ELGIN SALOON. 
249 
fragments, and restoring the parts of them that were de¬ 
ficient, that eminent artist has shown the greatest care 
and sagacity. 
The pediment at the north side of the room is taken 
from the western end of the temple; it contains ten 
figures, and it is supposed that there was originally one 
more, who was stooping down to assist the fallen warrior, 
who is wounded, at the feet of Minerva. The subject is 
supposed to be the contest between the Greeks and Trojans 
for the body of Patroclus. 
Of the figures which adorned the other pediment only 
five now remain, and the loss of the rest is the more to be 
lamented, as the sculptures of this eastern end are of a 
much higher character than those of the western. From 
the few figures which are still spared to us, it appears that 
the subject of this picture was similar to that of the other 
pediment, modified only by the taste and skill of the artist. 
In this room are two sarcophagi; one, found at Tar- 
quinia, is decorated on all sides with sculptures, represent¬ 
ing, on three sides, the sacrifice of human victims; on one 
end, a gladiatorial exhibition. Within this sarcophagus 
were found the bones of the deceased with his shield, and 
other armour. The other sarcophagus was found at Polo- 
marzo. The cover is in form of a roof, terminating at the 
cornice with tiles, masks, &c. Upon the ridge of the roof 
are, at each end a sphinx, and in the middle two serpents. 
All the sides are decorated with sculptures, amongst 
which, on the front are two genii, on the back a genius 
and an armed warrior. 
These sarcophagi, a torso of Venus of very fine sculp¬ 
ture purchased in 1821, an imperfect statue of Hymen, 
purchased in 1831, and a few more articles, are not yet 
numbered, the arrangements of the room not being com¬ 
pleted. 
ELGIN SALOON*. 
Many of the sculptures in this room having been 
described by various authors, and referred to by the 
numbers with which they were marked in their former 
situation, those numbers have been retained : but to faci- 
* All the articles in this room, except a few which are particularly spe¬ 
cified, belonged to the Earl of Elgin. 
N 
