GREEK MARBLES. ITALIAN MARBLES. 101 
cients, or are known to the moderns. But it is, perhaps, 
requisite that an account should be given of some of 
the most important of them. 
GREEK MARBLES. 14-3. PENTELIC MARBLE w 
of beautiful white colour, and nearly resembles the Parian 
marble (14-5) of the Italians ; but it is in coarser granu- 
lations. Sometimes it is splintery. It was obtained 
from quarries on Mount Pentelicus, near Athens, and 
was generally preferred, by the Grecian artists, to Pa- 
rian marble. The Pantheon was built entirely of Pen- 
telic marble ; and many of the Athenian statues, and 
works carried on near Athens during the administration 
of Pericles, were executed in it. Dr. Clarke, however, 
has observed that while the works wrought of Parian 
marble remain perfect to the present time, those of 
Pentelic marble have been decomposed by the atmo- 
sphere, and sometimes exhibit a surface as rude and 
earthy as common lime-stone. There are numerous ex- 
amples of Pentelic marble in those works of Phidias 
which form the Elgin collection in the British Museum. 
144. GREEK WHITE MARBLE.' The Marmo Greco, of 
Italian artists, is of snow-white colour, in fine granulations; 
and somewhat harder, and consequently capable of 
higher polish, than most other white marbles. It is 
found near the river Coral us, in Phrygia. 
ITALIAN MARBLES. 145. PARIAN MARBLE w 
of snow-white colour, inclining to yellowish white. It is 
obtained from quarries in the island of Paros, is finely 
granular, and, when polished, has somewhat of a waxy 
appearance. Parian marble hardens by exposure to the 
air, and is one of the most permanent kinds that is 
known. Varro and Pliny each state that it was named 
lychniteSy by the ancients, from a Greek word signifying 
a lamp, because it was generally hewn in quarries by the 
light of lamps. The finest Grecian sculpture that has 
been preserved to the present time is of Parian marble. 
The principal statues of it now extant are the Medi- 
