. Beacon lights of history. [The world's heroes and master minds] . atue of Moses. So famous was this majesticstatue, that it was considered a calamity to die with-out seeing it; and it served as a model for all subse-quent representations of majesty and repose among theancients. This statue, removed to Constantinople byTheodosius the Great, remained undestroyed until theyear 475 A. d. Phidias also executed various other works, — allfamous in his day, — which have, however, perished;but many executed under his superintendence stillremain, and are universally admired for their graceand majesty
. Beacon lights of history. [The world's heroes and master minds] . atue of Moses. So famous was this majesticstatue, that it was considered a calamity to die with-out seeing it; and it served as a model for all subse-quent representations of majesty and repose among theancients. This statue, removed to Constantinople byTheodosius the Great, remained undestroyed until theyear 475 A. d. Phidias also executed various other works, — allfamous in his day, — which have, however, perished;but many executed under his superintendence stillremain, and are universally admired for their graceand majesty of form. The great master himself wasprobably vastly superior to any of his disciples, andimpressed his genius on the age, having, so far as weknow, no rival among his contemporaries, as he hashad no successor among the moderns of equal origi-nality and power, unless it be Michael Angelo. His dis-tinguished excellence was simplicity and grandeur; andhe was to sculpture what ^Eschylus was to tragic poe-try, — sublime and grand, representing ideal From the relief by Giotto, in Campanile, FlorencePHIDIAS GREEK ART. 287 Though his works have perished, the ideas he repre-sented still live. His fame is immortal, though weknow so little about him. It is based on the admira-tion of antiquity, on the universal praise which hiscreations extorted even from the severest critics in anage of Art, when the best energies of an ingeniouspeople were directed to it with the absorbing devotionnow given to mechanical inventions and those pur-suits which make men rich and comfortable. It wouldbe interesting to know the private life of this greatartist, his ardent loves and fierce resentments, his socialhabits, his public honors and triumphs, — but thisis mere speculation. We may presume that he wasrich, flattered, and admired, — the companion of greatstatesmen, rulers, and generals; not a persecuted manlike Dante, but honored like Eaphael; one of thefortunate of earth, since h
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