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GREEK GODS AND HEROES
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GREEK GODS
AND HEROES
AS REPRESENTED IN THE
CLASSICAL COLLECTIONS
OF THE MUSEUM
A HANDBOOK
FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS
PREPARED IN CONJUNCTION WITH
A COMMITTEE OF TEACHERS BY
ARTHUR FAIRBANKS
PUBLISHED FOR
MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS, BOSTON
BY HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY
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COPYRIGHT, I915, BYJVIUSEUM OF FINE ARTS, BOSTON
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Pttblislied November iqi^
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CAMBKIDGE . MASSACHUSETTS
U . S . A
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PREFACE
This handbook is intended for high-school students of
literature who have occasion to become familiar with the
Greek gods and heroes. To the student of Virgil or of
Milton these gods may remain merely names, or they
may be associated with illustrations in books; fortunately
Boston possesses original works of Greek art which repre-
sent them as they were conceived by the Greeks them-
selves, and the present book directs attention to the
original Greek representation of each god or hero which
may be seen there. It will entirely fail of its purpose un-
less it brings the student face to face with the objects in
the Museum illustrated in it. In so far as this purpose is
fulfilled, the student may come to realize the personality
of these beings of Greek imagination through the arts of
sculpture and painting as well as through the art of litera-
ture. In a word, the student may see the imaginative
being about whom he is reading, as the Greeks them-
selves saw it. To this purpose the brief descriptions of
the gods and heroes are subordinated.
The objects illustrated and the quotations from Greek
and Latin authors were selected by a committee of high-
school teachers appointed by the Boston Council of
vi PREFACE
Ancient Language Teachers, namely, Miss Caroline
W. Trask, chairman; Miss Persis P. Drake; Messrs.
Henry C. Jones, Herbert T. Rich, and William H.
Sylvester.
In preparing the text, also, I have benefited by the
suggestions and criticisms of this Committee.
Arthur Fairbanks.
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
I
PERIODS IN THE HISTORY OF CLASSICAL ART . . 2
I. Prehistoric Art of Greece, 3000-1000 b.c. .... 2
II. Archaic Greek Art, 1000-500 b.c. ..... 2
III. The Fifth Century, 500-400 b.c. ..... 3
IV. The Fourth Century, 400-300 b.c. ..... 5
V. The Hellenistic Period, 300-100 b.c. ..... 6
VI. Gr^co-Roman Art, 100 b.c.-zog a.d. ..... 6
GREEK PAINTED VASES 8
TERRA-COTTA FIGURINES, RELIEFS, ETC. . . .10
ZEUS— JUPITER 13
HERA — JUNO 16
ATHENA — MINERVA 17
APOLLO AND ARTEMIS (DIANA) .... 20
CYBELE 24
POSEIDON — NEPTUNE 27
NEREIDS 29
SCYLLA . 29
HELIOS; PHAETHON 31
EOS — AURORA 32
DEMETER (CERES) AND PERSEPHONE (PROSER-
PINA) 33
viii CONTENTS
DIONYSUS — BACCHUS 35
HERMES — MERCURY 36
APHRODITE (VENUS): EROTES (CUPIDS) . . 40
ARES — MARS 43
HEPH^STUS — VULCAN 44
JANUS ........... 44
10 ; DANAE; PERSEUS ; MEDUSA .... 45
BELLEROPHON 49
EUROPA; THE MINOTAUR 50
ACTION 52
(EDIPUS 53
THE CALYDONIAN BOAR 54
HERACLES — HERCULES 55
THESEUS 62
THE TROJAN WAR 66
INDEX 81
ILLUSTRATIONS
From objects in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
1. Gold and ivory statuette from Crete, about 1600 B.C. . 2
2. Marble portrait of a youth, Roman copy of a Greek work
in the style of Scopas 5
3. Portrait of Arsinoe II (?); bronze, about 300 B.C. . 6
4. Roman portrait head; terra-cotta, first century B.C. . 7
5. Head of Zeus; marble, fourth-century copy from the Zeus
of Pheidias 14
6. Coin of Elis, about 400 B.C. ; head of Zeus, eagle of Zeus . 1 5
7. Coin of Elis, fourth century B.C.; head of Hera, eagle . 16
8. Bronze statuette of Athena; Grccco-Roman . . .17
9. Black-figured amphora, sixth century B.C.; birth of Athena 18
10. Coin of Athens, fifth century B.C.; head of Athena, owl 19
11. Late red-figured krater made in Italy; Athena and Mar-
syas 19
12. Pyxis or toilet box, fifth century B.C.; Apollo and the
Muses 21
13. Red-figured oinochoe or pitcher; Apollo and Artemis . 22
14. Head of Artemis; marble, fifth century B.C. . . -23
15. Cybele; Colossal marble statue, about 300 B.C. . . 25
16. Terra-cotta figurine from Asia Minor, late third century
B.C.; Cybele riding on a lion 26
17. Coin of Poseidonia, sixth century B.C. Poseidon with
trident . . . • 27
18. Small bronze statuette of Poseidon; Roman period . . 2S
X
ILLUSTRATIONS
19. Gold seal ring, Athens, fifth century B.C.; Nereid on a sea
horse
20. Late vase made in Italy; Scylla ....
21. Coin of Rhodes, fourth century B.C.; head of Helios, rose
22. Arretine pottery mould; Death of Phaethon .
23. Roman cameo; Aurora driving a biga
24. Votive mask of terra-cotta, late fifth century B.C.; bust of
Demeter ........
25. Coin of Delphi, fourth century B.C.; Demeter veiled and
with wreath of grain, Apollo seated on omphalus .
26. Red-figured vase; Persephone rising from the ground
27. Coin of Naxos in Sicily, fifth century B.C. ; head of Diony
sus, Satyr drinking ......
28. Bronze statuette, sixth century B.C.; Hermes with ram
29. Graeco-Roman marble: Hermes (type of fourth century
30. Intaglio gem, Hellenistic period; Hermes with lyre .
31. Bronze and iron caduceus
32. Bronze mirror handle, about 500 B.C.; Aphrodite and
xL/roLes .........
2,:^. Plastic lekythos, fourth century B.C.; birth of Aphrodite
34. Marble head of Aphrodite, fourth century B.C. .
35. Terra-cotta figurines from Myrina, second century b.c
Erotes or Cupids .......
36. Graeco-Roman cameo; wedding of Cupid and Psyche
37. Roman terra-cotta lamp; head of Janus .
38. Red-figured vase painting, from a hydria; Hermes about
to slay Argus .......
39. Red-figured hydria, early fifth century B.C.; carpenter
preparing the chest for Danae and Perseus
ILLUSTRATIONS xi
40. Black cup with stamped figures, fourth century B.C.;
Perseus and Medusa ....... 47
41. Bronze handle, sixth century B.C.; head of Medusa . 48
42. Proto-Corinthian vase, seventh century B.C.; Bellerophon
attacking the Chimaera ...... 40
43. Black-figured amphora, sixth century B.C.; Europa on the
bull .......... 50
44. Coin of Cnossos in Crete, fourth century B.C.; head of
Hera, labyrinth 51
45. Red-figured krater, about 450 B.C.; death of Actaeon . 52
46. Red-figured amphora; CEdipus and the Sphinx . . 53
47. Bronze mirror case, Greek, fourth century B.C.; Caly-
donian boar hunt 54
48. Coin of Byzantium, fourth century B.C. ; infant Heracles
strangling serpents, bull on dolphin . . . -56
49. Black-figured amphora; Heracles strangHng the Nemean
lion, lolaus, and Athena . . . . . -57
50. Section of frieze from 'the temple at Assos, sixth century
B.C.; Heracles shooting an arrow at the flying Centaurs 57
51. Black and red-figured amphora, about 500 B.C.; Heracles
and the Cretan bull ....... 58
52. Early black-figured amphora; battle of Heracles with the
Amazons ......... 58
53. Small archaic Greek bronze; Heracles shooting an arrow . 59
54. Red-figured plate ; youthful Heracles dragging Cerberus,
attended by Hermes 60
55. Black-figured hydria; Heracles and the Triton . . .61
56. Marble statuette of Heracles; Roman copy of a bronze by
Myron (?) 61
57. Terra-cotta figure, southern Italy, second century B.C.;
Heracles reclining on his lion skin . . . .62
xii ILLUSTRATIONS
$^. Scene on the shoulder of a black-figured hydria; Theseus
slaying the Minotaur 63
S^a. Red-figured vase painting, late fifth century; Theseus
abandoning Ariadne -63
59. Red-figured kyhx signed by Aristophanes, late fifth cen-
tury B.C. ; Theseus defending a Lapith woman attacked
by a Centaur ........ 64
60. R.ed-figured lekythos, about 450 B.C.; Theseus and two
companions in conflict with Hippolyte on horseback and
a second Amazon on foot ...... 05
61. Fragment of marble sculpture, early fourth century B.C.;
Amazon on horseback 66
62. Scene from red-figured bowl (skyphos), about 460 B.C.; ab-
duction of Helen ........ 67
63. Red-figured krater, about 450 B.C.; ^Eneas and Diomedes 67
64. Black-figured lekythos; Achilles, Athena, and Ajax . . 69
65. Apulian red-figured amphora, fourth century B.C.; visit
of Phoenix to Achilles 70
66. Red-figured amphora, about 450 B.C.; Hephaestus and
Thetis . . . . . . . . -71
67. Red-figured kylix, about 450 B.C.; Hector and Achilles
before Troy 72
68. Etruscan bronze mirror, third century B.C. ; suicide of Ajax 73
69. Marble relief, late Greek work; death of Priam . -75
70. Scene from red-figured bowl, about 460 B.C.; Menelaus re-
covers Helen ........ 75
71. Red-figured toilet box (cover), second half fifth century
B.C.; Odysseus meeting Nausicaa . . . . • 76
72. Black-figured kylix, early sixth century B.C.; Odysseus
and Circe ......... 77
73. Marble head of Homer . . . . . . -79
GREEK GODS AND HEROES
INTRODUCTION
Marvellous as are the remains of Greek and Roman
art to-day, they give us but faint glimmerings of its
original glory. Marble statues and reliefs, the greatest
achievements of sculpture ever made, have been muti-
lated by barbarian hands and for the most part burned
in kilns for lime. Bronze statues and utensils have been
melted for the metal they contain, or have crumbled un-
der the action of the atmosphere. Objects of terra-cotta
have been ruthlessly broken in pieces; gold jewellery has
been used for buUion; and other objects of the minor arts
have largely been destroyed or lost. Largely because
they were placed in graves and were not destroyed by
atmospheric influence, terra-cotta figures and vases re-
main to us in rather large numbers; and buried hoards of
coins not infrequently come to light. But Greek painting
we only know in late examples like those found at Pom-
peii and in such minor work as the scenes on painted
vases. Of original Greek sculpture by a great master
only the Hermes of Praxiteles is left, and that is not com-
plete. The statues that adorned the temples and public
buildings of Greece in countless numbers have disap-
peared. Yet, though our knowledge of Greek sculpture
is based on late copies and on a few works by less gifted
men, these are sufficient to kindle the deepest admiration
of later ages.
INTRODUCTION
PERIODS IN THE HISTORY OF CLASSICAL ART
In general Greek and Roman art may be considered in
six periods : —
I. Prehistoric Art of Greece, 3000-1000 B.C. It is less
than forty years since excavations at Mycenae first
revealed an art hitherto unknown,
which is still often called '' Myce-
naean." The civihzation which pro-
duced it probably centred originally
in the island of Crete, whose power
and wealth are echoed in the tradi-
tions of Minos, King of Cnossos. At
its best the art of this people shows
an admirable skill in decorative de-
sign and a free style approaching
naturalism ; the phenomena of nature
and even of human life are repre-
sented vividly and freshly. In the
Cast Court a case of electrotype re-
productions gives some idea of the
wonderful decorated work in metal
from this epoch ; the Museum also ex-
hibits a, few of the engraved seal stones, a series of stone
and pottery vases, and a small ivory figure of a god-
dess.
II. Archaic Greek Art, 1000-500 B.C. Social and po-
litical changes, which accompanied the shiftmg of popu-
lation in Greece about 1000 B.C., prepared the way for
I. Gold and ivory sta-
tuette from Crete,
about 1600 B.C.;
snake goddess
INTRODUCTION 3
the development of the historic Greek people and Greek
art properly so-called. The early development of this art
is illustrated by the painted pottery vases. The earlier
t\'pe has rather heavy shapes and the decoration consists
of geometrical designs, in which rudely drawn men and
animals are sometimes introduced. In the eighth and
seventh centuries the vases of Rhodes and Corinth,
with their rows of animals real and fantastic and their
abundant use of rosettes, spirals, etc., illustrate the
strong influence of Eastern art. In the sixth century
Athens became the centre of the potter's art. In the
Attic black-figured ware the shapes were refined, the
conventional decorative ornament was confined to defi-
nite limits, and the interest of the vases was much in-
creased by the use of scenes of human interest. At this
time, in the sixth century B.C., the characteristic human-
ism of Greek art is already manifest in the sculptor's
effort to reproduce the human figure in bronze and
marble, though sculpture was mainly limited to works
of a religious nature — statues of gods, ideal statues of
athletes commemorating victories in religious games,
and other sculptures dedicated to the gods. In the
Archaic room are exhibited the limestone statue of a
man, and several bronze statuettes; these illustrate the
limitations of sculpture in this epoch, and its singular
charm.
III. The Fifth Century, 500-400 B.C. During the years
in which the -^reek states were rising to their highest
political power, the technical progress of the arts con-
4 INTRODUCTION
tinued, and the conventions of the archaic period gradu-
ally gave way to a free style. In the pottery of Athens
the colors were reversed; the figures were left in the red
color of the clay and the background filled in with solid
black; further, mythological scenes became less frequent
than scenes taken from daily life. The influence of the
painting of Polygnotus may be clearly seen on certain
vases after the middle of the century. The strivings to
express the human figure freely in bronze and marble in
the earlier part of the century culminated in the noble
sculptures of the latter part, which embodied so per-
fectly the Hellenic ideal of proportion, sanity, and self-
command. Sculpture still served a civic and a religious
end, in that the statues and reliefs represented either the
gods and stories of the gods or victorious athletes or dead
persons (grave monuments). The three great sculptors
of this epoch were Myron, Polycleitus, and Pheidias.
The work of Myron is represented in the Museum by a
cast of the well-known Discobolus and by an excellent
Roman copy in marble of a bronze statuette of Heracles
(see p. 6i). A fine head in the style of Polycleitus and
the cast of his Spear-bearer (Doryphorus) show the im-
personal, ideal manner in which this artist worked. And
some conception of the greatness of Pheidias may be
gained from the casts of the Parthenon sculpture, and
from the fourth-century copy in marble of the head of
his Olympian Zeus (see p. 14). Artistic objects of minor
importance, such as coins, gems, jewellery, and utensils,
illustrate the same Greek ideals of proportion and adap-
INTRODUCTION
tation of means to ends and the effort to make each ob-
ject perfect in its own way.
IV. The Fourth Century, 400-300 B.C. With the decay
of pohtical power and the waning influence of state re-
Hgion in this age, individual-
ism came to dominate Greek
thought and action. The
glory or the riches or the
pleasure a man could attain
for himself was the motive
of life, rather than the glory
and the power of the state
he might serve. Sculpture
showed the influence of this
change in the attention paid
to individual portraiture, in
the effort to produce charm-
ing objects rather than to
embody great ideas, and in
the expression of individual
emotion even in statues of
the gods. The grace of Prax-
iteles may be seen in the cast of his Hermes, in the mar-
ble head of Aphrodite (see p. 41), and in the terra-cotta
figurines which show the influence of his work; in con-
trast with this spirit a marble head of a youth gives some
idea of the fire and intensity that marked the work of
Scopas. Potters produced richly decorated vases with
little artistic feeling, though painted vases were for the
2. Marble portrait of a youth, Ro-
man copy of a Greek work in
the style of Scopas
INTRODUCTION
most part made in Italy rather than in Athens. The
spirit of the age was finely expressed in decorative ob-
jects of the minor arts.
V. The Hellenistic Period, 300-100 B.C. The reign of
Alexander the Great marks the beginning of a period
when artists of
great technical skill
lacked the creative
impulse to produce
great works of art.
Noble portraits,
however, were pro-
duced in bronze
and marble; an-
cient myths, no
longer believed,
wxre treated in a
dramatic and pic-
turesque style;
and genre scenes
and types were
expressed with
wonderful charm.
More and more, objects of art served to glorify the in-
dividual, or to beautify his home.
VI. GrcEco-Roman Art, 100 B.C. to 200 a.d. When
Rome conquered the Mediterranean world, and the
practical Roman mind dominated its civilization, an in-
dependent Greek art could no longer exist. The tech-
j. Portrait of Arsinoe II {?); bronze, about
300 B.C.
INTRODUCTION
nical skill which had been acquired, however, served to
produce fine portraits and good examples of decoration.
4. Roman portrait head; tcrra-cotta, first century B.C.
Countless statues from plundered Greek cities were
brought to Italy to decorate Roman palaces and villas;
but the demand so far exceeded the supply that famous
statues of the fifth and fourth centuries were reproduced
8 INTRODUCTION
in great numbers in a more or less mechanical manner.
The '^archaistic'' sculpture of this epoch further exem-
plifies the absence of original inspiration.
GREEK PAINTED VASES
Greek painted vases were distinctly objects of a minor
art, hardly regarded in ancient Greece as objects of art
at all unless, perhaps, for a brief period in the early part
of the fifth century B.C. For the history of Greek art
they necessarily receive much attention to-day, first,
because their preservation is such as to furnish a remark-
able historic record of the development of this art from
earliest times, and secondly, because they are almost the
only contemporary record of Greek painting. Further,
they serve in a peculiar way to make Greek myths and
Greek daily life real to us, through the scenes used in
their decoration. They are sufficiently foreign to the
student to-day to make desirable some account of their
technique and of the commoner forms.
The manufacture of finer Greek vases was limited to
places where suitable clay was found. The first step was
to wash the clay free from impurities and knead it into a
homogeneous mass. A small piece of this clay was then
shaped on the potter's wheel, which was usually turned
by hand, until the form of the body of the vase was de-
veloped. Most Greek vases were made of several pieces
shaped independently on the wheel, — body, foot, per-
haps neck, and mouth, — and these were put ^^^ogether
and handles shaped in a mould were attached, before the
INTRODUCTION 9
clay was allowed to dry. The clay of Athenian vases had
a certain amount of iron oxide, and often more was
added to produce a rich terra-cotta red when the vase
was fired. When the vase was complete, it was dried and
possibly subjected to heat, before it was turned over to
the decorator. He appHed the black glaze which served
as the main or only decoration; the outlines of the deco-
ration and the figures were first drawn with a fine feather
grasped by all the fingers (not by the thumb and fore-
finger alone), and later the parts that were to be sohd
black were filled in with glaze. The vase was then fired
at a heat sufficient to bake the clay and fuse the glaze on
to it. Other colors, enamel white, dull purple, etc., were
sometimes added later.
Most of the vases interesting for their scene are of
the black-figured or red-figured Athenian ware. On the
black-figured vases, as the name implies, the figures were
painted in black glaze and the background of the scene
was left in the red of the clay. After the vase had been
fired, details of the figures (garment lines and decoration,
hair, eyes, etc.) were added in fine incised lines with a
sharp instrument which cut through the glaze. Often
dull purple and white were used to decorate the garments,
and the flesh of women was painted white with details of
the eye, etc., added in thin glaze. These vases were for
the most part made at Athens in the sixth century b.c.
On the red-figured vases the figures of the scene and
often th-^ decoration were left in the red of the clay,
while the background was entirely filled in with black
lo INTRODUCTION
glaze. Details of the garments and figures were added
in fine lines either of black glaze or of thin yellow glaze;
colors were not used on these vases in the finest period,
namely the fifth century B.C. at Athens.
On a few vases, at Athens mainly in the fifth century
B.C., the space to be occupied by the scene was covered
with a thin wash or slip of chalky white as a foundation
for the scene. The scene was then painted in outlines of
black glaze, or thin yellow glaze, or later in a dull color.
On these vases solid color, often several colors, were later
applied for garments and accessories.
Some of the shapes of Greek vases, such as the plate
and the pitcher, are not unfamiliar to-day. Of the pecul-
iar shapes the following are the most important : —
1. The amphora, a high jar with two handles and
cover, designed for storing wine or oil.
2. The krater, or mixing-bowl, a large jar with spread-
ing mouth and small handles, designed for mixing wine
with water, for the Greeks rarely drank wine undiluted.
3. The kylix, a flat drinking- vessel with slender foot
and spreading handles. The finest examples of Greek
painted vases are of this shape.
4. The lekythos, a small vase with slender neck and
one handle, used for unguents and perfumes,
TERRA-COTTA FIGURINES, RELIEFS, ETC.
The use of terra-cotta for small figures and for archi-
tectural decorations, as well as for certain utensils, was
not limited to any one age. After the clay had been
INTRODUCTION ii
properly kneaded, in early times it was shaped by hand;
later it was pressed into a mould, and on the object thus
obtained details were added or modilied or defined at the
will of the maker. The object was then baked, and finally
colors were applied to the surface. The most interesting
terra-cottas which remain to us are the figurines, rude,
small figures probably representing gods from the later
pre-historic period, groups of single figures in the occupa-
tions of daily life from the beginning of the fifth century,
and the wonderfully graceful figurines from the graves of
Tanagra, Asia Minor, and southern Italy, which date
from the third and second centuries B.C. The latter,
which ordinarily are genre types, are perhaps the most
charming examples of Greek art which exist to-day. A
few moulds which have been discovered make it clear
that only the general type was obtained by the use of
a mould; the gesture of the arms and the objects in the
hands were modified by the maker, details were defined
in the garments, hair, etc., and the face was remodelled
as the artist might choose. With the variety in the ap-
plied colors the figures from the same mould were often
quite different, and instead of mechanical reproduction
we have a mechanical process used merely as the start-
ing-point for the production of true objects of art.
The relief designs on Roman lamps, and the large
reliefs made in southern Italy for decorative purposes,
are probably mechanical reproductions; they are of in-
terest mainly as showing the skill of the artist who made
the mould used in their manufacture.
12 INTRODUCTION
Because of its cheapness, utensils of daily use were
often made of pottery instead of metal. On the painted
pottery vases the influence of metal types is sometimes
clear, but it is most evident in the case of utensils with
decoration in relief. The so-called bucchero ware is a
group of vases made on the potter's wheel, to which are
applied relief ornaments made in a mould; the whole
vase is then colored black to represent metal. A finer
type of workmanship is found in the Arretine ware which
receives its name from Arretium in Italy (cf. p. 32).
Hellenistic silver bowls, finely decorated with figures and
ornaments in relief, were probably the originals which
were reproduced by means of moulds in this red glazed
pottery. The examples of it are thus interesting both in
themselves for their very graceful decoration, and also
for the evidence they furnish of the skill of Hellenistic or
Graeco-Roman silversmiths.
GREEK GODS AND HEROES
Note: The order of discussion in the following pages
is the same as in the author's '' Mythology of Greece and
Rome" (New York, 1907); namely: the greater gods
(Zeus, Hera, Athena, Apollo, and Artemis) ; gods of earth,
water, and sky; gods of vegetable and animal Hfe; gods
of human life and human activities; local heroes; Hera-
cles and Theseus; heroes of the Trojan War.
ZEUS — JiJPITER
O qui res hominumque deumque
aeternis regis imperiis et fulmine terres.
Virg. ^n. I, 229-30.
O thou who rulest the fortunes both of man and of the gods with un-
ending sway and terriliest with thy thunderbolt.
In Greek religion and in Greek mythology Zeus was
conceived as king and as father. As king he was all-
powerful, leading the gods to victory over the Titans
and the Giants, and able to withstand all the gods, should
they unite against him (IHad, viii, 20/.). As "father of
gods and men," to use the Homeric formula (cf. Virg.
/En. I, 254), his just rule was tempered with mercy and
benignant care for his subjects. In Greek religion em-
phasis was laid on his function as god of the heavens in
sending rain and causing the crops to grow. Greek myth
developed his character as like that of a human king who
14 GREEK GODS AND HEROES
was often swayed by impulse, especially in yielding to
the charms of beautiful women. ^
For the temple of Zeus at Olympia, the great centre of
Zeus worship in Greece, Pheidias made his most cele-
5. Head of Zeus; marble, fourth-century copy from the
Zeus of Pheidias
brated work, a colossal statue of Olympian Zeus. As it
was made of gold and ivory, plates of gold for the gar-
ments and plates of ivory for the flesh parts, it was as
splendid as it was perishable. Our knowledge of it is de-
ZEUS — JUPITER
IS
rived from coins on which it was represented, and from
the marble copy in this museum reproduced above —
both from the fourth century, the century after the
statue was made by Pheidias.
The story has come down to us that Pheidias, when
asked how he would portray the god, replied by quoting
the lines of Homer (Iliad, i, 527/.): ^'Kronion spake and
bowed his dark brow, and the ambrosial locks waved
from the king's immortal head; and he made great
Olympus quake." In other words, he intended to por-
6. Coin of Elis, about 400 B.C. ; head of Zeus, eagle of Zeus
tray the majesty and pov/er of the god. A late rhetori-
cian (Dio Chrysostom) describes the influence of the
statue in the following words: "Whoever is utterly weary
in heart, having exhausted all the calamities and griefs
of life so that sweet sleep is never his portion, forgets all
that is dreadful or burdensome in human life when he
stands before this statue . . . such light and such sweet-
ness come from the statue of the god." In the extant
reproductions of this statue, both the power of the god
and his benignant mercy are represented.
i6
GREEK GODS AND HEROES
HERA — JUNO
Ast ego, quae divom incedo regina, Jovisque
et soror et conjunx, una cum gente tot annos
bella gero. Virg. JEn. i, 46-48.
But I, whose position is queen of the gods, both sister and wife of Jove,
wage war with one race all these years.
Hera was worshipped as the goddess of marriage and
the special patron of wife and mother. In mythology
her position as queen of the gods and wife of Zeus is the
starting-point for many stories, which concern now her
7. Coin of Elis, fourth century B.C. ; head of Hera, eagle
bickerings with her husband, now her jealousy of his
amours, now her interest to help or more commonly to
hinder his purposes in the government of the world. The
most celebrated statue of Hera was that made of gold
and ivory by Polycleitus for her temple at Argos.
ATHENA — MINERVA
17
ATHENA — MINERVA
lam summas arces Tritonia (respicc) Pallas
insedit, limbo effulgens et Gorgone soeva.
Virg. .En. II, 615-16.
Look, already hath Tritonian Pallas, with gleaming girdle and Gor-
gon grim, taken her post on the heights of the citadel.
Athena, who sprang
full-armed from the head
of Zeus (Homeric Hymn,
XXVIII ; Milton, Paradise
Lost, II, 752/.), represents
two of the attributes of
Zeus, his wisdom, and his
power as manifested in
battle. As goddess of
wisdom she presided over
handicrafts, especially
weaving; as born in full
panoply, she was the god-
dess of warfare. The
patron goddess of Athens,
she guided the counsels
of the city, defended it
against its enemies, and
brought it prosperity.
The statuette figured
here, which should be
supplemented by the
spear originally held in
8. Bronze statuette of Athena;
Groeco-Roman
i8
GREEK GODS AND HEROES
the left hand, represents her as wearing the aegis (a cape
with the Gorgon's head) which stood for protection to
her favorites and terror to her enemies. It has been
conjectured that this small bronze is a copy of the
colossal bronze statue of Athena Promachos (Athena
who fights in front of the army) which Pheidias made to
stand on the acropolis of Athens.
In the stiff, literal manner of the sixth-century vase
p. Black-figured amphora, sixth century B.C. ; birth
of Athena
A Til EX A — MINERVA
19
painter the above scene from a black-ligured vase repre-
sents the story of the birth of Athena from the head of
10. Coin of Athens , fifth century B.C.; head of Athena, oivl
Zeus. The minute figure of the goddess with shield
and spear still rests on the head of the seated Zeus;
II. Late red-figured krater made in Italy ; Athena and Marsyas
20 GREEK GODS AND HEROES
behind him is Apollo playing the lyre, and at the left is
Hermes; in front of Zeus is a woman with flesh parts
painted white and an armed warrior, perhaps the god-
dess of child-birth and Ares, god of war.
The invention of the double flute is attributed to Mar-
syas, a satyr of Lydia. With the name of Marsyas are
associated two legends, the story of his presumption in
daring to match his music with Apollo's and its horrid
penalty, and the story of Athena's experiment with the
new musical instrument. The carelessly drawn scene in
the vase (Fig. ii) represents the latter story. Athena is
blowing the flute, while Marsyas holds up a mirror to
show how the effort distorts her face, and other satyrs are
present to see her throw away the instrument in dis-
gust.
A cast of the so-called Lemnian Athena (head in Bologna,
body in Dresden) gives a clear idea of Pheidias' method
of representing the goddess. A cast of the "Varvakeion
Athena," a rude small copy of the gold and ivory Athena
of the Parthenon, is also in the Court of Casts.
APOLLO AND ARTEMIS (DIANA)
Exercet Diana chores, quam mille secutae
hinc atque hinc glomerantur oreades; ilia pharetram
fert umero gradiensque deas supereminet omnis.
Virg. .En. i, 499-501.
Diana leads her dancing bands, and following her a thousand moun-
tain-nymphs cluster on this side and that. She wears a quiver on her
shoulder, and as she walks towers above all the goddesses.
Apollo, in later times associated with the sun, was the
god of purity and light, and the god of inspiration. As
22
GREEK GODS AND HEROES
the god of light ,^ the patron of youth, and the protector
of flocks, he was often
represented with the
bow and arrow as an
archer. As the god
of inspiration he was
the patron of proph-
ets and oracles, es-
pecially the oracle at
Delphi, and the pa-
tron of music who
led the choir of the
Muses. In sculpture
he was represented
as a youth in the
prime of his power.
On the toilet box
(Fig. 12) he sits hold-
ing the lyre, attended
by six Muses with
musical instruments,
of which only two are
shown. The scene is
drawn in outline on a
white ground, a tech-
nique not common
except for lekythoi.
Apollo and Artemis were both children of Leto. Arte-
mis represented the ideal of young womanhood as Apollo
13. Red-figured oinochoe or pitcher; Apollo
and Artemis
APOLLO AND ARTEMIS {DIANA) 23
of young manhood, and later Artemis was associated
with the moon as Apollo was associated with the sun.
Artemis was also a huntress with bow and arrow; in
this aspect she was the leader of the nymphs and like
them closely associated with wild life in nature. On the
somewhat rudely painted vase (Fig. 13) Apollo with
14. Head of Artemis; marble, fifth
century B.C.
quiver and lyre stands between a column (which stands
for a temple) and an altar, while Artemis with bow and
quiver stands opposite him, pouring a libation on the
altar. Apparently the act of worship was idealized by
representing the gods as engaged in worship.
24 GREEK GODS AND HEROES
This head (Fig. 14) adorned with a simple wreath of
flowers probably represents Artemis, one of whose attrib-
utes was a garland of flowers. The head is poised well
forward, giving an expression of alertness; the vivacity
of expression was doubtless increased by the eyes, which
were of another material. We may think of it as belong-
ing to a statue of Artemis, the huntress, with bow and
arrows.
The "Apollo Belvedere" in the Vatican, the "Artemis of
Versailles" and the "Artemis from Gabii" in the Louvre
are represented by casts on the large court.
CYBELE
Hinc mater cultrix Cybeli Corybantiaque aera
Idseumque nemus; hinc fida silentia sacris,
et iuncti currum dominae subiere leones.
Virg. .^n. Ill, 111-13.
Hence came the Mother that dwelleth on Cybele and the brazen cym-
bals of Corybantes and Ida's grove, hence the rites wrapt in faithful silence,
and hence the yoked lions drew the chariot of their mistress.
Rhea in Crete and Cybele in Asia Minor are names for
the great mother of the gods (magna mater Idaea) who
seems to represent mother earth. The goddess of nature
life, she was worshipped in wild mountainous regions
with wild rites, and wild animals, ^like hons, followed in
her train or drew her car. In connection with the worship
of Cybele the death and rebirth of vegetable life was
celebrated in the unrestrained rites of Attis under the
symbol of a fir tree.
The marble statue (Fig. 15) is probably to be identified
CYBELE
with Cybele. Though throne and head and arms are
missing, the dignified matronly figure well represents the
conception of Cybele, mother of the gods, as refined and
ennobled by the Athenians. The graceful terra-cotta
figure of Cybele riding on a lion represents a totally
I J. Cybele; colossal marble statue, about joo B.C.
26
GREEK GODS AND HEROES
different conception; it is quite without religious mean-
ing, and represents rather a graceful conceit suggested
as an artistic theme by the story of Cybele.
i6. Terra-cotta figurine from Asia Minor, late third
century B.C. ; Cybele riding on a lion
POSEIDON — NEPTUNE
27
POSFI DON — NEPTUxNE
Sic cunctus pelagi cecidit fragor, lequora postquam
prospicicns genitor, caeloque invectus apcrto,
flcctit equos, curruque volans dat lora secundo.
Virg. JEn. i, 154-56.
So all the tumult of the sea subsides as the Sire, surveying the waters
and borne along under an open sky, guides his steeds, and speeding on
gives free rein to his flying chariot.
Poseidon was the god who ruled spirits of water and
sea as Zeus ruled the divinities of earth and sky. The
17. Coin of Poseidonia, sixth century B.C. ; Poseidon with trident
brother of Zeus, he resembled him in many ways so that
the statues of the two gods cannot always be distin-
guished. But something of the wild, unstable nature of
the sea, its power and its treachery, are reflected in the
character of the sea deities.
The city of Poseidonia (Paestum) was named for Po-
seidon, its patron god. On its coins he is represented
advancing with his trident raised as if to be hurled as
a weapon. The trident was originally a three-pronged
28 GREEK GODS AND HEROES
instrument for spearing fish; as such it was the natural
symbol of the divine rulers of the sea.
This bronze, made in Roman times, reproduces the
i8. Small bronze statuette of
Poseidon ; Roman period
Greek conception of Poseidon or Zeus as ruler among the
gods. Perhaps the dramatic attitude and the treatment
of face and hair may mean that it was Poseidon, for the
benign side of the character of Zeus is not suggested.
SCVLLA
2g
NEREIDS
Dixit, cumquc imis sub tluctibus audiit omnis
Nereidum Phorcique chorus Panopcaque xirgo,
Virg. ^n. V, 239-40.
He spake, and deep l)eneath the waves the whole band of the Nereids
and of Phorcus heard him, and the maiden Panopea.
Of the spirits of the sea some
were kindly to man, some hostile.
The Nereids were sea-nymphs
who embodied for the Greek
mind the playfulness of the sea.
On the gold seal ring, of which
the design is here reproduced, a
Nereid is seen riding on a sea-
horse.
IQ. Gold seal ring, Athens,
Jift h cent ury B. C . ; Ne-
reid on a sea-horse
SCYLLA
At Scyllam caecis cohibet spelunca latebris
era exertantem et navis in saxa trahentem.
Prima hominis facies et pulchro pectore virgo
pube tenus, postrema immani corpore pistrix
delphinum caudas utero commissa luporum.
Virg. .^n. Ill, 424-28.
But a cave confines Scylla in its dark lurking-places, thrusting out her
mouths and dragging ships upon the rocks. Above she is of human shape,
a fair-bosomed maiden to the waist; below, a huge sea-monster, with a
dolphin's tail set in the belly of a wolf.
Another side of the nature of the sea, its treachery and
cruelty, was represented by Scylla, that monster with six
long necks and six heads which snatched six of Odys-
GREEK GODS AND HEROES
seus' companions from his ship as he guided his course
to avoid the whirlpool of Charybdis. On the vase be-
low the plastic figure of Scylla is attached as an orna-
ment to the painted body.
20. Late vase made in Italy ; Scylla
PH ART HON 31
HELIOS
Helios was the name both for the actual sun and for
the god of the sun. As a god he was rarely worshipped
except in Rhodes, where he was the patron god of the
21. Coin of Rhodes, fourth cetttury B.C. ; head of Helios, rose
island. The heads of Helios on coins of Rhodes shows
the sun-god with youthful face and long locks of hair
blown loose as by the wind in his rapid course across
the sky.
PHAETHON
At Phaethon, rutilos flamma populante capillos,
volvitur in praeceps, longoque per aera tractu
fertur.
Ovid, Metam. 11, 319-20.
But Phaethon, his auburn hair all ablaze, is rolled headlong, and falls
in a long course through the air.
Phaethon is known in myth as the son of Helios,
who persuaded his father to let him drive the sun's
chariot. The disastrous result is told by Ovid (Meta-
3^
GREEK GODS AND HEROES
morphoses, ii, i /.)• The scene is found on a Roman vase
mould here figured.
:'.^'
i^: \mPt
K." :'• ;.4
E..^-^<o
\,
.7
X '
22. Arretine pottery mould; death of Phaethon
EOS — AURORA
Roseis Aurora quadrigis
iar.i medium aetherio cursu traiecerat axem.
Virg. .^n. VI, 535-36.
Aurora in her rosy chariot had
already crossed mid-heaven in her
course through the sky.
Eos or Aurora, goddess
of the dawn, also rides in a
chariot like that of the sun.
Beautiful young hunters
fell in love with the dawn,
when they sought their
prey, and one of these,
Tithonus, became her hus-
2 J. Roman cameo; Aurora driving
a higa
DEMETER (CERES) AND PERSEPHONE (PROSERPINA) 33
band. The story of their son Memnon comes in the
legend of Troy.
DEMETER (CERES) AND PERSEPHONE (PROSERPINA)
Dona fero- Cereris, latos quae sparsa per agros
frugiferas messes, alimentaque mitia rcddant,
Ovid, Metam. v, 655-56.
I bring the gifts of Ceres, that, scattered over the broad fields, they
may give back fruitful harvests and wholesome sustenance.
Demeter also was a goddess of mother earth, wor-
shipped in Greece rather than in Asia Minor, and con-
24. Votive mask of terra-cotta, late fifth century B.C. ;
bust of Demeter
34 GREEK GODS AND HEROES
ceived specifically as the goddess of the grain which the
earth bears. Since the earth receives bodies of the dead
in burial, she was also associated with the souls of the
dead, in that through her peculiar worship (the Mysteries)
men might find assurance of a blessed life after death.
The terra-cotta here represented is described as a mask
because it is a thin sheet of clay fashioned to give orily
2§. Coin of Delphi, fourth century B.C. ; Demcter veiled
and with wreath of grain, Apollo seated on omphalus
the front of the figure, and as a votive mask because it
was no doubt a votive offering which some worshipper
set up in a temple of Demeter. The position of the hands
and the high crown were associated in early times with
this mother goddess. The work is striking for the vivid
coloring which remains on eyes and lips.
Persephone, as daughter of Demeter and wife of Hades,
king of the dead, constituted the link between this world
and the world of souls. She passed part of each year with
her husband, so the story runs, and part with her mother.
Thus the Greek thought of vegetation as dying in the
heat of summer and reborn from the earth with the win-
ter rains became associated with her. In the vase paint-
DION YSUS — BA CCHUS 35
'1 iiili ■liiffii'SlBiii J
2<5. Red-figured vase; Persephone rising from the ground
ing here shown the satyrs are demons of nature dancing
to bring back vegetation to Hfe, and Persephone as god-
dess of vegetable hfe is rising from the ground in response
to their worship.
A cast of the large Eleusinian relief in the court gives a
fine conception of Demeter handing a sheaf of grain to the
boy Triptolemus. while Persephone places a wreath on his
head.
DIONYSUS — BACCHUS
Though the grain was Demeter's gift, the god of plant
life in general was Dionysus. And as the spirit of life
which caused all vegetation to grow seemed to be present
in wine in a form for men to taste and feel its power, the
vine was the special gift and symbol of Dionysus. The
36
GREEK GODS AND HEROES
27. Coin of Naxos in Sicily, fifth century B.C. ; head of Dionysus,
Satyr drinking
Naxians paid special honor to the giver of their good
wine, and as their guardian deity his head was stamped
on their coins.
A cast of the youthful Dionysus wearing a fawn skin is to
be found in the large Cast Court.
28. Bronze statuette, sixth cen-
tury B.C.; Hermes with ram
HERMES — MERCURY
In Greek thought Hermes
was the god of clever cunning
who was the patron of trade
and the discoverer of the lyre,
and at the same time the god of
travellers both in this world and
also in man's last journey to the
world below. In early times he
was conceived as a man in the
prime of life, but from the fifth
century on he took the form of
a youth and his statues were
set up in gymnasiums to repre-
sent the ideal of youngmanhood.
HERMES — MERCUR Y 37
The archaic small bronze figured above, a votive offer-
ing to Hermes, protector of the flocks, illustrates the
earlier conception of the god. He wears a close-fitting
chiton, a round hat, and high boots; in his right hand he
once held a stall, and he carries a young ram under his
2g. Groeco-Roman marble; Hermes (type of fourth century B.C.)
JO. Intaglio gem, Hellen-
istic period; Hermes
with lyre
38 GREEK GODS AND HEROES
arm. It is in striking contrast with the marble (Fig. 29),
which repre-
sents him as
a youth and
in an attitude
of melancholy
revery. Possi-
bly the artist
had in mind
his function
as conductor
of souls to the
world below;
more probably he thought of Her-
mes as the ideal representative of
youth, and in an age when young
men were given to thought and
pleasure rather than to action. The
spirit of the age is shown in a
statue of this type,
A charming representation of
Hermes with the lyre which he
invented is seen on a gem. The
common attribute of Hermes was
his wand (kerykeion, caduceus).
ji. Bronze and iron
caduceus
The Hermes with the infant Dionysus by Praxiteles is
represented by a cast in the court.
JTv J
WK:
.^-
^ismm.
/'<'\
32. Bronze mirror handle, about 500 B.C. ; Aphrodite and Erotcs
40
GREEK GODS AND HEROES
APHRODITE (VENUS): EROTES (CUPIDS)
Dixit, et avertens rosea cervice refulsit,
ambrosiaeque comae divinum vertice odorem
spiravere; pedes vestis defluxit ad imos,
et vera incessu patuit dea.
Virg. JEn. i, 402-05.
She spake, and as she turned away she burst forth in splendor with
rosy neck and her ambrosial hair breathed forth the fragrance of the gods,
her robe flowed down to her very feet, and she was revealed a true god-
dess by her gait.
Aphrodite was the goddess of love, the goddess of hu-
man love worshipped by beautiful women, and at the
same time the goddess that presided over the reproduc-
tion of animal life and of germinating vegetation. The
story that she was born from the sea suggests that her
worship came over the sea from an Oriental source. She
was attended by Eros (Love) or a group of Erotes, who
carried now a lyre for love
music, now a bow and arrow to
pierce the heart of the victim.
The archaic bronze mirror
handle shown on page 39 rep-
resents the goddess clad in
the rich, clinging garments of
Ionic art. Two flying Cupids
on her shoulder serve to sup-
port the yoke which held a cir-
cular mirror of polished bronze ,
while their glances focus atten-
„,,.,,,, . ,, tionon the face of the goddess.
jj. Flastic lekythos, joiirtn cen-
tury B.C. ; birth of A phrodite The birth of Aphrodite from
APHRODITE {VENUS): EROTES {CUPIDS)
41
34. Marble head of Aphrodite, fourth century B.C.
the sea was symbolized in art by representing her as
emerging from the open valves of a sea-shell. This vase
is almost hidden by the plastic ornament attached to
it. The newborn goddess is rising from the shell, while
hovering Cupids who hold the garment behind her give
an upward movement to the whole group.
42
GREEK GODS AND HEROES
The fine oval shape of the face, the deHcate modelHng,
and the expressive features show that the beautiful head
(Fig. 34) is the work of an Attic master of the school of
Praxiteles. The nature of the goddess of love is empha-
sized by the pose of the head, the relaxed mouth, and the
half-open eyes. This head is one of the finest examples
of ancient sculpture in existence. The translucent crys-
talline quality of the marble adds much to its beauty.
35. Terra-cotta figurines from Myrina, second century B.C.;
Erotes or Cupids
The figurine at the left represents the infant god in the
lion's skin of Heracles, a whimsical fancy characteristic
of the Hellenistic age. The spirited example at the right
shows another small Eros in the act of drawing a sword.
The allegory of Cupid and Psyche, of love and the
human soul under the power of love, found great favor in
later antiquity. In this scene Cupids, playing as grown-
ARES — MARS
43
up people, are engaged at a wedding. A sturdy torch-
bearer leads Cupid and Psyche by a lillet; both the Cupid
bridegroom, who carries
a dove of Venus, and
Psyche his bride wear
the marriage veil. At
the left a Cupid holds
a basket of fruits over
their heads and at the
right another Cupid
stands by the marriage
couch.
Such cameos, or rep-
resentations in relief en-
graved in precious stones, were much prized by the Ro-
mans. This celebrated example is carved in sardonyx with
a coffee-brown layer for the figures over a black layer
for the background. It is signed by the artist Tryphon.
A cast of the Aphrodite from Melos stands in the lecture-
hall lobby, and in the large court is a cast of the Praxitelean
Aphrodite in the Vatican.
j6. GrcBco-Roman cameo; wedding of
Cupid and Psyche
ARES — MARS
Ares was an impetuous god of war, quite unlike Athena
the goddess of bravery and generalship in war. The
Roman Mars was a much more important deity than the
Greek Ares, being only second to Jupiter himself.
Casts of the Ares Borghese in the Louvre and of the Ares
Ludovisi in the Terme Museum in Rome are to be found in
the large court.
44
GREEK GODS AND HEROES
HEPH^STUS — VULCAN
Hephaestus, himself the lame smith among the gods,
was the god of fire and of human smiths. He was the son
of Zeus and Hera. Such was his cunning that, the poets
said, he could construct bronze figures which were able
to walk. Perhaps because of the charm of his work he
received Aglaia one of the Graces for his wife. On a vase
painting (p. 71) he is depicted making new armor for
Achilles.
JANUS
Of the Roman gods not
identified with Greek gods
the most important was Ja-
nus, the doorkeeper or ''jani-
tor." As the god of begin-
nings he was worshipped
each morning, at the opening
of a new year, and before any
important undertaking such
as the harvest or a marriage
or a war. His head in a me-
dallion on the lamp figured
below is double-faced, for
the anniversary looks both
backward and forward, and
crowned with laurel to sug-
gest the good wishes that go
37. Roman terra-cotta lamp; <_> «j o
head of Janus With a New Year's gift.
10; DANAE; PERSEUS; MEDUSA 45
10 ; DANAE ; PERSEUS ; MEDUSA
The story of lo is illustrated on the red-figured vase
figured below. lo, beloved of Zeus, was changed into a
heifer by the jealous Hera and driven hither and yon by
Argus who never closed all his eyes at once in sleep, till
the latter was slain by Hermes at the behest of Zeus. In
38. Red-figured vase painting, from a hydria; Hermes about to slay Argus
the vase painting the many-eyed Argus turns back from
the running heifer (lo) to defend himself from the sword
of Hermes ; before the heifer is a priestess with the temple
key; the column and altar of Hera's temple are seen, and
at each end of the scene a spectator raises his hands in
horror or surprise.
Nor when (I loved) Danae of the fair ankles, daughter of Acrisius, who
bore Perseus most renowned of all men.
Iliad, XIV, 319-20.
46
GREEK GODS AND HEROES
Danae, a descendant of lo, also attracted the love of
Zeus. She had been shut up in an underground chamber
of brass because her father Acrisius had been told by the
jp. Red-figured hydria, early fifth century B.C. ; carpenter
preparing the chest for Dana'e and Perseus
10; DANAE; PERSEUS; MEDUSA 47
oracle that he would die at the hands of her son, but
no underground chamber could keep out the shower of
golden sunlight sent by Zeus. And when a son was born
to her, Acrisius shut mother and son in a chest and
r'rrr^'ry.rrr.-rg?^" -^^^g^^^^^:ga'^^^^^^A': vhaiimXirfTrv^Tf^. xfe".: •■■•^7?>^}^'''b^"-— t-"", -->-'"^-— -
SaS3rl33DB0SSSS1533a3Siai2aM2
f?^-yj.
f^
P3'5S'5
I3rllir3rj
^""ft
ft''
r^icMI
nmseSiai^sasBsasstEssa
40. iJ/ac^ Clip with stamped figures, fourth century B.C. ; Perseus
and Medusa
launched it on the sea to bear them to destruction. In
the vase painting a carpenter is finishing the chest under
the direction of Acrisius; at the right is Danae and the
infant Perseus; and before her stands a woman, prob-
ably Danae's mother, raising her hand as if in protest.
Saved from the sea and adopted by Polydectes,
48
GREEK GODS AND HEROES
Perseus was sent by his rescuer to get the head of the
Gorgon Medusa. With the aid of Athena and Hermes
he accompHshed his task, and by exposing the Gorgon's
head he turned to stone the man who had sought to de-
stroy him by sending him on such an errand. On a black
41. Bronze handle, sixth century, B.C. ; head oj Medusa
BELLEROPIION
49
cup with impressed ligures Perseus is depicted on one
side, setting out with Athena and Hermes; on the other
side, Pegasus rises from the neck of the fallen Medusa
and the other Gorgons are hurrying in pursuit of Perseus.
The head of Medusa, with snake-like locks and tongue
protruding from her open mouth, is the decoration used
for the bottom of the handle of a bronze vessel.
Ora Medusae
Gorgonis anguineis cincta fuisse cornis.
Ovid, Trist. iv, vii, ii.
The face of the, Gorgon Medusa was encircled with snaky locks.
BELLEROPHON
Bellerophon, driven from the throne of Corinth by the
King of Tiryns, was sent to Lycia (Iliad, vi, 155/.) and
there tasks were assigned him which might lead to his
death. The first of these tasks was to slay the dread
Chimaera ''in front a lion, and behind a serpent, and in
42. Proto-Corinthian vase, seventh century B.C. ; Bellerophon attacking
the Chimccra
50
GREEK GODS AND HEROES
the midst a goat, and she breathed dread fierceness of
blazing fire." This he accompUshed by the aid of Pega-
sus, the winged horse born from the neck of the dying
Medusa. The scene is depicted in miniature on a very
small vase, Bellerophon on Pegasus attacking the Chi-
maera.
EUROPA; THE MINOTAUR
According to the myths of Crete, Europa, a princess
descended from lo and living in Phoenicia, attracted the
'^^^^^r"
4 J. Black-figured amphora, sixth century B.C. ; Europa on the bull
EUROPA; THE MINOTAUR 51
love of Zeus. Zeus assumed the form of a bull, persuaded
her to mount his back, and bore her away over the sea to
Crete where he wedded her. In the vase painting Europa
is seen riding on the divine bull.
Minos, one of the sons of Europa and Zeus, married
Pasiphae, daughter of Helios. In answer to his prayer
Poseidon sent him a white bull for sacrifice ; the bull was
44. Coin of Cnossos in Crete, fourth century B.C. ; head of Hera,
labyrinth
SO beautiful, however, that Minos kept it alive; and to
punish him for his cupidity Poseidon caused the
Minotaur, a monster with body of a man and head of
a bull, to ravage the land. A labyrinth "with more
windings than the river Maeander" was constructed to
confine this creature, and its prey was tribute brought
from the wide domains of Minos, eventually a tribute of
seven youths and seven maidens from Athens. The
labyrinth is represented on the coins of Cnossos in Crete.
The bull sent by Poseidon appears in the story of
Heracles, and the Minotaur in the story of Theseus.
GREEK GODS AND HEROES
ACTION
When Zeus carried off Europa, he caused her brother
Cadmus to be sent in search of her and eventually to
found the city of Thebes. One of his grandsons was the
noble youth Actaeon, favorite of Artemis and her com-
45. Red-figured krater, about 450 B.C. ; death of ActcBon
panionin the chase. Reoffended the goddess, however, —
according to one story, because he beheld her bathing in
a secluded pool, — so that she transformed him into a stag
and he was devoured by his own hounds. The vase paint-
ing in this instance represents Artemis as drawing her bow
to shoot Actaeon as he falls under the savage attack of
his dogs.
(EDIPUS
53
(EDIPUS
And I saw the mother of (Edipus, fair Epicaste, who wrought a dread
deed unwittingly, being wedded to her own son, and he that had slain his
own father wedded her.
Odyssey, xi, 271-73.
Theban legend centres about the story of (Edipus.
Exposed to die as a babe, rescued and brought up in
46. Red-figured amphora; (Edipus atid the Sphinx
Corinth, he fled that city to avoid the oracle which
said he should kill his father and marry his mother,
an oracle which he actually fulfilled at Thebes. The
vase painting represents him before the Sphinx whose
riddle he solved and thus rid Thebes of the monster.
54
GREEK GODS AND HEROES
THE CALYDONIAN BOAR
Sanguine et igne micant oculi, riget ardua cervix;
et setae densis similes hastilibus horrent;
fervida cum rauco latos stridore per armos
spuma fluit; dentes aequantur dentibus Indis;
fulmen ab ore venit; frondes adflatibus ardent.
Ovid, Metam. viii, 284-89.
With blood and fire his eyes gleam, his rough neck is stiff; the bristles
too, like close-set spears stand erect; with a hoarse noise bubbling foam
streams down his broad shoulders; his tusks rival the tusks of India;
lightning issues from his mouth; the foliage is burned up with the
blast.
Q^neus, King of Calydon, in /Etolia offended Artemis
by failing to include her with the other gods in his sacri-
47. Bronze mirror case, Greek, fourth century B.C. ;
Calydon ian boar hunt
II ERA CLES — HERCULES 55
fices; angry at such neglect she sent a mighty boar to
devastate the crops. The hunt for this boar was cele-
brated for the heroes who took part in it — Theseus,
Jason, Peleus, father of Achilles, etc. — and for the story
of Meleager and Atalanta which was associated with it.
Meleager, son of Qineus, killed the boar, but because of
his love for Atalanta he adjudged the prize to her on the
ground that she had first wounded it. This act led to the
quarrels with his cousins on his mother's side, and to his
death when his mother burned the fateful brand on
which his life depended. The boar on an early Rhodian
plate was possibly painted with this story in mind. On
the mirror case (Fig. 47) are seen figures in high re-
lief, two youths with flying garments and spears raised
to strike the boar which raises its head to attack the
youth in front.
HERACLES — HERCULES
Tu nubigenas, Invicte, bimembris
Hylceumque Pholumque, manu, tu Cresia mactas
prodigia et vastum Nemeae sub rupe leonem.
te Stygii tremuere lacus, te ianitor Orci
ossa super recubans antro semesa cruento;
nee te ullae facies, non terruit ipse T>T3hoeus,
arduus arma tenens; non te rationis egentem
Lernaeus turba capitum circumstetit anguis.
\'irg. /En. viii, 293-300.
'T was thou, invincible, whose hand laid low
The cloud-born Centaurs, Pholus and H3daeus,
The Cretan monsters, and the lion huge
That underneath the cliffs of Nemea lay !
Before thee shrank the Styx; the janitor
Of hell cowered in his gory cave, and left
56 GREEK GODS AND HEROES
His feast of bones half gnawed! No goblin shape,
Not vast Typhoeus' self with levelled sword
Made thee afraid, undaunted still though snapped
At thee the Lerna hydra's hundred heads!
(Long's translation.)
The deeds of Heracles were a familiar theme for story
and for art. The favorite son of Zeus, he was persecuted
by the jealous Hera who made him subject to the cow-
ardly Eurystheus, king of Tiryns, but in the labors as-
48. Coin of Byzantium, fourth century B.C. ; infant Heracles
strangling serpents, bull on dolphin
signed him by Eurystheus he had the constant aid of
Athena. As a babe he strangled with his own hands
the serpents sent by Hera to destroy him in his cradle.
Of his labors for Eurystheus the first was to destroy a
lion sent by Hera to ravage the mountains near Nemea.
Its skin, so tough that it could be cut only by its own
claws, was impenetrable by his arrows, but by the aid
of Athena he first stunned the creature with his club
and then strangled it. The skin he later wore to pro-
tect him in his labors. In his hunt for the Erymanthian
boar he became involved in a battle with the centaurs,
a scene represented on the frieze of -a temple at Assos.
•>^u%jii^^'''
49. Black-figured amphora; Heracles strangling the Neniean lion, lolaus,
and Athena
J
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aiAiHlMHIMHiBHaiBdBMI
50. Section of frieze from the temple at Assos, sixth century B.C. ; Heracles
shooting an arrow at the flying Centaurs
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HERA CLES — HERCULES 59
Another labor often represented by the vase painter
was his capture of the Cretan bull. This bull, the father
of the Minotaur, he subdued and forced it to carry him
on its back across the sea from Crete to Tiryns.
S3. Small archaic Greek bronze; Heracles
shooting an arrow
Later Heracles was sent to Thrace to bring back the
girdle of Hippolyte, Queen of the Amazons. The girdle
he got for love, but before he escaped he was attacked
by the fierce women warriors and shot Hippolyte whom
he suspected of treachery.
Cerberus haec ingens latratu regna trifauci
personal, adverse recubans immanis in antro.
cui vates, horrere videns iam colla colubris,
melle soporatam et medicatis frugibus offam
obicit. lUe fame rabida tria guttura pandens
6o GREEK GODS AND HEROES
corripit obiectam atque immania terga resolvit
fusus humi totoque ingens extenditur antro.
Virg. JEn. vi, 417-23.
Here howls huge Cerberus, three throats at once,
And makes aU. ring again, at full length stretched
Within a cave that guards the way. To whom,
Soon as she sees the snakes about his neck
Begin to squirm, the Sibyl throws a loaf
With honey and with drowsy tinctures soaked.
The hardest task of all was to bring up from the lower
world the three-headed dog Cerberus that guarded the
54. Red-figured plate; youthful Heracles dragging
Cerberus, attended by Hermes
gates of the dead, but this, too, he accomplished by the
aid of Athena and Hermes. One labor not mentioned in
literature was a favorite with vase painters, the contest
^ ^
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62 GREEK GODS AND HEROES
of Heracles with that sea-monster the Triton; in this ex-
ample Heracles, kneeling over the creature's fish-like tail,
struggles to master its human arms.
5J. Terra-cotta figure, southern Italy, second cen-
tury B.C.; Heracles reclining on his lion skin
Heracles resting from his labors, his big muscles weary
with the tasks a hard lot had assigned him, was a common
theme for later sculpture. The terra-cotta figure shown
above is probably a copy of some large statue in bronze
or marble; a bronze statue of Heracles of late Greek
workmanship may be seen in the balcony of the classical
court.
THESEUS
Theseus was the counterpart of Heracles whom the
Athenians specially honored. His first achievement after
being recognized as the son of i^geus. King of Athens,
was to free the Athenians from their tribute of seven
youths and seven maidens to feed the Minotaur in Crete.
The Minotaur he slew by the aid of Ariadne, daughter of
THESEUS
63
Minos, whom he carried off as his bride; but, like Hera-
cles fickle in his affections, he deserted her on the island
58. Scene on the shoulder of a hlack-fignred hydria ; Theseus slaying
the Minotaur
of Naxos halfway back to Athens. In the vase painting
below, the winged Sleep stands over Ariadne, Athena is
58a. Red-figured vase painting, late fifth century B.C.; Theseus
abandoning Ariadne
64
GREEK GODS AND HEROES
seated in the background, and Theseus is hastening
toward the prow of his vessel.
As Heracles fought with the Centaurs, so Theseus with
his friend Peirithous led the defense of the Lapith women
5p. Red-figured kylix signed by Aristophanes, late
fifth century B.C.; Theseus defending a Lapith
woman attacked by a Centaur
when the Thessalian Centaurs became drunk and at-
tacked them. This myth furnished the theme for the
metopes of the Parthenon, as well as for the vase painter.
Ducit Amazonidum lunatis agmina peltis
Penthesilea furens mediisque in milibus ardet,
aurea subnectens exertae cingula mammge,
bellatrix, audetque viris concurrere virgo.
Virg. ^n. I, 490-93-
THESEUS
65
Fiery Penthesilcia leads on her ranks
Of Amazons, armed with their crescent shields;
She mid the host burns eager for the fray,
A golden zone bound 'neath her swelling breast,
Warrior and maid, she dares to cope with men.
(Long's translation.)
The attack on Athens by the Amazons was referred to
the time when Theseus was king
of Athens. The Athenians were
driven up to the hill of Ares, the
Areopagus, but finally they won
by the aid of the Amazon Queen
Antiope (or Penthesileia) who fell
in love with Theseus. In the vase
painting here shown Theseus is
fighting with Hippolyte; that is,
if the vase painter gave the names
60. Red-figured lekythos, about 450 B.C.; Theseus and two companions
in conflict with Hippolyte on horseback and a second A mazon on foot
66 GREEK GODS AND HEROES
he intended to give, the painting represents T| is as
the companion of Heracles in the latter 's eif ^editit "^
against the Amazons. vT*"^
6i. Fragment of marble sculpture, early fourth century B.C.;
Amazon on horseback
THE TROJAN WAR
Scenes from the story of the Trojan War, actual illus-
trations to the Iliad or Odyssey, or again scenes from
episodes not treated in these poems, often furnished the
theme for the Greek artist.
The abduction of Helen, which was the occasion of the
war, is represented on one side of a splendid vase signed
by the potter Hieron and the painter Macron. Paris
THE TROJAN WAR
67
62. Scene frotn red-figured howl (skyphos), about 460 B.C. ;
abduction of Helen
preceded by ^neas leads away Helen, while Aphrodite
throws over her head a bridal veil, Eros flies before her,
and Peitho, goddess of Persuasion, attends Aphrodite.
And now might Aineias, king of men, have perished, but that Aphro-
dite, daughter of Zeus, was swift to mark. . . . About her dear son wound
she her white arms, and spread before his face a fold of her radiant ves-
ture, to be a covering from the darts, lest any of the fleet-horsed Danaans
might hurl the spear into his breast and take away his life.
Iliad, V, 311/.
6j. Red-figured krater, about 450 B.C.; Mneas and Diomedes
68 GREEK GODS AND HEROES
The duel of ^neas and Diomedes (Iliad, v, 297 /.) is
literally represented on an Attic vase. At the left Athena
stands encouraging Diomedes in his attack on i^neas,
while at the right i^neas, wounded by the spear, falls
into the arms of his mother Aphrodite.
Stetimus tela aspera contra
contulimusque manus: experto credite, quantus
in clipeum adsurgat, quo turbine torqueat hastam.
Virg. ^n. XI, 282-84.
I have stood against the fury of his weapon, and joined hand to hand
with him in battle; trust one who knows how strong is his onset as he
rises against the shield, how fierce the whirlwind of his hurtling lance.
On a number of early vases is found the representation
of Achilles and Ajax playing dice or checkers in the pres-
ence of Athena. They are seated bending over a low
block, their shields and helmets laid aside on the ground
but the spears still in their hands. On the vase here
shown Achilles says, "I put down four," and Ajax, ''I
put down all," according to the inscriptions written be-
fore their faces.
And Thersites still chattered on, the uncontrolled of speech. . . . And
he was ill-favored beyond all men that came to Ilios. Bandy-legged was
he, and lame of one foot, and his two shoulders rounded, arched down
upon his chest; and over them his head was warped, and a scanty stubble
sprouted on it.
Iliad, II, 212, 216-19.
On one of the large decorative vases from southern
Italy the visit of the aged Phoenix to Achilles, who had
withdrawn to his tent in anger (Iliad, ix, 430/.), is de-
picted in the centre; gods and heroes of the Trojan War
<$OSTO^
PUBLIC
64. Black- figured lekythos; Achilles, Athena \^f-p.— a. "^C^
atid Ajax
70
GREEK GODS AND HEROES
65. Apulian red-figured amphora, fourth century B.C.;
visit of Phoenix to Achilles
are shown on either side, and below Hes Thersites, his
head severed from his body.
THE TROJAN WAR 71
But thou take from Ilephaistos arms of pride, arms passing goodly
such as no man on his shoulders yet hath borne. Thus spake the goddess,
and in front of Achilles laid the arms.
Iliad, XIX, 10-13.
An earlier vase from Athens gives the making of new
armor for Achilles (Iliad, xviii). At the left stands Thetis
66. Rcd-figured amphora, about 450 B.C. ; HephcEstus and Thetis
directing the work, and before her Hephaestus bends over
the shield he is making ; above hang the helmet and
greaves, and also some of Hephaestus' tools — tongs,
hammer, and bow-drill.
72
GREEK GODS AND HEROES
Thereby they ran, he flying, he pursuing. Valiant was the flier, but far
mightier he who fleetly pursued him. ... So thrice around Priam's city
circled those twain with flying feet; and all the gods were gazing on them.
Iliad, XXII, 157-58, 165-66. (Cf. Virg. lEn. 11, 270/.)
A much mutilated vase once showed in picturesque
manner the pursuit of Hector by Achilles before the walls
67. Red-figured kylix, about 4^0 B.C.; Hector and Achilles before Troy
of Troy. Hector turns to hurl his spear at his pursuer;
the gates of Troy are each guarded by an archer shown
in black on red; behind the battlements are seen the la-
menting Hecuba and Priam; and apart stands Athena
directing Achilles to victory.
THE TROJAN WAR
73
Arripit ensem,
et, Meus hie certe est. An et hunc sibi poscet Ulixes?
Hoc, ait, utendum est in me mihi, quique ruore
saepe Phrygum maduit, domini nunc caede madebit;
ne quisquam Aiacem possit superare, nisi Ajax.
Dixit; et in pectus, turn demum vulnera passum,
qua patuit ferro, letalem condidit ensem.
Ovid, Metam. xiii, 386-92.
He seizes his sword and he says, " This, at least, is my own. Or will
Ulysses claim this too for himself? This must I use against myself; and
68. Etruscan bronze mirror, third century B.C.; suicide of Ajax
74 GREEK GODS AND HEROES
the blade which has often been wet with the blood of the Phrygians will
now be wet with the slaughter of its owner, that no one but Ajax himself
may be enabled to conquer Ajax." Thus he said, and he plunged the fatal
sword into his breast, then for the first time suffering a wound where it
lay exposed to the steel.
The story of the suicide of the proud Ajax (Odyssey, xi,
543) is the theme drawn in incised Hnes on the back of an
Etruscan mirror. Apparently the fallen Ajax is drawing
the sword from his side with his left hand in the presence
of Athena, who, as Sophocles tells the story, had pro-
tected the Greek leaders from the mad attack of Ajax.
Hoc dicens altaria ad ipsa trementem
traxit et in multo lapsantem sanguine nati,
implicuitque coma laevam, dextraque coruscum
extulit ac lateri capulo tenus abdidit ensem.
Virg. .En. 11, 550-53.
With these words he dragged him to the very altar, palsied and slipping
in a pool of his son's blood, twined his left hand in his hair, and with
his right flashed forth the sword and sheathed it to the hilt in his side.
The fall of Troy is not described in our Iliad and Odys-
sey, but was the theme of later Greek epics now lost and
of the second book of the ^Eneid. On the small marble
relief here shown, Hecuba kneels on an altar beside Priam
who is being dragged to his death by the wrathful Neop-
tolemus son of Achilles.
The meeting of Menelaus wdth Helen after the fall
of Troy is depicted on the opposite side of the bowl
on which was the scene of her abduction by Paris (see
p. 67). As Helen looks proudly back at him, Menelaus
checks the hand which was drawing his sword to kill her ;
and behind Helen are the protecting goddess Aphrodite
and two persons named Kriseis and Krises.
6g. Marble relief, late Greek work; death of Priam
yo. Scene from red-figured howl, about 460 B.C.; Menelaus recovers
Helen
76
GREEK GODS AND HEROES
"But, queen, have pity on me, for after many trials and sore, to thee
first of all am I come, and of the other folk who hold this city and land I
know no man. Nay, show me the town; give me an old garment to cast
about me." . . . Then Nausicaa of the white arms answered him,
"Now since thou hast come to our city and our land, thou shalt not lack
raiment nor aught else."
Odyssey, vi, 175/.
The story of Nausicaa (Odyssey, vi) was used to
decorate the top of a maiden's toilet box. Odysseus is
77. Red-figiired toilet box {cover), second half fifth century B.C.; Odysseus
meeting Nausicaa
o
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78 GREEK GODS AND HEROES
crouching before a tree, and Athena points him past a
fleeing attendant to Nausicaa who raises her hand in
wonder; behind Odysseus is another fleeing maid and a
maid who is folding up the garments they had been wash-
ing.
Quos hominum ex facie dea sgeva potentibus herbis
induerat Circe in voltus ac terga ferarum.
Virg. iEn. vii, 19-20.
. . . which Circe, fell goddess, had transformed by her magic drugs
from the fashion of men to the visage and figure of beasts.
The monster Scylla has already been illustrated (on
p. 30), and on an early oil vase may be found a very crude
picture of Odysseus and the Sirens. His encounter with
Circe is the theme of a damaged kylix, which shows an
interesting variation from the narrative of the Odys-
sey (x, 319/.). In the centre Circe holds out her magic
potion, and on either side are Odysseus' companions
changing into various animals, a dog, a leopard, an ass, a
lion, and a horse; in the background stands Odysseus
drawing his sword to overcome Circe.
7 J. Marble head of Homer
/
i
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