A HIDE ACKOSS THE PELOPONNESE. 181 



which was wasting their city. The architect chosen 

 for the work was none other than Iktinus, fresh 

 from the execution of the greatest temple the world 

 has seen the Parthenon at Athens. Surely no 

 architect ever had a more impressive site to work 

 upon than this which I have attempted to describe. 

 "We might wonder how people should ever dream of 

 putting a temple in such an inaccessible spot, were 

 not history at our side to remind us that all early 

 races and the Greeks were no exception delighted 

 to worship their gods in " high places." So, then, 

 Iktinus set to work, using the material that was 

 ready to his hand the grey limestone from the hills 

 around and his work has lasted, in some sense, to 

 this day ; for only two columns are wanting out of 

 the thirty-six which composed its outer circumference. 

 The roof, which was made of marble tiles, is gone ; 

 and one only of the row of Ionic columns which stood 

 around the inner shrine is still in its place. The 

 frieze, which ran round the top of the cella, is in the 

 British Museum. But even as it now stands, the 

 temple possesses that beauty which is " the fitness of 

 things." The perfect harmony of its proportions 

 for which, and for the beauty of the stone, it was 

 honoured, says Pausanias, above all Peloponnesian tem- 

 ples save that of Tegea still fascinates the eye. The 

 columns are scored in a remarkable way with hori- 

 zontal wrinkles, which at once, by concealing the 

 breaks between the drums, make them appear mono- 



