VIDEOCAST - Sauroktonos: Apollo? Praxiteles?

Prof. Jenifer Neils

 

 

 

from on .

Prof. Jenifer Neils, Case-Western University

Sauroctonos Corinthius


Based on an epigram of Martial (14.172) which describes an anonymous bronze statue of a youth killing a lizard, it is here proposed that the sculpture known as the Apollo Sauroktonos is in fact not Apollo and not attributable to the fourth-century sculptor Praxiteles.  Ever since Winckelmann (1760) the marble statue in the Borghese Collection of a youth leaning on a tree upon which a lizard is poised has been inextricably associated with Plinys description of a bronze original by Praxiteles of Apollo about to stab a lizard (NH 34.69-70).  However the eroticized pose, the eccentric hair-do, and the genre subject matter are fitting neither for the god nor for the fourth-century date. Arguably this statue type which was so popular in Roman times began as an early Hellenistic personification (not unlike the youthful Hypnos, Pothos or Agon), was adapted to a genre theme (not unlike the Boy Strangling the Goose), and owed its considerable popularity to the Roman taste for sexy boys and villa decoration. Like many ancient authors, Pliny may have either mistaken the attribution (as he did the Tyrannicides) or made it up, and  Praxiteles' reputation for divine statuary made the designation as Apollo acceptable. If we had only the epigram of Martial, we would have no problem assigning this statue type to the realm of Hellenistic genre figures.

庰 帣峎庢 峟彖帢 庰巹帠帢弮弮帢 怷 峎庥怷 帢弇峟庣怷 帢庣峎弇庢(14.172), 怷 怷怷巹怷 庰庣帠峎庰庣 峟彖帢 帢彖彖弮怷 峎弇庥庣彖怷 峎帠帢弇弮帢 庰彖 彖庰帢怷 怷 庥怷彖庰庣 弮庣帢 帢帢, 帢怷庣峎庤庰帢庣 庰帤 怷 庰彖帤庰弮庰彖怷 怷 帠彖 弇弇彖 峉帢怷庥彖怷 帠弇, 庢彖 帢帠弮帢庣庥庢帢 彖帢 弮庢彖 帢彖帢帢庣峎 怷彖弇弇彖帢 庥帢庣 彖帢 弮庢彖 帢怷帤巹帤庰帢庣 怷 帠弇庢 怷 峟帢怷 帢庣彖帢, 帢徆庣峟弇庢.
庢彖 庰怷峸 怷 Winckelmann (1760), 怷 弮帢弮峎庣彖怷 峎帠帢弇弮帢 庢 弇弇怷帠峸 Borghese  怷 帢彖帢帢庣峎 峟彖帢 彖峟怷 怷 庢巹庤庰帢庣 峎彖 庰 峟彖帢 帤峟彖怷 怷 怷怷巹怷 帣巹庥庰帢庣 弮庣帢 帢帢, 庰巹彖帢庣 峎庢庥帢 彖帤庰帤庰弮峟彖怷 弮庰 峟彖帢 峎弇庥庣彖怷 帢庛庰彖庣庥 峎帠帢弇弮帢 怷 帢徆庣峟弇庢, 怷 庰庣帠峎庰庣 怷 弇巹彖庣怷, 弮庰 怷彖 弇弇彖帢 彖帢 庰巹彖帢庣 峟怷庣弮怷 彖帢 弮帢帢庣庰庣 弮庣帢 帢帢 ( 34.69- 70).
峏怷, 庢 庰庣庥峸 峎庢, 庢 庰庥庥庰彖庣庥峸 庥弮弮庢, 庥帢庣 怷 怷 帤庰彖 帢庣庣峎庤怷彖 怷庰 弮庰 怷彖 庰彖 弇帠 庛庰 帢弇弇峎 怷庰 庥帢庣 弮庰 庢彖 怷彖怷弇怷帠巹帢 怷 4怷 帢庣彖帢.
彖帢弮庣帣峸庢帢 帢 怷 怷 帢帠峎弇弮帢怷 怷 峸帢彖 怷 帤庢弮怷庣弇峸 庢 峞弮帢庥峸 庰怷峸, 徆庰庥巹彖庢庰 弮庣帢 庣弮庢 庰弇弇庢彖庣庣庥峸 怷怷怷巹庢庢 (庣 帤庣帢怷庰庣庥峸 帢 怷 彖峟怷 彖怷, 庛怷 峸 帠彖), 怷帢弮庢庥庰 怷 怷 (庣 帢彖巹庛庰怷 弮庰 怷 竄帠庣 怷 帢帠帠帢弇巹庤庰庣 庢 峸彖帢罈), 庥帢庣 庰庣弇庰 庢 弮庰帠峎弇庢 帤庢弮怷庣庥庢峎 怷 庢 弮帢庥峸 怷巹弮庢庢 帠庣帢 帢 竄帢庣庛庢庣帢庥峎 帢帠庣帢罈 庥帢庛 庥帢庣 庢彖  帤庣帢庥弮庢庢 彖 庰帢弇庰彖.
怷弇弇怷巹 峎弇弇怷庣 帢帢巹怷庣 帠帠帢庰巹, 怷 弇巹彖庣怷 弮怷庰巹 彖帢 峟帢弇庰 庢彖 帢帤怷庢 ( 峟庥帢彖庰 帠庣帢 庢彖 峇帢彖怷庥怷彖巹帢) 峸 彖帢 庢彖 庰庣彖庢庰, 庥帢庣 帠彖 庢 峸弮庢 怷 帢徆庣峟弇庢 帠庣帢 帢 庛庰巹帢 帢帠峎弇弮帢帢 彖帢 峟庥帢彖庰 帢怷帤庰庥峸 庢 庛庰巹帢 庣 怷 峎帠帢弇弮帢 帢彖帢帢庣峎 怷彖 弇弇彖帢.
彖 庰巹帢弮庰 弮彖怷 怷 庰巹帠帢弮弮帢 怷 帢庣峎弇庢, 庛帢 帢怷帤巹帤帢弮庰 巹 庥帢彖峟彖帢 帣弇庢弮帢 帢 怷 庰巹帤怷 帢帠峎弇弮帢怷 庣 弮怷峟 庢 弇弇庢彖庣庣庥峸 庰庣帤怷