7 
1804. ] 
tiquity. Finally, without the ftudy of, 
antiquity, it is impoflible to comprehend 
the allegory of a bas-relief, or of a pice. 
ture, and to judge of the truth of the 
coftumes, decorations, and: other parts 
of a theatrical reprefentation. 
Accordingly, it cannot be expected that 
any progrefs can be made in letters, 
without a knowledge of antiquity. he 
feiences go hand in hand; and it is eafy 
to prove that archeology principally lends 
iis aid to all the others. © 
Ancient geography is indifpenfable to 
him who is defirous to reap advantage 
from the perufal of hiftory ; and this 
{cience receives its principal lights from 
numifinatics. Medals not only fupply 
us with the reprefeotations of feveral 
celebrated places; but we likewife find 
on them the names of a great number of 
provinces, colonies, cities, and munici- 
palities, which, unlefs for them, ‘would 
either not have been known to exift, or 
would have left us in uncertainty as to 
their true fite and pofition. 
~ Chronology, that other torch of hif- 
tory, likewife repotes on the monuments, 
and principally on the medals and in- 
{criptions.. They contain irrefragable 
proofs by which celebrated epochs and 
important eras are fixed; at the fame 
time that the feries of events is proved by 
them ina certain and determinate man- 
ner. Relatively to the in{criptions, it 
will be fufficient to cite the high autho- 
rity of the Arundel marbles, and of other 
celebrated monuments of fhe fame kind. 
By the help of medals, archeologifts have 
been enabled to trace the hiftory of na- 
tions, and of kings, who were without 
hiforians, and whofe memorable aétions 
would, without fuch a refource, have 
been with difficulty brought together, 
‘The names of different magiftracies; the 
determination of different weights; and 
the titles of various princes, are, in 
many cafes, to be acquired in no other 
way than by ancient medals. Finally, 
without the aid of the different defcrip- 
tions of monuments, it is impoffible to 
eftablith the authenticity of certain events, 
which have been altered in the recitals 
handed down to us.’ Bik 
Mythology, by which painting and 
poetry are animated, is one of the moft 
curious parts of antiquity. Thole who 
have not entered profoundly into its ftudy, 
can neither be fenfible of the merit of the 
greater part of the allegories, nor divine 
the fubjeét of a piece of fculpture, or of 
a picture. But how is mythology to be 
learned, without a comprehenfion, not only 
of the ancient authors, but of the monu- 
- 
Inivoduétion to the Study of Archeology. . 
137 
ments.’ Spence, in his Polymetis, hag 
proved the degree of -intereft with which 
the works of the poets and thofe of the 
artifts mutually explain each other. 
Pine’s Horace, Sandby’s Virgil, and fe-~ 
veral other fimilar claffical productions, , 
evince the great value which the ancient 
monuments, applied to the pafflages of 
the poets, add to the editions of their 
works, The poets may ferve to fix the 
age of the mythological monuments, by 
making us acquainted with the different 
changes fables have undergone fince the 
time of Homer, either in the manner of 
relating them, or in their reprefentation ; 
but we are indebted to the monuments 
for a multitude of details relative to the 
religion of different nations. . We find 
in them the names of the gods, the func 
tions of their minifters, and the inftruc- 
tions and ceremonies of their worfhip. ' 
The civil and military ufages of the 
ancients are ag well explained by the mo- 
numents, as are the facred cuftoms and 
religious opinions. ‘We notice in them 
the utenfils neceflary to domeftic life, 
the warlike machines, the order of the 
battles and marches, as well as of the 
fieges and encampments, the {cenic games, 
the {pectacles of the amphitheatres, and 
a multitude of hiftorical fingularities 
equally infiru€tive and amufing. 
Unlefs for the monuments; where would 
the elements of the ancient languages and 
ancient writings be found? The literary 
hiftery of all the fciences, cannot, witiy 
any certainty, be fupported on any other 
batis than that of the antique monu- 
ments. 
Several ancient laws, and juridical fox. 
mulzs, as well as the names of the an- 
cient magiltrates, cannot be afcertained 
without the help of medals. The natural 
hiftory of the ancients is elucidated by 
the great variety of animals and plants 
reprefented on the monuments, and, more 
efpecially, on the engraved ftones and 
medals. The figure of the Hyena, and 
that of the Hippopotamus, or Sea-horfe, 
were preferved on them, after thefe ani- 
mals had ceafed to be known in Europe 3 
and the bicorne Rhinoceros was depicted 
cn them, at a time when its exiltence was 
obfiinately denied. | ws! 
_ The monuments afford us alfo on op- 
portunity of yiewing the traits of meq 
celebrated on account of their virtues, o 
their knowledge, of their walour, and 
even of their vices... A comparifon. of 
the bufts, engraved ftones, and medals, 
enables us to afcertain the exactitude of 
the refemblance ; and we may thus fee 
the faithful delineations of the men by 
Cia id ar whofe 
th 
