Statue of Athene with the skin of the goat Amalthea.

Statue of Athene

Statue of Athene; wears as under-garment the chiton, next the peplos, with the wars of the giants embroidered thereon; the upper part of the garment is turned over at the neck, so as to hang over the under portion, and so form a diploidion, or this diploidion may be made of a separate piece of cloth. Over all she wears the aegis, or skin of the goat Amalthea, which was fastened over the shoulders and breast, and hung over the left arm as a shield-cover (see plate 66).

Afterwards it was used solely as a breastplate {see plates 60, 61, 68). The breast part of the aegis has the Gorgon’s head.

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