ANTIQUITIES, 



to distinguish where fable concludes, and 

 real history begins. From the Phoenician 

 and Egyptian colonies, the Greeks first 

 received the culture of humanity. By 

 the Phoenicians, they were instructed in 

 trade, navigation, and the use of letters ; 

 and by the Egyptians in civil wisdom, the 

 politer sciences, and religious mysteries. 

 The antiquities of such a country, which 

 became in after ages so illustrious in the 

 annals of mankind, cannot fail to have ex- 

 cited a considerable degree of interest in 

 every age : they have accordingly been 

 carefully and minutely investigated, by 

 writers celebrated alike for their erudition 

 and industry. Of these we can enumerate 

 but a small portion, in comparison of the 

 many that have treated on the subject. 

 Bishop Potter, to whom we have already 

 referred, Bos, and others, have drawn up 

 systems or abridgments of the whole, or 

 at least of whatever relates to the religion, 

 the gods, tlit- vows, and the temples of 

 Greece : on the public weal and magis- 

 tracy, Stephanus and Van Dale are well 

 worthy of notice: on the laws and g^nish- 

 ments'of Greece, we have Meursius and 

 Petit : on military concerns, Arrian and 

 JElian are well known : on their gymnas- 

 tic art and exercises, Joubert and Faber 

 may be mentioned: on the theatres and 

 scenic exhibitions, Scaliger and the abbe 

 Barthelemy have written : besides these, 

 we have many writers on their entertain- 

 ments, on their marriages, the education 

 of their children, and their funeral cere- 

 monies. The best relics, which display 

 the formcrsplendour of the Grecian states, 

 hare been preserved by Stuart in his 

 Athens, in the Ionian Antiquities, and in 

 the Voyage Pittoresque de la Grece. 

 The finest specimens of its sculpture, in 

 this country, are to be found among the 

 Townly marbles : and of its coinage, in 

 the cabinet of Dr. Hunter. 



It may be worthy of notice, in connec- 

 tion with the antiquities of Greece, that 

 the ancient monuments of European Tur- 

 key now exceed in number and import- 

 ance those of any other country. The 

 remains of ancient Athens, in particular, 

 formerly the chosen seat of the arts, have 

 attracted the attention of many travellers, 

 and have accordingly been frequently de- 

 scribed with accuracy and taste. The 

 church dedicated to the Divine Wisdom, 

 usually denominated in the page of histo- 

 ry Sancta Sophia, is a venerable monu- 

 ment of antiquity, and has been preserved 

 from the sixth century, when it was built 

 by Justinian, to the present period. The 

 architecture is very inferior to that of the 



classical period, yet, by those who hate 

 witnessed it, we are told the effect is 

 grand and impressive, and the cupola is 

 admired as a bold and skilful effort of 

 the art, while the seeming weight is di- 

 minished by the lightness of the materials, 

 being bricks formed of a particular clay 

 that will float in the water. The interior 

 is adorned with columns of various and 

 veiy beautiful descriptions, viz. the Phry- 

 gian purple, the Spartan green, the red 

 and white Canan, and many others. To 

 this may be added, that the French have 

 recently discovered the remains of an 

 ancient sea-port belonging to Sparta, near 

 a promontory which projects from the 

 south of the Morea, and we are informed 

 that the antiquities of that part, now styl- 

 ed Albania, still present an extensive field 

 of research to the student in this depart- 

 ment of science. 



" Nothing," says Dr. Adams, in the pre- 

 face to his Roman Antiquities, " has more 

 engaged the attention of literary men,thsm 

 to trace from ancient monuments the in- 

 stitutions and laws, the religion, the man- 

 ners and customs of the Romans, under 

 the general name of Roman Antiquities. 

 This branch of knowledge," continues he, 

 " is not only curious in itself, but abso 

 lutely necessary for the understanding the 

 classics, and for reading with advantage 

 the history of that celebrated people. It 

 is particularly necessary for such as prose- 

 cute the study of the civil law. Scarcely 

 on any subject have more books been writ- 

 ten, and many of them by persons of dis- 

 tinguished abilities." We may, as a guide 

 to the student enumerate the writers from 

 whom Dr. Adams chiefly compiled his 

 own work, as these will be the best au- 

 thorities for those persons who would en- 

 ter deeply into the study. To Manutius, 

 Brissonius, and Middleton, he was indebt- 

 ed for his facts relating to the business of 

 the senate : to Pignorius, on slaves : to 

 Lidoniusand Grucchius, Manutius,Huber, 

 Gravina, Murula, Heineccius, for what re- 

 lates to the assemblies of the people, the 

 rights of citizens, the laws and judicial 

 proceedings : with respect to the duties 

 and privileges of magistrates, the art of 

 war, the shows of the circus, and the feats 

 of gladiators, he had recourse to Lipsius : 

 to Sheflfer he applied for information 

 on naval affairs, and carriages : to Ker- 

 mannus, on funerals : to Arbuthnot, OR 

 coins : to Donatus, on the city : to Tur- 

 nebus, Salmasius, Grsevius, Gronovius, 

 Montfaucon, Gesner, and others, upon 

 different subjects scattered through his 

 work. To these may be added one of the 



