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The Judgment of Animals in Classical Greece: Animal Sculpture and ...

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with it. He provides this description as part <strong>of</strong> his discussion <strong>of</strong> the lion as the ideal male<br />

type <strong>of</strong> the animal k<strong>in</strong>gdom:<br />

<strong>The</strong> lion <strong>of</strong> all animals seems to have the most perfect share <strong>of</strong> the male type. Its<br />

mouth is very large, its face is square, not too bony, the upper jaw not<br />

overhang<strong>in</strong>g but equally balanced with the lower jaw, a muzzle rather thick than<br />

f<strong>in</strong>e, bright deep-set eyes, neither very round nor very narrow, <strong>of</strong> moderate size, a<br />

large eyebrow, square forehead, rather hollow from the centre, overhang<strong>in</strong>g<br />

towards the brow <strong>and</strong> nostril below the forehead like a cloud. Above on the<br />

forehead towards the muzzle hair slopp<strong>in</strong>g outwards <strong>and</strong> like bristles, a head <strong>of</strong><br />

moderate size, a long neck, with correspond<strong>in</strong>g thickness, covered with tawny<br />

hairs, neither very bristl<strong>in</strong>g nor too much turned back. (Phgn. 809b) [172]<br />

In this case, he describes certa<strong>in</strong> facial features <strong>of</strong> the lion such as its large mouth, deep-<br />

set eyes, forehead hollow <strong>in</strong> the center <strong>and</strong> overhang<strong>in</strong>g toward the brow, <strong>and</strong> bristl<strong>in</strong>g<br />

hair, all <strong>of</strong> which have their counterparts, as already seen, <strong>in</strong> the face <strong>of</strong> the Kerameikos<br />

lion. He does not expla<strong>in</strong> here what these facial features may reveal about the character<br />

<strong>of</strong> the animal, but <strong>in</strong> three other passages he <strong>in</strong>terprets some <strong>of</strong> them, such as its th<strong>in</strong> lips,<br />

deep-set eyes, <strong>and</strong> overhang<strong>in</strong>g brow as signs <strong>of</strong> its magnanimous <strong>and</strong> overbold<br />

character:<br />

Those who have th<strong>in</strong> lips <strong>and</strong> slack parts at the jo<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> the lips, so that the<br />

upper lip overhangs the lower at the jo<strong>in</strong>, are magnanimous; witness the lions.<br />

(Phgn. 811a) [177]<br />

Those whose eyes are slightly hollow are magnanimous; witness lions.<br />

(Phgn. 811b) [178]<br />

Those with an overhang<strong>in</strong>g brow are overbold; witness the bull <strong>and</strong> the lion.<br />

(Phgn. 811b) [179]<br />

<strong>The</strong> fact that these facial features are also present <strong>in</strong> the Kerameikos lion suggests that its<br />

render<strong>in</strong>g was already tied to the ancient Greek view <strong>of</strong> the animal as a magnanimous <strong>and</strong><br />

bold creature. This evidence, <strong>in</strong> turn, suggests that the style <strong>of</strong> the statue was determ<strong>in</strong>ed<br />

not only by how certa<strong>in</strong> anatomical features <strong>of</strong> the lion were perceived visually, but also<br />

137

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