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ARCHAEOLOGY. (GRECIAN.) 



eral system of lighting connected with this 

 temple, as published in that author's work, " The 

 Parthenon." The foundations had been found 

 of one wall, apparently belonging to even a 

 more ancient structure than that of Pisistratus, 

 which the author called, for convenience, the 

 work of Deucalion, to whom the original foun- 

 dation of the temple was assigned by a tradi- 

 dition which Pausanias records. 



Contemplated Excavations at Delphi. An ar- 

 rangement has been made between the Greek 

 and French Governments, by which the latter 

 is conceded the exclusive privilege of excavat- 

 ing at Delphi for five years. The ruins of the 

 city are situated under the modern village of 

 Kastri, and this is to be removed, the Greek 

 Government paying the expense of extinguish- 

 ing the titles to the property, while the French 

 will bear the cost of the excavations. All ob- 

 jects recovered will remain the property of 

 Greece, while the French will have the exclu- 

 sive right of reproduction, publication, and 

 multiplication of the objects found for five 

 years after the discovery of each. Two previous 

 experiments in investigating this interesting 

 site were that of Karl Ottfried Muller at the 

 southern wall of the terrace on which the Tem- 

 ple of the Pythian Apollo stood, who found 

 fifty-two inscriptions, and that of the Ecole 

 d'Athenes about twenty years ago, in continu- 

 ation of Mailer's work, the fruits of which are 

 embodied in a considerable volume of Delphic 

 inscriptions that are regarded as of great value 

 for the history of the Amphictyonic League 

 and the city of Delphi. 



Rnins at Thasos. Mr. J. Theodore Bent, ex- 

 cavating in the island of Thasos in behalf of 

 the Hellenic Society and the British Archaeo- 

 logical Association, has recovered a number of 

 interesting marbles and about forty inscrip- 

 tions. The most important relics brought to 

 light were a Roman arch and the theatre. The 

 Roman arch appears to have been erected by 

 the Thasiotes to the honor of the imperial fam- 

 ily, and to commemorate the victories over the 

 barbarians. It was fifty-four feet in length, 

 and consisted of three entrances, the central 

 one being twenty feet wide. Of the columns 

 one of the inner ones was intact, and stood 

 nine feet nine inches high, with a scroll- pat- 

 tern running down one angle. Capitals deco- 

 rated on two sides only, with floral devices in 

 very high relief, and an egg and tongue pattern 

 below, had adorned these columns. Fragments 

 of six of these capitals were found. Above 

 the capitals appears to have run, both behind 

 the arch and in front, a rich frieze, two feet 

 six inches wide, in blocks of marble from seven 

 to ten feet in length, below which in front ran 

 the inscription in two lines in Greek letters, em- 

 bodying the legend, '' The reverend and great 

 city of Thasos to the greatest and most divine 

 emperor, Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, well de- 

 serving of his country, great Bretannikos, 

 great Germanikos. The city of Thasos to Julia 

 Domna. The city of Thasos to the God L. 



Septimius Severus and to Pertinax." Above 

 the frieze was a projecting cornice, and on the 

 top of this had rested a large statue of a man 

 struggling with a lion, fragments of which 

 were found beneath the debris of the arch. In 

 front of the two central columns of the arch 

 stood four pedestals, carrying statues, and with 

 inscriptions, and in front of the columns near- 

 est the city stood a pedestal, the inscription of 

 which told that the statue it bore was erected 

 by the senate " to their mother Phloneibia Sa- 

 bina, the most worthy arch-priestess of incom- 

 parable ancestors, the first and only lady who 

 had ever received equal honors to those who 

 were in the Senate." The statue was found, 

 almost entirely preserved, representing a young 

 and handsome woman gracefully robed. In the 

 same neighborhood were found fragmentary 

 remains of a Doric building of much earlier 

 date, on one stone of which was an inscription 

 to Ceraunian Zeus, with a thunderbolt under- 

 neath it. Of the theatre, which was situated 

 about five hundred feet above the level of the 

 town, the lines of the seats, the semicircle of 

 the orchestra, and the colonnade behind the 

 stage erections, alone were visible. The seats 

 were separated from the orchestra by a wall of 

 twenty-seven large marble blocks, on each of 

 which had been inscribed two large letters, 

 the purpose of which is supposed to have been 

 to indicate the number of the seats. Along the 

 top of this wall ran iron railings to protect the 

 seats. Letters, names, and initials were found 

 to have been cut on all the seats. 



In the southern part of the island, at a spot 

 called Alki, were found the remains of a town 

 of considerable size, which had been built upon 

 an isthmus, and was joined to the capital of 

 the island by a road built of irregular blocks 

 of marble, parts of which could still be seen 

 intact. Of the many buildings found, the most 

 interesting was a large Temple of Apollo, with 

 part of an archaic statue of the god and votive 

 tablets offered by mariners to various gods. 

 Pedestals of other statues were found, includ- 

 ing one of Athena, and also a small altar to 

 Dionysus. While the temple was probably 

 dedicated to Apollo in the first place, it seems 

 to have become in later times the recognized 

 shrine of many gods. 



Tomb of a Lady. In digging a trench in the 

 Great Varda Street, Thessalonica, at a depth 

 of two and a half metres, a marble sarcopha- 

 gus of the pre-Christian Roman period was 

 discovered, which seems to have contained the 

 body of a lady of rank. Handsome ear-rings, 

 rings, a gold chain, a brooch, and other arti- 

 cles, were found near it. The sarcophagus was 

 covered in every part with fine and well-pre- 

 served reliefs. 



Contemplated Excavation of Sybaris. The Italian 

 Government has determined upon the excava- 

 tion of Sybaris, which was famed in ancient 

 times as one of the most splendid and luxurious 

 cities of Magna Grsecia, and has placed the 

 work under the charge of Prof. Viola. Tho 



