archaicwonder:Greco-Roman Bronze Chimera’s Foot, 2nd Century BC/ADThis impressive fragment of a foot
archaicwonder:Greco-Roman Bronze Chimera’s Foot, 2nd Century BC/ADThis impressive fragment of a foot was probably part of a monumental bronze statue of a Chimera, a most monstrous creature in Classical art. Greek mythology imagined the beast as a full lion’s body with the tail which ends with the snake’s head and the additional goat head arising from its back. Homer described the Chimera as “a thing of immortal make, not human, lion-fronted and snake behind, a goat in the middle, and snorting out the breath of the terrible flame of bright fire” (Iliad 6, 179-182). At the command of King Iobates of Lycia, Bellerophon, the Corinthian hero, with the help of the winged horse, Pegasus, defeated the Chimera. Since Pegasus could fly, Bellerophon shot the Chimera from the air, safe from her heads and breath.It may well be that the sculpture was not a single figure but made part of the group which included Chimera, Bellerophon and Pegasus. Examples from Greek vase painting, mosaic, engraved gems and terracotta reliefs help to visualize two major variants of the composition: Bellerophon opposing the attacking Chimera or the hero on the horseback smashing the squat beast. As it seems, the sharply bent bronze leg corresponds better to the last variant. -- source link