134 



V. A. Smith — Qrosco-Roman influence 



[No. 3, 



One of the marble copies is in the British Museum, another is at 

 Thessalonica, a third at Venice, and a fourth, the finest of all, is pre- 

 served in the Museo Pio Clementino at the Vatican.* 



In this eomrjosition, which most nearly corresponds -with Pliny's 

 description of the original, the eagle is represented as supported by the 

 trunk of a tree behind it, with its wings expanded, and neck stretched 

 upwards, and grasping firmly, though tenderly, in its talons the beauti- 

 ful youth, whose feet have just ceased to touch the receding earth. 

 The robe of Ganymede is dexterously disposed behind his back so as to 

 protect his body from the sharp claws of the great bird, and yet to 

 exhibit the full beauty of the nude figure. A dog, seated below, howls 

 piteously for his departing master. 



Critics point out that the addition of the dog to this group, and the 

 insertion of the tree, are not only in accordance with the myth as re- 

 lated by Virgil, f but are of artistic importance as an aid to the imagi- 

 nation by rendering more perceptible the soaring movement of the 

 principal figures, and thus minimizing the objections to a plastic pre- 

 sentation of a pictorial subject. 



The Buddhist adaptations omit the dog, and in this respect agree 

 with the groups preserved at Venice, Thessalonica, and in the British 

 Mnseum, but, in the pose of the eagle, and the introduction of the trunk 

 of the tree, they resemble the Vatican group more closely than any other. 



Three of the examples of these adaptations figured by Major Cole 

 (Plates 2, 3, and 4) were found in the ruins at Sanghao. His fourth 

 example (Plate 17) was obtained at the upper monastery of Nuttn, 

 which is situated close to Sanghao. The Sanghao specimens figured in 

 Plates 3 and 4 are duplicates, whereas the Nuttu specimen agrees with 

 the Sanghao sculpture illustrated in Plate 2. J 



* Overbook (Mylholo<jic der Eunst) lias pointed out that tho extant Rape of 

 Ganymede groups fall into two distinct classes. Tho first represents tho eagle as 

 the messenger of Zens; the second presents the god himself transformed into Uio 

 shape of Sin eagle. The Vatican gronp is the best example of tho first and earlier, 

 tiro Venetian sculptnre is tho best oxample of the second and later type. Engravings 

 of the Vatican gronp will bo found in Visconti's Museo Pio-Ctementino, Vol. Ill, p. 

 149, and in tho histories of sculpture by Wiuekelmann, Ltibkc, and Perry. A figure 

 of the Venetian specimen is given in Zanetti's work on San Marco. Tho Thes- 

 salonican group is described and engraved in Stuart's Athens, 111, ch. 9, PI, II and 

 IX. The Indian adaptations seem to combine the characteristics of both types, 

 t "Puer .... qnem prtepes ab Ida 



Sublimem pedibus rapuit Jovis armiger nncis ; 



Li.nga-vi palmas neqnidqnam ad sidora tondunt 



Custodes, sasvitque canum latratus in auras." (yEneid, V, 252-257). 

 J Major Cole says that Sir A. Cunningham found an example of the woman 

 and eagle subject in a knob or plume of a royal statue at Jamiilgarhi', which i.; now 



