0912.02Polyxena_Fedi

0912.02Polyxena_Fedi

Apollodorus Libr. E5.3-5, 23
Euripides Hecuba 3 and passim
Ovid Met. 13.447-505

Pio Fedi, 1816-1892, "Polyxena Carried to Sacrifice," marble sculpture group, Loggia dei Lanzi, Piazza della Signoria, Florence.

Inscription on base: ΥΜΕΙΣ ΔΕ Μ’ ΑΛΛΑ ΘΥΓΑΤΡΙ ΣΥΜΦΟΝΕΥΣΑΤΕ / ΚΑΙ ΔΙΣ ΤΟΣΟΝ Π[Ω]Μ’ ΑΙΜΑΤΟΣ ΓΕΝΗΣΕΤΑΙ / ΓΑΙΑ ΝΕΚΡΩΝ ΤΕ ΤΩ ΤΑΔΕ ΕΖΑΙΤΟΥΜΕΝΩ (Hecuba speaking at Eur. Hec. 391-93: "Slaughter me together with my daughter, at least, and this shall be a double draught of blood for Earth and for this one who demands so much."

A very useful montage of photographs at tuttartpitturasculturapoesiamusica.com

The sculptural program around the Piazza della Signoria pertains to the exercise of might over the forces of chaos. Cellini's "Perseus with the Head of Medusa" is consistent with the theme, as is Bandinelli's "Hercules Subduing Cacus" and also Donatello's "Judith with Holofernes". Under the Loggia dei Lanzi, furthermore, are sculptures with related topics, Giambologna's "The Rape of the Sabine Women" and his "Hercules with the Centaur Nessus". PROBLEMATIC: What this sculpture says about Hecuba's failing attempt to rescue her daughter from the ensuing sacrifice to Achilles is understandable, but contrary to what I normally think in this story of might vs. right. What do you think?

OGCMA slides are designed by Roger T. Macfarlane for use in Classical Civilization 241 courses at Brigham Young University.
The present resource contains information assembled for The Oxford Guide to Classical Mythology in the Arts, 1400 – 1990’s, edited by J. Davidson Reid (Oxford 1994), and it is used with express permission from Oxford University Press.
Address concerns or inquiries to macfarlane@byu.edu.