Final Draft - Preview Matter - Florida State University

Corinthian vase painting.) In this example, Typhon is bearded and winged, and possesses a
singular, long snake tail as a substitute for his legs. His arms indicate that he is in motion since
they resemble arms of other Archaic figures who are shown running. Near the end of Typhon’s
tail, there is a large, black dolphin, which suggests a marine setting for this scene. The
convention of using wings and serpents’ tails as a way to represent Typhon is also used as a way
to depict the giants whose battle against Zeus and the gods occurs before Typhon’s assault.
One figure typically not discussed in the context of the Gigantomachy is “Bluebeard,” the
triple-bodied anguiped which decorated the pediment of the Archaic “Hekatompedon” built on
the acropolis of Athens ca. 560 BCE (Fig. II.2). The identity of “Bluebeard” is far from secure
although a number of possibilities have been offered. J. Hurwitt summarizes these theories,
which include Typhon, Geryon, a composite of Okeanos, Pontus, and Aither, or “a benign
allegory of Attic political union.” 114 Hurwitt further notes that “Bluebeard” belongs to an
Athenian tradition of snake-legged figures such as Kekrops and Erichthonius. 115 This
unidentified figure is not present in the secure context of a Gigantomachy, but given the
prominence of its location in the city of Athens, it may have influenced the conception of giants
and other anguipeds in antiquity. Nevertheless, we must look elsewhere for the inspiration of the
motifs and iconography of this epic battle.
The most famous example of anguiped giants is the Great Altar of Pergamon (Fig. II.3),
often cited as the source for depictions of snake-legged giants in Etruria. 116 De Grummond has
demonstrated that this is not the case, and that, even though the earliest representations of a
single anguiped can be found on the Corinthian alabastra, the motifs common to depictions of the
114 Hurwitt 1999, 108-9.
115 Hurwitt (1999, 109) mentions that Kekrops appeared on the west pediment of the classical Parthenon; however,
he was depicted with human legs and accompanied by a serpent, “a reminiscence of his chthonic origins.” Hurwitt
also notes that Pausanias interpreted the snake present next to the statue of Athena Parthenos as Erichthonius.
116 For the theory of the Great Altar of Pergamon as inspiration for the decoration in the Tomb of the Typhon see
Pallottino 1952, 128. Even though it can no longer be considered as the source for the image of the anguiped giant
in Italy, the Great Altar of Pergamon retains pride of place in any discussion of serpent hybrids. Many of the giants,
who do battle with the gods, possess serpentine legs and are winged as a way of emphasizing their chthonic origins,
and one can clearly see this feature on the giant at the far right of Fig. II.3. In addition to the serpent-legged giants,
the gods also fight lion, bull, and bird hybrids, which Hansen interprets as the reflection of Greek interest in Hittite
and Assyrian art. Hansen (1971, 322) further identifies one of the giants as Typhon. “Next to her [Adrasteia] a
nude bearded god, recognizable as a Cabir by the hammer which he swings in both hands behind his back, attacks
Typhon, a huge giant, half as large again as the other figures, with serpent legs, and the neck, ears, horns, and tail of
a bull.” Hansen (1971, 320) also suggests that the Gigantomachy, as a whole, is an allegory for the contemporary
struggles against the enemies of the Attalids. For a concise account of the many questions still remain concerning
this magnificent structure (dedicator, dedicatee, specific function, and date are as yet uncertain) see Stewart 2000,
39-41.
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