was surrounded by a colonnade, which had eight columns at each end. The architectural arrangements can be best learnt from the model which is exhibited in this room. A view is given in fig. 5. See also the plan (fig. 6) and the sectional elevation (fig. 7). The principal chamber (cella) within the colonnade contained the colossal statue of Athenè Parthenos, now only preserved to us in copies of insignificant size (see below, nos. 300-302). The place occupied by the statue is marked 'Athenè Parthenos' in the plan. The sculptural decorations of the outside of the building were: (1) The East and West Pediment Groups which filled the pediments or gables at the ends of the building. (2) The Metopes or square panels, adorned with groups in very high relief; these served to fill up the spaces between the triglyphs, or sets of vertical bands, which are supposed to represent what in wood-construction would be ends of beams. (3) The Frieze, a continuous band of low relief which ran along the side walls of the cella, and above the two rows of six columns immediately attached to it. (See figs. 6, 7.) The whole was executed in marble obtained from the quarries of the Attic hill, Pentelicus. These several groups of sculpture are described below. Later History of the Parthenon. The statue of the Parthenos is known to have been in existence about 430 A.D.; but not long after this date the figure was removed, and the Parthenon was converted into a Christian church. Athens was taken by the Turks in 1458, and soon after the Parthenon was converted into a Turkish Mosque, like the Church of St. Sophia at Constantinople and the Gothic Cathedrals of Cyprus. From this date it probably suffered little until 1687, when Athens was taken by the Venetian General, Morosini. In the course of a bombardment of the Acropolis, the besiegers succeeded in throwing a shell into a powder magazine in the Parthenon, and caused an explosion that destroyed the roof and much of the long sides of the building. Further injury was done by Morosini, who made an attempt with insufficient appliances to take down the central group of the west pediment, which was still nearly complete. The workmen had hardly begun to remove the cornices above the figures when the whole of the central group fell to the ground. Fortunately, many of the sculptures had been drawn by a skilful artist before the explosion. In 1674, a painter in the suite of the Marquis de Nointel, French ambassador at the Porte, commonly supposed (according to an untrustworthy tradition) to have been Jacques Carrey, made sketches of large portions of the frieze and metopes, and of the then extant portions of the pedimental compositions. These drawings are preserved in the French Bibliothèque Nationale, and are constantly referred to in discussions of the Parthenon sculptures. In 1688 Athens was restored to the Turks, and for more than C a century the sculptures of the Parthenon were exposed to constant injury. Some of them were made into lime, or built into walls by the Turkish garrison; others were mutilated by the Turks or by travellers who from time to time obtained admission to the Acropolis, and broke off portable fragments of the sculptures. In 1749, when the west pediment was drawn by R. Dalton, many figures still remained in position which had disappeared before the time of Lord Elgin. Several portions also of the frieze, which were seen by Stuart (1752), had disappeared at the beginning of the nineteenth century. On the other hand, the east pediment, being inaccessible, suffered no important change between 1674 and 1800. An account has already been given above of the proceedings of Lord Elgin's agents. Several portions of the sculptures of the Parthenon have been discovered since the time of Lord Elgin on the Acropolis and its slopes, or in various parts of Europe, to which they had been taken by travellers. These are represented as far as possible in the British Museum by plaster casts. The following aids to the study of the Parthenon will be found in the Elgin Room : Model of the Athenian Acropolis, showing the results of the last excavations. Model of the Parthenon. The model was made by R. C. Lucas, on a scale of a foot to 20 feet, and represents the state of the temple in 1687, after the explosion, but before Morosini had attacked the west pediment. Carrey's drawings of the pediments. Photographic reproductions of the originals are exhibited. (See also figs. 8, 9.) A drawing by Pars of the East end of the Parthenon, in 1765. STATUE OF ATHENÈ PARTHENOS. The colossal statue of Athenè Parthenos by Pheidias was placed within the central chamber of the Parthenon. The figure was made of gold and ivory, and was, with its base, about 40 feet high. Athene stood, draped in chiton and aegis. In her left hand she held her spear and shield. Between her and her shield was the serpent Erichthonios. On her outstretched right hand was a winged Victory, six feet high, holding a wreath. The helmet of the goddess was adorned with a Sphinx and Gryphons, two figures of Pegasus, and a row of small horses. All available spaces were covered with reliefs. In particular there was a battle between Greeks and Amazons (see below, no. 302) on the outside of the shield. 300. (Plate II.) Cast of a statuette, copied from the Athenè Parthenos. This figure, which was found at Athens in 1880 (and from the place of its discovery is usually known as 'the Varvakion Athenè') gives a fair idea of the general form of the colossal statue. 301. Another cast of a statuette copied from the Athenè Parthenos. This figure, which was found at Athens in 1859 (and is usually known as the Lenormant copy), is unfinished, but gives rough indications of the reliefs, namely, the battle of Greeks and Amazons on the shield, and the birth of Pandora on the plinth. 300A. A third cast of the figure is taken from a torso discovered in 1896 at Patras. Judging from what remains, this would have been the most important of the three copies if it had been more complete. 6 302. Fragment of shield supposed to be a rough copy from the shield of the statue of Athenè Parthenos. A comparison with the last number and with other copies makes the origin of this relief (called after its previous owner, Viscount Strangford, the Strangford shield') fairly certain. It is even possible to identify two of the figures - a bald-headed figure with a battle-axe, and a Greek with face half hidden-as those which a later Greek legend, preserved for us by Plutarch, called Pheidias and Pericles, and connected with a charge said to have been made against Pheidias of impiety in placing the portraits in so sacred a place. Traces of painting remain on the back of the shield, where the original is known to have been decorated with the war of the gods and giants. THE SCULPTURES OF THE PARTHENON. The marbles of the Parthenon are accounted, by the consent of artists and critics, to be the finest series of sculptures in the world. In the art of Pheidias complete technical mastery has been acquired, and sculpture is freed from its archaic fetters. It is, however, still pervaded by a certain grave dignity and simplicity which is wanting in the more sensuous, more florid, or more conventional works of a later time. EASTERN PEDIMENT OF THE PARTHENON. 303. We know from Pausanias (i., 24, 5) that the subject of the composition in the Eastern Pediment had relation to the birth of Athenè, who, according to the legend, sprang forth, fully armed, from the brain of Zeus. As all the central part of this composition was already destroyed when Carrey made his drawing of the pediment, we have no means of ascertaining how the subject was treated, though a certain amount of evidence as to the grouping of the figures can be obtained from marks on the floor of the pediment. It can hardly be doubted, however, that figures of Zeus and Athenè occupied the middle of the pediment, and from analogy with other representations of the incident it is likely that Zeus was enthroned, and Athenè standing erect, in full armour, while Hephaestos (see below, H) was starting back, after cleaving the K L G Fig. 8.-Carrey's drawing of the East Pediment of the Parthenon. F ய C A skull of Zeus. One representation of the subject, as drawn by a vase-painter of the fifth century B.C., will be found below, p. 207, but it is impossible to suppose that the Athenè of the East Pediment was of such insignificant proportions. Though the central group is missing, a general view of the pedimental figures shows the skill with which the groups are composed to harmonise with the raking lines of the upper cornice of the pediment. It must also be observed that there is a subtle gradation in the emotion and interest shown by the figures taken in order from the middle outwards. In this way, although vigorous action was represented in the middle of the pediments, the artist has been able, by introducing figures in deep repose, to prevent an effect of undue restlessness, and to make the whole monumental. If we confine our attention to the extant figures, we find wide differences of opinion as to their interpretation. The figures in the extreme angles are the only ones as to which there can be no doubt. On the left the sun-god, Helios, rises from the ocean, driving his car, and on the right the moongoddess Selenè sets beneath the horizon. These two figures may be interpreted as marking the boundaries either of Olympos or of the universe. It has also been suggested that they indicate the hour at which the birth took place. Helios, issuing from the sea, must denote the sunrise. As to the remaining figures, numerous interpretations have been suggested, but none are certain. They may be divided into two classes, according as they regard the figures as definite mythological persons, such as Theseus, or personifications of parts of the natural world, such as Mount Olympos. Taking the figures of the East Pediment in order, we have: 303 A, B, C. Helios, the sun-god, rising with his horses from the waves, which are shown rippling about the group. Bronze rivet-holes show the original positions of the metal reins and horse trappings. Helios must be regarded as standing in a four-horsed chariot, with arms outstretched to hold the reins. Two of the horses' heads are still in place in the pediment. 303 D. (Plate III.). This figure is commonly known as Theseus, though there is in truth very little probability that the name is correct. He has also been called Heracles, Cephalos, or Dionysos or (as a personification of nature) Mount Olympos. He reclines in easy position on a rock, covered first with a skin, perhaps of a lion, but probably of a panther, and secondly with a mantle. In the hands, now lost, he may have held a long staff (in the left), and a cup (in the right). He shows no consciousness of the events passing in the centre of the pediment. From this figure, more than from any other that is preserved to us, we obtain an idea of the serene grandeur and simple power of sculptures of the school of Pheidias. 303 E, F. Two female figures seated on square chests. They are grouped in a way that suggests affectionate intimacy. The figure on the right seems to be learning the news of the birth of the goddess with emotion and surprise. The names commonly given to this pair are Demeter and Persephonè (Ceres and Proserpine), F being the mother and E the daughter. They have also been taken for two of the Horae, or Seasons, who, so Homer tells us (Il. v., 749; viii., 393), were the warders of the cloud-gates of Heaven. 303 G. Iris (?)—This figure is moving rapidly away from the central group. The left arm was probably extended; the right was bent nearly at a right angle. Both hands probably held parts of the mantle, of which a remnant floats behind, bellied out by the resistance of the air to the rapid movement of the figure. The arms of this figure are small in proportion to the strength of the lower limbs, and the breasts undeveloped, like those of a young girl. This would be consistent with the type of Iris as the swift messenger of Zeus and Hera. From the rapid movement of the figure in a direction turned away from the centre of the composition, archæologists have been nearly unanimous in thinking that the figure is Iris on her way to announce the event of the birth to the world outside Olympos. But according to the usual language of Greek art, the action is that of one starting aside in alarm rather than of steady flight. Moreover, the wings of Iris, which on the frieze are assigned to her (see p. 33), are wanting and for these reasons various alternative names have been proposed such as Eileithyia, the goddess who attends on birth, or Hebè, or simply an alarmed maiden. 303 H. Cast of a torso of Hephaestos or Prometheus. We have now reached the central group, as to which all is uncertain. This powerful torso (exhibited under the frieze) was found on the east side of the Parthenon. The action of the shoulders, and of the muscles of the ribs and back, shows that the arms were raised. |