Polymestoris bubenstück

Title

Polymestoris bubenstück

Period

1550-1600;

Geographic

Ancient Greece

Troy

Asia Minor

Description

This engraving illustrates multiple events. In the background, Polymestor, the king of Phrygia, is illustrated atop a tower throwing someone off the edge. The person he is throwing off the edge is Polydorus, the son of King Priam of Troy. King Priam had sent Polydorus to live with Polymestor during the Trojan War to avoid being killed. King Priam’s mistake was to send treasure and wealth along with Polydorus. The king of Phrygia was greedy and killed his foster son in order to take the wealth that King Priam had sent with him. The foreground of the engraving illustrates King Agamemnon and his soldiers on a beach in Thrace. There is a ghost emerging from the ground thrusting his sword towards Agamemnon. It is the ghost of Achilles. Achilles attempts to attack Agamemnon for his injustice of not offering him a sacrifice after he died. King Agamemnon then takes Polyxena, a daughter of King Priam of Troy, as a sacrifice to Achilles. She is depicted on the right side of the engraving being detained by Greek soldiers.

Image Creator

Virgil Solis (Engraver)

Type

Text

Woodcut Engraving

Identifier

mta:23232

Language

ger

Source Name

P. Ouidij Nasonis, deß Sinnreichen und hochverstendigen Poeten, Metamorphoses oder Verwandlung, mit schönen figuren gezieret, auch kurzen Argumenten und außlegungen erkläret, und in Teutsche Reymen gebracht, durch Johann Spreng von Augspurg [Publius Ovidius Naso, the Ingenious and Highly Understandable Poet, Metamorphoses or Transformations, Adorned with Beautiful Images, and also descriptions of Short Arguments and Explanations, Brought into German Rhymes by Johann Spreng of Augsburg]

Parent Collection

1564 Frankfurt Spreng

Image

mta_23232_OBJ.jpg

Collection

Ovid's Metamorphoses

Subject

Polymestor

Polydorus

King Priam

Agamemnon

Achilles

Polyxena

Trojan War

Greek Mythology