Pausanias' description of Greece, Volume II.Pausanias, active approximately 150-175
History
Pausanias' description of Greece, Volume II.
Pausanias, active approximately 150-175
Greece -- Antiquities; Greece -- Description and travel -- Early works to 1800
Polygnotus has painted next the daughters of Pandareus, as to whom
Homer says, in a speech of Penelope, that their parents died through
the wrath of the gods when they were still maidens, and that as they
were orphans they were brought up by Aphrodite, and received gifts
from other goddesses, as from Hera prudence and beauty, from Artemis
tallness of stature, from Athene an education fit for women. But when
Aphrodite went up to heaven to obtain a good match for the girls from
Zeus, they were carried off in her absence by the Harpies and given by
them to the Furies. Such at least is Homer’s account about them.[136]
And Polygnotus has painted them crowned with flowers, and playing with
dice. Their names were Camiro and Clytie. Pandareus was you must know a
Milesian from Cretan Miletus, and an associate of Tantalus both in his
theft and perjury. And next the daughters of Pandareus is Antilochus
with one of his feet on a stone, and his head on both his hands. And
next him is Agamemnon, leaning on his sceptre under his left arm, and
with a staff in his hands. And Protesilaus and Achilles are seated, and
looking at one another. And above Achilles is Patroclus standing. None
of these have beards except Agamemnon. And above them is painted the
stripling Phocus, and Iaseus with a beard, who is trying to take a ring
from Phocus’ left hand. The circumstances are as follows. When Phocus,
the son of Æacus, crossed over from Ægina to the country now called
Phocis, and obtained the sovereignty over the men in that part of the
mainland, and meant to dwell there, Iaseus was most friendly with him,
and offered him various presents, as was very natural, and among others
a stone signet-ring set in gold: and when Phocus not long after sailed
back to Ægina, Peleus contrived his death: and so in the painting, as
a memorial of their friendship, Iaseus is represented as wishing to
look at the signet-ring, and Phocus letting him take it. Above them
is Mæra sitting on a stone: in _The Return from Ilium_ she is said to
have died a virgin, and to have been the daughter of Prœtus, the son
of Thersander and grandson of Sisyphus. And next Mæra is Actæon, (the
son of Aristæus), and his mother, both seated on a deerskin and holding
a fawn in their hands. And a hound for hunting is near: these are
emblems of the life and death of Actæon. And in the lower part of the
painting next to Patroclus is Orpheus sitting on a hill, with a harp
in his left hand, and with his right hand he is touching the branches
of a willow-tree, and he leans against the tree: the scene looks like
the grove of Proserpine, where Homer tells us poplars and willows
grew.[137] And Orpheus’ dress is Greek, no part of his attire is
Thracian, not even his hat. And Promedon is leaning against the other
side of the willow-tree. Some think Polygnotus introduced Promedon’s
name into legend. Others say he was a Greek who was passionately fond
of music, and especially of that of Orpheus. In the same part of the
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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