Ἀθηνᾶ καὶ Ποσειδῶν

Ἀθηνᾶ καὶ Ποσειδῶν
Καμέα, σαρδόνυξ καὶ ὄνυξ, 1ος αἰ. π.Χ.
Ἀρχαιολογικὸν Μουσεῖον Ναυπλίου.
Τὰ γράμματα ΠΥ χαραγμένα στὸ κάτω μέρος, δείχνουν ὃτι τὸ ἒργο αὐτό θὰ μποροῦσε νὰ ἀποδοθῇ στὸν Πυργοτέλη τῆς Ὓστερης Ἑλληνιστικῆς Περιόδου. Αὐτὸ τὸ διάσημο κόσμημα ἀπεικονίζει τὴ σκηνὴ τοῦ ἀνταγωνισμοῦ μεταξὺ τοῦ Ποσειδῶνα καὶ τῆς Ἀθηνᾶς γιὰ τὴν κυριαρχία τῆς Ἀθήνας τὴν ἐποχὴ τοῦ μυθικοῦ βασιλέα Κέκροπα. Ὁ Ποσειδῶν δημιούργησε μία βρὐση ἀπὸ τὴν ὁποία ἒτρεχε θαλασσινὸ νερὸ, τὴ «θάλασσα τοῦ Ἐρεχθέα», ἐνῶ τὸ δῶρο τῆς Ἀθηνᾶς ἦταν ἓνα δέντρο ἐλιᾶς. Μία ἐκδοχὴ τοῦ μύθου διηγεῖται ὃτι οἱ Ἀθηναῖοι, χάρη στὴ γυναικεία συμμετοχὴ στὴν ψηφοφορία, ἐπέλεξαν τὸ δῶρο τῆς θεᾶς Ἀθηνᾶς, καὶ ἡ πόλη πῆρε ἒτσι ἀπὸ αὐτὴν τὸ ὂνομά της. Ἀνάμεσα στὶς δύο θεότητες εἶναι ἡ ἐλιὰ καὶ ἓνα φίδι (στὸ ὁποῖο ὁ Κέκροπας ἢ τὸ παιδὶ Ἐριχθόνιος, ἐνσαρκώθηκε), ποὺ καὶ τὰ δύο φυλάσσονταν στὸ Ἐρεχθεῖο τὴν Κλασικὴ ἐποχή…

Athena and Poseidon.
Cameo. Sardonyx-onyx. 1st century B.C.
Inv. No. 25837.
Naples, National Archaeological Museum.
The letters Py incised at the bottom suggests that this work could be attributed to a Pyrgoteles of the late Hellenistic age. This famous cameo depicts the scene of the competition between Poseidon and Athena for the rule of Athens at the time of the mythical king Cecrops. Poseidon created a salt-water fountain, the “sea of Erechtheus”, while the gift of Athena was an olive tree. A version of the myth narrates that the Athenians, thanks to womens’ participation in the vote, chose the goddess’ gift, and the city was named after her. Between the two deities there is the olive tree and a snake (in which Cecrops or the child Erichthonius became incarnate), both kept in the Erechtheum in the Classic age.

© 1996 Photo, text: Stefano De Caro, “The National Archaeological Museum of Naples”.
Soprintendenza Archeologica di Napoli e Caserta. Electa, Napoli, 2001, p. 341.

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