Palladium
Palladium, an image of Pallas
(Παλλάδιον), is properly an image of Pallas Athena, but generally an ancient one, which was kept hidden and secret, and was revered as a pledge of the safety of the town or place where it existed. Among these ancient images of Pallas none is more celebrated than the Trojan Palladium, concerning which there was the following tradition. Athena was brought up by Triton; and his daughter, Pallas, and Athena once were wrestling together for the sake of exercise. Zeus interfered in the struggle, and suddenly held the aegis before the face of Pallas. Pallas, while looking up to Zeus, was wounded by Athena, and died. Athena in her sorrow caused an image of the maiden to be made, round which she hung the aegis, and which she placed by the side of the image of Zeus. Subsequently when Electra, after being dishonoured, fled to this image, Zeus threw it down from Olympus upon the earth. It came down at Troy, where Ilus, who had just been praying to the god for a favourable omen for the building of the city, took it up, and erected a sanctuary to it. According to some, the image was dedicated by Electra, and according to others it was given by Zeus to Dardanus. The image itself is said to have been three cubits in height, its legs close together, and holding in its right hand a spear, and in the left a spindle and a distaff. (Apollod. 3.12.3; Schol. ad Eurip. Orest. 1129; Dionys. A. R. 1.69.) This Palladium remained at Troy until Odysseus and Diomedes contrived to carry it away, because the city could not be taken so long as it was in the possession of that sacred treasure. (Conon, Narr. 34; Verg. A. 2.164, &c.) Ac cording to some accounts Troy contained two Palladia, one of which was carried off by Odysseus and Diomedes, and the other carried by Aeneas to Italy, or the one taken by the Greeks was a mere imitation, while that which Aeneas brought to Italy was the genuine one. (Dionys. l.c. ; Paus. 2.23.5; Ov. Fast. 6.421, &c.) But if we look away from this twofold Palladium, which was probably a mere invention to account for its existence in more than one place, several towns both in Greece and Italy claimed the honour of possessing the ancient Trojan Palladium; as for example, Argos (Paus. 2.23.5), and Athens, where it was believed that Diomedes, on his return from Troy, landed on the Attic coast at night, without knowing what country it was. He accordingly began to plunder; but Demophon, who hastened to protect the country, took the Palladium from Diomedes. (Paus. 1.28.9.) This Palladium at Athens, however, was different from another image of Pallas there, which was also called Palladium, and stood on the acropolis. (Paus. l.c.) In Italy the cities of Rome, Lavinium. Luceria, and Siris likewise pretended to possess the Trojan Palladium. (Strab. vi. p.264; Serv. ad Aen. 2.166, &c.; Plut. Camill. 20; Tac. Ann. 15.41; Dionys. A. R. 2.66.) Figures reminding us of the description we have of the Trojan Palladium are frequently seen in ancient works of art. [L.S]
- , παλλάδιον, an image of Pallas, C., V., O.
(Παλλάδιον). A name generally applied to any image of Pallas Athené, but specifically to the one which was kept secretly hidden as insuring the safety of the town possessing it. The most famous effigy of this sort was the carved image preserved jealously in the citadel of Troy. It is described as of three cubits in height, the feet placed close together, holding a spear in its right hand, and either a distaff or a shield in its left. It was traditionally said to have been given by the goddess herself to Chrysé, the bride of Dardanus, who brought it to Dardania, whence Ilus carried it to Troy. Another legend makes Zeus to have sent it to Ilus from heaven. It was believed that Troy could not be taken so long as the image remained in the city; whereupon Odysseus and Diomedes stole it away and carried it to Argos (Conon , Narrat. 34; Verg. Aen. ii. 164). Later tradition makes Troy to have had two Palladia, one being stolen by Diomedes and one to have been carried by Aeneas into Italy; so that a number of cities in Italy afterwards claimed to possess it. These were Rome, Lavinium, Siris, and Luceria. (See Plut. Camill. 120; Tac. Ann. xv. 41; ad Aen. ii. 166; Strabo, p. 264.) The Roman Palladium was preserved in the temple of Vesta. See Vesta.
- Paus. 1.28.8
- granted by Zeus to Ilus: Apollod. 3.12.3
- story of its origin: Apollod. 3.12.3
- temple built for it: Apollod. 3.12.3
- Troy not to be taken while the Palladium was within the walls: Apollod. E.5.10
- stolen from Troy by Odysseus: Apollod. E.5.11
- image brought from Ilium to Attica: Paus. 1.28.9
- alleged by Argives to be in Argos, but in fact taken by Aeneas to Italy: Paus. 2.23.5