Pausanias Analysis

Among the women standing between Aethra and Nestor, above them likewise are captives: Clymene, Creusa, Aristomache, and Xenodice. Stesichorus, in his "Sack of Ilium," numbers Clymene among the captive women. Similarly, in the "Returns," he represents Aristomache as a daughter of Priam and the wife of Critolaus, son of Hicetaon. As for Xenodice, I know of no poet or writer who has made mention of her. Regarding Creusa, it is said that the Mother of the Gods and Aphrodite rescued her from slavery at the hands of the Greeks, for she was, indeed, the wife of Aeneas. However, Lesches and the author of the "Cyprian Epic" name Eurydice as Aeneas' wife.

Written upon a couch above these women are Deinome, Metioche, Peisis, and Cleodice. Of these, only Deinome's name occurs in the poem called the Little Iliad; it is my opinion that Polygnotus himself invented the names of the others. There is also painted Epeius, depicted naked, pulling down the Trojan wall to the ground; and above it rises only the head of the Wooden Horse. Polypoetes, the son of Peirithous, has his head bound with a fillet, and beside him stands Acamas, the son of Theseus, wearing a helmet upon his head.

Upon the helmet a crest has been fashioned. Odysseus is depicted there, wearing his breastplate. Ajax, the son of Oileus, stands beside an altar holding a shield, swearing concerning the outrage committed against Cassandra. Cassandra herself is seated upon the ground, grasping the image of Athena, which indeed Ajax has overturned from its pedestal when he dragged her away from its sanctuary. The sons of Atreus are also portrayed; these as well wear helmets, and on the shield of Menelaus a serpent is fashioned, symbolizing the prodigy that manifested over the sacrifices at Aulis. Underneath these figures are those who administer the oath to Ajax, and directly in line with the horse itself—

Near Nestor, Neoptolemus is depicted having slain Elasus, whoever this Elasus might be. He has been represented as still breathing slightly. Astynous, whom Lescheos also mentioned, is shown as fallen on his knees, Neoptolemus striking him with a sword. Polygnotus portrayed Neoptolemus alone among the Greeks still killing Trojans, since the entire painting was meant to be set above Neoptolemus’ tomb. As for Achilles' son, Homer throughout all his poetry gives him the name Neoptolemus; however, the Cypria states that he was called Pyrrhus by Lycomedes, and that he was named Neoptolemus by Phoenix, because Achilles had begun war when still young.

There is depicted an altar and also a small boy clutching the altar in fear; set upon the altar is a bronze cuirass. In my opinion, the shape of these cuirasses was uncommon, yet it was the ancient form that they bore. They consisted of two bronze pieces: one fitted for the chest and the parts around the belly, and the other designed as protection for the back—they were called "gyala." They would bring the one piece to the front and the other to the back and then fasten them together with pins.

They considered that even without a shield it provided sufficient protection. Concerning this matter, Homer also depicted Phorcys the Phrygian as being without a shield because he wore a breastplate of metal plates. I myself saw this image reproduced in a painting by Polygnotus; and at the temple of Artemis at Ephesus, Calliphon of Samos painted women fitting metal plates of armor onto Patroclus' breastplate.

Beyond the altar he painted Laodice standing. I found that she is neither mentioned by any poet among the captive Trojan women, nor did it seem to me probable that Laodice could have been otherwise than spared by the Greeks. Indeed Homer declared clearly in the Iliad that Menelaos and Odysseus had enjoyed hospitality at the home of Antenor, and that Laodice had married Helicaon, Antenor's son.

But Lesches says that Helicaon, being wounded during the night battle, was recognized by Odysseus and brought alive out of the combat. Thus, it would follow logically from Menelaus and Odysseus's concern over Antenor's household that no hostile action was carried out by Agamemnon and Menelaus against Helicaon's wife. Euphorion of Chalcis, however, composed what concerns Laodice without any apparent plausibility.

Next to Laodice is a stone pedestal with a bronze washing-basin placed upon it. Medusa sits on the ground holding the pedestal with both hands. According to the epic poem of Himeraeus, Medusa too might be reckoned among the daughters of Priam. Nearby Medusa is an elderly woman, her hair closely shorn, or possibly a eunuch, who holds a naked child upon her knees; the child is depicted holding its hand before its eyes in fear.