muscles shows its adaptation to activity and alertness. This group is, on the whole, more agreeable than the preceding, both from the gracefulness of the composition and from its superiority of execution. 3. Bassi-Rilievi, or Frieze. The Frieze representing the Greater Panathenaic Festival at Athens, which we now proceed to describe, occupied originally about 524 feet in length of the outside of the cella of the Parthenon within the external columns which on all sides surrounded that building. The base of this line of sculpture was about 40 feet from the pavement of the platform, and the space between the cella and the vestibules was 15 feet; hence the spectator who wished to view the frieze in its original position must have stood at a distance of about 12 feet from the external wall of the cella, and must have seen the slabs themselves under an acute angle of 42° 45'. The position of the Frieze close under the ceiling of the colonnade prevented its receiving any direct light from the rays of the sun; hence it was necessary for it to be in low relief, else the shadows would have been so broad and strong that the upper portions would have been obscured, and the relative proportions of the parts deranged and distorted. To obviate these difficulties, the artists placed the objects in bas-relief, with a strong and well defined outline, producing thereby great richness of effect. This Frieze was, indeed, subordinate to the more important sculptures of the Pediments and Metopes, but was in harmony with the repose of the architectural arrangements of the part of the building it adorned. The Panathenaic festival, which was one of great antiquity, was celebrated in honour of Athene, and derived its name from the custom that every freeborn inhabitant of Attica was entitled to assist at it. There were two festivals of the name; the lesser, celebrated every year; the greater, only once in four years, in the third year of each Olympiad. On the frieze, even in its present mutilated state, the general character of the Panathenaic procession may be easily made out, though it must not be supposed that every incident which occurred at the festival is depicted on the marbles. Thus for instance, the Lampadephoria and gymnastic exercises are omitted. The whole mass of the people are represented conveying in solemn pomp the Térλos (Peplus) or Sacred Veil, which had been previously worked in the Acropolis by young virgins (technically 'Epyaσrîvai) selected from the best families in Athens,' to the Temple of Athene Polias, where it was placed probably on the knees of the statue of the Goddess. On this peplus was embroidered the Battle of the Gods and the Giants; Zeus hurling his thunderbolts against the rebels, and Athene seated in her chariot as the vanquisher of Typhon or Enceladus. The arrangement of the procession on the frieze was as follows:On the West side were to be seen the preparations for the cavalcade; then South and North in the first half, the horsemen of Athens galloping in files. Next, a number of chariots, probably those which had gained the victories in previous Panathenaic festivals. Then further on, to the South, old men and women of the city; and on the North, choruses with Auletæ, and Citharistæ, and the bearers of various shaped vessels,2 and close to the Eastern corners on both sides, the bulls and other victims with their attendants. On the East side, surrounded by the virgins who bring up the consecrated gifts, and the presiding magistrates, are seated Twelve Deities, Zeus, Hera, with Hebe, Hephæstus, Demeter, the Dioscuri, Hygieia, Asclepius, Poseidon, Erectheus? Peitho, Aphrodite with Eros, between whom, a priestess and a priest or magistrate, who receives the peplos from a boy, form the central group. Such was the frieze when originally perfect. The British Museum possesses in slabs and fragments of marble about 249 feet, with 76 feet in plaster. Of these last the greater part are from slabs which have not been removed from the Temple, together with one formerly in the possession of Count de ChoiseulGouffier, and now in the Louvre at Paris. The arrangement which has been adopted for the portions now in the Elgin Room, is that which they originally occupied upon the outer wall of the cella of the 1 A passage in Euripides in which the captive Trojans mourn their fate evidently refers to the working of the sacred Peplus. Η παλλάδος ἐν πόλει τᾶς καλλιδίφροι ̓ ἀθα Eurip. Hec. 1. 464, Ed. Pors. 2 Askoi, scaphai, and hydriai. Parthenon, and we shall describe them accordingly under the following heads :- 1. Slabs from the Eastern side. 2. Slabs from the Northern side. 3. Slabs from the Western side. 4. Slabs from the Southern side. 1. The Slabs from the Eastern side.' The Eastern portico was the great entrance to the Temple. In the Pediment above it was placed the most important scene in the whole design of Pheidias, the birth of Athene herself; and we may, therefore, presume that the portion of the frieze ranged under this pediment embodied the most impressive moment of the whole action represented by the procession. Here, accordingly, we find a series of groups which, without doubt, when complete, represented Twelve Deities seated on their thrones. These Divine figures are arranged in pairs, six on one side, and six on the other of a group of standing figures, who from their position exactly in the centre of this front, and also between groups of the assembled Divinities, we cannot but suppose to be engaged in the principal action of the whole piece. The illustrious personages, who are seated on either side of the central group, are turned from the centre and towards the procession, the columns of which are approaching in opposite directions. From their position in relation to the rest of the Frieze, we may suppose that they formed two opposite groups or lines on the Acropolis, and that the head of the procession defiled between them. It is probable that the Twelve Deities here represented were the BEOL TOXIOUXOL of the Acropolis, but their individual identification is exceedingly difficult. No. 18, the two young men seated back to back are the Dioscuri, Castor and Pollux, who were often called Anakes, and had temples to their honour at Athens. The nearer one has indeed been conjectured to represent Mercury, and the other Heracles, on the ground that the figures are apparently of different ages; while the Dioscuri on the other hand were twins. Their dress too is also different. The slabs belonging to the eastern frieze are arranged in the present Elgin Room from No. 17 to No. 24, inclusive, in order from left to right, on the left hand of the visitor who enters the room. |