Dionysus and the Satyr of Tripod-Street

Extract

In his description of the Street of Tripods at Athens Pausanias notices certain important works of art by Praxiteles. The passage has given rise to much dispute. The author states that in this street was preserved that Satyr of which Praxiteles was very proud, and quotes an anecdote to show that the artist ranked it with the Thespian Eros as one of his masterpieces. He then concludes with the words:—Φρύνη μὲν οῦτω τὸν ᾿´Ερωτα αίρεῖταιΔιονύσῳ δὲ ἐν τῷ ναῷ τῷ πλησίον Σάτυρός ἐστι παῖς καὶ δίδωσιν ἔκπωμα᾿´Ερωτα δ᾿ἑστηκότα ὁμοῦ καὶ Δίονυσον Θυμίλος ἐποίησε

Three important questions arise out of this concluding passage:—(1) Is the ᾿´Ερωτα δ᾿ἑστηκότα ὁμοῦ καὶ Δίονυσον Θυμίλος ἐποίησε by Praxiteles? (2) If so, is it to be distinguished from the Satyr of the anecdote? (3) Was it associated, as part of a group, with the statues by Thymilus? The aim of the present paper is to show (a) that the first and second of these questions should be answered in the affirmative, the third in the negative; (b) that the Satyr, however, did not stand alone, but was grouped with a figure of Dionysus; and to suggest a restoration of this group.