Essays in Portraiture Defended (10-13)

So it was with her, said she; while she commended your skill in modelling and the idea of the portraits, she did not recognize the likeness. She was not worthy of such compliments, not by a great deal, nor was any other mere woman. Therefore she absolves you from honouring her thus, and pays her homage to your patterns and models. You may praise her in the ordinary, human way, but do not let the sandal be too large for her foot; “it might hamper me,” she said, “when I walk about in it.”

Furthermore, she enjoined it upon me to tell you this. “I hear many say (whether it is true or not, you men know[*]) that even at the Olympic games the victors are not allowed to set up statues greater than life-size, but the Hellanodicae take care that not one of them shall exceed the truth, and the scrutiny of the statues is more strict than the examination of the athletes. So be on your guard for fear we incur the imputation of falsifying in the matter of height, and then the Hellanodicae overturn our statue.”

That is what she said; and now it is for you, Lycinus, to see how you can refurbish the book

Truly, to liken a female human being to Aphrodite and to Hera, what else is it but outright cheapening of the goddesses? In such matters the less is not made greater by the comparison, but rather the greater is lessened by being dragged down to the lower level. If two people were walking together, one of whom was very tall and the other quite humble in stature, and it should be needful to equalize them so that the one would not tower above the other, this could not be accomplished by the shorter through stretching himself, however much he were to raise himself on tiptoe. No, if they are to look alike in size, the latter will stoop and make himself appear shorter. Just so in such comparisons; it is not so true that a man becomes