The Giant Clytius on the Great Altar of Zeus
In Greek and Roman mythology, the Giants were a race of great strength and aggression, though not necessarily of great size. They were known for the Gigantomachia, their battle with the Olympian gods. According to Hesiod, the Giants were the offspring of Gaia (Earth), born from the blood that fell when Uranus (Sky) was castrated by his Titan son Cronus (Time). The name "Gigantes" is usually taken to imply "earth-born". The vanquished Giants were said to be buried under volcanoes and to be the cause of volcanic eruptions and earthquakes. (1)
Above is a cast of the giant Clytius, the opponent of Hekate, from the east side of the Large Frieze on the Great Altar of Zeus. The Altar, high on a mountainside, was a huge staple-shaped colonnaded structure on a large stepped podium. It was decorated with a frieze 113 metres long depicting the favourite subject of the battles of Gods and Giants, which was no doubt intended by the Pergamene king Eumenes II, who built it, to commemorate his triumphs in Asia Minor and the eastern Aegean. It was seriously damaged in the first century CE, and again in the tenth.
The verve of the figures and composition, and the sheer size, make the frieze one of the landmarks of Hellenistic art. The reliefs are so deep as to be almost freestanding. Today, the sculptures that remain are incorporated into a reconstruction of the altar in the Pergamon Museum in Berlin. (2)
This is a miniature resin figure measuring about 4x2 inches. It was stark white. My desire was to create the impression that it had been unearthed and stained. I used a tea stain to add some color and shading. After soaking in the tea water for over an hour, I laid it flat on a cloth and opened a tea bag and rubbed the tea leaves into it. Then I laid the remaining three tea bags on it and let it rest another hour. I rinsed the tea leaves off and blotted it dry.
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