eros y el lagarto.pdf

7/28/2019 EROS Y EL LAGARTO.pdf

1/18

CHAPTER 19

Eros and the Lizard:Children, Animals, andRoman Funerary Sculptureby ean Sorabella

A child with wings, sleeping on a cloth or skin spread on the ground, is acommon theme inRoman sculpture.Magdalene S?ldner has cataloguedover 180 marble examples of the type, dating from the 1st to the 4thcenturies a.d.1 Thought to derive from aHellenistic prototype, the socalled Sleeping Eros proved readily adaptable toRoman tastes and needs,and the number of preserved replicas suggests itspopularity in antiquity.2Throughout the series, the pose and body type of the sleeping child remain fairly constant,while the choice and arrangement of attributes thatsurround him vary considerably. Some of these attributes, like the bowand torch, are proper toEros himself, and others, like a bunch of poppies,identifythe child with Somnus, thepersonification of sleep.The meaningof other common inclusions is incompletely understood, however. Onesuch is the lizard that creeps around the feet of the sleeping child in at least25 examples of the type.3The lizard has often been overlooked; scholarswho have noticed it tend to interpret it as either a decorative detail or asymbolic reference.My analysis of the evidence contained in literaryandiconographie sources has brought me to a different conclusion: I believethe lizard appears not on account of its symbolic or decorative value butbecause such animals were kept by children as pets in antiquity. If thelizard is understood as a friendlybeast rather than a sign of resurrection,the composition may be treated as a reflection upon childhood, humanand divine, rather than an existential allegory. In a funerary context, suchstatues delivered a sentimentalmessage and encouraged viewers to identifytheEros depicted with specific real children.I will argue that the sleeping Erotes of Roman sculpture may befruitfully nterpreted in terms of adults' emotions andwishes for children.

Despite themarks of divinity included in the several examples, thefiguresthemselves are so like human children that theybeg to be considered asidealized portraits of infants and toddlers.Given the common use of suchstatues as funerarymonuments, there is reason to connect them with themood ofmemory, fear, and loss inwhich the living approach the dead. Inthe case of the Sleeping Eros type, the livingwould have been adults andthe dead a child. The attributes of the type, including the lizard, contributeto a nostalgic picture of the child reposing among pets and playthings, andthis image suits the needs ofmourning parents and relatives.

1. S?ldner 1986,pp. 596-696.It ismy great pleasure to thank theorganizers of theDartmouth conference inNovember 2003 for theirstimulating leadership and memorable hospitality. I am also grateful toAnnemarie Amb?hl, Marshall Becker,Ada Cohen, and Janet Huskinson fortheir suggestions and encouragement,and toHans R. Goette for his help inobtaining photographs.2. S?ldner 1986 calls the examplesof the type "Liegende Eroten" (Eroteslying own) rather han"SchlafendeEroten" (SleepingErotes),which is themore usual designation and the onethat is used in this contribution.3.Wrede 1981,p. 128,finds14.S?ldners catalogue (1986)makes itpossible to count 25; they are her nos.5, 8,36,39,40,49,50,51,55,58,59,80, 83, 86, 87, 88, 90,102,103,105,106,109,144,163,164. In some cases,only traces of the lizard remain.

This content downloaded from 62.204.192.85 on Tue, 16 Apr 2013 04:04:47 AMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsphttp://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsphttp://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp


2/18

JEAN SORABELLA

Figure 19.1. Sleeping Eros, bronze,3rd-2nd century b.c. New York,Metropolitan Museum ofArt, Rogers Fund, 1943,43.11.4. Photo courtesyMetropolitan Museum ofArt

A brief examination of the type's origins suggests the differencesbetween the composition's original effect and the sentimental impressioncreated by the latervariants. A bronze in theMetropolitan Museum ofArtthat has been dated to the 3rd or 2nd century b.c. may be the prototypeof the later series and is certainly one of the earliest preserved examples(Fig. 19.1).4 The statue is remarkable for its naturalistic portrayal of achild's anatomy, a traitfirst seen in sculpture in the Hellenistic period.5The depiction of Eros suggests that the artist engaged in close studyof alivingmodel. Such age-appropriate details as the softbelly, fleshy thighs,squared feet, and chubby face all are sensitively rendered, and the proportions of the figure are those of a human toddler.The fact that the artist studied a child in order to create the likenessof a god is telling.Although careful attention suggests importance, it isnot certain thatmore exact representation of children in theHellenisticperiod meant greater esteem for them.6 As John Onians has argued,however, the decision to depict a greater variety of human types, childrenamong them, in states other than rational consciousness implies a changedrelationship between artist and model, inwhich theHellenistic sculptor,

4. Richter 1943,pp. 375-378,proposes that the New York bronzewas either the original or a very earlycopy and dates it on stylistic groundsto 250-150 b.c. She also reportsthat the statue is said to come fromRhodes, and although the provenanceis unconfirmed, ithas figured inmanysubsequent interpretations. Pollitt 1986,pp. 129-130, fig.135,dates theNewYork Eros to 150-100 b.c. and doesnot mention Rhodes. S?ldner 1986,pp. 11-65, takes theNew York exampleas the original and dates it to 270260 b.c.B. Ridgway (1990,pp. 327

328) points out the uncertainties thatmake itdifficulto fix hedate of thestatue and its status as original or copy.For more on the date and derivation ofthework, see B. Ridgway 1990, p. 344,n.26.

5. On children inHellenistic sculpture, see B. Ridgway 1990, pp. 338340,348,350. On the novel interestin children inHellenistic poetry andart, see Fowler 1989, pp. 4,44-52;R?hfel 1984a,pp. 185-309; Stuveras1969, pp. 7-15; Herter 1927. Beaumont (2003,p. 75) notes thecarewithwhich Attic vase painters of the late

5th century b.c. depicted the anatomyof babies and toddlers; her observation contradicts the usual assumptionthat naturalistic and sentimentalizeddepictions of children were first madein the Hellenistic period, although suchimages seem to have been made in vasepainting before theywere introduced insculpture.6. On the difficulty of connecting changes in children's status withchanges in their portrayal, see Beaumont 2003, pp. 80-81. For furtherdiscussion of children's position inHellenistic society, see Golden 1997.



3/18

CHILDREN, ANIMALS, AND ROMAN FUNERARY SCULPTURE 355

like laterEuropean artists, ismore actively engaged in choosing and evencoaching the person posing for him.7 In this case, the selection of a pudgy,curly-haired child enabled the artist to portrayEros as cute and innocent,very different from the awful force he seems to be inGreek poetry.8Thedecision to cast Eros as a toddler strips the image of the eroticism typicalof earlier portrayals,where hewas usually depicted as a lissome adolescent.While Praxiteles' Eros atThespiae, for instance, portrayed the god as anobject of desire, theHellenistic bronze presents a more complex conceptof the source of passion, for itpoints to an irony,namely, that Eros thechild looks sweet though desire itself isbittersweet.9The very form of thestatue implies deceit and mischief: the pose artfully conceals the foldedwings and once hid the quiver, too,which has now broken off.The irony implicit in theNew York bronze is heightened by theportrayal ofEros's sleep.His heavy head, drooping arm, and pose of totalrelease suggest that he is fast asleep in themanner of a little child. Hisloose jaw and slightlyopen mouth are furthermarks of a toddler's slumber,attentively observed and faithfully represented.The depiction of Eros inthisunconscious state naturally forges a different rapportwith the viewerthan the image of awakeful god would: a sense of quiet and intimacysurrounds the sleeping figure and affects the observer's reaction to it.10series ofHellenistic epigrams on a similar statue demonstrates the natureof this interaction, for example,

You sleep, youwho bring sleep-chasing care tomortals,You sleep, o child of ruin-wreaking, foam-sprung Aphrodite,Not armed with fiery torch,nor sending twanging fromyour backbent bowAn arrow that brooks no defense.Let othermen take heart, but I fear, ambitious boy,That even as you slumber,you might see a dream piercing tome.11

By stressing the charming look aswell as the latent threat that Eros maypose even as he sleeps, the epigrammatist Statyllius Flaccus recognizes theirony implicit in the statue before him and in the nature of love itself. ementions Eros's wings, bow, and quiver, as though to arm thegod evenwhilehe seems disarmed. He does not dwell on any of these attributes,however,but thinks instead of Eros's hidden plans and dangerous dreams.

Statyllius Flaccus's epigram isnicely suited to theNew York bronze, ashas long been recognized.12Naturally itcannot be known whether thiswasindeed thework thathe saw,but it is instructive to note theways inwhich7. Onians 1999, pp. 126-131.

Although studio practice is very poorlydocumented in antiquity, Onians'ssuggestion is cogent; the famous storyof Zeuxis and the maidens of Crotona(Cic. Inv. 2.1.1) suggests the involvement of the artist in the choice of

models.8. For discussion of the painfuleffects fEros inGreek poetry,

see Carson 1986; Ca?ame 1999, esp.pp. 13-38,51-64.9. On Praxiteles' Erotes, seeAjootian 1996, pp. 113-116.10. The connection betweenobserver and sleeping figure is explored at length nSorabella 2000;on the sleep of Eros, see esp. pp. 2965.

11. E\)??i?, ?ypvnvovq ercaycov

OvnioiG? jiepiuvoc?- / eu?ei?, ocTnpfj?? r?ico? ?cppoyevo?c, / o? 7ce\)Kr|v7i\)p?eooav 87cr|p(i8Vo?, o\)?' ?cputaxKiov/ 8K Kepao? y?XXav avcvc?voio ?eta)c./ akXoi Gapae?rcoaav ?y ?,' ?y?pcoxe,???o?Ka, / urj uoi Kai kvc?ooc?v TiiKpovoveipov ??n? {Anth. Pal. 16.211, trans.Sorabella2000, p. 43).12.Richter 1943,p. 372.



4/18

356 JEAN SORABELLA

Figure 19.2. Sleeping Eros withlizard, marble, late 1st century a.d.Paris, Louvre, mag. inv.MR 146(MA 344), ex coll.Borghese. PhotoR?union des Mus?es Nationaux/ArtResource, N.Y.

Figure 19.3. Sleeping Eros with twolizards, marble, late 2nd century a.d.Broadlands, Hampshire. Photo Forschungsarchiv fur r?mische Plastik, Cologne

theNew York statue and theone that he describes areunlike laterexamplesof the type,which are remarkable for theproliferation of attributes aroundthe child. A late-lst-century example once in theBorghese collection andnow in theLouvre, for instance, representsEros surrounded with possessions, including a bow, a quiver, and a torch; a lion's pelt is spread beneathhim and a lizard creeps near his foot (Fig. 19.2).13A similar statuette inthe Broadlands collection inHampshire is even richer in attributes, foritdepicts the child surrounded not onlywith all the objects seen in theBorghese work but also with a second lizard that creeps near his leftarmpit(Fig. 19.3).14The Flavian example atNewby Hall inRipon has a bow besidehim, two poppies inhis hand, a lizard at his foot, a cape around his neck,and a strap tohold a quiver across his chest (Fig. 19.4).15 In these replicas,more attributes are included than those necessary to identify ros. Indeed,they sometimes give the childmore than one identity, s in theNewby Hallexample, where he carries emblems of Sleep aswell as Love.

13. S?ldner 1986, cat. no. 40,pp. 618-619.14. S?ldner 1986, cat. no. 39,pp. 617-618.15. S?ldner 1986, cat. no. 90,pp. 645-646.



5/18


Figure 19.4. Sleeping Eros withlizard, marble, late 1st century a.d.

Newby Hall, Ripon, North Yorkshire. Photo Forschungsarchiv fur r?mischePlastik, CologneThe proliferation of possessions around the child has two important

consequences. First, itdiminishes the type's ironicpotential, transforminga subtly deceptive composition into one repletewith markers of identity.In the Louvre example, for instance (Fig. 19.2), distinguishing attributesappear prominently from every point of view; in theNewby Hall work(Fig. 19.4), no provision ismade to conceal thewings, which form a contourdistinct from the shoulder rather than following itsoutline closely, as in theNew York bronze (Fig. 19.1). The second major alteration concerns theemotional relationship between the figure and the objects that surroundhim. Rather than concealing his possessions like a mischievous god, hehandles them openly and lovingly, like a child comforted by them. In twostatuettes of the mid-2nd century,one at Knole House inKent and theother in theLouvre, the child holds inhis rightfist a club, an attribute ofHerakles thatEros sometimes steals (Figs. 19.5,19.6).16 The way inwhichhe draws it close to his chest suggests that it is a treasured plaything. Thelion skin cap on the Louvre figure'shead fits him like a garment of his ownrather than one sized forHerakles. In a 4th-century statuette inDresden,the lion skin isdifferently disposed (Fig. 19.7).17The childwraps his armsaround itshead, cuddling it like his own indispensable blanket, while hislefthand isopen across the stems ofpoppies that he seems tohave clutchedtightlywhile awake. These Erotes grasp the attributes of divinity as toddlers today handle toys thatmake them feel secure at bedtime. They thuslookmore like human children than cunning gods.The balance of humanity and divinity is shifted toward the formerin these Roman versions of the type.While theNew York bronze represents Eros the paradoxical god, these later copies with their lesser ironicvalue are better described as sentimental images of children in the garbofEros, surrounded by toysfit forbaby gods. The shift of emphasis fromthe trickydivinity to the slumbering baby has important consequences forthe observer: he or she ismore apt to identifythe later replicaswith a realinfant,helpless and inneed of care.The scale of theRoman marbles, manyofwhich are roughly the size of human infants,heightens their emotional

16. S?ldner 1986, cat. no. 102,p. 652; cat. no. 105, pp. 653-654.17. S?ldner 1986, cat. no. 59,pp. 628-629.



6/18

358 JEAN SORABELLA

Figure 19.5. Sleeping Eros withlizard, marble, mid-2nd century a.d.

Knole House, Sevenoaks, Kent. PhotoForschungsarchiv fur r?mische Plastik,Cologne

Figure 19.6. Sleeping Eros withlizard, marble, mid-2nd century a.d.Paris, Louvre, mag. inv. 148. PhotoR?union des Mus?es Nationaux/ArtResource, N.Y.

Figure 19.7. Sleeping Eros withlizard, marble, early 4th century a.d.

Dresden, Skulpturensammlung,ex coll.Chigi, inv. m 254. Photocourtesy Skulpturensammlungappeal, and variations on the child's pose suggest greater peace, as thoughboth artist and patron wished to see the child comforted. The BorgheseEros and the similar marble at Broadlands (Figs. 19.2,19.3) are like theNew York bronze (Fig. 19.1) in that an irregular rock supports thefigure,but other variants mentioned above show an even andmore comfortable



7/18


Figure 19.8. Sleeping Eros with lizard, marble, 1st century a.d. Berlin,

Antikensammlung, ex coll. Ingenheim, mag. inv. Sk 143. Photo Antikensammlung

looking ground beneath him. The inscribed figure inBerlin (Fig. 19.8)is laid on a nearly flat ground softened by a lion skin, and itspose, withcrossed legs and less torsion at thewaist, suggests amore comfortable sleepthan that of the spread-legged and precariously balanced Erotes in theParis and Broadlands variants.18The design of theBerlin statuette is alsosquatter than the spread-legged variants, itsheight only about a fourth ofits length as opposed to theBorghese piece,which is less than twice as longas it is tall.19 he flatter composition makes the view from above the onlysatisfyingvantage point and directs the observer to approach the child asa parent or caregiver rather than as a lover fearful of Eros sdarts.The question of the audience s intended reaction to the sentimentalizedErotes is related to the issue of their context in antiquity.Unfortunately,very few examples come from documented findspots, and as S?ldnerrightlynotes, the selection of attributes included in any particular workcannot be used to determine its function.20 It is clear, however, that thepopularity of the typewas due at least inpart to thewide range of purposes that it could serve.A Hadrianic copy similar to theDresden piece(Fig. 19.7) was found in theBaths of Barbara atTrier,where itmust havehad a purely decorative role.21 ther examples are known tohave served avotive function. For instance, a 2nd-century version of theNewby Hall typebut lacking the lizardwas found at the sanctuary ofAphrodite atCyreneand is now in the BritishMuseum.22 Two replicas, one fromArgos andthe other formerly inLowther Castle, were inscribed to serve as dedications, the former toAsklepios and the latter toHerakles.23 The deitiestowhom these offeringswere devoted have disparate personalities, andonlyAphrodite has a natural linkwith Eros; it is likely that the dedicants

18. S?ldner 1986, cat. no. 5, p. 598.19.According toS?ldner 1986,pp. 598,618, the Berlin statuette is 46cm longand 11.5 cmhigh,while theBorghese example measures 55 cm by30 cm.20. S?ldner 1986,p. 377.21. Trier, Rheinisches Landesmuseum 09.793: see S?ldner 1986, cat.

no. 74, pp. 636-637; see also LIMCV, 1990, p. 595, no. 23, s.v.Hypnos/Somnus (C. Lochin). This Eros heldpoppies, which are commonly assumedto connote the sleep of death; itdemonstrates the fact that function andattributes do not always coincide.22. London, British Museum,

Magazine, GR 1861.11-27.74: see

S?ldner 1986, cat. no. 89, p. 645.23.ArgosMuseum E 24: seeLIMCV, 1990, p. 594, no. 8, s.v.Hypnos/Somnus (C. Lochin). FormerlyLowther Castle, current whereaboutsunknown: see S?ldner 1986, cat. no.199,pp. 700-701, also LIMC V, 1990,p. 595, no. 27b.



8/18

360 JEAN SORABELLA

$&,?j0*k.

Figure 19.9.Reclining woman witha child, marble, late 1st century.Rome, Museo Nazionale Romano,inv. 39504. Photo author

chose the subject not on account of itsdivine iconography but because theywere thinking of the begetting, health, or protection of children. Such anidentification between a beloved human child and a sculpted Eros wouldhave been particularly natural in instanceswhere the statuettemarked atomb, probably themost frequent use of the type in ancient times. Eroteswhose funerarypurpose is clear include one from a child s burial atKnossos, three sculpted on sarcophagus lids fromAquileia, Saventhem(near Brussels), andHypaipa (nearOdemiz, Turkey), and the example inBerlinbearing hesepulchralnscriptionALERIVS /FELICISSIMVS/ PERNARIVS /D.D. (Fig. 19.8).24Other copies found in areas rich inburials were probably also intended as commemorative monuments; twosuch examples include aHadrianic marble from the vicinity of thePortaFlaminia inRome, now in the BritishMuseum, and a 3rd-century piecein theVatican discovered near theVia Appia.25 Since it is clear that SleepingErotes were often used as funerary figures, it isworth exploring the

meaning and impact of the type in the orbit of the tomb. Because formaldifferences between the several examples seem unrelated to function, thereis reason to treat all of them as potential funerarymarkers, whatever theiractual purpose may have been.Comparison between the Sleeping Erotes and other reclining figuresinRoman artmay illuminate the circumstances under which the typewas

adapted for sepulchral use. By the 1st centuryA.D., reclining figuresof adultswere being carved fordisplay either on sarcophagus lids or as independentkline monuments.26 Like many of the Sleeping Erotes, they repose in apparently comfortable postures, usually with thehips horizontally orientedand a gentle twist in the upper body so that the head faces out to thespectator.An example in the courtyard of the erme Museum, now lackingthehead, still shows this sense of address as it assumes a banqueter's pose,with theweight of theupper body propped up on the leftarm (Fig. 19.9).27Another work in theVatican has the right arm crossed over the chest andthe head resting on the right hand in an attitude that suggests slumber(Fig. 19.10).28 The eyes are nevertheless open and the face turned towardthe spectator, as is typical in suchmonuments, even those where sleep isimplied.29The earliest replicas of the Sleeping Eros type inmarble dateto the 1st century,when such reclining figureswere becoming popular foradults' burials. Roman artists and patrons may then have recognized theEros type as similarly apt for children's tombs.

24. Knossos =Heraklion, Archaeological useum 281: seeS?ldner 1986,cat. no. 86, pp. 643-644. Aquileia,Museo Nazionale 447: see S?ldner1986, cat. no. 152, p. 680; LIMCV,1990, p. 594, no. 6, s.v.Hypnos/Somnus (C. Lochin). Saventhem, current

whereabouts unknown: see S?ldner1986, cat. no. 176, pp. 693-694; LIMC

V, 1990, p. 596, no. 33. Hypaipa =Izmir, Archaeological Museum 20:see S?ldner 1986, cat. no. 332, p. 748;LIMCV, 1990, p. 594, no. 2.25. London, British Museum,Magazine, GR 1805.7-3.20, ex coll.Albani andTownley: seeS?ldner 1986,cat. no. 103, pp. 652-653. Vatican,Museo Chiaramonti 1724: see S?ldner1986, cat. no. 131, pp. 668-669.26.Toynbee 1971,pp. 268-270. Formore on such figures in sepulchral art,see Cumont 1942, pp. 388-407, andpis. 41-42.27. On the Terme figure, see Giuliano 1979-1994, part 1, vol. 2,pp. 162-164, no. 55.28. On the Vatican figure, seeCumont 1942, p. 407, and pi. 42.3;Amelung 1908, pp. 3-4, pi. 1.1.29.Toynbee 1971,p. 269.



9/18


Figure 19.10. Reclining womanwith twoErotes, marble, late 2ndcentury a.d. Vatican Museums,

Vestibolo Quadrato. Photo Alinari/Art Resource, N.Y.

If the need for a childlike reclining figure did infact stimulate the development of the Sleeping Eros type in the funerary sphere, it is instructiveto consider theways inwhich itdiffers from the adult recumbent figuresdiscussed above.While the adults are commonly dressed and coiffed in thestylesof the day, the children are presented indivine guise,with attributesand wings instead of clothes and personal ornaments. The support onwhich the adult rests is regularly characterized as a bed or bier,while theErotes occupy mounds of earth or rock unrelated to ordinary furniture.Perhaps most significantly, the open eyes and engaged faces of the adultfigures imply that they are awake and gazing back at the spectator,whiletheErotes' closed eyes and stillpostures emphasize that theyarewithdrawnfrom the viewer in the sleep of death.30 In general, the representation of thechildren as Erotes removes them from the human realm to the domain ofcomforting fantasy. he differences between kline monuments for adultsand Erotes foryoung children establish grounds for a more sentimentalrapport between the latter and theirprimary audience: Roman mournersmay have wished to remember an adult in familiar human guise, but preferred to envision a child asleep in the dreamworld ofmyth.

The numerous attributes and comfortable postures of the Erotesportrayed inmany replicas take on special relevance if ne considers themfrom the perspective of a dead child's parents and family, that is, the verypersons not only most touched by the childs loss but also most directlyinvolved in selecting the funerarymonument. As mentioned above, it islogical that they should have identified the sculpted figure ofEros with thechild recentlyburied. As analyzed by Henning Wrede in a classic study,such images of deities in sepulchral artmay have been understood as hopeful deifications of the deceased, promising immortality to the dead whosegraves theymarked.31 His idea has merit, although Iwould stress that themajor function of thesemonuments in a funerarysetting is to comfort the

30. The comparison between sleepand death was frequendy drawn inancient literature. See Boyanc? 1928;Ogle 1933;Eger 1966;Vermeule 1979,pp. 145-156;Mainoldi 1987.31.Wrede 1981; on the Eros type,see esp. pp. 127-130.



10/18

362 JEAN SORABELLAsurvivors. Indeed, itmight soothe amourning parent or relative to see animage of his or her child armedwith the bow and quiver ofEros, thepoppies andwinged cap of Somnus, or the club and lion skin ofHerakles, asthough the dead child had actually put on theirgodhead. But the tender

way inwhich the Erotes handle theirpossessions seems intended to offerthedeeper solace ofwatching the child contentedly sleep,with his featurescomposed, his limbs relaxed, softmaterial spread to cushion his rest, andan abundance of playthings available.The lizard that appears in the examples discussed above should alsobe connected with theviewer s likelywish to see the child comforted. Fewcurrent interpretations take the emotional needs of theviewer into accountwhen seeking out the reptile'smeaning; there is a tendency instead to treatit, like the better-known attributes, as a symbolic reference to somethingbeyond itself. Some scholars have seen the lizard's hibernation, which theancients duly noted, as the key to itsmeaning and have proposed that itrefers to sleep

or to death; still others have seen itas a sign of resurrection,stirringin springtime aftera longwinter slumber.32 hese differinghypotheses, however, are all based on the natural fact of the lizard's hibernationrather than on literaryor iconographie indications. If the lizard has a symbolic meaning like one of those listed above, it is unlike the other attributesin that itfails to function as they do, namely, to identify the figurewith aspecific infantgod. Furthermore, the lizard as symbol fails to demonstratethe figure's childlike nature,which isvisible in theway he handles otherobjects. I think the lizard's purpose is in factmore consistentwith that ofthe other attributes than has been previously recognized. Although itcannot equate the sleeping child with a particular deity, a lizard does in factappear in several images of young gods, which I shall examine below. Likethe superimposed possessions of Eros, Somnus, and Herakles, the lizardwas also integral to a sentimental vision of childhood ideally suited to theneeds ofmourning viewers and the funerary function of the type.Consideration of the lizards depicted with themarble Erotes may infact shed further light on the attitudes of the adults who commissionedsuchmonuments for their children.The lizards differwith respect to size,pose, and relationship to theErotes that theyaccompany, but all are apparently living, lively,and capable of darting movement.33 Most are situatednear the feet of the child; theBroadlands example also has a second lizardcrawling below his armpit (Fig. 19.3). In theBorghese Eros, the lizard istiny, nd its curling tail and unevenly spaced legs

show that it isclimbingtoward the child up the lumpymound of earth beneath him (Fig. 19.2).The lizard with the Knole Eros, which is also small, creeps on flatter

ground and looks prepared to dart under the child's foot (Fig. 19.5). TheNewby Hall and Berlin versions includemuch larger lizards, each ofwhich,when whole, may have been longer than the corresponding child's thigh(Figs. 19.4,19.8). The damage to the heads of both lizards aswell as thesmaller one in the other Paris example (Fig. 19.6) imply that theywereraised?the animal must have seemed alert, even attentive to the sleepingchild.The variety of guises inwhich the lizard isdepicted suggests that itisnot a fixed symbol.The fact that it is never in exactly the same place orpose reinforces itsportrayal as a creature inmotion; simply bymoving it

32. S?ldner (1986,p. 309, andp. 540, nn. 1194-1196) repeats thenotion that the lizard is a sign ofsleep, but she also allows that itmaybe a purely decorative feature. Keller(1963, p. 272) favors an associationbetween the lizard and the sleep ofdeath.Oehler (1980,p. 75) says f theKnole Eros, "Die Eidechse weist aufden sepulkralen Bereich hin." Toynbee(1973,p. 220) andCumont (1942,pp. 408-409) articulate the view thatthe lizard indicates a hope that thesleeping hild, ikea hibernating izard,will awaken to live again.33.The speedandmobilityoflizards interested ancient naturalscientists, likeAristotle, who describestheworking of their legs {Hist. an.498al3-16); the enmity between lizardsand snails that Pliny mentions {HN8.111) is probably based on the opposition between the proverbial quicknessof the former and the slowness of thelatter.



11/18


from one spot to another indifferentversions of the type,a sculptor mightcreatively suggest its animation.Evaluated in formal terms, the lizard's contribution to the type is ahint ofmovement in pointed opposition to the stillness of the sleepingfigure. n a sepulchral context,where the Eros may be associated with theburied child, the liveliness of the lizard contrastswith the fact of death.This juxtaposition has prompted the suggestion that the lizard indicateshope of resurrection,but such a leap seems unjustified, since the reptile initselfmay imply the comfort of the child and the consequent fulfillmentof viewers' needs. The lizards that accompany the Erotes in sculpture areordinary animals, well known to the Romans: the spotted lizard,whichLatin speakers called a stellio, is a common sight throughout theMediterranean, as are thewall lizard {lacertamuralis) and the green lizard {lacertaviridis).34As the ancients knew, such creatures hide in cold weather andreappear in springtime; active in themild air of themorning and evening,theyhide in the shade during the hottest part of day.35 he unconcealedanimation and activityof the lizards shown in sculpture indicate thatwinterisover but that the heat of summer has not come. Like their counterpartson theAra Pads, which suggest thehalcyon climate ofAugustus's reign, thelizards in replicas of the Sleeping Eros type demonstrate that theweatheris temperate and pleasant where the child is sleeping.36The implication isthat the child in the tomb is equally safe from extremes of heat and cold.The lizard's diet of insects, likewise well known to the ancients, alsoconnects itwith ideas of tranquillity and comfort. In sculpture of the 1stcentury A.D., lizards feasting on insects sometimes appear among coilingvinescrolls with other familiar creatures.37Literary evidence suggests thatinsectswere no more welcome in antiquity than they are today.A Homeric simile presents the act of brushing bugs away as amark ofmaternaltenderness:Aphrodite flicks away an arrow "as amother sweeps a flyfromher child when he lies in sweet slumber" (i/. 4.130-131).38 It is implied

34. On the different species of lizards, see RE XI, 1922, cols. 1947-1970,s.v.Krokodile und Eidechsen (H. Gossen and A. Steier).35. Aristotle {Hist. an. 599a33)notes that lizards hide in cold weather;Theocritus {Id. 7.23) andVirgil {Eel.2.9) use the imageof lizardshidingfrom the hot sun to evoke the hightemperatures of languorous afternoons.

36. A number of lizards crawlamong the acanthus scrolls that ornament the lower register of the AraPacis Augustae. Recent studies haveconnected them with the monument'soverall message of abundance andrenewal under Augustus's leadership.Kellum (1994,pp. 36-38) stressesthe metamorphic associations andregenerative powers of the lizard in

ancient animal lore and argues thatthe animals of the acanthus rinceauxmay suggest Augustus's power to effecttransformation; on the lizard's abilityto regenerate its tail, see Arist. Hist,an. 508b7; Plin.HN 11.264. Pollini(1993, p. 214) associates the lizard as

well as the frog and snake with thegod Apollo, Augustus's patron divinity; and Castriota (1995, pp. 54-55,80-81) links the creatures of theAraPacis with Tellus, the fruitful earthon which they creep, and Dionysos,beneath whose vines they sometimesappear in other representations. Forclose-up illustrations of the lizards onthe monument, see Castriota 1995,pis. 25-26, 29-30, 36. For awiderview, see Pollini 1993, p. 189, pi. 8.37. A lst-cenrury funerary relief inthe Vatican, Mus. Gregorio Profano

10111-17, depicts a curling vine thatshelters a lizard darting along withan insect in itsmouth; see Castriota1995, pp. 81-82, pis. 84a-d; Helbig41,pp. 782-783, no. 1080 (E. Simon). Amarble tree trunk also in theVatican,

Mus. Chiaramonti 1958, a portion ofa votive sculpture dedicated by SextusScutarius and his family in the early 1stcentury, is home to awriggling lizardwith a similar meal; see Castriota 1995,pp. 80-81, pis. 81a-c; Amelung 1903,p. 760, no. 660c, pi. 18.38. fj 08 Tooov [lev eepyev ?ctt?%poo?,

? oie inriTTjp tcoci?o? eepyn uir?av,00' f|???Aideraiwtvco{II. 4.130-131,trans. A. T. Murray, rev.W. F.Wyatt,Cambridge, Mass., 1999). I am gratefulto Louise Pratt for drawing the passagetomy attention.



12/18

364

^M

JEAN SORABELLA

??WV*>v

Figure 19.11.Dionysos with alizard on a string, mosaic, fromEl Jem, 4th century a.d. Tunis,Bardo Museum. Photo author

that the flymight trouble the child's sleep; keeping it away is therefore aparental gesture. Lizards might also defend the Eros and the child he represents from spiders and stinging bees, expressly named as prey for reptilesby Pliny and Virgil, respectively.39Although none of the lizards depictednear a Sleeping Eros ishunting or eating, one easily imagines them readyto catch insects thatmight disturb the sleeper's peace.The size of the lizards included in some examples suggests that theymight also ward off largernuisances; it isworth remembering that thewordlacertus, themasculine form of lacerta,denotes the upper arm and physicalstrengthaswell as the lizard.40 he reptiles shown with theErotes might bepresumed tobattle snakes like those that threatened the infant ercules inhis crib and killed thebaby Opheltes on theground; the ancients believedlizardswere capable of surviving combat with serpents, forPliny says thattheyheal themselves with a certain herb "whenever they fight a battle withsnakes and arewounded" {HN 8.97).41 In examples of the Sleeping Erostype, the position of the lizard at the child s feet implies attentiveness andactive concern. The large lizards depicted in theNewby Hall and Berlinexamples (Figs. 19.4,19.8) assume the poses ofwatchdogs, alert and protective,while the puppylike lizard in one of the Louvre statuettes looksready to play ifthe child awakens (Fig. 19.6).The idea that the lizard is a potential protector sympathetic toward thechild credits itwith the qualities of a pet, and substantial evidence in factidentifies lizards as children's playthings in antiquity.Works of artportrayyoung gods at play with them. For example, a 4th-century mosaic fromEl Jem in theBardo Museum depicts a youthful Dionysos surrounded byanimals hunting each other and his own quarry, a lizard on a leash held inhis right hand (Fig. 19.II).42 The Apollo Sauroktonos statue, known inseveral copies and associated with a bronze made byPraxiteles, representsa young Apollo watching a lizard scale the treebeside him (Fig. 19.12).

According to the standard reconstruction, thegod held a dart set to spearit inhis righthand; some scholars restore a noose either instead of or inaddition to the arrow.43 Some scholars consider the lizard a reference tothe Python, the fearsome dragon thatApollo killed atDelphi, and view

39. Pliny specifies that lizards eatspiders HN 11.91), andVirgil (G.4.13-14) suggests their appetite forbees when he wishes with the beekeeper, "Let the painted lizard withhis scaly back be also a stranger to therich stalls" {absint etpicti squalentiaterga lacerti I pinguibus a stabulis), trans.H. Rushton Fairclough, modified,Cambridge, Mass., 1999. Although thebeekeeper thinks of the safety of thehive, someone else might well appreciate the lizardforkeepingbuzzing andstinging insects away.40. OLD, p. 993, s.v. lacerta; lacertas1; lacertas2.

41. Est et adserpentium ictuspraecipua herba, qua se lacerti quotiens cumhis conserverepugnam vulnerati refovent(Plin. HNS.97, trans.W. H. S.Jones,

Cambridge, Mass., 1975).42. Ben Abed Ben Khader 1998,p. 62.43. On the reconstruction, see Ajootian 1996, pp. 116-122, and n. 149.



13/18


Figure 19.12.Apollo Sauroktonos,marble copy after a bronze by Praxiteles, 4th century b.c. Paris, Louvre.Photo author

the whole statue as a parody of that incident, but Apollo may not havemurderous intent,wishing only to catch and to playwith the animal.44Whether Apollo's intentions are predatory or playful, the lizard isunlikely to receive gentle treatment at his hands, and the Sauroktonos statueis one of several reminders of children's potential for cruelty to animals.Martial scoldsApollo forhis brutality, saying "Spare the lizard, insidiousboy, as she creeps toward you."45The epigram refers toApollo simply asa thoughtless boy; in the statue, the god sbehavior may hint at the gods'attitude toward humans?I am reminded of Shakespeare's Une, "As fliestowanton boys are we to the gods?They kill us for their sport."46 It ispossible that the statue presents a similarmetaphor based on the cruelway that children sometimes treat animals, even their pets. If this is so,the lizard is related not specifically toDionysos orApollo but to humanchildren and their foibles. Indeed, JodyMaxmin observed young peoplecatching lizards in nooses on the island ofDelos, and the 4th-centuryCarmina Tria deMensibus, which mentions the childish game of danglinglizards like puppets on strings (34-35), confirms that the practice has anancient pedigree.47

44. On the Sauroktonos as a parodyof thePython episode, seeRizzo 1932,pp. 39-41. On the suggestion thatApollo isonlyplayingwith the lizard,seeToynbee 1973, p. 220. A. Stewart(1990,p. 179) reconstructshefigurearmed with both noose and dart andsuggests that the lizard, on account ofits role in suppressants for passion aswell as infolkremedies,mightbe fit"for the passionless god ofmedicineand purification to catch right at thestart of his career."

45. at te reptandi, puer insidi?se,lacertae /parce; cupit digitis illaperire tuis(Mart. 14.172, trans. D. R. ShackletonBailey, Cambridge, Mass., 1993).46. Shakespeare, King Lear IV.i,spoken by Gloucester.47.Maxmin 1973,p. 37;Toynbee1973, p. 220.



14/18

366 JEAN SORABELLA

Figure 19.13. Eros and a lizard,mosaic, from the baths at Sousse,2nd century a.d. Sousse, Museum,inv. 10.467. Photo author

In amosaic found in Sousse, Eros himself creeps on all fours beneatha vine, reaching toward an insect; a lizard such as hemay sometimes chasefollows behind him in safety (Fig. 19.13).48The lizardmay be his pet andthus familiar, or itmay be hiding from him. Eros's fondness formischief isfrequentlymentioned inpoetry;mortal children handle theirpets roughlyinHellenistic sculpture.49The lizards that accompany Erotes inRomansculpture are immune from such violence. Instead, they are unleashed, released from the pull of children just as the children themselves are loosedin sleep.The lizard, harmless and unharmed, is seen as part of a peaceablekingdom around the child inwhich other animals are sometimes also seen.50In an early 4th-century work inVenice, awide-eyed littledog ispresent,and a tiny lizard approaches the child sfoot (Fig. 19.14).51 Like all the otherlizards, this one moves toward the child, and thedog lets itdraw near.Theharmony that the animals keep suggests thepeace that the child enjoys, andthe image fulfills themourner's wish to see the sleeper comforted.Animals like the dog in this last example are common incommemorativedepictions of children from earlier in antiquity, for instance, onAtticgravestones of the 4th century B.c.52 Indeed, alongwith dolls and toys,suchpets as dogs, geese, doves, and other birds are among themost frequentattributes of children inGreek funerary art.53JohnOakley has suggested

48. See Foucher 1960,pp. 106-107,pi. 55.49. For the mischievous Eros, see,e.g.,Theoc. Id. 19;Mosch. 1;Ap.^hod. Argon. 3.117-130. Children

mistreating animals in sculpture includethe boy with a goose and the boy witha puppy in theCapitolineMuseum andthe boy with a fox goose inVienna; seePollitt 1986,pp. 128-129, pis. 132,133,134.50. An image of the animal worldat peace, inwhich predators refrain

from hunting and their prey is safe, also

appears on the Ara Pacis Augustae. SeeKellum 1994,pp. 37-38.51. S?ldner 1986, cat. no. 36.52. E.g., on the gravestone of

Melisto, now in the Arthur M. SacklerMuseum atHarvard, 1961.86, a smalldog leaps up toward the young girldepicted,who also holds a bird inherhand; see Neils and Oakley 2003, cat.no. 124, p. 307.53. J.Oakley 2003, p. 191. Examples include the gravestone of the girlDemainete of ca. 310 b.c. in theGetty

Museum, 75.AA.63; the gravestone of

the girl Apollonia of ca. 100 B.c., alsoin theGetty, 74.AA.13; the gravestoneof the brother and sisterMnesagoraand Nikochares, ca. 425 b.c., inAthens,National Archaeological Museum3845; and the Parian gravestone ofa girl with doves, ca. 450 b.c., in the

Metropolitan Museum ofArt, 27.45.See Neils and Oakley 2003, cat. nos.124,125, pp. 307-308; J. akley 2003,pp. 181-184, fig.22; Beaumont 2003,p. 74, fig. 11; Introdution, this volume,Figs. 4, 6; Grossman, this volume,Fig. 16.6.



15/18


Figure 19.14. Sleeping Eros withlizard and dog, marble, early4th century a.d. Venice, MuseoArcheologico, inv. 197-195, ex coll.Grimani. Photo Singer, DeutschesArch?ologisches Institut,Rome (Inst. neg.68.5090)

that the adults who made and bought these works appreciated images ofchildren equipped forplay and perhaps took pleasure imagining themhappily entertained.54 he Roman Erotes seem tomanifest a similar sensibility.In addition, theypresent childhood ina verypositive light,urging viewers toremember the dead as sweetly sleeping babies whose everyneed is satisfied,in a state that adults might regardwith fond nostalgia. The inclusion ofEros's attributes furtherheightens the sentimental impact of these statues,for it invites observers to imagine the dead as though sealed not only ineternal infant slumber but also in the realm of fantasy and love.The lizardis integral to this comfortingmessage. It ispresent as both playmate andplaything, amusement and protector. It refers to the childhood of Erosrather than his

divinity;ithumanizes him and harmonizes his

imagewith

the viewer's memory of a particular human child.The special relevance of lizards to the very young isdemonstrated bythe fact that theydo not appear with images of adults reclining in sleeplike attitudes inRoman sepulchral art. Lizards do sometimes appear onfunerary altars for adults, but there they interact notwith human figuresbut only with other animals; often they are in danger, with birds andsnakes attacking them.55No image of a threatened lizard appears near asleeping Eros, however, and no lizard hunted or free haunts the effigyofan adult on a sarcophagus lid or kline monument; such animals were apparently deemed as inappropriate there as a doll or rattlewould be.Whenan animate creature is representedwith a reclining adult, it ismore likelyto be a child than a pet. For instance, the kline monument in theTermecourtyard, discussed above, depicts a woman attended by a child bearingfruit in the fold of his garment (Fig. 19.9), and the female figure in theVatican, also previously mentioned, is accompanied by two Erotes, a tinyone asleep near her foot and a vigilant one holding a garland near herhead (Fig. 19.10). Like the lizards, these figures seem to offer comfort

54. J.Oakley 2003, p. 191.55. For examples, see Budde andNicholls 1964, pp. 90-91, no. 145,pis. 48-49; B. Ridgway 1972, pp. 108109, no. 44, pi. p. 225; Giuliano 1979

1994, part 1, vol. 8,1, pp. 74-78, no. II,12. Toynbee (1973, p. 221) has suggested that such images perhaps alludeto the brevity of life or to a moregeneral idea of death as a part of life.



16/18

368 JEAN SORABELLAand companionship, but theymay also referspecifically to the children ofmothers whose tombs they adorn.Given that an essential requirement of funerary art is to comfort thebereaved, it is easy to seewhy grown women were portrayedwith childrenon klinemonuments: such groupings offeredwishful visions of familyunityto viewers mourning a specific loss. In funerary replicas of the SleepingEros, there is reason to regard the lizard similarly as an integral part of themonument's capacity to comfort: it is likely that actual lizardswere oftenseen near graves,where viewers had cause towish them friendly to thedead. The ubiquity of lizards in theMediterranean todaywas paralleledin ancient times, as several passages inClassical literature attest. Cicero,for instance, notes the unexceptional nature of lizards inhis dialogue OnDivination (2.63), where he observes that theycannot be used toforetell thefutureprecisely because theyare creatures seen everyday.56 orace presentslizards as common animals unfit to inspire fearwhen he lists them amongthe causes of the innocuous rustlings that frighten the timidChloe {Carm.1.23).57 InAristophanes' Clouds (169-173), the loftymusings of Socratesare pitted against a lizard's inconsequential intrusion.58The presence oflizards innumerous and contradictorymagical prescriptions also indicatestheir availability, perhaps more than their alleged inherent properties.59Since lizards seem to have haunted every cranny in theMediterranean inantiquity as today, it is likelythat theywere often overlooked or disregarded,asCicero suggests they should be. Pliny {HN30.89), however, attests that

56. a'C. Gracchus adM. Pomponiumscripsit duobus anguibus domi comprehensis haruspices apatre convocatos. 'Qui

magis anguibus quam lacertis, quammuribus? (Quia sunt haec cotidiana,angues non item. '" (You refer to a letterwritten by Gaius Gracchus toMarcus Pomponius, stating thatTiberiusGracchus, father ofGaius, caught twosnakes in his house and called togetherthe soothsayers. And why a conferenceabout snakes rather than about lizardsor mice? You answer, "Because we seelizards and mice every day; snakes wedo not.") Cic. Div. 2.63, trans.W. A.Falconer, Cambridge, Mass.,1923.57. The lizard inHor. Carm. 1.23has been interpreted as a phallic symbol; see Bannon 1993, p. 221; Ancona1989,p. 53;Nadeau 1987,pp. 779-780.The word lacerta is not, however,regularly used to denote themale sexorgan inLatin; seeAdams 1982, p. 31.In Greek, theword occupa refers tothe penis in three epigrams by Strato{Anth. Pal. 11.21,12.3,12.207), but the

metaphor seems not to have been usedby other authors. It therefore seemsunlikelythatthe lizards ncludedwith

the Erotes discussed here have phallicsymbolism. For a full discussion of animal metaphors for the penis inGreekand Latin, see Adams 1982, pp. 29-34.

58.7tpcor|v ?? ye yvcounv ?cpnp?Ori/ a)7i' aoKaXa?coTOD riva Tp?rcov;KoVcEut? (loi. / CnTowcoc cruTou xfj?G?kr\vr\q r?? o?o\)? / Kai r?? rcepupop??,eve' avco KexnvOTO? /?nb xf\??poipfj?v\)KTC?pya^ecornc Kar?%ea8v. (Justrecently he had a great idea snatchedaway by a lizard.... He was investigating themoons paths and revolutions,and as he was looking upwards with hismouth open, from the roof in darkness a gecko shat on him.) Ar. Nub.169-173, trans. J.Henderson, Cambridge, Mass., 1998.59. In ancient medicine and magic,the lizard may have been used forcontradictory purposes, as an aphrodisiac or an antaphrodisiac, a toxinor an antidote. In the Elder Pliny'sNatural History, lizards are mentionedas ingredients in recipes for all kinds ofpotions and remedies. Eating a spottedlizard is said to neutralize the poisonof the salamander {HN 29.76), and itsshed skin can be used to cure epilepsy{HN30.88). The green lizardboiled

inwine and administered in spoonfuls is recommended as a treatment forconsumption {HN30.86), and it, too,figures in a prescription against epilepsy{HN 30.90). Lizards are also recom

mended for curing various ailments ofthe eyes (?V29.129-131). The virtueof lizards nfolkmedicine isapparentlyequal to their harmfulness in black

magic. The spotted variety drowned inwine or perfume will destroy the complexion ofwhoever drinks or appliesthe potion {HN29.73). An incinerated lizard wrapped in a handkerchiefcan kindle or stifle love, depending onthehand inwhich it iscarried HN30.143).Magical papyridescribe theuse of lizards to bring good luck, success in love, sound sleep, and divineepiphanies as well as to produce deadlypoisons and spells to destroy humanbonds. The range of uses for the lizarddoes not imply a constant symbolism, or even a consistently negative orpositive attitude toward it.For more onmagical and medicinal uses of lizards,seeNock 1972;RE 11,1922, cols.1960,1962-1963, s.v.Krokodile undEidechsen (H. Gossen and A. Steier).



17/18


people not only noticed them but actually sought them out with a viewto catching them in certain spots, namely "in the cornices over doors andwindows, or in vaults or tombs."60All of these locations are architecturally defined habitats shared by lizards and humans. Carved lizards in factappear inRoman art in these very places, that is,near gaps inwalls and inthe vicinity of graves, including those adorned by examples of the SleepingEros type.61The statements of Cicero and Aristophanes suggest that seriousadults usually ignored lizards because theywere common and harmless,but Pliny's statement implies that these same viewers might pay attentionto them when focused on a sepulchralmonument. Itwould seem that theexperience of visiting a tomb, perhaps the tomb of a beloved child inparticular, engendered concentration on everyday things that a preoccupiedadultmight miss in other circumstances, such as lizards and their flickeringmovements. In the experience ofRoman visitors to a grave, a lizard,real or carved, complemented the sleeping figurewith its own shiver oflife. In themood of remembrance and reflection peculiar to the funerarysphere, an adultmight be apt to recall theway his or her own child noticedsuch animals and followed or played with them, as young gods do in theimages discussed above.Where a carved lizard appears with a sleepingEros, it seems to sanction the presence of real lizards around the tomb; asthe sculptural representation is seen to complement the Eros, so the livecreaturesmaybe viewed as innocuous visitors.This message might provideneeded comfort tomourning parents and relatives, and counteract a human tendency to think of the lowly animals that live among the dead asintolerable insults to theirmemory.62In a funerary setting, the Sleeping Eros type could establish an association between lizard and tomb, grieving parent and departed child.Thelizards natural properties and itsphysical proximity tohumans give itcauseto appear inmonuments of this kind,where itpoints to the comfort ofthe sleeping child infairweather and comfortable temperatures, safe frominsects and snakes. The suggestion of itsflickeringmovement animatesthe place where the child sleeps, as though defying the stillness of death.63As a child's plaything seldom noticed by adults, the lizard spurs reflection

60. "ob'servant cubile eius aestatibus?est autem in lori?is ostiorum

fenestrarumque aut camaris sepulchrisve. "Plin. HN30.89, trans.W. H. S.Jones,Cambridge, Mass., 1975.61. For example, the relief thatframes the door of the Eumachiabuilding on the forum at Pompeiidepicts a vine among whose coilslizards crawl; see Castriota 1995, p. 48,pis. 61a-b; Kellum 1994, p. 44, n. 76;P. Zanker 1988, p. 320, figs. 252a-b.An unprovenanced architectural element in theMetropolitan Museum,inv. 10.210.28, probably part of apilaster, likewise includes a lizardbetween the spirals of a vine scroll;

seeMertens 1987, pp. 4,126-127. Thetemple of Jupiter Stator in the PorticusOctaviae inRome had a lizard and afrog carved in the flutes of its columns;see Plin. HN36.24-43; NTDAR,p. 225, s.v. Iuppiter Stator, Aedes (2).A lizard also adorns an architraveblock from Roman building inBulgaria; seeAjootian 1996,p. 119;Hoddinott 1975,pp. 145, 97.As fortombs, a lizard appears on awellknown sepulchral relief in the Vatican

Museum, and others appear on funerary altars and ash chests; see n. 35above, and Toynbee 1973, p. 221.62. This view is articulated inmanydifferent ages, for instance, in the epic

ofGilgamesh, where the hero repeatshis horrified reaction to thewormthat he saw falling from the nose ofEnkidu scorpse (tablet10), and inShakespeare's sonnet 71, which begins,"No longer mourn forme when I amdead / han you shall hear the surlysullen bell /Give warning to the worldthat amfled/From this ileworld,

with vilest worms to dwell."63. Compare this idea with thatexpressed y heodore Roethke inhis 1964 poem "Wish for Young

Wife," which begins, "My lizard, mylivelywrither, /May your limbs neverwither."



18/18

37? JEAN SORABELLAon theways inwhich children are closer and more attentive to theworldof nature. Consideration of bereaved parents' emotional needs thereforefindsmeanings for the lizard that transcend facile symbolism.The SleepingErotes of funerary rt supplied adults inmourning with sentimentalized images of childhood suitable for inducing

consolation and fond remembranceof actual children. The lizard reinforced the type's potential to comfort,invoking the ancient belief in the sympathybetween animals and humansand the special bond between children and four-footed beasts.

eros y el lagarto.pdf

Documents