﻿490 
  ANNUAL, 
  REPORT 
  SMITHSONIAN 
  INSTITUTION, 
  1922. 
  

  

  These 
  reliefs 
  belong 
  to 
  the 
  altar 
  of 
  Zeus 
  Soter 
  (the 
  Savior), 
  which 
  

   was 
  probably 
  erected 
  by 
  King 
  Eumenes 
  II 
  (197-159 
  B. 
  C.) 
  on 
  the 
  

   Acropolis 
  of 
  Pergamon, 
  Asia 
  Minor. 
  The 
  altar 
  is 
  considered 
  one 
  

   of 
  the 
  most 
  magnificent 
  and 
  most 
  characteristic 
  monuments 
  of 
  the 
  

   Hellenistic 
  age. 
  It 
  was 
  raised 
  upon 
  a 
  platform 
  about 
  16 
  feet 
  high 
  

   and 
  nearly 
  square, 
  measuring 
  about 
  123 
  feet 
  7 
  inches 
  by 
  113 
  feet 
  

   6 
  inches. 
  One 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  platform 
  was 
  pierced 
  by 
  a 
  broad 
  staircase 
  

   leading 
  up 
  to 
  the 
  altar, 
  which 
  stood 
  in 
  the 
  center, 
  surrounded, 
  except 
  

   at 
  the 
  head 
  of 
  the 
  staircase, 
  by 
  an 
  Ionic 
  colonade. 
  The 
  platform 
  

   was 
  encircled 
  by 
  a 
  band 
  of 
  sculptures 
  in 
  high 
  relief, 
  about 
  7 
  feet 
  

   6 
  inches 
  high 
  and 
  probably 
  about 
  400 
  feet 
  long, 
  representing 
  the 
  

   battle 
  between 
  the 
  gods 
  and 
  the 
  titans, 
  or 
  giants, 
  the 
  serpent-legged 
  

   sons 
  of 
  Gaia 
  (Earth), 
  symbolizing 
  the 
  struggle 
  between 
  order 
  and 
  

   the 
  unorganized 
  natural 
  forces, 
  which 
  were 
  at 
  work 
  within 
  the 
  bosom 
  

   of 
  the 
  earth 
  at 
  the 
  creation 
  of 
  the 
  world. 
  The 
  ruins 
  of 
  the 
  altar 
  

   and 
  its 
  decorations 
  of 
  marble 
  were 
  discovered 
  and 
  excavated 
  by 
  

   the 
  Germans 
  during 
  the 
  years 
  1878-1880, 
  under 
  the 
  superintendence 
  

   of 
  the 
  architect, 
  Carl 
  Humann. 
  The 
  fragments 
  of 
  over 
  350 
  feet 
  of 
  

   the 
  relief, 
  which 
  have 
  been 
  brought 
  to 
  light 
  in 
  these 
  excavations, 
  are 
  

   now 
  in 
  the 
  Museum 
  of 
  Berlin. 
  The 
  following 
  seven 
  groups 
  from 
  

   the 
  battle 
  are 
  represented 
  : 
  

  

  (1) 
  Zeus 
  group. 
  Zeus 
  battling 
  with 
  three 
  giants. 
  

  

  (2) 
  Athene 
  group. 
  The 
  warlike 
  daughter 
  of 
  Zeus 
  is 
  assisted 
  in 
  her 
  

   fight 
  with 
  a 
  young 
  winged 
  giant 
  by 
  Erichthonios, 
  her 
  foster 
  child, 
  

   and 
  Nike 
  (Victory). 
  Between 
  them 
  Gaia 
  emerges 
  from 
  the 
  ground 
  

   raising 
  her 
  hand 
  in 
  supplication 
  for 
  mercy 
  for 
  her 
  sons. 
  

  

  (3) 
  Demeter 
  and 
  Persephone 
  group 
  with 
  torch 
  and 
  sword 
  and 
  as- 
  

   sisted 
  bj' 
  a 
  dog 
  fighting 
  three 
  giants. 
  

  

  (4) 
  Hecate 
  and 
  Artemis 
  group. 
  Hecate, 
  the 
  goddess 
  of 
  night 
  and 
  

   the 
  underworld, 
  is 
  armed 
  with 
  shield, 
  sword, 
  and 
  flaming 
  torch, 
  

   while 
  Artemis 
  (Diana), 
  the 
  goddess 
  of 
  the 
  moon 
  and 
  the 
  chase, 
  is 
  

   equipped 
  with 
  the 
  bow. 
  Both 
  are 
  assisted 
  by 
  dogs. 
  

  

  (5) 
  Helios 
  group. 
  Helios, 
  the 
  sun 
  god, 
  is 
  leading 
  his 
  four-horse 
  

   chariot 
  over 
  the 
  battle 
  field. 
  In 
  front 
  rides 
  Eos 
  (Aurora, 
  dawn), 
  

   sword 
  in 
  hand, 
  on 
  horseback, 
  while 
  behind 
  is 
  another 
  of 
  the 
  at- 
  

   tendants 
  (Hours) 
  on 
  Helios, 
  in 
  flowing 
  garment 
  with 
  torch. 
  

  

  (6) 
  The 
  snake 
  vase 
  group. 
  A 
  goddess 
  seizes 
  the 
  shield 
  of 
  a 
  giant 
  

   with 
  her 
  left 
  hand 
  while 
  her 
  right 
  hand 
  holds 
  a 
  vase 
  encircled 
  

   by 
  snakes, 
  which 
  she 
  is 
  about 
  to 
  hurl 
  at 
  him. 
  One 
  snake 
  is 
  already 
  

   coiling 
  over 
  him. 
  At 
  the 
  left 
  another 
  winged 
  goddess 
  is 
  about 
  to 
  

   drive 
  a 
  sword 
  into 
  the 
  neck 
  of 
  a 
  snake-legged 
  giant, 
  whom 
  she 
  holds 
  

   by 
  the 
  hair 
  of 
  his 
  head. 
  

  

  (7) 
  Cybele 
  group. 
  Cybele, 
  the 
  " 
  Great 
  Mother 
  of 
  the 
  Gods," 
  en- 
  

   ters 
  the 
  contest 
  riding 
  on 
  her 
  lion. 
  At 
  her 
  side 
  hovers 
  the 
  eagle 
  of 
  

   Zeus. 
  She 
  is 
  in 
  the 
  act 
  of 
  drawing 
  an 
  arrow 
  from 
  her 
  quiver. 
  

  

  