Cimon and Polygnotus

CHAPTER THREE CIMON AND POLYGNOTUS Polygnotus recognized Cimon as his patron 109 and was the first known artistic advisor to an Athenian politician. 11 ° Cimon recognized the ad vantages of surrounding himself with famous artists, poets, and writers. Among the members of his circle, the names of Pindar, 111 Ion of Chios, 112 Melanthius, 113 Archelaus, 114 Phidias and his brother, Panaenus (infra, pp. 34, 36), and Pherecydes the genealogist 115 can probably be safely in cluded with Polygnotus. Sophocles is also a possibility, 116 and Simonides, even though a friend of Themistocles, Cimon 's political enemy, did write on Theseus-in fact, he was one of the first Greek poets to treat the hero (e.g. Plut. Thes. 10.2; 17 .5 (Bergk, frags. 193, 54); see Connor (infra, n. 55) 145ff.). This may have pleased Cimon and might also help explain why it was his epigram on the Iliupersis. All these men produced works which in some way treated favorably either Cimon or Theseus. Of Cimon's relationship with the above, most is known about his friendship with Polygnotus; undoubtedly, it was Cimon's influence which helped the artist obtain his Athenian citizenship, an honor not frequently ex tended to foreigners. Polygnotus also attracted the affections of C imon 's free-spirited sister, Elpinice, who became his lover and, as mentioned previously (supra, p. 18), whose face he painted for Laodice's in his Iliupersis in the Stoa Poikile. It is tempting to speculate that Polygnotus had become a member of Cimon's circle as a result of the latter's reduction of Thasos for bolting from the Delian League in 465 B.C. Polygnotus was a Thasian and could have been "persuaded" when the revolt was over to enter Cimon's ser vice. However, indications are that the association went back to a much earlier time. An increasing number of scholars favor a simple emendation of Harpocration which would confirm that Polygnotus was, along with Micon, an artist in the Theseum in Athens, 117 the shrine for the bones of Theseus, returned by Cimon from Scyros ca. 476/75 B.C. A recent study by Barron 118 solidly embraces this idea (it suggests, in fact, that he was the major artist in the Theseum), and Meiggs 119 declares that Cimon had become acquainted with Polygnotus during his campaigns at Eion and Scyros, persuading him to come to Athens when he returned with Theseus' bones. An even earlier date for the relationship may be in dicated by Pausanias' statement (9.4.lf.) that Polygnotus painted in the sanctuary of Athena Areia at Plataea. Pausanias indicates that the sane- 34 CIMON AND POLYGNOTUS tuary was built with spoils from Marathon, but Plutarch (Aristid. 20.3) connects it with the battle of Plataea in 4 79 B. C. However, there is some controversy as to whether Plutarch's text should be read that the shrine was "built'' ( ci>xoo6µT}a<Xv) or "rebuilt" ( &vepxoo6µT}aav) after Plataea. The latter interpretation certainly seems the more sensible since it would nicely corroborate the statements of both Pausanias and Plutarch. Originally, a shrine of some sort was constructed using funds from the spoils of Marathon, in which the Plataeans had participated; it was destroyed, partially or completely, in the battle of Plataea (after destroy ing Athens, there is no reason why the Persians would have spared this temple) and was "rebuilt" with the booty from that conflict. It was in this latter version of the temple which dates from shortly after 4 79 B. C. 120 that Polygnotus did his painting. His murals could have been added later, but the early date of the building makes it a prime candidate for some of Polygnotus' first important work. As Meiggs has observed, 121 Plataea had a special relationship with Athens. Since the tradition Pausanias relates ties the sanctuary with Marathon, and since Miltiades, Cimon's father, was the hero of that battle, some connection between Cimon and the shrine may be postulated. In fact, one might expect Cimon to take an active part in any restoration or rebuilding of a sanc tuary for which his father's victory was responsible. Perhaps this is why Polygnotus was chosen to paint the murals here, and the fact that he did may be the earliest indication of his association with Cimon. Such a sug gestion is well within the realm of possibility since Phidias, who fashioned the statues of the Marathon base, was also at work in the same sanctuary .122 He made the cult statue of Athena for the temple. Conse quently, two artists who would be linked with Cimonian projects in the future were working together in a building which was at least indirectly tied to Miltiades. It seems certain that by the time the Cnidian Lesche was commis sioned, Polygnotus was already a member of Cimon's circle. He would have been a well-known artist, who had a reputation as an innovator (Plin. NH 35.58), and other painters would have been already imitating his style (Ael. VH 4.3). But it really was not until he had done his work in the Lesche that his reputation as the greatest of all Greek mural painters was assured. He was certainly prominent before that time but may not have been much more famous than his contemporary, Micon, with whom he shared painting duties in more than one building in which Cimon's influence can be detected. 123 What, then, would have prompted the Cnidians to choose Polygnotus over other famous artists of the day? No connection between Cnidus and Polygnotus can be theorized to ex plain the choice, but there was a connection between Cimon and .

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