18S0.] 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL; 



243 



of the Parthenon are an epitome of the history of the people, 

 alike in their religion, their piitriotism, their deeds of valour, and 

 the religious ceremonials of their existence." The sculpture of 

 the two pediments represents on the one the birth of Minerva, 

 or her presentation to the gods of Olympus; on the otlier the 

 contest between Minerva and Neptune for dominion in Athens. 

 The subjects on the metopa? were taken from the most celei)rated 

 conquests of the Athenians; and on the frieze surrounding the ex- 

 terior of the Cella, the Panathenaic procession was represented. 

 Nor were the embellishments confined to sciiljiture alone. Under 

 that unclouded sun, Nature e.xceeded in brilliance and vivacity 

 everything that man could produce, and so allowed the use of 

 polychrome ornament to an extent that, in our murky atmosphere, 

 would appear gaudy and unpleasing. The statues in the pediment, 

 and the bas-reliefs on the metope and frieze, were brought out 

 against a ground of azure blue; the tenia and regula, the fascias 

 underneath the mutules; the cyma and ogee mouldings, and the 

 lacunaria, were richly coloured; causing the columns, triglyphs, 

 and principal parts of the cornice to appear more dazzlingly white 

 from contrast. Along the architrave gilded shields were suspended, 

 and between each shield was an inscription in brazen letters; thus, 

 the Parthenon, standing on its lofty platform of rock, with its 

 gleaming columns, its rich and harmonious colouring, its shields 

 glittering like stars as they caught the sun's rays, would appear to 

 the imaginative Greek a fitting abode for the virgin goddess, and 

 was peculiai'ly appropriate to the gorgeous ceremonials of the 

 Pagan religion. 



The Erechtheion was commenced about 409 B.C., and completed 

 393 B.C. In this beautiful temple the Ionic order is carried to its 

 greatest perfection. The plan is singular: it most resembles the 

 prostyle, but with the addition of a portico at each side, one to 

 the north, the other to the south, extending tlie western fi-ont. 

 It is a double temple, dedicated to Miner\a Pollias, as protectress 

 of the city, and the nymph Pandrosos; it is also supposed to be the 

 burial place of Cecrops. 



A tradition from the mythology of Atliens, quaintly related by 

 Mr. Chandler, accounts for the union of the two shrines under one 

 roof. " Minerva entrusted to Aglauros, Herse, and Pandrosos, a 

 chest, which she strictly enjoined them not to open. It contained 

 Erechtheus, or Erecthonius, an infant, the offspring of Vulcan and 

 of the Earth, guarded by a serpent. Curiosity prevailing, the two 

 elder sisters disobeyed. The goddess was gone to Pallene for a 

 mountain, intending to blockade the entrance of the Acropolis. 

 A busy crow met her on her return, and informed her what had 

 passed, when she dropped the mountain, which was afterwards 

 called Lycabetus; and, displeased with the officious talebearer, 

 commanded that no crow should ever again visit the Acropolis. 

 The guilty sisters were seized with a phrenzy, and threw them- 

 selves down one of the precipices; Pandrosos was honoured with 

 rites and mysteries, she was joined with Minerva, and when a 

 heifer was sacrificed to the goddess, it was accompanied with a 

 sheep for Pandrosos." 



The Erechtheion contained the most ancient statue of Minerva, 

 said to have fallen from Heaven, in the reign of Erechthonius, 

 king of Athens. Before this statue was the ever-burning golden 

 lamp, the work of Callimachus. Here also was the sacred olive 

 tree, called forth by Minerva in her contest with Neptune. In the 

 small portico to the south, the entablature is supported by figures, 

 generally called Caryatides; but as these seem to represent Athe- 

 nian maidens in their Pauathenaic costume, Canephorse, or basket- 

 bearers, is the moie appropriate designation. Examples of such 

 supporting figures are very rare in Greek art. Tlie earliest is sup- 

 posed to have been a brazen cratera, in the Temple of Juno at 

 Samos, which was upheld by tliree kneeling colossi, 10 ft. 6 in. in 

 height. It was dedicated aliout the year CIO n.c. by a Samian, of 

 the name of Colaenus, who was driven by contrary winds beyond the 

 Pillars of Hercules ; but having found a port at Tartessus, now 

 Cadiz, and disposed advantageously of his goods, he and his crew, 

 on their return, consecrated a tenth of their jn-ofit to the erection 

 of this monument. A copy is supposed by Visconti to exist in a 

 fountain, supported by three Sileni, in the Vatican. 



Vitruvius gives the following account of the origin of Caryatides. 

 " Carya, a city of Peloponnesus, took part with the Persians 

 against the Grecian states. When the country was fieed from its 

 invaders, the Greeks turned their arms against the Caryans; and, 

 upon the capture of their city, put the males to the sw<u-d, and led 

 the women into captivity. The architects of tliat time, for the 

 purpose of i)erpetuating the ignominy of this peojUe, instead of 

 columns in the porticoes of their buildings, substituted statues of 

 these women, faithfully copying their ornaments and the drapery 



with which they were attired, the mode of which they were not 

 permitted to change." 



It is however generally thought that Caryatides owed their origin 

 to the worship of Diana, and were intended to represent nymphs. 

 In Laceda.'monia tliis goddess was worshipped under the name of 

 Diana Caryatis; and the neighbourhood of Carya was said to have 

 been consecrated to Diana and her nymphs. The celebrated Per- 

 sian portico is only known to us by report; but tiiere, apparently, 

 the figures, like the Egyptian osirides, only stood in relief against 

 the supporting pillar. They are said to have been portraits of 

 ilardonia, Queen Artemisia, and other leaders of the Persian host, 

 and erected with the spoils taken fi-om them in battle. Figures 

 thus introduced are seen at Thessalonica, in the building called 

 the Incantada. This is not however of very ancient date. The 

 entablature of the interior of the Cella in the Temjile of Jupiter at 

 Agrigentuni, was supported by male figures, 25 ft. in height, called 

 by the Greeks, Atlantes. They occupied the position of the upper 

 row of columns in other liypiBthral temples. 



The columns of the eastern and northern porticoes of the Erech- 

 thion are exquisite in design and execution. The volutes are formed 

 by a double spiral, and the lower band of the channel between 

 takes a graceful curve. Beneath, between the volutes, is a plaited 

 torus, and below this a wreath of honeysuckle ornaments. To 

 the capitals of the eastern portico a beading, like a string of pearls, 

 is added. The up])er tori of the bases of the columns of this poi-- 

 tico are fluted; while those in the northern portico are ornamented 

 with a guilloche. The columns of the eastern or hexastyle portico 

 are 9^ diameters in height, and the intercolumniations are a frac- 

 tion over two diameters, or nearly systile. Those of the tetrastyle, 

 or northern portico, are rather less slender; and the intercolum- 

 niations are increased accordingly, being two and three quarters 

 diameter, or nearly diastyle. These columns are raised upon a 

 podium, as are also the Caryatides of the Pandroseiun. The 

 capitals of the columns at the angles were singularly ornamented 

 with coloured stones, black, blue, and yellow, let into the small 

 circles formed by the plating on the torus, between tlie volutes; 

 and bronze plugs in the eyes of the volutes appear to have been 

 intended to support further embellishment, probably garlands, 

 ivith which it was the custom of the Greeks to adorn their temples 

 on festive occasions. The eyes of the volutes in tlie Tem|de of 

 JNIinerva Priene, are bored 2^ inches in depth, most likely for the 

 same purpose. 



Tiie Erechtheion was decorated with different coloured marbles. 

 Fragments of columns of verd antique have been found in the 

 interior; and the frieze of the eastern portico, as well as the tym- 

 panum of the jiediment, isof grey Eleusinian stone. In the western 

 wall of the cella are three windows, contracted towards the top. 

 These divide four Ionic engaged columns, somewhat exceeding the 

 semicircle, so that the last fluting is perfect. The channel of the 

 fluting is slightly increased at the top, and diminished at the 

 bottom, in order that the fillet attached to the wall may be per- 

 pendicular. In this temple is the only doorway now remaining 

 amongst the ruins of Greece. Like the windows, it contracts 

 towards the top: it has beautiful consoles, and is ornamented with 

 open roses along the jambs, and wreaths of holly-leaf on the mould- 

 ings. Detailed drawings of this doorway are given by Mr. In- 

 wood, in his work on the Erechtheion. The doors of (iretk 

 temples were generally constructed either of bronze or of wood, 

 and perforated at the top to admit light. Mention however is made 

 of the door of a temple in the wealthy city of Syracuse, which 

 was of ivory and gold. 



Before bidding farewell to the Acropolis, we must pause a moment 

 before the great Propylea; though Phidias had the general super- 

 intendence of the works of Pericles, each building appears to have 

 had its separate architect; the Propylea was the work of ^Inasicles, 

 and occu])ied five years in its erection. This structure, consisting 

 of a vestibule with two wings, extended across the whole natural 

 entrance to the Acropolis, a space of 1G8 feet. The propyla;um 

 or great vestibule, occupied 58 feet in the centre; the two wings 

 enclosed the remainder, and extended 32 feet in front of the 

 entrance. The portico of the vestibule was supported by si.x 

 Doric columns, 5 feet lower diameter, and nearly 25 feet in height; 

 the intercolumniations were 7 feet, excepting between the two 

 centre colimins, where a space of 13 feet was left, to allow of the 

 passage of chariots: the level of the vestibule was gained by four 

 steps. In the interior the roof was siipported by six Ionic columns 

 in two rows; this order was adopted in the interior on account of 

 tlie greater elevation it allowed to the ceiling; this was laid upon 

 marble beams, extending from the side walls to the columns, and 

 from column to column: the length of the centre beams was 17 



33* 



