Athenè and Poseidon.--The Athenè of which L is the remnant is drawn by
Carrey moving rapidly to the left; her right arm, broken off above the
elbow, is advanced horizontally in the same direction. Her left arm is
broken off below the shoulder; she wears a long chiton, over which
is a diploïdion, reaching to the hips, and falling in a fold over the
girdle. The ægis, folded like a narrow band, passes obliquely across
the bosom between the breasts, and has extended from the right
shoulder round the left side, and probably across the back. It is
scalloped on its lower edge, and at the points holes are pierced for
the attachment of serpents of metal. In the centre of the ægis is
another hole, in which a circular object six inches in diameter,
doubtless a Gorgoneion, has been fixed. Carrey's drawing shows the
base of the neck, which was broken off before the time of Lord Elgin.
It has been recognised among the fragments on the Acropolis, and a
cast of it is now adjusted to the marble. It is evident from this that
the head of the goddess was turned towards her antagonist.
_Mus. Marbles_, VI., pl. 16; Michaelis, pl. 8, fig. 13.
[Sidenote: =304 M.=]
The torso of Poseidon is made up of three parts. The fragment with the
shoulders and upper part of the chest was removed by Lord Elgin; the
fragment containing the remainder of the breast and the abdomen nearly
to the navel has been since discovered, and the original is at Athens.
Since this torso was engraved in the work of Michaelis (pl. 8, fig.
16), a small piece has been added to the lower part of the abdomen.
It appears from Carrey's drawing that Poseidon was starting back in
a direction contrary to that of Athenè, with the weight of his body
thrown on the left knee, which is bent. Carrey's drawing shows the
same portion of the right upper arm, which is preserved. It is raised
with the shoulder and may have been extended in a nearly horizontal
direction. The head in Carrey's drawing is slightly inclined over the
right shoulder. At the back the upper part of the shoulders is roughly
cut away; the chiselling does not appear to be ancient, but may have
been done after the figure had fallen from the pediment. The upper
part of this torso is remarkable for the grandeur of the lines.
_Mus. Marbles_, VI., pl. 17; Lower part, Michaelis, pl. 8, fig.
16; Laborde, _Le Parthénon_. The two parts are combined, Overbeck,
_Gr. Plast._, 3rd ed., I., p. 312, fig. 65; _Stereoscopic_, No.
101.
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