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

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<strong>of</strong> s<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> limestone chips. <strong>The</strong> poor preservation has been attributed to the heavy<br />

quarry<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> the site s<strong>in</strong>ce Roman times. 433 <strong>The</strong> view that Herodotus’ labyr<strong>in</strong>th has been<br />

correctly identified, but is long vanished, has been challenged by the suggestion that the<br />

structure did not really exist at all, but was rather the fabulous product <strong>of</strong> Herodotus’<br />

tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> sixth-century Ionian logographic tradition. 434<br />

What appears to be germane to the current discussion is Herodotus’ assertion that<br />

the walls <strong>of</strong> the labyr<strong>in</strong>th were full (ple/oi) <strong>of</strong> tu&pwn e0ggeglumme/nwn. Although<br />

Herodotus does not specify whether these were the <strong>in</strong>ternal or external walls <strong>of</strong> the<br />

labyr<strong>in</strong>th, his comment automatically qualifies tu&pwn e0ggeglumme/nwn as mean<strong>in</strong>g wall<br />

decorations <strong>of</strong> some k<strong>in</strong>d. As noted earlier, the word e0ggeglumme/nwn refers to carv<strong>in</strong>gs,<br />

most likely, <strong>in</strong> relief; here, too the word br<strong>in</strong>gs immediately to m<strong>in</strong>d the process <strong>of</strong><br />

sculpture. Tu&pwn is the genitive plural <strong>of</strong> the neuter noun tu&poj, a highly controversial<br />

term, which is frequently cited as the ancient Greek equivalent <strong>of</strong> relief work, sometimes,<br />

but not exclusively, <strong>in</strong> architectural sett<strong>in</strong>gs. 435 Regard<strong>in</strong>g its usage <strong>in</strong> the Histories, it<br />

has been observed that “tu&poj occurs ten times, <strong>and</strong> seems to be restricted to relief<br />

works <strong>of</strong> various k<strong>in</strong>ds <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g reliefs carved from liv<strong>in</strong>g rock <strong>and</strong> mummy cases.” 436<br />

Given this evidence, Pollitt’s suggestion that the phrase tu&pwn e0ggeglumme/nwn ple/oi<br />

the actual date <strong>of</strong> the identified rema<strong>in</strong>s <strong>in</strong> Amenmehat’s complex (1842-1797 B.C.), see Lloyd,<br />

“Herodotus on Egyptian Build<strong>in</strong>gs,” <strong>in</strong> Powell, ed., <strong>The</strong> Greek World 289.<br />

433<br />

Lehner, <strong>The</strong> Complete Pyramids 183.<br />

434<br />

O. K. Armayor, Herodotus’ Autopsy <strong>of</strong> the Fayoum: Lake Moeris <strong>and</strong> the Labyr<strong>in</strong>th <strong>in</strong> Egypt<br />

(Amsterdam, 1985) 8-9, focuses on the circular, <strong>and</strong> accord<strong>in</strong>g to him, misguided method used <strong>in</strong> the<br />

archaeological discussion <strong>of</strong> the labyr<strong>in</strong>th <strong>in</strong> question.<br />

435<br />

For a number <strong>of</strong> examples <strong>of</strong> tu&poj as architectural reliefs <strong>in</strong> the text <strong>of</strong> Herodotus, see Pollitt, Ancient<br />

View 273, <strong>and</strong> 284-292 for a commentary on the dispute among scholars on the mean<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> the word; also<br />

Donohue, Xoana 22, n. 52 <strong>and</strong> 26, n. 64.<br />

436<br />

Donohue, Xoana 26, n. 64; for the specific passages <strong>of</strong> Herodotus where the word occurs, see Powell,<br />

Lexicon 363, s.v. tu&poj.<br />

249

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