Fig. 67, taken from a vase in the Homeric Gallery, is rich in natural gestures.  Without them, from the costumes and attitudes it is easy to recognize the protagonist or principal actor in the group, and its general subject.  The warrior goddess Athene stands forth in the midst of what appears to be a council of war.  After the study of modern gesture speech, the votes of each member of the council, with the degree of positiveness or interest felt by each, can be ascertained.  Athene in animated motion turns her eyes to the right, and extends her left arm and hand to the left, with her right hand brandishing a lance in the same direction, in which her feet show her to be ready to spring.  She is urging the figures on her right to follow her at once to attempt some dangerous enterprise.  Of these the elderly man, who is calmly seated, holds his right hand flat and reversed, and suspended slightly above his knee.  This probably is the ending of the modern Neapolitan gesture, Fig. 68, which signifies hesitation, advice to pause before hasty action, “go slowly,” and commences higher with a gentle wavering movement downward.  This can be compared with the sign of some of our Indians, Fig. 69, for wait! slowly! The female figure at the left of the group, standing firmly and decidedly, raises her left hand directed to the goddess with the palm vertical.  If this is supposed to be a stationary gesture it means, “wait! stop!” It may, however, be the commencement of the last mentioned gesture, “go slow.”

[Illustration:  Fig. 70.]

Both of these members of the council advise delay and express doubt of the propriety of immediate action.

[Illustration:  Fig. 71.]

The sitting warrior on the left of Athene presents his left hand flat and carried well up.  This position, supposed to be stationary, now means to ask, inquire, and it may be that he inquires of the other veteran what reasons he can produce for his temporizing policy.  This may be collated with the modern Neapolitan sign for ask, Fig. 70, and the common Indian sign for “tell me!” Fig. 71.  In connection with this it is also interesting to compare the Australian sign for interrogation, Fig. 72, and also the Comanche Indian sign for give me, Fig. 301, page 480, infra.  If, however, the artist had the intention to represent the flat hand as in motion from below upward, as is probable from the connection, the meaning is much, greatly.  He strongly disapproves the counsel of the opposite side.  Our Indians often express the idea of quantity, much, with the same conception of comparative height, by an upward motion of the extended palm, but with them the palm is held downward.  The last figure to the right, by the action of his whole body, shows his rejection of the proposed delay, and his right hand gives the modern sign of combined surprise and reproof.

[Illustration:  Fig. 72.]