Next her white hand a spacious goblet brings, A goblet sacred to the Pylian kings From eldest times; the massy, sculptured vase, Glittering with golden studs, four handles grace, And curling vines, around each handle roll'd, Support two turtle-doves emboss'd in gold. On two firm bases stood the mighty bowl, Lest the topweight should make it loosely roll: A massy weight, yet heaved with ease by him, Though all too great for men of lesser limb. Now with reference to this passage a question is raised, what is the meaning of "glittering with golden studs:"—and again, what is meant by "the massy, sculptured vase four handles grace." For Asclepiades the Myrlean, in his treatise on the Nestoris, says that the other cups have two handles. [Sidenote: DRINKING-CUPS.] And again, how could any one give a representation of turtle-doves feeding around each of the handles? How also can he say, "On two firm bases stood the mighty bowl?" And this also is a very peculiar statement that he makes, that he could heave it with ease, "though all too great for men of lesser limb." Now Asclepiades proposes all these difficulties, and especially raises the question about the studs, as to how we are to understand that they were fastened on. Now some say that golden studs must be fastened on a silver goblet from the outside, on the principles of embossing, as is mentioned in the case of the sceptre of Achilles— He spoke,—and, furious, hurl'd against the ground His sceptre, starr'd with golden studs around; for it is plain here that the studs were let into the sceptre, as clubs are strengthened with iron nails. He also says of the sword of Agamemnon— A radiant baldric, o'er his shoulder tied, Sustain'd the sword that glitter'd at his side: Gold were the studs—a silver sheath encased The shining blade. But Apelles the engraver, he says, showed us on some articles of Corinthian workmanship the way in which studs were put on. For there was a small projection raised up by the chisel, to form, as it were, the heads of the nails. And these studs are said by the poet to be fixed in, not because they are on the outside and are fixed by nails, but because they resemble nails driven through, and project a little on the outside, being above the rest of the surface.