Mi “i aeeigza 
[ Feb. 1, 
PROCEEDINGS OF LEARNED SOCIETIES, . 
ee 
NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF 
FRANCE, 
NOTICE of the LaBoURS of the CLASS 
of LITERATURE aud FINE ARTS, at 
the PUBLIC SITTING of the 15th MEs- 
SIDOR, YEAR 9, by CITIZEN VILLAR, 
SECRETARY. ; ' 
HE neceflity which exifts of being 
acquainted with antiquity—a well 
fupported zeal for the ftudy of the monu- 
menis which it has tranfmitted to us— 
the hope of contributing to the confolida- 
tion of the Republic, by precuring for it, 
in the name of Jetters and of the arts, the 
means of immortalizing the luftre of its 
conquefts—and laitly, the intereft which: 
the hiftory of the French language, and 
the notice of the manufcripts of the Na- 
tional Library excite in all enlightened 
men; futh are the fentiments which have 
dicated the works of which we are going 
to give an account to the public. This 
notice will offer the refult of the labours 
of the clafs, from the Sitting, of the s5th 
jaf Germinal. ; 
Citizen Davip LE Roy has prefented 
an explication of the naval battle repre- 
fented on two bas-reliefs to be feen at Se- 
ville, in the garden of the beautiful houfe 
inhabited ‘by the Duke of Alcala. The 
defigns of this valuable monument were 
fent fram Spain to’ Montfaucon, by the 
eminent and learned D. EMMANUEL 
Marti, his friend. 
The author of J’ Antiquité Expliquée (An- 
tiquity Explained,) to whom our colleague 
is partly indebted for the hiftorical part 
contained in his Memoir, infilts, that it is 
not poffible to afcertain what battle is re- 
prefented in the two bas-reliefs.* Citizen 
David le Roy proves, that it is the Battle 
of Aétium, a memorable action, in which 
the fate of the world was decided by a 
fingle man. 
Thete bas-reliefs of Seville, fays Mont- 
faucon, are not entire; they are only two 
fragments of the fame naval battle. In 
the monument waich they formerly.adorn- 
"ed, they were feparated by a fpace, which 
cannot new be determined. The arms 
and the apparel of the combatants fhew 
that the two armies were compoied of 
Romans. On one of the bas-reliefs ap- 
pears a column, whiich feems to indicate 
* They are to be feen in the ath volume 
of J Antiguit? Expligquée, 2d part, Pe 244. 
i 
-ral of the Roman .army. 
particularly that it is a monument ereéted 
to the glory of the victor, and that the 
battle was fought near iand. 
The veffel which Montfaucon confiders 
as the Pretorian, bears a centaur in the 
prow, and leads to a probable prefump- 
tion that it was commanded by the gene- 
In faét, the 
tower which arifes above the poop or 
ftern, is remarkable for its magnitude. 
The pinnacles which crown it, and its di- 
vilion into two ftories, give room to ful- 
peét, that it ferved at the fame time fora 
fortrefs in the combat, and for a retreat 
to the commander of the galley. 
-On the ftern of one veflel purfued by 
one of thofe of the victorious army, are 
feen two ftories of habitations. Another 
prefents a richer defign to the eye of the 
obferver. We fee in it the very imall 
mait to which was fulpended the enfign of 
the veffel. The fort. of magnificence 
which the tent, erected on this poop exhi- 
bits, feems to announce that the vefiel car- 
ried one of the generals. 
After having explained the principal 
details of the different gallies, reprefenied 
by the bas-relicfs of Seville, our colleague 
juftifies his opinion relative to thefe two 
antique monuments, by all that Plutarch 
has related of the Battle of Aétium. 
Tt was fought near land; and the co- 
lumn {poken of above, induces a prefump- 
tion that the bas-reliefs, likewiie, repre- 
fent a battle fought near land. _ 
We iee Romans fighting againft Ro- 
mans: and this unqueitionably took place 
at the battle fought between Auguitus 
and Mark Antony. In vain does Mont- 
faucon affure us that Fe cannot believe, 
that it.isone party of Romans fighting 
againj? another. party; becaufe, he adds, 
the Roman generals never triumphed fora 
widtory gained over olher Romans. The 
confequences of the Battle of Actium, as 
our colleague obferves, fhew an example 
quite contrary. 
According to Plutarch, Auguftus caufed 
certain monuments, defigned to perpetuate 
tlre memory of that aétion, to be eretted 
at Nicopolis. “There is now at Rome, in 
the Clementine Mufeum, a fragment of 
-that which the conqueror had erected at 
Paleftrina. ee 
According to Montfaucon, all the vef- 
fels feen in the two bas-reiiefs have décks. 
There are culy foldiers on the decks; under 
the decks the rowers are placed, who alfa 
appar 
