Combat of Centaur and Lapith. The Lapith is defeated and has
fallen to the ground. He supports his body with the right arm, of
which the hand alone remains. The left hand, which is wrapped in
the chlamys, is raised imploringly to the Centaur, to whom also
the head is turned. The victorious Centaur rears up above the
Lapith, and is about to hurl a great stone, or perhaps a hydria,
with both hands.
Height of this and the following slabs, 2 feet 9-1/2 inches;
length, 2 feet 10 inches. _Mus. Marbles_, IX., pl. 18.
Between Nos. 1 and 2 is a group, of which the Museum does not
possess a cast, representing two Lapiths and a fallen Centaur.
[Sidenote: 2.]
On the left is a group of a Lapith and a Centaur. The combatants
have for the moment drawn a little apart. The Lapith has recoiled
for a blow; the attention of the Centaur seems more directed to
the group on his left. The symmetry of the grouping, which is
apparent in the frieze as a whole, requires us to regard these two
figures as connected, though they may appear somewhat separated.
The Centaur brandishes a branch of a tree, to which his hands are
still attached, though the arms are lost. The Lapith had both arms
raised, and perhaps held a battle-axe. His dress is a chlamys.
We next have a group of two Centaurs, rearing up, and heaving
together a rock wherewith to crush the invulnerable Lapith,
Kaineus, who is half buried in the ground between them, and who
endeavours to defend himself with his shield uplifted on his left
arm. His head is turned towards the Centaur on the right. His
right arm, now wanting, may have rested on the ground. But it is
possible, to judge from indications on the ground of the relief,
that it was bent at the elbow, and pierced with a sword the
abdomen of the Centaur. The Lapith wears a helmet.
On the right of this group is a Lapith hastening to give succour
to Kaineus. His right arm, which was bent back at the elbow, had
been raised to strike. His left arm has been muffled in a
chlamys. He also wore a petasos, part of which is seen behind
the shoulders. On the right of this figure is a group of a Lapith
attacking a Centaur. The Lapith wears a crested helmet; on his
left arm is a shield, within which his chlamys hangs from his
arm. He also wears sandals. He places his left foot on a rock.
The Centaur opposed to him is rearing, with his back turned to
the spectator; his right arm, drawn back, has held some weapon,
probably the branch of a tree; on his left arm and shoulder is the
skin of a lion or panther which hangs down his back.
Length, 10 feet 9 inches. _Mus. Marbles_, IX., pls. 18, 19.
The next group on the frieze, which is not represented by a cast,
contains a Centaur struggling with a Lapith who has fallen on his
knees.
[Sidenote: 3.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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