such contradictory statements as presented themselves on almost every transaction of her life, I restricted my inquiries to the representations of Helen left by ancient artists; and a considerable obligation would be conferred on me, if some of the accomplished antiquaries, whose valuable communications so frequently enrich the Classical Journal, would point out any figure of Helen, indisputably antique, in addition to those which are below enumerated.

If extreme rudeness both in design and execution be admitted as a proof of antiquity, we must pronounce a gem preserved in the Imperial cabinet at Vienna, to be the oldest sculptured representation of Helen: it is engraved in Eckhel's "Choix des Pierres gravées," (XL.) She there appears winged, but stooping in a very ungraceful position; and no admirer of female beauty could possibly suppose this uncouth figure to be a portrait of lovely Helen, did not the name EAINA indicate the personage designed. Being of celestial origin, she was entitled to wings: and Eckhel remarks that both in Greece and Italy "elle étoit révérée comme Déesse." Euripides mentions her apotheosis; and the temples erected to her honor we find noticed by Herodotus, Dio Chrysostom, Pliny, and

others.

The name of HELENA appears likewise on a gem (a veined agate), which exhibits two female heads contrasted with two ludicrous and ugly male faces or masks. These are engraved in p. 52 of a quarto volume, representing, on eightythree plates, a multiplicity of antique masks. The copy of this work which I have consulted, is without letter-press or titlepage. Under most of the figures, Italian words serve to describe the substance or materials of the original subject: thus, under the gem above mentioned, we find "In Agata Venata;" under other figures, Onice, Corniola, Pasta, Ametisto, Niccolo, Terra Cotta, &c. Some of the plates appear to have been engraved by Silv. Pomarede; but on what authority the name of Helen was assigned to these antique heads, I cannot ascertain.

Winkelmann has noticed three ancient designs, each of which contains a representation of Helen: in one she appears seated; behind her is a female attendant, perhaps Astyanassa; Paris takes an arrow from Love, while Helen extends her hand to the bow. (Monum. Ined. No. 114.) Another exhibits Venus (the name APPOAITH being written over the figure); near her sits Helen (EAENH), whom the goddess, assisted by Love, persuades to follow Paris: here we also behold П10N, or Persuasion. (Wink. Mon. Ined. No. 115.) Another is a picture found

at Rome, and containing five figures: Telemachus, accompa nied by Pisistratus in the house of Menelaus: Helen, that she might charm away the melancholy of Telemachus, presents to him a cup of Nepenthe. (Wink. Mon. Ined. No. 160.)

An antique bas-relief on a marble vase shows Venus and Helen sitting on the same throne. Paris is led towards Helen by Love; and the prince seems astonished at her beauty. Three muses are present: Polymnia, leaning on a pillar, and holding. in one hand a roll or volume; Euterpe, playing on the double flute; and Erato, with her lyre. (See Tischbein, Peint. Ho-. mériques, p. 59.) Another bas-relief exhibits Helen led by some Trojans towards Paris, who is seated near the Phrygian. vessel in which he purposes to carry her away. Venus, who has already embarked, holds a lighted torch; and Love, under the form of a boy without wings, assists on this occasion. (Tischbein, Peint. Homériques, No. 4.) An antique cameo of the royal cabinet of France, represents Penthesilea the Amazonian queen, who offers her assistance to Paris and Helen. (See Millin, Galerie Mythologique, tom. ii. p. 90.)

In a bas-relief exhibiting the principal circumstances that occurred during the Trojan war, and thence commonly styled the Iliac table, we discover Helen, reclining in a pensive attitude; while various groups of warriors on every side appear engaged in works of slaughter and destruction: near to her is Æthra, the mother of Theseus. To M. Millin's "Galerie Mythologique," (tom. ii. p. 79. Plate CL.) I shall refer my reader on the subject of this extraordinary monument.

Another work composed by that ingenious antiquary, his "Monumens Inédits," (tom. ii. p. 306. Plate XXXIX.).contains the description of a painting in which Helen is represented. I must here acknowlege that a friend, whose opinion on every subject connected with antiquity is entitled to the highest respect, has expressed to me some doubts concerning the authenticity of the vase, or at least of the drawing from which M. Millin gives his plate, suspecting that it was fabricated for the purpose of imposition. However this may be, as many ingenious antiquaries besides M. Millin have regarded it as genuine, I shall briefly state, that it represents Helen running with her utmost speed towards the image of some divinity from whom she seeks protection; Menelaus, the injured husband, closely pursuing with the design of killing her, is so overpowered by her beauty, that the sword falls from his hand. The celebrated ark or chest in which Cypselus had been hidden by his mother, contained, among other devices with which it was orna

mented, the figure of Menelaus, who, Troy being now taken, prepares with a sword to sacrifice the faithless Helen to his vengeance. This we learn from Pausanias's description of that extraordinary monument, the λápvat or ark of Cypselus. Mevéλαος δὲ θώρακά τε ἐνδεδυκώς, καὶ ἔχων ξίφος ἔπεισιν Ελένην ἀποκτεῖναι δῆλον ὡς ἁλισκομένης ̓Ιλίου. (Lib. v. ς. 11.)

The figure of a beautiful female, executed in high relief on a bronze of unquestionable antiquity, has for some years been supposed to represent Helen. A young man, clothed in the effeminate Asiatic costume, reclines beside her: two winged Loves, or Cupids, are present; and a dog seems to sleep near the young man's feet. That this admirable antique related to the story of Paris and Helen, was not, I believe, doubted, until Mr. Millingen lately assigned very satisfactory reasons for considering the female to be Venus, and the male figure Anchises. This bronze, which probably served as the cover to his ancient mirror, was found near Paramythia in Epirus, and purchased by Mr. Hawkins at Yanina : its device is explained in Mr. Millingen's very excellent work, entitled "Ancient Unedited Monuments." (See the part illustrati, statues, busts, bas-reliefs, &c. p. 21. Plate XII.) ng

If there exist any antique representation of Helen besides those above mentioned, it has escaped my notice; and the works of modern sculptors and painters are not comprehended in this inquiry. The Scholiast on Euripides suggests an interesting subject to the artist, when he informs us, on the authority of Stesichorus, that those who were about to destroy Helen by overwhelming her with stones, let fall the instruments of destruction as soon as they beheld her lovely face. noixopos Στησίχορος περὶ τῶν τὴν Ἑλένην καταλεύειν μελλόντων φησὶν, ἅμα τῷ τὴν ὄψιν αὐτῆς ἰδεῖν αὐτοὺς, ἀφεῖναι τοὺς λίθους ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν.

Although we have sufficient reason for believing that long before the Trojan war, (as often since,) woman, as Horace declares, was "teterrima belli causa;" yet among the numerous beauties of classical celebrity, Helen has always in the highest degree interested my imagination, and rendered me anxious to discover what ideas of her beauty the ancient artists had entertained. On this subject, any information adding to the little stock of knowlege that I possess, will considerably gratify

SIMONIDES.

VOL. XXXVII. CI. JI. NO. LXXIV.

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Athenian Elegance delineated; or, a Critical Inquiry into the Principles and Laws of the Grecian Tragic Poetry.

No. II.-[Continued from No. LXXIII.]

CHAPTER II.

The Trochaic verses of the Attic Tragedians.

LIKE anapæstics, trochaic verses were employed by the tragedians of Athens, both in the choruses of their plays and in separate systems. Of those intermixed with verses of other species in the choruses, the sole characteristic appears to have been, the property, that a trochee or tribrach must be the former foot of each dipode; and that a spondee or anapæst may, in common with the two feet above named, be used for the second, as also a dactyl in the case of a proper name. To discover the true principles and laws of the trochaic systems of Grecian tragedy, is a task requiring more of critical perspicacity and skill; but the ample researches of our predecessors, especially Porson and Hermann, have fortunately left us little else to do, than illustrate and explain the reasons of their observations, by a reference to the method of recitation.

The systems of trochaics in use among the Attic tragedians were tetrameters catalectic, each verse containing seven feet and one syllable. A pause was doubtless made at the end of each dipode, both when it ended with a word, and when in the middle of a word; the respective length being the same as stated in the foregoing chapter. With equal certainty may we assert, that the less metrical pause occurred after the first foot of a dipode ending with a word, and that a distinct pause was made at the end of each verse; but with the proviso, that all these pauses were varied according to the requisitions of the sense. By no other mode can both the feet and the words be expressed, with a plainness at once moderate and proper, and yet sufficient to enable the very attentive hearer to perceive the distinction. With regard to the accentuation of trochaics, no doubt can be entertained that every trochee, tribrach, spondee, and dactyl, received the ictus metricus on the first, and every anapæst on the last syllable. The following quotation is introduced, that the reader may see clearly the manner in which, according to this plan, trochaic verse is to be recited; but it must be observed, that the marks used are intended to designate the metrical pauses as they would occur independently considered, not as they are affected by the sentential :

Ne.

Φι.

Ne.

Φι.

Ne.

Φι.

Mi | povrions.-Soph. Phil. 1402 sqq.

The first grand law assigned by critics to this species of verse is, that the second dipode should always end with a word; we say always, for Hermann is the only philologist, as far as our knowlege extends, who admits any exception to the rule. The great Porson strenuously maintains that the law is of universal application; and Maltby, Dunbar, Erfurdt, and many other critics of note and celebrity, acquiesce in the judgment of the learned Professor. But a reference to the principle of the regulation, will enable us to determine, with a tolerable degree of certainty, whether, as Hermann contends, the case of a verse being divided between two speakers may be considered an exception, or whether even this pretext is insufficient to justify the neglect of the usage. Now it cannot be questioned, that the principle of the rule is to be found in the commodious relief and pleasure, afforded both to the voice and the ear, by the longer metrical pause at the end of the second dipode; and is it not reasonable to conceive, that when the long sentential pause, if such it may be denominated, ensuing from the distribution of a verse between two speakers, takes place after the first foot of the second dipode, (for we confine ourselves to this individual case,) the shorter metrical pause may be admitted with elegance after the second foot of that dipode? On this ground we affirm with Hermann, that any alteration of the first of the above verses, is totally unnecessary; it is a verse, bearing strong marks of correctness, and one of which no satisfactory emendation has hitherto been proposed. Exclusive of this line, Esch. Pers. 164. is the only one worthy of regard to be found in the extant writings of the Tragic poets, militating against the rule; but Porson, by transposing the word damn to the end, a correction simple, elegant, and certain, has removed every difficulty attendant on this passage.

We next remark with Porson and Hermann, that in the trochaie systems of Grecian Tragedy, a dactyl is never used but in the case of a proper name; and not even in this, unless no other word equally appropriate, or no other arrangement equally expressive or metrical, could be introduced. The spondee, as we have already stated, was employed only as the second foot of a dipode;