Dictionary of Greek and Roman antiquities. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

PICTURA. PICTURA. 913
bothinterior and exterior, was decorated with paint- artists. But [Marcellus gloried in the fact, and
ing of various descriptions. (Athen. v. p. 201, a.) boasted even before Greeks, that he was the first
Nearly a century later than Aratus we have still to teach the Romans to esteem and to admire the
mention of two painters at Athens of more than exquisite productions of Greek art. We learn
ordinary distinction, I-eracleides a Macedonian, from Livy (xxvi. 21) that one of the ornaments of
and Metrodorus an Athenian. The names of the triumph of Marcellus, 214 n. C., was a picture
several painters, however, of these times are pre- of the capture of Syracuse.
served in Pliny, but he notices them only in a These spoliations of Greece, of the Grecian king-.
cursory mannller. When Aemilius Paulus had con- doms of Asia, arid of Sicily, continued uninterruptlquered Perseus, B. c. 168, he commanded the edly for about two centuries; yet, according to
Athenians to send him their most distinguishled Mucianus, says Pliny (H. N. xxxiv. 17), such
painter to perpetuate his triumph, and their most was the inconceivable wealth of Greece in works
approved philosopher to educate his sons. The of art, that Rhodes alone still contained upwards
Athenians selected Metrodorus the painter, pro- of 3000 statues, and that there could not have
fessing that he was pre-eminent in both respects. been less at Athens, at Olympia, or at Delphi.
Heracleides was a Macedonian, and originally a The men who contributed principally to fill the
ship-painter; he repaired to Athens after the de- public edifices and temples of Rome with the
feat of Perseus. (Plin. Ii. N. xxxv. 40.) Plutarch works of Grecian. art, were Cn. Manlius, Fulvius
in his description of the triumph of Aemilius Paulus Nobilior, who plundered the temples of Ambracia
(irl Vit. 32) says, that the paintings and statues (Liv. xxxYiii. 44), Mummnius, Sulla, Lucullus,
brought by him from Greece were so numerous Scaurus, and Verres. (Liv. xxxix. 5, 6, 7; Plin,
that they required 250 waggons to carry them in H. V. xxxiii. 53, xxxiv. 17, xxxvii. 6.)
procession, and that the spectacle lasted the entire -Altmmius, after the destruction of Corinth, B. c.
day. Aemilius appears at all times to have been 146, carried off or destroyed more works of art
a great admirer of the arts, for Plutarch (Aesmil. than all. his predecessors put together. Some of his
Pac/l. 6) mentions that after his first consulship soldiers were found by Polybius playing at dice
lie took especial care to have his sons editcated in ulpon the celebrated pictutre of Dionysus by Aristihe arts of Greece, arind lamongst others in painting teides. (Strab. viii. p. 381.) Many valuable works
alid sculpture; and that lie accordingly entertained also were purchased upon this occasion by Attalhts
minsters of those arts (srXdo'Tar a eal'(c ypcipor) in III., and sent to Perganus; but they all found
his family. From which it- is evident that the their way to Rome on his death, B.c. 133, as he
migration of Greek artists to Rome had already bequeathed all his property to the Roman people.
comlmienced before the general spoliations of Greecc. (Plin. I. N xxxiii. 53M.) Scaurus, in his aedileIndeed Livy (xxxix. 2-2) expressly Inentions, that slip, a. c. 58, had all the public pictures still reimanvy artists came from Greece to Rome upon the maining in Sicyon transported to Rome on account
occasion of the ten days games appointed by Ful- of the debts of the former city, and he adorned the
viais Nobilior, B. c. 18G. But Rome murst Ilave great temporary theatre which he erected upon that
had its Greek painters even before this time; for occasion with 3000 bronze statues. (Plin. iI. hA.
the picture of thle feast of Gracchus's soldiers after xxxv. 40, xxxvi. 24.) Verres ransacked Asia anld
the battle of Benevelltuln, consecrated by himn in Achaia, and plundered almost every temple and
the temple of Liberty onl the Aventine, B. c. 213 public edifice in Sicily of whatever was valuable
(Liv. xxiv. 16), was in all probability the work of in it. Amongst the. numerous robberies of Verres,
a Greek artist. Cicero (in Ver-;. i;v. 55) mentions particularly
The system adopted by the Romans of plunder- twrenty-seven beauniful pictures taklen frol tile
ilng Greece of its wolrks of art, reprobated ly temple of IMinerva at Syracuse, consisting of porPolybius (ix. 3-), vas not without a precedent. traits of the kingsa llnd tyrants of Sicilvy
The CaLrthagioinianls before them had plundered all Finom the destruction of Corinth by Mlmnimus,
the corast towns of Sicily; and the Persians, and and the spoliation. of Athens by Sulla, the higher
even the Macedolians, carried off all works of art bransches of art, espeeially ir paintingi experienced
as the lawvful prize of conquest. (Diodor. xiii. 9I; so sensible a. decay iun Greece, that only two
Polyb. ix. 6. ~ 1; I i. xx'xi. 26; Plin. It.. xxxiv. paintelrs. are mentimt ed whlo can be classed cwith
19, xxxv. 36.) The Rlnoman conquerors, however, the oreat massters. of former timles: Timomachus of
at first plhundered with a certain degree of rlodera- Byzantium, contemporary with Caesar (Plin. I Ar.
tion (Cic. is TVeer. v. 4); as Mrarcellus at Syracuse, xxxv. 40, &c.), anld Aetion, mentioned by Lucian
rand Fabilus IMaxilcum at'Tareuntum, whllo carriied (Imacg. 7; HIerod. 5), who lived apparently about
cawvay no more works of art tlhan were necessary to tile time of H1adrian. (Miiler, Archiiol. ~ 211. 1.)
aIdorn their triumphs, or decorate some of the Yet Rome was, about the end of thee republic, full
public buildings. (Cic. in Verr. v. 52, &c.; Plut. of painters, who appear, Ihowever, to have beenl
Fab. lc lf.'22, lalr-cel. 30.) The wvorks of Greek chiefly occupied in portrait, or decorative and ara1art brotught fromn Sicily by Marcellus, were the besque painting: painters must also have beell
first to inspire the Rolnans with the desire of very numerous ill Egypt and in Asia. Paintings
adorning their public edifices wvith statues and of various descriptions, still continued to perform a
paintings; which taste was converted into a pas- conspicuous part in the triumphs of the Roman
sion when they became acquainted with the great conquerols. In the triumph of Pompey over Mithritreasures and almost inexhlaustible resources of dates the portraits of the children and family of
Greece; and their rapacity knew no bounds. that monarch were carried in the procession (ApPlutarch says that AMarcellus (ir Vit. 21) was pinn, loe Bell. MAittlid. 117); and in one of Caesar's
accused of having corrupted tile public morals triumphs the portraits of his principal enemies in
through the introduction of works of a't into the civil war were displayed, wvith the exception of
Rome; since from that period the people casted that of Pomlpey. (Id. de Bell. Civil. ii. 101.)
mitch of their time in disputing about arts and I The school of art at Rhodes appears to have been