Goddess and the Warrior by Marinatos Nanno

Author:Marinatos, Nanno. [NANNO MARINATOS]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Taylor & Francis (CAM)
Published: 2011-08-18T16:00:00+00:00

Figure 4.13 Egyptian amulet of late period

Source: Courtesy of Dr B.Schlick-Nolte and Dr P.C.Boll. Photo: U.Edelmann

This association of patron goddess and warrior or hero and athlete is not unique to Cretan iconography. In other parts of Greece we also meet with similar visual connections. One example is furnished by a bronze shield strap from the temenos of Hera Limenia at Perachora, which is dated by Payne to late seventh/early sixth century BC (Figure 4.15).53 The stylistic rendition of the horse is close to the Prinias sculptures and I would be comfortable with a date within the late Orientalizing period. What is of interest here is the iconographical scheme, namely the conceptual link between the different panels of the strap. On top is a Mistress of Animals holding waterbirds by the neck. Next comes the monster Himaira (a combination of lion and goat, namely predator and prey). Next are the legs of a sphinx(?); a lion; a beardless rider; finally another fragmentary animal. The Mistress of Animals thus presides over the young rider, who may be Bellerophon to judge from the presence of the monster Himaira. At any rate, the theme of this strap is male valour (see also the shield strap from Olympia, Figure 3.18). The wild animals and monsters are the potential adversaries of the youth.54 Note that the rider in this case has no armour; he is not a mature warrior but an ephebe on horseback. This is of interest to us because the patronage of the goddess to the warrior is eventually transferred to youths—the warriors of tomorrow—and, by a further extension, to young heroes. On Corinthian works of the same period, the hero Bellerophon is often depicted as a youth on horseback.55 The non-narrative character of the panels from Perachora (Figure 4.15) enables the visual concepts of ‘hero’ and ‘youth’ to stand independently, albeit linked. In any case, the Mistress of Animals presides.

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