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THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



[Jl'LY, 



The preparation of the sacred peplus, which was richly embroidered, 

 was coinniitted to a band of chosen virgins. .-Vt .Mhens, a new 

 poi)lus Has presented to Himcron, at the recurrence of the great 

 I'anathenaic festival, every five years. 



Pseiido-dii'teral Tonjple at Peliiiun'e. 



It at first excites surprise that in countries so limited as Greece 

 and her colonies in Asia Minor, so many niagnifieent temples should 

 have been erected, regardless of labour and expense, and that some 

 of the most splendid sacred edifices existed in otlierwise insigni- 

 ficant cities; but it must be remembered that many of these were 

 cathedral or amphictyonic temples, where peojile of different states 

 and towns assembled at certain times to celebrate festivals, hear 

 causes argued, and settle disputes; and all thought it a honour to 

 be allowed to contribute to the adonniient of the holy edifices. 

 Such were the Temples of Diana at Ephesus (in renewing which 

 Alexander the Great in vain offered to defray the whole expendi- 

 ture to be permitted to have his name inscribed there) and of 

 Apollo at Delos, where the lonians were accustomed to congregate 

 at a periodical festival; and where Apollo was worshipped under 

 the ancient form as Mithra; the capitals of the columns being 

 formed each by the busts of two kneeling bulls, side by side, the 

 old symbol of sun or fire worsbi]) (an engraving of which is given 

 in the supplementary volume of Stuart's 'Athens'). Such too was 

 the great Temple of Jupiter at Olympia, which was crowded with 

 worshippers from all the Hellenic states every fifth year to 

 celebrate the far-famed Olympic games, to be victorious in which 

 was considered supreme felicity. The' Temple of Jupiter was 

 moi-e ancient than tlie Parthenon, dating, according to I'ausanias, 

 as far back as 650 n.c. ; but it must have been restored or repaired 

 after that time, as the roof is said to have been constructed on the 

 l)lan of IJyges of Naxos. This temple was of the Doric order, 

 peripteral and hypa-tliral : it was 230 feet in length, 95 in breadth, 

 and 08 in height to the summit of the pediment: it was built by 

 Lybon of Elis. On tlie centre acroteria on each pediment, stood a 

 gilt figure of Victory, with a golden shield beneath, and gilt vases 

 were placed on the acroteria at the corners of the roof. According 

 to I'ausanias twenty-one shields were suspended on this temple, the 

 spoils of Numonius, on tlie conipiest of .Vchaia. The custom of 

 lianging shields on the temples has been before remarked upon; 

 one was placed on the Temple of Minerva at Syracuse (probal)ly on 

 the acroteria), which was seen far out at sea: it was the custom 

 of the Sicilian sailors to offer sacrifices to ensure a jirusperous 

 voyage on losing sight of this shield. The chief glory of the 



temple at Olympia was the colossal statue of Jupiter, 60 feet in 

 height, formed of ivory and gold: one of the masterpieces of 

 I'hidias. After the works of the Parthenon were completed, 

 Phidias and his disciples removed to Elis to adorn the city of 

 Olympia; he was employed here about four or five years, and was 

 held in such high estimation that he had a studio assigned to him. 

 close to the sacred grove, and was allowed to inscribe his name 

 upon the footstool of the divinity. The building in which he formed 

 the statue was long known as the workshop of Phidias. The god 

 appeared seated upon a throne, crowned with a golden olive wreath; 

 in his right hand he held an image of Victory, and in his left a 

 sceptre richly inlaid and surmounted by the figure of an eagle; his 

 robe and sandals were of gold, covered with lilies and other devices; 

 his throne was sculptured in relief, and set with ivory, ebony, gold, 

 and precious stones. On each foot of the throne were four dancing 

 \'ictories in relief, and two statues of Victory stood near on each 

 side. So beautiful was this Zeus considered, tiiat according to 

 Arrian, it was a misfortune to die without having seen it. 'The 

 descendants of the great sculptor had alone the privilege of 

 cleansing and preserving the statue. The whole territory of Elis 

 was sacred to Jupiter; it would have been an act of the greatest 

 impiety to carry on war within its limits; if an army marched 

 through the state, they delivered up their amis on entering, and 

 were only allowed to resume them on passing the boundary. 



The oracular temples of Greece also attracted a great concourse 

 of those desirous of prying into the secrets of futurity. Of these 

 the Temple of Apollo at Del[ihi was the most celebrated; the first 

 stone edifice was erected here 548 b.c, and was the great re- 

 pository of the treasures of ancient Greece. ^V'hilst Phidias was 

 employed at Olympia, the artists of the ancient, or archaic school, 

 were engaged in decorating the Temple of Apollo. Amongst the 

 followers of this style of art, we hear of Canachus, Calon, and 

 Hegesias; but as the archaic school retained the crude, stiff, tradi- 

 tional forms, whilst Phidias and his pupils effected a revolution in 

 art through their earnest study of the beautiful in nature, it is 

 not wonderful that the names alone of the former artists have 

 descended to posterity, and those attended with but little fame. 



Tlie means by which the oracular responses were obtained at 

 Delphi are too well known to need repetition here; but in another 

 celebrated shrine at Argos, the mode of decejition has only been 

 discovered since the temple fell into ruins. The end where the 

 altar stood was excavated out of the rock, and the remainder of the 

 building constructed of baked tiles: part of this structure with the 

 altar still remains. Dr. Clarke, in his interesting 'Travels,' relates 

 that he found a subterranean passage leading to the back of the 

 altar; this, he says, was so cunningly contrived, having a small 

 aperture level with the surface of the rock, that it was easily 

 concealed. A person descending into this passage might creep 

 along till he got behind the altar, from whence the voice 

 mysteriously proceeding, would have an imposing effect to the 

 prostrate worshippers in front. The reverberation of the hollow 

 rock would give a supernatural sound to the voice of the person 

 concealed. 



A third class of sacred edifices supported by the contributions of 

 the assembled multitude, may here be mentioned — those dedicated 

 to Esculapius, the divine physician. These places of resort for 

 invalids were generally situated near some medicinal sjiring, and, 

 like our Bath or Cheltenham, a])pear to have been as much for 

 amusement as for restoration. The sacred grove of Epidaurus was 

 the most celebrated, where tlie efScacy of the holy stre.tm or the 

 favour of the god was acknowledged by the presentation of num- 

 berless little effigies of limbs, or other paits affected, such as 

 may be seen suspended around the image of some miracle-working 

 saint in the Continental churches of the present day. Many of 

 these at Epidaurus were attachetl with wax to the knees of the 

 statue of Esculapius. 



So great a similarity exists amongst the temples of ancient 

 Greece that a detailed description of each would be mere repetition, 

 there are two however, which from their extreme beauty, demand 

 particular notice. I shall begin the next lecture, therefore, witli an 

 account of the Parthenon and Erechtheion at Athens; and shall 

 then describe the tlieatres and other places of public amusement, 

 concluding with the villas of the Greeks, and their mode of decora- 

 ting their edifices, whether public or domestic. 



LIST OF AUTHORITIES. 



Vitruvius. — Arciiitettura Antica, C>inina.- Antiquities of Ionia, Dilettanti Society. — 

 Antitjuitii;3 of A.tica. Uiletlanti Society. — Aniiquuies of Atliens, i'ttiart and Re^ett. — 

 'I'lttxels in Greece, Dr. Ciarive. — Travt-is in Greece, Chandler. — Tour in tireeee, Dr. 

 Word&wortli. — Antiquitif s of Magna Grajcia, Williins. — Tuposraj'lty of AtlieiiS, Col. 

 Lfalie. — Plutarch's Lives. 



