv
388 K. 'EXXo? 6 SpVTO/xo';, a^' ov Kara AwScovrjv ol 'KWoi,
are/jL/jLara 8' uvrjirTaL Trj<; Spv6<;, eTreiSi] KaOdirep
TlvOol TpL7rov<; ^p7;cryU0L'? eKc^epet. (poira 8' 6
fiev epeaOai, tl avnjv, 6 8e Ovaai, koI X^P^^
5 ovToal eV ^tj^mv TrepieardaL ttjv Spvv olfcetov-
jievoL Trjv ao(pLav tov SevSpov, ol/jLac Be kol ttjv
Xpvo'V^ opvLV eKsl TaXevOrjvaL. (2) 0/ 8' viTo<f>rj-
rai rou Ato?, ou<; dvLTrroirohd'^ re Ka\ x^/jLaL€vi^a<i
eyvo) "OfMTjpo^, avToay^e^Loi Tive<^ elat Kal ovttq)
10 /careaKevaa /levoL tov ^lov, cjiaal 8e fi7]B' dv Kara-
(TKevdaaaOai' tov yap Ala x^lpeiv a(f)laiv,
eTreiSr] daird^ovTai to avToOev. i€p6t<; yap
ovTOL, Kal 6 fJLev TOV €pe^|raL /cvpio<;, 6 8e tov
KaTev^aaOat, tov ^ 8' e? ^ iroiTava xph TrpdTTeiv,
15 TOV 8e es' ov\d<; Kal Kavd, 6 8e Ov6l tl, o h ov
irap/jaec eTepw Betpac to lepelov. ivTavOa 8e
lepecaL Act)8a)i^t8e9 iv cTTpvcpvu) re Kal lepw tw
^ Thv Reiske and Kayser : rtf. ^ 5' es Schenkl : Sc.
^ Dodona was the seat of the oracle of Zeus, reputed to be
the oldest oracle in Greece (cf. Iliad 16. 233) ; it was situated
in Epirus near the modern Janina. Hesiod places it in
Hellopia {Cat. of Jf'omen mid Eoiae, 97) : " A ri(,-h land on the
border of which is built a city, Dodona ; and Zeus loved it
and (appointed) it to be his oracle, reverenced by men. . . .
And they (the doves) lived in the hollow of an oak {<p-r)yov)."
Trans. Evelyn-White, L.C.L. Herodotus (II, 55) speaks of
the holy doves who first called attention to its niantic power.
The oracles were answers to questions, in the form of a
266
BOOK II. 33
33. DODONAi
Here is the golden dove still on the oak^ wise in
her sayings ; here are oracles which are utterances
of Zeus ; here lies the axe abandoned by the tree-
cutter Hellus, from whom are descended the Helloi
of Dodona ; and fillets are attached to the oak, for
like the Pythian tripod it utters oracles. One comes
to ask it a question and another to sacrifice, while
yonder band from Thebes stands about the oak,
claiming as their own the wisdom of the tree ; and
I think the golden bird has been caught there ^ by
decoy. The interpreters of Zeus, whom Homer
knew as ^-men with unwashen feet that couch on
the ground," ^ are a folk that live from hand to
mouth and have as yet acquired no substance, and
they assert that they will never do so, since they
think they enjoy the favour of Zeus because they are
content with a picked-up livelihood. For these are
priests ; and one is charged with hanging the gar-
lands, one with uttering the prayers, a third must
attend to the sacrificial cakes, and another to the
barley-grains and the basket, another makes a sacri-
fice, and another will permit no one else to flay the
victim. And here are Dodonaean priestesses of
rustling of the oak's branches. (Cf. siipra, Description 15,
p. 187.) A spring at its foot inspired those who drank of it.
The priests, called by Homer " Selloi " (here Helloi), found
favour by depending wholly on Zeus for their food ; the fact
that they slept on the ground suggests contact with the god
in sleep (incubatio) as a means of learning the divine will.
2 This would naturally mean in Thebes. The allusion is
uncertain. Benndorf thought that the reference was to
Egypt, where, according to Aelian, Dc Nat. An. 6. 33,
birds are brought down from the skv by a kind of magic.
3 Quoted from Iliad 16. 235.
267
PHILOSTRATUS : IMAGINES
ecSei' eoLKaai 'yap Ov/jna/jLarcov re avairvelv Kal
airovhoiv. (3) Kat to ')(^cdpiov Se avro ^fco^e?, w
20 Trat, yeypaTTTat Kal ofjL(f)Pj<; p^earov, ')(^a\Krj re
'Fl;)^<jt) iv avTcp T6Tip7]TaL, r)v olpai 6pa<; iiTL-
/SdXXovaai' t7]v %e?/3a ro) aropari, eireihi]
')(^a\K6lov aveiceiTo rco Ail Kara AcoScovtjv yx^Vf
e? 7To\v ri]<; r}pepa<; Kai, pi^pi Xd(3ono rt? avTov,
26 p,ii aicoTTCov.
x5' nPAi
(I) To pev iirl ral'^' D.paL<^ elvai ra<^ rov ovpavov
TTuXa? 'OpDJpw d(f)(t}p€v elhevaL Kal e^^iv — etVo?
ycip TTov avTov ^vyyeveaOai Tal<; "D.paL<;, ore rov
aWepa eXa^e — tovtI he to (nrovhat^opevov viro
30 T?)? ypa(f)}j<^ Kal dvOpcoTTw ^vp^aXelv paSiov. at
yap Si] ^D-pat avT0L<; eLSecriv e? ttjv yrjv d(f)tK6'
pevat ^vvdiTTOvaai Td<^ j(^elpa'^ eviavTov olpuaL
380 K. eXiTTOvai Kal i) yfj ao(f)}] ovcra ev(f)opei ai)Tal<i tcl
eviavTOv TrdvTa. (2) "M?; iraTelre ti-jv vaKLvOov
Tj TO, poSa " ovK epM 77/309 Ttt? 7]pivd<;' VTTO yap
Tov iraTeladai tjSlco (j)aiveTaL Kal avTcov tl tcop
5 ilpwv l]Siov TTvel.^ Kal " pjj ep^aiveTe diTa\al<;
rat? dpovpai^ " ovk epoi Trpo? ra? ■)(^ip,epLov<;
(T(f)0)V' to yap TraretaOaL avrd^; viro rwv 'Hpcov
TToiyjaei darax^v. at ^avdal he avTai /Saivovaiv
^ Man}' attempts have been made to emend ifiSiov irvd : ^7J
At" drnTTj/ft Jacobs, vrj Am Tri/e? Westermann ("exhale, by
Zeus, a fragrance of the Horae themselves").
^ The Seasons.
2 Cf. Iliad, 5. 749:
The gates of Heaven which the
Horae had in their keeping, to whom are entrusted great
268
BOOK II. 34
stiff and solemn appearance, who seem to breathe
out the odour of incense and libations. The very
place, my boy, is painted as fragrant with incense
and replete with the divine voice ; and in it honour
is paid to a bronze Echo, whom I think you see
placing her hand upon her lips, since a bronze
vessel has been dedicated to Zeus at Dodona, that
resounds most of the day and is not silent till some-
one takes hold of it.
34. HORAE
That the gates of heaven are in charge of the
Horae ^ we may leave to the special knowledge and
prerogative of Homer,^ for very likely he became an
intimate of the Horae when he inherited the skies ;
but the subject that is here treated in the painting
is easy for a man ^ to understand. For the Horae,
coming to earth in their own proper forms, with
clasped hands are dancing the year through its
course, I think, and the Earth in her wisdom brings
forth for them all the fruits of the year. " Tread
not on the hyacinth or the rose " I shall not say to
the Horae of the spring-time ; for when trodden on
they seem sweeter and exhale a sweeter fragrance
than the Horae themselves. '^ Walk not on the
ploughed fields when soft " i shall not say to the
Horae of the winter-time ; for if they are trodden on
by the Horae they will produce the ear of grain.
And the golden-haired Horae yonder are walking on
heaven and Oh'mpus, whether to throw open the great cloud
or shut it to." Trans. Murray.
^ It is implied both here and in the phrase "inherited the
skies " that Homer became a god after his death ; and works
of ancient art depict his apotheosis.
269
PHILOSTRATUS : IMAGINES
€ttI t/}? rcov aaraxixov KOfirj'^, ov /j,7]V a)<; KXdaat,
10 7] Kd/jLyjraL, dW' elcrlv ovrco tl iXa(f)pai, 009 yu-?;Se
e7rj]/iv€iv TO X)]iov.^ ^apiev v/jlwj', o) cifiireXoi, to
\a/3ea6aL tojp oircopivcov eOeXeiv epdre 'yap irov
TOiv Qpcov, on vp,d<^ epyd^ovrai KaXd<; koX
r)SvoLvov<;.
15 (3) TauTL ix€v ovv olov 'yecdp'yiaL t/)? >ypa(f)r]<;,
avral 3' al ' flpai fidXa i)helai koI haifioviov
Te'xyrjf;. olov fieu yap avrcov to aBetv, o7a Se 17
SlVT] TOV KVkXoV Kul TO KaTOTTLV rj/uilv /jL-qSe/jLid'i
^aiveodai vtto tov Tracra? olov ep-^eaOat^
20 ^pa')(iwv he civco Kal iXevOepla d(f)€TOV k6/jL7]<; Kal
irapeid 6epfiy] vtto tov Spofiou Kal 01 6(f)6aX/jLol
avy')(^op€vovTe<^. '^d^a tl Kal p^vOoXoyrjcraL
avy)(^(jL>povaiv virep tov ^coypd(f)OV' Bok€l ydp fxoL
')(opevovaai'^ Tal<^ "npai<; evTVX^^ aeiaOijvaL utt'
25 aL/TWi/ et? Tr]V Tex^^W, t'cro)? alvLTTOfievodv twv
Oewv, OTi XPh ^^^ cjpa ypd(f)€LV.
^ rh Arjicu Scheiikl : rep 'i]\i<f or t^ Arj'y.
^ Cf. Iliad, 20. 227 : " Would course over the topmost ears
of ripened corn and break them not " (said of the mares of
Krichthonius). Trans. Murra\'.
2 The word is taken from Homer, Iliad, 2. 148.
^ The interpretation of Benndorf, who compares supra p.
302, 4K, and p. 311, 23. The painting furnislies the writer
witii fruits to gather as the fields yield a harvest to the
farmer.
270
BOOK II. 34
the spikes of the ears, but not so as to break or bend
them ; ^ nay, they are so Hght that they do not
even sway the stalks. It is charming of you, O
grape-vines, that ye try to lay hold of the Horae of
the autumn-tide ; for you doubtless love the Horae
because they make you fair and wine-sweet.^
Now these are our harvestings,^ so to speak, from
the painting ; but as for the Horae themselves,
they are very charming and of marvellous art. How
they sing, and how they whirl in the dance ! Note
too the fact that the back of none of them is turned to
us, because they all seem to come towards us ; and
note the raised arm, the freedom of flying hair, the
cheek warm from the running, and the eyes that join
in the dance. Perhaps they permit us to weave a
tale about the painter; for it seems to me that he,
falling in with the Horae as they danced, was caught
up by them into their dance, the goddesses perhaps
thus intimating that grace (Jiord) must attend his
painting.*
- According to Benndorf, whose interpretation is here
followed, (TiLddnvai (for ivaeiadrivaL) seems to mean that one
of the surrounding spectators has been caught up by the
dancers and made to share their dance. Benndorf interprets
in this way a relief found on the Athenian Acropolis (pub-
lished by Lechat, Bull. corr. hell. xiii. PL XIV, p. 467 f.),
where Hermes with a flute is leading the dance of three
Charites, the third of whom is initiating a small figure, i.^.
not a divine being but a man, into their dance. Lechat calls
attention to the essential likeness of Charites, Horae, and
Nymphs, but names these figures Charites because the latter
were worshipped in mysteries "in front of the entrance to
the Acropolis " (Paus. 9. 35. 3).
271
PHILOSTEATUS
THE YOUNGER
IMAGINES
WITH AN ENGLISH TRANSLATION BY
ARTHUR FAIRBANKS
INTRODUCTION
PHILOSTRATUS THE YOUNGER
In his preface to this^ the second, series of Imagines
the younger Philostratus states his intention to
" vie with earlier writers " in his description of
paintings. Specifically he is following in the steps
of his grandfather, the author of the earlier series
of Imagines, though we find nothing like slavish
imitation of that work. His high regard for
the older Philostratus is stated in the eulogy of
his preface ; it is indicated by the frequent use
of phrases borrowed from his predecessor, inten-
tionally or unintentionally ; and it is clearly shown
by his choice of subjects. While he also frequently
quotes from classic authors, the phrases taken from
the older Philostratus number rather more than
phrases or quotations from all other authors put
together. As to his choice of subjects, ten of his
seventeen descriptions deal with themes suggested
by his predecessor.
Philostratus the Younger. Philostratus the Elder,
3. Hunters resting. I. 28. Preparation for and
progress of the hunt.
5. Heracles in swaddling I. 26. Hermes in swaddling
clothes. clotlies.
6. Music of Orpheus; ani- I. 10. Music of Amphion ;
mals and trees. stones of Thebes.
275
t2
INTRODUCTION
Philostratus the Youxcer. Philostratus the Elder.
9. Pelops, Hippodanieiaand I. 17. Hippodameia, Pelops
Oenomaiis. and Oenoinaiis.
10. Pyrrhus and Eurypylus. I. 7. Memnon and Achilles.
11. Departure of the .-ir^o. II. 15. Arrival of the yir^o.
12. Hesione freed. I. 29. Andromeda freed.
13. Sophocles and bees. II. 12. Pindar and bees.
14. Hyaciuthus before death. I. 24. Hyacinthus after
death.
15. Meleager and the Caly- I. 28. Boar hunt.
donian boar.
None of them is a co])y of the material he found,
but all treat the same or similar themes in a way
that invites comparison.
The most striking difference from his predecessor
lies in the fact that the later writer makes far less
effort for rhetorical effect. The so})hist, the lecturer
for display, has retreated into the background. We
find none of the
curious knowledge" that was
scattered through the works of his grandfather;
the studied simplicity is no longer noticeable ; the
" boy " and the effort to show a conversational
manner rarely appear. In general the description
is much more definite, as though he wished to
make clear the particular pictures he is describing,
although some of the descriptions confuse the story
and the picture (cf. \a, Achilles on Scyrus), sometimes
confusing elements are introduced into the picture/
and sometimes two or three scenes arc described
in the .same picture without indicating the transition
from one to another.^ Moreover, he takes satis-
^ Three figures representing the river in the contest with
Heracles, in No. 4; three goddesses, not Athena alone, seek
to bribe Eros to help Jason, in No. 8.
^ ?>os witli Ganymede, and Eros clinging to the skirts of
Aphrodite, in No. 8 ; the single combat of Pyrrhus, and the
outcome of the combat, in No. 10.
376
INTRODUCTION
faction in filling out the details of the description
(cf. Nos. 5; 15),i when the elder Philostratus de-
scribed only the main points as illustrating the story
of the painting.
While the elder Philostratus constantly stressed
the illusion of reality in the paintings, perhaps as
an inherited rhetorical device, his grandson rarely
mentions it. He does speak of the hands and feet
and garment of Orpheus as in motion (No. 6), of
reflections on the ball offered to Eros when it is
tossed into the air (No. S, 5), of the rapid motion
of Aeetes' chariot (No. 11, 5), and the waves made
by the onrush of the monster that attacked Hesione
(No. 12, 4), but he does not suggest that the
painted object could be confused with the object
itself His figures of speech are relatively few.
Under the spell of Orpheus' music the trees weave
their branches to make a music-hall for him (No.
G, 2), the tail of the monster attacking Hesione
is like the sail of a ship (No. 12, 4), the legs of
Meleager are firmly knit, " good guardians when
he fights in the hand-to-hand contest" (No. 15, 5).
He makes less use of literary allusions than does his
predecessor, though his method of handling them
is similar.- His one excursion into literature is his
^ References to the descriptions of the younger Philo-
stratus are here given by the number (or number and
section) of the description.
2 It should be noted, however, that the range of literary
aHusion is neither so wide nor so free as in the case of
the older Philostratus. Nearly half the allusions are to the
Imagines or the Heroica or the Lives of his grandfather ; as
the Shield of Achilles is based on Homer, so the account
of the babe Heracles is based on Pindar (Xo. b), and the
account of Medea (Nos. 7, 8) on Apollonius of Rhodes ; and
277
INTRODUCTION
somewhat dull rendering of the scenes on the Shield
of Achilles (No. 10, 5f.) ; this may be based on a
painting or relief reproducing Homer, though the
evidence for such a view is not convincing ; but
it is certainly written for readers who know well
the Homeric passage. He does not dwell on the
drawing of the pictures, on symmetry or proportion,
or on special devices used by the painter ; and his
allusions to colour do not suggest that colour
interested him as an important factor in painting.
In one instance (No. 3, 2) he follows the method
of his grandfather (e.g. Phil. Sen. I. 14, 3) in de-
scribing the beauty of a grove, but the beauty of
nature does not seem to appeal to him personall}'.
Perhaps the most interesting example of his
relation to the older Philostratus is found in his
panegyric of Sophocles (No. 13 infra). Because the
elder Philostratus wrote a jianegyric of Pindar in the
form of a description of a picture, the younger writes
a panegyric of Sophocles in the same manner.
Nevertheless there is a striking difference in that
the Pindar is hardly a picture, while the Sojihocles
takes clear form as a picture. The only pictorial
elements in the Pindar ^ are the bees and a statue
of Rhea before the house of Pindar's father ; the
bees are there, their stings extracted, to a])ply
tiieir honey to the newborn babe and instil their
^ svpra, p. 179.
of the relatively few alhisions tliat remain, his references to
the Greek tragedians are curiously, -with one exception,
references to fragments preserved in other literature (four
times) and to the opening lines of plays by Sophocles or
Euripides (six times). One cannot attribute to him the wide,
intimate acquaintance with classical literature which was
shown bj' his grandfather.
27S
INTRODUCTION
sweetness into him as he lies on laurel branches in-
side the house^ but the babe is not in the picture ;
and Pan^ we are told, will stop his leaping to sing
the odes of Pindar, but apparently Pan is not in
the picture. The Sophocles is no less a panegyric
than the Pindar ; bees are flying about anointing
Sophocles with mystic drops of their own dew,
as though they might sting the onlooker ; Asclepius
himself will listen to a paean of Sophocles ; but
here we are presented with a definite picture of
Sophocles standing modestly before a Muse in the
presence of Asclepius.
This dependence of the younger Pliilostratus on
his grandfather, which is most evident in his choice
of subjects and in particular in the description of the
picture of a poet just described, may well raise the
question whether the later author is describing real
pictures or imagining pictures to suit his literary
purpose. In spite of the logical and often detailed
descriptions, the latter view seems perhaps the more
reasonable. None the less it may be said of him
as of his predecessor, that his paintings are so
genuinely conceived in the spirit of the age that
they may be treated as sound data for the student ot
late Greek painting.
In his Introduction the younger Pliilostratus, after
his eulogy of his grandfather, outlines succinctly a
theory of pictorial art which may also be regarded
as an expression of the thought of his age. It is
the function of painting, we are told (§ .3), to set
forth the character and the inner life of the persons
represented ; (§ 4) to produce the illusion of reality,
that
charming deception" by which men are led
to think that things exist which do not exist ;
279
INTRODUCTION
(§ 5) to follow the rules of symmetry and harmonious
relation of parts, which have been laid down by
men of old time ; and (§ 6) to present to the eye
the same play of the imagination which is character-
istic of poetry. Of these several factors which
enter into painting, only one seems to have made
a deep impression on the personality of our author,
namely the delineation of character and inner ex-
perience. Tlie nature of Diomedes and Odysseus
(No. 1), the state of the mind of Marsyas and the
barbarian and Apollo (No. 2), the character of the
different hunters and the thoughts they are ex-
pressing (No. 3), the spiritless and dejected Oeneus
and the frightened blushing Deianeira (No. 4), the
fright of Alcmene, the courage and intelligent
caution of Amphitryon (No. 5), the love of Medea
and Jason (No. 7), the haughty spirit of Pelops, the
modesty of Hippodameia, and the Mildness of
Oenomaus (No. 9), and similar features in later
descriptions, are what the younger Philostratus
chooses to dwell on. For him the art of the painter
consists in the ability to delineate the character,
the tlioughts, the intentions, tlie emotions of the
persons represented. While the older Philostratus
continually stressed the illusion of reality in paint-
ing, his grandson grouped the art of painting Avith
dramatic literature as forms of art to be judged by
their success in presenting personalities.
280
PHILOSTRATUS
THE YOUNGER
nPOOIMlON
3C0 K. (1) M?; dcpaLpco/jLeda Ta<i Te')(ya<; to ael acp^ea-
Oai SvaavTi/SXeirrov i)'yovfxevoi to irpea^vTepov
fir)S\ et T(p TMV iraXaLOTepcov irpoeiXiiiTTai ti,^
TOVTO ^ijXovv KUTa hvvafxiv (^eihaifieOa cr;^;;/iaTi
5 evTrpeirel to paOvfiov v7roKopi^6/jL6vot, aW' Ittl-
/3d\(i)/jLev Tw (j>6daavTi- tvx,opt6<; yap aKOirou
d^Lco<i \6yov irpd^ofiev, el he tttj ical Gc^aXrjvai
^vfi/Saii], TO yovv eTraivovvTa^^ c^aiveaOai 'Oj-
Xovv TCL ev e')(ovTa eavTol<^ Scoao/xev.
10 (2) Tt Br] /jLOi tuvtI TTpoavaKeKpovcjTai ; ecnrov-
hacTTai Ti9 ypa(piK)]<i epycov eKcfypaai^ tcd/jlo)
6fxa)vi>/jLCp Te KoX /ir/TpoTrdTopL Xiav 'ArTi/cw? t/}?
yX(OTTri<; e^ovaa ^vv copa Te Trporjy/iepTj kol
ToVfi). TavTT]<; KaT lx^V %co/9^jcrat 6eXi]aavTe<^
15 dvdyKi^v ea^Ojiev irpo tt}? 6Xq<^ eirL^oXr]^; koI
TTepl ^coypa(f)La(; Tivd hieXOeh', &)? dv koI o X0709
e)(r) TrjV oLKe'iav vXi^v icpapfioTTovaav tol<; vtto-
K€L/jL€V01<;.
(3) Za)ypa(f)La<; dpiaTOv koI ovk eVl ajJUKpol^
20 TO eTTLTijSevfjba' ^PV J^P '^^^ 6p6(0<; TrpoaTa-
TevcrovTa r/}? re^i^/;? (f)vaiv Te dvdpwTreiav ev
Bie(TK€(j)6aL KOL LKavov elvai yvcofiaTevaat ^)6(i)v
^v/jL/3oXa Koi aiooTTcovTcov Kal tl fiev ev irapeicov
Ti added by Olearius.
iiraivovvra'i Reiskc, Hey lie : 4iraivovvra.
282
PROOEMIUM
Let us not deprive the arts of their chance to be
kept up for ever, on the ground that ^ve think the
earlier period hard to match ; and let us not, just
because we have been anticipated in any undertaking
by some writer of former time, refrain from emulating
his work to the best of our ability, using a specious
pretext with which to gloss over our indolence ; but
let us rather challenge our predecessor for, if we
attain our goal, we shall accomplish something worth
while ; but if at any point we fail, at least we shall
do ourselves the credit of showing that we strive for
the noble ends we praise.
Why have I made this prelude ? A certain de-
scription of works in the field of painting was written
with much learning by one whose name 1 bear, my
mother's father, in very pure Attic Greek and with
extreme beauty and force. Desiring to follow in
his footsteps we felt obliged before setting out on
the task to discourse somewhat on the art of painting,
in order that our discussion may have its own
matter in harmony with what is proposed.
Most noble is the art of painting ^ and concerned
with not insignificant matters. For he who is to be
a true master of the art must have a good knowledge
of human nature, he must be able to discern the
signs of men's character even when they are silent,
and what is revealed in the state of the cheeks and
^ Lit. "figure-painting."
283
PHII.OSTRATUS THE YOUNGER
KaraardaeL, ri 8e iv 6<^6a\ixodi> /cpdcrei, ri ht iv
25 6(j)pv(OV Tjdei K6LTai Kal ^vvekovTi elirelv oiroaa
391 K. 69 yvco/jiTjv Teivei. tovtcov Se iKavoi<^ ^X^^ f^^'
atpijaet irdpra /cal cipiara vTroKpivelraL i) %et/3
TO oIksIov eKdarov Spafia, /jLe/jLtjvora el tu^ol t)
6pyil,6/ievov y evvovv i) x^lpovra i) 6p/jLi]T7]v i)
5 ipojvra, Kal KaOdira^ to dpp-oStov icj) CKdara)
ypd-yjrei. (4) 'HSela Se Kal i) iv avrco dirdri^ Kal
ovBev 6v€lSo<; (j)epovaa- ro yap roL<; ovk ovaiv &)?
ovai irpoaeardvaL Kal ayeadau vtt' avrojv, co?
elvaL vofii^eLv, d(f) ov /3Xa/5o9 ovhev, ttw? ov y^rv^^a-
10 ywyrjaaL iKavov Kal alria^; eKro^ ;
(5) AoKovai Se jjlol iraXaioi re Kal cro(f)ol
av8pe<; ttoWcl virep ^v/jL/i6Tpia<; t^? eV jpacpiKfj
ypdyjrai, olov v6/jlov<; TiOevTe^; tP]<; eKdarov roiv
fieXcov dva\oyLa<; &)? ovk ivov t/}? Kar^ evvoiav
15 KLV)]a€a)<; eTTiTV')(^elv cipiara /it) el'aco rov €k
(f)vaea)<; fxerpov rf]^ dppLovia^ yKovai]^;- ro yap
eK(f)v\ov Kal e^o) /lerpov ovk dirohex^adai (pv-
aew<; 6p6co<; ixovay]<; Kivrjaiv. (G) ^KOTrovvri Be
Kal ^vyyeveidv riva tt/do? TTOLr/rLKrjV €)(€iv i)
20 rexi^V evpiaKerat Kal kolvi] ri^ dfKpotv ehat,
(pavraaia. 6eo)v re yap irapovaiav ol TTOtrjral
69 ry]P eavroiv aKy]V7)v eadyovrai Kal irdrra oaa
oyKov Kal aep.vorT]ro<; Kal yjrv^^aycoylaf; e)(erai,
^ I'lutarch (Mor. 348 C) discusses the " deception " inherent
in tlie art of the drama, in particular tragedy, (|Uoting(iorgias
to the effect that the poet who deceives is wiser tlian the one
284
PROOEMIUM
the expression of the eyes and the character of the
eyebrows and, to put the matter briefly, whatever has
to do with the mind. If proficient in these matters
he will grasp every trait and his hand will successfully
interpret the individual story of each person — that a
man is insane, perhaps, or angry, or thoughtful, or
happy, or impulsive, or in love, and, in a word, will
paint in each case the appropriate traits. And the
deception ^ inherent in his work is pleasurable and
involves no reproach ; for to confront objects which
do not exist as though they existed and to be
influenced by them, to believe that they do exist, is
not this, since no harm can come of it, a suitable and
irreproachable means of providing entertainment ?
Learned men of olden times have written much, I
believe, about symmetry in painting, laying down
laws, as it were, about the proper relation of each
part of the figure to the other parts, as though it
were impossible for an artist to express successfully
the emotions of the mind, unless the body's harmony
falls within the measurements prescribed by nature ;
for the figure that is abnormal and that exceeds
these measurements cannot, so they claim, express
the emotions of a rightly constituted being. If one
reflects upon the matter, however, one finds that the
art of painting has a certain kinship with poetry, and
that an element of imagination is common to both.
For instance, the poets introduce the gods upon
their stage as actually present, and with them all
the accessories that make for dignity and grandeur
and power to charm the mind ; and so in like manner
who does not ; and that the hearer who is deceived is wiser
than the one who is not, in that he is easil}' moved by his
pleasure in what he hears.
285
PHILOSTRATUS THE YOUNGER
ypa(f)iK)} 76 6/iiOLCo^, a Xeyeiv ol Troiyral €)(^ov(n,
25 javT iv T(p ypd/jLfiart aiifxaivovaa.
(7) Kat Tt ')(^py] Xeyeiv irepl tmv apL^i]X(i)(;
eipr^fievwv 7roWot<; rj irXelova Xeyovra hoicelv e?
iyKcofXLa KaOiaraadai rod 7rpdy/ia70<; ; dpKel
yap Koi ravra SeLKVvvai to aTTovSa^o/jievov ij/juv
30 &)9 ovK airo^e^XrjaeTai ttoi, el Kal ^ Kopuhf]
(T/jLLKpd' ypdfi/jLaai yap Trpoarv^wv ')(eipo<^ d-
(TTeta?, ev oh dp-^alac irpd^cL^ ovk dpiovaw^
exovaai rjaav, ovk ij^lcoaa aiwirfj irapeXOelv
ravra. dXX iv i)pZv /xij 6(f)' evo^ ro ypdjifia
35 TTpoioi, earo) Ti? vrroKeifjievo^, irpo'^ ov ypr) rd
KaO' efcaara SiapOpovv, IV ovro) Kal 6 \0709 to
dp/jLorrov exoi^
a AXIAAETS EN SKTPM
392 K. (1) 'H KOfJLMaa rfj a^^ufp ijpcoivi] — opa^; ydp
rrov rrjv vtto rco Spec crri(f)pdv ro eZ^o? koI
6<jraXp6vy]v KvavM — XKvpo<;, w Tral, vrjao^, rjv
06LO<i ^o^oatX,/}? dvep^coBea KaXel. eari 8' avrfj
5 Kal 7rr6pdo<; iXda<; iv ralv x^polv Kal dfxireXov
KXrj/jLa. 6 5' VTTO TOi? irpoTToai rov opov^ wvp-
^ ci kjX Jacobs : 1^.
^ Cf. Plutarcli {Moi\ 748 A), who discusses the relation of
poetry, dancing, and painting. "For dancing is silent
poetry, and on the other hand poetry is a dance of speech.
... It would seem that as poetry resembles the use of
colour in painting, so dancing resembles the lines by which
figures are defined."
2 Cf. the same sentiment, Od. 12. 451 f.
286
ACHILLES ON SCYROS. i
does the art of painting, indicating in the lines of
the figures ^vhat the poets are able to describe in
words. ^
And yet why need I say what has been admirably
said by many,^ or by saying more give the impres-
sion that I am undertaking an encomium of painting ?
For even these words^ few indeed though they be,
suffice to show that our present effort will not have
been wasted. For when I have met with paintings
by a clever hand, in which ancient deeds were treated
not without refinement, I have not thought it right
to pass them by in silence. But in order that our book
may not proceed on one foot,^ let it be assumed that
there is a person present to whom the details are to
be described, that thus the discussion itself may have
its proper form.
I. ACHILLES ON SCYROS ^
The heroine crowned with reeds — for doubtless you
see the female figure at the foot of the mountain,
sturdy of form and dressed in blue — is the island of
Scyros, my boy, which the divine Sophocles calls
" wind-swept." ^ She has a branch of olive in her
hands and a spray of vine. And the tower in the
foot-hills of the mountain — that is the place where the
^ i.e., as a discourse of one person.
- While the Homeric poems tell nothing of Achilles' con-
nection with Scyros, later writers say that Peleus sent him
there to king Lj'comedes at the age of nine in order to keep
him out of the expedition against Troy. There he was
brought up in maiden's garments with the daughters of
LN'comedes, till Odysseus and Diomedes (or Ajax or Phoenix
and Nestor) were sent at the bidding of Calchas the prophet
to fetch him. The scene was a favourite one with Greek
painters from Polvgnotus on.
» Soph. Frag. 539 N.
287
PHILOSTRATUS THE YOUNGER
70?, irapOevevovjai evravda al rod Av/cofA,ijSov<;
fcopai ^vi' rf) hoKovar) irapa ©eViSo? r}K€LV. (2)
To 'yap roi yioipojv eirl tw ttcilSI 86y/j,a rov
10 TTarpo^; N7]peco<; 1) BeVf? jiadovcra koI ox; iir
a/x^o) TTeiTpwfjLevov avrw eh] 7) ^i]v a^Xew? *]
evKXed yevo/uLevov Ta^iara reXevrav, airoOero'^
avrfi 6 7ra2<; ^vv Tat9 AvKOfjL)]8ov<; dvyarpdaip
iv ^Kvpo) KpvTTTeraL, Koprj fiev elvai SoKcav Tal^
15 aXXaL<;, fxiav he avTMV rijv Trpea^uTcirijv ^vv
a7ropp/]Tcp yvov<; epcori, Koi irpoLonv ye e'<? rofcov
copav 6 ')(p6vo<; top Hvppov efcScoaei. (3) 'AXX'
ouK evravda Tavra. Xet/JLcov Be irpo rov irvpyov
— €7rLT7]Beio<; yap 6 t6tto<; tt)? vrjaov K6paL<^
20 dvdcbv d(f>6oviav hovvai — kol 6pa<^ ye^ 00? dXXi]
dXXa-)(^oae inroaKiBvavTaL rd civOrj cnroKeipovaai.
KaXXo^ fxev ovv dfjLi])(avov diraacbv, dXX' al fiev
aTe;)^t/&)? e? OtjXecav copav aTroKXivovai ^oXah
T€ 6(p6aX/jLMV dirXd eK^XeTrouaac; /cal Trapeidf;
25 dvdeL Kal rfj Trpo^ eKaara op/iy ev fxdXa to
6r}\v eXeyxovaai, i]Bl Be 1) dvaxai'Ti^ovaa Tr)v
KopiTjv Kal 0Xo(7Vpd avv dffpoTijrc avriKa fidXa
hLeXeyxOi^o-erai T7]v (f)vaLv Kal to ^vv dvdyKjj
eTTLTrXaaTOV eK^vaa top 'Ax^XXea eKSel^ei- Xoyov
30 yap e? tov<; "EjXX7]va<; e/iTreaovTo^ tov t/}?
HeTiBo^ diroppyjTOV aTeXXeTaL Aio/x>;S>;? ^vp
'OBvaaet errl tijv ^Kvpov BieXey^ovTe^;, oirr)
TavTa e^^i.
393 K. (*i) 'O/oa? Be d/i(f>(i) tov p.ei' Kal jSe^vOiCfievov
TTfv TO)v 6(f)daX/jL6)v dKTLva Bid iravovpyiav oifiai
1 Cf. Iliad 9. 410 f. "Thetis telleth me that twofold
fates are bearing nie towards the doom of death : if I abide
288
ACHILLES ON SCYROS. i
daughters of Lycomedes follow their maidenly pur-
suits with the seeming daughter of Thetis. For when
Thetis learned from her father Nereus the decree of
the Fates about her son — that one of two things had
been allotted to him, either to live ingloriously or
becoming glorious to die very soon ^ — her son was
put away among the daughters of Lycomedes on
Scyros and now lives hidden there ; to the other
girls he seems to be a girl, but one of them, the
eldest, he has known in secret love, and her time is
a])proaching when she will bring forth Pyrrhus. But
this is not in the picture. There is a meadow before
tlie tower, for this part of the island is a garden
made to produce flowers in abundance for the
maidens, and you see them scattered here and
there plucking the flowers. All are surpassingly
beautiful, but while the others incline to a strictly
feminine beauty, proving indisputably their feminine
nature by the frank glances of their eyes and the
bloom of their cheeks and their vivacity in all they
do, yet yonder girl who is tossing back her tresses,
grim of aspect along with delicate grace, will soon
have her sex betrayed, and slipping off the character
she has been forced to assume will reveal Achilles.
For as the rumour of Thetis' secret spreads among
the Greeks, Diomedes in company with Odysseus
sets forth to Scyros to ascertain the truth of this story.
You see them both, one keeping the glance of his
eyes ^ sunk low by reason, I think, of his craftiness
here and war about the city of the Trojans, then lost is my
home return, but my renown shall be imperishable ; but if I
return home . . . lost then is my glorious renown, yet shall
my life long endure." Trans. Murray, L.C.L.
2 For the phrase tV tSiv ocpdaX/xwv aKrlva, cf. the elder
Phil. Vit. Soph. 61, 3, and Ima(j. 311, 18 K.
PHILOSTRATUS THE YOUNGER
KOI TO hiaOpelv tl aei, 6 Se rou Ti^8eco9 e/xcfypcov
jjiev, €TOi/jLO<i Be TTji/ ypco/uLrjv koI to hpaaTt]pLov
5 TTpoTeivwv. KaTOiriv he avTcov kul 6 rfj adXTTLyyi
(Ti-jiiaivdyv ri By) ^ovXcTai Kal tl to rj6o<; r/}?
<ypacf)P]<; ; (5) "^ocfyo^; cov \)Bvaaev<^ kol iKavo^
TMV aBrjXcov 6i]paTri<; tt/jo? tov tmv Oi^pcDfievwv
eXeyx^^ f^VX^^^'^^^ '^^ ^^^' p^^^'i y^P eV tov
10 Xeifiwva TaXdpov^ re Kal oaa iraial Kopat*; e?
TvaiBiav evTrpeir?] Kal TravoirXiav, al jxev ovv
AvKO/jLt]Bov<; e? to oIkeIov y^copovcnv, 6 Be tov
Il>;Xeco9 TaXdpoi<; fiev kol KepKiai ^aipeiv Xeyei
rrapaXLTToov avTO, rat? K6pat,<; yBij, e? Be ttjv
16 iravoirXlav 6p/iyjaa^ yvfivovTai re to evTev-
(1) . . . aOai. 6 Be IIvppo<; ovk dypoiKO'; eTC
ovB' ev avxP-^ acppiycoi', ola /SovkoXoov veavcev-
fiaTa, dXX' ijBrj aTpaTL(t)T7]<;. eaTrj fiev yap
20 olkoi'tIm €7rep€Laa<; eavTov Kal aTro/SXeTTcov e?
TTJV vavv, ea6)]<; Be avTw (f)oiviKl<; ef cjfiov
aKpov €9 Tr]V cipLCTTepav dveiXij/jL/jLevy] X^^P^ '^^^
XevKo^; virep yovv x^^cov, to Be Ofifxa auTw
yopyov fiev, ovk ev op/jufj Be, dXX' ev dvafioXaU
^ Jacobs saw that the end of this description and the
beginning of the next have been lost.
^ The same phrase is used by the elder Philostratus, Fit.
A poll. 11, 20 (02, 24 K).
^ Cf. .Soph. Ajax 2, where the word d7]p(ifxeyov, " ever on
the prowl," is used by Odysseus.
3 Pyrrhus (Neoptolemus) was the son of Achilles by
Deidameia, daughter of Lycomedes, Born after the de-
290
PYRRHUS ON SCYROS. i
and his habit of continual scheming, the other,
Tydeus' son, prudent, ready in counsel and intent on
the task before him. What does the man behind
them mean, the one who blows the trumpet? and
what is the significance of the painting ? ^ Odysseus,
shrewd and an able tracker of secrets,^ devises the
following plan to test what he is tracking out ; when
he throws down on the meadow w-ool-baskets and
objects suited to girls for their play and a suit of
armour, the daughters of Lycomedes turn to objects
suitable to their sex, but the son of Peleus, though
he claims to find pleasure in baskets and weaving-
combs, forthwith leaves these things to the girls, and
rushing to the suit of armour he divests himself of
the feminine attire he has been wearing. . . .
[PYRRHUS ON SCYROSJ3
. . . And Pyrrhus is no longer a countrj^ boor
nor yet growing strong amid filth like brawling sons
of herdsmen, but already he is a soldier. For he
stands leaning on a spear and gazing towards the
ship ; and he wears a purple mantle brought up
from the tip of the shoulder over to his left arm
and a white tunic that does not reach the knee ;
and though his eye is flashing, it is not so much the
eye of a man in full career as of one still holding
parture of Achilles, the boy was brought up by Lycomedes
lill, at the bidding of the seer Helenus, Odysseus and
Phoenix came to fetch him to accomplish the capture of
Tro}'. His victory over Eurypylus is described below (Xo. 10,
p. 325f. ). The departure of P\'rrhus from Scyros, his assistance
to Odysseus in securing the bow of Philoctetes, and his
exploits at Troy are scenes frequently depicted on Greek
red-figured vases.
291
U2
PHILOSTRATUS THE YOUNGER
25 €Ti fcal tCo a(j')(^ciWeiv tj] rpi^fj Kal avaTvnol
TL 7) yi'co/jLi] TO)v iv '\\i(p flLKpOV vdTepov,
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30 dvaaKiprcoaai averov alye'^ Kal rd draKTovvra
/SovKoXia Kal ?; eV fieaoi,<; ippi/jL/jLevr] KOpvvr)
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" EjX\T]va(; €/ji7r€a6vro<;, cl><; ovk dWw ro) dXcor6<i
5 eaotro rj Tpola irXrfV rot? AlaKiBai^;, areXXeraL
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KaOop/jLia-dfievo^ ivrvyxdvei 01 ovk cIBotl ovk
et3a>9 7tX7]v oaa to d^pov re Kal dhpov tov
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Tw T€ Avko/jL7]861 Kal TT) A7]tBafji€ia. (4) TavO*
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7)fjid<i iOeXei, yeypaiTTai he a>? koI iroiTjTal'i ^Srjv
irapaax^^i^'
292
PYRRHUS ON SCYROS. i
back and vexed at the delay ; and his mind images
something of what will happen a little later in Ilium.
His hair now^ when he is at rest, hangs down on
his forehead, but when he rushes forward it will be
in disorder, following, as it tosses to and fro, the
emotions of his spirit. The goats skipping about
unchecked, the straying herds, and the shepherd's
staff with its crook lying among them where it has
been thrown ^ imply some such story as this, my
boy : — Vexed with his mother and his grandfather
for being kept on the island, since after the death
of Achilles in fear for the boy they had sworn that
Pyrrhus should not depart, he set himself over the
goats and kine, subduing ^ the bulls that scorned
the herd — the bulls that may be seen on the mountain
at the right. But when the oracle came to the
Greeks that Troy would be captured by none other
than the descendants of Aeacus, Phoenix is sent to
Scyros to fetch the boy, and putting ashore he en-
counters him, each unknown to the other except in
so far as the boy's graceful and well-grown form
suggested that he was x\chilles' son. And as soon
as Phoenix recognized who he was, he himself be-
came known to Lycomedes and Deiodameia. All
this is what art would teach us by means of this
small picture, and it is so painted as to furnish to
poets also a theme for song.
^ Iliad 23. 84:5-(j : "Far as a herdsman flings his crook,
and it flieth whirling over the herds of kine. . . ."
^ Lit. "turning back the neck
and thus throwing them
to the ground ; cf. Philostratus, Her. 190, 1, where the same
phrase had been used.
^ aTttKrija-ei Jacobs : droKTrjo-eie.
293
PHILOSTRATUS THE YOUNGER
/3' MAPXTAS
L") (1) Ka6yjp7]TaL 6 ^pv^, /SXeirei yovv airo-
\a)\o<; i]S?] 8ia ^vveaiv ojv Trelaerai koI varara
Sj] avXijaat ireTTLarevKev ovk e? Kaipov e? tov
T^9 At^toO? Opaauvd/jL€vo<;, eppLirrai re uvtm 6
avXo<; aT{,/io<; /xt) avXelv en, co? Kal vvv aircihwv
20 iXijXeyfCTaL' kol TrapiaTrjKe jiev rfj ttltvi, d(p' 979
Kp€/jLaa0j]a€a6aL olSe ravTrjv eavrou KaraSiKa-
adfjLevo<^ Slktjv ckjko^ hehdpOat. (2) 'Tiro^Xeirei
he e? TOV ^dpjBapov rovrov rrjv uKfirjv rf;?
fjLa)(^atpa^ TrapaKovco/jLevov e? avrov 6pa<; ydp
25 TTOV, &)? al fjLev %6t/36? 69 Tr^v dKovr\v avTW kol
TOV aiBrfpov, dvaj3XeiT€i he e? tov ^lapavav
yXauKiMV Tft) 6(f)6aX/jL(o kol Kofirfv tlvcl hiav-
fcrra? dypiav Te /cal avxf^^o'civ. to Be iirl
T% 7rap€Ld<; epev6o<^ (f)ov(x)VTo<; oljjiai, koX /;
30 6(f)pv'i Be virepKeLTai tov 6/jLfiaT0<; 69 avyrjv ^
^vvy]y/j.€V7} Kal BiBovad tl tw dvfxw 7]6o<^, dXXa
Kol aicnjpev dypiov tl vtto twv fxeXXovTcov avTca
^ avyr]u F: avTrtw suggested by Jacobs, opyV ^>y an
anonj-mous critic.
^ The story is that Marsyas presumptuously undertook to
prove that tlie music of his flute was superior to Apollo's
music on the lyre. Defeated in the contest, he was flayed
alive. Cf. Xen. A^iab. I. 28: "It was here (at Celaenae),
according to the story, that Apollo flayed Marsyas, after
having defeated him in a contest of musical skill ; he hung
up his skin in the cave from which the sources issue, and it
is for this reason that the river is called Marsyas."
294
MARSYAS. 2
2. MARSYAS 1
The Phrygian has been overcome ; at any rate
his glance is that of a man already perished, since
he knows what he is to suffer, and he realizes that
he has played the flute for the last time, inasmuch as
inopportunely he acted with effrontery towards the
son of Leto. His flute has been thrown away, con-
demned never to be played again, since just now
it has been convicted of playing out of tune.
And he stands near the pine tree from which he
knows he will be sus-
pended, he himself having
named this penalty for him-
self — to be skinned for a
wine-bottle. 2 He glances
furtively at the barbarian
yonder who is whetting the
edge of the knife to be
applied to him ; for you see,
I am sure, that the mans -^^•-^' -^•
hands are on the whetstone and the iron, but that
he looks up at Marsyas with glaring eyes, his wild
and squalid hair all bristling. The red on his
cheek betokens, I think, a man thirsty for blood,
and his eyebrow overhangs the eye, all contracted
as it faces the light ^ and giving a certain stamp
to his anger ; nay, he grins, too, a savage grin in
anticipation of what he is about to do — I am not
^ i.e. in case he should be defeated by Apollo in the
contest. The expression is current in classical writers, e.g.
Solon. Frag. 33, 7 Bergk. ; Aristophanes, Nv.h. 442.
^ A similar expression is used by the elder Philostratus,
Vit. Apoll. 283, 10 K (VII. 28).
295
PHILOSTRATUS THE YOUNGER
hpaaOai, ovk olK e.ire x^^P^^ ^'^^ '^^t (ii^oiSovaij^;
69 Ttjv a(f)ayi]if r/}? yuco/i7]<;. (3) 'O Se 'AttoX-
395 K. Xcov yeypaTTTac SiavaTravcov eavrov iirl Trerpa^
rivo<i, 7} \vpa Se ev apiarepa Keifievi) eri, ttX^/'t-
rerac vivo rP)^ X^^po? t/"}? Xam? eixirLirrovar)^
7]p€fiaLco<i Kol olov SiaylraX\ova7]<i. opa^; Be Kal
5 pnOvfiov TO Tuv Oeov elSo^; Kal ixeihiafxa eirav-
6oVV TW TTpOaCOTTO),^ 7) T6 X^' P V ^^^I'Ci iTTLKeiTaC
TO) AToX-TTft), 7Tpa(o<; ^vi'ixovcTa TO irXriKTpov,
KaTappaOvfiovfjievr] vtto tov €9 ttjv vlk7]v %at-
povTO<i. avTov Kal 6 7roTa/jio<; tov Mapava
10 iTTCovvfilav dfieiylrayp, (4) "Opa fiot Kal Trjv twv
^aTvpcop dyeXrjv, ola OpijvovuTe^; tov Mapcruav
y€ypa(f)aTai, ft)9 €7n(f)aivovT€<i to dyepwxov Kal
dveaKipTTjKO^; ^vv tw dnaadaL.
y KTNHFETAI
(1) Ti 5' OVK av eiiroi^ irepl tovtwv, ov<; ayec
15 p,€P diro 0)]pa<; rj ypa(f>7], Trrjyrjv 8' avTol<i dva-
SlBcoaiv (iKpaicpvi) ttotl/jLOV tc Kal hiavyov^
vd/iaTO<i ; 6pa<; Si ttov Kal to irepl T7]v injyrjv
a\ao<^, (pvo-€(o<; epyov olfiai t)]<; ao(f>i)<;' iKavij
yap irdvTa, oaa /SovXeTai, Kal BetTai Tex^V^
20 ovSei', i] ye Kal Te;^/'at9 avTaU dpxr) Ka6eaT7jK6.
(2) Tt yap ipSet 7rp6<; ttjv t?}9 aKid<i irapaaKevtjv ;
aiSl fiev 7)fiepihe<; dypiai dvco epirvaaaai ^ twj/
hevhpodv ^vp^e/SXi'jKaac tov^ twv KXyj/jLaTcov
KopvpL^ov^ dXXov dXXcp avpSeovaai, crpiXa^ he
- TrpoawTTCf Olearius: aa-wiroo.
^ auw fpirvffacrai Arnim : dt/epTrvaaaai.
296
HUNTERS. 3
sure whether because he is glad or because his mind
swells in pride as he looks forward to the slaughter.
But Apollo is painted as resting upon a rock : the
lyre which lies on his left arm is still being struck by
his left hand in gentle fashion^ as though playing a
tune. You see the relaxed form of the god and the
smile lighting up his face ; his right hand rests on
his lap, gently grasping the plectrum^ relaxed be-
cause of his joy in the victory. Here also is the
river which is to change its name to that of Marsyas.^
xAnd look, please, at the band of Satyrs, how they
are represented as bewailing Marsyas, but as dis-
playing, along with their grief, their playful spirit
and their disposition to leap about.
3. HUNTERS 2
Is there any praise you would withhold from these
men whom the painting is bringing back from the
hunt ? And it causes a pure spring of sweet and
pellucid water to gush for them from the earth.
And no doubt you see the grove around the spring,
the work of wise Nature, I believe ; for Nature is
sufficient for all she desires, and has no need oi
art ; indeed it is she who is the origin of the arts
themselves. For what is lacking here to provide
shade ? Those wild vines climbing high up on
the trees have brought clusters of shoots together,
fastening them to one another : while the bryony
1 Ovid, Metam. VI. 383 f., after describing the death of
Marsyas, tells how the tears of his companions gave rise to a
river which bore his name.
2 Cf. the treatment of the same theme by the elder
Philostratus, Imag. I, 28, p. 107 f.
297
PMILOSTRATUS THE YOUNGER
25 avryj kui kitto'^ o/jlou re Ka\ KaO" ev hiaGyovie's
iTVKvov Tiva rOVTOV KOi 7]Sl(0 Te^i^T/? 6po(f)ov
7]/j.LV irapexovcriv. 6 he rcoi> cnjSovcov X^P^'^ '^^^
ra TMv ciWcov opvecov /aovaela cra^w9 7)fiLv ra
Tov fiekixpOTcirov ^ocpoKXiov; eVt yXwrrau
30 dyei
irvKvoirrepoL
h'
elacd KaT avrov evaro/J-ova ch]S6i>€^,
eliTovTo^;.
(3) 'AW' ye tmv OrjpevTMv 6/il\o<; 7]SeL<;
396 K. fiev koL arL(f)pol ^ koI irveovre^i en tov ev rfj 0/]pa
6v/jl6v, aWo^ Be dWo tl 7rpdTTovT€<^ hiavairav-
ovcTi a(f)d<; avTov<^. olov, co Beoi, Kal co? 7)8v to
(Ta(f>e^ T^9 Tex^V^ ^^^ ^^ ^cttiv opdv Trjv eKdaTOV
5 TVXV^' (JrLJBd^i fxev at'Too-^eS^o? avTrf Slktvcov
olfiai ^vyKeiixevT) Bex^TUi tov<; dpxovTa^;, Kokov
elirelv, r/)? 6rjpa<^. (\) koX ttcvtc jxev ovtol.
6pa<; Se tov fieaaiTaTov avTcov, o)? Bieyeipa^;
eavTov edTpaiTTai irpo'^ tov<; vTrepKaTaKeifievov^
]0 TOV eavTOv, /jlol BoKelv, dOXov d(f)7]yov/jLevo<; Kal
TO KaTa^akelv OdTepov tcjv Orjpiwv tt/owto?, a
St) T0)v BpVMV e^rjpTrfTat 8i,ktvoi<;, e\a^o<i olfxai
KoX crO? eyKeifxeva. y yap ovk eiTrjpOai act
BoKel Kal x^^P^'-^ '^^ '^PIV > ^^ ^' dT€ve<; fiev
15 opcoaiv e? avTov dcpTjyovfievov, dTepo<; Se a<f)a)V
evaiTOKXiva'i eavTov Trj aTi^dhi BiavaTravei irov
Kal auTO? Ta^a dvaypdyfrcov ^ tl t^;? 6rjpa<;
oLKelov epyov, OdTepov Be tov ^vacriTLOv Kepa^
^ TTuKfOTTTepoi Olearlus from Sophocles : TrvKiSrepoy, ■kvkv6-
TipOl.
^ (TTKppoi Olearius : <npi<pvoi.
^ ava-ypd-^wv Reiske : avaypacpcav.
398
HUNTERS. 3
yonder and the ivy, both together and separately,
provide for us over there a close-knit roof that is
more pleasant than art could produce.^ The chorus
of nightingales and the choirs of other birds ^ bring
clearly to our tongues the verses of Sophocles,
sweetest of poets :
And within (the copse) a
feathered choir makes music." ^
But the band of hunters, charming sturdy youths
still breathing the excitement of the hunt but now
variously engaged, are resting themselves. Ye gods !
how wonderful and how charming is the clearness
of the painter's art, and how well we may discern
the story of each one I This improvised couch, made
of nets, I think, receives those whom we may rightly
call ^' the leaders of the hunt." They are five in
number. You see the midmost of them, how he
has raised himself and has turned towards those
who lie above him, to whom, it seems to me, he is
relating the story of his contest and how he was
first to bring down one of the two wild beasts which
are suspended from the trees in nets, a deer ap-
parently and a boar. For does he not seem to you
to be elated * and happy over what he has done }
The others gaze on him intently as he tells his
story ; and the second of them as he leans back on
the couch seems to be resting a while and planning
soon to describe some exploit of his own in the
hunt. As to the other wing of the company, the
^ The description is based on a passage in the elder Philo-
stratus, Vit. ApolL 49. 2.3 fK (II, 7).
2 Eur. Frag. 88. 2 f. has the phrase "choir of nightin-
gales."'
3 Quoted from Soph. Oed. Col 17 f.
- For this use of iiraipeiv, cf . Phil. Imag. 347, 7 K.
299
PlllLOSTRATUS THE YOUNGER
o ^ 7r/J09 Tft) iiecrandrw kvXlko^ i)fjLLheov<i ev
20 Oaripa ralv ^(epolv ova7j<; rrjv Se^iav virep
K€(f)a\y]<i Trepiayaycov ti-jv Wyporepav aSeiv /iol
SoKel, 6 5e e? rov hiciKOvov opwv ao^elv KeKevei
T7)V KVklKa.
(5) Xo(/)6<; re o ^coy pd(f)0(; Kal uKpi/Stj^; ttjv
25 x^^P^' cLvaaKOTTOvvTi yap iravra irapoKeXenrTai
ovBe Tcop oiraovcov ovhev ohl pev yap Tpv(f)0s
hevhpov KaT6L\y(f)0D(; KuO^jTat, eve(TK€va<j[xevo<^
CO? el)(ev ev tm irepl rrjv Otjpav Spo/JLO), kclk ^
7n]pa<; ivrj/jipLeprj^; avrw heiirvSyv hvelv he kvvmv
30 6 p,ev eVretW? eavrov irpo avrov eadUiy 6 he tol<;
oTriadiOL^; evoK\daa<^ dvex^u ttjv Beprjv eV8e;^o-
jjuevo^^ TO, 69 avTov aTroppLTTTOv/jLeva, 6 Be irvp
dva.ylra's fca\ ev6e\<^ rwv aKevcov, oaa irpo^ tovto
Xp^cttu, rd TT/oo? rr/r Sacra dcfyOova irapexet
35 a(f)LaL fxdXa eiTLa'nepx^
^ avTo<; eavrov, daKo^
397 K. T6 ouTO? elKfi eppLTrrai ttotov diravrXetv toJ
^ov\o/jLev(p, Svelv re Oepairovroiv 6 fiev SaiTp6<;
olfiai pLOLpa^ rep^veiv (f)y]al tt}? laaia<; einp^eXov-
p.ej'0<; ev tm diroTep^eiv, 6 S' virex^t, to virohe^o-
6 pLevov Td<; p.oipa<i fcra? irov diraLTcov elvai. to
yap ev 0)]pa Kard ye tovto SiaWdTTOv e? tvxW
ovSev.
300
HUNTERS. 3
man next to the central figure, a cup half full in
one hand and swinging his right hand above his
head, seems to me to be singing the praises of
Artemis Agrotera,i while his neighbour, who is
looking towards the servant, is bidding him hurry
the cup along.
The painter is clever and exact in his craftsman-
ship ; for if one examines the whole picture, nothing
has been overlooked, not even as regards the attend-
ants. The man yonder, having found a branch broken
from a tree, sits on it, dressed just as he was in the
chase after the quarry and making a meal from the
pouch which hangs at his side. One of the two
dogs, stretched out in front of him, is eating, while
the other squats upon his hind legs and stretches
out his neck to catch the morsels that are being
thrown to him. A second man kindles a fire, and
putting over it some of the pots adapted to this
use he makes ready for the hunters the abundant
food, hurrying at his task ; this wine-skin has been
thrown down here at random for anyone that wishes
to draw drink from it; of two other servants, one,
the carver I suppose, tells us that he is cutting
portions with due care to make them equal, and the
other holds out the platter that is to receive the
meat, doubtless demanding that the portions be
equal ; for in this matter at least the management
of a hunt leaves nothing to Fortune.
^ Artemis the goddess of wild beasts whom the hunter
must propitiate.
^ 6 added by Olearius.
^ KOLK Jacobs : /cat.
2 it/Sexdn-^vos added by Arnim.
PlIILOSTRATUS THE YOUNGER
5' HPAKAHS H AXEAHIOX
(1) Zr^T6?9 TcTft)?, Tt9 ?; Koivwvla hpaKOVTO^; re,
09 evTavOa ttoXv^ avearfjKev iyeipa^; lov 'Trr}-)(yv
10 Kara vcora Ba(f)Oivb<; koI ^yeveia KuOieU utt' opdfj
KoX TTpiovcorfj rfj Xo^ia ^Xeircov re S€iP(x)<; SeSop-
K0<; Koi iKavov et? eKirXri^Lv ayayelv, ravpov ^
T€, 09 VTTO Toaavrrj Kepaia yvpa)aa<; top av)(€va
Kal hLaaKciiTTcov Ty]V iv iroal yr)u &)9 69 i/iM^oXrjv
15 L€Tat, Kal dvBpo^; tovtov i^jiidi-jpo^;' ^ovirpwpa
fiev yap avrw irpoawira- Kal y6P€ia<; d/j,(f)L\a<f)))(;
irriyai re va/Ltdrcov iKTrXrj/jL/jLvpovaat rov yevelov.
TO re (TvveppvrjKo^ <jo^ €9 Oeav irXrjOo^ Kal 7) iv
/jbiaoi^; Koprj, vvpucfyr] Tt,<; ol/iaL, rovrl yap ^pr)
20 VO6CV TO) dficf)' avTrjv KoapLW, Kal yepwv ovto<; iv
dOvfio) TM eiSei veavLw; re iKSv6/jL€V0<; X€ovTrj<;
Kal ponaXov iv ralv ^^epoiv €)(^wr, Tjpcoivtj re ti<;
^ The contest between Heracles and Acheloiis was a
favourite subject in art from early times (cf. Pans. 6. 19,
22 for the description of a group at Olympia, which included
Ares, Athena, Zeus and Deiaueira as well as Heracles and
Acheloiis). In early drawings Acheloiis is given the form
of a centaur, but by the fifth century he is regular!}' repre-
sented as a bull with a human face. As pointed out by Jahn
{Eph. Arch. 168'2, p. 317 f.), Acheloiis here has the form of a
man, but witli the horns of a bull springing from his fore-
head. While tlie presence of the serpent and the bull with
Acheloiis is not explained in the description, apparentl} the
painter intended to depict two of the forms that the river
assumed during the struggle. The failure of Pliilostratus to
understand what he described may be regarded as direct
evidence that he was dealing with an actual picture. Evi-
303
HERACLES OR ACHELOtJS. 4
4. HERACLES OR ACHELOUSi
Probably you are asking what these three figures
have to do with each other — a serpent "ruddy of
back " ^ which rises there Hfting its long form^ a
beard hanging beneath an erect serrated crest, its
glare terrible and its glance one that cannot but
work consternation ; a bull that curves its neck
beneath those mighty horns and, pawing the earth at
its feet, rushes as for a charge ; ^ and here a man that
is half animal, for he has the forehead of a bull and
a spreading beard, while streams of water run in
floods from his chin.* The multitude that has
gathered as for a spectacle ; the girl in their midst,
a bride, I suppose (for this must be inferred from the
ornaments she wears) ; an old man yonder of sad
countenance ; a youth who is divesting himself of a
lion's skin and holding in his hands a club ; and
here a heroine of sturdy form who has been crowned
dentl}' the picture gave two scenes (if not three) : first the
situation before the conflict, and secondly the outcome of
the conflict ; for the hitter can hardly be treated as mere
rhetoric on the part of Philostratus. The subject is depicted
on a tripod base in the Constantinople Museum [Mitlh. d.
deutsch. Palaestina-vereins Yll, PI. Ill), where Acheloiis
appears as a bearded man with horns of a bull ; one horn
lies at the feet of Heracles, and blood spouts from the head
where it had been broken otif. (Benndorf.)
2 Quoted from Homer, 11. 2. 308.
^ Cf. Eur. Her. Far. 869 : " Like a bull in act to charge."
- Cf. Soph. Track. 8f. : "For my wooer was a river-god,
Acheloiis, who in three shapes was ever asking me from my
sire — coming now as a bull in bodily form, now as a serpent
with sheeny coils, now with trunk of man and front of ox,
while from a shaggy beard the streams of fountain-water
flowed abroad." Trans. Jebb.
PIIILOSTRATUS THE YOUNGER
avT7] aTi(f)pa Kal Trpo? \6yov tw fivOfp r;'}?
'ApKaScov TpO(f)T]<; i>^y^ iarepL/iei^i). KaXvBoov
25 olfiai ravra.
(2) Tt? Be 6 T)]<; ypa(f)7]<; A-070? ; 'Ai^eXwo?
TTorayLio?, u) TTOLy AriiaveLpa<^ r/}? OiVeo)? e/owz^ toi'
ycip.ov anevBei Kal YI€lOu> jxev air ear l twv Spco-
/j,ev(i)v, a\\o<; Se ciXXore Sokcov vtto rot? opw-
30 /jL€voi<; elheaiv eKTrXtj^eiv ^jyelraL rov Olvea.
TOVTOv yap elvai yivwGKe rov iv rfj ypa(f>(j,
KaTi](f)f] Brj^ iirl rfj iratSl Ayjiaveipa a6vp,(0^
39S K. TOP p.vi]cTTi]pa opcoarj. yeypaiTTai yap ovk alSol
T7]i> irapeiav i^avOovaa, aWa irepLhei]^ ola
TTeiaerai tw irapa (f)vatv t/}9 av^vyia<^. aW
6 fiev yevvalo<^ 'H/ja/tX?}? oBov irdpepyov (paalv
5 €Kovai(o<; vc^icnaTat rov aOXov.
(3) Kal ra fiev ev dva0o\ai<; ravra, IBov Se Kal
o)? ^vveariJKaaiv i]Sr], Kal oaa fiev iv dp-)(^al<i rrj<;
Bi,a/jLd)(r]<; 6eov re Kal drpeirrov i']p(oo<; vtto-
voeuaOco, ro S' av reXo<; 6 fxev €? ^ovKepwv
10 dvafiop<pci)aa^ eavrov 6 7TorafjLO<; eirl rov
'HpaKXea oopfirjaev, 6 Se rfj Xaia rov Be^iov
Xafiofievo^ Kepw'^ Odrepov rw poirdXcp roiv Kpo-
rd(f)(i)v €KTrpe/jiVL^€L, KuvrevOev 6 fiev alfiaro<; tjB^j
jjidXXov 7) vdparo<i dcptyat Kpovvov<; aTrayopevayp,
15 6 Be 'llpaKXi]<; yavv/jL€vo<; rw epyrp 69 ryjv A7)id-
veipav opa Kal ro fxev porraXov avrw e? yrjv
eppiirrai, irporeivei Be avrfj ro rov 'A^eXtoOf
Kepa^ olov eBvov rod yd/xov.
1 S)} Schenkl : 5e.
304
HERACLES OR ACHELOUS. 4
^vith beech leaves in harmony with the story of her
Arcadian nurture — all this, I think, is Calydon.
What is the meaning of the painting? The river
Acheloiis, my boy, in love with Deianeira the daughter
of Oeneus, presses for the marriage ; ^ and Persuasion
has no part in what he does, but by assuming now
one and now another of the shapes we see here, he
thinks to frighten Oeneus. For you are to recognize
the figure in the painting as Oeneus, despondent on
account of his daughter Deianeira, who looks so
dolefully at her suitor. For she is painted, not
with cheek reddening through modesty, but as
greatly terrified at the thought of what she will
suffer in union with that unnatural husband. But
the noble Heracles willingly assumes the task as
an "incident of his journey," to use a popular
phrase.
So much by way of prelude ; but now see how
the contestants have already joined battle, and you
must imagine for yourself all that has transpired in
the first bouts of the struggle between god and
irresistible hero. Finally, however, the river, as-
suming the form of a horned bull, rushes at Heracles,
but he, grasping the right horn with his left hand,
uproots the other horn from its forehead with the
aid of his club ; thereupon the river-god, now
emitting streams of blood instead of water, gives
up the struggle, while Heracles, full of joy at his
deed, looks at Deianeira, and throwing his club on
the ground holds out to her the horn of Acheloiis
as his nuptial gift.
^ It must be remembered that Deianeira had been promised
to Acheloiis by Oeneus.
PHILOSTRATUS THE YOUNGER
e HPAKAHS EN SriAlTANOIS
(1) W0vp6i<;, 'HpaK\€i<;, aOvpei^ Kal yeXa^; i^Bt)
20 Tov aOXov, ev a7rapydvoL<; (ov Kal ravra, Kal tov<;
e^ 'Hpa^ SpciKOpra^ eKcirepou cKarepa %ef/3l (Itto-
Xa/Scov ovS€V€7riaTpi(f)r) tT;? fir]Tpo<; €K(ppovo^ irape-
(7T6t»a-?;? Kal irepiheov^. aXX ol fiev i]Sr} irapelvraL
/i7]Kvi'aPT6s e? yfjv Tou? 6Xkov<; Kal tol'; Ke(f)aXa<;
25 e'jTLKXivavT6<^ rah rod vyjiriov ')(6palv vTrocpaiv-
ovaa<i TL Kal tmv oBovtcov Kupxapoi he ovtoi Kal
tcoSei? Xo(f)taL re avroU vtto tov Oavdrov e?
Odrepa eTTLKpejiel's koI rd Ofi/xara ov SehopKora
r} T€ (/)oX/? ovK e^avOovaa ^(pvo'M Kal (^oivlkl
30 ert ovSe irpo^ rd^; Kivi]ae(o<i Tp07rd<; viravyd^ovaa,
dXX' vircoxpo^ ^al iv tm Sa(f)OLvw TreXiSvr].
(2) To ^e tT/? WXk/jL7]V7]<; elBo^i dvaaKOTTOvvri
di>a(f)6p€iv fxev diro tT;? tt/ocot*/? eKirXi^^iw^ SoKel,
399 Iv. dTnaret Be vvv oh ')]8t] opa, i) 8' eK7rXi]^L<i avrip
ovSe Xe-^co KelaOai ^vv 6^(^00 pr] or ev 6pa<; ydp ttov, O)?
d/3XavT0<: Kal jXOvoxiTwv draTnjhijaaaa t/)?
€VP7]<i avv draKTW rfj ko/itj Td<; y^elpa<^ eKire-
5 rdaaaa ^oa, Oepdiraival re, oaai iraprjaav
TiKTovar), eKirXayelaaL dXXr) dXXo n rrpoaSia-
Xeyovrai tt) irXi^aiov. (3) Ol he iv ottXol^ ovtoi
^ Cf. the treatment of the birth of Hermes bj tlie elder
Philostratus. I, 26, p. 99.
2 The description of the scene follows closely the story as
told by Pindar, Ncm. I. 41 f., viz. the attack of two serpents
on the new-born babe, Alcmene's rush to the rescu(;, the
approach of Theban chiefs led by Amphitryon, and the
prophecy of Teiresias. Theocritus, XXIV. 55 f., gives the
story in much the same form, except that here the babe
306
HERACLES IX SWADDLING CLOTHES. 5
5. HERACLES IN SWADDLING CLOTHES 1
You are playing^ Heracles, playing, and already
laughing at your labour, though you are still in
swaddling clothes ; and taking the serpents sent
by Hera one in each hand you pay no heed to
your mother, who stands near by
crazed with fear.^ But the
serpents, already exhausted,
are stretching out their coils
upon the ground and drooping
their heads towards the babe's
hands, showing withal a
glimpse of their teeth ; these
are jagged and poisonous, and
their crests sag to one side as ^^^' -"•
death approaches, their eyes have no vision in them,
their scales are no longer resplendent with golden
and purple colours, nor do they gleam with the
various movements of their bodies, but are pale and,
where they w^ere once blood-red, are livid.
Alcmene, if one looks carefully at her face, seems
to be recovering from her first fright, but she now
distrusts what she really sees, and her fright has
not permitted her to remain in bed even though
she has lately given birth to a child. For doubtless
you see how, leaping from her bed, unsandalled and
only in her shift, with disordered hair and throwing
out her arms she utters a shout, while the maid-
servants that were attending her in her travail are
in consternation, talking confusedly each to her
neighbour. Here are men in armour, and one man
Heracles is ten months old. Cf. Fig. 27, from a coin of
Thebes.
X 2
PHILOSTRATUS THE YOUNGER
fcal 6 yv^po) TU) ^L(f>6i eroifio^y ol fiev Qrj/BaLcou
eKfCpiTOL ^OT]doVl>T€<; ' A/ji(f)lTpV(i)VL, 6 8' VTTO Tr;i^
10 7rpcoT7]v dyyeXiav a7ra<Td/jL€Vo<; to f/0o? 66?
d/jivvai' ofiov eirearr) toT? Spci)/x€voL<;, /cal ovk oW
elre eKTreirXip/ev el're ;\;at/3et Xolttov t) p,ev yap
X^^^P ^'^' ^'^ "^V ^TOLfio), 7) 8e r(ii)v 6(f)0aXp,cou
evvoia x^^Xivd rfj %6t/Dl e^iaTTjaLv, ovhe e^ovro^i
15 6 Ti KOi djjLvvaLTo, Koi ^PV^M-^^ TTpo fxt^Oeia^
SeofjLBva TO, TTapoi'Ta opcovTo<;. (4) Tavrd rot
Kal a)3t 7r\i]aL0v 6 Teipeaia^ OeaTTi^wv ol/xac
oTToao^; 6 vvv ev (f7rapydvoL<; ojv earai, yeypaTrrai
Se evdeo^i fcal pavTiKOv iiraaOiiaivwv. (5)
20 FeypaTrrai Kal i) Ni)f ev ecBei, ev y ravra,
\afjL7rahi(p KaraXdfiTrovaa eavrrjv, w? /X7; dfjidp-
Tupo<^ Tov TraiSo? 6 dOXo<; yevifrai.
9' OP0ETS
(1) 'Op(pea TOV ri}? Movar)<; OeX^ai ttj /jlou-
aLfcfj Kal Ta /x)] pbeTe^ovTa Xoyov Xoyoiroioi (fiaai
25 irdvTe^;, Xeyei he Kal o ^(oypd(f)o<;' Xecov re ovv
Kal crO? avTrp TrXrjaiov dKpoaTal tov 'O/jc^eo)?
Kal eXa^a Kal Xaywo'^ ovk d7ro7r7]Sa)VTe<; r?}?
^ The plirase is taken from the elder Philostratus, Her.
182. 14 K.
2 The phrase is from the elder Phil., ImcKj. II. 21, p. 38C,
21 K.
^ For (f eUei in this sense, see the elder Phil., Imag.
p. 376, 5 K.
- Cf. the elder Phil. I, 10, p. 45, on the power of music.
Priest, seer, founder of mystic cults in many parts of Greece,
308
ORPHEUS. 6
who stands ready with drawn sword ; ^ the former
are the chosen youth of the Thebans^ come to the
aid of Amphitryon ; but Amphitryon has at the
first tidings drawn his sword to ward off danger
and has come with them to the scene of action ;
nor do I know whether he is overcome with fear
or rejoices ; for his hand is still ready to act, but
the thoughtfulness revealed^ by his eyes sets a curb to
his hand, since he finds no danger to ward off, and
he sees that the situation before him needs the
insight of an oracle to interpret it. Here, in fact,
is Teiresias near at hand, foretelUng, 1 think, what
a hero the babe in swaddling clothes will become ;
and he is represented as divinely inspired and
breathing out prophecies. Night also, the time
in which these events take })lace, is represented in
human form^; she is shedding a light upon herself
with a torch that the exploit of the child may not
lack a witness.
6. ORPHEUS 4
That Orpheus, the son of the Muse, charmed by his
music even creatures that have not the intelligence
of man, all the writers of mytlis agree, and the
painter also so tells us. Accordingly, a lion and a
boar near by Orpheus are listening to him, and also
a deer and a hare who do not leap away from the
Orpheus is here simply the ' ' son of the Muse,"' the singer whose
music liad power to charm nature, animate and inanimate, as
well as men. As a musician he was closely associated with
Helicon and the Muses, and in this capacity lie went on the
Argonautic expedition. In wall-paintings, on painted vases,
and in mosaics, Orpheus the musician was a favourite
subject.
nilLOSTKATUS THE YOUxNGKR
6p/jL)]<; Tov Xeoi^To?, kuI 6aot<; iv di'jpa B6ivo<i 6
Otjp, ^vpayeXd^ovrai avrw paOv/jLco vvv paOvpioi.
30 av he p^ijBk tou? 6pvida<i a/oyw? J'S???, fXT] tov<;
fiovaLKOv<; /jlovop, ol<; evevarop^elv rot? dXaeaiv
e6o<;, cOOC opa /jlol kuI top Kpayenjp koXolop koX
400 K. TTjP XaKepv^av avrrju Kal top tov Ato? deTOP. 6
flip, oTTOio^ ap.(f)co TO) TTTcpvye ToXaPTevaa^, efw ^
eavTov arei^e? e? top ^Op(j)ia ^Xeireiy ovS' iiri-
aTpe(f)6/i6PO<i tov 'JTT(OKo<i rrXtiaiop 6pto<;, ol he
o ^vyKXeiaaPTe^; Ta<; yepv^ oXol ^ elal tov OeXyop-
T09, XvKOL T€ ovTOi Kul dpp€<^ dpafiL^, f) Tedrj-
TTOTe^;, (2) peapieveTat he tl kol /jLel^op 6
^coypd(f)o<;' hephpa yap dpaa7rdaa<; tcjp pi^oyp
dicpoaTa<^ ayei TavTa tm ^Op^el Kal irepiLaTrjo-LP
10 avTW. irevKT] re ovp Kal KV7rdpiTT0<; Kal KXi)Opo<;
Kal aXyeipo^i avTrj Kal oaa aXXa hephpa ^vfx^a-
XoPTa Tou? TTTopOov^i olov ^^elpa^; irepl top ^Opcpea
eaTTjKC Kal to OeaTpop avTw ^vyKXeiovaip ov
herjOePTa Te')(pri<^, 'ip oi re 6ppi6e<; eV avTcop
15 Kadet,oLPJO Kal eKelpo<^ utto crKta fiovaovpyon].
(3) 'O he KaOrfTaL dpTi'X^vovp pep €K(SdXX(OP
LOvXop iinppeoPTa Trj irapeia, Tuipap he
^ €|a) Piccolos : e|.
2 6\oi Morelli : o followed by space for three letters.
1 Quoted from Find. Nnn. III. 82.
^ Quoted from Hesiod, 0pp. 747.
^ Cf. Find. Pyth. I. 6 f . and .'^cliol. The notes of Apollo's
lyre cause the eagle to sleep on the sceptre of Zeus.
- Orpheus is frecpiently represented in art as wearing the
tiara or Fhr^'gian cap, apparently because of his associations
310
ORPHEUS. 6
lion's onrush, and all the wild creatures to whom
the lion is a terror in the chase now herd with him,
both they and he unconcerned. And pray do not
fail to note carefully the birds also, not merely the
sweet singers whose music
is wont to fill the groves,
but also note, please, the
'^chattering daw," ^ the
eagle of Zeus
poised aloft
' 2 and the
The eagle,
both
ventures a still more
torn trees up by the
on Dotn his
wings,^ gazes intently at
Orpheus and pays no heed
to the hare near by, while
the animals, keeping their
jaws closed — both wolves
yonder and the lambs are
mingled together — are
wholly under the spell of
the enchanter, as though
dazed. And the painter
striking thing ; for having
roots he is bringing them yonder to be an audience
for Orpheus and is stationing them about him.
Accordingly, pine and cypress and alder and
the poplar and all the other trees stand about
Orpheus with their branches joined like hands, and
thus, without requiring the craft of man, they en-
close for him a theatre, that therein the birds may
sit on their branches and he may make music in
the shade. Orpheus sits there, the down of a first
beard spreading over his cheeks, a tiara * bright with
witli Thrace and Asia Minor. Cf. Fig. 28, wall-painting of
Orpheus charming animals and birds.
PlIlLOSTllATUS THK YOUNGKR
Xpvaavyf] iirl K€(pa\ij<; alcopcov to re o/jl/jlu avrw
^vv dffpoTi^TL ivepyov koI evdeov ael t^? jpcio/jLrj';
20 el<; OeoXoyuiv Teivov(n]<;. Tci^a he tl /cal vvv
dhei- Koi i) 6(f) pv<i olov airocDipaivovaa rov vovv
TMV aapidTcov ea6i]<; re auTw fieravdovaa 7r/3o?
Ta9 T7}9 KLV)](7€W^ TpOTTU^i, KOl TOtV TToSolu fl€V
\aio<; direpeiScov els ry^v yrjv dvex^c rrjv KiOdpav
25 vTTep fjLTjpov K€ifi€V7iv, 6 8e^io<; Be dva^dWeraL
rov pv6/J.ov iTTLKpOTCov rovSa(f)o^ rw irehiXrp, al
X^^P^'^ ^^ V P'^^ Be^id ^vvexovaa dirpl^ ro
irXrjKTpov iTrtreTaTai tul<; ^OoyyoL^ iKKeLp,ev(p
Tw dyKOdVL KOL KapiTcp elaco vevovn, rj \aid Be
30 opdoU 7r\/]TTeL Tot9 BaKTv\ot<; tou? fxirov^,
aXX* earai Tf? dXoyla Kara aov, (b Opcpev'
teal vvv p,ev Oi-jpia Oe\y€c<; Kal SevBpa, SparTai<;
Be yvvai^lv €Kp,6\7]<; Bo^eL'^ Kal BiaaTrdaovrai
a6)p,a, w Kal 6i]pia (pOeyyo/xevM evp,evel'^ dKod<;
35 irapeax^v.
f MHAEIA EN KOAXOlX
401 K. (1) Tt? ?; ^Xoavpov pev einaKvviOv virep
6(f)daXpL03v atpovaa, ti]v Be 6<^pvv evvoia<; p^ecrrr]
Kal lepOTTpeiTi]^ t7]v Kop^ijv TO re 6p,p,a ouk oiB'
etre epcoriKov 'i]Bri etre n evOeov vTrocpaLvouaa
1 Cf. the description of Amphioii, the elder Phil. Iniag.
p. 43. The erect tiara was the prerogative of roj^alty in
Persia and Xear East kingdoms.
2 The pin-ase is taken from the elder Phil. Imxg. 324, 2G K.
^ Apparently the left arm steadies the lyre, which rests
on the left tliigh.
312
MEDEA AMONG THE COLCHIANS. 7
gold standing erect upon his head, his eye ^ tender,
yet alert, and divinely inspired as his mind ever
reaches out to divine tliemes.^ Perhaps even now
he is singing a song ; indeed his eyebrow seems to
indicate the sense of what he sings, his garment
changes colour with his various motions, his left foot
resting on the ground supports the lyre which rests
upon his thigh, his right foot marks the time by
beating the ground with its sandal, and, of the
hands, the right one firmly grasping the plectrum
gives close heed to the notes, the elbow extended
and the wrist bent inward, while the left with
straight fingers strikes the strings.^ But an amazing
thing will happen to you, Orpheus : you now charm
wild beasts and trees, but to women of Thrace you
will seem to be sadly out of tune and they will tear
your body in pieces,^ though even wild beasts had
gladly listened to your voice.
7. MEDEA AMONG THE COLCHIANS
Who is the woman with a grim frown above her
eyes,^ her brow charged with deep thought, her hair
bound in hieratic mode, her eye shining either already
with love or with inspiration, I know not which, and
- The story of Orpheus' death at the hands of the Thracian
women was widely current in Greece, but it is told in most
various forms and explained in different ways. Commonly
it is stated that he was torn in pieces b}' the women of
Thrace, as Pentheus was torn in pieces b}' the Bacchantes,
while the Muses, the animals and trees, and even the rocks
joined in mourning his death. Cf. the version of Ovid, Met.
11. 1-66
^ Lit. "lifting tlie ridge of skin above her eyes in a grim
frown."
PHILOSTUATUS THK YOUNGER
5 avyjjv ^ re dppt]TOv eKheiKvvaa rov Trpoaco-rrov
T7JV Heap ; rovrl hrj to tcov 'HXidScov yvcopia/ia'
yiijheiav oJpai y^pyj voelv ti]v AliJtov. (2)
^ FjVopfj.i(Td/i€vo^ yap tm ^daiSi 6 tov ^ldaovo<;
<7ToXo9, 6t€ to xPvaovv perrjeL Bepa<;, Kal et?
10 T7]v TOV AltJTOv TrapekOodv TToXiv, ipa i) Kopi]
TOV ^evov XoyLCTfio^i re vireiaiv avTtjv di]6ri<;, Kal
6 TL fikv ireTTovOev, ovk olSev,^ uTaKTel Be Ta<; iv-
voia<^ Kal Trj "^v^fj dXvei. ecnaXTai he ovk evepyo<;
vvv ovhe ev ^vvovaia tcov KpeiTTOvcov, dW' ox? Kal
1.3 TToXAot? opdv. (3) To Se tov '\daovo<; eZSo?
d/3pov fiev, ov /ji7]v e^o) tov eppwaOai, o/jLfia re
avTcp )(apo7rov vrroKeiTai tq} tyj^ bcppvo^ I'-jOei
(f)povova7]<; re Kal 7ravT0<; v7r€paipova7]<; tov
dvTL^ooVy loiikw Te I'jOr] ffpvei KadepirovTL Kal i)
20 KopLTi ^avOr] einaaXeveL tw /leTooTra), to. he ye
T>}? cttoXj)? XevKov ^^^tTCOva e^coaTai XeovTTJv
€^7]pT7]fj,€vo<; Kal Kprjirlha evrjiTTai, ukovtiw re
eirepelaa^ eavTov eaTTjKC to Te 7]0o<; tov irpoa-
(OTTOV ^ olov fJ^i'jTe vTTepcppovelv, alSetTaL ydp
25 fjLTjTe viroKeladai, Oappel ydp tov ddXov. (4)
"Epw? he eavTov jroielTai Tavra Kal tm to^w
€7repeL(Ta<; eavTov evaXXd^ tw TTohe laTijac to
Xafiirdhiov e? Trjv y?]V r/oe'-v/ra?, eTreihrj ev dva^o-
Xal<; eTL Ta tov €po)TO<;.
^ o'77v Gonipcrz : avri^v. ^ o!5*v Jacobs : o'.Sa
^ TrpoffwiTO
Morelli : dcruiirov.
' Cf. Apollonius Rhodius, Argon. IV. 726 f. Circe
recognises Medea by this characteristic, " And she longed to
hear the voice of the maiden, her kinswoman, as soon as she
MEDEA AMONG THE COLCHIANS. 7
with an ineffable radiance^ when she permits her face
to be seen? This in truth is the distinguishing
mark of the descendants of Helios ^ ; I believe one
must recognize Medea, the daughter of Aeetes. For
now that the expedition of Jason, on its quest of the
golden fleece, has come ashore at the river Phasis
and has arrived at the city of Aeetes, the girl is in
love with the stranger, and unwonted reflections
enter her mind ; and though she does not know
what has happened to her, her thoughts are all
confused and she is distraught of soul. She is not
now dressed for her priestly functions, nor as if she
were in the company of her superiors, but in a
manner suitable for the eyes of many. The form of
Jason is slender, but not at all lacking in strength ;
his flashing eye is overhung by a brow that is
haughty and defiant of all opposition ; the first beard
creeping over his face grows luxuriantly,^ and his
light-brown hair tumbles down upon his forehead ;
as for his dress, he wears a white tunic fastened by a
girdle, over which a lion's skin is flung, and on his
feet are laced boots ; he stands leaning on his spear ;
and the character revealed by his face is that of one
who is neither over-proud, since he is modest, nor
meek, since he is bold for his undertaking. Eros is
claiming this situation as his own, and he stands
leaning on liis bow with his legs crossed, turning his
torch towards the earth, inasmuch as the work of
love is as yet hardly begun.
saw that she had raised her eyes from the ground. For all
those of the race of Helios were plain to disc2rn, since by the
far flashing of their eyes they shot in front of them a gleam
of gold." Trans. Seaton, L.C.L.
2 The phrase is taken from the elder Phil. Her. 141, 27 K-
PHILOSTRATUS THE YOUNGER
7/ A0TPONTE5:
(1) 0/ ii> A/0? av\f} a6vpovTe<^, "E/ao)? olfiai
402 K. Kal ravvfit]Si]<;, el' tl xph '^^^ /^^^ '^V ^'^P?^
voetv, Tov 5' ciTTo Tou To^ov Kal Tcov iTTepwv 69
iiriyvwaiv ayeiv. aOvpovaL fxev ovv aaTpayaXoi^
ouToi,^ yeypdcparai 8' 6 /lep v^piariKcof; eiri-
5 T(t)6d^(ov 6 "E/3<w9 Aral irXi'^pi) rP]<; liKtjf; tov
koXttov dvaaeicov, 6 he hvelv acrrpayciXoiv en
TOV fiev Kal avTov a7roX(i)XeKQ)<^, tov S' e(f>'
o/iola TT poire /jLttcov iXiriBc. KaTr](f)r)<; Se avTcp
irapeia Kal 7) tov OjifjiaTO^ clktU KaLTOt d^pov
10 oVto? ^elBvOiafievri - to t/}? dvLa<^ €7rtai]fjLaLV6i.
(2) Heat T6 Tp€t<; avTat €(f)eaT(oaal acpiaiv, al
/JL€V ovS' e(f)6p/jir]vevovTo<i SeovTai, W6)]vd re yap
avToOev ISovTi SyjXr] Trjv opioyvLOv TTOirjTau (pacri,
TTavoirXiav dpurexop^evrj Kal yXavKOV vtto tt)?
15 K6pvOo<; opcoaa ^vv dppevwirw re tw -ijOei Tt^v
irapetdv eirKpoivLTTOvaa, ?)St Se av to (f)LXop,€iS€<;
^ ouToi Morelli : ouai,
2 a and P give ^^^vOiafxevov ; cf. sui>ra 393, 1 K., p. 288.
^ Eros and Ganymede are associated apparently as the
two young boys in the company of the gods, who play
together in Olyinpus. Cianymede, son of Tros (or Laomedon)
■was snatched away by Zeus from the hills near Troy to be
the cup-bearer of the gods, since he was the most beautiful
of mortal men. As coming from Asia Minor rather than
Greece proper, he wears a tiara.
2 The account follows closely the description of Eros and
Ganymede playing dice in ApoU. Rhod. Aryon. III. 117 f.
Cf. Fig. 29, l)oys playing dice.
' Because "born" with her when she sprang from the
head of Zeus.
316
BOYS AT PLAY. 8
8. BOYS AT PLAY
The boys who are playing in the palace of Zeus
are, I suppose, Eros and Ganymede,^ if the one may
be known by his tiara and the other identified by
his bow and his wings. They are playing with dice ;
and Eros is
represented as
taunting the
other insolently
and as shaking
the fold of his
garment, full as
it is of his win-
nings, while his
companion is
represented as
having lost one
of the two dice
left to him and
as throwing the
other with no
better hope.^
His cheek is downcast and the glance of his eye,
albeit a beautiful eye, indicates by its despondency
his vexation. And these three goddesses standing
near them — they need no interpreter to tell who
they are ; for Athena is recognised at a glance,
clothed as she is in what the poets call the " panoply
of her race," ^ casting a '^'bright glance"* from
under her helmet, and ruddy of face as well as
masculine in general appearance ; the second one
bright-
FiG. 29.
- Referring to the Homeric epithet yKavKunns, " bri
glancing," if this interpretation of the word be accepted
317
PHILOSTRATUS THE YOUNGER
vTTo tP] tov Kearov I'vyyc kuv tw yp(i/j./iaTt.
arjixaiveL/'Wpav he ye rijv TpLTi-jv elvai to aefivov
fcal ^aatXiKov tov etSou? (^rjai.
20 (3) Ti Brj /SouXovTUi koI rt? /; t>}? ^vvovaia^
avTac<; uvdyK^] ; ciyovaa roi)? 7revT7]Koi>Ta i)
^Apyo) evcop/xiaTai tm <t>dcnSL Y^oaTTOpov re Kal
'S,vfi7r\r)yd8a<; Sie^eXOovaa. 6pa<; Se Kal tov
TTOTa/jLov avTov ev ^aOel hovaKL Keifxevov, ev
25 ^Xoavpo) Tft) etSei, k6/jli] Te yap dfi(piXa(j)T]<;
avTO) Kal dvecTTrjKvla yeveLu^; t€ v'7T0(f)pLTT0vaa
Kal yXavKLOdVTe'^ ocj^OaXjioi, to Te ddpoov tov
pevfiaTo<; ovk diro kuXttiSo'^ eK^^eofjuevov, fjirep
ovv e'lcoOev, aW' utto iravTo^ eKirXrj/i/jLvpov
30 evvoelv SlScoctiv rjfMtv, 67r6ao<; iiri'^^eLTat, Toy
Il6uT(p. (4) Tov Be T?5? vavTiXia^i ddXov dK0V€L<;
olfiaL Kal TTOLrjTcov TO j^pvaovv hepa<i XeyovTcov
irdcn pteXovadv re T-qv 'Apyco Kal 'Ofiy']pov (phal
cf)pd^ovcriv. dXX^ o'l fiev t>}? W.pyov<; vavffdTai
35 eV i7ri(TK€\jrec TOiv KaT6iXf](f)6T(ov, ai Oeal Se e?
LKeaiav tov "E/)&)to9 yKovaLv alTovaac ^vXXa/Belv
403 K. (j(f)Laiv eirl acoTtipia twv TrXojTTjpcov ttjv Aljjtou
yhjSeiav peTeXdovTa, fjnaOov Be ol r^? virovpyia^
i) p/]Tr)p a(f)atpav TrpoBeiKWcn Aio<i avTrjv
dOvppa yeyovkvai Xeyovaa. (5) 'Opdf; Kal t?]V
5 Te)(y7]v ev ttj ypa(f)fj ; ')(^pvaov fiev avTi-j, pacfyrj
Be avTrj oia voelaOat fiaXXov rj opdaOai, eXcKd^;
^ The epithet applied to Aphrodite in Homer, e.g. Iliad
3. 424.
^ The " magic of her girdle" i.s described, Ilmd 14. 214 f.
^ On the representation.? of the river Pha.sis, of. Purgold,
Archaeologische Unter.^udaingcn zu Claudian inid Sidonius,
p. 34 f. (Benndorf). The type of the recumbent river god is
318
BOYS AT PLAY. 8
even in the painting shows the " laughter-loving " ^
disposition caused by the magic of her girdle ; ^ and
that the third is Hera her dignity and queenliness
of form declare.
What do the goddesses desire and what necessity
brings them together? The Argo carrying its fifty
heroes has anchored in the Phasis after passing
through the Bosphorus and the Clashing Rocks.
You see the river himself lying on his deep bed of
rushes ; ^ his countenance is grim, for his hair is
thick and stands upright, his beard bristles, and his
eyes glare ; and the abundant water of the stream,
since it does not flow from a pitcher as is usually the
case, but comes in a flood from his whole figure,
gives us to understand how large a stream is poured
into the Pontus. You have heard, I am sure, about
the prize which was the object of this voyage, since
poets tell of "the golden fleece," * and the songs of
Homer also describe the Argo as "known of all." ^
But while the sailors of the Argo are considering
the situation, the goddesses have come as suppliants
to beg Eros that he assist them in saving the sailors
by going to fetch Medea, the daughter of Aeetes ;
and as pay for this service his mother shows him a
ball which she says was once a plaything ^ of Zeus.
Do you see the clever art of the painting ? The
ball itself is of gold ; the stitching on it is such
as to be assumed by the mind rather than seen
found in description of Meles, the elder Phil., supra, p. 159,
and again in the description of Xanthiis, infra, p. 325.
- The word for the golden fleece, S4pas, is the one regularly
used by the poets, e.g. Eur. Med. 5.
^ Qu(jted from the Odyssey, 12. 70.
^ Here also the account closely follows ApoU. Rhod. Argon.
III. 132 f.
PHILOSTRATUS THE YOUNGER
re Kvavov icf)' eavT7]<; eXtTTOvaa ^ Ka\ dvappKpelaa
Td\a TTOV TO diroxf^povi^ a€\a<; fiapfiapvyal'i
darepwv eiKa^eiv avrrjv" Scoaei. (6) 'O Be tov<;
10 fiev darpayciXovi; ovSe opa en, pL'\jra<; Be avToif^
^a/jbd^e i^tjprt-iTai tov t/)? fX7]Tpo(; ireirkov eV-
aXydeuaai rrjv V7r6a)(€aiv avrw, ov yap iWelylreLP
TOV dOXov.
6' IIEAO^^
(1) 'O p.ev inrep reTpoopcov Be rjirei'pov fiea^]<;
15 iTTTrevaeiv p,eXX(ov vir opOf) Tidpa kul AvBla
aToXfj, HeXoyjr oipai, Opaau<^ i)vio)(o^ kuXov
elirelv. Wvve yap ttotc Kal Bid 6aXdaai]<; tovtl
TO dpfia, Tlocr6LBa)j>o<; oI/jlui Bovto'^, aKpa ttj tov
Tpoxov dyjriBi vir dBidvTW d^oii Ta tt)^ yaX/]v)]^
20 BiaOewv vcoTa. (2) "Oppa 5' avTM yopyov Kal
av)(y]v dv€crTT}K(b<; to t/}9 yvcopj]<i eTOipov iXey)(^€L
1] re 6(f)pv<i virepaipovaa Bi]Xol KaTacppopetaOat
TOV Olvopaov VTTO TOV p,€LpaKLOv. (ppovcL ydp
T0i9 'iiTiroi^, eTreiBi] v^jravx^^^^ '^^ ^^^^ ttoXXol
25 TOV p,vKTr}pa fcal kolXoc ttjv oirXrjV Kal to 6p,p,a
KvdveoL T€ Kat €T0ip.0L y^aiTi^v T€ dpcpiXacprj
^ khirrovaa Olearius : eKiTTOvaav.
^ avTTjv Jacobs : avrfi.
^ The description should be compared witli the treatment
of the same subject by the elder Thil. Jving. I. 17, p. 69. The
scene is laid at Olympia and pictures the preparation for the
race.
2 The upright tiara was tlie prerogative of royalty, cf
p. 260, n. 1.
3 Quoted from Iliad 8. 126.
- Iliad 13. 127. Poseidon in his car "set out to drive
over the waves . . . and the axle of bronze was not wetted
-^20
PELOPS. 9
by the eye^ and spirals of blue encircle it ; and very
likely, when it is tossed in the air, the radiance
emanating from it will lead us to compare it with
the twinkling of stars. As for Eros, he no longer
even looks at the dice, but throwing them on the
ground he clings to his mother's dress, begging her
to make good her promise to him ; for, he says, he
will not fail in the task.
9. PELOPS 1
The man mounted on a four-horse chariot who is
setting out to drive across the mainland, wearing an
upright tiara 2 and Lydian dress, is Pelops, I believe,
a
bold charioteer"^ it is fair to call him. For he
once guided this chariot even across the sea, doubt-
less because it was the gift of Poseidon, speeding-
over the back of the calm sea on the very edge of
the wheel and keeping the axle unwetted.* His
flashing eye and erect head attest his alertness of
mind, and his haughty brow indicates that the youth
despises Oenomaiis.^ For he is proud of his horses,
since they hold their necks high, are broad of nostril,
hollow of hoof,^ dark-eyed and alert, and they lift
beneath " ; cf. the description of Pelops' chariot, the elder
Phil., supra, p. 71. In Greek story, Pelops is associated with
Asia Minor, usually with Lydia, from which he came to the
Peloponnesus, which bears his name. Because he was the
favourite of Poseidon, the god gave him the chariot which
bore him across the sea from Asia Minor to secure Hippo-
dameia as his bride.
^ The father of Hippodameia.
^ Xenophon, Art of Horsemanship 1. 3: "For high hoofs
have the frog, as it is called, well off the ground. . . . More-
over, Simonides saj's that the ring, too, is a clear test of
good feet ; for a hollow hoof rings like a cymbal on striking
the ground." Trans. Marchant, L.C.L.
321
Y
PHILOSTRATUS THE YOUNGER
Kvai'Mv a.7raLcopovi>T€<; avx^i'cov, o? Srj dakaaaiwv
rpoTTO';. (3) YlX'Tjaiov he avrcjv 'Imrohdfxeia rrjv
fiev irapeiav alhol ypd(f)ovaa, i'vp,(f)7]<; Be aroXrjv
30 dfiTTexofjLevTj /SXeirovad re 6(f)0a\/ioL<; ol'oi<;
aipelaOai to rov ^evov fidWov. epa re yap
Kal Tov yevvtjropa p^vaaTTerai toloutol<; aKpoOi-
vioL's (ppovovi^ra, a Sr] Kal opa^, Ke^aXd^ ravra^,
404 K. TO)v ^ TrpoTTvXalcov dvrjp,pevy~i eKdart], Kal a)(^)]fia
EeS(i)Kev 6 'X,p6vo<; IBlov, ov eKaaro^ dircoXero
a(f)6t)v. Tou? yap Srj pv7]aTi]pa<; tt}? Ovyarpo^
7]K0VTa^ Kreuvcov dydWerai rol^ yvcopLa/jLaat tov
5 <p6vov. (4) KiScoXa Be vTrepLTrrd/ieva acpcov
6\oij)vperac tov eavTCJp dyfova ttj tov yd/iov
^v/ji^daei i(pVfivovvTa' ^vpL^rjvaL yap Bt] 6
rieXo'vl^, ft)? iXevOepa Xoittov ?) iral'^ eh] tov
dXdaTopo';. Kal 6 AlupriXo? ^e ^vviaTwp r?)?
10 ^vpb^daeo)^ avTolv eaTLv. (5) 'O B' ovk airoOev
6 Olvojxao'^y dXX! eTOLjiov avTco to dpfia Kal to
Bopv vTrepTeTaTat tov Bi(f)pov KaToXa^ovTi to
peipdKLOv KTelvaiy 6 Be tu) iraTpl Ovcop "Xpec
airevBet ciypw^ IBelv Kal (j^opwv to oppa Kal tov
15 MvpTiXov eTTLairepx^L. (6) "E/jco? Be KaT7]<^r]<i
^ A relative like wv seems to be required before tw ;
or possibly we should read dvrjufxdvag (Reiske) kKaaTOT^
(Capps).
^ i.e. she sides with Pelops, while her father is hostile to
all the suitors.
^ The covenant of marriage seems to mean in the first
instance the agreement that a suitor should win Hippo-
dameia if his chariot should outrun tliatof Oenomaiis, while
otherwise he should be slain by Oenomaiis. In the case of
Pelops the covenant includes Pelops' promise to Hippodameia
to free her from the curse due to the death of her former
suitors.
322
PELOPS. 9
their abundant manes above their dark necks as is
the manner of sea-horses. Near them stands Hippo-
dameia ; she colours her cheek with a modest blush,
wears the raiment of a bride^ and gazes with eyes
that choose rather the stranger's part.^ For she
loves him and she loathes the parent who takes
pride in such spoils as indeed you see — these heads
which have been suspended one after another from
the gateway, and the time which has elapsed since
each of the men perished has given them each a
distinctive appearance. For Oenomaiis slew those
who came to sue for his daughter's hand and he de-
lights in the tokens of their death. But their shades
hovering over the place lament each the contest in
which it took part, as they descant upon the cove-
nant of marriage ; ^ for Pelops, they recount, has
made a covenant, promising that henceforth the
girl will be free from the curse. And Myrtilus is
witness to the covenant of the twain. Oenomaiis is
not far away ; nay, his chariot is ready, and on the
seat is laid the spear with which to slay the youth
when he overtakes him ; ^ and he is hurriedly
sacrificing to his father Ares, this man of savage
aspect and with murder in his eye ; and he urges
Myrtilus on. But Eros, sad of mien, is cutting ^ the
3 Cf. Rhod. Argon. I. 756 f. : "And therein (on the mantle
of Pallas) were fashioned two chariots, racing, and the one
in front Pelops was guiding, as he shook the reins, and with
him was Hippodameia at his side, and in pursuit Myrtilus
urged his steeds, and with him Oenomaiis had grasped his
couched spear, but fell as the axle swerved and broke in the
nave, while he was eager to pierce the back of Pelops."
- The action of Eros may be ascribed to the love of Pelops
for Hippodameia, or we may think of the love of Myrtilus
for Hippodameia as the reason for the betrayal of Oenomaiis
by his charioteer (Benndorf).
y2
PHILOSTRATUS THE YOUNGER
rbv a^ova tov apfiaTO<i ivre/jLveL eKarepov hihov^
voelv, OTL re ipwaa y Kop-q tov ipa)VTO<; ^ iirl tov
TTUTepa ^vfiffaiveL Kal to, fieWovTa ire pi ti-jv
ITeXoTro? oIkIuv eV yioLpMv ^iveadai.
I DTPPOS H MT^OI
20 (1) Ta EvpvirvXov koi NeoTTToXe/jLOv ttoljjtcjv
V/JLV6L x^P^'^ iraTpM^eiv re avTov<; d/jL(j)(t) Kal Trjv
%et/)a €vSoKifjLOV<; kut la^vv elvai, (f)rjal Se Kal
7; ypa(f)ri TavTW 1) tv^V yap ttjv i^ ciTracr?;? 7/79
dp€Tt]v e? /jiiav iroXiv avveveyKOuaa 01 fiev ovk
25 a/cXeei? o'lxovTat, uX)C olot irpo^; ttoXXoi/? SvaTt]-
vcov Bi T6 TratSe? elirelv oc epiw /levet dvTLocoatv,
ol Be yevvaloL yevvaLwv KpaTovat.
(2) Ta fxev Srj irepl tcov iv tw vlkolv CTcpa,
vvvi he irepl tov<; ^vveaT(OTa<; rj Oea. TroXt? fiev
30 avTTi "iXio? ocppvoecraa, Kad^ "Ojxripov, ireptOel
he avTyv Tclxo'i olov Kal 6eov<; firj ciira^LcocraL
rr}? eavTcov x^^P^^^ vavaTaOfiov re eVt OciTepa
405 K. Kal GTevo<^ 'ILXX^jaTTuvTOu 8idppov<; ^Aalav
]Lvpa)7rr)<; Btelpycov. tovv fieaw he Trehiov TroTa/JLO)
hiaipelTat 'B.dvOw, yey paiTTai he ov fiop/xvpcov
d(f)pa), ovh' 0I09 enl top tov Ilr)Xect)<; eTrXr^/jL/jLvpev,
5 dXX^ evvr] p.ev avTW Xcoro? Kal Opvov Kal ciiraXov
hovaKO'^ KOfxai, KaTUKetTaL he fxaXXov 7) dveaTrjKe
^ ipwvTos Jacobs : (puTos.
^ In the later years of the Trojan war tlie son of Telephus,
Priam's nephew P^urypyhis, leads the Mysians to the aid of
the Trojans, where he is slain by Achilles' son Neoptolemus
(Pyrrhus) at the head of the Myrmidons. Cf. the account
of Achilles and Memnon, supra, p. 29.
- The reference is to the heroes gathered at Troy.
324
PYRRHUS OR THE MYSIANS. lo
axle of the chariot, making clear two things : that
the girl in love with her lover is conspiring against
her father, and that the future which is in store for
the house of Pel ops comes from the Fates.
10. PYRRHUS OR THE MYSIANS i
The story of Eurjpylus and Neoptolemus is sung
by a chorus of poets, who tell us how each resembles
his father and is famous for the prowess of his arm ;
and this painting also relates this tale. For when
fortune has gathered into one city the valour of
every land,^ some go away not inglorious but able to
say to the world, " children of wretched men are
they who encounter my wrath," ^ and men of noble
birth overcome men of noble birth.
The account of the victory is another tale, but the
scene before you now has to do with the combatants.
Here is the city of "beetling Ilium," as Homer ^
calls it ; and a wall runs round about it such as even
the gods disdained not to claim as the work of their
own hands. On the other side is the station of the
ships and the narrow strait of the Hellespont that
separates Asia from Europe. The plain between the
city and the strait is divided by the river Xanthus,
which is represented, not as ^^ roaring with foam " ^
nor yet as when it rose in flood against the son of
Peleus,® but its bed is lotus grass and rushes and
foliage of tender reeds ; it reclines instead of stand-
^ Quoted from lUad 6. 127. Cf. si'pra, p. 225 n.
^ Ibid. 18. 403, where the phrase is used of the stream of
Oceanus: of. 21. 302 f.
- For the attack on Achilles by the river Xanthus see
Iliad 21. 212 f. For the personification of the river, cf. supra,
pp. 159 and 319.
rillLOSTRATLS THE YOUNGER
Kal Tov TToBa iirex^L raU injyaU xjirep ff/x-
fierpla's vvv hivypaivcov avra . . . vd/jLarofi to
pevfxa fierpiov,^ (3) ^rparid re eKarepcoOev
10 Wvacjv T€ (vv Tpcjal Kal 'KWyjvcov i/c Oarepov,
01 pep KeKpL7]K6Te<i I'-jhi) oi Tpcoe?, oi Se dKpi]T€<^
01 ^vv KvpvTTvXo). 6pa<; Be avrcjv, co? ol iiev
ev ToU oTrXoi? KuOrjvTai Td')(^a irov rovro Eupu-
TTvXov aLTT](7avT0<;, Kal ^aipovai rfj dvaKW)(^fj, ol
15 Be eKOvpoL re Kal e^opp,oiV7es ol Mucrot levTai
TO T6 ro)v '¥jXki]v(jdv ev opLoia Karaardaei, toZ?
^pwalv ovrcov irXrjv twv ^ivppiBovcov ipepyol
yap Kal irepl tov Uvppov eroipioi.
(4) T&) veavia Se, KdX\ov<; p.ev evcKev icpeppi]-
20 revocT^ av ovBev, eTreLBr) ev ottXol^; rd vvv,
peydXoL ye ixrjv Kal virep tou? dXXov<i' r)XLKia
re dp,(f)0LV I'ar} rd<; re tmv 6(f)0aXpa)v l3oXd<i
evepyol Kal ov peXXovre^, yopyov yap ro opfia
viTo rrj<; KopvOof; eKdcrrw, Kal avvairovevovre's
26 Tat9 TO)v X6(f>a)v KLvrjGeai Kal 6 Ovp.6<; eTniT perret^
a<^l(TL aiyf) re pevea irveiovaiv eoLKaai. Kal ra
oirXa Be dpcpolv irarpwa, dXX' 6 pev KvpvirvXo^
darjpoL^; earaXraL Kal rrapaXXdrrovcri rrjv avyr]v
OTTT] re Kal ottw^ Kivolro, rj lpi<;, rw Wvppw Be
30 rd e'f 'H(f)aiarov irdpearLV, eKo-rd<; rror avrcov
^OBvo-aev<; Kal d7Tev^dpevo<^ rrjv eavrov vlktjv.
^ IxtTpivv P and Morelli : ixerpov. The text is corrupt.
2 iinirpdirci Olearius : (TnTpdwd.
^ Cf. the account of the sources of the Nile, the elder
Phil., supra, p. 21.
^ See critical note
^ Quoted from Iliad 3. 8.
- For a garment compared to the rainbow cf, the elder
IMiil., Imag. p. 67 ; ffcr. 200, 2f.
326
PYRRHUS OR THE MYSIANS. lo
ing erect, and presses its foot on the sources ^ to
keep them within bounds, now moistening . . . the
stream keeps within bounds. ^ On either side is an
army — of Mysians together with Trojans, and oppo-
site them of Greeks ; the Trojans are already ex-
hausted, though the Mysians under Eurypylus are
fresh. You see how the former sit down in their
armour, no doubt at the command of Eurypylus, and
how they enjoy the respite from fighting, whereas
the Mysians, full of spirit and impetuous, rush for-
ward ; and how the Greeks are in the same state as
the Trojans with the exception of the Myrmidons,
who are active and ready for the fray under
Pyrrhus.
As for the two youthful leaders, nothing can be
made out regarding their beauty, since they are clad
in armour at this time, but they are certainly tall
and overtop their fellows ; the age of the two is
the same, and to judge by the glance of their eyes
they are active and unhesitating. For the eyes of
each flash beneath their helmets, they bend their
heads with the waving of their plumes, and their
spirit stands out conspicuous in them, resembling as
they do men ^^ who breathe out wTath in silence."^
Both wear the armour of their fathers ; but while
Eurypylus is clad in armour bearing no device,
which gives forth, like a rainbow,* a light that
varies with his position and movements, Pyrrhus
wears the armour made by Hephaestus, which
Odysseus, regretting his own victory,^ has yielded
to him.
' i.e. his victory in the contest for the arms of Achilles,
which were by vote awarded to him as the bravest warrior,
as against Ajax, who committed suicide because of his
defeat.
PHILOSTRATUS THE YOUNGER
(5) Se(opa)i> Se ri^ ra oirXa Xelttov evpyjcreL
rwv '0/jL7]pov iKTVirciy/xdrcov ovSeu, dXX' OLKpL^co*;
i) re^i'V ^eiKvvai TaKeWev iravra. to fiev yap
35 7>}? T6 Kul OaXd(7aT]<; Kal ovpavov a)(^7]/ia ovSe
(ppd^0PTC<i ol/iac Serjaei tiv6<;, i) fxev yap avrodev
A{)i6K. Ihovri 8)]Xy] rijv eavTrj<; XP^^^ ^'^^ '^^^ ^^/"
fiLovpyov Xa/3ov(Ta, rrjv 3' al 7r6X€i<; /cal ra ev
avrfj yrjv ypdcpovai Kal fxiKpov ye varepov izevar)
Trepl eKdarcoVy ovpavov he ohe. 6pa<; irov rov re
5 Tov 7]\lou kvkXov, CO? dKd/jLa<; ev avru), Kal to
tt;? TvavaeXrjvov <j)aihp6v. (6)
AXXd fioi hoKel<^
irepl t6)v KaO' eKaarov aarpcov irodelv OLKovaar
TO yap SLaXXdrrov avroiv rrjv alriav act
irapey^ei t?)? irevaew';' alSl fxev aoL HXefaSe?
10 arropov re Kal d/jirjTov ^vfi^oXa hvofxevai rj av
irdXiv eK(j)avci)<; exovcrai, &)9 av Kal ret ttJ? copa<;
avTCK; ayr],^ 'TdSe<; 8' eirl Odrepa. 6pa<; Kal rov
'D.pia)va, rov 8e iir avTu> fivdov Kal rrjv ev
darpoi<; alriav e? erepov dva^aXcofMeOa, w rral,
15 Kaipov, ft)? ai> /jL7] dirdyoifiev ae roiv vvv ev ttoOo).
^ avTOLs 6.yy) Kayser : our' 6.y, avrijs ayei, or avrols o.yei.
1 It is clear that the scenes on the shield of Achilles as
described by Homer were represented in painting and
sculpture, for we still have fragments of the so-called
Tabulae Iliacae depicting this subject (cf. Jahn-Michaelis,
Griech. BiUhrchronikcn, II B, p. 20, and fragments in the
Capitoline Museum, Rom. Mitth. VI. 183 f., PI. IV). The
shield described by Philostratus agrees with tliese repre-
sentations in that the difTerent subjects are depicted, not
in concentric zones or circles, but in bands one over the
other, so that the sky is not found in the centre of the
shield as in Homer, but rather at the top of the shield.
Just as the painter based his work on the Homeric
328
PYRRHUS OR THE MYSIANS. lo
If one examines this armour he will find that
none is missing of the representations in relief
which Homer describes, but that the work of art
reproduces all that Homer gives. ^ For the repre-
sentations of earth and sea and sky ^ will not, I
think, require anyone to explain them ; for the sea
is evident at once to the observer, since the crafts-
man has given it its proper colour ; the land is
designated by the cities and the other terrestrial
things, and you will soon learn all about them ; but
here is the sky. You see here, of course, the orb
of the unwearying sun and the brightness of the
full moon. But I believe you want to hear about
the stars in detail, for the differences between them
provide a reason for your inquiry. Here are the
Pleiades, signs for sowing and for reaping ^ when
they set or when they appear once more, as the
changing seasons bring them ; and opposite them
are the Hyades. You see Orion also, but the story
about him and the reason why he is one of the
stars we must defer to another occasion, my boy,
that we may not divert you from the object of
description, so Philostratus, in describing the painted pic-
ture, works in many details drawn directly from Homer
(Benndorf).
2 Iliad 18. 483: "Therein [on the shield of Achilles] he
wrought the earth, therein the heavens, therein the sea, and
the unwearied sun, and the moon at the full, and therein
all the constellations wherewith heaven is crowned — the
Pleiades, and the Hyades, and the mighty Orion, and the
Bear, that men call also the Wain, that circleth ever in her
place, and watcheth Orion, and alone hath no part in the
baths of Ocean." Trans. Murray, L.C.L.
^ Cf. Hesiod. Op. 383 f.: " When the Pleiades, daughters
of Atlas, are rising, begin your harvest, and your ploughing
when they are going to set." Trans. Evelyn- White, L.C.L.
329
PHILOSTRATUS THE YOUNGER
01 8' eV auTft) d<7Te/369 apfCTo<; i) el ci/xa^av KaXelv
^ovXoLo. <f)aal 8e avT)]v koI fiov^iv ov Svecrdai
6V Qfceavw, aW avrijv rrepl avrrjv arpecfyeaOuL
olov (fivXaKa rod 'flpL(ovo<;.
20 (7) ^'la)/jL€P 8r) XoLTTov Sia 'y}]<; a(f)€fi€Poi rcov
cii'co Koi TOiv ye iv yfj KiiXXiarov OeaifxeOa Ta<;
TToXei?. 6pa<i fiev 8^, co? ^Lrrai riv€<; avrac
TTorepav ovv irporepav a(f)€p/jLy]V6vOrji>ai aoi ffou-
Xel ; 7] TO Tcoi' XafiTTuBcov (f)(o<; kuI to tov
25 vfjievaiov fieXo<; kuI 6 rwv avXcov yx^^ ^^
V "^^
fciOdpa^ fcpovaL<; kol 6 rS)v op^ov/jLevcov pvOjxo^
e? avrd ae dyeL ; 6pd<; Se koX ra yvvaia rcov
irpodvpwv o)? SLacpalvovrat Oav/xd^ovra Kal fiovov
ovK 6K/3oo}vra viro xapixovrj<;. ydjioL ravra, w
30 iral, fcal TTpGorr] ^vpoSo<; vvfK^icov kol dyovrai
Ta<? vv/ji(f)a<; ol ya/xfipol. to Be r?)? alSov<; Kal
TOV ifiepov, ft)? iiTLTrpeiTeL cKdaTO), iraphipn, Xeyeiv,
o'0(f)(OT€pov avTCL TOV SrjfiLovpyov aivL^afievov.
(8) 'AXX' Ihov Koi SiKaaTi]pi6v tl kol ^vveSpa
35 KOiVTj Kal yepovTe^ ae/ivol a€/ivco<^ 7rpOKa0r]p.€VOL
407 K. TOV o/jllXov. to he iv /xecro) ^P^^^^^ ToXavTa
fiev hvo TavT ovk oW e0' otw' i], vt) Al,
eiKdaai XPV> ^*> fJii(jBo<^ Tcp 6pO(b<; EKSiKdaovTi,
ft)9 av fir) 7r/90? Baypd ti<; ttjv ovk ^ evOelav (pipoi.
5 Tt9 8' 7] Blkt) ; BlttoI fiev ev fieaw ra'e? ovtol,
^ OVK added by Schenkl.
^ Iliad 18. 490: "Therein fashioned he also two cities of
mortal men exceeding fair. In the one there were marriages
and feastings, and b}' the light of the blazing torches they
were leading the brides from their bowers through the city,
and loud rose the bridal song. And young men were whirl-
PYRRHUS OR THE MYSIANS. lo
your present desire. The stars next to Orion are
the Bear^ or the Wain if you prefer that name.
Men say that this constellation alone does not sink
into Oceanus, but revolves about itself as a guard
over Orion.
Let us now make our way over the earthy leaving
the upper regions, and let us examine the most
beautiful of things on the earth, namely, the cities. ^
As you see there are two of these. Which of the
two do you wish explained to you first? Do the
light of the torches, and the marriage hymn, the
sound of the flutes and the twanging of the lyre
and the rhythmic motion of the dancers attract
your attention? You see also the women visible
through the vestibules as they marvel and all but
shout for joy. This is a marriage, my boy, the first
gathering of the bridal party, and the bridegrooms
are bringing their brides. I shall not attempt to
describe how modesty and desire are clearly de-
picted in each, for the craftsman has suggested this
with great skill. But look ! Here is a court of
justice and a general session, and dignified old men
preside in a dignified manner over the gathering.
As for the gold in the centre, the two talents here,
I do not know what it is for, unless, by Zeus, one
may conjecture that it is a reward to be paid to
the judge who shall pronounce true judgment, in
order that no judge may be influenced by gifts
to give the wrong judgment. ^ And what is the
case? Here are two men in the centre, one of
ing in the dance, and in their midst flutes and lyres sounded
continuously." Trans. Murray, L.C.L.
- The natural explanation of the "two talents" would
be to regard it as the "blood-money" referred to in the
next sentence.
PHILOSTRATUS THE YOUNGER
BoK€ip €/jlol, (f)OviKov ejKXij/jia 6 fiev iTrdjcov
Oarepo), top S' 6pq<;, a;? e^apvo^ iariv' ov yap
aLTiav e;\^6t;v Mvirep'^ avTw Trpocpepet 6 Kari]yopo<^,
KaTaOei's 3e tcl v7ro(f)6i>ia KaOapo's yKeiv. 6pa<;
10 Aral Tou? €7ri/3o'qdovvTa<; eKarepcp ^^XV ^^^^
i>e/iiovTa<; ry]V jSo/jv, orcp (f)i\ov aXV ij ye tmv
K}]pvKo)v irapovaia KciOiaTi^GLV avTov<; koI el<;
TO i)(Jvxcuov ciyei. tuvtI /aev ovv aoi pieai] Ti?
TToXe/jLov KOL €Lp7]pi]i; iv ov TToXefiov/jievr} iroXei
15 KaTd(JTaaL<^.
(9) '¥^T6pav he 6pa<;, co? retxyjpv^) ^^'^ to ye
TeL')(0<; ft)? Oi St r]\LKiai> diropiayoi ^povpovcri hia-
\a^6vTe<;, yvvaid re yap eanv ov twv eir dX^ewv
Kul yepovre^ ovtol kuI KOfiiSrj iraihia. irol hi]
20 TO fidxt/jLov avTol^ ; ivravda evpoi^ av tovtov<;,
ot St} "ApeL re kuI WOtjvcI eTrovrat. rovrl ydp,
fiOL BoKelv, T) Texyii (prjal toi)? /xev XP'^^V '^^ '^^^^
IxeyeOei hrjXdxiaaa Oeov^ elvai, TOt? he to vito-
heearepov hi avTP)<; hovcra. e^iaai he tt)v roiv
25 evavTioov ov he^dfievoL irpoKkricnv, vepLeaOat ydp
Tov iv rf) TToXei ttXovtov rj firj pe/xo/jbevcov ev roU
oTrXof? elvai. (10) Ao;^oi^ hj] hLardTTovaiv ^
ivrevOev tovtI ydp, /loi hoxelv, i) irpo'^ raU
oyOai^i aLVLTTerai X6)(fir], ov hrj KaOcowXia fxevov^;
30 avToixi 6pa<;. dXX' ovk dp eyyevoir avTOL<;
^ alTiaf ex*'**' wr'Trep Ka3'scr : Karacrx^^y unfp Y, f^^'
*'*'
Hircp aP.
^ SiaTcxTTOL'crj*' Ka}>er : SiaWaTTuvaiu.
PYRRHUS OR THE MYSIANS. lo
whom, I believe, is bringing a charge of bloodshed,
and the other, as you see, is denying the charge ;
for he claims that he is not guilty of that which
the accuser brings against him,^ but that, having
paid the blood-money, he has come free of offence.
You see also the adherents of each man, in two
groups, who applaud according to their preference ;
but the presence of the heralds checks them and
restores them to silence. This scene, accordingly,
represents a state of affairs midway between war
and peace in a city that is not at war.
The second ^ city is walled, as you see, and those
unfitted for war by reason of age guard the walls
at intervals ; for there are women at certain points
on the battlements, and here are old men and even
children. Where, pray, are their fighting men ?
Yonder you may find them — the men who follow
Ares and Athena. ^ For this is what the work of
art means, I believe, indicating by the use of gold
and by great stature that the leaders are gods, and
giving to the others their inferior rank by this
device. They are issuing forth for battle, having
refused the proposals of the enemy, namely, that
the wealth of the city be apportioned among them,
else, if it be not so apportioned, it shall be the
prize of battle. Accordingly, they are devising an
ambush on this side ; for that, it seems to me, is
suggested by the thicket along the banks of the
river, where you see men under arms. But it will
not prove possible for them to profit by the
^ i.e. voluntary homicide ; but he acknowledges by his
payment of the " were-geld" or blood-money the commis.sion
of involuntary homicide.
2 Cf. liiad 18. 509 flF. for the Homeric description.
' Here a goddess of war.
PHILOSTRATUS THE YOUNGER
')(^pi]aaadaL rw \6')(^(p'^ o <^dp tol e7n]Xv<; aTparo<^
aK07rov<; riva^i Ka6i(ja<^ Xeiav iXdaaaOai irepi-
voel. Kal Sr] ol fxev ayovai vofxeU ra Ope/jL/j-ara
VTTO aupLyywv. rj ov TrpoajBdWeL ere rb \lt6p
35 Kal avTOcbve<; tT;? /xoucrr;? Kal drex^^^'i opeiov ;
408 K. varara 8e Xp^]ad/jL6voi, rf} /lOvaiKTJ 8t ayvocav
Tov eV avTol^ BoXov TeOvdaiv, co? opa<i, twv
TToXefXiOiv eTTekOovTwv, Kal aTreXavverai rf? XeCa
irpo^ avTOiV, (p^ifirj Srj roiv TTpax^^vrayv e? tov<;
5 Xo;)(;wi^Ta? iXdovaa dvicravTaL ovtol Kal i(f>^
'lttttcov e? TOV iroXejiov x^^povai Kal Td<^ re 6xOa<^
eaTiv ISetv 7rXi]p6i<; tcop jjLaxofievwv Kal 0aX-
XovTcov e? avTOv<;. (11) Tou? Se ev avTOL<; dva-
(TTp€(pO/J.€VOV^ Kal TTjV iTe^oLVLypLevqv XvBp(p
10 Sai/jLOva avT7]v re Kal rrjv eaOrjra tl ipovfiev ;
"Epi<; Kal Ku^ot/io? ravra Kal K?;/^, i;^' y ra
TToXe/jLOv Trdvra. opa<^ yap tol, co? ov filav ohov
Xfopel, aXV ou fiev drpoyrov e9 ra ft^?/ irpo-
iSdXXei, 0? 8' vcpiXKerat utt' avrip' v€Kp6<;, ov Be
15 Kal veoTpwTOv eina'Trepxj^i. ol 8' avSpe^; cf)ol3epol
T>)<? 6pfjL7]<i Kal TOV ^Xe/jLpLaro<; &)? ovBev BiaX-
XaTTetv ep,ol ^ayvrcov ev Tat9 op/jLah Sokovctlv.
^ A<Jx¥ Morelli : \oxij.(^--
^ The difficult passage in the Iliad (18, 509-534) was
variously interpreted by ihe ancient grammarians. Of their
three interpretations as stated by Porphyry and repeated
b}' Eusebius, none agrees with the description in Philostratus,
while one phrase of Alexander Cotyaeus (p. 195, 5 Dind. ), ovk
ibexovTo T-qv -npoKXrjoiv, " they refused the proposals of the
enemy," actually recurs in Philostratus. Evidently the latter
conceived the scene as follows:— The inhabitants of the city
devised an ambush against the army that threatened them,
but without avail ; for the eneni}-, after disposing its scouts
334
PYRRHUS OR THE MYSIANS. lo
ambush ; for the invading army, having stationed some
scouts, is contriving how to drive off the booty. ^
Indeed, we see here shepherds herding their flocks
to the music of pipes. Does not the simple and
ingenuous and truly highland strain of their music
reach your ears ? ^ But they have made their music
for the last time ; and through ignorance of the plot
devised against them they die, as you see, for the
enemy has attacked them, and a portion of their
flocks is being driven away as booty by the raiders.
A report of what has occurred has reached the men
in ambush, and they rise and go into battle on horse-
back ; you can see the banks of the river covered
with men who are fighting and hurling javelins at
the foe. What shall we say of those beings who
pass to and fro among the combatants and of that
spirit whose person and clothing are reddened with
gore ? These are Strife and Tumult, and the third
is Doom, to whom are subject all matters of war.
For you see, surely, that she follows no one course,
but thrusts one man, still unwounded, into the
midst of hostile swords, a second is being dragged
away a corpse beneath her, while a third she urges
onward wounded though he is. As for the soldiers,
they are so terrifying in their onrush and their fierce
gaze that they seem to me to diifer not at all from
living men in the charge of battle.
shrewdly, rushed on the flocks of the citizens as they were
feeding by the river and slew the shepherds, who were
ignorant of their danger. Thereupon those in ambush arose
and joined battle with the enemy. Such is the transforma-
tion by Philostratus of the somewhat confused account in
Homer, in which the city-dwellers set an ambush, send out
scouts, and capture the flocks and herds of the besiegers.
8 Cf. Iliad 18. 541 f.
335
PHILOSTRATUS THE YOUNGER
(12) 'AXX' ISov itclXlv eLpj}Vi]<; epya' veio^ yap
avTJ] hia(j)aLV6Tai, TptVoXo? olfiai ri?, el ri ^(^py]
20 T(p TOiv apoTi]po)v ^v/jL/SdWeaOac TrXijOei, koX rd
ye ^evyy] tmv (Bomv Oafid dvaarpecpei ev ravrr)
kv\ik6<; tlvo<; €KBe)(^o/jL6V7]<; dportjp eVl tco t/}?
av\aKO<; reXei, fieXaLveaOal re SoKel^ rov ')(^pvaov
irepicry^i^ovaar (13) 'E^f;? 6pa<; rep^evos fiaaiX€0)<;
25 olp^al TLvo^ T6icp,/)paaOai, o? to yeyi)do<; iXeyx^Tai
Tr}<; ^/^f^?)? VTTO T?}? eV oyjrei (f^athpoTTjro^i. Kal
T)]v ye air Lav Trj<; %a/oa9 ovEe ^rjrelv XPV' "^^ 7^^P
TOl \l']LOV IToXXw TO) fieTpO) TT}V (JlTOpdv VTTep-
/3aXetadaL hieXeyy^ovaiv oi re Bid ctttouSt}?
30 dpMVT€<; Kal oi raU dp,aXaL<; rd Keipop^eva tmv
Spayp^drayv Seoz^re?, oI? erepoi irpoadyovai Kal
paXa avvTovcD'^. (14) 'H he Spv<i ovk aKaipco^;
eurauOa ouS' e^(o Xoyov aKid re yap dp,(^LXa(^yi<^
VTT avrfj ylrv^daai rot's ev rw epyw Kapovai, Kal
36 /Sou? ouToal ttlcov KadiepcoOel'^ viro rcov K)]pvKa)v,
4C9 K. ov<; 6pa<;, vtto rfj Spvl Bal<; irpojiOeTaL^ toI<; irepl
TVjV GvWoyi-jV Tou TTvpou KajjU'ovai. rd he yvvaia
ri (^rj^ ; dp^ ovk inroijaOai aoL hoKel Kal StaKe-
\evea6at dXXrjXoi'i av)(yd p^drreiv rwv dX(f)ircov
5 heiTTVov elvai roU epiOoi^ ; (15) Et he Kal 6iTcopa<;
Se7]<Tei, Trdpeari aoc d\a)7] * XP^^V M^^' '^^^
dp^ireXcov, p^eXaiva Be rov Kapirov. ro Be rr]^
Karrerov Kvavov ere')(y}]6ri olpac ru> BjjpLovpyo)
'7rpo<=; Br]Xo)aLV rov ev avrfj fidOov<;' dpKel yap
10 aoL ro irepl ral^ r)/jLepicnv 6pK0<; ev rfo KamrepM
^ 5oKH added by Westennann.
' irpoTiderai Morelli : trpoariQiTai.
PYRRHUS OR THE MYSIANS. lo
But look again at the works of peace. This is
clearly fallow land^ to be thrice-ploughed, I think^
if one may judge at all by the number of the
ploughmen ; and in the field the ploughman fre-
quently turns the yoke of oxen back, since a wine-
cup awaits the plough at the end of the furrow ;
and the plough seems to make the gold turn black
as it cleaves the soil. In the next scene you
perceive a domain — a king's, as I think you may
infer — and the king who attests the gladness of
his spirit by the radiance of his eyes. The cause
of his delight is not far to seek ; for that the crop
greatly exceeds the sowing is proved by the workers
who busily cut the grain and by those who bind
the bunches of cut stalks into sheaves, while others
very zealously bring them more grain to bind.
The oak tree stands here not unfittingly nor without
good reason, for there is abundant shade beneath it
for the refreshment of such as grow weary with
their labour ; and yonder fat ox, that has been
consecrated by the heralds whom you see, is ap-
pointed as a meal beneath the oak for those who
labour at harvesting the wheat. And what do you
say of the women ? Do they not seem to you
to be full of excitement and to be encouraging each
other to knead plenty of barley meal as a dinner
for the harvesters ? If there should be need of
fruit as well, here you have a vineyard, golden for
the vines and black for the grapes. The dark blue
inlay of the ditch is the device, methinks, of
the artificer to indicate its depth ; and you have
no difficulty in recognizing in the tin inlay the
337
PHILOSTRATUS THE YOUNGER
voelv. 6 3' ap'yvpo<; o iv tw cifiTreXcopi, Kd/j.aKe<;
ravra, rov /jli] x^^fial K\iOy]vai ra (f^vra /Splaavra
T(p KapTTM. TL 6' UV €i7rOL<; TTCpl TOiV TpVycOVTWV ,'
o'l B)] Bia tt}? arevr}^ ravrrj^; elaoSov elacppyjaavre^
15 €avTov<; Ta\dpoL<; ivairoTiOevTaL rov Kapuov /idXa
r;Set? Kal 7rp6a(f)Opoi T)]V i)\iKiav ro) epyo).
(16) IlapOevoi re yap koI r]ideoL evLov Kal
^aK)(^LKov iv pvOfjLW jSaLvovaiv €vSiS6vtos avTol<i
rov pvOjiov erepov, ov olfiai fuw;? diro re t/)?
20 Ki9dpa^ Kal rov XeTrrov irpoadheLv SoKelv tol<;
(f)06yyot<^. (17) Et Be Kal ti]v dyeXrjv ivvoi](T6La<i
Tcov /3oo)v, at By] tt/oo? rijv vofxr)v tevrai, e-rro/jievcov
avral^ rcov vofiecov, tt)? /xev %/0oa9 ouk dv Oav-
fidaeta';, el Kal ')(pv(Tov Kal Karrnepov irdcra, to
25 Be Kal fxvKWfievwv wairep dKOveiv iv rfj ypacfyfj
Kal rov TTora/iov KeXdBovra etvat BoKelv, nap' ov
ai l36€<i, TTW? ovK ivapyeia^ irpoaco ; roi)? Be
Xeovra^ ovB' dv dipepp^tjvevaal poi tl<; iira^ico'i
BoKel Kal Tov vtt" avTo2<; raupov, 6 pev yap
30 pep^VKevai Bokmv Kal GTraipeiV cnrapdrTerai rjBr]
7T0)<; ipirecfyvKOTcov T0i9 ivToa6iBLOL<; t(ov Xeovrtov,
01 Be Kvve<;, ivvea 5' olpai ovtol, eirovrai rfj
dyeXrj Kal irapd rcov Wvvovrcov avrov<; vofiewv
410 K. iyyv<^ p,6v 'levrat rcov XeovTcov vXaKr} Tnoecv
iOeXovTe<; avT0vs, irpoafiLyvvvaL 5' ov roXpcoaiv
iTTiaTrepxovTcov avTov<; Kal ravra rwv vopewv.
6pa<i Be Kal BiaaKtprwvra rov 6pov(; 6pep.p,ara
5 Kal rov<; aradpoi)^ Kal rd<; aKt]vd^ Kal tou?
cn]Kov<i- oIkov TTOi/JLVLoyv voei ravra.
^ Cf. the "silver props " on the shield of Heracles, Hesiod,
Salt. '298.
338
PYRRHUS OR THE MYSIANS. lo
barrier surrounding the vines. As for the silver
in the vineyard^ these are props^^ to keep the vines
which are laden with fruit from being bent to the
earth. And what would you say of the men
gathering the grapes? Making their way through
this narrow passage they pile the fruit in baskets,
charming persons of an age adapted to their task.
For young men and maidens move forward in
rhythm, with Evian and Bacchic step, while another
gives them the rhythm, one whom you doubtless
recognize, not only from his lyre, but also from
the fact that he seems to be singing softly to the
lyre's notes. And if you should also notice the
herd of cattle which press forward to their pasture
followed by the herdsmen, you might not, indeed,
marvel at the colour, although the whole scene
is made of gold and tin, but the fact that you can
almost hear the cows lowing in the painting and
that the river along the banks of which are the
cows seems to be making a splashing sound, — is
not that the height of vividness ? As for the lions,
no one, it seems to me, could in a description do
justice to them or to the bull beneath them ; for
the bull, that seems to bellow and quiver, is being
torn to pieces, the lions having already laid hold
upon its entrails. The dogs here, 1 believe there
are nine of them, follow the herd and at the
command of the herdsmen who set them on they
rush close up to the lions, wishing to frighten them
by barking, but they dare not come to close quarters
though the herdsmen urge them even to that.
And you also see sheep leaping on the mountain,
and sheep-folds, and huts and pens ; you are to
recognize herein the home of the flocks.
339
z2
PHILOSTRATUS THE YOUNGER
(18) Ao/7ro9 oil fiat X^P"^^ *^^*^ ovrocrl irpoao-
jjiOLo^ Tfp AatSdXov, (f)aal 5' avrov 'ApidSvrj rfj
^MtVo) TT/jo? avTov hoOrjvaL. Tt9 3' i) Texvij ;
10 iTap6evoi<i TjiOeoL ra? xelpas eViTrXefaz'Te? ^opeu-
oua-t. av 8', CO? eoLKev, ovfc dpKeaOyjarj rovro),
el /jLt] (Toi Kal rd tT;? ia0)]TO<; i^a/cpLlScoaofiat. tw
\6y(p' ovKOvv alSl fiev 606vai<; ijadijvrai crre-
(jidva^ eirl Ta2<; K€(f)aXat<; ^j^/juo-a? (pepovaai, tol';
15 3' evjjrpiot jiev Kal XeTrrol TrepiKeivrai %fTcoi^69,
yLta^at/Da? 8e rcov /mjjpcov ^ e^-qprr^vrai XP^^d<;
dpyvpcov TeXajjLcovoov ^uvexovrcov avTd<;. (19) 'AXX'
iv kvkXm fjuev Iovtcov, tovt eKelvo, Tpo^ov Trept-
hivifaLv 6pa<; voijaec Kepap^eco^; epyov t^i'o?, ei irrj
20 hvdKoXw^ rj /xrj tov TrepiOelv exoi, Tretpcovro^.
aroLXV^ov Be lovrwv av9i^ iroXv n xp^lp-^ e-mp-
pel, birco^ exovcri re'/Q-v/^ew?, eTTihifkovvTwv /cal
yap Ttz'e? ev f.tecjOL'^ ovroi Kv/3L(TTMVTe<^ Kal dXXore
aXXt]!' opx'^icnv iiriheiKvviievoi dyeiv fioi aa^o)<^
26 auTou? 69 TO Oavfia SoKOvaiv. (20) 'H Se Brj
kvkXo) TTj^ dvTvyo<; 0aXd(Ta7]<i eiKoov ov ddXarra,
0) iral, ^flKcavov Be voelv XPV opov elvai rex^V-
Oevra Tij<; iv rw aaKei yrj<;. iKavoi's e%ei9 roiv
eKTViTwpc'ncov.
30 (21)
A6peL By] Kal rd irepl tov<; v€avia<;, ^iv
OTTorepw avTMV i) VLKrj' IBov yap Kal Ka07Jpi]TaL"
6 EvpvTTvXo^ Kara Tr/9 /iaaxdXtj<; toaavro^; avrto
KaLpiav TOV Ilvppov Kal Kpovvi]Bov eV;^6tTai to
alfxa, KeLTai tc dvoLp.wKTl 7roXv<; Kara Tt]<; 77)9
35 eKX^dei's, p.6vov ov (^6daa<^ ti]1' TrXijyyv ru)
" KaQrip-qrai Morelli : KadypTj/xrai or Ka.6ijpr]VTaL,
PYRRHUS OR THE MYSIANS. lo
One more scene remains, I think — a troup of
dancers here,^ like the chorus which Daedalus is
said to have given to Ariadne, the daughter of
Minos. What does the art represent ? Young men
and maidens Avith joined hands are dancing. But
apparently you Avill not be content unless 1 go
on and give you an accurate account of their gar-
ments also. Well, the girls here are clothed in fine
linen and wear golden crowns on their heads;
while the young men wear delicate thin chitons,
and golden swords hang at their sides held by silver
belts. But as they move in a circle, behold the
result — you see in imagination the whirling of a
wheel, the work of a potter making trial of his
wheel to see whether or not it turns with difficulty.
And as they advance again in rows, a great crowd
of men approaches, who show how merry they
are ; for some who here in the centre are turning
somersaults and exhibiting sundry kinds of dancing
seem to me evidently to fill the dancers with
wonder. The image of the sea on the circle of
the rim is not the sea, my boy, but you are to
imagine that Oceanus is designed by the artist to
represent the boundary of the land depicted upon
the shield. Enough has been told you of the scenes
in relief
Now turn your glance to the youths themselves
and note with which of them the victory lies. For
behold, Eurypylus has been laid low, Pyrrhus having
given him a fatal wound in the armpit, his blood
pours forth in streams, and he lies without a groan,
stretched at full length upon the ground, having
^ For the description of the dance in Homer, see Iliad
18, 590 f.
341
PHILOSTRATUS THE YOUNGER
TTTMfiari Blcl to e? Katpov rod rpavfjLaro^;. eV
ip Tft) ri]<; 7r\t]y7J<; 6 Ylvppo^ ax^j/iari peofievo^
411 K. TrjV xelpa T(p Xvdpo) ttoWw Kara rov ^L(j)ov<;
ive-)(devTL, oi MvaoL re ovk dvaa'^^era yjyov/jLevoi
ravra iwl rov veaviav )(^a)povcnv. 6 6' e? avrov<;
^Xoavpov opwv fieL^La kol vcpiararaL to (nl(^o<;
5 Koi rdxa irov Kpvyjrei rov EuyOfTTuXou v€Kpov
acoprjBov eV avrw tou? veKpov<; vi)aa<i.
la APrn H AIHTHS
(1) 'H Bie/CTraiouaa rov Trora/jLou vav<; vrro
TToWw TW podicp T7}9 elpeaia^ Koprj re Tt9 avrrj
eVt T?)? 7rpvfMV7]<; oirXirov TrXrjaiov koX 6 e/ji/i€\e<;
10 TrpoaaSwv rot? r?)? Ki9dpa<i Kpov/iaai ^iiv opOfj
Tidpa b re virep tt}? iepd<^ eKeivy^<; (prjyov hpdKwv
TTOXXft) GTTeLpdp.aTi fCe)(V/JL€V0's KOL TrjV K€(f)aXl]V
eh Tr]v yrjv vevwv vttvm ^piOovaav, top TTOTafiov
jxev ^daiv yivcoaKe, MijSeiav Be ravTijv, 6 8' eVl
15 T^? 7rpv/j.vr)<; ottXitt;? ^Idacov dv eh], KiOdpav Be
fcal Tidpav 6po)VTa<; kol tov Bl dfi(f)OLP Koa/j,ov-
fjbevov '0/3(^61'? vireiaiv i)/jLd<; 6 t% KaWioTrT]'^,
fjierd yap top iirl toU Tavpoi<; dOXop deX^aaa
eh virvop top BpdxopTa tovtop tj \lijBeia aeavXif-
20 Tai fiev to ')(pva6fiaXXop tov Kptov pdKo^, ^'^yfl
Be XevTat, Xolttop ol t?}? ' Apyov^ 7rXa)Tj]pe^, eTretBrj
dpdiTvaTa Toh K6X-)^oi<; Kal tw AlrjTrj tcl t?)<?
^ Cf. tlie account of the voyage of the Argo, the elder
Phil. II, lo, s%(yra, p. 187 ; also p. 319.
2 For tlie tiara of Orpheus, cf. notes on pp. 310, 312 supra.
^ ApoU. Rhod. Argon. 156 f. : "But she [Medea] . . .
drawing untempered charms from her mystic brew, sprinkled
342
THE ARGO OR AEETES. ii
fallen almost before the blow was struck^ so deadly
was the wound. Pyrrhus still stands in the attitude
of striking, his hand all covered with the copious
blood which drops from his sword, when the
Mysians, thinking this unendurable, advance against
the youth. But he, looking at them grimly, smiles
and takes his stand against their ranks ; and doubt-
less he will soon bury the body of Eurypylus by
heaping over it a mound of dead bodies.
11. THE ARGO OR AEETES i
The ship, which forces its way along the river
with much splashing of the oars, a maiden yonder
at the stern who stands near a man in armour, the
man with erect tiara 2 who sings in tune with the
notes of his lyre, and the serpent which sprawls
over the sacred oak tree over here with many a coil
and bows to the earth its head all heavy with sleep ^
— in these you should recognize the river as the
Phasis, the woman here as Medea, the armed man
at the stern would be Jason, and when we see lyre
and tiara and the man who is decked out with both
it is Orpheus, son of Calliope, who comes to our
mind. For after the contest with the bulls Medea
has charmed this serpent to sleep, the '^ ram's fleece
of golden wool " ^ has been seized as booty, and the
crew of the Argo have now set forth in hasty flight,
the serpent's eyes, while she chanted her song ; and all
around the potent scent of the charm cast sleep ; and on the
very spot he let his jaw sink down, and far behind . . . were
those countless coils stretched out." Trans. Seaton, L.C.L.
- Quoted from Pindar. Pyth. 4. 68.
PHILOSTRATUS THE YOUNGER
K6pr]<i. (2) Kal TO, iJLev rcov r?}? 'Apyoi/? vav/Sa-
TOiv Tt dv aoL XeyoL/jLL ; opa^ yap l3pa')(^L0va^ /jlcv
25 i^wSijKora^; avroU vtto tov et? ttjv elpeaiav
^vvTovov, ra Be irpoawira ola ykvoiT av €avTov<;
O-7r€p)(^6vTC0V, TO Bk TOV TTOTafjLOV KXvhdtiVLOV
vTre pKa)(\d^ov tov t?}? veox; €/j,/36\ov Karacpepo-
p,6vi]<; ^vi' ttoWt] TTj pv/xr) Td->^ov<^ Sely/na. /; Koprj
30 Se dfiyxctvov Tiva vovv SeLKVvaiv eV TOVirpoauiTTOv,
6/jbfia fiev yap avTrj SeSaKpvfievov e? yi]v opa,
412 K. 7Tepi(f)0^o<i Si eaTLV vn ivvoia^; ojp SeSpaKe Kal
Xoytafxov tcov fxeWovTcov ttXi'ipii^,^ avTi] re tt/Oo?
eavTTjv dvaKVKkelv SokcI jiol tcl^; ivvoLa<; Biopcoaa
TTJ 'v/^t'xS eKaara Kal ireiri-jyvla Ta<; tcov 6(j)6a\fio)i^
5 ^o\d<^ 69 ra tt}? '^i^XV'^ uiropprjra. (3) 'Iciawv
Be avrf) irXriaiov ^vv oiT\oL<i eToifio^ 69 dfivvav.
6h\ Be TO evBoatpLOv toI<; epeTaL<; aBei, v/jlvov<;,
jjLOL BoK€LP, avaKpovojievo^ 6eol<; tou9 fJiev
')(^apL(TT7]plov^y i(f)' ol(; /caTcopOcoKaai, Tov<i Be €9
10 iKecriav TeivovTa^, icp' oh BehoiKaaiv. (4) 'Opa<;
Be Kal TOV Al)]Tr}v eirl TeT poopov p.eyav re Kal
virepaipovTa dvOpa)7rov<;, onXa fxev ivBeBvKOTa
dpy]ia yiyavTO<; olfiai tivo<^ — to yap virep dvOpco-
TTov TovO' i^yeladai BiBooai — Ovfiov Be to irpo-
15 acoTTov 7r\yjpy] Kal fxovov ou irvp e^tevTa tmv
6(f)0a\/jLCOV, XafxirdBiov re ttj Be^ta alwpovvTa,
€fi7rp7]aeiv yap avToh TrXcoTTJpcn ttjv 'Apyco,
^ TrArj^Tjs Olearius : irXripuvs.
^ The plirase is taken from Horn. Odyss. 11. 274.
- Tlie phrase is from the elder Phil., Imng. 315, 7 K.
^ Tlie phrase is from Homer, Iliad 6. 340.
344
THE ARGO OR AEETES. ii
inasmuch as the maiden's deeds have become known ^
to the Colchians and Aeetes. As for the crew of
the Argo, what need that I should describe them to
you ? For you see that the muscles of their arms
are swollen ^ Avith the strain of their rowings and
that their faces have the look of men who are
urging one another to haste, and the wave of the
river which foams about the beak of the ship be-
tokens that it is rushing forward with great speed.
The maiden shows in her face a certain desperation
of mind, for while her eyes filled with tears gaze
towards the land, she is frightened at the thought
of what she has done and is preoccupied in planning
for the future, and she seems to me to be turning
over her thoughts all to herself as she beholds in
her mind each detail and has the gaze of her eyes
steadfastly fixed upon the hidden secrets of her
heart. Jason, who stands near her fully armed, is
ready to defend her. Yon singer gives the rhythm
to the oarsmen, striking up hymns to the gods, I
should say, partly of thanksgiving for the success
they have so far had and partly by way of supplica'-
tion with reference to the fears they cherish. You
also see Aeetes on a four- horse chariot, tall and
overtopping other men, wearing the war-armour ^ of
some giant, methinks — for the ffict that he exceeds
human stature leads to this impression — and his
countenance is filled with wrath and he all but
darts fire from his eyes, and he lifts a torch aloft in
his right hand,"* for he intends to burn the Argo,
- Cf. the description of Aeetes in Apoll. Rhod. Argon.
222 f "In his left hand he raised his curved shield, and in
his right a huge pine torch, and near him in front took up
his mighty spear." Trans. Seaton.
345
PHILOSTRATUS THE YOUNGER
TO hopv Se avrw virep ti]v avrvya tov hi(^pov
iTp6')(eipov 'lararai.
20 (5) Tl St] 7ToOel<; twv ^/eypaixpLevcov ; i) ro rcov
'iTTircov ; jJLVKTYjpe^ fiev (iva7r67rTa/J.evoL tovtoi<;
Kol dv€aT7]Koo<; avxh^ fioXai re 6(^6a\iiMV eroi/ioc
aW(o<; re fcal ivepyol vvv ovaai — BlScoctl yap
tovtI Oewpelv y ypacpj] — to Se aa6/ia i^ai/jbarro-
25 fxevwv e? toi^ Spofiov rrj fidaTiyi viro tov Wyjrvp-
Tov — irapa^arelv yap tovtov (f)aai tw Al'^rrj —
VTTO TravTo^ kXKOfievov rod arepvov Kal i) twv
Tpo')(^ct)v hivrj /lovov ov •wpoG^aXovcra rw dpiiareicp
avpfxan rd<; dKoa<^ ro Ta;^09 SiBcoai, yivooaKeiv.
30 /} yap hiaviarapievri k6vi<; Kal Ihpwaiv enavdovaa
ToU L7nroi<; dfivSpdv Tr}<^ XP^^^ iroiel ttjv Sid-
o-Keyjnv.
10 HSIONH
( I ) Taf tI fjiev ovB' eirLTdrTOVTo^ ol/ial Tt,po<i
6 yevvalo^ 'llpafc\rj<; fio'x^Oel ovS" eariv elirelVf
413 K. &)? Evpv(T6€v<; Bi' ox/^ov vvv avrw, BeaTTO^eiv
8e Tr/i^ dpeTTjV eavrov Taf a? eOeXovaiov^
dOXov<; vTTOfievei. rj tl fiaOcov (po^epov ovro)
kt)to's v^iaTaTai ; (2) 'Opd<; ydp, oTroaoi fiev
5 avTw ol 6(f)0aX/jLol KVKXoreprj t av rrjv oyjriv
d7roTopv€vovT€<; Kal Seivax; e? ttoXi; BeBopKorcfi
^ Xenoiihon, Art of Horsemanship, 1. 10: " A wide dilated
nostril is at once better than a contracted one for respiration,
and gives the animal a fiercer aspect."
^ Cf, the description of Amphiaraiis driving his chariot,
the ehler Pliil. Iviag., supra, p. 105.
^ Ilesione was the daughter of Laoniedon. Tlie story is
that Poseidon, angry with Laomedon for breaking his promise
HESIONE. 12
sailors and all^ and his spear lies ready to hand on
the chariot-rail.
VVhat^ now, do you still wish to hear about the
painting? Shall I describe the horses? Their
nostrils are dilated^^ their heads erect, the glance
of their eyes alert and particularly now when they
are excited — for the painting makes you infer this —
and the panting ^ of the horses which are being
lashed to full speed by Apsyrtus till they are red-
dened with blood — for it is he, they say, who is
charioteer for Aeetes — the drawing of their breath
from the entire chest, and the whirling of the
wheels that almost brings to your ears the rumble
of the chariot, all this makes you realize the swift-
ness of the motion. Indeed, the spreading cloud
of dust that sprinkles the sweating horses makes it
difficult to determine their colour.
12. HESIONE 3
It is not, I think, at anyone's command that the
noble Heracles is undertaking this labour, nor is it
possible to say this time that Eurystheus is causing
him travail ; rather we must say that, having made
valour his master, he is submitting to tasks of his
own choosing. Else why is he confronting so
terrible a monster? For you see what big eyes it
has, that turn about their encircling glance and
glare so terribly, and that pull down over them-
about the walls of Troy, sent a sea-monster to ravage the
country. When an oracle promised relief if Laomedon gave
his daughter to the monster to be consumed, Laomedon left
her chained to the rocks on the coast ; but Heracles appeared
to free her and to slay the monster. Cf. the account of the
freeing of Andromeda, the elder Phil. I, 29, supra, p. 115.
347
PHILOSTRATUS THE YOUNGER
i-TTLaKi'viov T€ 6(f)pvo)v uKavOcohe^ koI a'ypiov i(f)'
eavToijf; eXKOvre^, oirco^ Be o^ela ?; rov crTOyuaro?
€K^o\r) Kap')(^dpov<^ koI rpiaroLXov^ 6S6vTa<;
10 iK(j)aLi'OV(Ta, (jdv ol fxev dy/cLarpcoSei^; kol ave-
arpa/ifiei'oi Kare^eiv ra \t-j(f)OevTa, ol Se ofet?
rT}v ai-)(/ji7]v Kai e? irokv dvecrTC0T€<;, oai) Be rj
K€(f)a\7] aKoXiov Kal vypov rod av)(^evo^ e^tovcra.
(3) Meye^o? Be airiarov jxev elrrelv ev fxifcpw, 7) Be
15 6\jrL<; viKa tov<; aTnaTOvvra^;. i/CKvpTOVfievov
yap ov^ aira^, ciXXd Kara ttoWcl [xeprj rov
Ki]TOV<; ra /juev vcpaXa BiacftaLveTaL to ciKpifih rf;?
o\/re&)9 KXeTTTOvra rco ^dOei, rd Be dvia'^eL
v7]aiBe<; dv toU direLpoOaXdrroL^ Bo^avra. (4)
20 'Arpe/jLOvvTi TrpoaeTvxo/iev rfo Kijrei, Kivov/xevov Be
vvvl a^oBpoTUTij pvfir) iroXvv eyeipei poOiov ktv-
irov ev yaXi'ivr) Kal ravra, Kal kXvBcov ovto<; vtto
T>}? ifi^oXij^; avTOv Bi.ai>LaTdfiepo<; 6 fiev rrepl Toh
€K(t)atvofieiOL<; fxepeai KV/jLalvet TrepiKXv^cov avrd
25 Kal BiaXevKaLvwv Karcodev, 6 Be Td<; 7]6va<^ irpocr-
/3e/3Xr)K€V 7] re tcov ovpalwi' dvaKXaais eirl ttoXv
Tr)v OdXaacrav e? i;-VjEro? dvappLirrovvTcov larla
i^eoj? dv dTreLKaaOeiT] 7roLKLXa)<; irpoaavyd^ovra.
(5) 'AW ovK eK7TX7]TT6Tai ravra 6 Oeaireaiof;
30 ovro^, dXX 7) fxev Xeovr?] Kal ro povaXov iv
TToalv avrcp ercLfia 7rpo<; rrjv ;^^eta^', el rovrcov
Bejjaeiev, ear7]K€ Be yvfivo^ ev rrpoiSoXfj rov fiev
dpiarepov iTporeiva<; iroBa oy^ifpLa elvai rco rravrl
414 K. a(i)/j.arc /xedtara/jLevo) Trpo? to t>}? Kiv7']aea)(;
o^vppoTTOv, Kal t;}? 7r\€vpd<; Be tT;? dpiarepd<;
1 Quoted from Odyss. 12. 91
348
HESIONE. 12
selves the overhanging brow all savage and covered
with spines ; and how sharp is the projecting snout
that reveals jagged "teeth in triple row/' ^ some
of which are barbed and bent back to hold what
they have caught, while others are sharp-j)ointed
and rise to a great height ; and you see how huge
a head emerges from its crooked and supple neck.
The size of it is indeed incredible, when briefly
described, but the sight of it convinces the in-
credulous. For as the monster's body is bent not
at one point alone but at many points, the parts
which are under the sea are indeed visible, though
in a way to deceive the accuracy of vision because
of their deptli, while the other parts rise from
the water and would look like islands to those
unacquainted with the sea. The monster was at
rest when we first encountered it ; but now it is in
motion with a most violent onrush and raises a
great noise of splashing even though the weather
is calm, and yonder Mave which is raised by the
force of its charge surges, on the one hand, around
its exposed parts as it flows over them and makes
them show white beneath, and, on the other,
dashes against the shore ; and the bending of its
tail, which tosses the sea far aloft, might be com-
pared to the sails of a ship shining with many
colours.
This wonderful man, however, has no fear of
these things, but the lion's skin and the club are
at his feet ready for use if he should need them ;
and he stands naked in the attitude of attack,
thrusting forward his left leg so that it can carry
the whole weight of his body as he shifts it to secure
swiftness of movement, and while his left side and
349
PHILOSTRATUS THE YOUNGER
Tov Tofou ra Se^ia vTrearaXrai tt)? Sefta? x^ipo'i
5 7r/309 TOV fiacTTOV TT]v vevpav eXKovai]';. (6) Trjv
S* alrlav, w Trai, firj ^ijTM/iev tovtwv, 77 fyap rcov
irerpoiv avrifi/jiivf] Koprj irpoKeiTai tcG Ki]Tei fiopd,
'WcjLovrjv 8' avTijv XaojJLehovro^ iralha vofii^w-
fiev. TTOL he ovTo^ ; eiaco, pLOi hoKelv, rod t?}?
10 TToXeco? reixov^i iv TreptMirfj toov TTparTOfievcov,
(7) 'Opa<; yap TroXeoj? kvkKov koI ra^ eVaXfet?
dvOpcoTToyv /jL€aTa<; kol o)? dvareraKaaiv e? ovpavov
euxofxevoL Ta<i ^^Ipa^^ t^^X*^ '^^^ S€8olk6t€<; vtt'
iK7T\y]^60)<; TrepLTTrjf;, fii] Kal irpoa^dXoL rw
15 reix^i to /ct/to?, eTreiSr] co? x^ptrevaov MpfjLy]K6.
(8) To he T)}? K6pii<; fcd\\o<; 6 Kaipo<; i(pepfiy]V€V€iv
eV dKpLjSh ovK id, to yap irepl ttj ^vxfj ^fo? f^cil
eirl TOt? opct)p,€POi<; dycov dirop-apaivei fiev to tt}?
wpa? dvOo^, SiScoaL 3' oyLtw? to2<; opoiicnv eK tmv
20 irapovTcov to cVreXe? aTOxdaaadai.
ly SO^OKAHS
(1) Tt hiapikWei^, oj 6ele ^o^6k\€l<^, tu t?)?
MeX7ro/xei^?7? Six^adai hd)pa ; tl 8' e? 7^)1^ o/oa? ;
CO? eywy OVK olSa, elVe dOpol^cov ivvoia^ ySr] eW
VTTO Trj<; 7Tpo<; Trjv deov eKTrXi^^ew^i. dXkd Odpaei,
^ irpoKfi/xeurjs Salmasius ; irfpiKfi/xeuris.
^ Cf. the account of the birth of Pindar, the elder Phil.
11, 12, p, 179 ; and Introduction, supra, p. 278.
2 The "gifts" were probably honey in the comb, such as
Cheiron fed to the young Achilles (the elder Phil. Imag.,
SOPHOCLES. 13
left hand are brouglit forward to stretcli the bo\v_,
his right side is drawn back as his right hand draws
the string to his breast. We need not seek the
reason for all this^ my boy, for the maiden who is
fastened to the rocks is exposed as prey for the
monster, and we must believe her to be Hesione,
the daughter of Laomedon. And where is her
father? Within the walls of the city, it seems to
me, in a look-out where he can see what is going
on. For you see the circuit of the city and the
battlements full of men, and how they stretch out
their arms towards heaven in prayer, overcome no
doubt with prodigious fear lest the monster even
attack the city wall, since it rushes forward as if it
meant to go ashore. As for the beauty of the
maiden, the occasion precludes my describing it in
detail, for her fear for her life and the agony
occasioned by the sight she sees are withering the
flower of her beauty ; but nevertheless those who
see her may conjecture from her present state what
its full perfection is.
13. SOPHOCLES 1
Why do you delay, O divine Sophocles, to accept
the gifts of Melpomene ? ^ Why do you fix your
eyes upon the ground ? Since I for one do not
know whether it is because you are now collecting
your thoughts, or because you are awe-stricken at
the presence of the goddess. But be of good heart,
supra^ p. 13o}. Cf. also sujyra, p. 163, where the Muses in
the form of bees are said to lead the Athenian ships to
Ionia to found a colony ; and supra, p. 179, where bees
anoint with honey the infant Pindar. (Benndorf.)
PHILOSTRATUS THE YOUNGER
25 0) 'yade, Kai he^ov ra BiSo/JLeva. aTroffXyjra jap
ovK etvai ra 6eon> hoypa olaOci rrov i^ evo^; rCov
}s.a\\i67n]<; diaacorcov nKOvaa<;. {'1) 'Opa<; yap
Kal Ta9 fieXLTTa^;, co? vrrepirerovTai aov Kal ^Ofi-
povaiv rjSv ri Kal Oelov €7ri\6i/3ovaai arayova'^
SO aTTopprjrov^ t?)? otVem? Spoaov rovrl yap /cal
tt)? cr?}? 7roLj]a€(o<; SiacpvaeaOai, iravrb^; /jLciWov.
415 Iv. (3) H TTOv Tt? Kal dvaffyOey^eTai [liKpov varepov
iiri aol ^lovaMv evKoKwv dvdptjviov Xeywv Kal
hehoiKevai tm Trapeyyvyjaei, fitj irr) \dOot, ri<;
eKTTTaaa rod aov aro/jLaro'; fxeXirra Kal to
5 Kevrpov (k^vXclktco^ eyy^piaaaa. (4) 'Opa? Se ttou
Kal Ti]V Oeov avTr]v ro fiev vy\n]yopov Kal iiryp-
fiivov T>)? yv(i)fii](; cnToderov e^ovaav eU he vvv
Kal peiSidfiart evfjuevel to hwpov fierpovcrav.
WaKX7]7rio<; Be oljxai ovro^; iyyv<; iraidvd ttov
10 Trapeyyvcov ypd(f)€iv Kal KXvTopi]Tr]<;'^ ovk dira^iCov
Trapd aov aKovaai, /SXifijia re avrov Trpo? ak
(paiSporyjTi fiepiypevov Trapd piKpov vcrTepov
eTTL^eixoaei^ alviTTeTai.
iS' TAKixeos
(1) TlvOco/jieOa Tov /iietpaKiov, c5 Traihiov, rt?
15 re ai/To? eir} Kal rt? aiTLa tT;? Wit6XX(jovo<;
avT(p Trapovala^;, 6apai]aei yap '))/j,d<; yovv
irpoa^Xeyjrai. (2) Ovkovv 6 fxev 'TdKiv6o<^ elvai
^ K\vT6/xrjTii conj. Bergk, cf. Horn. Hymn. 19, 1.
^ Ilicul 8, 65: "Not to be flung aside . . . are the
glorious gifts of the gods."
- Cf. the elder Phil., IIe7\ 217, 2; Amazons anoint their
infants " with mare's milk and the dew's hone\comb."
HYACINTHUS
good sir, and accept her gifts ; for the gifts of the
gods are not to be rejected/ as you no doubt know,
since you have heard it from one of the devotees
of Calliope. Indeed you see how the bees fly above
you, and how they buzz with a pleasant and divine
sound as they anoint you with mystic drops of their
own dew,2 since this more than anything else is to
be infused into your poesy. Surely someone ^ will
before long cry out, naming you the
honeycomb
of kindly Muses," and will exhort everyone to be-
ware lest a bee fly unnoticed from your lips and
insert its sting unawares. You can doubtless see
the goddess herself imparting to you now sublimity
of speech and loftiness of thought, and measuring
out the gift with gracious smile. This is Asclepius
near by, I think, doubtless urging you to write a
paean,* and though "famed for his skill " ^ he does
not disdain to listen to you ; and his gaze that is
fixed upon you, suffused as it is with joy, dimly
foreshadows his visit to you a little later as your
guest.
14. HYACINTHUS 6
Let us ask the youth, my boy, who he is and what
is the reason for Apollo's presence with him, for he
will not be afraid to have us, at least, look at him.
Well, he says that he is Hyacinthus, the son of
^ Probably Aristophanes or some other writer of the old
comedy ; cf. Com. Grace. Frag. Kock, III. 402 (Mein. IV.
655).
- Cf. Philostr. Vit. Apoll. 96, 26: "The paean of
Sophocles, which they sing to Asclepius at Athens."
^ Quoted from Horn. Hytnns XIX. 1.
® Compare the treatment of the same theme by the elder
Phil. Imag. I. 24, supra, p. 93 f.
2>S2>
PHILOS. A A
PHILOSTRATUS THE YOUNGER
cf))]criv 6 Ol^ciXov, fxaOovTa'^ he rovro '^^prj
XoLTTOv Koi rrjv alrlav Trj<; rov Oeov irapovcria^;
20 yLVcoa/ceiv ipcov 6 rrj<; Atjrov'i rov fieipaKiov
TTuvTa hooaeiv avrw (pijaiv, oaa €)(€i, ro ^uvelvai
ol irpoaejxevw, TO^eiav re yap Kal /iovatKT]v
ScSd^eii^ Kal iiavTLKrfs iiraieiv Kal Xvpa^ firj
d7r(pB6v elvai Kal tol<; d/j.(f)l TTaXalarpav eirt'
25 (7Ti]<TeLV, Bcoaeip Be virep kvkvcop avrov o)(^ov-
fievov irepLTToXelv 'xcopia, oaa ^ KiroXKwvo^ ^L\a.
(3) Taurt piev 6 ^eo?, yeypairrai he dK€ipeK6pLr]<;
fiiv, TO el(t)06<;, ^aihpav he 6(^pvv virep 6(f)6a\/jLcov
eyelpwv, o)v uKrlve'^ olov eKXdjJLiTovai, Kal /nec-
30 huipLari rjhel rov "TuklvOov Oapavvcov irpo-
reivwv fiev rrjv he^iav eirl rfj avrf) alria. (4)
To fieipuKLOv he e? yr/v jxev djevh opa, ttoXXt)
416 K. he rj rwv o(^6aXp.(ov evvoia, ydvvTai re yap e(p'
oI? uKovei, Kal to 6dp<T0<; en fieXXov alhol
filyvvaiv. eo-TTjKe he rd pbev dpiarepd rov
a(OfiaT0<; dXiTTOp^vpw \XavihL KaXv-mayv, a hrj
5 Kal vTreaTaXrai, aKOVTiw he rrji' he^idv eirepeihet
€KKeL/jiev(p TO) yXovTO) Kal rfj irXevpa hiopco/jLevp,
^pax^^"^ '^^ ovToal yv/xv6<; hihcoai jjfilu e? rd
opco/ieva Xeyeiv.^ ac^vpov fxev avTw Kovcpov eir
evOeia rfj Ki>i)ixr] Kal einyovvl<; avri] eXa(f)pd virep
10 Kvri/jL7j(; fxripoi re direptTTOi Kal lax^'OV dveyov
TO XoiiTOv awpLa irXevpd re evirvovv dirorop-
vevovaa to arepvov koi fipa)(LO)v ^vv uTraXoTTjTC ^
acjipiyoiv Kal avxh^ dv€aT7]Kco<=; to fierpiov t)
Kofiy Te ovK dypoLKO^; ovhe ev avxP-V dvea-rr/KVLa,
^ Jacobs would emend to koi to. /xjj Spwutva e'Ae'yxftv, " to
judge also of the parts not seen." The text as it is can
hardly be sound.
2 aira\6Tr)Ti Olearius : airk6Tr]ri.
354
HYACINTHUS
Oebalus ; and now that we have learned this we
must also know the reason for the god's presence.
The son of Leto for love of the youth promises to
give him all he possesses for permission to associate
with him ; for he will teach him the use of the bow,
and music, and understanding of the art of prophecy,
and not to be unskilful with the lyre, and to preside
over the contest of the palaestra, and he will grant
to him that, riding on a chariot drawn by swans, he
should visit all the lands dear to Apollo. Here is
the god, painted as usual with unshorn locks ; he
lifts a radiant forehead above eyes that shine like
rays of light, and with a sweet smile he encourages
Hyacinthus, extending his right hand with the same
purpose. The youth keeps his eyes steadfastly on
the ground, and they are very thoughtful, for he
rejoices at what he hears and tempers with modesty
the confidence that is yet to come. He stands
there, covering with a purple mantle the left side of
his body, which is also drawn back, and he supports
his right hand on a spear, the hip being thrown
forward and the right side exposed to view, and this
bare arm permits us to describe what is visible.^
He has a slender ankle below the straight lower leg,
and above the latter this supple knee-joint ; then
come thighs not unduly developed and hip-joints
which support the rest of the body; his side rounds
out a full-lunged chest, his arm swells ^ in a delicate
curve,^ his neck is moderately erect, while the
hair is not unkempt nor stiff from grime, but falls
^ See critical note. For the attitude, cf. p. 91, supra.
^ Compare the description of Hyacinthus by the elder
Phil. Imag., supra, p, 95.
3 i.e. robust for all its delicacy ; the phrase is from the
elderPhil.,^6r. 151, 28K.
355
AA 2
PHILOSTRATUS THE YOUNGER
15 a\X' €7riKpe/jLa/j.ip)] rco iJLsr utTT (o , avvairovevovaa
he rat? tov lovXov dp')(aL<;. (5) 'O 8' eV iroal
BLaKO<i €X^^ f^^^ Cr/COTT . . . ^ TL 776/91 kaVTOV
"E^a)9 Te Kol TTcivv (^aLhpo<; a/ia Kal KaTJ](p/]^,
Koi Z€(f)upo<; ix irepLOiiTr}^ aypiov virocfiaLvoiv ro
20 ofifia, alvLTTeraL 6 ^o)ypd(f)0<; rijv dircoXeLav tov
jxeipaKLov, 8iaK€V0PTi Be tw ^AwoWcovl 7rXdyio<;
e/jLTTPevaa'; epi/SdXel rep 'TaKLv6(p top SlaKOP.
te MEAEAFPOS
(1) Sav/jLd^€i<; opcop e? toctovtop dycopa Kopyjp
opficoaap, dypiov re ovrco avo<; Kal roaovrov
25 opfirjp v(f)LaTap€P')]P ; 6pa<; ydp, o)? ixfyaufiop fxev
aura> to ojjLpLa \o(f)id t€ ^piTTOvaa Kal ttoXu?
6 KaTCL Tcop oSoPTCDP d(f)p6<; e? ttoXv dpeaTJjKOTcop
Kal TijP alxP'h^ dTpLTTTCOP, TO T€ 6^/009, 60?
Trpof; \6yov ttj /3daeL, rjp 3?) kol tcl tx^V TavTi
30 heiKPvaL Tavpcop diroBeoPTa ovhep' ovSe ydp tov-
Tcop irapekLire tl 6 ^o)ypd(f)0<; epTV7rd)aa<; avTa
417 K. TTJ ypa(j)7]. (2) Ta Se opco/xepa Kal heipd ijSrj'
i/jL7Te7rTO}Kco<; ydp o crO? 'AyKaio) tovtco KaTa
TOP /jL7]p6p, KeiTai 6 peapLa<^ dOpoop eKpecop to
alfia Kal e? ttoXv dp6pp(joyd><; tov f.u]pov, oOep
5 €P ')(ep(jlp )jSi] TOV dOXov oWo? ?/ /lep 'ATaXdpTrj,
^ Lacuna of one letter in F., ckottci P.
^ The story is that Zephyrus liad been a lover of Hya-
cinthus, and out of jealousy deflected the discus of Apollo
to kill the youth.
2 The Calydonian boar, according to the usual form of the
story, was sent by Artemis to devastate the crops of the
country because she had been neglected by the King Oeneus
in a harvest festival. His son Meleager, himself a great
[To face p. 357
MELEAGER
over his forehead and blends with the first down of
his beard. The discus at his feet . . . about him-
self, and Eros^ who is both radiant and at the same
time downcast, and Zephyrus/ who just shows his
savage eye from his place of look-out — by all this
the painter suggests the death of the youth, and as
Apollo makes his cast, Zephyrus, by breathing athwart
its course^ will cause the discus to strike Hyacinthus.
15. MELEAGER 2
Are you surprised to see a girl entering into so
great a contest and withstanding the attack of so
savage and so huge a boar ? For you see how blood-
shot is his eye, how his crest bristles, and how
abundant is the foam that drips from his long upright
tusks, which are iinblunted at the point ; and you
see how the beast's bulk is proportional to his stride,
which indeed is indicated by these tracks that are
as large as those of a bull. For the painter has not
failed to embody any of these points in his painting.
But the scene before us is already terrible. For the
boar has attacked Ancaeus here in the thigh, and
the youth lies pouring out his blood in streams and
with a long gaping wound in his thigh ; therefore,
now that the contest is already under way, Atalanta
hunter, summoned the heroes of Greece to take part in the
destruction of the boar. Theseus came among others, and
Jason and Achilles' father Peleus and Ancaeus with his niece
Atalanta, herself a huntress and beloved of Artemis. Atalanta
wounded the boar with an arrow, and Meleager finally killed
it. Philostratus does not take up the rest of the story which
dealt with Meleager's love for Atalanta. Cf. Fig. 30.
Cf. the account of a boar hunt bv the elder Phil. {Imag.
I. 28, supra, p. 107).
357
PHILOSTRATUS THE YOUNGER
Tavr^]v yap elvat ti-jv Koprjv voelv XP^'h Trpox^eipov
e-mOela-a rfj vevpa to /5eX,09 d(f)7]a€iv /leXkec.
(3) "EaraXrat Se ecrOrjrt /lev virep yovv, KprjirlSa
Se TOtv iToholv evYjinaL kol al x^cpe^; e<? m/iov
10 yufival Sta to ivepyol elvat. t/)? €(TOr]ro<; eKel e?
ir€p6va<^ ^vvexofi€vrj<;, to Se KdXXo<; appevcoirov
eK (f)va€(o<; ov dviarrjaLP 6 fcaipo<; cttI fJidWov
ovK icpl/jLepov ISXeiTOvar]';, dXXa rd<; rcov 6cf)0aX-
pb(hv 0oXa<; €9 TTjv twv hpodfiivtov evvoiav
15 reivovari^. (-4) 01 veaviai Se ovrot ]^leXeaypo<;
Kai n?;Xeu9, TouTOf? yap Syj tou? Ka6eX6vTa<;
TOP avv (firjcnv rj ypa<f)i], 6 fiev iirepeiaa^; ev
TrpofioXfj TO) Xatw ttoSI kavrov 6 INle^eaypo?
Kai rrjv jBdatv rr)prjaa<; da(f)aXa)<^ ifcSex^rai rrjv
20 opfir)v Tov cuo? Xoy^V^ VTroaryjaa^;.
(5) ^€p€ Srj Kai TCL irepl avrov e'lTTco^ev
(TTL(f)po<^ fiev 6 veavia<; Kai iravrr) (Kppiywv,
Kvrjiiai 5' avrqt evirayeU Kai opOal (pepeLv re
€V TOfc? ^ hpofioL^ iKaval Kai v(pi(7Ta/jLevM top
25 eK %ef/)09 dycbva (f)vXaK€<; dyaOai, iirjpo^ re ^vv
iiTLyovvihi o/ioXoycov Tot9 KaTCJ Kai lax^ov olov
hihovai dapaelv o)<; ovk dvarpaTryjao/jLevov vtto
T7J9 ToO o-f09 e/X/5oX?}9 ToO veaviov, TrXevpd re
/SaOeta Kai yaari^p direpiTTO^ Kai arepva to
30 fJi€TpLOV 7rpO€KK€i/jL€Va Kai jSpaX^f^^ Sl7]pOp(0-
fi€Vo<; Kai a)/jLOL 7r/oo9 av^^va eppwfjbevov ^vv-
dirT0VTe<; Kai fidaiv avrw BlB6vt6<;, ko/jltj t€
rjXicocra Kai dvecTTrjKvla vvv vtto tov t?}9 6pfi7j<;
evepyov Kai ^apoTro^' iKavM<^ BehopKO<; to ofXfxa
35 T) Te ocppv^i OVK dvei/jiipf], dXX' ev tw Ov/jlm
irdaa Kai rj tov Trpocrcoirov KardaTaai^ ovSe
418 K. ^vyx^^povaa irepl KdXXov<^ tl Xeyeiv Bid to
358
MELEAGER
— for we must recognize that the girl is she — having
put to the bowstring the arrow she has ready, is
about to let it%fly. She wears a garment that does not
reach the knee and boots fastened on her feet ; her
arms are bare to the shoulders for freedom of move-
ment, and the garment is fastened there by brooches ;
her beauty, which is naturally of the masculine type, is
made more so by the occasion, since her glance is
not alluring, but she strains her eyes to observe
what is going on. The youths here are Meleager
and Peleus, for the painting tells us that it is they
who have slain the boar ; Meleager in an attitude of
defence throws his weight upon his left foot, and
watching closely the boar's advance, awaits his onset
securely with couched spear.
Come, let us describe him in detail. The youth
is sturdy and well developed all over; his legs below
the knee are firmly knit and straight, well able to
carry him in the foot-race, and also good guardians
for him when he fights in the hand-to-hand contest ;
the upper and lower parts of the thigh are in harmony
with the lower leg, and the hip is the kind to make
us confident that the youth will not be overthrown
by the boar's attack ; his flanks are broad, his stomach
lean, his breast protrudes a little, his arms are well
articulated and his shoulders join in a strong neck,
providing it wit)i a firm foundation ; his hair is ruddy,
and at this time stands erect because of the vehem-
ence of his attack ; the flash of his eye is very
bright, and his forehead is not relaxed but all instinct
with passion ; the expression of his face does not
permit a word to be said of its beauty because it is
^ re before roh deleted by Kayser.
359
PHILOSTRATUS THE YOUNGER
€7riTeT(iaOai, €adr)<; Be Xev/crj virep yovv koI
Kpii'TT)<; virep acpvpov epeiafia aa(f)a\(<; rfj ^daei,
')(\a/.LvBa T€ KOKKo/Sacpf] inrep avy^ivo^ KoXiraxTa^
5 TO Orjplov v(f)L(TTaTai.
(6) TavTl p,€v croL ra rov OtVew?, UrjXev'i Be
ouTO<; irpo^e^X'qTaL c^olvikovv <^apo<^, /jL(i')(aipa
Be avTcp t) irap* 'Hcpalarov ev ^(^epa'iv CKBe^o-
fieprp Trjv rov crvo<; 6pp,7Jv, to Be o/jL/xa drpeTrro'^
10 Kal ofu opcjv KOI olo^ /irjBe xjirepopiov ddXov
rov e? KoX;^ou? avv ^Jdcrovi Belaai.
i^' NEXSOS
(1) M?) BeBiOi, o) Trat, toi^ Kv7]vov irora/jiov
TToWw KVfxalvovTa Kal virep Ta? o;^^a9 alpo-
fievov, '^/eypaiTTai ydp, dWa /idWov rd ev
15 avTw BcaaKeyjrdyfxeOa, oirt) re Kal oVo)? e;^6t rd
tt}? Te^2
7?9* y yap ovk emaTp€(f)€i aeiTpo<; eavrov
6 Oelo^ 'HpaK\rj(i ovrco^; e/x3e/9>;/cft)? fxeaw rw
iTorafMO) Kal irvp eKXd/iircov dirb rwv 6<pda\iJ.wv
rov aKoiTOV /leTpovvrcov ro^ov re e^f^i' ^v rfj
20 \aLa irpofiepXrjiievr], en Kal rrjv Be^idv ev rw
rrj(; d(jieae(0^ rov l3e\ov<; e%a)i^ axVf^cLTi ; e?
fia^ov ydp avrrj. (2) Tt 8' dv eiiroi<; irepl rr]<;
vevpd^ ; dp ovk alaOdveaOat BoKeh 67r7;;^oucr?;?
rfj rov olarov dcfyeaei ; irov Be ovro<; ; 6pd<; rov
25 vararov dvaaKLproovra Kevravpov ; Necrcro? Be
^ i.e. the Argonautic expedition, cf. pp. 1S7, 343, awpra.
^ The death of Heracles was attributed to the poisoned
arrow with which he shot the centaur Nessus. The story is
that Ncssus gave Deianeira some of his V)lood to use as a love-
charm in case the aflfections of Heracles strayed to another
woman. When Deianeira had occasion to use it, she anointed
a garment with the charm and sent it to Heracles ; but when
360
NESSUS
so tense ; he wears a white garment that does not
reach to the knee, and his high boot that reaches
above the ankle gives him secure support in walk-
ing ; and letting his scarlet mantle hang in a fold
from his neck he awaits the beast.
So much for the son of Oeneus ; but Peleus here
holds his purple mantle out before him ; and he
holds in his hand the sword given him by Hephaestus,
as he awaits the rush of the boar ; his eye is un-
swerving and keen of glance, and he looks as if he
did not fear even to cross the borders and go with
Jason on the adventure to Colchis.^
16. NESSUS 2
Do not fear ^ the river Evenus, my boy, though it
rises in great waves and the water overflows its banks,
for it is a painting ; rather let us examine its details,
to see how and in what manner they are represented
in art.* Does not the divine Heracles attract your
attention as he advances thus into the middle of the
river, his eyes flashing fire and measuring off the
distance to the mark, while he holds the bow in his
outstretched left hand and still keeps his right hand
in the attitude of one who has let fly the arrow ?s
for he holds it close to his breast. And what would
you say of the bowstring ? Do you not seem to hear
it sing as it lets fly the arrow ? Whither is it aimed }
Do you see the centaur giving his last leap ? This
he put on the garment, the poison caused his death in agon}-,
and Deianeira in remorse hanged herself.
3 The phrase is from the elder Phil., Her. 196, 20 f.
- Cf. supra, 410, 8 K for this use of rex^V-
^ Cf. the elder Phil., Imag., p. 219 supra, for this device
of the painter, who chooses the moment when an action is just
completed to suggest the action itself.
361
PHILOSTRATUS THR YOUNGER
oJ/jLat ovTO<; Biacfyvyoov €K tt}? ^o\6y]^ Trjv 'Hpa-
KXeiav fiovo^ ^elpa, ot eTn-)(^6ipovvTe^ ttSiVa)9
avTw hLe(j)V<yev ovB€l<; irXrjv ovto<;. ot^^exai Be
Kol ovTO<; olBlko^ e? avrov ^avel^' iropOfievovrofi
30 <ydp Tou? B6o/jL€pov<; tovtov i7rtaTa<; 6 'HpaKXi]<;
^vv rfj jwaiKi Arjtaveipa kol tw TraiBl "TXX,(p,
eTrecBr) airopo^ 6 7roTa/jLO<; e^alvero, tt]v yvvalKa
419 K. TTOpOfievaat irapeyyva, ai'TO? Be eiTtj3a<i rov
Bi^pov ^vv TO) TraiBl €)(^copeL Bca rov Trorafiov,
Kavravda o p,ev KaKco^; IBcov jrjv yvvaiKa Iito-
iTOi^ eirejoX^ia rrj^ ox^V^ eVt/Sa?, o Be ^oi)<;
5 aKOvaa^ 6 'Hpa/cXr)? ro^evei Kara rov NeVcrou.
(3) T€ypd(f)aTai Be r/ /lev Arjidveipa ev tw rov
KivBvvov (TXfj/^cLTL Kal 7r6pcBe7]<; €? Tov 'HpaKXea
Ta<; 'X^lpa<; reivovaa, 6 Be Neo"cro9 apri, tov
olarov Be^d/JL€vo<; kol irepl eavrcp cr(f)aBa^(ov
10 ovTTO), BoKecv, TOV eavTOV XvOpov ^ diroOeTOV e?
'Hpa^Xea tt) Arjiaveipa B6B(0Ka)<;. (4) To Be
TTaiBiov 6 "TWo? e(j)€(TTi]K6 jiev tm TraTpwo)
Blchpfp KaTCi T7J9 avTvyo^ BeOevTcov, cocTTe oLTpe-
fielv, Tcov iLTTTToyv, KpoTel Be vcf)^ rjBovrjf; Ta<;
15 )(eLpa<; yeXcoTL Bov<; a /jl^tto) eppcoTai.
^ KvQpov Jacobs : Bi<ppou.
362
Fig. 31. — Deianeira at the Death of Xessiis.
[To face p. 3C3.
NESSUS
is NessuSj I think, who alone escaped the hand of
Heracles at Pholoe,^ when none but he escaped of
those who wickedly attacked the hero. And he too
is dead, caught in a manifest wrong to Heracles.
For Nessus ferried across any who called for this
service, and Heracles arrived, together with his wife
and his son Hyllus ; and since the river seemed
unfordable, he entrusted his wife to Nessus to carry
over, while he himself mounted his chariot along
with his son and proceeded to cross the river.
Thereupon the centaur when he reached the bank
cast wanton eyes on the woman and dared a
monstrous deed ; and Heracles hearing her cry shot
an arrow at Nessus. Deianeira is painted in the
attitude of one in danger, in the extremity of her
fear stretching out her arms to Heracles, while
Nessus, who has just been hit by the arrow and is in
convulsions, apparently has not yet given his own
blood to Deianeira to be put aside for use on
Heracles. The boy Hyllus stands on his father's
chariot, to the rail of which the reins are fastened so
that the horses will not run away, and he claps his
hands in glee and laughs at what he has not yet the
strength to do.
^ When Heracles came to Pholoe, Pholos the centaur
opened the cask of wine which Dionj'sus had given him
long before with instructions to keep it till Heracles visited
him. Drunken with the wine the other centaurs attacked
Heracles and were slain bj" his poisoned arrows with the
exception of Xessus who escaped. I'holos, like Cheiron, is
described as a different type of centaur ; he met his death
accidentally with one of the poisoned arrows. Cf. Fig. 31.
363
PHILOSTRATUS THE YOUNGER
i^' <^IAOKTHTHS
(1) 'O fiev iirl TO) arpaTJjyelv apri^ koX 701/9
eV MeXt/Soiaf; eirl Tpoiav aywv TijjL(i)pov<; Me-
veXdcp Kara rod ^I>pvy6<^ ^l^tXoKTijri]^ 6 rod Hol-
avTO<; yevvalo^ ttov Kal di^acpepcov e? tjjv v^)
20 'WpaKkel Tpo(f)7]v — OepdiTdiv Br] yeveadai tw
'HpafcXel 6 ^iXoktj'jtt]^; ck vrjirlov, ore Kal
(popev^ elvai ol tmp to^cov, a Brj kol varepov
paaOov Xa/Secv Trap' avrov t?}? 6t9 rr)v irvpav
v7rovpyLa<; — Be vvv ivravOa ^v/iTreTrrcDKOTt, Bid
25 T7]V voaov Tft) irpoacoTTO) ^vvvecpi} ocppvv eirl
roi>(f)6aX/ico icpeXKCov kcltw ttov Kal ev ^dOei
6vTa<; Kal d/jievrjvov opcovTa^!, k6/jL1]v re XvOpov
Kal avxi^ov TrXijpj] B€lkvv<; Kal TrjV yeveidBa
vTTave(jT7]Kco<^ Kal ^piTTo^v Kal pdKia avrof; re
30 d/jL7riaxoiji€vo<; Kal top rapaov KaXvirrcov roiovBe,
0) Tral, BiBwai Xoyov. (2) 'Ai^avrXeoi^Te? e?
TpoLav ol 'Ai^afol Kal 7rpoaaxoPT€<^ Tal<; pr)aoL<i
420 K. efiaarevoPTO top t?)? \pva7]^ ^co/jlop, op ^Idacop
IT ore IBpvaaTO, ore e? KoX^^ol'? eirXei, ^lXo-
KTi]Ti]<; re eK tt)? ^vp 'HpaKXel p,P7]fir](; rov
l3a)/iop roL<; ^ijrovai B€Lkpv<; eyxpl^ciPro<^ avra>
5 rov vBpov TOP LOP e? Odrepop tolp ttoBoIp ol
/JL6P inl 'Vpoiap ol 'A;^aiot areXXoprat, 6 Be ep
Arj/jLP(p ravrij Kecrai, BtaBopo) ^7]al Xo(f)OKXf)<;
Karaard^wp IQ) rov iroBa "...
^ &prL Haniaker : tr/.
2 The rest of the MS. is lost.
^ The stor}' of Philoctetes was treated by Aeschylus and
Euripides, as well as in the extant drama of Sophocles.
364
PHILOGTETES
17. PHILOGTETES 1
The man who but recently was in command of an
army and led the men of Meliboea against Troy to
avenge Menelaus on the Phrygian^ is Philoctetes the
son of Poeas^ noble of birth, no doubt, and one Vv'ho
owes his upbringing to Heracles — for Philoctetes
became the servant of Heracles from early youth
and was the bearer of his bow and arrows, the bow
which later he received from his master as a reward
for his services in lighting the funeral pyre ; but now
with downcast face because of his malady and with
clouded brow above lov/ered eyes, hollow eyes that
glare with wrath, showing hair that is full of filth
and grime, his beard unkempt, shivering, himself
clothed in rags and with rags concealing his ulcered
heel, my boy, he supplies the following story : — The
Achaeans, when they sailed for Troy and put in at
the islands, were earnestly seeking the altar of .
Chryse, which Jason had formerly erected when he /
made his voyage to Colchis ; and Philoctetes, re- '
membering the altar from his visit to it with Heracles,
pointed it out to the searchers, whereupon a water-
serpent drove its poison into one of his feet. Then
the Achaeans set sail for Troy, but he was left here
in Lemnos, "his foot dripping with devouring
poison," 2 as Sophocles says. . . .
When the Greeks learned from an oracle that the bow and
arrows of Heracles were necessary for the capture of Troy,
Neoptolemus was sent to get Philoctetes and these weapons
from Lemnos. Neoptolemus won his confidence and received
the bow and arrows, but refused to betray the trust. Only
when Heracles appeared from heaven to direct Philoctetes to
let them go were they secured for use against Troy.
2 Quoted from Soph. Phil. 7.
CALLISTRATUS
DESCRIPTIONS
WITH AX EXGLISH TRAXSLATIOX BY
ARTHUR FAIRBANKS
INTRODUCTION
CALLISTRATUS.
Callistratus is known to us only through the
Descriptiojis. His quotations from the younger as
well as the older Philostratus furnish evidence that
he was familiar with the works of both writers,
and therefore that he himself wrote not earlier than
the latter part of the third century a.d. ; on grounds
of style Schenkl and Reisch ^ point out that pre-
sumably the work should be dated at least a century
later. Of his life we only know that he writes as if
he had himself seen statues which he describes as
existing in Sicyon (No. 6), in Athens (No. 11), in
Egyptian Thebes (No. 1) and in Macedonia (No.
13). There is, of course, nothing improbable in the
belief that he had travelled to this extent.
The present Descriptions belong to the same class
of rhetorical literature as the Imagines of the older
and the younger Philostratus, in that they are
essentially examples of the rhetorician's skill rather
than of serious art criticism. While it would be
possible to draw comparisons more or less close
between these Descriptions and the Imagines, such
a procedure would probably be misleading. Doubt-
less the present work is one of many in which
^ Introduction, pp. xxii-xxiii. Cf. W. Me3'er, Der
accentuirte Satzschluss in dcr gricchischen Prosa rom. IV his
XVIJahrhundert, Gott., 1891.
369
PHILOS. B B
INTRODUCTION
paintings and sculpture were praised ; doubtless it
is far truer to dwell on the influence of Philostratus
the elder on this whole branch of later rhetoric than
to attempt comparisons between any two examples
of such rhetoric. In fact the study of Callistratus'
work brings out the differences between him and his
known predecessors quite as much as his dependence
on them.
In general his descriptions have so little to say
of the statues described that the name of the work
seems inexact ; his aim is rather to praise, and the
description is quite subordinate to his rhetorical
encomium of the sculptor's marvellous success in
his work. Ap})arently he is as much indebted to
writers who have praised works of literary art as
to those who used painting and sculpture for their
themes. His method is quite simple. He begins
with the name, the location, and often the material
of a statue ; after some general remarks he praises
the success of the artist in making the material
express the living being he depicts ; and in con-
clusion he adds some general remark on art or the
artist which the statue had suggested. We find
none of the rhetorical devices of the older Philo-
stratus — the ornate language, the complicated effort
for a conversational style, the mixture of actual
description with other elements of the story which
are not represented in the picture ; the " boy " who
served as the audience has all but disappeared (but
of. a> v€oi, }). 428, IK.); the numerous allusions to
classical literature and the constant use of phrases
from the poets are no longer found. Nor do we
find the careful descriptions of the later Philo-
stratus ; his aim is to praise the success of the
370
INTRODUCTION
artist, and to this end is directed all the elo-
quence he can command. Callistratus is primarily
not a student of art, but a sophist who displays
liis powers in these encomia. Like his predecessors,
he held that literature as well as sculpture and
painting was an inspired art ; he too competed with
tiie works of art he described in the effort to make
his descriptions equally works of art ; like the
poets and the historians, like Demosthenes and
Euripides (cf. Nos. 2, 8, 13), he would speak with an
inspiration similar to that of sculptor or painter.
While the elder Philostratus emphasized the
realism, the illusion of reality in the paintings he
described, and at times mentioned the technique
by which this illusion was produced ; while the
younger Philostratus treated paintings primarily as
expressing the character and the inner experience
of the persons represented, it was the aim of
Callistratus to glorify the success of the sculptor
in making bronze or marble all but alive in the
figures he created. Briefly, he points out in each
case how art almost transformed dead matter into
the living beings which the artist represented,
apparently endowing the material with the softness
and colour of flesh, with sensations, with emotions,
with passion and intelligence, and with the power
to move ; and because the statues were all but
living beings, they represented the character and
inner experience of these beings. There is a
certain sameness and conventionality in the way
this formula is developed. The details he praises
are in almost every instance first the hair, its
softness, its waving locks, its moist curls ; then he
often speaks of the eyes (Nos. 5, 8, 11) as expressing
37,1
BB 2
INTRODUCTION
character ; he constantly dwells on the flesh, its
softness and its varying colour as exj)ressed in a
material that was hard and of one colour ; the power
to move, or to seem to move, belongs to his statues
as to the statues made by Daedalus (Nos. 3, 8, 9) ;
but the statues he describes are superior to those
of Daedalus in that they not only felt sensations
of grief or joy or desire (Nos. 1, 3, 5, 8, 9), but they
also had the power of sense perception (Nos. 2, 5)
and intelligence (Nos. 3, 10, 13) and personal
character (Nos. 5, 11, 13). The language of the
Alexandrine epigrams dealing with sculpture and
statuary, which are j^reserved in the Anthology,
Callistratus transfers to these prose descriptions in
order to lend eloquence to his treatment of the
theme. If his eloquence sometimes becomes tedious,
if it adds little or nothing to our knowledge of
(jreek sculpture, nevertheless these descriptions are
valuable in the light they throw^ on the significance
of the greater Greek art for the fourth and fifth
centuries a.d.
It is of little consequence, therefore, whether or
not the Descriptions of Callistratus are based on real
statues he had seen. Probably we should assume
that he writes about what he had himself seen,
either in originals or copies, for there is no real
reason against this belief; and when he uses the
language of hearsay in speaking of the statue of
Memnon (pp. 379, 409, infra), he expressly states the
fact. At the same time, such praise as he offers to
the " Oj)portunity " of Lysip])us or the IJacchante
of Scopas or the Eros of Praxiteles is by no means
dependent on his personal acquaintance with these
statues ; indeed it rather smacks of a literary origin,
372
INTRODUCTION
To say that ^^art carried imitation over into reality "
(2, 2), that ^'^the image passes over into the god
himself" (10. 2), that art gave bronze the power to
breathe (11^ 2), is the language of the rhetorician
rather than of one who is carried away in looking
at the statue itself.
373
CALLISTRATUS
DESCRIPTIONS
a \L\t 2ATTP0N
421 K. (1) " AvTpov 7]v TL Trepl S)]l3a<; ras" AlyvTrria^;
TT poaeiKaa fievov avpL'y^/i et? €XiKa<; avro(f)vco<; iv
kvkXw irepl rov<; rrj? 77)9 eXnTofievov 7rv6/jLeva<;'
ov yap eV evOeia^ avoLyofievov eh evOviropov^
5 avXodva^ eV^^tfero, dWa ti-jv vironpeLov Trepirpexov
Ka/jL7ri]v vTToyeLov; €XiKa<; i^ereivev et? Svaeuperov
7r\dp7]v eKTTliTTOv. (2) "IhpVTO Be iv avrw ^arv-
pov TL a')(^rjp.a TSX^TjOev i/c XlOov. eiari^Kei, /xev
' eTTL TiPo^ Kp7]7rtBo<^ CLS xopeiav evrpeTTL^cov to
10 axrjiia Kal rf]^ Sefm? /SaVeco? top rapaov rov
OTTiaOeu e^aipwv /x6T6)(€ipL^eT0 Kal avXov Kal
77/909 Ti]v i)xh^ irpwro^ e^avifnaro' rfj /xev yap
aKofj yLteXo? ou irpoari'TTTev av\ovvro<; ovSe rjv
av\6<; €/ji(l)u>vo<;, to Be tmv avXovvTcov irddo^ Bia
15 T?}9 Tex^l^ ^t? TTiv ireTpav elaPjKTO. (3) EtS69 ai>
v7ravLaTa/jL€Pa<; Kal (^\e/3a9 ft)9 dv €k tivo<; yept^o-
/xeW9 rrvevpaTO<; Kal eU ti^v eiT)]X)-}aLV tov avXov
Tj-jv 7ri'0T]p ix aTepvwv top 'EaTvpop dpaairMPTa
^ Tlie statue here described corresponds to the "Satyr
playing a flute" in the Villa Borghese (Brunn-Bruckman,
Dcnlmahr gricch. it. rom. Sculptur, No. 435). It is quite
possible that at one time this Satyr was set up with a statue
of Pan embracing the nymph Echo, for it is well known that
after tlie death of Alexander the (^reat, single statues of
men and gods Mhich logically l)elonged together were set
up together in gardens and public places. However, the
question may be raised whether in this instance the nymph
DESCRIPTIONS, BY CALLISTRATUS
1. ON A SATYR 1
There was a certain cave near Thebes in Egypt
which resembled a shepherd's pipe, since as it
followed its winding coarse in the depths of the
earth it formed a natural spiral ; for it did not take
a straight course at the opening and then branch
off into straight-running corridors, but winding
about under the mountain it made a
huge spiral, ending in a most difficult
maze. In it was set up an image of a
Satyr wrought in marble. He stood
on a base in the attitude of one making
ready to dance, and lifting the sole of
his right foot backward he not only
held a flute in his hand but also was
being the first to leap up at its sound ;
though in reality the flute's note was
not reaching the player's ear, nor yet
was the flute endowed with voice, but
the physical effect which flute-players ^^^- ^-•
experience had been transferred to the stone by the
skill of the artist. You could have seen the veins
standing out as though they were filled with a sort
of breath, the Satyr drawing the air from his lungs
is reall}' ]i]cho. While in the myth Pan is said to have been
disappointed in his love for Echo, here he is represented
as enjoying the satisfaction of his love, and as eager to
defend the nymph from the danger which the Satyr threatens.
(Benndorf.) This statue (Fig. 32) is wrongly restored with
cymbals.
377
CALLISTRATUS : DESCRIPTIONS
Aral ivepyelv iOeXov to ecScoXov Kal et? aycoplav
20 rov \idov TriTTTOPra' elvai 'yap enreLde Kal irvorj^i
e^ovGiav ev eavrw €/jL(f)VTOP Kal aad/iaTOs €P-
422 K. BeL^LP iyeipo/ieprjp o'UoOep — Kal tmp d/jLrj^dpwp
TTOpop. (4) OvK r}p Be d/SporrjTO'; fxerexop ro
awfia, a\V ?; rcop /xeXwp areppoTT]'^ ttjp copap
€K\€7rT€v et? dpOpayp crvfi/jLeTplap dpSpcKcop rrjv
6 iheap rpaxvpovaa. KaXfj /jl€p yap Kopr) ^ ^pcore^
fiaXOaKol 7rp6(T(popoi Kal pbiX-q OpvTrrojxeva,
Xarvpov Be av')(fX7]pop to €lBo<; o)? dp opeiov
Bal/jLOPO'^ Kal Aiopvaw aKipT(x)PTO<;, Kiaao^ Be
avTOP eaTecpdpov ouk eK Xeifioypo^ Bpeyjra/iiepq^;
10 TOP KapTTOP T/}? T€X,vi]<;, dXX' 6 XlOo<; diro^
(tt€pp6t7)to<; 6t9 KX(x)pa<i ^u^ei? irepieOeL ttjp
KO/jbTjv et<? avfx/BoXrjp eirl T0v<i av)(epiov^ TepoPTa^
eK fjLeTcoircjp irpoaepirwp. (5) YlapeiaTrjKeL Be 6
Yidp yapvfjiepo<^ Trj avXrjTLKy Kal epayKaXiad-
15 /jL€po^ Ti-jP 'H;(6o, coGirep oJ/iai SeStc<J9, /-ly TLpa
<^66yyop e/jifiovaop 6 avXo<i Kipr)aa<^ dpT7]')(^€ip
dpaireicrr} tw ^aTvpw t7]p Nv/jL(j)r]p. tovto
OeaadfjLepoi to eiBcoXop Kal top A10l6it(dp XlOop
e/jL(f)(opop yiefjiP0P0<; eiriaTevofiep yepeadai, 69
20 7rpoaLova')](; fiep T759 'H/ji€pa<; iirl Tat9 7rapov(TLai<;
i(f)aiBpvpeTO, diriovari^; Be dvia l3aXX6fiepo<; irep-
OifjLop eireaTepep Kal p.opo'^ eK XlOcop 7)Boprj<; Kal
Xv7rr]<; irapovala BioiKov/iePO^; Ti]<i olKeia<^ direaTr}
K(O(f)6Tr]T0<; 669 e^ovaiap <f)copi]<; ttjp dpataOrjalap
25 eKPiKrjaa<^.
^ Ka\r\ fiiv yap K6pri Weinberger : KaXr) fxfu yap K6pr].
2 ttTrb Olearius : virh.
^ Cf. the elder Philostratus, mpra, p. 81, the description
of Zephyrus.
1. ON A SATYR
to bring notes from the flute, the statue eager to be
in action, and the stone entering upon strenuous
activity — for it persuaded you that the power to
blow the flute was actually inherent in it, and that
the indication of breathing was the result of its
own inner powers^ — finding a way to accomplish
the impossible. 2 The body had no trace of delicacy,
but the hardness of the members had stolen away
their beauty, making the form rugged with the
symmetry of manly limbs. For though soft skin
and dainty limbs befit a beautiful girl, the appearance
of a Satyr is unkempt, as of a mountain spirit that
leaps in honour of Dionysus. The statue was
wreathed with ivy, though the sculptor's art did not
cull real berries from a meadow, nay, rather, it was
the stone which for all its hardness spread out into
sprays and encircled the hair, creeping back from
the forehead till the ends met at the sinews of the
neck. Pan stood beside him, delighting in the
music of the flute and embracing Echo, in fear, I
suppose, lest the flute set in motion some musical
sound and induce the Nymph to make an echoing
response to the Satyr. When we saw this statue
we could well believe that the Ethiopian stone
statue of Memnon ^ also became vocal, the Memnon,
who when Day came was filled with joy by her
presence, and, overcome by distress when she de-
parted, groaned with grief — the only stone figure
that has been moved by the presence of joy and
sadness to depart from its natural dumbness, so far
overcoming its insensibility as to gain the power of
speech.
2 The text seems to be imperfect. The last phrase is
proverbial ; cf. Aeschylus, Prom. 59, and infra, p. 433, 5 K.
^ Cf. supra, p. 31, and infra, p. 407.
379
GALLISTRATUS : DESCRIPTIONS
ff EI2 TO BAKXHS AFAAMA
(1) Ou 7T0U]T(x)V Kal XoyOTTOlMV fJLOVOV CTTl-
TTveovrat ^ rexvcii iwl raf; yXcorraf; eic dewv
deiaa-fiou Trecroi/ro?, aWa Kal tmv BTjfiiovpycov
at X^tpe? Oetorepcov TTvevfiaTwv ipdvoi<; \rj(^6el-
30 oaL Kdro)(a Kal ixeara fiavla^; irpo^rirevovaL ra
TTonjpara' 6 yap Srj ^Koira^;, coanep €k TLVo<i
eTTLTTPOiaf; KLV'i]Oel<i eh rrjv rod dydXfjLaTO^
hi-jiJLLovpyiav r-qv 6eo(^opiav ec^rjKev. ri he v/jllv
K. 423 ovK dvwOev tov ivdovaiaa/jLov tt)? re^^i/?;?
Snjyou/jLaL ;
(2) ' ]^v l3dKXV^ dyaX/jLa eK \lOov Uaplov
TreiroLTJixevov aXkarrofievov 7rp6<; ttjv oWo)?
PdK')(r]v. iv yap rfj oiKela rd^et fxevcov 6 \l6o<;
5 TOP ev XiOoi^ vofJLOV eK/Salveiv iSoKer to fiev yap
(^aivopevov 6vTa><; yv etScoXov, rj Te;^^'>; 8' et? to
ovTW^ ov diTr]yaye ttjv fXL/jLi]criv. elSe? av otl
Kal aT€p€o^ o)v eh Tr)v tov ^>;X,eo9 eiKaaiav
€fiaXdTT€T0 yopyoTTjTO^ Bi,opOov/jLevT)<i TO OrjXv
10 Kal eh i^ovaiav djjLOipMv Kivijaeco^; fjhei ^aK-
y^eveadai Kal tw deep elaiovTi Ta evBov vtt^x^^-
(3) YlpoaooTTov ye p^rjv 186vt€<; vtto d<^aaia<;
eGTiifiev outco Bi] Kal aladi]ae(jo<^ avveiTTeTo
^ eVjTrveovToi Jacobs : irvfovrai.
^ The word means primarily to act as interpreter for the
gods, and then to speak under divine inspiration.
2 Cf. Plato, riiaedr. 245a on the madness which inspires
the poet. " The third kind is the madness of those Mho are
possessed by the Muses ; which takes hold of a delicate and
virgin soul, and this inspiring fren/y awakens lyrical and all
other numbers ; with these adorning the myriad actions of
380
2. ON THE STATUE OF A BACCHANTE
2. ON THE STATUE OF A BACCHANTE
It is not the art of poets and writers of prose
alone tliat is inspired when divine power from the
gods falls on their tongues, nay, the hands of
sculptors also, when they are seized by the gift
of a more divine inspiration, give utterance ^ to
creations that are possessed and full of madness.^
So Scopas,"^ moved as it were by some inspiration,
imparted to the production of this statue the divine
frenzy within him.* Wliy should I not describe to
you from the beginning the inspiration of this work
of art ?
A statue of a Bacchante, wrought from Parian
marble, has been transformed into a real Bacchante.
For the stone, while retaining its own nature, yet
seemed to depart from the law which governs
stone ; what one saw was really an image, but art
carried imitation over into actual reality. You
might have seen that, hard though it was, it
became soft to the semblance of the feminine, its
vigour, however, correcting the femininity, and that,
though it had no power to move, it knew how to
leap in Bacchic dance and would respond to the god
when he entered into its inner being. When we
saw the face we stood speechless ; so manifest upon
ancient heroes for the instruction of posterity." Trans.
Jo wet t.
^ Scopas of Paros, the sculptor of passionate emotions,
worked during the first half of the fourth century B.C.
- Cf. Anth. Pal. IX. 774: "The Bacchante is of Parian
marble, but the sculptor gave life to the stone, and she
springs up as if in a Bacchic fury. Scopas, thy god-creating
art has produced a great marvel, a Thyad, the frenzied sla3-er
of goats." Trans. Paton, L.C.L.
381
CALLISTRATUS : DESCRIPTIONS
B)}\u)/j.a fjLT] TTapovarj^ ala6i'-)aew<;, Kal fiaK^Vi
15 iK/3aK)(€vo)v OeiacTfio^ ifii]vv6T0 Oeiadfiov firj
TrXyTTOvTO^; Kal oaa (pepet fiavia^ olarpMaa
'^vxh Tooavra irdOov^i SieXa/jLire TeKfiijpia viro
T?}? Teyin)<^ dpp7]T(p Xoyw Kpadevra. dveljo 8e
rj KOfirj ^€(j)vp(p cro/Selv Kal 6t? rpc^o^ dvOt^aiv
20 v'JTea)(i^ero, o Brj Kal pLoXiara rov Xoyiafiov
vTrelcaTT], on, Kal rpiybf; XeTrrorrjTL Xt^o? cov
eireiOeTO Kal irXoKcip^cov virrjKovaev iiifnj/jLacnv
Kal Tr]<; fwrf/c/)? efeco? yeyv/ivco/ievo^ to ^cdtlkov
€i')(^ev. (4) "E^?;? av on Kal av^rjaew^ d(pop/jid<;
25 r) riyi^T} avvijyayev oi/tco? Kal to opcopievov
aTTLCTTOV Kal TO pL7J TTLGTOV 6p(t)pL€V0V. OX) pLTJV
ciXXa Kal ')(elpa<^ ivepyov<; eTreheiKVVTO — ov yap
TOP l3aK)(^LK6v eTLvaaae Ovpaov, ciXXd tl a^dyiov
6<p€pev Marrep evd^ovaa, 7riKpoTepa<^ p,avLa<; (7vp./3o-
30 Xov TO Se rjv ')(^ip,aipa<; tl TcXdapa ireXihvov Tr)v
y^poav Kal yap to Tedv7]Ko<; 6 Xl6o<; vireSveTO —
Kal fJLLav ovaav t^i^ vXr]v eh OavdTOV Kal ^(07]<;
hirjpei pLLfir)(TLv, ttjv pLev epurvovv CTrjaaaa Kal
olov opeyopLevrfv Ki6aLpa)vo<;, ttjv Be €K tov
35 fiaK)(iKov OavaTwOelaav ol'aTpov Kal twv alaOi]-
424 aecdv diropiapaivovaav ti-jv dKpLi]v. (5) 'O pikv
ovv ^KOTTa^; Kal Td<; dyjnj-yov^ elSwXoTTOtcov
yeveaeL<i hijpiovpyo^ dXT]Oeia<i rjv Kal Toh acop-aai
tt)? vX7]<i ^ direTUTTOvTO to, 6avpLaTa, 6 Be to, ev
5 XoyoL^ BiairXaTTCov A7]pLoa66VT]<; dydXpaTa puK-
pov Kal Xoycov ehet^ev elBa alaOrjTov toZ? vov
^ Jacobs would emend i/Atj? to »//ux^?'
^ Cf. Eur. Baccli. 32 f.: (forprja iyd) fiavLais. Dionysus
says, "I goaded them with madness. . . ."
382
2. ON THE STATUE OF A BACCHANTE
it was the evidence of sense perception^ though
perception was not present ; so clear an intimation
was given of a Bacchante's divine possession stirring
Bacchic frenzy though no such possession aroused
it ; and so strikingly there shone from it, fashioned
by art in a manner not to be described, all the signs
of passion which a soul goaded by madness ^ displays.
The hair fell free to be tossed by the wind and
was divided to show the glory of each strand,
which thing indeed most transcended reason, seeing
that, stone though the material was, it lent itself
to the lightness of hair and yielded to imitation of
locks of hair, and though void of the faculty of life,
it nevertheless had vitality. Indeed you might say
that art has brought to its aid the impulses of
growing life, so unbelievable is what you see, so
visible is what you do not believe. Nay, it actually
showed hands in motion — for it was not waving the
Bacchic thyrsus, but it carried a victim as if it were
uttering the Evian cry, the token of a more poignant
madness ; and the figure of the kid was livid in
colour,^ for the stone assumed the appearance of
dead flesh ; and though the material was one and
the same it severally imitated life and death, for it
made one part instinct with life and as though eager
for Cithaeron, and another part brought to death by
Bacchic frenzy, its keen senses withered away.
Thus Scopas fashioning creatures without life was
an artificer of truth and imprinted miracles on bodies
made of inanimate matter ; while Demosthenes,
fashioning images in words, almost made visible a
form of words by mingling the medicaments of art
2 Cf. Anth. Pal. IX. 774, p. 381, supra.
3^3
CALLISTRATUS : DESCRIPTIONS
Kal (ppoi>7]aea)(; y€PV7]/jLaaL avyKepavvv^ ra tT;?
T^X^V^ (j^cipfJLaKa. Kal yvGoaecrde Be avriKa, o)?
ovhe rr)<^ otKoOev Kivy]aeQ)<; eareptfTaL to et?
10 Oewpiav irpoKeiiievov ayaX/ia, aWa Kal 6/iov
heairo^ei Kal iv tm x^paKTijpi crw^ei top
yevv)]Topa.
y' EIS TO TOT EP.QTOS AFAAMA
(1) Kat eTepa<^ iepci<; Te)(yr]<^ ol XoyoL 7Tpo(l)yj-
revorai /SovXovrar ou yap fxoL Oe/JLirov firj KaXelv
15 lepa TO, Te^i^V^ yewi^fiaTa. "E/3&)9 rjv, lipa^i-
T€Xov<; Te)(yiifxa, 6 "Epa)9 avro^;, iraU di'Oi]po<;
Kal vio<; Trre/juya? exo)^ f^ctl ro^a. x^^^^'^ ^^
avrbv irvirov, Kal co? av "Epcora tuttcov Tvpavvov
Oeov Kal piiyav Kal avro^ ihwaareveTO' ov yap
20 rjveLX^TO %aX/co9 elvai ra Trdvia, dW 6ao<; rjv,
"Ep&)9 eyiveTO. (2) ElSe9 dv top x^^^^v 6pv-
TTTOfievov Kal et9 evaapKiav d/ji7]xdv(o<; xXihoivra
Kal 0)9 ^paxeco^i elirelv rd dvayKala irXrjpovv
eavrf) rrjv v\y]v dpKovaav. vypb<; /lev rjv d/jLOL-
25 pMv ixa\aK6TqT0<^} x^^^V ^^ ^X^^ avvwhov rr]V
^ fiaXaKoT-qTos Jacobs : (.LcyaKoTriTO's.
^ i.e. the power of movement native to a Bacchante.
- " Keeps alive its own creator," i.e. its life, bestowed by
the sculptor, is a continuation of the life of the latter; is
"master" of its creator, in that it is divine, wiiile he was
human.
^ Since Mhat is said of the dress and attitude of this figure
agrees with the manner of Praxiteles, there appears no reason
to doubt the statement of Callistratus that it is the work of
that sculfitor. Compare the Eros from tlie Chigi Collection,
now in Dresden (Clarao, Mus. de .fculpt. PI. 645, No. 14(37 ;
3. ON THE STATUE OF EROS
with the creations of mind and intelligence. You
will recognize at once that the image set up to
be gazed at has not been deprived of its native
power of movement ^ ; nay, that it at the same time
is master of and by its outward configuration keeps
alive its own creator.^
3. ON THE STATUE OF EROS^
My discourse desires to interpret another sacred
work of art; for it is not right for me to refuse
to call the productions of art sacred. The Eros,
the workmanship of Praxiteles/ was Eros himself, a
boy in the bloom of youth with wings and bow.
Bronze gave expression to him, and as though
giving expression to Eros as a great and dominating
god, it was itself subdued by Eros ; for it could not
endure to be just bronze, but it became Eros with
all his greatness. You might have seen the bronze
losing its hardness and becoming marvellously
delicate in the direction of plumpness and, to put
the matter briefly, the material proving equal to
fulfilling all the obligations that were laid upon
it. It was supple but without effeminacy ; and
while it had the proper colour of bronze, it looked
Michaelis, Arch. Zeit., 1879, p. 173, PI XIV. 6), in which,
however, the right hip is thrown out (cf. 425, 2 K) ; also the
Eros from the Palatine now in the Louvre, Fig. .33, p. 387
(Frohner, Notice de la sculpt, ant., p. 311, No. 325; Furt-
wiingler, Roscher's Lex. d. griech. u. r'oin. Mifth. I. 1360 f. ),
in which the left arm with the bow is not raised — but
/iercojpi^ctjv (425, 1 K.) does not necessarily mean "raised."
(Benndorf. )
- Praxiteles of Athens, probably son of the sculptor
Cephisodotus ; his artistic activity falls about the middle
of the fourth century B.C.
385
PHILOS. C C
CALLISTRATUS : DESCRIPTIONS
y^poav evavO)]'^ ecopcno, tmv Se Kiv)ja€co'; epywv
€crT€p7]fi6i'0^ €ro{po<; i]v Sel^ai Kiviiaiv eh p-ev
yap ehpav ardaipiov 7SpvTo, iiTrdra he co^ kol
Tr}<; p^erecopou Kvpteixov (f)opd<;. eyai'povro Se et?
30 yeXcora, e/iirvpoi' tl Kal p,eiXi)(ov e^ opiparwv
Biavyd^cov, Kal rjv Ihelv VTraKOvovra rep irdOei
rov y^akKov kol Be)(6/jL€Vov eu^roXo)? ti]V yeXcoro'^
pipbi^aLv. (3) "\hpvTO he et? p.ev t)]V Kopv(py]i> tov
425 he^iov iirLKdp.TnMv Kapirov, Trj he erepa pLereo}-
pi^cov TO To^ov Kal TT]V T?}? ^acr6ft)? laoppoiriav
eiTiKXivcDv eirl rd Xaid, Tip> yap r/}^ dpcarepaf;
Xayovo^ eKtnaaiv dviarrj 7rp6<i ti-jv evp^apoTrjra
o TOV ')(aXKOv TO (TTeyavov eKK\daa<;. (4) IlXo-
KapLOL he avTOv ti]v Ke(f)a\^]v eaKia^ov dvOrjpol
Kal evovXoL veoTi']aiuv v7ro\dp,7rovT6<i dv6o<;. Kal
i^v 6avpLaaT0<; olo<=; 6 ;^aX/co9* IhovTL piev yap
epev6o<^ direaTLX^ev i^ aKpcov ^o(JTpv)(wi' alpo-
10 pLevov, d\j/apLevrp he i) 6pl^ vTre^aviaTaTO p.a\Oa-
KLt,opevii irpo^ T)]v al'aOtjaii^. (5) 'Eyuol pter hr]
6eaorapev(p tyjv Tey^in-jv eiryjei TriaTeveiv, otl Kal
Xopov i]aK))(Te KivovpLevov Aaiha\o<; Kal ^pvacp
Trapel^ev alaO/jaei^, ottov Kal HpaffreX?;? eZ?
15 Ty]v ecKora tov
EpcoTO<; ei>e6qKe piKpov Kal
voyjpaTa Kai iTTepvyt tov depa Tepiveiv epn^-x^avi']-
aaTO.
- 86
3. ON THE STATUE OF EROS
bright and fresh ; and though it was quite devoid
of actual motion, it was ready to display motion ;
for thor.gh it was fixed solidly on a pedestal, it
deceived one into thinking that it possessed the
power to fly. It Avas filled with joy
even to laughter^ the glance from the
eyes was ardent and gentle, and one
could see the bronze coming under
the sway of passion and willingly re-
ceiving the representation of laughter.
It stood with right hand bent toward
the head and lifting the bow with its
left; and the even balance of the body's
posture was modified by an inclination
toward the left^ for the projecting left
hip was raised so as to break the stiff-
ness of the bronze and produce an
easy pose. The head was shaded by
locks that were bright and curly and shining with
the brightness of youth. And what wonderful
bronze it was I for as one looked a ruddy colour
shone out from the ends of the curls, and when
one felt the hair it yielded as though soft to
the touch. As 1 gazed on this work of art, the
belief came over me that Daedalus ^ had indeed
wrought a dancing group in motion and had be-
stowed sensation upon gold, while Praxiteles had
all but put intelligence into his image of Eros and
had so contrived that it should cleave the air with
its wings.
^ Cf. p. .341, buyra, for the dancing group of Daedalus.
Fig. 33.
cc 2
387
CALLISTRATUS : DESCRIPTIONS
8' EI^ TO INAOT APAAMA
(1) Uapa Kpi]viiv
\vho<; elaTi]KeL avdOij/jLa raU
^v/icf)ai<; IhpvOei^, i]v he 6 ^lvho<i \l6o^ jieXaLvo-
20 fievo<^ Kal rrpo^ ttjv €K (j)vae(o<; tou yivov; avro-
p,o\cov xpoa^, ^Ix^ ^^ evOaXr) fisv Kal ovXrjv Trjv
XCtiTijv ovK d/cpdro) rfo fieXavi Xcip^irovaav, dXX^
€K T(x3v dvpcov 7r/309 KoxXov Tf/Oia? dvOo^ epl^ov'
aav olov yap eviraOovcra Kal voTL^o/jL€vr) raU
25 TTpoaoiKOL^ Ni>fi(pai<; y) Opl^ €k pL^MV dviouaa
peXdvT€po<^ 7r/3o? Tol<i uKpoi^; irropcfivpev. (2)
'0(f)6aX/jL0L ye jjltjv ov avvfjhov rw XlOw, Kara yap
ra? Tcov o/jL/jbdrwv K6pa<; TrepUOei X€vk6t7]<; Kar
e/celvo TO /x€po<; tj)? rrerpa^ fieraTrnTTOvaT]'^ 66?
30 XevKOTTjra, KaO' o Kal r/}? rov 'Ir8o0 (f)vaea)<; i)
Xpoa XevKaiverai. (3) ^leOr) Be avrovi^iarr] Kal
TO iiep^eOvapevov ov KaTep,yjvva€v i) rov Xidov
K. 426 XP^^ — ^^ y^P V^ avT(p fij]xdp7]pa rat; Trapeid^
(^OLvl^ai (TKeTTOvro<^ rov /xeXavo^ rrjp fieO^iv — , eV
^e Tov ax^'^p^CLTO^ Ka-ri^yopei to 7rdOo<;' 7rapdcf)op6<i
T€ yap Kal Kwp^dt^wv €i(TT7]K€t ov hvvdpevo^
5 ipeiSet-v ro) TroSe, dXX vrroTpop.6^ re Kal vtto ^
TJ]v yf]v OKXd^cov. (4) '0 8e Xt^o<? utto tov 7rd6ov<i
efjdKei irXi^yevTi Kal olovel aiTaipei tov diro t?}?
p,eOr]<; ipcpavi^wi' aecafMov. eZ;^e Be d^pov ovBev
TOV ^IvBov TO eiBcoXov ovS* eh ttjp KaTO, xP^^^
10 e^i](JKi)TO x^P'^^i aXX' eh /jlovcop tmv p,eXcov
^ Text corrupt. Reisch suggests virh ttjs juedr}?.
^ In the eastern campaigns of Alexander the Great certain
orgiastic cults in India were identified with the worship of
Dionysus ; the names of Dionysiac legend were applied to
them, statues of the Indian Dionysus were erected, and
38S
4. ON THE STATUE OF AN INDIAN
4. ON THE STATUE OF AN INDIAN i
By a spring stood an Indian^ set up as a dedica-
tion to the Nymphs. The Indian was of a marble
verging on black and shifting of its own accord to the
colour given by nature to his race ; and it had thick,
woolly hair, shining wdth a hue not exactly black, ^
but at the tips vying with the brilliancy of Tyrian
shellfish ; ^ for the hair, as if it w^ere well cared for
and moistened by the neighbouring Nymphs, was
rather black where it rose from the roots but grew
purple near the tips. The eyes, however, w^ere not
of a colour to match the marble ; for whiteness
encircled the pupils of the eyes, since the marble
changed to whiteness at that point where the
natural colour of the Indian becomes white.
Drunkenness was overcoming him, and yet the
colour of the marble did not betray his drunken-
ness — for the artist had no means by which to
redden the cheeks, the black colour being proof
against this effect of drink — but this condition was
indicated by the attitude ; for he stood reeling and
jovial, not able to plant his feet steadily, but tremb-
ling and tending to sag to the ground. The
marble resembled a man overcome by this condition,
and it all but quivers as it indicates the trembling
that comes from drunkenness. There was nothing
delicate about the statue of the Indian, nor yet was it
carefully wrought to match the charm of its colour,
but it was perfected only as regards the composition
stories were told of the visit of Dionysus to India with the
train of his foUowers. Cf. the visit of A poUonius to one of these
shrines of Dionysus in India, Philostr. Fit. Apollon. 11.8.
^ Cf. the description of Memnon, p. 31, s^ipra.
^ i.e. Tyrian purple, made from the murex.
389
CALLISTRATUS : DESCRIPTIONS
avfj,l3o\7]i> BiijpOproTo. aa/<€7r)]^ St i)v KalyvfjLvo<;
u}<; ai> TMV 'IvSlkwu (TcofjidTCOV irpo^ to t/}? dKfir]<;
(pXoywSe^ elcodoTcoi' oLTravSpt^eadai,
€ Ei:£ TO TOT NAPKlS:£OT AFAAMA
(1) "AXcro? yv Kol iv avTw /cp7]V)] 7rdyKa\o<;
15 eK jidXa /caOapov re koI Siavyov<^ v8aT0<;, €L(TT)J-
K6i Be eV avrfj NdpKiaao<; €k \l6ov 7T€7TOLr]fi€vo<;.
TTol^i rjv, fidWov he r]i6eo<^, i)\LKid>Tri<; 'Epcorwv,
dcTpairi^v olov i^ avrov rod aw/iaro'^ diroXdpnTwv
KuWovs. r)V he Toiovhe to <j')(rjiJia' KOfiaL's eiTi-
20 )(pvaoL<; i]aTpaiTT€v KUTci fiev to fxeTOdTrov rr)?
TpL')(h^ eXLaao/jLem]^ 6t9 kvkXov, KUTa he top
av)(^era Ke)(u/xei'ri<; ei9 voiTa, e^Xeire he ovk
dicpdT(jd<i yavpov ovhe iXapov Kadapoi^i' e7ri7re(j)v-
Kei yap iv tol<; ofifxaaiv Ik, ty]^ re^i'?;? Ka\ Xvini,
25 'iva fjueTa rod KapKiaaov kol Tr]V TV)(riv rj eLKOiV
fxipLrjTai. (2; "[^laTaXTo he wairep oi "Epcore?, oh
KOL T?}9 (opa<; Ti]v uK/xijv TrpoaeiKaoTo. a')(^r}iJLa
he r)v TO Koa/jLovp TOiovhe' TreTrXo? XevKav6r]<^
6/jl6xpco<; TO) GcofxaTi tov Xidov irepiOewv eh
30 kvkXov, KUTci TOV he^iov w/iov irepovyOeh virep
yovv KaTa^aivcov eiraveTO /xovrjv drro tov TropTn]-
yLtaro? eXevdepcbv Tyjv ')(^eLpa. ovto) he r)v diraXo'^
K. Kal TTyoo? TreirXov yeyovu)^; /xL/jiijaLV, o)? kuI ti-jv
^ The statue of Narcissus in tlie Vatican, Fig. 34(Helbig,
Fiihrcrdurrhdie Ant.-Samml. Rums, 2, 18), inscribed with the
name of Fhaedinuis agrees in ahnost all respects with this
description; cf. Welcker, Narcissits, p. 38 f. (Benndorf.)
Tiiis interpretation of the statue of Narcissus has been
disputed (cf. Greve, in Roscher, Ler. d. grirch. n.rom. Myth.
III. 19). The cloak on the left shoulder is the usual garment
of an Jmos.
5. ON THE STATUE OF NARCISSUS
of its limbs. It was unclothed and nude, on the
ground that tlie bodies of Indians are wont to
endure manfully the fiery heat of the midday sun.
5. ON THE STATUE OF NARCISSUS ^
There was a grove, and in it an exceedingly
beautiful spring of very pure clear water, and by
this stood a Narcissus made of marble. He was a
boy, or rather a youth, of the same age as the
Erotes ; and he gave out as it were
a radiance of lig-htning from the
very beauty of his body. The
appearance of the statue was as
follows : — It was shining with
gilded hair, of which the locks
encircled the forehead in a curve
and hung free down the neck to
the back ; and its glance did not
express unmixed exultation nor yet
pure joy, for in the nature of the
eyes art had put an indication of
grief, that the image might repre-
sent not only both Narcissus but
also his fate. He was clothed like the Erotes,
and he resembled them also in that he was in
the prime of youth. The garb which adorned
him was as follows: a white mantle, of the same
colour as tiie marble of which he was made, en-
circled him ; it was held by a clasp on the right
shoulder and reached down nearly to the knees,
where it ended, leaving free, from the clasp down,
only the hand. Moreover, it was so delicate and
imitated a mantle so closely that the colour of the
391
Fig. 34.
CALLISTRATUS : DESCRIPTIONS
Tou (Ta)/j,aTO<; hLaKajjuTeiv 'y^poav r/}? Iv rfj irepi-
l3o\rj X€vk6t7]to<; ^ rrjv iv rol^ /jueXeaiv avyrjv
e^Levai avyx^P^^^V^' (^) "^(^tt] 5e KaOdirep
5 Karorrrpfp rfj Trrjyij ^^co/xei'o? Kal 6ls avrrjv
irepi^^eoiv rov irpoaoiirov to elSo^, i) he Tov<i air
avToi) hexo/J-evt] x^paKT7Jpa<; tjjv avTrjv elScoXo-
TTOilav i]vv6v, 0)9 hoKelv ak\i]\ais avTicf)i\oTip€C-
aOai ra? ^vaei<;. rj jiev yap \lOo<; oXt] tt/oo?
10 eKelvov jJLerrfkXaTTeTo rov oVrco? TralSa, rj he
TTTjyr] 7r/309 ra iv rfj XiOcp /jir])(^av7]/xaTa t^?
T€XV7](; dvTr]ycovL^€To iv dawficirw a^7]/jLaTL rrjv
ix aoofxaTO^ aTTepya^o/jLevrj rov irapaheiyixaTO^
ofjLOLOTrjTa Kal rw iK r?]<i el/covo^i Karep^opevw
15 dKidafiari, olov tivci adpKa rrjv rov vSaTO<:
(pucriv Trepidelaa. (4) Ovrco he r)v ^cotikov kul
e/jLTTVOVV TO Ka6* vhdTcov a')(rjiia, co? avTov elvai
ho^dcrat crov l^dp/ciaaov, ov iirl Trtiyrjv iXOovTa
tT;? ixopc^rj^ avTfo Kad' vhaTwv 6(f)0eLaTj<; irapd
20 Nv/jL(pat<; TeXevT fjaai \eyovaiv ipaaOevra T(p
elhd>\(p avfific^ai Kal vvv iv Xei/dcoat i^avTu^eaOai
iv r)pivat<i copaL<; dvOovvTa. elhe'^ 3' dv &)? eh cov
6 \l6o<; Trjv %/Ooaz^ Kal o/jL/bLaTcov KaTaaKevj]v
Tjp/io^e Kal 7]0(bp laTOpiav eacp^ev Kal alaOrjaei^
25 iveheiKVVTO Kal ttuOi] iiJii]vvev Kal irpb^ Tpi)(copaTO<;
i^ovaiav i)Ko\ov6eL et? ti]v Tpiyh<; Ka/jL7ri]v Xvo-
/jievo^. (5) To he ovhe Xoyco ptjTov Xt^o? els vypo-
T7]Ta KexciXaafievo<; Kal ivavTiov GMjxa tjj ovaia
Trapexop^evc;' aTepecoTcpa^ yap reru^T/Arft)? ^ixrecof;
30 Tpv(f)ep6T7]T0<; dTreareWev acadi]aiv 6i? dpaiov
^ Jacobs would emend to AeTTTc^Trjros ; Welcker compares
the elder Phil., Inutg. 352, 27 K.
39
5. ON THE STATUE OF NARCISSUS
body shone through, tlie whiteness of the drapery
permitting the gleam of the limbs to come out. He
stood using the spring as a mirror and pouring into
it the beauty of his face, and the spring, receiving
the lineaments which came from him, reproduced
so perfectly the same image that the two beings
seemed to emulate each other. For whereas the
marble was in every part trying to change the real
boyi so as to match the one in the water, the
spring was struggling to match the skilful efforts
of art in the marble, reproducing in an incorporeal
medium the likeness of the corporeal model and
enveloping the reflection which came from the
statue with the substance of water as though it
were the substance of flesh. And indeed the form
in the water was so instinct with life and breath
that it seemed to be Narcissus himself, who, as the
story goes, came to the spring, and when his form
was seen by him in the water he died among the
water-nymphs, because he desired to embrace his
own image, and now he appears as a flower in the
meadows in the spring-time. You could have seen
how the marble, uniform though it was in colour,
adapted itself to the expression of his eyes, pre-
served the record of his character, showed the
perception of his senses, indicated his emotions and
conformed itself to the abundance of his hair as it
relaxed to make the curls of his locks. Indeed,
words cannot describe how the marble softened into
suppleness and provided a body at variance with
its own essence ; for though its own nature is very
hard, it yielded a sensation of softness, being dis-
^ i.e. The statue of the boy.
393
CALLISTRATL S : DlsSCRIPTIOXS
TWa (7(i)/jLaT0<; OJKOV Sia^(€6/jL6l'0s. /.l€T€)(€ipi^6T0
Be Kal avpi'^/ya, //9 vofiioi^ Oeoh 6Kelvo<; d7rj]p^€T0,
Kal ryjv ipi^ixiav KaTi]')(^eL tol<=; fxeKeaiv, eiTrore
/jiovaLKOL<; yjraXT7]pioL<; Trpoao/jLiXfjaai TroOtjcreiev.
428 K. TOVTOV Oav/jidaa<;, o) veoi, rov Sdp/CLaaov kuI el<;
v/jid<; 7rap/]yayov 6t? Moucrcor avXi]V d-Korvirwad-
/ji€vo<;. €^^L Se 6 X6yo<;, co? Kal i) ^Ikojv €l^(^€v?-
r EIX TO EN SIKTOXI AFAAMA
TOT KAIPOT
(1) 'E^eXco he goi kcli to KvaiiTTTOv ZiijJLiovp-
5 yi)p^a Tw Xojfp TTapaaTpjaat, oirep dyaX/idrcov
KdXXtajov 6 S7]/jLLOVpyo^ T€)(V)]ad/ji€Po<; '^LKvwvioi'i
eU Oeav irpovOy^Ke' Katpo^ rjv et? dyaX/jia rerv-
^ The last sentence, omitted by FP, is ver}' likeh' a
marginal gloss.
^ The syrinx or shepherd's pipe is a series of tubes of
different length, fastened together side by side, to produce
the difl'erent notes.
- Cf. Anth. t'al. XVI. 275, on the statue of Opportunity
(Time) by Lysippus : "Why dost thou stand on tiptoe? I
am ever running. And why hast thou a pair of wings on
thy feet? I fly with the wind. And why dost tliou hold a
razor in thy right hand ? As a sign to man that I am
sharper than any sharp edge. And why does thy liair hang
over thy face? For hiin who meets me to take nie by the
forelock. And wliy in Heaven's name is the back of thy
head bald ? Because none wliom I have raced b}' . . . will
take hold of me from behind." Trans. Paton, L.C.L.
394
6. ON THE STATUE OF OPPORTUNITY
solved into a sort of porous matter. The image
was holding a syrinx/ the instrument with which
Narcissus was wont to offer music to the gods of
the flockj and he would make the desert echo with
his songs whenever he desired to hold converse
with stringed musical instruments. In admiration
of this Narcissus, O youths, I have fashioned an
image of him and brought it before you also in
the halls of the Muses. And the description is
such as to agree with the statue.
6. ON THE STATUE OF OPPORTUNITY
AT SICYON2
I desire to set before you in words the creation
of Lysippus '^ also, the most beautiful of statues,
which the artist wrought and set up for the
Sicyonians to look upon. Opportunity was re})re-
This statue is to be understood, not as pure allegory, bat
as representing one of the mythical beings created in the
classical age of Greek thought. The accounts of the god
and this statue vary greatly, but the common elements in
the accounts which may be conceived as belonging to a
statue indicate that the type was developed out of the form
of the Hermes who granted victory in athletic contests.
Probably Lysippus represented him as a youth, presum-
abl}' witli winged feet, possibly with hair long in front
and short behind to indicate that opportunity cannot be
grasped when it is past, and perhaps wath a razor (or a pair
of scales balanced on a sharp edge) in his hand to suggest
that success is balanced on a razor's edge. Cf. Benndorf,
Arch. Zeit. XXI. 87 f., and Curtius, Arch. Zeit. XXXIII.
33 f., PL L 2 ; infra, p. 397, fig. 35.
^ Lysippus, head of the Sicyonian school of sculptors, was
a prolific sculptor of statues in bronze during the middle and
latter part of the fourth century B.C.
395
CALLISTRATUS : DESCRIPTIONS
TTcofxevo^ €K ^aXKov TT^o? Ty]P (f)vaiv afiiWcofiePT]^
tT/s" rexi'V^' Tral^; Se rjv 6 Kaipo<; rj^ow eK
10 K€(f)a\7]<; e? 7r68a<; eiravOoov ro Tf/? 7//9?y«? av6o<;.
ijv Se rifv fxev oyjrLV copalo'^ aelcjv ^ lovXov, koI
^€(f)vp(p Tivdaaeiv 7rp6<; o ^ovXolto KaraXcTrcov
TTji' KOfjiijv averovy rijv Se ^(poav ely^ei' dvdrjpav
rff XapLTTySuvL rod aoi)fxaTO<^ rd civdr] SjjXmv. (2)
15 'II^' Be Aiovvaq) Kara to irXelaTOv e/x(f)€pyj^' rd
/lev yap fxeTwira y^dpiaiv eaTiXfBev, al irapeLol
he avTov ei? dv6o^ ipevOofxevai veorrjaiov
oopai^ovTO iiTi^dXXovaai roi<; 6/u,/jLaaiv diraXov
epvOrjixa. eiar/jfcei Se eirl tlvg^ (T(paLpa<; eV
20 ctKpcov TMV rapacov ^e^ijKco^; iiTTepwpLevo^i roi
TToSe. e7r€(pvKei Be ov vevo/xia/ieva'x; t) Opi^, tlAV
7] [xev KOjJLi-} Kara rcov ocfipvcov i'(f)ep7rovaa rat?
7rap€iac<; eireaeie rov /36aTpv)(ov, rd Be oiriadev
Tjv Tov K^aipov irXoKUfjicov eXevOepa /i6v7]v ti-jv ck
25 yeveaew^ /3Xd(JT)]v eTricpaivopTa t?)? rpi'^o's. (3)
'llixel^i pAv ovv dfpaala 7TXy]yevTe(; tt/Oo? tt]v Oeav
elar/jKeipev tov ')(^aXKov opodVTe^ epya ^vae(o<;
/iy)(^av(i)/u,€V0v Kal Trj<; olfceia<; eK/3(iLvovTa rafeo)?*
')(^a\/co<; p.€V ydp mv ypvOpai'vero, cr/cX7;^o? Se cov
30 T}]v (f)vaiv Biex^LTO fiaXuKM^; cI'kcov ttj Tey^yy
7rpo<; ^ovXoLTO, airavL^wv Be alaOijaew^ fwrt-
Krj<^ evoiKov e^eiv eTTKJTovTO Tr]v aiadfjaiv, Kal
429 K. oVtw? eaTtjpiKTO TTuyiov tov Tapaov ipeiaa^,
^ Jacobs (T-niipoov ; but cf. Philostr. /mrr^. 370, 15 K. and
Eur. Cijd. 75.
G. OX THE STATUE OF OPPORTUNITY
sented in a statue of bronze^, in which art vied with
nature. Opportunity was a youth, from head to
foot resplendent with the bloom of youth. He was
beautiful to look upon as he waved his downy
beard and left his hair unconfined for the south
wind to toss wherever it would ; and he had a
blooming complexion, showing by its brilliancy
the bloom of his body. He closely resembled
Dionysus ; for liis forehead glistened with graces,
and his cheeks, reddening to youthful bloom, were
radiantly beautiful, con-
veying to the beholder's
eye a delicate blush.
And he stood poised on
the tips of his toes on
a sphere, and his feet
were winged. His hair
did not grow in the
customary way, but its
locks, creeping down
over the eyebrows, let
the curl fall upon his ^^^- ^^^
cheeks, while the back of the head of Opportunity
was without tresses, showing only the first indications
of sprouting hair. We stood speechless at the sight
when we saw the bronze accomplishing the deeds of
nature and departing from its own proper province.
For though it was bronze it blushed ; and though it
was hard by nature, it melted into softness, yielding
to all the purposes of art ; and though it was void of
living sensation, it inspired the belief that it had
sensation dwelling within it ; and it really was
stationary, resting its foot firmly on the ground,
but though it was standing, it nevertheless gave
397
CALLISTRATUS : DESCRIPTIONS
ecTTco'; Be op/iy]'^ e^ovaiav ey^eiv ehe'iKvvTO Kai aoL
Tov 6(f)6a\/jLOV 7]7rdTa, co? kuI tt}? et? to irpoaw
Kvpievcov (popa^ kqI irapa tov 8)]/jiiovpyov Xa^cov
5 Kal Tr]v aepLOv Xfj^ip^ re/iveiv, el /SovXolto, rah
TTTepV^L.
(4) Kal TO [lev i)/j,LV Oavjia tolovtov rjv, €l<i Se
Ti<; TMV irepl ra? Te)(^i'a<^ ao^cov, koI elSoTcov avv
aladi](J6i Te^viKcoTepa to, tCov hiiptovpywi' ai't)(^-
10 veveiv OavfiaTa, Kal XoyiapLov eTrPfye^ tw Teyin')-
fiaTi, Tijv TOV Katpov hvvafiLv ev tyj Te')(yr] aw^o-
/iievijv €^r]yov/j,6i'o<;' to p-ev yap iTTepwfia tCov
TapaCov alvLTTeaOai t)]v o^vTrjTa, Kal &)<» ^ tov
iToXvv civeXiTTcov alcova cfiepeTai- rat? copai<;
15 €7TO)(ovp.€VO<;, Ti]v Se iiravOovaav wpav, otl ttciv
evKaipov TO copalov Kal p,6vo<; kuXXov; Bij/jbtovpyo^
6 KaLp6<;, TO Be a7n]v07)Ko<i airav e^o) T'/js" Katpov
(fivaeo)^, Ti-jV he KaTa tov pLerdyirov ko/jL7]v, otl
irpoaiovTo^ p.tv avTOv Xa/SeaOai poiSior, irapeX-
20 66vTO<^ he vj TMV TTpayp^uTcov aKp.)] avve^ep)(^€Tai
Kal ouK ecTTLV oXiywprjdevTa Xa/Secv top Kaipov.
^ Abrcsch Xrji^LV : ir\rj^Ly.
2 €7^776 A and Jacobs : eViiSe the other MSS.
^ ws Olearius : u).
6. OX THE STATUE OF OPPORTUNITY
evidence of possessing tlie power of rapid motion ;
and it deceived your eyes into thinking that it
not only was capable of advancing forward, but
that it had received from the artist even the power
to cleave with its wings, if it so wished, the aerial
domain.
Such was the marvel, as it seemed to us ; but a
man who was skilled in the arts and who, with a
deeper perception of art, knew how to track down
the marvels of craftsmen, applied reasoning to the
artist's creation, explaining the significance of
Opportunity as faitlifully portrayed in the statue :
the wings on his feet, he told us, suggested his
swiftness, and that, borne by the seasons, he goes
rolling on through all eternity ; and as to his
youthful beauty, that beauty is always opportune
and that Opportunity is the only artificer of beauty,^
whereas that of which the beauty has withered
has no part in the nature of Opportunity ; he also
explained that the lock of hair on his forehead
indicated that while he is easy to catch as he
approaches, yet, when he has once passed by, the
moment for action has likewise expired, and that,
if opportunity has been neglected, it cannot be
recovered.
^ i.e. beauty is alwa3^s in season and seasonableness is the
only artificer of beauty. Cf.
"Gather ye rose-buds while ye may,
Old Time is still a-flying."
Herrick, To the Virgins to make much of Time.
•'Let us crown ourselves with rose-buds, before they be
withered."
Wisdom of Solomon, 2. 8.
399
CALLISTRATUS : DESCRIPTIONS
f EIS TO TOT OPcJ^EOS AFAxVMA
(1) *Ei^ 7(0 'EXlkojpi, Te'yuei'O? 3e tmv Movacov
(TKiepov ^OJyOO?, TTapo, Tov<; ^OXfieiov tov ttotu-
fiov puuKa^ Kal rtjv loeiSea Ilrjydaov Kpi]vi)v
'Op(f)60)<^ ayaXfia tov ttj? KaWtovr?;? irapa ra<;
25 Moucra? €iart]KeL ISelv fxev KaWiarov' 6 yap
^a\/co9 Tjj r€)(vrj avvairerLKTe to KdWo<^ rfj^
TOV a(i)/jiaT0<; dyXaia to piOvaiKov iTria^j/iaLvcov
TTJ? ipv)(^rj<^. €/c6a/jLeL Se avTov Tidpa HepaiKT]
')(pvau) KaTaaTLKTc; drro Kopv(f)'fj<; et? vyjro'; dv-
30 kyovaa^ -yiTiov Be i^ cofxcov d7ray6p-€vo<; et? TToSa?
TeXa/xMi'i )(^pva€M kutcl aTepvwv 6a(f>iyy6T0. (2)
430 K. KoyLt>/ Se oi/TO)? i]v 6vavdr]<; Kal ^(otlkov einar)-
fiaivovaa koI e/jLirvovv, co? diraTciv ti]V acaOtjaiv,
OTL Kal iTpo^ Td<; ^6(f)vpov 7Tvod(; aeiopevr] hovelTai
— 7] p,ev yap e'TTav')(^e.vL0^ /caTa vcotov ;^L'^6Zo-a, tj
5 Be Tal<^ 6(f)pvaip dvcoOev hicj-^^Lhii^ eTTL^aivovaa ^
Kadapd<i TMV ofxpdTWV ec^auve Td<; /3oXd<^. to
irehiXov he avTcp ^avOoTUTw ■)(pvo'(p KaT)jv6i(TT0
Kal TTCTrXo? d(f)€T0<; KaTO, vcotov et? acpvpov
KaTrjei, fieTex^ipl^eTo Be ti]V Xvpav, -q he laapid-
10 //.Of? rat? ^\.ovaai<; e^rjiTTO tou9 <^d6yyov<;' o yap
XaXKo<; Kal v€vpd<; vireKpiveTO Kal 7rpo<; tijv
€KdaT0v pbip,i)(jLv dXXaTTopevo'; 7reiOyvL(o<; vtti]-
yeTO fiLKpov Kal Trpo<^ avTi]v Trjv riX'W "^^^
(j)66yy(ov <^(ov>]eL<i yev6p.evo<^. (3) 'Ttto he tmv
15 TTohcbv TTjv jBdcTLV ovK ovpavo'^ Tjv TV7r(oOel<; ovhe
nXetaSe? tov aWepa Tefivovaai ovhe "ApKTOv
^ Se after rfj deleted by Jacobs.
^ iTri^aivou(ra Jacobs : i-mcpaivovcra.
400
7. ON THE STATUE OF ORPHEUS
7. OX THE STATUE OF ORPHEUS
On Helicon^ — the spot is a shaded precinct sacred
to the Muses — near the torrent of the river Ohneius
and the violet-dark spring of Pegasus, there stood
beside the Muses a statue of Orpheus, the son of
Calliope, a statue most beautiful to look upon. For
the bronze joined with art to give birth to beauty,
indicating by the splendour of the body the musical
nature of the soul. It was adorned by a Persian tiara -
spangled with gold and rising high up from the head,
and a chiton hanging from the shoulders to the feet
was confined at the breast by a golden belt. The
hair was so luxuriant and so instinct with the spirit
of life as to deceive the senses into thinking it was
being tossed and shaken by gusts of wind — for the
hair behind on the neck fell free down the back,
while the parted hair which lay above the eyebrows
gave full view of the pure glance of the eyes. The
sandal shone brightly with the yellowest of gold, and a
robe fell ungirded down the back to the ankle ; and
he was carrying the lyre, which was equipped with
as many notes as the number of the Muses. For the
bronze even acted the part of strings and, being so
modified as to imitate each separate note, it obediently
carried out the deceit, almost indeed becoming vocal
and producing the very sound of the notes. Beneath
his feet heaven was not represented nor the Pleiades
coursing the aether nor the revolving Bear that " has
1 Cf. Pausanias, IX. 30, 4. On Helicon with statues of
other poets and famous musicians "there is a statue of
Orpheus the Thracian, with Telete standing by his side, and
round about him are beasts in stone and bronze listening to
his song."'
2 Cf. supra, p. .311 and note 1.
401
PHILOS. D D
CALLISTRATUS : DESCRIPTIONS
7r6pLaTpo(f)al tcop ^ClKeavov Xovrpwv a/jLoipoi,
dXX^ 7]v irdv fxev to opviOwv >yei'0<; Trpo? rrjv
(pBr]V i^tarrdfievov, vraVre? Se opeiOL Orjpe^ Kal
20 oaov ev 0a\dTT7]<; pv)(OL<; vep^erai Kal 'itttto's
iOeXyero uvtI ')(^a\ivov tc3 pe\€i KpaTOvp.evo<;
Kal ^ov<; a(/)ei9 ras" vo/xa<; ttj? XvpwSia<;
I'jKOve Kal Xeoi'Tcov dreyKTo^; (f)vaL<; tt/do? Tr]v
cipjioviav KaT7]Vi'd^6T0. (4) El3e? av Kal nrora-
25 /jLov<; TVTrovvra top ')(aXK0V Ik injyojv eVt rd
fieXr] peovTa<; Kal KV/ia 6aXdaa7]<; epcort ttJ?
ojSrj<^ vylrov/xerov Kal TreV/oa? alad/jaet ttXjjttO'
p,€va<; iiovaiKrj<; Kal iraaav jSXdarijv ojpLov e^
7)6 (hv iirl Tr,v fiovaav rr^v 'Op(f)iKr]i> (Tirevhovcyav,
30 Kal ovSev fxkv rjv to r)X^^^ ovSe rrjv dp/iovLav tj^v
XvprpBov iyetpov, tj re^vi] Se iv tol<; ^(poi<; rod
irepl T}]P p-ovaiKYju epwro'^ rd TrdOt] Kare/iijvve
Kal ev T(p ')(^aXKw xa? rjSova^; e-noiet ^aiveaOau
Kal rd iiTavOovvra rfj aladi](jei, ro)v ^wwv
OeXKTijpia dpp)JT(o<; i^ecpatpev.
431 K. V EIS TO AIONTSOT AEAAMA
(1) AatSdXfp pLev i^vjv, el Bel rw ire pi Kpyjrijp
iTiareveiv Oav/jLori, Kivovp^eva fjurj^avdaOaL rd
TTODjpara Kal 7rpo9 dvOpfoirlvyu ataOtjcTiv €K-
/Sid^ecrOaL rov y^pvaov, al he 8r] Upa^treXetoi
^ Quoted from I/iad 18. 486 : for the reliefs on the pedestal,
Brunu {J'lhrh. Phil. CIII. 21) compares the base of the Nile
in the Vatican, and of the Farnese Bull.
^ Cf. p. 311, svpra.
^ Apoll. Rhod. Argon. I. 26 f. : "Men say that he by the
music of his songs charmed the stubborn rocks upon the
402
8. ON THE STATUE OF DIONYSUS
no part in the baths of Oceanus/' ^ but there was
every kind of bird, brought under the spell of the
singing,^ ^nd all beasts of the mountains and what-
ever feeds in the recesses of the sea, and a horse
stood entranced, held in control, not by a bridle, but
by the music, and a bull, having abandoned its
pasturage, was listening to the strains of the lyre,
and lions by nature fierce were being lulled to sleep
in response to its harmony. You could see the
bronze taking on the shape of rivers flowing from
their sources toward the singing,^ and a wave of the
sea raising itself aloft for love of the song, and rocks
being smitten with the sensation of music, and every
plant in its season hastening from its usual abode
towards the music of Orpheus ; * and though there
was nothing that gave out a sound or roused the
lyre's harmony, yet art made manifest in all the
animals the emotions excited by their love of music,
and caused their pleasure to be visible in the bronze,
and in a wonderful manner expressed the enchant-
ment that springs up in the sense-perceptions of the
animals.
8. ON THE STATUE OF DIONYSUS
Daedalus, if one is to place credence in the Cretan
marvel, had the power to construct statues endowed
with motion and to compel gold to feel human
sensations, but in truth the hands of Praxiteles
mountains and the course of rivers. And the wild oak trees
to this day, tokens of that magic strain . . . stand in ordered
ranks close together, the same which under the charm of his
lyre he led down from Pieria." Trans. Seaton, L.C.L.
403
DD 2
CALLISTRATUS : DESCRIPTIONS
5 %er/3e? ^MTiKci CLoXov Karecr/ceva^ou ra t€)(^p)]-
fiara. (2) "AXcro? yv Kal Aiovuao'^ elari^Kei.
i)i6eov ay^rjfjia fii/jiov/iepo^;, ovtco fiev a7ra\6<;, &)?
7r/)o? (Jc'ipKa fierappvO/jLL^eadaL tov ycCKKov, ovtco
Be iiypov Kal K€)(^a\aa/jL6vov e)(^cov to aCofJia, &)?
10 e^ €r6pa<; vXrjf;, dWa /ly ')(^a\Kov 7r€(pvK(i)<;, 09
Xa\Ko<i fiev oiv r]pv6paiveT0, f&))79 he fieTOvalav
ovK e%a)i^ i^ovXero r))V Iheav hei/cvvvai, dxjra-
jxevcp Si aoi Trpo^ rrjv ciKfjii-jV vrre^iaraTO, kol
6vTW<^ fiev rjv 6 ')(a\KO<; aT€yav6<;, vtto Be r/)?
15 re^i^/;? pLaXarro/jLevo^ et9 adp/ca cnrehiBpacrKe
rrj<i ')(^eipo<; ri^v aicrOijaip. (3) ^Hv Se dvdr]p6<;,
d^p6Tr]T0<; yepLwv, tpuipcp pe6/jL€vo<;, olov avrou
EvpLTriSt]^ ev Y^dfC')(aL'^ elBoTroLi^cra^ €^i(f)T]V6,
Kiaao<; S' avrov earec^e TreptOeoyv ii> kukXco — &)?
20 Kiaao<; i)v 6 ')(aXKO<^ et? fcXo)i>a<^ KapLiTTopi€vo<^ kol
ro)v ^oaTpv^wv toi)? eXiKT?]pa<^ etc pLerooirov
Ke')(^vpLevovs dvaareXXMv. yeXcoro'; Se e/iTrXeft)?,
o Si] Kal 7ravT0<; yp iireKeiva OavpLaro^, 7)BovP]<;
d^ievai TrjV v\i]v re/cpLyjpia Kal ti]V iraOoiv
25 BrjX(0(Tiv vTTOKpiveaOai rov ')(^aXKov. (4) Ne/SpU
Be avTOV eaKeirev ov^ oiav eicodev 6 Aiouuaof;
^ On statues of Dion^'sus by Praxiteles, cf. Furtwangler,
Meisterwerke d. griech. Pladik, p. 586, Eng. trans, p. 337.
Two Praxitelian types arc discussed: (a) Represented by the
"Bacchus de Versailles" in the Louvre, Fig. 30 (Frohner,
Notice, 218), the figure of a delicate 3'outh wearing a fawn-skin
fastened on the left shouMer and a Bacchic initra in his hair
which falls in curls to his shoulders, and holding his right
hand over his head, (b) The Dionysus in Madrid, Fig. 37
404
8. ON THE STATUE OF DIONYSUS
wrought works of art that were altogetlier alive.
There was a grove, and in it stood Dionysus ^ in the
form of a young man, so dehcate that the bronze
was transformed into flesh, with a body so supple
and relaxed that it seemed to consist
of some different material instead of
bronze : for though it was really
bronze, it nevertheless blushed, and
though it had no part in life, it
sought to show the appearance of
life and would yield to the very
finger-tip if you touched it, for though
it was really compact bronze, it was
so softened into flesh by art that it
shrank from the contact of the hand.
It had the bloom of youth, it was
full of daintiness, it melted with
desire, as indeed Euripides repre-
sented him when he fashioned his
image in the Bacchae.^ A wreath of ivy en-
circled the head — since the bronze was in truth
ivy, bent as it was into sprays and holding up the
curly locks which fell in profusion from his forehead.
And it was full of laughter, nay, it wholly passed the
bounds of wonder in that the material gave out
evidence of joy and the bronze feigned to represent
the emotions. A fawn-skin clothed the statue, not
such as Dionysus was accustomed to wear, but the
Fia. 36.
(Clarac, PI. 690 B, No. 159S A), a nude figure leaning his left
arm on a bearded lierm of Dionysus.
2 Cf. Eur. Bacch. 233 f. : "Men say a stranger to the land
hath come. . . . With essenced hair in golden tresses tossed,
Wine-flushed, Love's witching graces in his eves." Trans.
Way.
405
CALLISTRATUS : DESCRIPTIONS
i^dirreaOai, dW et? ryjv tT;? Sopd<; ixifii-jaLv 6
'X^a\Ko<i /jLerefidWeTo. elar/jKeL 8e Ti]v Xaidv^
eirepeihwv rep Ovparp, 6 Be Ovpao<; rjTrdra rrjv
30 aiadi]aiv kol Ik ^uXkov 7r€7roiJ]/jL€vo<; ^(Xoepov tl
Kal Te67]\o<; dTroaTiX/Seiv iSo^d^ero tt/jo? avTT)v
d/jL€i/36fi€vo<; rrjV vXi]v. (5) "0/i^a Be r}V irvpl
Biavyh fiavLKov IBelv Kal yap to /3aK)^6V(Tifiop 6
432 K. ;)^aA-/co9 eveBeiKvvro Kal eTTiOeLdt^eiv iBoKei, coairep
ol/jLat Tov Ilpa^LTeXov<; Kal top (3aK-^elov olarpop
eyKarafJU^ai Bvv))0ePTO<i.
6' EIS TO TOT ]\IEMNON02 AEAAMA
(1) 'E^eXo) Be crot Kal to \le/ivovo^ d(^iiyi]-
5 aaaOaL davpta- Kal yap 6vt(d<^ irapdBo^o^; r;
rex^V Kal KpeiTTcov di pwrrivii^ x^Lp6<^. tov
TlOwvov ^lepLVOvo^ eiKoov yv ev AWioTria eK XiOov
TreTTOLT] pievT], ov pirjv ev Tot<^ oIksIol^ 6poi<i e/xeve
XLdo<; cov ovBe to t^? (f)va€(o^ aiyyjXou rjveixeTO,
10 dXXd Kal XiOo<; cov ely^ev i^ovaiav (jxovi)'^' vvv
fiev yap dvLaxovaav tt]v 'li fiepav '7rpoaecf)6eyy€TO
einai^liaivwv Tr} (f)covf] tiiv x^P^^ ^^^l ^'^^^ rot?
tt}? /jLi]Tpo^ TTapovaiai'^ (paLBpvv6fievo<;, vvv Be
d7roKXLVOfiev7]<; et? vvKTa eXeeivov tl Kal dXyeivov
15 eaTeve 7rpo<; ttjv dirovaiav dvico/.Levo<;. (2)
^HTTupet Be ovBe BaKpvcov 6 Xt^o?, dXX elx€v
v7Ty]peTovfji€va ttj ^ovXi']aeL Kal TavTa. Kal i)v
X\eixv6vLo<^ i) eiKcov p,6v(p /xev tov dvOpwrrivov.^
^ Jacobs Xaiav : Kvpav.
^ TOV avdpwTrivov Kayser : tw dv6pu}invu>.
406
9. ON THE STATUE OF MEMNON
bronze was transformed to imitate the
pelt ; and he stood resting his left
hand on a thyrsus, and the thyrsus
deceived the beholder's vision ; for
while it was wrought of bronze it
seemed to glisten with the greenness
of young growth, as though it were
actually transformed into the plant
itself. The eye was gleaming with
fire, in appearance the eye of a man
in a frenzy ; for the bronze exhibited
the Bacchic madness and seemed to
be divinely inspired, just as, I think,
Praxiteles had the power to infuse
into the statue also the Bacchic ecstasy.
Fig. 37.
9. ON THE STATUE OF MEMNON i
I wish to describe to you the miracle of Memnon
also ; for the art it dis{)layed was truly incredible
and beyond the power of human hand. There was
in Ethiopia an image of Memnon, the son of
Tithonus, made of marble ; however, stone though
it was, it did not abide within its proper limits nor
endure the silence imposed on it by nature, but
stone though it was it had the power of speech.
For at one time it saluted the rising Day, by its
voice giving token of its joy and expressing delight
at the arrival of its mother ; and again, as day
declined to night, it uttered piteous and mournful
groans in grief at her departure. Nor yet was the
marble at a loss for tears, but they too were at hand
to serve its will. The statue of Memnon, as it seems
^ Cf. pp. 31, 155, supra. Memnon was the son of Tithonus
and Day (or of Eos, The Dawn).
407
CALLISTRATUS : DESCRIPTIONS
BiaXXurreip jjlol Sokcl aco/xari, vtto Be a^i^;^?}?
20 Tivo<i Kal ofJLolas irpoaipeaeo)^ dyofxevrj Karr^vOv-
veio. €i)(6 joui> eyKeKpafxeva /cal ra Xvirovvra
Kal irdXiv i]Sovf]<; at(j6)]aL^ avTOV tcaTekdfi^avev
VTt' d/jL(f)0T€pC0V TOiV lTa6(i)l> nXl^TTO fXeVOV. Kal 7)
fxev (pvai^ Ti]v XiScov 'yevecTLV d(f)doyyoi> irapyjyaye
25 Kal K0)(p7]v Kal fi/jre vtto \v7r7]<^ iOeXovaav SioiKela-
6ai fi7]T€ elhvlav 7)a6r]vai, dXkd Kal irdaai^; ri^p^at?
drpcoTOi', €K€LVM Sc TO) ^lefjLvovo<; \i6w Kal
}]Sov7]v irapehiOKei' ?; t6xv'>] Kal irerpav dvejjLi^ev
d\y6iv(p, Kal fJLovTjv ravrrjv eirtardfieOa tj]V
30 rexv7)v vo^jfiaTa tw XiOro Kal cjxoyyjv ivOelaav.
(3) 'O fi'^v yap AalSaXo^ /^^XP^ f^^^ KiV7Ja60)<;
€veavL€V6T0 Kal hvvafjiiv el^cv ?; eKeivov rix^rj
433 K. e^Lardvai ra? vXa^ Kal et? x^peiav Kivelv, d/jL7]-
■)(avov Be r]v Kal 7ravT6Xoi<^ diropov Kal (f)covi')<;
/xeroxa Trpayfiareveadai, ra iroiy^ixaTa' at Be
AlOiOTTCov x^^P^^ TTopovf; TMV dfi^jxdvcov e^evpov
5 Kal TT/^" d^Ooyyiav €^evLK7j<7av rov XiOov. eKeivw
T(p XlejxrovL Kal ryv 'tl;)^w /V0709 di'Trjx^LV, oirore
(f)OeyyoLTo, Kal yoepov fiev arei'd^ovTL yoepov
dvTLTTefjiTTeiv peXo's, euTraOovvrt Be avrairoBiBovaL
TTjV 7)xhv dvTL/Xl/jLOP. €K€tl'0 TO Bl]/jLtOVpy)]/jLa Kal
10 T77 'H/jLepa Trt? dvia<; eKolpL^e Kal ovk e'la
fiaareveip top iralBa, ci)9 av di>TtTiOeLaJ]<; avTW ^
T)]<; AWioTTWP TexPV^ '^op Ik t?}? eLpapp.ei'rj<;
d(f)apia6ePTa ^le^popa.
408
y. ON THE STATUE OF MEMNON
to me, differed from a human being only in its body,
but it was directed and guided by a kind of soul and
by a will like that of man. At any rate it both had
grief in its composition and again it was possessed
by a feeling of pleasure according as it was affected
by each emotion. Though nature had made all
stones from the benrinnino- voiceless and mute and
both unwilling to be under the control of grief and
also unaware of the meaning of joy, but rather immune
to all the darts of chance, yet to that stone of
Memnon art had imparted pleasure and had mingled
the sense of pain in the rock ; and this is the only
work of art of which we know that has implanted in
the stone perceptions and a voice. Daedalus did
indeed boldly advance as far as motion, and the
products of liis art had power to transcend the
materials of which they were made and to move in
the dance ; but it was impossible and absolutely out
of the question for him to make statues that could
speak. Yet the hands of Aethiopians discovered
means to accomplish the impossible,^ and they over-
came the inability of stone to speak. The story runs
that Echo answered this Memnon when it spoke,
uttering a mournful note in response to its mournful
lament and returning a mimicking sound in response
to its expressions of joy. The statue in question
both lulled to rest the sorrows of Day and caused her
to abandon her search for her son, as though the art
of the Aethiopians were compensating her by means
of the statue for the Memnon who had been snatched
away from her by fate.
^ The expression occurs svpra, p. 422, 1 K.
^ Jacobs, perhaps rightly, proposed outtj for aura).
409
CALLISTRATUS : DESCRIPTIONS
l' E\t TO ATAAMA TOT HAIANOS
(1) Etra TO iJiev WpyCoov aK(i(f)0<i efi(i)wvov
15 yeveadat iretOoiJieOa to vtto tmv ^ A.6i]vd^ re^vijOev
XGipcov, Koi Ti]v iv aarpoL<; i/cX^jpovx^jcrG tv-)(t]v,
ayaX/ia Be ov marevaopev, et? o Ta<^ 8vpd/j,€t<;
AaKXy]7rio<; dviyaL rov irpovo'iiTLKov eTreiadycov
vovv i-rrl T7]u eavrov KOLVwviaVy rov (jvvolkovi>to<^
20 Tr)v Svva/jiiv iTpeiren>, a>V et? (.up dvOpuoiriva
KardyeaOai ro Oelov Scoao/iev, evOa kol fxiavdrjvai
TraOjj/jiaaiVy ov rriGTevcrofxev Be, fj fitjhev eyyovov
KaKLa^; nrapairecjiVKev ; (2) 'Efiol /lev ovv ov tvtto^
elvai S0K6L TO opcofiepov, dXXd Tr]<; dXyOela^
25 irXda/JLa. Idov yap &)? ovk dvyjOoTroiyjTO's rj
Tex^V' oXX^ ip€iK0jnaa/j.6vy] tov Oeov et? avrov
e^iaTaTai. vXrj fiev ovaa OeoeuSe'^ dvaTrefxireL
voTj/xa, St]pLovpyy]fia Be x^^P^^ Tvyx^i^ovaa a fir]
ByfiLovpylai^ e^ecFTL irpuTTei T6f<-/jLyjpta "^f;^?)?
30 dpp)/Tco<i drroTiKTovaa. TrpoacoTrov Be aoL dea-
aajxevw BovXovrai Trjv aicrOtjaLV' ov yap 6i?
434 K. /caXXo? eTriOtTOv eV;j^7;/^aTfo-Ta«, d\Xd irdvayvov
Kal tXecov draKtvcov ou/jia /3d0o^ d(f)paaTOv
vTraaTpdiTTei, aefivoTi^To^; alBol /iLy€iarj<^. (3)
TIXoKa/Kov Be eX^/ce? peo/ievoc x^ipiaiv 01 /Mfv eh
5 pwTa t£^//\6t€? d(p6T0L KtE^vvTai, 01 Be virep
^ The Greek paean was a choral song accompanied by
dancing, wliich \\as used as an incantation to cure disease,
as well as for celeljration of a victory and in the worship of
certain gods. Personitied as a god. Paean was closely akin
to Asclepius, and at the same time, especially at Delphi, was
410
10. ON THE STATUE OF PAEAN
10. OX THE STATUE OF PAEAN i
Are we then to believe that the vessel Argo,^
which was wrought by the hands of Athena and
later assumed its allotted place among the stars,
became capable of speech^ and yet in the case of a
statue into which Asclepius infused his own powers,
introducing purposeful intelligence therein and thus
making it a partner with himself, not believe
that the power of the indwelling god is clearly
manifest therein ? Nay, more, shall we admit that
the divine spirit descends into human bodies, there
to be even defiled by passions, and nevertheless not
believe it in a case where there is no attendant
engendering of evil ? To me, at any rate, the object
before our eyes seems to be, not an image, but
a modelled presentment of truth ; for see how
Art not only is not without power to delineate
character, but, after having portrayed the god in
an image, it even passes over into the god himself.
Matter though it is, it gives forth divine intelligence,
and though it is the work of human hands, it
succeeds in doing what handicrafts cannot accom-
plish, in that it begets in a marvellous way tokens of
a soul. The face as you look at it enthralls the
senses ; for it has not been fashioned to an ad-
ventitious beauty, but as it raises a saintly and
benignant eye it flashes forth an indescribable depth
of majesty tempered with modesty. Curly locks
abounding in grace, — some fall luxuriant and uncon-
fined on the back, while others come down over the
often identified with Apollo as Apollo Paean. Cf . Fairbanks,
A Study of the Greek Faean, 1900.
2 Cf. supra, p. 187 and note 3.
411
CALLISTRATUS : DESCRIPTIONS
/jL6Tco7rou 7r/5o? Ta<; ocppiK e7Ti/3aiPOVT€<; toI<;
Ofxfxacnv elXovinai. olov he i/c ^(otlk?]<; alTia<i
KOI avTol Karaphufxevoi et? tjjv tCov /Boarpuxcov
Ka/j,7r}]i> avveX-iTTovrai, rrp vofxcp t/}? rixvrjf; /jlt]
10 7r6iOofxeu7]<; t?}«? uX.);?, dWa voovaif^ on a)(^]/ia-
Ttfet debv Koi Set hwaareveiv. tcov Be yevo-
fxevwv elcoOoTcov ^OeipeaOai 7) rod dydXfjLaro^;
Ihea, are By rrj^; vy€La<; ti]v ovaiav ev eaurfj
(f)€povaa, ciKp^i^v dvcoXeOpov eTriKTco/jievT) OdWeL.
15 (4) 'H/xet? fiev Stj aoi kuI Xoycov, m Tlatdv,^ veapcov
Kal p.V})/jL7]<i iyyovcov dmip^dpeOa' Ke\ev6i<i yap
olpai' irpoOvpbo^ he aoi Kal rov vopuov aheLv, el
vepiOL'^ vyeiav.
la' EIS TO TOT HIBEOT ATAxlMA
(1) Tedeaaai rov rjiOeov iir' dfcponoXet, ov Upa^t-
20 reX^;? 'iSpvaev, r} Sec aoi rP/<; re-^vrj'^ rrapaarrjaau
ro iTpdyfia ; Trai? i^v dira\,6<i re koI veo<; tt^o?
TO fiakOaKov re Kal veonjaiov r?}? re')(yri<^ rov
^a\Kov fMaXarrovai]^;, T^Xt^Ty? 8e rjv Kal ifiepov
p.earo<^ Kal ro rrj<; 7]/37]<; 6(^auev dvOo<;, irdvra he
25 i]v Ihelv 7rpo<; rr)V t^}? re^^z'?;? fiovX^jaiv d/ji€i/36-
fxeva' Kal yap diraXo^; rjv ^ /jLa)(^op.€V7]v rfj dira-
Xorrjri rr]v ovaiav e^wv Kal tt/oo? to uypov i]yero
eareprj/iievo^ vyp6ri]ro<; Kal oXw? e^e/Saive tt}?
avrov (pva-eco^i 6 ;^aXA:o9 tou? 6pov<; el<; rov
^ Jacobs Tlaidv : MSS. ttoi.
2 lj.rj after i^v deleted by Olearius : ^17 jxaxoixhrtv {ix-qx^-vu)-
/jLCVTiV A).
1 Overbeck (Gcschichte d. griech. P.'asiik*, II. 63) points
out that this passage is the only extant reference to a
412
11. ON THE STATUE OF A YOUTH
forehead to the eyebrows and hang thick about the
eyes. But, as if stirred by hfe and kept moist of
themselves, they coil themselves into the bending
curls, the material not rendering obedience to the
law of art, but realizing that it represents a god and
that he must work his own will. And although all
things that are born are wont to die, yet the form
of the statue, as thougli carrying v»ithin itself the
essence of health, flourishes in the possession of
indestructible youth. And so we, O Paean, have
offered to you the first fruits of discourse, freshly
made, and the offspring of memory ; for you bid us
do so, I think ; and I am eager also to sing the
strains to you if you allot me health.
11. ON THE STATUE OF A YOUTH i
Have you seen on the acropolis the youth which
Praxiteles set up, or must I set before you the w^ork
of art } It was a boy tender and young, and art had
softened the bronze to express softness and youth ;
moreover, it abounded in daintiness and desire, and
it made manifest the bloom of youth. Indeed, it w^as
plain to see that in all points the statue was respon-
sive to the will of the artist ; for it was tender though
the essence of the bronze is opposed to tenderness,
and though devoid of suppleness it yet inclined to
be supple, and the bronze departed totally from the
limitations of its own nature and was transmuted
Diadounienos, "Youth binding his hair with a fillet,"' of
Praxiteles on the acropolis, no doubt the Athenian acropolis ;
and Furtwangler [Mekiencerke d. cjriech. Plaslik, p. 335) finds
the data here given entirely insufficient to enable the student
to identify any copy of this work.
CALLISTRATUS : DESCRIPTIONS
cov
30 aX^]6P] rvTTOv fie6LaTdfjiei>o<^. (2) "Afiotpo^; Be
7rvevfiaT0<; Kal ro €/jlitvovv virehvero' a yap jxrj
irapeXajBev vXij /it]h€ €2)(^v^ e/.i(f)VTa, tovtwv ?;
435 K. re^i^)] ti]v e^ovaiav iiropitero. eKOivovro Se Ta<;
iTap6La<^ €pvd)']/j.aTt, o 3?; Kal irapdSo^or rjv,
'y^aXKov TLKTofxevov 6pev6o<i Kal 7raiSi.Ky]<^ rjv
')]XiKLa<; avOo^ eKXd/nrov. ko/jLT] Be el)(^ei> eXLKa<;
5 raZ? b(f)pvcnv eirilSaLvovTa^. (3) 'O he t(o reXa-
fjioyvi KaraarecjiMV ti]V Kopn^v Kal eK rayp 6(f)puo)V
diTwOovixevo'^ T(p hiahi'^iiaTL ra? Tpiya<; yvixvov
TrXoKajxcDv irrjpei ro fiercoTrov. co? oe Kal Kara
aepo? e^rjT dt^o fiev ti]v Te)(^v)]v Kal ra ev avrfj
10 haL^dXixara,^ d(f)aaia irXijyevre^; eiarrjKeLfjLev 6
re yap yaXKo^ evrpaSP] Kal XtTrcoaav eVe-
BeiKVVTO Ti-jV adpKa Kal irpo^ rrjv Tpi)(^o^ Kivrjcrtv
fiediipfJLoteTo, ore fiev jSoaTpvy^wv ovXcov irXoKal^;
(jvve^eXmoixevo^, ore 8' iOeXovarj rfj TpiXL
15 eKrdh-qv Kara vcotou '^vdPjvaL avpa7rXov/bLevo<;, Kal
ore fiev iOeXec to irXda^ia Ka/x(f)OP)vat Trpo^; ttjv
Ka/i7r7]v dviefievo^, ore Be eirLTelvai. ra fieXy] 7rpo<;
TO avvTovov [xeOicTTdiievo^. (4)
O/x/xa Be l/jiepcoBe^
Tjv alBol avfi/iLye(; dcj^poBtala ^ Kal ep(OTiKrj<^ *
20 yejxov y^dptro^;' Kal yap rjBei ^ifXovv 6 ')(^aXK0<; to
ipdaipLOv Kal vTv/jKovaev iOeXovri rfo elBcoXro
yavpovaOai. dKivr]TO<; Be cov ovro'^ 6 e(f)r)f3o<;
eBo^ev av aoi KLvi](jew<; iji€Te)(eLV Kal et? ;\;o/^eta^'
evrpeTTL^eddai.
^ f'lX^v (IjxcpvTa Jacobs : elx^ '^^v (pvyra.
414
11. ON THE STATUE OF A YOUTH
into the true qualities of the subject. Though not
endowed with breath, it yet began to breathe ; since
what the material had not inherited as a gift of
nature, for all this art furnished the capacity. It
imparted to the cheeks to make them blush — a thing
incredible — a ruddiness born of the bronze, and a
bloom of young boyhood shone from it. And the
hair had curls which tended to fall over the eye-
brows. But fastening his hair with a band and
thrusting it back from his brows with a fillet, he kept
his forehead bare of the locks. When, however, we
went on to examine the statue part by part and the
matters of artistry in it, we stood overcome by
speechlessness ; for the bronze showed the flesh
well nurtured and sleek with oil, and it adapted
itself to the movement of the hair, now coiling in
strands of curly locks, now unfolding with the hair
that strove to pour in broad mass down the back ;
and where the figure wished to bend, the bronze
would relax itself to the bending, and where the
figure would make tense its limbs, the bronze would
change and become rigid. The eye held a look of
longing commingled with a passionate modesty, and
w^as full of the grace of love ; for tlie bronze knew
how to imitate love's passion and yielded to the
image when it wished to indulge in wantonness.
Though it was motionless, this youth seemed to
possess the power to move and to be making ready
to dance.
- SatSaA^ara Jacobs : de aXuara.
^ acppohiaia. Reisch : dcppoSiaias or afpoBicrlov.
- ipcvTiKTJg Reisch : ipwriKov.
CALLISTRATUS : DESCRIPTIONS
i/9' EIS TO KENTATPOT ATAAMA
25 (1) Et? lepov elaLODV ae/jLvop tl Kal fjueya, o rrjv
KaWiarrjv el/caalav et? eavro /jLeOiary], iv Tot<;
7rpo7rvXaioi<; tov vecd Ihpvfxevov Oeoijjiai /cevravpov,
ovK avSpl Kara rrjv OfitjpeLOv ecKova, aXXa plcp
irapaiTXjjaiov vXijevTL. avOpcowo^ yv a-)(^pi Xa-
30 701/0? KarioDV 6 K6VTavpo<=; el<^ 'iirirov (3d(TLV
rerpaa/ceXi] Xi'jywv. (2) Toi/ 'yap ittttov koI tov
avOpwTTOv 1) (pvai^ i^ i)pLiaeia<^ refiovaa et? €v
aoifia avpi]p/jLoa€, ra p,6v airoKpivaaa rcov fiepcov,
436 K. ra Be aXXijXoi^ T€)(V'r]aap,€V7] avpLcpfjova' r?}? pev
yap dv0po)7rLV7]<; oaov air l^vo<; el<; aKpav arro-
(fyeperac ri^jv ^daiv a^etXe, tov he iTTireiov
<Ta)p,aTO<; oaov 66? 6p,(f)aXov KaTajSaivei Tepovaa
5 TO) dv6 punnvcp avvijye tvttco, co? tov fiev lttttov
Tr)v Ke(f)aXr]v iroOelv Kal tov<; au)(€VLOV<; TevovTa<;
Kal oaov €L<; to vcotov KaTajSalvov evpvveTai^ tov
he avOpcoiTov tov diro 6p(f)aXov pe)(pt r?}? /3da€co<;
aTrjptypov ^rjTeiv. (3) Tolovtov he 6vto<; tov
10 crco/xaro? eZSe? civ Kal Ovpov eTriirveovTa T(p
Te)(yrjpaTL Kal I'jypiaypevov to awpa Kal tw
7rpoad)TT(p TO 07]pio)he^ iiraiOovv Kal to Tr)s
Tpi')(o<; KuXXtaTa viroKpivopevi^v Trjv ireTpav Kal
irdvTa 7rp6<; tov dXtjOPj tvttov airevhovTa.
^ Cf. Jnth. Pal. XVI. 115. On the Centaur Cheiron, "A
horse is shed forth from a man, and a man springs up from a
horse ; a man without feet and a swift horse without a head ;
a horse belches out a man, and a man farts out a horse ;" and
116, "There were a horse without a head and a man lying
unfinished. Nature, in sport, grafted him on the swift
horse." Trans. Paton, L.C.L. Cf. also the elder Phil.,
supra, p. 138.
416
12. ON THE STATUE OF A CENTAUR
12. ON THE STATUE OF A CENTAUR i
On entering an awe-inspiring and ample shrine
which had received into itself the most beautiful
statues, I behold set up in the entrance-hall of the
temple a centaur, not like a man,^ as Homer repre-
sents him, but like a '^wooded mountain peak."^
The centaur was a man down as far as the flanks, tlien
it ended in a horse's
four-legged stance."* For both
the horse and the man Nature had cut in two in the
middle and joined into one body, omitting some
members and cleverly adapting the rest to each
other : since of the human form it took away every-
thing from the waist to the ieet, while of the horse's
body it cut off everything down to the navel and
joined the rest to the human figure, as though the
horse desired the iiead, the neck-sinews and that
part of a man's back which broadens as it descends,
while the man sought the firm suj^port of a horse
from the navel to the feet. Such being the body,
you could see also a spirit breathing upon the work
of art, and the savage type of the body, and the
animal nature coming to light in the face ; and you
could see the stone most beautifully interpreting the
hair and every element striving to express the truth.
2 Homer never described Cheiron or the other centaurs as
part horse, part man.
^ Quoted from Odyssey, 9. 191. when the expression is used
of Polyphemus : ' ' For he was fashioned a wondrous monster,
and was not like a man that lives by bread, but like a wooded
peak of lofty mountains, which stands out to view alone,
apart from the rest." Trans. Murray, L.C.L.
■^ Cf. Eur. Her. Fur. 181 : rerpacrKeAes d' v^pi(T/j.a, Kevravptav
yevos,
The four-foot monsters ask. the Centaur tribe";
JJec. 1058, TerpiiroSos ^xaiv drjphi opearipov, "The stance of a
mountain beast."
417
PHILOS. E E
CALLISTRATUS : DESCRIPTIONS
L^' EIS TO THS MHAEIAS ATA AM A
15 (1) ElSoi^ KoX Trjv iro\v6pvXiiTOv ev opois
MaKeSovcov ^h]8€iav. Xi6o^ yv firfvvcov to tP)<;
'x/ru^/'}? elSo? d7ro/ia^afi6vi]<^ 66? avryjv ti]<; rex^V^
ra avfiTrXrjpovvTa r)]P ^vx^']^' x^cu 'yap Xoyia/uLov
KaTTjyopelro 8)']\a)fjLa fcal 6vfjLb<; vTravKTraro Kat,
20 Trpo? \v7rr}<i hidOeaiv pere^aivev rj euKcav, kol ct)9
^pax^W'i elirelv tov irepl avrrjv Spd/jLaro^ €^/]yr]af<;
rjv TO opco/ievov. (2) 'O /xev yap Xoyia/jio<^ inrep
T-qv irpd^LV ihi'-jXov t^? yvvaiKo^; tcl /SovXev/xaTa,
6 Be dvixo^ TTj pvfJbij ti)<^ 6pyy}(; 'jTapaypa(f)6/j,€i>0(;
25 Tr]V (fivaiv Trpo? to epyov I'-jyeipe ttjv iirl tov
(f>6vov ^ opjjbrjv ela 7]y 01) iievo<^, rj Xvirr) Se tov iirl
TOi? iraialv €7T6a)j/jiaiv€V oIktov eh ti]v /j,i]Tpu)av
(jvvecnv dppct)aTco<; eK tov Ov/jlov TrjV Xidov
eX/covaa. ov yap dTeyKTO<; ov8e 6ripL(iihri<^ rj
30 eLKOt)j>, dXX' et? Ovfiov Kal fiaXaKia^; " evhei^Lv
BLrjpecTO virrjpeTOV/jLevT] rot? t% yvvaiKeLa<i <f)vaect)<?
^ouXev/jiaa-LV et/co? yap r/v jxeTa tov ;^oXoi^
K. 437 Kadapevovaav tov Ov/jlov eiTLaTpecfieaOaL 7rp6<i
oIktov /cal et? evvoiav epxoP'evr]v tov KaKOv ti-jv
"yfrvx^]^ OLKTi^eaOaL. (3) TavTa fieTa tov a(jo/jLaTOs
TO, TTuOr] 7] eiKcov €fii/JielTO fcal y)v ISelv tijv XlOov
5 ore iiev ^epovaav tov Ov/jlov ev o/jL/xaaiv, OTe Se
aKvdpcoTTov opcbaav koX /juaXaTTO/ievT/v eh crTvyvo-
TT]Ta, wairep dvTiKpv; tov Texi^V^^/^^^^^ '^V^
1 (povov, Olearius : y\>6(pov, ^6yov.
2 fxaKaKias Schenkl, avias Huschke : fxavias.
1 Cf. Anth. Pal. XVI. 135-141 on the picture of Medea in
Rome, e.g. 135: "The art of Timomachus mingled the love
418
13. ON THE STATUE OF MEDEA
13. ON THE STATUE OF MEDEA
I also saw the celebrated Medea in the land of the
Macedonians.^ It was of marble and disclosed the
nature of her soul in that art had modelled into it
the elements which constitute the soul ; for a course
of reasoning was revealed, and passion was surging
up, and the figure was passing over into a state of
grief, and, to put it briefly, what one saw was an
interpretation of her whole story. For her reasoning
about her course of action revealed the schemes of
the woman, the passion connoted by the onset of her
anger roused her nature to the deed by introducing
the impulse to murder, and the grief denoted her
compassion for her children, transforming without
violence the expression of the marble from passion
to the natural feeling of a mother. For the figure
was not relentless nor brutal, but was so apportioned
as to show both passion and tenderness, thus minis-
tering to the varying purposes of her womanly
nature ; for it was but natural that after her wrath
was over and she was purified of her passion, she
should turn to pity, and that when her soul came to a
realization of her evil deed it should be stirred to pity.
These passions the figure strove to imitate as well as
the form of the body, and one could see the marble
now flashing passion in its eyes, now wearing a look
sullen and softened into gloom, exactly as if the
artist had modelled the woman's passionate impulse
and jealousy of Medea, as she drags her children to death.
She half consents as she looks at the sword, and half refuses,
wishing both to save and to slay her children." Trans.
Paton, L.C. L. For the subject compare the Pompeian wall-
painting, Baumeister, Denkmdler d. klass. AUertums, I, 142,
419
EE 2
CALLISTRATUS : DESCRIPTIONS
opfirjv ei? tt}? KvpLTriBov Spa/iaT07roiLa<^ irXyja-
az^TO? Tr/z^ /jLl/jl7]<tlv, iv y koX /SovXeveraL avvava-
10 KLVovaa koI crvveaLv e/j.(f)poi'a Kal 6t9 6v/jlov
a<y piaivei to i]0o<; tov<; 7r€7r7]y6ra<i rfj cbvaei
7rp6<; ra eKjova t?'}? (jji\oyovLa<; 6pov<; i/c^dX-
\ovaa Kal TraiBiKcov Xoyoyv pera tijv avopov
a^ayi-jv aTrreraL. (4) ^Hi^ Se avrfj Kal ^i(f)y]^6po<i
15 7} Xelp hiaKovelv eroiprj rw Ovp,w eirl to piaapa
(Tirevhovar] Kal i^ pbcXy pevt] ^pl^ to av)(p,7]pov
eTTLay/xaivovaa Kal aToXy tl<; Trevdip^o^; cikoXovOo^^
ih' EIS THN TOT ABAMANTOS
EIKONA
(1) ¥2ko)v yv eirl TaU 'S^KvOiKal^ ipooiv ovk et?
20 iirihei^LV, dXXa et? ^ dywvlav tcov t?}? ypacf)P]<;
KaXcjv OVK dpovaco^ e^yaKypievy. €KT€TV7rcoTat
Se KaT avTTjV ^Add/jia<; p,avi,ai<; olaTpovp,(:VO<;,
rjv 5' ISecv yvp,v6<;, aXjxaTL (f)OLVLacr(ov ttjv Kopiyv,
yvepiwp,evo^ t^v Tpixa, 7rapd(f)opo(; to opLpua, €K-
25 irXri^ia^i yepwv, Kal oWXiaTo Se ov paviais piovov
eh ToX/jtav ovSe rot? e^ ^ILpivvcov heipLaai Ovfxo-
(p06poi<i ^ 7)y plaivev, dXXd Kal auBypov tT;? \€ipo<;
7rpo/3e/3X7]To €KOeoi>Tt 7rapa7TX7]aio<;. (2) 'H pev
yap cIkoov oz^to)? yv dKLvyTO<^, iSoKei Se ov TJjpetv ^
^ its for Koi MS.S. Jacobs, who also inserts -KKaariKfiS
after ivihu^iv. Kayser inserts jxovov after iiriSet^iv.
^ 6vij.o(p66pois JacoV)s : hr)ixo(pQ6pois.
^ TT]pilv Jacobs : o£; n ^v.
^ Atliainas king of Orchoinenos, in secret love witli Ino
(laughter of Cadmus, became tlie father of Learchus and
420
14. ON THE FIGURE OF ATHAMAS
in imitation of the drama of Euripides^ in which
Medea not only forms her plan with the exercise of
a rational intelligence^ but also excites her spirit to
anger as she casts aside the principles fixed by
nature to govern a mother's love for her offspring,
and then after the lawless murder she speaks the
fond words of a mother. Her hand was armed with
the sword, being ready to minister to her passion as
she hastens to her foul deed, and her hair was
unkempt, a mark of squalor, and she wore a garment
of mourning in conformity to the state of her soul.
14. OX THE FIGURE OF ATHAMAS i
There was a figure on the Scythian shores, not set
up for display but fashioned not inelegantly for a
contest of beauty in painting. It represented
Athamas goaded on by madness.^ He was shown as
naked, his hair reddened with blood and its locks
flying in the wind, his eye distraught, himself filled
with consternation ; and he was armed not by mad-
ness alone for a rash deed, nor did he rage merely with
the soul-consuming fears which the Furies send ;
nay, he even held a sword out in front of him, like a
man making a sally. For though the figure was in
reality without motion, yet it seemed not to retain a
Melicertes. Smitten with madness by Hera to avenge her-
self on Ino, who had cared for the infant Dionysus, he slew
his son Learchns. Thereupon Ino threw herself with
Melicertes into the sea, where both were transformed into
sea divinities. For the later story of Melicertes Palaemon,
see supra, p. 191, note 1.
2 Cf. supra, p. .383, note 1,
421
CALLISTRATUS : DESCRIPTIONS
30 TO ardaLfiov, aWa Su^y Kiv/jaeco^; tou? deaTa<i
•43S K. i^larr]. 7rapf)v Se rj 'Jj^co 7re/3iSe?;?, t'TTorpoyLto?,
VTTO Tov (f)6^ou 'X}^ci)p6i> TL KOI TeOvrfKo^ opcoaa,
evTj'yKaXLaro he kol TralSa vi']itiov koI rr]v OijXrjv
TOi? ')(^ei\eaLV avrov irpoaijye ra? Tpo(f)ifiov<;
5 eTTLaTci^ovaa Tr^^-ya? roi? rpocpi/jLOi^;. (3) ^EjTTijyero
Se Tj elfccov hirl^ Ty]v ciKpav tov ^K€ip(ovo<; koI ttjv
OdXarrav ri]v viropeiov, ro Se poOtop tt/qo? vtto-
So)(rjv eKoXirovTo Kv/jLaLvetv etoj^o?, Kal Ze(f>vpov
TV fcarelxG ^ ro /cv/ia ^ \i<yvp(p Tri/ev/jLari t))V
10 OdXarrav /caT€vvd^ovTo<;- 6 yap Sr] Krjpo<^ icf)dvTa^€
TTjv aiaOyaiVy w? Kal TrvorjV hripaovpyelv eTTiard-
fievo'^ Kal draKOVTi^eiv OaXaaalov^; avpa^ Kal
eh epya (f)vaeco'^ errdyeiv ti-jv /jiifii]aiv. (4) Ylapecr-
KLpTwv he Kal evdXioi heX(piue<; to poOwv ev rfj
ypac^fj rep-vovTe^ Kal 6 K7]p6<; ehoKet hiairveeaOai
15 Kal 7r/3o? TO t/}? 6aXdTTy]<; voTi^eaOai^ /jLL/jL7]/jLa
7r/309 avTr]<; ti]V e^ovaiav i^aXXaTTOfievo^;. (5)
"Ez^ ye fJLrjv toI<; tov TrtVa^o? Tepfiaaiv ^A/iKptrpiTi]
Tt? iK ^vOmv dve^7] dypiov tl Kal (f)piKMh€<;
opwaa Kal yXavKOV tl aeXa<; eK rwv OfifiaTCOV
20 /juapfjuaipovaa, NT/yOT;/^^? he irepl avTTjv eiaT7]Ke(T^v,
diraXal he rjcrav avTai Kal dv6i]pal irpoaihelv
KOL d<^pohi(7Lov 7fxepop e'f o/jbjjidTcop aTu^ovaaL,
virep he ciKpcop tcop OaXaaalwp KvpidTwv eXla-
aovaai ti]P 'X^opelap^ €7rX7]TTop, irepl he avTd<;
25 'nKeapo<; /3a . . . . ^ w;^eTo ye fiiKpov tt)? tov
TTora/jLOV Kip)]ae(ji)<; Kal Kv/xatpeip h€LxOei(T7]<;,
^ en-l Petrettini: Kara Kayscr : koI.
~ /caT67;!(;e Ka^'ser : waTe'xf.
^ Kv/j.a Arnini (with Karrix^t for /carexet ) : crSifxa.
■* voTi(fadai Kayscr : vo/xi^eadai.
^ Jacobs x'^piiav : iropeiav.
422
14. ON THE FIGURE OF ATHAMAS
fixed position ; instead it astonished those who saw
it by a semblance of motion. Ino too was present,
in a state of terror, trembling slightly, her face pale
and corpse-like through fright ; and she embraced
her infant child and held her breast to its lips,
letting the nurturing drops fall on the nursling.
The figure of Ino was hastening towards the pro-
montory of Sceiron and the sea at the foot of the
mountain, and the breakers that were wont to surge
in billows were spreading out in a hollow to receive
her, and something of Zephyrus pervaded the
waters ^ as he with shrill blast lulled the sea to rest.
For in truth the wax ^ beguiled the senses into
thinking that it could fashion a breeze and cause the
sea winds to rise and could apply the art of imitation
to nature's works. And sea-dolphins were sporting
near by, coursing through the waves in the painting,
and the wax seemed to be tossed by the wind and
to become wet in imitation of the sea, assuming the
sea's own qualities. Moreover, at the outer edges of
the painting an Amphitrite rose from the depths, a
creature of savage and terrifying aspect who flashed
from her eyes a bright radiance. And round about
her stood Nereids ; these were dainty and bright to
look upon, distilling love's desire from their eyes ;
and circling in their dance over crests of the sea's
waves, they amazed the spectator. About them
flowed Oceanus, the motion of his stream being
well-nigh like the billows of the sea.^
^ See critical note.
2 The medium for colour in the painting was wax.
^ The text of the last sentence is so imperfect that onl}' the
general meaning can be given.
® Kayser fiadvhiurjs : Schenkl ^aduppous. The 76 after
wxero is corrupt.
423
INDEX
Abderus, 239
Abradates, 69, 165
Achelous, 89, 97, 303
Achilles, 7, 133, 155, 287, 293
Act aeon, 61
Adrastus, 105
Adriatic, 195
Aeacus, 189, 293
Aeetes, 315, 319, 343
Aegean, 185, 195
Aegisthus, 173
Aesop's Fables, 13
Agamemnon, 157, 173
Agave, 75
Aiax, 157, 183
Alcmene, 307
alder, 311
Alpheius, 71, 121, 151
amaranth, 39
Amazons, 147
amber, 49
Amphiaraus, 15, 105
Amphion, 41
Amphitrite, 423
Amphitryon, 309
Amymone, 33
Ancaeus, 357
Andrians, 97
Andromeda, 115
Antaeus, 223, 229
Anthedon, 189
Antigone, 253
Antilochus, 155
Aphareus, 189
Aphrodite, 27, 29, 65, 129, 131
Apollo, 41, 86, 95, 99, 103, 217, 297,
353
apples, 21, 29, 123
Apsyrtus, 347
Araspas, 165
Arcadia, 265, 305
Archilochus, 13
Ares 323
Argo', 187, 319, 343, 411
Argos, 233, 257
Ariadne, 61, 341
Arion, 81
Aristodemus, 5
Armenians, 145
Arrichion, 149
Artemis, 143
Artemis Agrotera, 113, 301
Asclepius, 353, 411
Assyrian, 167
Astrape, 59
Atalanta, 357 ^-»
Athamas, 421
Athena, 201, 245, 317, 333, 411
Athens, Athenians, 65, 117, 163, 247,
253
Atlas, 115, 219
Axius, 165
Babylon, 261
Bacchante, 73, 77, 79, 203, 381
Bacchic rites, 169, 339, 381
Balios, 137
bears, 119, 213
bees, 89, 135, 179, 353
boar, 107, 205, 299, 357
Boreas, 189
Bosphoros, 49, 187, 319
Briseis, 133
Bronte, 59
brvony, 73, 97, 203, 297
bull, 193, 293, 305, 339, 403
Cadmeia, 257
Cadmus, 75
Calliope, 343, 353, 401
Capaneus, 15, 105, 169, 253, 257
Cassandra, 171
Cayster, 47
cedar, 205
Celaenae, 81
centaur, 137 f., 361, 417
Cephisus, 163, 215
chariot, 69, 105, 141, 167, 321, 323
INDEX
Cheiron, 135
cherry, 125
Chrvse, 365
Cithaeron, Mt., 61, 73
Clotho, 121
Clvteranestra, 173
Colchis, 189, 201, 313, 345, 361, 365
colour, 3, 95, 111, 117, 135, 161 f., 167,
179, 185, 191, 211, 215, 235, 287,
291, 295, 307, 321, 337, 355, 361,
389, 401, 407
Comus, 9
constellations, 223, 329, 331, 401
Corinth, 191
Coronus, 237
Crete, 63
Critheis. 159
crocus, 161
Croesus, 167, 169
cupids {see also Eros, Erotes), 21, 37
65, 67, 257
Cyclops, 211
cymbals, 21, 79, 179, 203
cypress, 205, 311
Cyrus, 165
Daedalus, 65, 341, 372, 387, 403, 409
DaTphantes, 179
Danaiis, 33
dance, 177. 341
Day, 47, 379
deer, 205, 299
Deianeira, 305, 363
Deiodameia, 293
Demosthenes, 383
Diomedes, 69, 289, 298
Diomedes, mares of, 239
Dionysus, 59, 61, 63, 73, 77, 79, 97, 99,
125, 189, 203, 405
Dioscuri, 189
Dodona, 189, 267
dogs, hunting, 113, 205, 211, 399
dolphins, 79, 193, 215
dove, 267
dreams, 107, 161
drums, 203
dryads, 265
ducks, 37, 243
dwarfs, 19
eagle, 311
Echo, 179, 207, 269, 379, 409
Egypt, 185
Elis, 153
Enceladus, 201
Enipeus, 159, 165
Enyo, 253
Eos, 31
Eridanus, 45, 47
Erinnyes {see also Furies), 255
Eros. Erotes {see also Cupids), 51, 115,
131, 241, 255, 315, 317, 319, 323,
357, 385, 391
Etcocles, 255
Ethiopians, 115, 409
Eumelus, 5
Euripides, 60, 233, 405, 421
Euripvlus, 325, 341
Eurystheus, 231, 333, 347
Euxine, 55, 187
Evadne, 255
Evenus, 361
Evian, 339, 383
Evios, 61
Fables, 13
Fates, 325
fawn, 113, 133, 213
feast, 173
fennel, 243
fig, 123
fir, 37, 205
fish, fishing (see also dolphins), 55, 191,
389
fox, 15
Furies {see also Erinnyes), 421
Galatea, 211
Ganymede, 317
garments, 63, 111, 123, 131, 145, 239,
291, 315,341
geese, 37, 243
giant, 199
Glaucus Pontius, 187
Gorgon, 117
Graces, 43
gulls, 207
Gyraean Rocks, 181, 193
Hades. 177
hare, 27, 113, 133, 243 311
Harmonia, 75
Hebe, 223
Hector, 133, 183
Helicon, 401
Helius, 45, 47, 265, 315
Helle, 189
Hellespont, 325
Helius, 267
Hephaestus, 9, 23, 247, 277, 327, 361
426
INDEX
Hera, 247, 307
Heracles, 189, 219, 229, 237, 239, 347,
361, 363, 365
among the Pygmies, 229
in swaddling clothes, 307
or Achelous, 309
the madness of, 231
Hermes, 41, 45, 99 f., 101 f., 229, 263
Hesiod, 13
Hesione, 347, 351
Hesperides, 201
Hierapolis, 50
hippocamps, 33
Hippodameia, 69, 71, 119, 323
Hippolytus, 141
Hippomedon, 253, 257
Homer. 7, 33, 133, 159, 163, 249, 267,
269, 319, 325, 329, 417
Horae, 47, 101, 269
horses, 47, 105, 109, 119, 133, 137, 141,
145, 187, 347, 403
hospitality, 243
hunters, 107, 297
hyacinth, 93, 161, 269
Hyacinthus, 93, 353
Hyades, 329
Hvllus, 363
Hymettus, 181
hymn, 331, 345
Hium, 183, 293, 325
Imbros, 195
Inachus, 33
Indian, statue of, 389
Ino, 193, 423
Ionia, 163
Iphitus, 241
Islands, 195
Ister, 47, 97
Isthmus, 193, 195
lyy, 59, 63, 79, 89, 97, 203, 299, 379
Ixion, 139
Jason, 189, 315, 343, 361, 365
kingfisher, 191
labyrinth, 63
Lacedaemonians, 95, 117, 153
landscape, 35
Laomedon, 351
laurel, 179
Lechaeum, 195
Lemnos, 195
leopard, 63, 79
Lesbos, 133, 195
Leto, 295, 353, 355
Leucothea, 193
Lindians, 231, 237
lion, 73, 119, 213, 311, 339, 403
Locrian, 181, 183
looms, 249
lotus, 161
Lucian, 19
Lybia, 229
Lycambes, 13
Lvcomedes, 289, 293
Lydia, Lydians, 69, 71, 77, 117, 119,
123, 165, 321
Lynceus, 189
lyre, 41, 137, 297, 401, 403
Lysippus, 395
ilacedonians, 419
magpie, 211
Maia, 101 f .
Maron, 77
marsh, 35
Marsvas, 81, 235
Medea, 313, 319, 343, 419
Medusa, 115
Megaera, 61 ^
Megara, 233
Meleager, 357
Meles, 159, 163
Meliboea, 365
Melicertes, 193
Melpomene, 351
Memnon, 29, 31, 155, 379, 407
Menelaiis, 155, 365
Menoeceus, 15
Midas, 85
minotaur, 65
monster, 347
moral of a painting, 11
mountains, personified, 101, 143
mulberry, 255
Muses, 41, 59, 163, 215, 353, 395, 401
Myron's discobolus, 95
Myrtilus, 69, 323
myrtle, 179
naiads, 163, 179
Naples, 5
Narcissus, 83, 89, 391
narthex, 76
Nature, 297, 417
Naxos, 61
Neoptolemus, 325
nereids, 163, 193, 197, 423
427
INDEX
Nereus, 289
Nessus, 361
Night, 9, 47, 309
nightingale, 299
Nile, 19, 31, 97, 185
nymphs, 21, 87, 107, 177, 225, 245, 389
oak, 205, 267
Oak's Heads, 219
Oceanus, 109, 165, 331, 341, 423
Odysseus, 177, 289 f., 327
Oebalus, 355
Oeneus, 305, 361
Oenomaiis, 69, 119, 321
offerings, 27, 29, 167, 193, 257, 267
olive, 15, 71, 151
Olmeius, 163, 401
Olympia, 263
Olympic games, 149, 217
Olympus, 81, 83
Olympus, Mt., 101
Opportunity, statue of, 395
oracle, 293
Orion, 329
Oropus, 107, 343
Orpheus, 187, 191, 309, 343, 401
Orthian strain, 39
owl, 203 f .
Pactolus, 97
Paean, 217, 353, 411
painting
atmosphere in, 5
chiaroscuro, 222, 265
clever points of, 11, 17, 39, 41, 53,
63, 103, 119, 165
delineation of character, 157, 159,
171, 288, 295, 305, 313, 317
drawing, 67
foreshortening in, 45
pigments, 109
technical terms, 45, 67, 109
theory of, 3, 279, 299
truth of representation, 3, 11, 109,
155, 179, 181, 261, 265, 277, 339
Palaemon, 81, 191, 193
Palaestra, 263
palm, 41
Pan, 61, 63, 77, 177, 181, 379
pancratium, 241
Pantheia, 165
Paphos, 131
Parrot, 211
parsley, 37, 243
Parthenopaeus, 253
428
Pasiphae, 65
Patroclus, 7, 133, 155
Pausanius, 41
pears, 123
Pegasus, 401
Peleus, 291, 359
Pelion, 139
Pelops, 69, 71, 119, 321, 325
Peneius, 97, 165, 185
Penelope, 249
Pentheus, 61, 73
Perseus, 115
Persians, 145, 165
personilication of
day, 379, 407, 409
doom, 335
earth, 227
meadows, 143
mountains, 101, 143
night, 9, 47, 309
rivers, 99, 187, 297, 319
sleep, 229
strife, 335
truth, 107
tumult, 335
perspective, 17
Phaedra, 141
Phaethon, 45
Phasis, 315, 319, 343
Phlegyans, 215
Phocis, 217
Phoenicians, 111
Phoenix, 293
Pholoe, 363
Phorbas, 215
Phrixus, 189
Phrvgian, 51, 85, 295
Pindar, 179, 237
pine, 85, 193, 205, 213, 311
pipe, shepherd's, 213, 335, 377
plastic art, 3
Pleiades, 329, 401
Plutarch. 17 n.
Plutus, 247
Poeas, 365
Polyneices, 15, 105, 253, 255
Polyphemus, 213
Pontus, 319
poplar, 311
Poseidon, 21, 33, 71, 119, 159, 183,
185, 193, 197, 213, 321
potter's wheel, 341
Praxiteles, 385, 403, 413
praver, 113, 117, 119, 267
Priam, 133, 173
INDEX
prophetess, 171
Protesilaiis, 169
Proteus, 209
Pyrrbus, 289, 291, 325, 341
razors, 179
Ehea, 179, 181
Rhodes, Rhodians, 237, 247
Ehodogouue, 145
rivers, personified, 99, 187, 297, 319
roses, 11, 63, 269
sacrifice, 233, 239, 247, 255, 257, 267
Salamis, 261
Sappho, 129
satyrs, 79, 81, 85, 99, 297, 377
Scamander, 7, 130, 133. 175
Sceiron, 423
Scopas, 381
sculpture, 3
Scyros, 289
Scythian, 421
Seilenus, 86, 99, 203
Semele, 59
Seres, 249
serpents, 203, 303, 307
ships, 63, 77, 181, 189, 197, 207
singers, 129
Sipylus, Mt., 71
sirens, 211
Sisyphus, 193
Sophocles, 287, 351
spiderwebs, 249
statues, 31, 181
swan, 37, 47
symbolism, 51, 63
symbols, use of, 21
Symplegadae, 187, 319
syrinx, 395
Teiresias, 17
Temps, 97
tern, 207
Thebans, 15, 41. 59, 73, 257, 309
Theiodamas, 237
Themistocles, 259
Theseus, 61, 141
Thessalv, 185, 189
Thetis, 289
Thrace, 313
thyrsus. 39, 73, 87, 99, 203, 383, 407
Tiphys, 189
Titaresius, 165, 187
Tmolus, Mt., 79
tortoise shell, 43
trees, 35, 85, 193, 197, 205, 311
tripod, 133
Tritons, 99, 215
Trojans, 183
Troy {see also Ilium), 293, 365
Tydeus, 253, 257, 291
Typho, 201
Tyro, 159
Tyrrhenian pirates, 75
Uranus, 131
Tine, 79, 125, 203, 211, 271, 297, 339
wagon, 199
water-clock, 83
wolves, 113, 311
wrestling, 151, 153, 225, 263
Xanthus, 137, 165, 325
Xenia, 123, 243
Xenophon, 165
Xerxes, 261
Youth, statue of a, 413
Zephvrus, 39, 47, 81, 92, 97, 135, 195,
357, 423
Zeus, 59, 165, 189, 201, 247, 257, 267,
269
Zeus Herkeios, 233
429
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