From about 500 nc. the succession of the great sculptors of Greece, and the changes that each master and his school effected in the style of art, can be traced with tolerable accuracy. Sicyon and sEgina were the most celebrated schools of sculpture, and unrivalled for the high quality of their bronzes. After (Nino, or Callon, a sculptor whose date is very uncertain, the sEginetan artists of the greatest celebrity seem to be Olaucias and Guataa. These artists were much employed by (felon, the tyraut of Syracuse, and his successors. Onatas, the scholar of Tectonis and Angelion, enjoyed a high reputation, and, judging from the numerous works which Paustnias (lib. vi., viii. ix., x.) attributes to him, must have had very extensive employment. This writer speaks of a colossi statue in bronze of Apollo, which was at Pergamus, the work of this sculptor ; likewise a statue of Ceres, which he made fonthe Phigalians. There were also several works of Gnats/ at Olympia. One was a colossal bronze figure of Ileracles placed there by the Tluudans For the people of Pliencos he executed a statue of Hermes, dedicated also at Olympia. In this work he had the assistance of Callitelee, who was his scholar, and probably his son. (Pans., v. 27.) Onatas and Calamis worked together on a chariot and accompaniments, which was dedicated at Olympia, after the death of Hier°, king of Syracuse ; and in another great work described by Pausanias, we find Onatas associated with Calynthus, showing that it was not unusual, nor considered derogatory to either, to secure the talents of various artists in one work. According to the above mentioned writer, Onatas was a painter as well as statuary. His per fortnances spoken of in this branch of art were executed for the I'lataana : one of his pictures, with a work by Polygnotus, was pre served in the temple of Athene Aries. (Pans., ix. 4, ..$) Sculpture was now rapidly approaching towards the perfection which it attained under Polycletus and Phials ; and an event occurred in the 5th century before the Christian era, which tended to accelerate this progress. This was the diaastrous termination of the expedition of Xerxes against Greece. The failure of this vast undertaking showed the Greeks their own strength, while it also exhibited to theta the immense wealth of the invaders, and placed in their bands the means of effect ing the moat costly improvements and decoration. It was customary in Greece to dedicate a tenth of all spoils gained in battle to the service of the gods; and that proportion of what was obtained from the I'ersiana was, as a matter of course, appropriated to that purpose. Its value was expended on the construction of magnificent temples, en riched with sculpture and painting, and ornamented with vases, tripods, shields suspended as trophies, and every variety of decoration. Tho Persians, in their invading march, had destroyed every temple that they met with ; but after their retreat and disgrace, they were all restored with increased magnificence. The ample employment thus afforded for their talents, and the high purposes to which their works were destined, excited a noble spirit of emulation among the artists, whose minds seemed to expand with the greatness of the objects required of them.
The gradual improvement of style in art, from the Archaic, period, and through the early 21::ginetan and Athenian schools, is traced by come of the ancient writers. "The works of Callon," Quinctilian says 4' °rat. Inetit.; xii. 10), "with those of Hegesias, are hard, and ap proached what was distinguished as the Etruscan manner. Calamis was less rigid, and the style of Myron, who followed, was still more softened." In Cicero we find a still more extended list, and a con firmation of the quality of improvement down to a contemporary, as in the above instance, of Phidias, the great master of sculpture. Ho says that statues of Canachus were more rigid and bard than was agreeable to the truth of nature. Those of Calamis were also bard, but still they were of a softer character than those of Canachus; nor were the works of Myron close enough to nature, though there could be no doubt that they were very beautiful ; but the productions of Polycletus, he adds, were still more beautiful, and were truly perfect. (Cie., De Char. (rat.; c. 18.) The history of the progress of sculpture in Greece has now been carried through the earlier schools, into a period at which it may be considered to have reached its perfection, as far, at least, as regards the principles on which it was practised. The chief sculptors of this ago
were Begins, Pythagoras, Ageladas, Myron, Polycletus, Phidiaa, Alca znenes, and others. If egias, Egesias, or Hegesias, has been noticed among the sculptors of an improving class, but whose works still gave indication of belonging to the Archaic time.
Pliny distinguishes at least three statuaries of the name of Pytha goras, but although allusion is made in ancient writers to artists so called of Samos, Rhegium, and Pares, it appears probable that there were only two of very high reputation. The most celebrated was a native of Rhegiuua, and the scholar of, or more correctly speaking, of the school of Clearchus. (Pats., vi. 4.) He executed, among other works, several atatuos of conquerors in the public games, and he eminently contributed to advance the character of sculpture by his success in giving expression to his statues. Till his time this quality, so indispensable to excellence in art, seems to have been little thought of. A work by him is particularly alluded to for its excellence in this respect : it was a figure of a lame or limping man, in which the espies slim of anguish was so admirably pourtrayed, that the spectators were affected, and seemed to feel the pain he was suffering. Pythagoras is also noticed as being the first who represented veins in his statues, and as having bestowed greater care upon the treatment of the hair. From these curious and interesting particulars it is easy to WO in what manner the dryness and almost prescriptive character of early art was giving way to Alto bolder as well as more refined treatment of the Phidutn age. Pythagoras may be placed about 480 ri c. Ile had a scholar called Sostratue. (Pliny, ' Nat; xxxiv. 8 ; Paus., vi., ke.) Ageladas holds a distinguished rank among the sculptors of antiquity, not only from the quality and number of his works, but also from the circumstance of his having been the master of the three most eminent artists of the brightest period of sculpture, namely, Myron, Polyeletius and Phidias. He was a native of Argos. There is some reason to think that there were two sculptors of this name. Pausanias (iv., vi., vii., and x.) alludes to various statues by Ageladas. lle seems chiefly to have Worked in bronze.
Myron was a native of Eleutherte, according to Pliny (' Mist. Nat.,' xxxiv. 8), or an Athenian, according to Pausanias (vi. 2, &c.). There is no artist of antiquity who is mentioned more frequently or more honourably than Myron, and it is scarcely possible to believe that such universal praise would have been accorded if his works had not fully deserved it. It is unfortunate that no blown production from the hand of this distinguished artist has reached our times. The only work of which any judgment can be formed is his famous statue of a Discobolus. Various copies of this figure are believed to exist. The best is in the Palazzo Massimi in Rome. The Discobolus, in marble, in the collection of sculpture in the British Museum (see the article Discus), is also believed to be a copy from the same celebrated original. A mere list of the works of this sculptor is unnecessary in this place. The chief of them are noticed under MYRON, in the Bloc. Div. The peculiar characteristic of the sculpture of Myron seems to have been expression. I'etronius, in spite of Pliny's assertion, leads us to believe that this was the great excellence of Myron ; he says, "Myron qui pene bominum animus ferartunque sere expresserat." With respect to his style, it seems probable, from some remarks of Pliny, that his works still exhibited certain peculiarities of treat ment that belonged to a ruder age, though ho gives him the high praise of superiority, iu some respects to Polycletus. He says he introduced more variety into his figures, for this seems to be the true interpretation of the expression of the above writer. " Primus Myron multiplieasse varietatem videtur, numerosior in arte qultin Polyeletua," St:c. (' Hist. Nat.; xxxiv. 8.) The works of Myron were chiefly executed in bronze. He used that which was made at Delos, while his rival Polycletus preferred that of sEgine Though chiefly celebrated for his productions in this material, he worked also in marble, and a statue is mentioned by him of Hecate, made of wood. (Paus., ii. 30.) Myron had a son called Lycius, also a distinguished sculptor.