It was not the custom in former times to give the likeness5 of individuals, except of such as deserved to be held in lasting6 272 remembrance on account of some illustrious deed; in the first instance, for a victory at the sacred games, and more particularly the Olympic Games, where it was the usage for the victors always to have their statues consecrated7. And if any one was so fortunate as to obtain the prize there three times, his statue was made with the exact resemblance of every individual limb; from which circumstance they were called “iconic?,” or “portrait statues.” I do not know whether the public statues were not erected8 by the Athenians, and in honor of Harmodius and Aristogiton, who slew9 the tyrant,[211] an event which took place in the same year in which the kings were expelled from Rome. This custom, from a most praiseworthy emulation10, was afterwards adopted by all other nations; so that statues were erected as ornaments11 in the public places of municipal towns, and the memory of individuals was thus preserved, their various honors being inscribed12 on the pedestals, to be read there by posterity13, and not on their tombs alone. After some time, a kind of forum14 or public place came to be made in private houses and in our halls, the clients adopting this method of doing honor to their patrons.
In former times the statues that were thus dedicated15 were clad in the toga. Naked statues also, brandishing16 a spear, after the manner of the youths at their gymnastic exercises, were much admired; these were called “Achillean.” The Greek practice is, not to cover any part of the body; while, on the contrary, the Roman and the military statues have the addition of a cuirass. C?sar, the Dictator, permitted a statue with a cuirass to be erected in honor of him in his Forum. As to the statues which are made in the garb17 of the Luperci,[212] 273 they are of no older date than those which have been lately erected, covered with a cloak. Mancinus gave directions, that he should be represented in the dress which he wore when he was surrendered to the enemy. It has been remarked by some authors, that Lucius Attius, the poet, had a statue of himself erected in the Temple of the Muses18, which was extremely large, although he himself was very short.
Equestrian19 statues are also held in esteem20 in Rome; but they are of Greek origin, no doubt. Among the Greeks, those persons only were honored with equestrian statues who were victors on horseback in the sacred games; though afterwards the same distinction was bestowed21 on those who were successful in the races with chariots with two or four horses: hence the use of chariots with us in the statues of those who have triumphed. But this did not take place until a late period; and it was not until the time of the late Emperor Augustus that we had chariots represented with six horses,[213] and also with elephants.
The custom of erecting22 chariots with two horses in honor of those who had discharged the office of pr?tor, and had passed round the Circus in a chariot, is not of ancient date. That of placing statues on pillars is older, as it was done in honor of Caius M?nius, who conquered the ancient Latins, to whom the Romans by treaty gave one-third of the spoil which they had obtained. It was in the same consulship24 also, that the “rostra” or beaks25 of the ships, which had been taken from the Antiates when vanquished26, were affixed27 to the tribunal; in the year of the City, 416.
For a very different, and more important reason, was the statue of Horatius Cocles erected, he having singly prevented the enemy from passing the Sublician bridge: a statue which remains28 to this day.
Then we have the statues of Romulus and Tatius without the tunic29; and the equestrian statue of Marcius Tremulus, clad in the toga, before the Temple of the Castors, who twice subdued30 the Samnites, and by the capture of Anagnia delivered the people from their tribute.
Nor must I forget to mention Cneius Octavius, on account of the language used by the senate. When King Antiochus said, “I will give you an answer at another time,” Octavius drew a line round him with a stick, which he happened to have in his hand, and compelled him to give an answer before he allowed him to step beyond the circle. Octavius was unfortunately slain[214] while on this embassy, and the senate ordered his statue to be placed in the most conspicuous31 spot, which of course was the Rostra. A statue appears also to have been decreed to Taracia Caia, or Furetia, a Vestal Virgin32, the same, too, to be placed wherever she might think fit; an additional honor, no less remarkable, it is thought, than the grant itself of a statue to a woman. I will state her merits in the words of the Annals: “Because she had gratuitously33 presented to the public the field bordering on the Tiber.”
I find also, that statues were erected in honor of Pythagoras and of Alcibiades, in the corners of the Comitium; in obedience34 to the command of the Pythian Apollo, who, in the Samnite War, had directed that statues of the bravest and the wisest of the Greeks should be erected in some conspicuous spot: and here they remained until Sylla, the Dictator, built the senate-house on the site. It is wonderful that the senate should then have preferred Pythagoras to Socrates, who, in consequence of his wisdom, had been preferred to all other men by the god himself; as, also, that they should have preferred Alcibiades for valor35 to so many other heroes; or, indeed, any one to Themistocles, who so greatly excelled in both qualities. The reason of the statues being raised on columns, was, that the persons represented might be elevated above 275 other mortals; the same thing being signified by the use of arches, a new invention which had its origin among the Greeks. I am of opinion that there is no one to whom more statues were erected than to Demetrius Phalereus at Athens: for there were three hundred and sixty erected in his honor, no more days being reckoned at that period in the year: these, however, were soon broken to pieces.
Pedestrian statues have been, undoubtedly36, for a long time in estimation at Rome: equestrian statues are, however, of considerable antiquity37, and women even have participated in this honor; for the statue of Cl?lia is equestrian, as if it had not been thought sufficient to have her clad in the toga.
There are still extant some declamations by Cato, during his censorship, against the practice of erecting statues of women in the Roman provinces. However, he could not prevent a statue being erected at Rome to Cornelia, the mother of the Gracchi, and daughter of the elder Scipio Africanus. She is represented in a sitting posture38, and the statue is remarkable for having no straps39 to the shoes.
Various circumstances prove, that the art of making statues was commonly practised in Italy at an early period. The statue in the Cattle Market is said to have been consecrated to Hercules by Evander; it is called the triumphal Hercules, and, on the occasion of triumphal processions, is arrayed in triumphal vestments. King Numa dedicated the statue of the two-faced Janus; a deity40 who is worshipped as presiding over both peace and war. The fingers are so formed as to indicate three hundred and sixty-five days,[215] or in other words, the year; thus denoting that he is the god of time and duration.
There are also Etruscan statues dispersed41 in various parts of the world, which beyond a doubt were originally made in 276 Etruria. I should have supposed that these had been the statues only of divinities, had not Metrodorus of Scepsis, who had his surname “Misorom?us,” from his hatred42 to the Roman name, reproached us with having pillaged43 the city of Volsinii for the sake of the two thousand statues which it contained. It appears to me a singular fact, that although the origin of statues was of such great antiquity in Italy, the images of the gods, which were consecrated to them in their temples, should have been formed either of wood or of earthenware44, until the conquest of Asia, which introduced luxury among us. It will be the best plan to enlarge upon the origin of the art of expressing likenesses, when we come to speak of what the Greeks call “the plastic art,” for the art of modelling was prior to that of statuary. This last, however, has flourished to such an extraordinary degree that a full account of it would fill many volumes.
PANDA, OR WAH.—Ailúrus Fulgens.
We learn from Mucianus, who was thrice consul23, that there are still three thousand statues in Rhodes, and it is supposed that there are no fewer in existence at Athens, at Olympia, and at Delphi. What living mortal could enumerate45 them all? or of what utility would be such information? Still, I may, perhaps, afford entertainment by giving some slight account of such of those works of art as are in any way remarkable, and stating the names of the more celebrated46 artists. Of each of these it would be impossible to enumerate all the productions, for Lysippus alone is said to have executed no less than fifteen hundred works of art, all of which were of such excellence47 that any one of them might 277 have immortalized him. The number was ascertained48 by his heir, upon opening his coffers after his death, as it was his practice to lay up one golden denarius out of the sum which he had received as the price of each statue.
This art has arrived at incredible perfection, both in successfulness and in boldness of design. As a proof of successfulness, I will adduce one example, and that of a figure which represented neither god nor man. We have seen in our own time, in the Capitol, before it was last burnt by the party of Vitellius, in the shrine49 of Juno, a bronze figure of a dog licking its wounds. Its miraculous50 excellence and its perfect truthfulness51 were not only proved by the circumstance of its having been consecrated there, but also by the novel kind of security that was taken for its safety; for since no sum appeared equal to its value, it was publicly enacted52 that the keepers of it should be answerable for its safety with their lives.
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1
applied
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| adj.应用的；v.应用，适用 | |
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aspiring
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| adj.有志气的；有抱负的；高耸的v.渴望；追求 | |
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3
bitumen
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| n.沥青 | |
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remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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likeness
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| n.相像，相似（之处） | |
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lasting
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| adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持 | |
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consecrated
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| adj.神圣的，被视为神圣的v.把…奉为神圣，给…祝圣( consecrate的过去式和过去分词 )；奉献 | |
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ERECTED
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| adj. 直立的，竖立的，笔直的 vt. 使 ... 直立，建立 | |
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9
slew
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| v.（使）旋转；n.大量，许多 | |
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emulation
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| n.竞争；仿效 | |
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ornaments
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| n.装饰( ornament的名词复数 )；点缀；装饰品；首饰v.装饰，点缀，美化( ornament的第三人称单数 ) | |
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12
inscribed
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| v.写，刻( inscribe的过去式和过去分词 )；内接 | |
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posterity
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| n.后裔，子孙，后代 | |
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forum
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| n.论坛，讨论会 | |
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dedicated
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| adj.一心一意的；献身的；热诚的 | |
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brandishing
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| v.挥舞( brandish的现在分词 )；炫耀 | |
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garb
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| n.服装，装束 | |
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muses
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| v.沉思，冥想( muse的第三人称单数 )；沉思自语说（某事） | |
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equestrian
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| adj.骑马的；n.马术 | |
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esteem
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| n.尊敬，尊重；vt.尊重，敬重；把…看作 | |
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21
bestowed
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| 赠给，授予( bestow的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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erecting
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| v.使直立，竖起( erect的现在分词 )；建立 | |
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consul
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| n.领事；执政官 | |
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consulship
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| 领事的职位或任期 | |
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beaks
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| n.鸟嘴( beak的名词复数 )；鹰钩嘴；尖鼻子；掌权者 | |
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vanquished
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| v.征服( vanquish的过去式和过去分词 )；战胜；克服；抑制 | |
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affixed
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| adj.[医]附着的，附着的v.附加( affix的过去式和过去分词 )；粘贴；加以；盖（印章） | |
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28
remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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tunic
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| n.束腰外衣 | |
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30
subdued
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| adj. 屈服的，柔和的，减弱的 动词subdue的过去式和过去分词 | |
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conspicuous
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| adj.明眼的，惹人注目的；炫耀的，摆阔气的 | |
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virgin
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| n.处女，未婚女子；adj.未经使用的；未经开发的 | |
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33
gratuitously
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| 平白 | |
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obedience
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| n.服从，顺从 | |
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valor
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| n.勇气，英勇 | |
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undoubtedly
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| adv.确实地，无疑地 | |
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antiquity
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| n.古老；高龄；古物，古迹 | |
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posture
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| n.姿势，姿态，心态，态度；v.作出某种姿势 | |
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39
straps
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| n.带子( strap的名词复数 )；挎带；肩带；背带v.用皮带捆扎( strap的第三人称单数 )；用皮带抽打；包扎；给…打绷带 | |
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40
deity
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| n.神，神性；被奉若神明的人(或物) | |
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41
dispersed
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| adj. 被驱散的, 被分散的, 散布的 | |
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42
hatred
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| n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨 | |
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43
pillaged
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| v.抢劫，掠夺( pillage的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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44
earthenware
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| n.土器，陶器 | |
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45
enumerate
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| v.列举，计算，枚举，数 | |
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46
celebrated
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| adj.有名的，声誉卓著的 | |
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47
excellence
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| n.优秀，杰出，(pl.)优点，美德 | |
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48
ascertained
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| v.弄清，确定，查明( ascertain的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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49
shrine
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| n.圣地，神龛，庙；v.将...置于神龛内，把...奉为神圣 | |
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50
miraculous
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| adj.像奇迹一样的，不可思议的 | |
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51
truthfulness
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| n. 符合实际 | |
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52
enacted
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| 制定（法律），通过（法案）( enact的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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