Note 273 — ARRIAN ON COURSING.
William Dansey translation
Xenophon. De Venat. c. i.
See the Museo Chiaramonti of Visconti and Guattani. T. xviii.
Ἀπόλλωνος. Apollo shared with Diana the institution of hunting: Ἀπόλλωνος καὶ Ἀρτεμίδος ἄγραι καὶ κύνες. Whence, with his twin-sister, he is seen on antique relievos with dogs and other emblems of the chase. In his character of Venator, Apollo is described by Maximus Tyrius as a youth armed with a bow, his naked side appearing beneath a chlamys, and his feet raised in the act of running:
Virgil. Æneid. L. iv. 143.
Qualis ubi hibernam Lyciam Xanthique fluenta Deserit, ac Delum maternam invisit Apollo, Instauratque choros, mixtique altaria circum Cretesque Dryopesque fremunt pictique Agathyrsi; Ipse jugis Cynthi graditur, mollique fluentem Fronde premit crinem fingens, atque implicat auro; Tela sonant humeris.
The reader is of course familiar with the Apollo of the Belvedere—the Venator of Statuaries—“Venator Apollo:”Statii Achil. L. i. 167. but perhaps not so well acquainted with the Wilton effigy of him, exhibiting in a small compass all the symbols which characterise his presidency over poetry, music, divination, or more probably medicine, and the chase—(προσποιεῖταιLucian. Deor. Dial. Juno et Latona. μὲν πάντα εἰδέναι, καὶ τοξεύειν, καὶ κιθαρίζειν, καὶ ἰατρὸς εἶναι, καὶ μαντεύεσθαι)—in three of which attributes he is cited by our author in the present Chapter. The attitude of the god is easy and graceful; he appears to lean against one of the horns of his lyre, placed on a tripod, around which a serpent twines. Over his right shoulder is seen his quiver, and his head is decorated with a laurelTibull. L. iii. El. iv. 34. crown—“castâ redimitus tempora lauro:” the chlamys of the Venator is thrown off, exposing the belt beneath, and the former with its gem is placed on some fit receptacle beside the right leg.