The museum of classical antiquities - being a series of essays on ancient art (1860) (14776339761)

Identifier: museumofclassical00falk (find matches)

Title: The museum of classical antiquities : being a series of essays on ancient art

Year: 1860 (1860s)

Authors: Falkener, Edward, 1814-1896 Wood, J. E Davies, Benjamin Rees

Subjects: Classical antiquities Archaeology

Publisher: London : Longman, Green, Longman, and Roberts

Contributing Library: Getty Research Institute

Digitizing Sponsor: Sloan Foundation

Text Appearing Before Image:

itby the will of their masters; and, with the cunning for whiclithey were so noted, at the same time that they were com-pelled to represent them in the action of victory, (see stonesNos. 39 and 47 in the British Museum,) they have so cleverlymanaged one figure, that while they could persuade the Persiansthat their countryman was striding to victory, he was in realityflying ignobly before his foe.* referred to, of the Persian sacrifice and the Persian hunting games, are a sufficientanswer to such objection. Another proof of oriental influence on its architecture,were any wanting, is afforded by the Assyrian character of its city frieze. * This figure is on an angle-stone, and consequently there could have been nofigures in front of him. The same contempt appears to have been intended, byindicating manly vigour in all the Greeks, as a mark of distinction from the eflFeminatePersians. The application of bronze for this pui-pose in the acroterial figuies is veryremarkable. AT XANTHUS. 279

Text Appearing After Image:

In attributing the erection of the monument to the periodof the Persian sway, from 541 to 333 b. c, we find that the Erechtheum occupies a position about midway, 409 b. c, a date which affords us some clue for the date of erectionof the Xanthian monument. Herodotus recited his historyat the Olympic games in 445 b. c, about a century after theconquest by the Persians, and he describes the inhabitantsas calling themselves Xanthians, although but few of themwere really descended from the ancient inhabitants:—a cir-cumstance which clearly proves that a feeling had then sprungup in favour of the original inhabitants. We can hardly sup-pose that, with such a revolution of feeling, the people wouldbe desirous of perpetuating the remembrance of an event, theglory of which would be attributable to the Persians, and 280 ON THE IONIC IlEROUM which, in their assumed name, would cast disgrace upon them-selves. It is far more natural to suppose that the monumentwas erected shortly after the conqu

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1860

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