A T H 
ene day produce to them, they would eat it away with 
their teeth. The third was Phalerim, diftant from the 
city, according to Thucydides thirty-five fiadia, but ac¬ 
cording to Paufanias only twenty. This was the molt 
ancient harbour of Athens, as Pyrseus was the mod ca¬ 
pacious. 
Of this city, as it (lands at prefent, we have the follow- 
lowing account by Dr. Chandler. “It is now called Atkini-, 
and is not inconfiderable, either in extent or the number of 
inhabitants. It enjoys a fine temperature, and a ferene (ky. 
The air is clear and wholefome, though not fo delicately 
foft as in Ionia. The town (lands beneath the Acropolis, 
or citadel ; not encompafling the rock as formerly, but 
fpreadiiig into the plain, chiefly on the weft and north- 
weft. Corfairs infefting it, the avenues were (ecured, and 
in 1676 the gates were regularly (hut after fun-fet. It is 
now open again ; but feveral of the gateways remain, and 
a guard of Turks patroles at midnight. Some mafles of 
brick-work, (landing feparate, without the town, belonged 
perhaps to the ancient wall, of which other traces alio 
appear. The houfes are moftly mean and draggling; 
many with large courts or areas before them. In the lanes, 
the high walls on each fide, which are commonly white- 
wafhetl, reflect: ftrongly the heat of the fun. The ftreets 
are verv irregular; and anciently were neither uniform 
nor handfoine. They had water conveyed in channels 
from mount Hymettus, and in the bazar or market-place 
is a large fountain. The Turks have feveral mofques and 
public baths. The Greeks have convents for men and 
women; with many churches in which fervice is regular¬ 
ly performed ; and belides thefe, they have numerous ora¬ 
tories or chapels, fome in ruins or confiding of bare walls, 
frequented only on the anniverfaries of the faints to whom 
they are dedicated. 
“ The city of Cecrops, or the Acropolis, is now a fort- 
refs with a thick irregular wall, (landing on the brink of 
precipices, and inclofing a large area about twice as long 
as broad. Some portions of the ancient w'all may be dif- 
covered on the outfide, particularly at the two extreme 
angles; and in many places it is patched with pieces of 
columns, and with marble taken from the ruins. The 
garrifon confills of a few Turks who refide there with their 
families, and are called by the Greeks Cajiriana , or the 
foldiers of the caftle. The rock is lofty, abrupt, and in- 
acceflibie, except the front, which is toward the Piraeus; 
and on that quarter is a mountainous ridge, within can- 
non-fhot. It is deftitute of w-ater fit for drinking; and 
fupplies are daily carried up in earthen-jars, on horfes and 
afles, from one of the conduits of the town. 
“The Acropolis furniflied a very ample field to the an¬ 
cient virtuofi. It was filled with monuments of Athenian 
glory, and exhibited an amazing difplay of beauty, of 
opulence, and of art; each contending as it w ere for the 
fuperiority. It appeared as one entire offering to the Deity, 
furpafling in excellence, and aftoniffiing in richnefs. He- 
liodorus, named Periegetes the guide, had employed on it 
fifteen books. The curiofities of various kinds, with the 
pictures, (latues, and pieces of fculpture, were fo many 
and fo remarkable, as to flip ply Polemo Periegetes-with 
matter for four volumes ; and Strabo affirms, that as many 
would be required in treating of other portions of Athens 
and of Attica. In particular, the number of (latues was 
prodigious. Tiberius Nero, who was fond of images, 
plundered the Acropolis as well as Delphi and Olympia; 
yet Athens, and each of thefe places, had not fewer than 
3000 remaining in the time of Pliny. Even Paufanius 
feems here to be diftrefled by the multiplicity of his fub- 
jeft. But this banquet, as it were, of the fenfes, has long 
been withdrawn ; and is now become like the tale of a 
vifion. The fpedlator views with concern the marble ru¬ 
ins intermixed with mean flat-roofed cottages, and extant 
amid rubbifh ; the fad memorials of a nobler people! 
which, however, as vilible from the fea, (hould have in¬ 
troduced modern Athens to more early notice. They 
who reported it was only a fmall village, muff, it has been 
E N S. 4^7 
fur mi fed, have beheld the Acropolis through the wrong, 
end of their telefcopes. 
“ The Acropolis has now, as formerly, only one en¬ 
trance, which fronts the Piraeus. The afcent is by tra- 
verfes and rude fortifications furniflied with cannon, but 
without carriages and negledled. By the fecond gate is 
the ftation of the guard, who fits crofs-legged under co¬ 
ver, much at his eafe, fmoking his pipe, or drinking cof¬ 
fee, with his companions about him in like attitudes. Over 
this gate-way is an infcription in large characters on a 
(lone turned upfide down, and black from the fires made 
below. It records a prefent of a pair of gates. 
“ Going farther up^ you come to the ruins of the pro¬ 
pylea, an edifice which graced the entrance into the cita¬ 
del. This was one of the ftrudtures of Pericles, who be¬ 
gan it when EuthymeneS was archon, 435 years before 
Chrift. It was completed in five years, at the expence of 
2012 talents. It was of marble, of the Doric order, and 
had five doors to afford an eafy paflage to the multitudes 
which reforteu on bufinefs or devotion to the Acropolis. 
While this fabric was building, the architect Mneficles, 
whofe activity equalled his (kill, was hurt by a fall, and- 
the phylicians defpaired of his life : but Minerva, who 
was propitious to the undertaking, appeared, it was faid, 
to Pericles, and prefcribed a remedy, by which he was 
fpeedily and eafily cured. It was a plant or herb growing- 
round about the Acropolis, and called afterwards parthe- 
nium. The right wing of the propylea was a temple of 
Vidtory. They related that dEgeus had flood there, view¬ 
ing the fea, and anxious for the return of his fon Thefeus, 
who was gone to Crete with the tributary children to be 
delivered to the Minotaur. The veflel which carried them 
had black fails fuiting the occafion of its voyage ; and it 
was agreed, that, if Thefeus overcame the enemy, their 
colour (hould be changed to white. The negledl of this 
fignal was fatal to dEgeus, who, on feeing the fails unal¬ 
tered, threw frimfelf down headlong from the rock, and 
periflied. The idol was named Vidory without wings ; it 
was faid, becaufe the news of the fuccefs of Thefeus did 
not arrive but with the conqueror. It had a pomegra¬ 
nate in the right hand, and an helmet in the left. As the 
(latue was without pinions, it was hoped the goddefs would 
remain for ever on the fpot. 
“ On the- left wing of the propylea, and fronting the 
temple of Victory, was a building decorated with paint¬ 
ings by Polygnotus, of which an account is given by Pau¬ 
fanius. This edifice, as well as the temple, u'as of the 
Doric order, the coulmns fluted, and without bales. Both 
contributing alike to the uniformity and grandeur of the 
defign ; and the whole fabric, when finifhed, was deemed 
equally magnificent and ornamental. The interval between 
Pericles and Paufanius confills of feveral centuries. The 
propylea remained entire in the time of this topographer; 
and continued nearly fo to a much later period. It had 
then a roof of white marble, which was unfurpafted ei¬ 
ther in the line of the ftones or in the beauty of their ar¬ 
rangement; and before each wing was an equellrian liatue. 
The propylea has ceafed to be the entrance of the Acro¬ 
polis. The paflage, which was between the columns in 
the centre, is walled up almoft to their capitals, and above 
is a battery of cannon. The way now winds before the 
front of the ancient ftrudbire; and turning to the left hand 
among rubbilh and mean walls, you come to the back part, 
and to the five door-ways. The foil within is rifen higher- 
than the top of the two fmaller. There, under the vault- 
and cannon, lies an heap of large ftones, tiie ruin of the roof. 
“ The temple of Victory, (landing on an abrupt rock, has 
its back and one fide encumbered with the modern ram¬ 
parts. The columns in the front being walled up, you 
enter it by a breach in the fide, within the-propylea. It 
was ufed by the Turks as a magazine for powder, until 
about the year 1656, when a hidden explofion, occafioned 
by lightning, carried away the roof with a holife eredled 
on it, belonging to the officer who Commanded in the. 
Acropolis, whole family except a girl,, perifhed. The 
women. 
