464 ON THE PROGRESS OF SCULPTURE. 



very short period of time. The Scholiast on 

 Aristophanes, professes to copy Philocheres. 

 The passage has been alleged to prove, that Phi- 

 dias was tried during the archonship of Pythodo- 

 rus, in Olympiad LXXXVII. 1. which was the 

 first year of the Peloponnesian war. To this con- 

 clusion several objections can be raised. For 

 instance, the building of the Propylsea was 

 commenced in the archonship of Euthymenes, 

 and completed in the space of five years. The 

 Propylsea formed the entrance to the Acropolis, 

 in which the Parthenon stood. Now Euthymenes 

 was archon in Olympiad LXXXV. 4 ; the addi- 

 tion of five years to this date, brings us to the 

 Olympiad LXXXVI. 4, at which period the 

 Peloponnesian war commenced. The whole of 

 the buildings were at that time complete, and an 

 enquiry was, in all probability, instituted to ascer- 

 tain how far the parties concerned had faithfully 

 executed their contracts. To the enemies of 

 Phidias this appeared to be a favourable oppor- 

 tunity of impeaching his integrity and effecting 

 his ruin. On the other hand, it is highly impro- 

 bable that Pericles would be anxious to com- 

 mence, or to allow the means of completing the 

 building of the Propylaea, when his political 

 opponents had been successful in the impeach- 



