,334 SCULPTURE AND ARCHITECTURE OF ATHENS. 



the statues ; the silver, gold, and precious stones, deposited in the 

 temples ; estimates for the public works, &c. 



The Parthenon itself, independently of its decorative sculpture, 

 is so chaste and perfect a model of Doric architecture, lord Elgin 

 omceived it to be of the highest importance to the arts, to secure 

 original specimens of each member of that edifice. These consist 

 of a capital ; assizes of the columns themselves, to shew the exact 

 form of the curve used in channelling ; a triglyph, and u.otulea 

 from the cornice, and even some of the marble tiles with w hith the 

 ambulatory was roofed : so that, not only the sculptor may be gra- 

 tified by studying every specimen of his art, from the colossal sta- 

 tue to the basso. relievo, executed in the golden age of Pericles, 

 by Phidias himself, or under his immediate direction ; but the 

 practical architect may examine into every detail of the building, 

 even to the mode of uniting the tambours of the columns, without 

 the aid of mortar, so as to give to the shafts the appearance of sin. 

 gle blocks. 



Equal attention has been paid to the Temple of Theseus ; but as 

 the walls, and columns, and sculpture of this monument, are iu 

 their original position, no part of the sculpture has been displaced, 

 nor the minutest fragment of any kind separated from the building. 

 The metopes in mezzo-relievo, containing a mixture of the labours 

 of Hercules and Theseus, have been modelled and drawn, as well 

 as the frize representing the battle between the Centaur and Lapi- 

 tl.ae, some incidents of the battle of Marathon, and some mytholo- 

 gical subjects. The temple itself is very inferior in size and deco- 

 rative sculpture to the Parthenon ; having been built by Cimon, 

 the son of Miltiades, before Pericles had given to his countrymen 

 a taste for such magnificence and expense, as he displayed on the 

 edifices of the Acropolis. 



The original approach to the Acropolis, from the plain of 

 Athens, was by a long flight of steps, commenced uear the foot of 

 the Areopagus, and terminating at the Propylaia. The Propylaea 

 was a hexastyle colonnade, with two wings, and surmounted by a 

 pediment. Whether the metopes and tympanum were adorned 

 with sculpture, cannot now be ascertained; as the pediment and 

 entablature have been destroyed, and the intercolumniations built 

 up with rubbish, in order to raise a battery of cannon on the top. 

 Although the plan of this edifice contains some deviations from the 

 pure tase that reigns in the other structures of the Acropolis, yet 



