532 



C I V I L A R C H I T E C T U R E. 



the encomiums which have been bestow- 





V/.c 



tottU 

 Grte. 



Tkwartrx- 

 UtcGfMk 



Of prirjte 

 dwelling*. 



'I. XI. 



After the defeat of Xerxes the Greeks obtained il - 

 fall poatrtnon of liberty. They applied with great success 

 to tbr n of philosophy, science, and arts. They 



becanw noc only sensible, but vain, of their decided supe- 

 riority over the Egyptians and Persians ; and as each 

 state endeavoured to maintain a perfect independence, 

 and many attempting to acquire a superior influence, it 

 it very conceivable that their jealousy, rivalship, and con- 

 banal contention, would strongly influence the arts of ar- 

 chitecture and sculpture ; while the insatiable rage for 

 distinction, which pervaded all orders of men. animated, 

 to a particular degree, those artists, who, by their works 

 in architecture and sculpture, expected, and frequently 

 acquired the applause of their countrymen and poste- 

 rity. The value attached to works of this nature, may 

 be judged of from the city of Ephesus refusing to suffer 

 the temple of Diana to be inscribed with the name of 

 Alexander the Great, although this prince offered to 

 purchase that honour by defraying the whole expence 

 attending its erection ; from the Athenians rejecting a 

 like offer from Pericles, with regard to the splendid and 

 extensive edifices with which he had ornamented Athens. 

 (Ionian Anliq. vol. i. c. 111.); and from the city of Gni- 

 dia refusing to part with one statue, (the Venus of Prax- 

 iteles,) although King Nicomedes proposed to free them 

 from tribute if they complied with his request. 



Temples appear to have been the only property which 

 these turbulent states could agree to have in common, 

 and this union enabled them to construct edifices of great 

 magnitude and splendour. They had many of this de- 

 scription, built and maintained at the expence of confe- 

 derated states, and even of all Greece : Such were those 

 at Delphi, Delos, Ephesus, Olympia, Eryx, &c. These 

 temples had territorial revenues, and were enriched by pri- 

 vate donations. Being secured by the laws of war, they 

 were banks wherein states, and even individuals, depo- 

 sited treasure ; and, instead of the priesthood, the ma- 

 nagement was vested in the magistrates, (Ionian Anliq. 

 voE ii. Prcf. p. x.) The Greek architecture prevailed 

 in the countries where that people extended their in- 

 fluence along the coast of Asia. Alexander and his suc- 

 cessors introduced it into Egypt, and most probably in 

 the cities he built on his route to India. To the west- 

 ward it spread as far as Sicily, Italy, and the south of 

 France. 



Betide* temples, the Greeks constructed many other 

 public edificer of great magnificence: These were the 

 Forum, Stadium, Theatre, and Tomb. But as these re- 

 quire a full and extenive discussion, they will be taken 

 up under their tcveral appellations. 



The private dwellings of the Greeks were generally 

 mean ; but, from the description preserved by Vitruvius, 

 a drawing of which, taken from Palladio,'is given in 

 Plate CLX1. it appears, that the villas of some of 

 the principal men were extensive and highly decorated ; 

 and, by admitting strangers to occupy separate complete 

 fuRrs of apartments, they were contrived for a very per- 

 fect lutercotir-e of society. That this was required in 

 Attica, ia easily to be conceived from the great number 

 .ngers which, for many years, resorted to Athens ; 

 and they would alto be necessary in those countries 

 which were adjacent to the Amphictyonic temples. Be- 

 idethe causes, there can be no doubt but, in the 

 < u which carried on mercantile transactions, such 

 Athens, and Corinth in Grtcia Propr, a!mc 

 the cities of Ionia, of Asia, and also among the islands 

 u> the westward of -Greece, that the acctrouhrtkm of 



wealth would produce- effects similar to what takes place 

 in other countries, and would distinguish the habita- 

 tions of its possessors. 



The Greeks appear to have made the greatest pro- 

 gress, and constructed the most magnificent of their edi- 

 fices, during a period of time commencing with the age 

 of Solon and Pythagoras, and ending with that of Peri- 

 cles, being about 300 years. It is worthy of remark, 

 that the period at which architecture began to flourish 

 most in Greece, corresponds precisely with the reign of 

 Psammaticu* in Egypt, who encouraged and benefited 

 by the assistance of the Ionian and Carian Greeks, ami 

 induced them to establish colonies upon the Nile. See 

 Herod, b. ii. Ionian Anliq. vol. ii. chap. v. p. 19. 



After the time of Alexander, the Greek manners were 

 blended with those of Asia. The sublime spirit of in- 

 dependence, and high notions of superiority, which had 

 hitherto exalted their characters, and rendered them ca- 

 pable of such unparalleled exertions, if not quite sub- 

 dued, was deeply contaminated ; and although they long 

 continued to be the instructors of their Roman conque- 

 rors, it is from this aera that the declension of the pure 

 Greek architecture may be dated. 



OF ROMAN ARCHITECTURE. 



THE Romans, through every period of their history, 

 from the first inconsiderable efforts of their infant tribes, 

 to the complete establishment of a most extensive em- 

 pire, were continually engaged in foreign or domestic 

 wars. The principle of their government being at first 

 of a popular cast, it was to military skill, and a simple 

 but impressive eloquence, that their whole attention was 

 devoted, and upon which their national character was 

 formed. Until the state had reached the zenith of its 

 glory, by subjecting all the nations, including Britain, 

 to the west, Macedonia and a part of Persia to the 

 east, and the northern parts of Africa to the south, 

 they preserved the utmost simplicity f manners, re- 

 mained in a great measure ignorant of what are deno- 

 minated the fine arts, and, of course, set no value upon, 

 but rather despised them. All to the north and west 

 of Italy being in a barbarous and .rude state, it was not 

 unlil the Romans had extended their conquests over the 

 colonies of Greece, Greece itself, and a part of Asia, 

 that they had an opportunity of becoming acquainted 

 with fine architecture, sculpture, and paintings. Plu- 

 tarch relates, that Marcellus brought the spoils of Sici- 

 ly, consisting, in part, of the most valuable statues and 

 paintings of Syracuse, on purpose to adorn his triumph, 

 and ornament the city of Rome, which before his time 

 had never known any curiosity of this kind ; and he adds, 

 that Marcellus took merit to himself for being the first 

 who taught tlie Romans to admire the exquisite perform- 

 ances of Greece. 



But when the most formidable rival states had been 

 destroyed or subjected, the wealth which all at once 

 came into the possession of the Romans affected their 

 manners ; and having not only the productions of Gre- 

 cian genius, but the artists themselves, within their 

 power, the transition was into the extreme of luxury 

 and splendour. 



In Greece, the arts rose, from small beginning*, from 

 the tinremitting efforts of rival states and artists ; they 

 were, therefore, natives of the country, while the man- 

 ners of the inhabitants were polished, but natural : but 

 to the Romans who merely acquired them by power ; 

 they were emblems of superiority lavishly and indiscri- 

 minately employed. It was evidently under this imprest- 

 sion that the Romans prrtdily seized the Corinthian, be. 



HUwrt. 



Period of ilt 

 mott rapid 

 progren in 

 Greece. 



The art. le- 

 clined ;ilcer 

 llie time of 

 Alexander. 



Roman ar- 

 chitecture. 



Spoils of 

 Sicily. 



Architec- 

 ture rose 

 haiiily to, 

 extrava- 

 gauce. 



The art 

 rose gradu- 

 ally in 

 Greece. 



