Page:The Mythology of All Races Vol 1 (Greek and Roman).djvu/52

This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.

PLATE II

i

Zeus and Typhon

Zeus is approaching swiftly from the left and with raised right hand is about to hurl a thunderbolt at a monster with a bearded human head and a winged trunk terminating in two long serpent-like coils. The creature, probably Typhon, looks at the King of the Gods in great alarm and madly lashes about with his scaly body in a vain endeavour to escape from the doom awaiting him. From a Chalkidian hydria of about 650 b.c., in Munich (Furtwängler-Reichhold, Griechische Vasenmalerei, No. 32). See pp. xii, 8-9.


2

Medousa Beheaded

The unique feature of this vase-painting is that it represents the three Gorgons after the flight of Perseus with Medousa's head. The two immortal sisters are apparently just setting out in pursuit of the slayer, as their spread wings, bent knees, and swinging hands vividly indicate. The body of Medousa is about to fall inertly to the ground. From a black-figured skyphos of the late sixth century b.c., in Athens (Catalogue des vases peints du musée national d'Athènes, Supplément par Georges Nicole, Plate XI). See p. 34.