A T H 



Bei-mingliam, in which, after a dcfperatc engagement, the 

 Irifn were defeated with the lofs of their piincc and eight 

 thoiifand men. This event happened in the year 1316. 

 Diftance from Dublin nearly 92 miles. W. long. 8" 40' 

 30". N. lat. 53^ 14'. Beaufort. Lehud. 



ATHENS, in yincient Geography and H'ljlory, a cele- 

 brated city, called by way of eminence n-oXir, or «ru, the 

 city, was the capital of Attica, and the feat of the Grecian 

 empire. It was founded by Cecrops, about 1556 years be- 

 fore Chrift, and from him called " Cecronia." It after- 

 wards, as fome fay, in the reign of Eridlhonius, about 

 1487 years B. C, or according to others, in the reign of 

 Erichtheus, about 1397 years B. C. affumed the name of 

 Athens, from Minerva, denominated by the Greeks A9i>ii, 

 and confidered as the proteftrcls of the city. Cecropia was 

 feated upon a hill or rock in the midft of a fpacious and fer- 

 tile plain, partly with a view of fecnring it againtl piratical 

 invaders, and partly to prevent its being overwhelmed by 

 inundations, which were much dreaded in thofe ancient 

 times. In procefs of time, as the number of inhabitants 

 increafed, the whole plain was covered with buildings, 

 which were denominated from their iituation, " the lower 

 city," and Cecropia was called " Acropolis," or "the upper 

 rity." See Acropolis. The old city, or citadel, was lixty 

 ftadia, or about 2' leagues in circuit ; it was fenced with 

 wooden pales, and as fome fay, fct about with olive-trees ; 

 and it was alio fortified with a ftrong wall, partly built by 

 Cimon, the fon of Miltiades, out of the fpoils of the Perlian 

 wars, and fituate on the fouth fide of the citadel ; and 

 partly on the north fide, by Agrolas and Hyperbius, who, 

 according to Paufanias (in Attic, l.i. c. 28. p. 67.), mi- 

 grated from Sicily to Acarnania, and denominated from 

 them, who were called Pelafgi, the Pelafgic wall. The 

 only entrance into the citadel was by one gate on the fouth- 

 welt, conftrudled at a great expence by Pericles, and deno- 

 minated Propylxum. See Propvl.cum. The infide of the 

 citadel was adorned with innumerable edifices, ftatues, and 

 monuments, all of which it would be too tedious to re- 

 count. The moll remarkable are the following. — At the 

 entrance was a temple dedicated to Vidory, adorned with 

 paintings which were principally the work of Polygr.otus, 

 and conftruded of white marble. Within the citadel 

 were an immenfe number of ftatues erected by religion or 

 gratitude, on which the chiiTels of Myron, Phidias, Alc- 

 amcnes, and other artifts of renown, feem to have bellowed 

 animation. Of thefe ftatues fome were tliofe of famous 

 Athenian generals, fuch as Pericles, Phormio, Iphicrates, 

 and Timotheus ; and others, thofe of the gods. About 

 the middle of tiie citadel were the magnificent temple of 

 Minerva, denominated Hecatompedon, and Parthenon (fee 

 Parthenon) ; and th.e temple of Minerva Polias and I'.'cp- 

 time Erechtheus, one part of which was confecrated to the 

 form.er, and the other to the latter. On one fide was exhi- 

 bited the olive-tree which fprang out of the earth at the 

 command of the goddefs, and which fo greatly multi- 

 plied in Attica ; and on the other, the well, whence they 

 pretend that Neptune caufcd the water of the fea to gu!h 

 out. Thus thefe divinities are faid to have contended for 

 the honour of co .fening their names on the rifing city ; 

 but the gods decided m favour of Minerva, and the Atlie- 

 nians for ages preferred agriculture to commerce. Here, 

 however, they have crefteJ one common al;ar, which is 

 called the altar of obhvion. Before the ftatiie of the god- 

 defs was fufpended a golden lamp, the work of Callima- 

 chus, which was fupplied with oil once a year, the wick of 

 which was made ot amianthus, and whicii burned niglit and 

 day. The coliur.us of the front of the temple of Neptuae are ^ 



A T H 



flanding, together wth the architrave ; and alfo the fcreen 

 and portico of Minerva Polias, with a portion of the cell re- 

 taining traces of the partition wall. The order of this build- 

 ing is Ionic. The portico is no .v ufed as a powder magazine, 

 and near it is a batter)' commanding the town. The Turks 

 ufe it to give notice of their ramazan and baii-am, and on 

 other public occafions. Contiguous to this temple was the 

 Pandrofeum. (See Pasdrroseum). Behind Minerva's 

 temple was the public treafury, called Opisthodomos, fur- 

 rounded by a double wall. 



The lower city comprehended all the buildings that fur- 

 rounded the citadel, together with the harbours of Phale- 

 riim, Munychix, and the Piraeus. The whole circuit of 

 the city in its moft flourilhing ftate was no lefs, according 

 to Arillides, than a day's journey ; or, according to more 

 exatt computation, 178 ftadia, or about 22 Roman miles. 

 The port of Phalerura was conneded with the city by a 

 wall 35 ftadia, or if league in length, built by Themi- 

 ftocles, of rtones, fallened by iron and lead, and forty cubits 

 high ; and that of Pirxus was joined to it by a wail 40 

 ftadia or il league long, and erected by Pericles. Thefe 

 were almoft clofed at their extremity by a tlrird wall of 60 

 ftadia ; and they inclofed not only thefe two harbours, and 

 alio that of Munychia, which lay between them, but alfo 

 a multitude of houfes, temples, and monuments of every 

 kind ; fo that the entire circumference of the city has been 

 eftimated at nearly 200 ftadia, or above 75 leagues. In the 

 wall that encompafied the city there were fcveral gates, the 

 principal of which were thofe of iEgeus, of Diocharis, of 

 the Diomians, of Melite, of Acharna, of Hippades, of 

 Thriafia, or Dipylon, of Itonia, facred gate, and that of 

 the Piraeus. The ftreets of Athens were in general irre- 

 gidar, and the houfes fmall and incommodious. Bcfides the 

 rock of the mufeum, clofe to the citadel on the fouth-weft, 

 feparated by a valley from the hill on which the Areopa- 

 gus ftood, other eminences contributed to render the city 

 extremely uneven. In thefe hillocks they had feveral 

 fprin^s of water, but not lufEcient, without additional wells 

 and ciftems, for the fupply of the inhabitants. The city 

 was encompaflcd by the rivers Ilift'us and Cephifus, which 

 joined their ftreams in the marlh of Phalerum, and near 

 the banks of which were fcveral public walks, and alfo 

 public and private buildings. The tliree harbours of Athens 

 were the Phalerum, Muxychia, and PrRjtus ; for an 

 account of which fee tiie articles. The principal edifices 

 and places of note in and about the city are the following : 

 — Without the gate of Pineus is a cenotaph, erected by the 

 Athenians in honour of Euripides, who died in Macedonia, 

 on which is infc-ribed " the glory of Euripides has all 

 Greece for a monument ;" and within this gate is a ftatcly 

 building, called Pompcion, in which are kept the facred. 

 utenfils ufed at feftivais, and from which commence the 

 proceffions of young pjrfons exhibited on occafions of this 

 kind. In an adjoining temple dedicated to Ceres are 

 admirable ftatues of that goddefs, Prolerpine, and young 

 lacclius, executed by Praxiteles. In tlie (Irect leading 

 from the Pirxus to the citadel, are numerous porticoes, 

 fome of which ftood detached, and others conti;;i:oiis to 

 buildings, to which they fervc as vcilibultS. To tiic left of 

 this ftreet is the quarter of the Pnyx, which was verv- jhj- 

 pulous ; and contiguous to this was that ot the Ceramicus, 

 or pottery grounds, fo called from the earthen ware for- 

 merly fabricated there. This cxtenfive fpace was divided 

 into two parts ; one withinit the walls, wnerc the acsdemy 

 wao fif.'.ated ; and another .vithin, in which was tiic giind 

 fquare or forum. In the royal portico, where the fccond 

 of the arcuons held his tribunal, and where the areopagits 



fometiines 



