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

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estates, whereas the middle part would have been decorated with a scene <strong>of</strong> a procession<br />

<strong>of</strong> oxen, represent<strong>in</strong>g foreign <strong>of</strong>fer<strong>in</strong>gs. 431<br />

Notwithst<strong>and</strong><strong>in</strong>g the picture that emerges from this reconstruction, all that can be<br />

said about the extant decoration <strong>of</strong> Khufu’s causeway is that it comprises a h<strong>and</strong>ful <strong>of</strong><br />

relief fragments that depict human <strong>and</strong> animal figures, <strong>and</strong> also objects, such as the board<br />

on which the cartouche <strong>of</strong> Khufu stood. At most, these fragments attest that sculpture <strong>in</strong><br />

relief was used as wall decoration <strong>in</strong> the causeway <strong>of</strong> Khufu, which accords well with the<br />

architectural sculpture, most likely, <strong>in</strong> relief, that Herodotus’ description seems to<br />

suggest. As for the images on these fragments, they provide a glimpse <strong>in</strong>to what<br />

Herodotus’ literary zw|&wn might have meant.<br />

d. Zw|~a on a Pyramid<br />

<strong>The</strong> last occurrence <strong>of</strong> zw|~on <strong>in</strong> the second book <strong>of</strong> the Histories is <strong>in</strong> connection<br />

with the decoration <strong>of</strong> an Egyptian pyramid. <strong>The</strong> mean<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> the term aga<strong>in</strong> po<strong>in</strong>ts to<br />

carved images <strong>in</strong> relief. Herodotus places the pyramid beside a marvelous structure<br />

which he refers to as the labyr<strong>in</strong>th. His account starts with a praise <strong>of</strong> the Egyptian<br />

people for build<strong>in</strong>g such structures <strong>and</strong> proceeds to a detailed description, first, <strong>of</strong> the<br />

labyr<strong>in</strong>th, <strong>and</strong> then <strong>of</strong> the pyramid:<br />

Furthermore, they resolved to leave a memorial <strong>of</strong> themselves <strong>in</strong> common, <strong>and</strong> <strong>in</strong><br />

pursuance <strong>of</strong> resolve they made a labyr<strong>in</strong>th, a little above Lake Moeris, <strong>and</strong><br />

situated near what is called the City <strong>of</strong> Crocodiles. I saw it myself, <strong>and</strong> it is<br />

<strong>in</strong>deed a wonder past words; for if one were to collect together all the build<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>of</strong><br />

the Greeks <strong>and</strong> their most strik<strong>in</strong>g works <strong>of</strong> architecture, they would all clearly be<br />

shown to have cost less labor <strong>and</strong> money than this labyr<strong>in</strong>th. Yet the temple at<br />

Ephesus <strong>and</strong> that <strong>in</strong> Samos are surely remarkable. <strong>The</strong> pyramids, too, were<br />

greater than words could tell, <strong>and</strong> each <strong>of</strong> them is the equivalent <strong>of</strong> many <strong>of</strong> the<br />

431 Hawass <strong>and</strong> Verner, “Newly Discovered Blocks from the Causeway <strong>of</strong> Sahure” 178, n. 12; also Hawass,<br />

“<strong>The</strong> Programs,” <strong>in</strong> O’Connor <strong>and</strong> Silverman, eds., Ancient Egyptian K<strong>in</strong>gship 231-232.<br />

247

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