A Catalogue of Sculpture in the Department of Greek and Roman Antiquities Part 50

THE CHORAGIC MONUMENT OF LYSICRATES.

The Choragic Monument of Lysicrates is a small edifice which presents one of the earliest examples of the use of the Corinthian order in Greek architecture. It may be thus described. On a square bas.e.m.e.nt is a cylindrical structure resting on six Corinthian columns. Between them are six equal panels of white marble closely joined; at each vertical joint a Corinthian column has been fitted, so as to project more than half its diameter. Between the capitals were figures of tripods in relief, of which only one now survives. Above the colonnade is the entablature and a cupola or _tholos_; this is in the form of a tiling of laurel-leaves richly decorated round the circ.u.mference with a double row of projecting ornaments. From the apex of the roof rises a ma.s.s of foliage arranged in a triple form, on the three most projecting leaves of which was placed a bronze tripod, dedicated by a choragos, who had provided a victorious chorus. An inscription on the architrave immediately below the figure of Dionysos furnishes the name and date of the dedicator. It runs,[*] "Lysicrates of Kikynna, son of Lysitheides, was Choragos. The youths of the tribe Acamantis were victors, Theon was the flute player, Lysiades an Athenian was the instructor of the Chorus, Euainetos was Archon." The mention of this magistrate fixes the date of the monument to B.C. 335-4.

*: _C. I. G._ 221; _C. I. A._, II., 1242. [Greek: Lysikrates Lysitheidou Kikynneus ech.o.r.egei. Akamantis paidon enika. Theon eulei. Lysiades Athenaios edidaske. Euainetos erche.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 21.--The Choragic Monument of Lysicrates. (After Stuart.)]

The building still stands in its original position at Athens, below the eastern side of the Acropolis and a little to the north-east of the theatre of Dionysos. In antiquity it stood in a street called "the street of tripods" (Paus. i. 20, 1), because of the number of tripods which were there dedicated to Dionysos. At least as early as the 15th century the building was popularly known as the Lantern of Demosthenes. In the 17th and 18th centuries it was built into the wall of the French Capuchin monastery, and the interior served as the library of the Superior. The monastery was burnt in 1821, and the only trace of it is in a few tombstones of French citizens lying near. The monument now stands in an open square. Lord Elgin's casts are the best record of the frieze, as the sculptures, which are of Pentelic marble, have suffered considerably in the last ninety years.

The subject of the frieze here described is the victory of Dionysos over the Tyrrhenian pirates who had kidnapped him from Chios with the intention of selling him as a slave. The G.o.d revenged himself by transforming the pirates into dolphins, a myth which is to be found in the Homeric Hymn to Dionysos (No. vi.) and elsewhere (Ovid, _Met._ iii. 650; Nonnus, _Dionys._ xlv. 102; Philostr. _Im._ i. 19, &c. Cf.

_Gaz. Arch._ 1875, p. 7). In the frieze the moment is represented when this transformation took place. According to Homer and most other writers, the event happened on board the s.h.i.+p, and the pirates were first terrified by a miraculous appearance of vines and wild beasts.

The sculptor has preferred to represent the scene as pa.s.sing on the rocky sh.o.r.e on which the pirates found Dionysos (_Hom. Hymn_, vi. l.

2) and has made Satyrs help in the vengeance. The subject is thus made to adapt itself to the requirements of sculpture. For a vase with a representation of the literary form of the legend, see Gerhard, _Auserlesene Vasenbilder_, i., pl. 49; Harrison, _Mythology and Monuments of Anc. Athens_, p. 251. An intaglio, with a pirate half transformed, as on the frieze, is engraved in the _Gaz. Arch._ 1875, p. 13.

It is convenient to take the architectural remains of Athens consecutively, and the monument of Lysicrates has therefore been inserted in this place. But the accurately ascertained date (335 B.C.) is a century later than the Parthenon, and it is easy to discern the change that has taken place. The form of Dionysos is becoming softer and more effeminate. The Satyrs on tip-toe belong to a scheme not introduced in the 5th century sculpture; more free play of humour is admitted. At the same time Attic schemes of composition present themselves, which had already come into use in the time of Pheidias.

This frieze is a remarkable example of the Greek power of combining variety and symmetry. On the right and left of Dionysos the groups correspond with great accuracy, but the correspondent groups always differ one from another. On each side of the G.o.d we have an attendant Satyr; a Satyr with a crater; a Satyr watching the conflict; a Satyr hastening to join it; a Satyr kneeling on a pirate; a Satyr about to strike a pirate thrown to the ground; a Satyr breaking off a branch from a tree; a pirate, half transformed, leaping into the sea. The remainder of the frieze is less exactly symmetrical.

Wheler, _Journey_, p. 397; Spon, _Voyage_ (ed. 1679), II., p.

132. A view of the monument from the monastery garden is shown in Stuart, I., chap. IV., pl. 1. The view from the street is in Le Roy, _Ruines_, pl. 13. A view of the interior used as a library, Dodwell, _Tour_, I., pl. facing p. 289. A view subsequent to the destruction of the monastery is given, _Exp. de Moree_, III., pl.

96. For the present state of the monument see Harrison, _Mythology and Monuments of Anc. Athens_, p. 245. The original frieze is of Pentelic marble; height, 10-1/2 inches. Stuart, I., ch. IV., pls.

1-26. Stuart's drawings which are freely restored are the basis of the inaccurate plate in Stuart, 2nd ed., Vol. I., ch. IV., pl. 30.

The ill.u.s.trations in most of the text-books are derived from the latter plate; e.g., Muller, _Denkmaler_, pl. 37; Overbeck, _Gr.

Plast._, 3rd ed., II., p. 91. These works all repeat an erroneous order of the two groups of No. 8, which spoils the symmetry of the frieze; cf. Murray, II., p. 333. An independent and more accurate publication is that in _Mus. Marbles_, IX., pls. 22-26, taken from the Elgin casts. See also Ellis, _Elgin Marbles_, II., pp. 79-87.

The British Museum also possesses a careful series of drawings from the sculptures, by Lord Elgin's artist, Lusieri. _Report of the Elgin Committee, appendix_, p. xli.; Wolters, No. 1328.

[Sidenote: =430.= 1.]

In the centre of the composition is Dionysos turned to the left, reclining on a rock over which drapery is thrown. He leans on his left elbow; with his right hand he caresses a panther which fawns on his knees. In the left hand Dionysos appears to have held a cup and a thyrsos, of which traces appear behind his left shoulder.

This figure is now entirely destroyed on the original. There is a considerable resemblance in the pose of Dionysos to that of the so-called Theseus of the east pediment of the Parthenon. On either side of Dionysos is a Satyr, seated on lower rocks. The Satyr on the right clasps his left knee with both hands. (Compare the figure on the east frieze of the Parthenon No. 26). His head was probably turned towards Dionysos. The Satyr on the left of the G.o.d rests his left hand on the rock behind him; his right knee is bent and the right leg drawn up under it; in his right hand he holds a thyrsos; his body and head are turned to the right.

_Mus. Marbles_, IX., pl. 24.

[Sidenote: 2.]

Next on the left is a Satyr advancing over rocky ground towards a large crater; in his right hand he holds an oinochoe, with which he is about to take wine from the crater; in his left hand has been a phiale; a fawn skin, _nebris_, hangs from his left shoulder. His head appears to have been turned towards Dionysos.

On the opposite side of the vase stands a Satyr turned to the left, resting his elbows on the stump of a tree, over which is thrown a panther's skin; the top of a thyrsos appears above his right shoulder. He appears to have been bearded.

This figure looks on at the destruction of the pirates which is represented in a series of groups on the left, and which we must suppose to have taken place on a rocky sh.o.r.e overlooked by the higher ground on which Dionysos reclines.

_Mus. Marbles_, IX., pl. 24.

[Sidenote: 3.]

A Satyr advances to the left with a burning torch, with which he is about to a.s.sail the fallen pirate of the next group. This Satyr is nude and bearded. His head is bound with a diadem. The head and left leg are now lost on the original. The next group on the left represents a pirate thrown on his hands and knees upon the rocks.

On his back kneels a Satyr whose right arm is upraised to strike his prostrate foe with some weapon which is not clearly shown in the relief, but which was probably a pedum, or perhaps a branch.

The Satyr has a panther's skin floating in the air, at his back.

Between the legs is a lump of plaster, which is due to a fault in the moulding.

_Mus. Marbles_, IX., pl. 23.

[Sidenote: 4.]

Next on the left is a bearded Satyr, who draws back to the right, to collect his force for a blow, with his thyrsos. Meanwhile he looks back at a pirate on his left, who kneels with his hands tied behind him, and looks round towards the Satyr in helpless terror.

A panther's skin, hanging from the left shoulder of the Satyr, floats in the air at his back.

_Mus. Marbles_, IX., pl. 23.

[Sidenote: 5.]

The next figure on the left is a bearded Satyr who turns to the right kneeling on his left knee, set in the fork of a tree close to the edge of the sea; with both hands he is breaking off a branch. His panther's skin floats in the air behind his back. His right foot stands in shoal water, which is indicated by curling waves. Behind him on the left is a pirate, whose body to the waist is transformed into a dolphin, and who leaps head foremost into the sea.

_Mus. Marbles_, IX., pl. 23.

Between No. 5 and No. 6 is about a yard of frieze, wanting in the cast. This is given, freely restored, by Stuart. An accurate drawing by Lusieri is preserved in the Museum (Plate ix.). A bearded Satyr holds out a torch and pursues a pirate who runs away at full speed. A hole has been cut between them for the insertion of a beam. A rock and tree separate this group from the following, No. 6.

[Sidenote: 6.]

This group is rather better preserved in the drawing of Lusieri than in the cast. A young pirate is seated on the ground leaning on his left arm. The right hand is extended in supplication to the bearded Satyr, who is dragging him seawards by the foot. A hole has been cut through the figure for a beam. The Satyr stands in the waves. Behind him a pirate, half transformed, is in the act of leaping into the sea. This figure is now almost destroyed in the original. As it is leaping to the right, it belongs strictly to that part of the circular frieze which represents the scene on the right of Dionysos.

_Mus. Marbles_, IX., pl. 22.

[Sidenote: 7.]

On the right of the central group (No. 1) is a bearded Satyr moving to the right towards a large crater. In his right hand he holds up an oinochoe or wine jug. His left is extended over the crater and holds a phiale. This figure appears to be bearded, though it is drawn as beardless by Lusieri; the head is now wanting. Next on the right are two Satyrs, each wearing a panther skin. The Satyr on the left turns to the right and extends his right hand towards the second Satyr, as if giving him an order.

The latter looks round to the left, as if to receive the order, while he is hastening to the right with both hands raised, as if pointing.

_Mus. Marbles_, IX., pl. 25.

[Sidenote: 8.]

Next on the right is a prostrate pirate, on whose b.u.t.tock a bearded Satyr is kneeling with his left knee, while he holds the pirate's hands, as if to tie them behind his back. The pirate kneels on the rock, with his head pressed upon the ground and turned towards the spectator.

The next group on the right is composed of a Satyr, who has thrown a pirate backward on the rock, and is about to strike him with a pedum or club. The pirate has his left knee bent under him, and leans back on his right elbow: he advances his right foot and left arm to defend himself. He is drawn by Lusieri with a negro face and pointed ear. The ear seems pointed, but it is manifest that the features are wrongly drawn. The head is now wanting on the original. The Satyr has his body facing to the front and inclined to the left with the right leg advanced: his right hand is raised to the level of his head. The action shows that he is about to swing his body round to give effect to the blow which he is aiming at the pirate. On his left arm is the panther's skin, worn as a s.h.i.+eld.

_Mus. Marbles_, IX., pl. 25.

[Sidenote: 9.]

In the next group are a Satyr and a transformed pirate, separated by a tree which marks the edge of the rocky sh.o.r.e, as at the opposite side of the frieze. The Satyr stoops forward, breaking off with both hands a branch of the tree, which he is about to use as a weapon. He is bearded. The right leg is now wanting on the original. The pirate darts head foremost into the water, pressing his feet against the trunk of the tree.

_Mus. Marbles_, IX., pl. 26.

[Sidenote: 10.]