The Devices on the Helmet of the Figure of ›Ajax‹ of the ›Pasquino‹-Group and Their Significance for the Interpretation of the Sculpture

Abstract

The reliefs on the helmet of the figure of ›Ajax‹ cannot, despite all attempts undertaken thus far, be adduced to resolve the question of the hero’s identity. The interpretations of the helmet-reliefs that have been proposed by scholars acting on this premise should be discounted. Instead of viewing the reliefs as an indicator of the identity of the hero, they should rather be put into a more general frame of reference. The relief decorations – Centauromachy, animal fight, eagle-snake motif – are to be understood as allegories which serve to accentuate the positive qualities of ›Ajax. They characterize the hero as a mighty and brave warrior. Within the context of the group, they serve as an indicator that – rather than adding new semantic components to the general understanding of the scene – supplies supplementary information about the wearer of this piece of armor. During the act of reception, the motifs employed arouse associations which the viewer transfers onto the hero.