260 PLIKT'S NATUIUL HISTORY. [Book 



tures, and arc known as " metoposcopi, " 61 was enabled, by an 

 examination of his portraits, to tell the year ef their death, 

 whether past or future, of each person represented. Apelles 

 had been on bad terms with Ptolcmeeus in former times, when 

 they formed part of the suite of Alexander. After Ptolcraaeua 

 had* become king of Egypt, it so happened that Apelles was 

 driven by the violence of a tempest to Alexandria. Upon this, 

 some of his rivals fraudulently suborned a jester, who was at- 

 tached to the* court, to carry him an invitation to dim; with the 

 king. Accordingly, Apelles attended ; upon which Ptolemteus 

 was highly indignant, and, summoning before him his stewards''- 

 of the household, requested that the artist would point out the 

 one that had given him the invitation. Thus challenged, 

 Apclles seized a piece of quenched charcoal that lay in tho 

 fire-place, and traced a likeness upon the wall, with such ex- 

 actness, that the king, the moment he began it, recognized the 

 features as those of the jester. He also painted a portrait of 

 King Antigonus j 53 and as that monarch was blind of one eye, ho 

 invented a method of concealing the defect. With this object, 

 he painted him in profile, in order that what in reality was 

 wanting to the person might have the semblance of being 

 wanting to the picture rather, lie making it his care to show 

 that side of the face only which he could show without any 

 dcft-ct. Among his works, too, there are some figures.repre- 

 senting persons at the point of death ; but it is not easy to .say 

 which of his productions are of the highest order of excellence. 

 His Venus Rising from the Sea, known as the Venus Anady- 

 omene, 04 was consecrated by the late Kmperor Augustus in the 

 Temple" of his father 66 Caesar; a work which has been ccle- 



1 "Physiognomists." 



& " Vocatores" more literally, his " inviting officers." 

 Strabo mentions a portrait of Antigonus in the possession of the 

 inhabitants of Cos. 



64 See Note 59 above. Propertius mentions this as his gieatest work. 

 B. III. 1.9,1.11. "In Veneris tabula summnm sibi ponit Apelles." 

 " In his picture of Venus, Apelles produces his masterpiece." It is men- 

 tioned also by Ovid, Tristia, B. II. 1. 5'27, and Art. Amor. B. III. 1. 401. 

 The line in B. III. 1. '224 is also well known 



41 Xuda Venus madidas exprimit imbrc comas." 

 "And naked Venus wrings her dripping locks." 



65 In the Forum, in the Eighth Ilvgion of the City. 

 ** His father by adoption. 



