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Olympic Victor Monuments and Greek Athletic Art by Walter Woodburn Hyde

1583. The right arm of the uppermost athlete seems to have been wrongly

1133 words  |  Chapter 127

restored; in any case this athlete is not strangling his opponent. One youth has thrown the other down on to his knee, and his left leg is intertwined with the left leg of the other, and he is drawing back his arm to aim a blow. The wrestler underneath supports himself upon his left arm, and the intention of his opponent is to destroy this support by a blow of the fist, which would bring the contest to a sudden conclusion, since the right arm of the under youth is fast and he must defend himself with the left. As Gardiner points out, such a situation is illustrated by Heliodoros’ description of the match between Theagenes and an Aethiopian champion.[1784] The under man’s position, however, may suddenly change and the issue yet be in his favor. Many writers have explained the group as ordinary wrestlers,[1785] but Gardiner has conclusively shown that it belongs to the pankration, since in wrestling the contest is ended when one of the contestants has been thrown, while here the struggle is continuing on the ground.[1786] [Illustration: PLATE 25 Marble Group of Pancratiasts. Uffizi Gallery, Florence.] Kapros of Elis was the first of seven Olympic victors to emulate the fabled feat of Herakles by winning the pankration and wrestling matches on the same day—that is, he was the first professional strong man.[1787] The other six all came from the East. It has been suggested[1788] that the colossal _Farnese Herakles_ found in Rome in the ruins of the Baths of Caracalla in 1540 and now in Naples, inscribed as the work of the Athenian Glykon, which represents the hero leaning wearily on his club against a rock,[1789] may represent the type of these professional strong men, who called themselves the successors of Herakles. But such a suggestion is as unfounded as the one already examined, which identifies the original of the _Seated Boxer_ of the Museo delle Terme (Pl. 16 and Fig. 27) with Kleitomachos of Thebes, the redoubtable opponent of Kapros, since the dates in both cases are against such identifications. The Farnese statue and other replicas of the same original[1790] obviously revert to a Lysippan original, though they are considerably metamorphosed by the taste of a later age. Such big swollen muscles at first sight appear to be alien to the sculptor of the graceful _Agias_, but that the Naples copy by Glykon—who, from the inscription on the base, must be referred to the first century B. C.[1791]—really represents the work of Lysippos seems well established by the fact that a smaller copy, though still over life-size, of poorer workmanship, in the Pitti Gallery in Florence, is inscribed as Λυσίππου ἔργον.[1792] This type of weary hero appears in the _Telephos_ group on the small Pergamene frieze, but is even earlier, since the latter seems to have been borrowed from a statue which is reproduced on a coin of Alexander, which was struck at least as early as 300 B. C.[1793] The type of Herakles wearied by his superhuman labors was inaugurated still earlier by Lysippos, who was fond of representing the hero in many poses, seated and standing, resting and laboring. We might mention his colossal bronze statue of Herakles, which was set up in Tarentum and then carried to Rome and placed on the Capitol by Q. Fabius Maximus, when Tarentum was captured in 209 B. C., and was later transferred to the Hippodrome at Constantinople, where it remained until the sack of that city by the Franks in 1204.[1794] It is hazardous, therefore, to reject the evidence, and it will be best to see in the original a genuine Lysippan work, as do Bulle, Overbeck, von Mach, Schnaase,[1795] and others, and so to make Glykon responsible only for the exaggerations of his own copy. Thus we have to face the fact of divergent styles in the great bronze founder of the fourth century B. C., even if we admit with Richardson that “for our peace of mind this statue might well have been sunk in the sea.”[1796] [Illustration: A B FIG. 61.—Bronze Head of Boxer (?), from Olympia. National Museum, Athens.] Long ago, I referred the life-size bronze portrait-like head of a boxer or pancratiast found at Olympia, now in the Athens Museum (Figs. 61A and B),[1797] to one of two statues of the pancratiast Kapros mentioned by Pausanias.[1798] The remnant of a wild-olive crown in the hair proves that it comes from the statue of an Olympic victor. Its bruised appearance may, however, betoken the punishment administered by the gloves of a boxer rather than by the bare fists of a pancratiast. That Greek sculpture was not always ideal we have seen from the description of the _Seated Boxer_ of the Museo delle Terme (Pl. 16 and Fig. 27). This peculiarly life-like head is another example of the same realism; it would be hard to name a more brutal and repellent piece from the whole range of Greek sculpture. The profession of this bruiser is evident in every feature, for the sculptor has betrayed it by the swollen ears, flat nose, thick neck, swollen cheeks, projecting under lip, frowning brows, and unkempt hair and beard. All these traits—especially the treatment of the eyes—give to it the sullen gloomy look so characteristic of boxers and pancratiasts.[1799] The man appears to be awaiting the attack, his contracted brows showing alert expectation, and his closed lips great determination. Furtwaengler, Bulle, Flasch, and others have dated it in the fourth century B. C., and are fain to see in it the work of an artist of the immediate circle of Lysippos or Lysistratos;[1800] but its exaggerated realism seems rather to point to a later period, not earlier than the third century B. C.[1801] The bronze foot of a victor statue also found at Olympia (Fig. 62)[1802] has been assigned by Furtwaengler to one of the statues of Kapros, an ascription which we also have followed.[1803] The position of this foot shows—as an experiment with a living model has disclosed—great movement, which makes it obvious that it comes from a statue in lively motion, probably of a boxer or pancratiast. It belongs to the statue of a strong man of coarse build; there is not the slightest trace of unnecessary flesh on it, but the whole is vigorous muscle, even the swollen veins being clearly visible in the photograph. While Furtwaengler finds its stylistic parallels in the copies of the Pergamene works of the third century B. C., _e. g._, the _Dying Gaul_ statues, the material and form of the base fitting that period, Wolters emphasizes its stylistic analogy to the bronze head just discussed. [Illustration: FIG. 62.—Bronze Foot of a Victor Statue, from Olympia. Museum of Olympia.] The monuments which represent equestrian victors will be left for another chapter.
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Chapters

1. Chapter 1 2. Chapter V relates chiefly to the monuments of hippodrome victors, those 3. Chapter VI gives a stylistic analysis of what are conceived to be 4. CHAPTER I. 5. CHAPTER II. 6. CHAPTER III. 7. CHAPTER IV. 8. CHAPTER V. 9. CHAPTER VI. 10. CHAPTER VII. 11. CHAPTER VIII. 12. 1. Bull-grappling Scene. Wall-painting, from Knossos. Museum 13. 2. Marble Statue of a Girl Runner. Vatican Museum, Rome. After 14. 3. Bronze Head of an Olympic Victor. Glyptothek, Munich. After 15. 4. Statue of the _Doryphoros_, from Pompeii, after Polykleitos. 16. 5. Statue of _Hermes_, from Andros. National Museum, Athens. 17. 6. Statue of the _Standing Diskobolos_, after Naukydes (?). 18. 9. Statue of an Athlete, by Stephanos. Villa Albani, Rome. 19. 10. Bronze statue of the _Praying Boy_. Museum of Berlin. After 20. 11. Statue of so-called _Oil-pourer_. Glyptothek, Munich. After 21. 12. Statue of an _Apoxyomenos_. Uffizi Gallery, Florence. After 22. 13. Statue of an Athlete, after Polykleitos. Farnsworth Museum, 23. 14. Bronze Statue known as the _Idolino_. Museo Archeologico, 24. 15. Marble Head of an Athlete, after Kresilas (?). Metropolitan 25. 16. Bronze Statue of the _Seated Boxer_. Museo delle Terme, 26. 17. Statue known as the _Farnese Diadoumenos_. British Museum, 27. 18. Statue of the _Diadoumenos_, from Delos. After Polykleitos. 28. 19. Statue known as the _Westmacott Athlete_. British Museum, 29. 20. Head of an Athlete, School of Praxiteles. Metropolitan Museum, 30. 21. Statue of _Diomedes with the Palladion_. Glyptothek, Munich. 31. 22. Statue of the _Diskobolos_, from Castel Porziano, after 32. 23. Statue of the _Diskobolos_, after Myron. A bronzed Cast from 33. 24. Statue of a Kneeling Youth, from Subiaco. Museo delle Terme, 34. 25. Marble Group of Pancratiasts. Uffizi Gallery, Florence. 35. 26. Racing Chariot and Horses. From an archaic b.-f. Hydria. 36. 27. Statue of a Charioteer (?). Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. 37. 28. Statue of the Pancratiast Agias, from Delphi. Museum 38. 29. Statue of the _Apoxyomenos_. After Lysippos or his School. 39. 30. Statue of _Herakles_. Lansdowne House, London. After Gardner, 40. 1. So-called _Boxer Vase_, from Hagia Triada. From a Cast 41. 2. Bronze Statuette of a Victor, from Olympia. Museum of Olympia. 42. 3. Bronze Head of an Olympic Victor, from Beneventum. Louvre, 43. 4. Bronze Head of an Olympic Victor, from Herculaneum. Museum 44. 5. Bronze Portrait-statue of a Hellenistic Prince. Museo delle 45. 6. Bronze Statuette of _Hermes-Diskobolos_, found in the Sea 46. 7. Bronze Statue of a Youth, found in the Sea off Antikythera. 47. 8. Statue of the so-called _Jason_ (_Sandal-binder_). Louvre, 48. 9. Statue of so-called _Apollo of Thera_. National Museum, 49. 10. Statue of so-called _Apollo of Orchomenos_. National Museum, 50. 11. Statue of so-called _Apollo_, from Mount Ptoion, Bœotia. 51. 12. Statue of so-called _Apollo of Melos_. National Museum, 52. 13. Statues of so-called _Apollos_, from Mount Ptoion. National 53. 14. Statue known as the _Strangford Apollo_. British Museum, 54. 15. Bronze Statuette of a Palæstra Victor, from the Akropolis. 55. 16. Bronze Statuette, from Ligourió. Museum of Berlin. After 56. 17. Statue of an Ephebe, from the Akropolis. Akropolis Museum, 57. 18. Head of an Ephebe, from the Akropolis. Akropolis Museum, 58. 19. Bronze Statuette of Apollo, found in the Sea off Piombino. 59. 20. Figure, from the East Pediment of the Temple on Aegina. 60. 21. Two Figures, from the West Pediment of the Temple on Aegina. 61. 22. Archaic Marble Head of a Youth. Jacobsen Collection, 62. 23. Head of so-called _Oil-pourer_. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. 63. 24. Bronze Statuette of an Athlete. Louvre, Paris. After 64. 25. Bronze Head of an Athlete, from Herculaneum. Museum of Naples. 65. 26. Marble Statue of an Athlete (?). National Museum, Athens. 66. 27. Head from Statue of the _Seated Boxer_ (Pl. 16). Museo delle 67. 28. Statue of the _Diadoumenos_, from Vaison, after Polykleitos. 68. 29. Head of the _Diadoumenos_, after Polykleitos. Albertinum, 69. 30. Marble Heads of two Hoplitodromoi, from Olympia. Museum of 70. 31. Head of Herakles, from Genzano. British Museum, London. After 71. 33. Head of an Athlete, from Perinthos. Albertinum, Dresden. 72. 34. Statue of the _Diskobolos_, after Myron. Vatican Museum, 73. 35. Statue of the _Diskobolos_, after Myron. British Museum, 74. 36. A and B. Athletic Scenes from a Bacchic Amphora in Rome. 75. 37. Athletic Scenes from a Sixth-century B. C. Panathenaic 76. 38. Statue of a Runner. Palazzo dei Conservatori, Rome. After 77. 39. Statue of a Runner. Palazzo dei Conservatori, Rome. After 78. 40. Statue of the so-called _Thorn-puller_ (the _Spinario_). 79. 41. Hoplitodromes. Scenes from a r.-f. Kylix. Museum of Berlin. 80. 42. Bronze Statuette of a Hoplitodrome (?). University Museum, 81. 43. Statue of the so-called _Borghese Warrior_. Louvre, Paris. 82. 44. Pentathletes. Scene from a Panathenaic Amphora in the 83. 45. Statue of a Boy Victor (the _Dresden Boy_). Albertinum, 84. 46. Bronze Statuette of a _Diskobolos_. Metropolitan Museum, 85. 47. Bust of the _Doryphoros_, after Polykleitos, by Apollonios. 86. 48. Statue of the _Doryphoros_, after Polykleitos. Vatican 87. 49. Wrestling Scenes. From Obverse of an Amphora, by Andokides. 88. 50. Wrestling and Boxing Scenes. From a r.-f. Kylix. University 89. 51. Bronze Statues of Wrestlers. Museum of Naples. After B. B., 90. 52. Bronze Arm of Statue of a Boxer, found in the Sea off 91. 53. Forearm with Glove. From the Statue of the _Seated Boxer_ 92. 54. Boxing Scenes. From a r.-f. Kylix by Douris. British Museum, 93. 55. Boxing and Pankration Scenes. From a r.-f. Kylix. British 94. 56. Boxing Scene. From a b.-f. Panathenaic Panel-amphora. 95. 57. Statue of a Boxer, from Sorrento. By Koblanos of Aphrodisias. 96. 58. Statue known as _Pollux_. Louvre, Paris. After Photograph 97. 59. Pankration Scene. From a Panathenaic Amphora by Kittos. 98. 60. Bronze Statuette of a Pancratiast (?), from Autun, France. 99. 61. Bronze Head of a Boxer(?), from Olympia. A (Profile); 100. 62. Bronze Foot of a Victor Statue, from Olympia. Museum 101. 63. Charioteer Mounting a Chariot. Bas-relief from the Akropolis. 102. 64. _Apobates_ and Chariot. Relief from the North Frieze of 103. 65. Charioteer. Relief from the small Frieze of the Mausoleion, 104. 66. Bronze Statue of the Delphi _Charioteer_. Museum of Delphi. 105. 67. Horse-racer. From a Sixth-century B. C. b.-f. Panathenaic 106. 68. Head from the Statue of Agias (Pl. 28). Museum of Delphi. 107. 69. Marble Head, from Olympia. Three-quarters Front View 108. 70. Profile Drawings of the Heads of the _Agias_ and the 109. 71. Head of the Statue of Herakles (Pl. 30). Lansdowne House, 110. 72. Marble Head of a Boy, found near the Akropolis, Sparta. In 111. 73. So-called Head of Herakles from Tegea, by Skopas. National 112. 74. Attic Grave-relief, found in the Bed of the Ilissos, Athens. 113. 75. Statue of the so-called _Meleager_. Vatican Museum, Rome. 114. 76. Head of the so-called _Meleager_. Villa Medici, Rome. After 115. 77. Torso of the so-called _Meleager_. Fogg Art Museum, Cambridge, 116. 78. Small Marble Torso of a Boy Victor, from Olympia. Museum 117. 79. Stone Statue of the Olympic Victor, Arrhachion, from 118. 80. Statues of Ra-nefer and Tepemankh, from Sakkarah. Museum 119. 1868. Revised edition, entitled Die Gipsabguesse antiker Bildwerke, 120. CHAPTER I. 121. Chapter VIII. 122. CHAPTER II. 123. CHAPTER III. 124. CHAPTER IV. 125. Chapter II, in connection with the subject of assimilation. 126. introduction of this race at Olympia. However, the absence of the 127. 1583. The right arm of the uppermost athlete seems to have been wrongly 128. CHAPTER V. 129. episode there described.[1816] But the first trace of such a contest 130. CHAPTER VI. 131. CHAPTER VII. 132. CHAPTER VIII. 133. 6. 1-7.1) stood in this neighborhood. Now the statues of the family of 134. Book V, Pausanias says he is proceeding north from the Council-house 135. 1. The twenty-eight oldest statues—exclusive of the five already 136. 2. After this space was mostly filled, the next statues, those dating 137. 3. From near the date of the battle of Aigospotamoi, down to about the 138. 4. After Alexander’s time, in consequence of the recent building of 139. 1. Chionis, of Sparta.[2443] Besides his statue by Myron and the tablet 140. 2. Kylon, of Athens.[2444] Pausanias records that a bronze statue of 141. 3. Hipposthenes, of Sparta.[2451] Pausanias records that a temple was 142. 4. Hetoimokles, son of Hipposthenes of Sparta.[2453] Pausanias mentions 143. 5. Arrhachion, of Phigalia.[2454] Pausanias records the stone statue 144. 6. Kimon, the son of Stesagoras, of Athens.[2455] Aelian mentions αἱ 145. 7. Philippos, son of Boutakides, of Kroton.[2461] The people of Egesta 146. 8. Astylos, or Astyalos, of Kroton.[2463] Besides mentioning his statue 147. 9. Euthymos, son of Astykles, of Lokroi Epizephyrioi in South 148. 10. Theagenes, son of Timosthenes, of Thasos, one of the most famous 149. 11. Ladas, of Sparta.[2475] Two fourth-century epigrams celebrate the 150. 12. Kallias, son of Didymias of Athens.[2478] Apart from his statue at 151. 13. Diagoras, son of Damagetos, of Rhodes, the most famous of Greek 152. 14. Agias, of Pharsalos.[2483] We have already, in Ch. VI, discussed 153. 15. Cheimon, of Argos.[2485] In mentioning the statue of Cheimon at 154. 16. Leon, son of Antikleidas (or Antalkidas), of Sparta.[2487] A 155. 17. Eubotas (Eubatas or Eubatos), of Kyrene.[2489] Besides his statue 156. 18. Promachos, son of Dryon, of Pellene in Achaia.[2491] Pausanias not 157. 19. An unknown victor, of Argos or (?) Tegea.[2492] Aristotle mentions 158. 20. Kyniska, daughter of Archidamos I, of Sparta.[2496] Pausanias, 159. 21. Euryleonis, a victress of Sparta.[2497] Pausanias says that she 160. 22. Archias, son of Eukles, of Hybla.[2499] An epigram in the _Greek 161. 23. [Phil]okrates, son of Antiphon, of Athens (deme of Krioa).[2501] 162. 24. An unknown victor. An inscribed base, found near the Portico of 163. 25. Phorystas, son of Thriax (or Triax), of (?) Tanagra.[2504] 164. 26. Aristophon, son of Lysinos, of Athens.[2507] Besides his statue 165. 27. Attalos, father of King Attalos I,[2509] of Pergamon.[2510] The 166. 28. Xenodamos, of Antikyra in Phokis.[2512] Pausanias mentions a bronze 167. 29. Titos Phlabios Metrobios, son of Demetrios, of Iasos, Karia.[2523] 168. 30. Sarapion, of Alexandria, Egypt.[2525] Pausanias mentions two 169. 31. Markos Aurelios Demetrios, of Alexandria, Egypt.[2527] His son, 170. 32. Unknown victor, from Magnesia ad Sipylum, in Lydia.[2529] His 171. 33. Kranaos or Granianos, of Sikyon.[2531] Pausanias mentions a bronze 172. 34. Titos Ailios Aurelios Apollonios, of Tarsos.[2532] A statue of 173. 35. Mnasiboulos, of Elateia in Phokis.[2534] His fellow citizens 174. 36. Aurelios Toalios, of (?) Oinoanda, Lykia.[2535] The inscribed base 175. 37. Aurelios Metrodoros, of Kyzikos.[2537] The inscribed base of his 176. 38. Valerios Eklektos, of Sinope.[2539] Besides his monument at 177. 39. Klaudios Rhouphos, also called Apollonios the Pisan, son of 178. 40. Philoumenos, of Philadelphia, in Lydia.[2544] The closing verse 179. 41. Ainetos, of (?) Amyklai.[2546] Pausanias mentions the portrait 180. 42. Nikokles, of Akriai in Lakonia.[2547] Pausanias mentions a monument 181. 43. Aigistratos, son of Polykreon, of Lindos in Rhodes.[2548] A statue 182. 44. An unknown victor, of (?) Delphi.[2550] The inscribed base of his 183. 1. Epicharinos. Pausanias mentions the statue Ἐπιχαρίνου ὁπλιτοδρομεῖν 184. 2. Hermolykos, son of Euthoinos or Euthynos. Pausanias mentions the 185. 3. Isokrates, son of Theodoros, of Athens. The pseudo-Plutarch mentions 186. 192. Rodenwaldt interprets them as female: _l. c._ 187. 26. For the scholiast, see Boeckh, p. 158; and _F. H. G._, II, p. 183 188. 47. P., VI, 20.9, says that the restriction did not include maidens. 189. 26. 1; the poet Martianus Capella, of the middle of the fifth century 190. 1895. This work is based on the older investigations of C. Schmidt, 191. 567. A corresponding replica from Melos is described by F. W., 1219; 192. 80. The statue is 1.83 meters high (Bulle). Head alone in Overbeck, 193. 66. Graef had already conjectured the type to be that of a Polykleitan 194. 73. Froehner reads the name “Exotra,” that of a woman victor. 195. 12. It is in the National Museum at Athens, where most of the “Apollos” 196. 210. Furtwaengler, _Mp._, p. 196, _Mw._, p. 380, believes it impossible 197. 62. The statue is 1.44 meters high (Bulle). For the inscription on the 198. 20. Bulle, however, says that the Munich statue may be that of a boxer 199. 3. It is 0.21 meter high. For the same style and conception, _cf._ a 200. 488. It is 1.48 meters high (Bulle). 201. 73. It was formerly in the van Branteghem collection. 202. 45. The word ὠτοκάταξις seems to have meant a boxer whose ears were 203. 340. Wolters tried to show that it was Praxitelian. But the similarity 204. 2212. It is 1.48 meters high from lower edge of base to the right hand 205. 7. It is 1 meter high (Bulle). 206. 248. Krison is mentioned by Plato, _Protag._, 335 E, and _de Leg._,

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