Sicily presents to the ordinary tourist attractions which in number ...

149 ANTIQUITIES IN THE MUSEUM AT PALERMO.
be observed that there is a certain symmetry in these
groups, which is quite in accordance with the practice of
ancient art; thus in the pediments of the Parthenon at
Athens, and the Temple of Minerva at iEgina, the statues
on each side are arranged so as to be parallel with each
other.
In the centre of the next row Apollo is seen riding on
a griffin, probably with reference to his wanderings
amongst the Hyperboreans, as this fabulous animal is saicl
to have lived in Scythia a,nd to have guarded the gold
which the Arimaspians endeavoured to obtain. 1 Accordingly
we find the griffin on the coins of Panticapseum and
the Tauric Chersonesus, Greek cities near .this country ;
but the best analogy for our present purpose is derived
from the money of Chalcedon, where Apollo is represented
exactly as he appears in the Palermitan mosaic. 2 The
octagon 011 the left encloses the head of Apollo, the one
on the right that of Neptune ; the former is radiated to
show that he is identified with the sun, the latter is distinguished
by his trident, and by his " dank and dripping
hair." 3 These two deities surpass every other part of the
composition ; not only are the heads much larger than the
rest, but the artists have successfully exerted themselves
to exhibit with a pleasing contrast in Apollo a type of
youthful beauty, in Neptune a vigorous and venerable age,
while a divine sublimity pervades both alike.
The medallions in the centre of the next row contain
two heads of Pan, horned as usual; 4 but on the right a
1 Professor Basile in the memoir quoted
above gives an engraving in outline of the
Great Mosaic, and a coloured plate of
Apollo riding on a griffin, Tav. iii, Dettaglio
del Mosaico scoverto nella Vittoria
in Palermo, 1869. Forcellini, s.v., Gryps,
quotes " Claudian de Sexto Consulatu
Honorii," v. 30.
At si Phoebus adest, et frenis grypa
jugalem
Riphaeo tripodas repetens detorsit
ab axe.
For the combats of griffins with Arimaspians
see Herodotus iii, 116, iv, 27,
passages which are illustrated by Taylor
Combe, " Terra-cottas of the British
Museum," PL vi, Nos. 7 and 8, and C.
0. Miiller, "Denkmaler," Pt. ii, PI. xiii,
No. 143, Kampf der Arimaspen mit den
Greit'en um das Gold in Bhipa'ischen
Gebirgen.
2 Eckhel describes the coins of Panticapaeum,
" Doct. Num. Vet.," vol. ii, p.
3 ; (comp. Hunter's " Catalogue," Gryphi
alati cum capite radiato pars anterior ad
sinistram) and those of the " Tauric Chersonesus,"
ib. p. 2. A bronze coin of
Chalcedon is engraved in the "Denkmaler,"
loc. cit. No. 141. Apollon auf einem
greife herabschwebend. iEschylus, "Prometheus,"
v. 809, applies the epithet
οξύστομος, sharp-beaked, to the griffins;
this featureis very conspicuous in the
mosaic.
3 The white hair of Neptune, perhaps,
represents the foam of the sea.
4 In expression and general appearance
these heads bear some resemblance
to Pan, as seen on the coins of Panticapseum
(Hunter's " Catalogue," Tab. xli,
No. 10) or in a Terra-cotta in the British
Museum (Plate xxiv, No. 45) ; comp.