7] but of any
other artist that ever existed, is his Cnidian Venus; for the
inspection of which, many persons before now have purposely undertaken
a voyage to Cnidos. The artist made two statues of the goddess, and
offered them both for sale: one of them was represented with drapery,
and for this reason was preferred by the people of Cos, who had the
choice; the second was offered them at the same price, but on the
grounds of propriety and modesty they thought fit to choose the other.
Upon this, the Cnidians purchased the rejected statue, and immensely
superior has it always been held in general estimation. At a later
period, King Nicomedes wished to purchase this statue of the Cnidians,
and made them an offer to pay off the whole of their public debt,
which was very large. They preferred, however, to submit to any
extremity rather than part with it; and with good reason, for by this
statue Praxiteles has perpetuated the glory of Cnidos. The little
temple in which it is placed is open on all sides, so that the
beauties of the statue admit of being seen from every point of
view--an arrangement which was favored by the goddess herself, it is
generally believed.

Among all nations which the fame of the Olympian Jupiter has reached,
Phidias[98] is looked upon, beyond all doubt, as the most famous of
artists; but to let those who have never seen his works know how
deservedly he is esteemed, we will take this opportunity of adducing a
few slight proofs of the genius which he displayed. In doing this we
shall not appeal to the beauty of his Olympian Jupiter, nor yet to the
vast proportions of his Athenian Minerva, six-and-twenty cubits in
height, and composed of ivory and gold: but it is to the shield of
this last statue that we shall draw attention; upon the convex face of
which he has chased a combat of the Amazons, while upon the concave
side of it he has represented the battle between the gods and the
giants. Upon the sandals, again, we see the wars of the Lapithae and
Centaurs; so careful has he been to fill every smallest portion of his
work with some proof or other of his artistic skill.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 86: From the "Natural History." Translated by John Bostock
and H. T. Riley.]

[Footnote 87: A name applied to tribes living in Africa east of the
desert of Sahara.]

[Footnote 88: An Ionian city of Asia, distant seventy miles from
Ephesus.]

[Footnote 89: An interior town of Cilicia, in Asia Minor.]

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