506 



ON THE TOPOGRAPHY OF ATHENS. 



Emperor Hadrian, who indeed had done much for their city, but in 

 no instance so much, as in completing that magnificent structure the 

 Olympium. 



This opinion is confirmed by the two inscriptions on the entablature 

 of the arch, the idea of which seems to have been borrowed from 

 the celebrated column on the isthmus of Corinth, which pointed out 

 the boundaries between Ionia and the Peloponnesus. In the same 

 way, these two inscriptions were intended to point out the distinction 

 between New and Old Athens ; the former of which is here called the 

 city of Hadrian, as it is called New Athens in the inscription over the 

 aqueduct. 



The compliment, however, was not wholly unmerited ; for if the 

 Athenians had more reason to be proud of the edifice which this 

 arch directly faces, than of any other which had been for some ages 

 erected ; it is certain, that Hadrian had contributed in a material 

 degree to its completion ; as may be collected both from the testi- 

 mony of Pausanias, and from some unequivocal proofs of the Roman 

 school of architecture in this building, which are pointed out by Mr. 

 Wilkins himself, (p. 159.) How much, too, the vanity of Hadrian 

 was flattered by the connection of his name with this temple, may be 

 seen by the title of Olympius, which was given him in a dedicatory 

 inscription published by Stuart. Moreover, we are told by Pausanias, 

 that the whole enclosure was full of statues dedicated to that Emperor; 

 besides four which were within the temple, and a colossal statue and 

 an altar, which were erected to him by the citizens of Athens. 



I have already stated what has been the received opinion concerning 

 these inscriptions, I mean their application; for some variation of 

 the sense arises from the different collocation of the Greek letters. 

 But according to Mr. Wilkins, these inscriptions refer to what is seen 

 through the arch, and not from it ; the arch itself being intended, as 

 he says, to guide the reader of these inscriptions to the objects which 

 they refer to. The result of this hypothesis is, that the Olympium 

 forms a portion of the city of Theseus, while the greater part of 

 Athens bears the new denomination of Hadrianopolis ! 



