The Narrative Structure of the Telephos Frieze
Jacquelyn H. Clements
The Telephos Frieze from the so-called Great Altar of Pergamon, which is thought to date to the Attalid rule of Eumenes II (197-159 B.C.E.), possesses a prominent position within the history of artistic depictions of literary narratives. In a scholarly, cohesive composition, the Telephos Frieze depicts the life story of Telephos, legendary founder of Pergamon, a subject of great importance to the Pergamene culture. Like many other mythological characters, Telephos' story shifts and changes through time and author, resulting in a complex myth. Beyond the fragmentary literary sources, the Telephos Frieze, recently reinterpreted, provides the most comprehensive account of Telephos' biography, told through the means of a continuous frieze that is "read" from left to right.
It has often been argued that the Telephos Frieze's distinctive method of storytelling through the means of "continuous narration" is the first of its kind, setting the stage for its more widespread use in the Roman period. Certain antecedents for this technique emerge, however, in several monumental relief friezes from Greece and Asia Minor in the 5th and 4th centuries B.C.E., as well as in vase painting. In addition, the Tabulae Iliacae and lost book illustrations from the Pergamene dynasty are also cited as comparanda for the Telephos Frieze. Yet the Telephos Frieze appears to be unique in its use of landscape and architectural components as a vital feature of its narrative structure. These elements include trees, rocks, columns, and altars, all of which propel the narrative and divide the individual scenes of Telephos' life, creating an ease of reading and comprehension. Thus, the Telephos Frieze can be viewed not only as a model for the study of continuous narrative, but the importance of the depiction of setting as well.
The landscape and architectural elements interspersed throughout the Telephos Frieze have been in large part dismissed by scholars as relatively inconsequential. In this paper, I argue that these elements must be seen in a new light. While it would be illogical to assume that these non-figurative elements carry the same narrative level as the mythological figures, they do, however, serve a particular function. The landscape and architectural features in the Telephos Frieze are carved with the same precision and detail as the figures themselves, and impart a more subtle function: to provide an underlying rhythm to the narrative, which sustains it and helps move the viewer along the wall of the frieze. Placed strategically and harmoniously amongst the figures, the landscape and architectural elements are therefore integral to the narrative reading of the Telephos Frieze, and thus must be taken into consideration in the discussion of its structure along with the figural imagery.
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