ELGIN SALOON.] 
GREEK SCULPTURES. 
105 
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 sculp¬ 
tures, 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 sculpture 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 completed. 
ELGIN SALOON*. 
Many of the sculptures in this Room having been described by va¬ 
rious authors, and referred to by the numbers with which they were 
marked in their former situation, those numbers have been retained : but 
to facilitate a reference from the Synopsis to the marbles, a fresh set of 
numbers, adapted to their present disposition, has been added, which 
will easily be distinguished from the former by being painted in red. 
The general order observed in affixing these numbers to the several 
objects is as follows:— 
1. The metopes of the Parthenon. 
2. The frieze of the Parthenon, commencing on the left hand of 
the visitor as he enters the room. 
3. Such of the sculptures placed along the middle of the room, as 
belonged to the eastern and western pediments of the Parthenon. 
4. The remaining articles placed along the middle of the room. 
5. The casts and bas-reliefs above the frieze on the eastern side of 
the room (those nearest the entrance being taken last in order). 
6. All the objects below the frieze, taken in their order of posi¬ 
tion, and commencing, as before, on the left of the entrance. 
The original numbers are subjoined to the descriptions. Those 
which have the letter A prefixed refer to such articles as w r ere originally 
placed in the room then denominated the fourteenth. 
Nos. 1—16. Sixteen of the metopes belonging to the Parthenon, 
(of which No. 9 is a cast in plaster, from the original in the Royal Mu¬ 
seum at Paris,) which, alternately with the triglyphs, ornamented the 
frieze of the entablature surmounting the colonnade : they represent the 
battle between the Centaurs and Lapithse, or rather between the Cen¬ 
taurs and Athenians, who under Theseus joined the Lapithae (a people 
of Thessaly) in this contest. In some of these sculptures the Centaurs 
are victorious, in others the Athenians have the advantage, w T hile in 
others, again, the victory seems doubtful with respect to either of the 
combatants. These magnificent specimens of ancient art are executed 
with great spirit in alto-relievo ; they were seen at a height of nearly 
forty-four feet from the ground. (11, 2, 8, 12, 15, 6, 4, 5, 13, 7, 1, 
3, 9, 14, 10.) 
The sculptures from 17 to 90 (inclusive) compose the exterior frieze 
of the cella of the Parthenon, which embellished the upper part of the 
walls within the colonnade at the height of the frieze of the pronaos, 
and which was continued in an uninterrupted series of sculpture entirely 
round the temple. It is in very low relief. The subject represents the 
* All the articles in this room, except a few which are particularly specified, be¬ 
longed to the Earl of Elgin. 
E 3 
