468 A T H 
women of the aga continued to inhabit this quarter, but 
it is now abandoned and in ruins. The cell of the temple 
of ViClory, which is of white marble, very thick, anci 
ftrongly cemented, fufficiently witnedes the great violence 
it has undergone ; the ftones in many places being dif- 
jointed, as it were, and forced from their original pofition. 
Two of thefe making an acute angle, the exterior edges 
touching, without a crevice ; and the light abroad being 
much ftronger than in the room, which has a modern roof 
and is dark ; the portion in contaCl, becoming pellucid, 
had illuminated the vacant fpace with a dim colour re- 
fembling that of amber. We were delired to examine 
this extraordinary appearance, which the Greeks regarded 
as a Handing miracle, and which the Turks, who could 
not confute them, beheld with equal adonidiment. We 
found in the gape fome coals, which had been brought on 
a bit of earthen-ware for the purpofe of burning incenfe, 
as we fuppofed, and alfo a piece of wax-taper, which pro¬ 
bably had been lighted in honour of the faint and author 
of the wonder; but, our Swifs unfortunately carrying his 
ow n candle too far in, the fmoke blackened the marble, 
and deflroyed the phenomenon. The building oppofite to 
the temple lias ferved as a foundation for a fquare lofty 
tower of ordinary mafonry. The columns of the front 
are walled up, and the entrance is by a low iron gate in 
the tide. It is now ufed as a place of confinement tor de¬ 
linquents ; but in 1676 was a pow der-magazine. In the 
wall of a rampart near it are fome fragments of exquillte 
fculptu^e, reprefenting the Athenians fighting with the 
Amazons. Thefe belong to the freeze, which was then 
Handing. In the l'econd century, when Paufanias lived, 
much of the painting was impaired by age, but fome re¬ 
mained, and the fubjects were chiefly taken horn the Tro¬ 
jan dory. The traces are fince vanifhed. 
“ The pediment of the ter ^!e of Victory, with that of 
the oppofite wing, is defcribed as remaining in 1676 ; but 
on each building a fquare tower had been ere&ed. One 
of the Heps in the front of the propylea was entire, with 
the four columns, their entablature and the pediment. 
The portico, to which the five doorways belonged, con¬ 
fided of a large fquare room, roofed with dabs of marble, 
which were laid on two great marble beams, and fudained 
by four beautiful columns. Thefe were Ionic, the pro¬ 
portions of this order bed fuiting that purpofe, as taller 
than the Doric ; the reafon it was likewife preferred in the 
pronaos of the temple of Victory. The roof of the pro¬ 
pylea, after Handing above 2000 years, was probably de- 
flxoyed, with all the pediments, by the Venetians in 1687, 
when they battered the cadle in front, firing red-hot bul¬ 
lets, and took it, but were compelled to refign it again to 
the Turks in the following year. The exterior walls, and, 
in particular, a fide of the temple of Victory, retain many 
marks of them hodilities. 
“ The EreCtheum was alfo a noble and magnificent 
ftru&ure. Neptune and Minerva, once rival deities, were 
joint and amicable tenants of the EreCtheum, in which 
was an altar of oblivion. The building w'as double, a par¬ 
tition-wall dividing it into two temples, which fronted dif¬ 
ferent ways. One was the temple of Neptune EreCtheus, 
the other of Minerva Polias. The latter was entered by 
a fquare portico connected with a marble (kreen, which 
fronts towards the propylea. The door of the cell was on 
the left hand; and at the farther end of the paflage was a door 
leading down into the pandroleum, which was contiguous. 
Before the temple of Neptune Ereclheus was an altar of 
fiipiter/Ae Jupreme, on which no living tiling was facri- 
ficed, but they offered cakes without wine. Within it 
was the altar of Neptune and Ereclheus ; and two, belong¬ 
ing to Vulcan and a hero named Butes, who had tranf- 
mitted the priedhood to his poderity, whicli were called 
Butadat. On the walls were paintings-of this illudrious 
family, from which the priedefs of Minerva Polias was 
alfo taken. It was aderted that Neptune had ordained 
the well of fait-water, and the figure of a trident in the 
reck, to be memorials of his contending for the country. 
E N S. 
The former, Paufanias remarks, was no great wonder, 
for other wells of a limilar nature were found inland ; 
but this, when the fouth wind blew, afforded the found 
of waves. 
“ The temple of Minerva Polias was dedicated by all 
Attica, and polfelfed the mod ancient datue of the god- 
defs. The demi or towns had other deities, but their zeal 
for her fud’ered no diminution. The image, which they 
placed in the Acropolis, then the city, was in after-ages 
not only reputed confummately holy, but believed to have 
fallen down from heaven in the reign of .Erichthonius. It 
was guarded by a large ferpent, which was regularly ferv- 
ed with offerings of honied cakes for his food. This di¬ 
vine reptile was of great fagacity, and attained to an ex* 
traordinary age. He wifely withdrew from the temple, 
when in danger from the Medes ; and, it is faid, was liv¬ 
ing in the fecond century. Before this datue was an owl; 
and a golden lamp. This continued burning day and 
night. It was contrived by a curious artid, named Calli¬ 
machus, and did not require to be replenifhed with oil 
oftener than once a year. A brazen palm-tree, reaching 
to the roof, received its fmoke. Ariflon had let the holy 
flame expire when Sylla befieged him, and was abhorred 
for his impiety. The original olive-tree, faid to have 
been produced" by Minerva, was kept in this temple. 
When the Medes fet Are to the Acropolis, it was confum- 
ed ; but, they afferred on the following day, was found 
to have fhot up again as much as a cubit. It grew low 
and crooked, but was edeemed very holy. The priedefs 
of Minerva was not allowed to eat of the new cheefe of 
Attica ; and among her perquifites, was a meafure of 
wheat, and one of barley, for every birth and burial. 
This temple was again burned when Callias was archon, 
twenty-four years after the death of Pericles. Near it was 
the tomb of Cecrops, and within it EreCtheus was buried. 
“ The ruin of the EreCtheum is of white marble; the 
architectural ornaments of very exquifite workmanfliip, 
and uncommonly curious. The column of the front of the 
temple of Neptune are Handing with the architrave; and 
alfo the (kreen and portico of Minerva Polias, and with a 
portion of the cell retaining traces of the partition-wall. 
'I he order is Ionic. An edifice revered by ancient Attica, 
as holy in the highed degree, was in 1676 the dwelling of 
a Turkifli family, and is now deferted and negleCted; but 
many ponderous Hones and much rubbifh mud be remov¬ 
ed before tlte well and trident would appear. The former, 
at lead, might probably be difeovered. The door-way 
of the vedibule is walled up, and the foil rifen nearly to the 
top of the door-way of the prandofeum. By the portico 
is a batter" commanding the town, from which afeends an 
amuling hum. The Turks fire from it, to give notice of 
the commencement of Ramazan or of their Lent, and of 
bairam or the holy-days, and on other public occafions. 
“ The prandofeum is a fmall but very particular build¬ 
ing, of which no fatisfaCtory idea can be communicated 
by defeription. The entablature is fupported by women 
called Caryatides, and this is the origin of their introduc¬ 
tion into the ornamental parts of architecture. Their dory 
is thus related. Tlte Greeks, victorious in the Perdan 
war, jointly deflroyed Carya, a city of the Peloponnefus, 
which had favoured the common enemy. They cut off 
the males, and carried into captivity the women, whom 
they compelled to retain their former drefs and ornaments, 
though in a date of fervitude. The architects of thofe 
times, to perpetuate the memory of their punifhment, re- 
prefented them, as in this indance, each with a burden 
on her head, one hand uplifted to it, and the other hang¬ 
ing down by her fide. The images were in number fix, 
all looking toward the parthenon,. The four in front, 
with that next to the propylea, remain, but mutilated, 
and their faces befmeared wirli paint. The figures of two 
of them are given in Plate XXIII. of Architecture, p. 
104, of this volume. The foil is rifen aimed to the top 
of the bafement on which they are placed. This temple 
was open or latticed between the Hatues; and in it alfo was 
a daunt- 
