The opulence, wisdom, and refinement by which the Cretans were thus pre-eminently distinguished, did not escape the notice of the Athenian hero Theseus, when he visited the court of the second Minos, twelve centuries before Christ. Nor were the causes of these effects unappreciated. On his accession to the throne of Attica, Theseus introduced into his own kingdom the improvements he had admired in Crete. While he gave to his subjects a system of regular policy, the arts of elegance which humanize the manners, and then added dignity to religion, the firmest cement of social order, would not be neglected. Accordingly we are to place the hospitable reception of Dxdalus in Athens at the time of the voyage of Theseus. Nor can we admit the doubts attempted to be thrown upon the existence of this artist, sinless we resolve at once to reject the evidence of classic writers.
The foundation of the first school of sculpture at Athens, destined long after to carry the art to its utmost grandeur, is thus ascertained, about 1234 years before the present era. It is not, however, to be sup posed with some, that Dxdalus first introduced sculp ture into Greece, or even into Attica, but simply that he was the earliest master who instituted something like a school of art, and whose works were long pre served as worthy of notice. We have already re marked, on the futility of arrogating exclusive discov ery in arts which owe their birth to the natural desires of the heart; while in the present instance the bare capability of appreciating the improved styhe of the Cretan, necessarily implies a certain degree of know ledge and of taste previously existing among the Athenians, and corroborating the views above re corded.
The performances of Dxdalus were chiefly in wood. Pausanias, who writes in the end of the second cen tury of the Christian era, enumerates not fewer than nine of these labours, the majority of which he had seen and examined. Notwithstanding the injuries of fourteen centuries, and the imperfection of early taste, these works, and particularly a statue of Hercules at Thebes, are described as possessing something of di vine expression. Diodorns enters more into detail, whence it appears that Dxdalus improved upon an cient art, so as to give vivacity to the attitude by sep arating the limbs, and raising tlie arm in varied posi tion from the flanks; as also to infuse more animated expression into the countenance by opening the eyes, which before were narrow and blinking. We mention these particulars for two reasons; they prove the ex istence of anterior art, and because the passage has commonly been misinterpreted, as if referring to the works of Ddalus, not to those of his predecessors.
This sculptor did not confine his talents to one exer cise only; he excelled in architecture, and being skill ed in mechanics, appears by ingenious contrivances to have given motion to certain of his figures, as in a dance preserved in copy at Gnossus, described by Ho mer, and reported by tradition to have been a present to Ariadne. This, witliout having recourse to the absurd notion of Aristotle about quicksilver, may ex plain the fables which have been united with the stoi y of his adventurous life.
Contemporary with, or more probably anterior to the preceding, was Dibutades. In the humble occu pation of a potter at Sicyon, this man became the ac cidental possessor of an invention the most important to art, both in its immediate and subsequent effects. This was the coroplastic art, or the application of soft materials to modelling the representations of sculpture. It was so named from daughter of Dibutades, who, inspired by love, traced upon the wall, by means of a lamp, the profile of a favourite youth, as he slept; that in gazing upon this imperfect resemblance, she might solace the hours of absence. Struck with the likeness exhibited in this sketch, her father carefully filled up the lines with clay, and thus formed a medallion, which, hardened by fire, was long preserved in Corinth as a most inter esting relic. To this pleasing incident the poets have attributed the discovery of painting—another proof of the exquisite taste, and of the delightful charm which, to their poetry,—their arts,—their philosophy even, the Greeks have imparted, by the constant union of sentiment with imagination—of the heart with the understanding.
Contemporary, but not pupil of Dxdalus, was Smi Es of Łgina, famous by his statues of Juno at Argos and at Samos. Working independently, his style dif fered from that of the Athenian school, while it em braced its improvements. Subsequent to the above, or at least prior to the age of Homer, were Endxus of Athens, celebrated for three several statues of Mi nerva; lcmulius praised in the Odyssey, as having sculptured the throne of Penelope; Epeus immortal ized as the fabricator of the Trojan horse, whose both Plato and Pausanias mention; Alexanor, son of the " divine Machaon;" with many others, who must have contributed to works enumerated dur ing the heroic ages, several of whose names might be recovered from ancient authors, but whose works had perished or been forgotten.