“Myron.” A Bœotian, born about 480 B. C. His master-pieces were all
in bronze. The “quoit-player” and the “cow” are most famous. Myron
excelled in animals and figures in action.
“Canachus,” can´a-chus. (B. C. 540-508.) He executed the colossal
statue of Apollo at Miletus, was skilled in casting bronze, in gold and
silver, and in wood carving.
“Callon,” cal´lon. (B. C. 516.)
“Onatus,” o-na´tus. (B. C. 460.) “Hegias,” he´gi-as; “Critius,”
cri´ti-us.
“Calamis,” cal´a-mis. (B. C. 467-429.) He worked in marble, gold and
ivory. His horses are said to have been unsurpassable, and his heroic
female figures superior to those of his predecessors.
“Pythagoras.” Lived about 470 in Magna Græcia. He executed life-like
figures in bronze.
“Lemnians,” lem´ni-ans.
“Paris.” At a certain wedding feast to which all the gods had been
invited except the goddess of Strife, she, angry at the slight, threw
an apple into their midst with the inscription “to the fairest.” Juno,
Minerva and Venus claimed it, and Jupiter ordered that Paris, then a
shepherd on Mount Ida, should decide the dispute. As Venus promised him
the most beautiful of women for his wife, he gave her the apple.
P. 76, c. 1.—“Pellene,” pel-le´ne. A city of Achaia.
“Rochette,” ro´shĕt=´=. (1790-1854.) A French archæologist.
“Alcamenes,” al-cam´e-nes. (B.C. 444-400.) His greatest work was a
statue of Venus.
“Agoracritus,” ag´o-rac=´=ri-tus. (B. C. 440-428.) His most famous work
was also a Venus, which he changed into a statue of Nemesis and sold
because the people of Athens preferred the statue of Alcamenes.
“Pæonius,” pæ-o´ni-us.
“Pediment.” The triangular facing or top over a portico, window, gate,
etc.
“Metope,” met´o-pe. In the Doric style of architecture, the frieze was
divided at intervals by ornaments called triglyphs. The spaces between
these ornaments were called metopes.
“Cella.” The interior space of a temple.
“Phigalia,” phi-ga´li-a.
“Niké-Apteros.” The wingless goddess of victory. Wingless, to signify
that the prayer of the Athenians was that victory might never leave
their city.
“Scopas,” sco´pas. (395-350.) An architect and statuary, as well as
sculptor. He was the architect of the temple of Minerva at Tegea, and
assisted in the bas-reliefs of the mausoleum at Halicarnassus. The
famous group of Niobe and her children is supposed to have been the
work of Scopas.
“Praxiteles,” prax-it´e-les. Born at Athens B. C. 392. He worked
in both marble and bronze. About fifty different works by him are
mentioned. First in fame stands the Cnidian Venus, “one of the most
famous art creations of antiquity.” Apollo as the lizard-killer, his
faun and a representation of Eros are probably best-known.
“Nereid,” nē´re-id. A sea nymph.
“Mænad,” mæ´nad. A priestess or votary of Bacchus.
P. 76, c. 2.—“Toro Farnese” or Farnese Bull. Was discovered in the
sixteenth century and is now in the Naples museum. It represents the
sons of Antiope tying Dirce to a bull by which she is to be dragged to
death. The work when discovered went to the Farnese palace in Rome,
hence the name of Farnese bull.
“Laocoon,” la-oc´o-on. One of the chief groups in the Vatican
collection; discovered at Rome in 1506. Laocoon was a priest of Apollo,
who having blasphemed the god was destroyed at the altar with his two
sons by a serpent sent by the deity.
“Niobe,” ni´o-be. The group of Niobe and her children was probably
first an ornament of the pediment of a temple. The subject is the
vengeance of Apollo and Artemis upon the Theban queen Niobe, who had
boasted because of her fourteen children, that she was superior to Leda
who had but two. As a punishment all her children were destroyed.
“Pyromachus,” py-rom´a-chus.
“Æsculapius,” æs-cu-la´pi-us. The god of the medical art.
“Apollo Belvedere,” bel-vā-dā´rā, or bĕl=´=ve-deer´. This statue by
many is considered the greatest existing work of ancient art. The
subject is the god Apollo at the moment of his victory over the Python.
It was discovered in 1503, and takes its name from its position in the
belvedere of the Vatican, a gallery or open corridor of the Vatican
which is called _belvedere_, (beautiful view) from the fine views it
commands. It is of heroic size, and is considered the very type of
manly beauty.
P. 77, c. 1.—“Torus,” to´rus. A large moulding used in the base of
columns.
“Mæcenas,” mæ-ce´nas. (B. C. 73?-8.) A Roman statesman. His fame rests
on his patronage of literature. He was a patron of both Horace and
Virgil.
“Tivoli,” tiv´o-le.
“Varro.” (B. C. 116-28.) “The most learned of the Romans and the most
voluminous of Roman writers.” He composed no less than 490 books; but
two of these have come down to us.
“Arcesilaus,” ar-ces=´=i-la´us.
“Genetrix.” A mother.
“Septimius Severus,” sep-tim´i-us se-ve´rus. (A. D. 146-211.) Roman
Emperor.