74 A R C H I T 
ble for the quantity and largenefs of its timber, and it is 
I crliaps uniyerfally allowed that the places bed calculated 
to infpire religious ideas are groves, or thick woody places, 
where gloomy dulnefs and (hade naturally imprefs the mind 
with awe, and lead it to contemplation. This is farther 
confirmed by the facred groves, which were always adjoin¬ 
ing theoldeft and molt eminent temples. Pliny alio allures 
us, that trees in old times lerved for the temples of the 
gods. Tacitus reports the lame to have been the cuftom 
of tIre ancient Germans. Q^Curtius fays the fame of the 
Indians. The Druids alfo had their (acred oaks and con- 
fecruted groves. The Romans too p radii led the fame mode 
of worfhip, and had luci, or groves, dedicated to home 
particular deity, in molt parts of the city of Rome. 
Such, we may therefore fuppofe, were the places firft 
fet apart for religious worfhip ; but when the weather, or 
inclination, rendered a clofe place defirable, they laboured, 
in this early (late of arts, to produce a building yierely 
fuited to thefe purp'ofes. But when fociety was more en¬ 
larged and refined, and the profits of commerce and do¬ 
minion accumulated to wealth, then the mind of man, 
'which naturally tends towards excellence, was not content 
with the plain and lituple llrudtur.e's already built. A mo¬ 
dern writer has well obferved, that “thole, who have al¬ 
ready all they can delire, muil enlarge their delires. He 
that has built for life, till ufe is lupplied, m’uft build for 
vanity, and extend his plat: to the utmoll power Oi pitman 
invention, that he may not foon be reduced to form ano¬ 
ther with and, it is likely, no fmall fpur was ufed by the 
influence of thole concerned in the worfhip and facrifices 
of the times; for additional wealth naturally excited an 
increafe of fplendour and more cofily ceremonies: thefe 
required more room, and a correfponding increafe of (late 
and magnificence, that the feveral rites and ceremonies 
might be fuit-ably performed : thus, an edifice of dill more 
elegance, a building of greater extent and richer embel¬ 
lishments, was required, which would (hew fuperior ho¬ 
nour and re fpedt: to the deity worihipped. Thus, from 
the fimplefi firudture, arofe the antis, profiyle, dec. till in¬ 
vention and ingenuity, aided by unbounded liberality, 
crowned the whole with the hypsethral edifice. Excited 
by ambition and unbounded riches, whofe fources were 
far-extended territory and numerous fertile provinces, em¬ 
perors, and even private perfons, were enabled to erebt the 
moll cofily temples, the extent and magnificence of which 
are truly aftonifiling ! 
It is a remark worthy of notice, that the ancient archi¬ 
tects did not follow in a fervile manner the rules delivered 
by Vitruvius; yet certainly what he wrote were the rules 
by which they planned their great outline, ordefign, how¬ 
ever they might vary the fmaller or inferior parts of an 
edifice. To enumerate a few inftances of variation: the 
temple of Minerva Pollias has fix columns in front, yetis 
profiyle; although Vitruvius allows but four to this order. 
The temple of Jupiter Olympus at Athens lias no more 
than eight columns in front, yet is hypsethral, to which 
Vitruvius gives ten columns in front. This is a variation 
recorded by himfelf, and without any particular notice of 
the violation of the rule; from which it fitould, appear as 
not conlidered of much confequence. 
This difference is alfo to be obferved between the tem¬ 
ples built by the Greeks, and thofe by the Romans. The 
rule of the former wasjjvto give to the flanks one column 
more than double the number of thofe in front; thus an 
©Cfafiyle would have feventeen columns in the flanks, as 
to the temple of Minerva at Athens. The Romans, on 
the contrary, gave only double the number of intercalum¬ 
niations; thus, to an hexafiyle, they would make only ele¬ 
ven columns in the flanks, that is, ten intercolumniations, 
making two columns lefs in the flanks than the Greeks 
made ; as is to the temple of Fortuna Virilis at Rome, and 
to the temple at Nifmes in France. The walls of the cell 
were always placed oppofite the columns of the pronaos, 
and pofticum, according to tire rule; at lead we know of 
but one example to the contrary, which is in the temple 
E C T U R E. 
of Thefeus at Athens. We thought it necclfary to notice 
thefe inftances of the variation of the ancient architedts, 
that the refearches and genius of modern times might not 
be led into error, or fettered by obfervlng as law, that 
which was not adhered to by thofe we with to imitate. 
We fhall farther illufirate this fubjedt, and endeavour 
to bring into the reader’s view a more complete idea of the 
rich and fuperb ftyle of the Grecian temples, by annexing 
Plates, and giving a particular defeription, of that dedi¬ 
cated to Minerva, called Parthenon and Hecatompedon , with¬ 
in the acropolis at Athens. This temple yvas built during 
the adiniqiftration of Pericles, who employed Callicrates 
and ldtinus as architects, under Phidias, to whom he com¬ 
mitted the diredtion of all works of magnificence and 
fplendour. The materials are of the-fineft white marble; 
the order Doric, with fluted columns, but without bales,. 
There are two fronts, the principal one to the weft, the 
other to the eaft ; each of them adorned with eight pillars, 
fupporting pediments highly enriched with admirable 
fculpture. The fiory of the birth of Minerva was carved 
in the front pediment; and, in the back, her conteft with 
Neptune. The weftern portico, which extends almolt one 
hundred feet, is the molt perfedt ; and fuch parts as have 
been injured or defaced, Meliks. ‘Stuart and Revett, au¬ 
thors of the Antiquities of Athens, have endeavoured to 
luppiy from broken fragments, and other materials, with 
a view of preferring to pofterity the magnificent effedt of 
fo ample a pediment, filled with fuch a quantity of excel¬ 
lent fculpture. The annexed Plate, taken from the above 
invaluable work, reprefents an elevation of the Weftern 
Front, in its perfedt ftate. When Sir George Wheler and 
Dr. Spon vifited Athens, in 1676, this temple was entire; 
and Sir George Wheler then publiflied the following de¬ 
feription of it: 
“ The Parthenon, or great temple of Minerva, is fitua- 
ted about the middle of the citadel; and confifts altoge¬ 
ther of admirable white marble. The plane of it is above 
twice as long as it is broad, being 217 feet nine incheslong, 
and ninety-eight feet fix inches broad. It hath an afeent 
every way of five degrees or Heps, which feem to be fo 
contrived, to ferve as a balls to the portico ; which is nip- 
ported by channelled pillars of the Doric order, eredted 
round upon them, without any other bafes. Thefe pil¬ 
lars are forty-fix in number, being eight to the front, and 
as many behind, and feventeen on each fide, counting the 
four corner ones twice over to be deducted. They are 
forty-two feet high, and feventeen feet and a half about. 
The difiance from pillar to pillar is feven feet four inches. 
This portico beareth up. a front, and frieze round about 
the temple, charged with hiftorical figures of admirable 
beauty and work. The figures of the front, which the 
ancients called the eagle, appear, though from that height, 
of the natural bignefs; being jn entire relievo, and won¬ 
derfully well carved. Paufanias faith no more of them, 
than that they concern the birth of the goddefs Minerva. 
“ There is a figure that Hands in the centre of it, hav- 
its right arm broken, which probably Held the thunder. 
Its legs ftraddle at fome diftance from each other, where 
without doubt was placed the eagle : for the beard, and 
the majefty which the fculptor hath exprelfed in his coun¬ 
tenance, do fufficiently (hew it to have been made tor Ju¬ 
piter. At his right hand is another figure, covered bait¬ 
way the legs, in a pollure as coining towards Jupiter; 
which, .perhaps, was a Victory, leading the horfes ot the 
triumphant chariot of Minerva, which follows it. Tire 
horfes are made with fuch great art, that the lculptor feems 
to have outdone himfelf, by giving them a more than feem- 
ing life, fuch a vigour is exprefied in each pofture of their 
prancing and damping, natural to generous horfes. Mi¬ 
nerva is next reprefented in the chariot, rather as the god¬ 
defs of learning than of war, without helmet, buckler, or 
a Medufa’s head on her bread. Next behind her is ano¬ 
ther figure of a woman with her head broken off, who it 
was is not certain. But my companion made me obferve 
the two next figures, fitting in the corner, to be of the 
emperor 
