A T H 
a Hunted olive-tree, with an altar of Jupiter Herceus Hand¬ 
ing under it. The propylea are nearly in a line with the 
i'pace dividing it from the parthenon ; which difpolition, 
belides its other effeds, occalioned the front and flank of 
the latter edifice to be feen at once by thofe who approach¬ 
ed it from the entrance of the Acropolis. 
“ The ruin of the temple of Jupiter Olympius confifls 
of prodigious columns, tall and beautiful, of the Corin¬ 
thian order, fluted ; fome Angle, fome fupporting the ar¬ 
chitraves ; with a few maffive marbles beneath ; the rem¬ 
nant of a vaH heap, which only many ages could have 
confumed and reduced into fo fcanty a compafs. The co¬ 
lumns are of very extraordinary dimenfions, being about 
fix feet in diameter, and near Hxty in height. The num¬ 
ber without the cell was 116 or 120. Seventeen were Hand¬ 
ing in 1676 : but a few years before we arrived, one was 
overturned with much difficulty, and applied to the build¬ 
ing a new mofque in the bazar or market-place. This vi¬ 
olence was avenged by the baffiaw of Negropont, who 
made it a pretext for extorting from the vaiwode or go¬ 
vernor fifteen purfes; the pillar being, he alleged, the 
property of their mailer, the grand fignior. It was an 
angular column, and of confequence in determining the 
dimenfions of the fabric. We regretted that the fall of 
this mighty mafs had not been poflponed until we came, as 
it would have afforded us an opportunity of infpeding and 
rneafuring fome members which we found far too lofty to be 
attempted. On a piece of the architrave, fupported by a 
couple of columns, are two parallel walls, of modern 111a- 
fonry, arched about the middle, and again near the top. 
You are told it has been the habitation of a hermit, doubt- 
lefs of a Stylites ; but of whatever building it lias been 
part, and for whatever purpofe defigned, it mufl have 
been ereded thus high in air, while the immenfe ruin of 
this huge ftrudure was yet fcarcely diminiffied, and the 
heap inclined fo as to render it acceffible. It was remark¬ 
ed that two Hones of a Hep in the front had coalefced at 
the extremity, fo that no juncture could be perceived; 
and the like was difcovered alfo in a Hep of the parthenon. 
Ill botii infiances it may be attributed to a concretory fluid, 
which pervades the marble in the quarry. Some portion 
remaining in the pieces, when taken green as it were, and 
placed in mutual contact, it exuded and united them by a 
procefs fimilar to that in a bone of an animal when broken 
and properly fet. 
“ But the chief ornament of the Acropolis, was the par¬ 
thenon, or great temple of Minerva ; a mofi fuperb and 
magnificent edifice. The Perfians had burned the original 
fabric which before occupied the fite, and was called he- 
catompedon , from its being a hundred feet fquare. The 
zeal of Pericles, and of all the Athenians, was now exert¬ 
ed to provide a much more ample and more glorious reii- 
dence for the patronefs of their city ; and this was com¬ 
pleted with afioniffiing elegance, by the celebrated archi¬ 
tects Callicrates and ICtinus. This noble Hruflure we 
have already deferibed in ourTreatife on Architecture, p. 
74, of this volume, and have illufirated the lame by two 
correCt Views of its ancient and prefent Hate, to which we 
beg leave to refer the reader. 
“ Befides the more Hable antiquities, many detached 
pieces are found in the town, by the fountains, in the 
ftreets, the walls, the houfes, and churches. Among thefe 
are fragments of fculpture ; a marble chair or two, which 
probably belonged to the Gymnafia or theatres : a fun- 
dial at the catholicon or cathedral, inferibed witli the name 
of the maker ; and, at the archiepifcopal houfe clofe by, 
a very curious veffiel of marble, ufed as a cifiern to receive 
water, but once ferving, it is likely, as a public Handard 
or meafure. Many columns occur; with fome maimed 
Hatties; and pedefials, feveral with inferiptions, and almofi 
buried in earth. A cufiom has prevailed, as at Chios, of 
fixing in the wall, over the gateways and doors of the 
houfes, carved Hones, mofi of which exhibit the funeral 
fupper. In the courts of the houfes lie many round fielas, 
or pillars, once placed on the graves of the Athenians; and 
Vol. II. No. 83. 
E N S. 4S9 
a great number are Hill to be feen applied to the fame ufe in 
the Turkifh burying-grounds before the Acropolis. Thefe 
generally have concife inferiptions containing the name of 
the perfon, and of the town and tribe to which the de- 
ceafed belonged. Demetrius the Phalerian, who endea¬ 
voured to refirain fepulchral luxury, enaded, that no 
perfon Hiould have more than one, and that the height 
fhould not exceed three cubits. Another fpecies, which 
refembles our modern head-Hones, is fometimes adorned 
with fculpture, and has an epitaph in verfe. Here are alfo 
found fome mutilated her-mae. Thefe are bulls on long 
quadrangular bafes, the heads frequently of brafs, invent, 
ed by the Athenians. A-t firfi they were made to repre- 
fent only Hermes or Mercury, and defigned as guardians 
of the fepulchres in which they were lodged ; but after¬ 
wards the houfes, ftreets, and porticoes, of Athens, were 
adorned with them, and rendered venerable by a multitude 
of portraits of illuHrious men and women, of heroes r and 
of gods : and, it is related, Hipparchus fon of Pififiratus, 
erected them in the demi or borough towns, and by the 
road-fide, inferibed with moral apophthegms in elegiac 
verfe ; thus making them vehicles of inftrudion.” 
Of the wifdom and excellence of the Athenian govern¬ 
ment, much has been faid and written. The firfi and mofi 
relnarkable efted produced at Athens, by the promul¬ 
gation of Solon's law, was the equal liberty rendered to 
all its citizens. If therefore the practice of the govern¬ 
ment had correfponded with its theory, the caufes which 
fhould have preferved this fyftem, would have been the 
virtue and moderation of the rich, and the fpirit and mag¬ 
nanimity of the poor. But thefe moral caufes may be all 
properly referred to one principle, namely, patriotism. It 
is therefore obvious, that patriotifm was a principle of the 
Athenian government, or at leafi of its theory. The fe- 
curity of perfon and property, which was fo well eftab- 
1 iflied at Athens, is defervedly confidered as the befi gift of 
liberty. The efficient caufes of this fecurity, were the 
attention paid to the characters of thofe who were appoint¬ 
ed judges, and the impartiality and wifdom of the laws 
themfelves. It is therefore evident that jufiice is the prin¬ 
ciple to which thefe caufes may be referred ; and which 
may be reckoned another principle of the Athenian go¬ 
vernment. The confiitution required, that a law, after 
it had been formed by the fenate, and approved by the 
people, Hiould be finally referred to an afiembly, compof- 
ed of the wifeft citizens of Athens ; for, although their ap¬ 
probation gave it no new force, yet their difapprobatkm 
was fufficient to annul it. Now the object being evidently 
to obtain the advantages of time, of deliberation, of re¬ 
flection, and even of experience, we may jnftly conclude, 
that the principle here afTtimed was prudence. 
The illuHrious Montefquieu makes honour and mode¬ 
ration to be the principles of a limited monarchy, and of 
ariftocracy. But when we confider the high reputation of 
the Athenian magifirates for jufiice and probity, and when 
we recoiled how much was left in the powerof the judge, 
we mufi furely acknowledge, that thefe were alfo prin¬ 
ciples in the confiitution of Athens. For honour is the 
principle which difpofes rightly that part ofourcondud with 
regard to others, which law cannot reach; and moderation 
is a principle which founded upon reafon, co-operates with 
honour in refiraining the influence of the paffions. It was 
from thefe motives that Solon provided by feveral laws 
againfi the admiffion of any perfons to the dignified Hation 
of archon and areopagite, whofe charaders, and even 
whofe families, bore not the reputation of virtue. No at¬ 
tempt even was permitted to be made to influence the 
paffions in the aflembly of the areopagites, and their de¬ 
crees have undergone the ferutiny of hifiorical refearch, 
unblemifhed by a fiain. It appears therefore, that the 
leading principles of the Athenian confiitution were patri¬ 
otifm, jujlice, prudence, honour, and moderation. 
The remains of the ancient grandeur and magnificent 
ftrudures of this venerable city, are, we are forry to fay, 
foon likely to be for ever extirpated from the face of t'he 
6 D earth 
