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nearly allied as to be almost identical | most keep was strengthened by enclo

in their mythology, occupied, at a period anterior to the Trojan war, the Peloponnesus, the greater part of continental Greece, and a large portion of Italy and Sicily. The introduction into Athens of the worship of Minerva by Cecrops, and the story of Neptune's yielding to her the tutela of the city, seem to point out the arrival of the Ionian race; the latter soon afterwards took the lead, and ultimately made Athens what she was. Herodotus tells us that the people had originally been called Pelasgi, afterwards Cecropidæ, and lastly, under Erechtheus, Athenians. The Pelasgi, therefore, it would seem, had in the first instance established themselves in the Acropolis. According to an Athenian tradition a body of the Tyrrheni Pelasgi sought refuge in Attica from their enemies, and were employed by the Athenians to fortify the Cecropian hill. A place immediately underneath the rock, near the western end of the N. side, was assigned for their abode, and called Pelasgicum. They were afterwards expelled from there because they conspired against the Athenians. After this, no one was allowed to build or cultivate in that part, possibly from an apprehension of attack, for there the rock, though steep, is full of fissures, and there would be some danger lest the basis of the walls should be undermined if an enemy should be able to conceal himself among houses built close up to it; or it might be injured by excavations made for domestic purposes. Later it has been found necesssary to support the wall in that part with an enormous buttress, and several large masses seem to have fallen down from time to time. To figure to ourselves, therefore, the Acropolis as it existed before the Persian invasion, we must suppose the rock crested with the original polygonal walls of the Pelasgi, to which the Cecropida had added little or nothing: the western access defended by an elaborate system of works called Enneapylon (évveάπuλov) or the Nine Gates; a name showing that, after the manner of the Pelasgi, the inner[Greece.]

sures, with avenues constructed on the principle of obliging the assailant to expose his unshielded side to the enemy. The strength of these works was great. At the time of the invasion of Xerxes some of the Athenians did not follow Themistocles to the ships, but thought that the wooden walls required by the oracle, was rather the strengthening the weaker parts of the Acropolis with wooden palisades. They were enabled to defend the Enneapylon; and the Acropolis was taken by some mountaineers in the Persian army climbing up on the N. side, near the Erechtheum, where the steepness of the rock being supposed a sufficient protection, was left unwatched by the garrison; or, perhaps, as Dr. Wordsworth suggests, by the treachery of the Pisistratida they may have become possessed of the stair and passage which leads from the Aglaurium up into the Acropolis. The Persians seem to have destroyed the Pelasgic defences, and the Athenians were afterwards obliged to reconstruct them; although the rebuilding of the walls was a matter of the greatest urgency, in consequence of the ambition of the Spartans, the old walls could not be repaired, but were obliged to be built afresh. This perhaps was not necessary on the S. side, where the wall was afterwards rebuilt on a grander scale by Cimon; but for a. great portion-as the existing remains show-and probably over the whole extent of the N. side, they were entirely reconstructed with the remains of the temples which the Persians had thrown down. This forms a very interesting illustration to the account by Thucydides of the diplomatic success of Themistocles in gaining time during his embassy to Sparta, while all hands at home were employed in rebuilding the city walls. A very small piece of the polygonal wall of the évveάuλov remains to the S. of the Propylæa, extending to the outer wall in a direction N. and S. There are also some marble foundations near it, which are not parallel with the Propylæa, but they can hardly be so old as the Persian

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invasion. Most likely they belonged | But first a circuit of the walls may to some building which was erected advantageously be made, beginning after that event, but which Pericles with the Propylæa, and going round removed in order to open the present by way of N. and E. entrance. The walls of rectangular blocks of Piraïc limestone, which are Leaving for the present the mediobservable underneath the Propylæa æval outworks at the extreme W. of to the W., cannot be Pelasgic, but are the Acropolis, laid open by M. Beule's probably remains of defences erected excavations in 1853, we come to a basin the time of Themistocles, and super- tion built in the year 1822 by the Greek seded by the outworks of the Propy-General Odysseus to defend the ancient læa built by Pericles. well under the N. wing of the Propy

A fine specimen of a somewhat Pe-læa, to which there is access from lasgic character of masonry may be above by an antique passage and stair seen in the wall which supports the area of 47 steps, for the most part cut in of the Pnyx towards the Areopagus. the rock. This passage terminates in To complete our conception of the a small chapel, with niches in the Acropolis before the Persian invasion sides. The well has a peristomium of we must suppose it covered with mean marble, and was described by Wordsbuildings, from which two temples worth in 1833 as containing water at a rose conspicuous. Of these, the most distance of about 30 ft. This is the sacred was the earlier Erechtheum, de-famous fountain Clepsydra; so called dicated to Neptune (Poseidon) and Mi-because it was intermittent, the supply nerva Polias, the burning of which is being greatest at the commencement, mentioned by Herodotus and others; and least at the falling off, of the Eteanother larger temple, sacred to Mi-sian winds. It was anciently called nerva, occupied the site of the present Empedo, and was supposed to have Parthenon. The existence of this latter a subterranean communication with temple is not made known to us by Phalerum. Above the bastion the ancontemporary history, but by unques-cient wall has recently been carefully tionable local evidence. There is little doubt that a number of fragments of columns and entablatures which are to be seen built up in the N. wall of the Acropolis, belonged to this temple, and sufficient data may be gathered from these, and from the indications on the groundwork of the Parthenon, to conclude that the temple had Doric columns of 6 ft. 3 in. in diameter; 6 columns in each front; and 14 on the flanks, reckoning the angle columns twice; that its length was about 176 ft., and its breadth 65. At the western Near this spot to the N. was the end of the Parthenon, the corner on Pelasgicum, already mentioned. Dean the northern side of the platform of the Stanley, perhaps somewhat fancifully, older temple may be distinctly ob-(Class. Mus.,' vol. i. p. 53) remarks served, as well as the refined character of the older masonry.

The date of this temple, judging from the fragments, may perhaps be referred to the time of Pisistratus, or a little earlier. (See 'Principles of Athenian Architecture,' p. 73). Our object will now be to describe the Acropolis as it existed in its splendour.

restored. Beyond it, we come to two caves close together, or rather a double cave, of no great depth, which was dedicated to Apollo and Pan. Miltiades introduced the worship of Pan in consideration of services supposed to have been rendered at Marathon. Within the cave are various sinkings which once held tablets or votive offerings. Close to the cave the foot ascent, from which the passage to the Clepsydra just mentioned branches off, began to ascend the rocks towards the Propylæa.

how "the gloom of the black shade thrown by the steep precipice would conspire with the memory of a hateful race to make the Athenians hate the spot."

* The name dates from a time anterior to the

construction of the water-clock of Andronicus (which was called Clepsydra). There was a fountain of the same name at Ithome.

GROUND PLAN OF THE ACROPOLIS AND THE IMMEDIATE NEIGHBOURHOOD.

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The plan is borrowed from Dr. Smith's Dictionary; but No. 24 should be placed about 150 feet further N. No. 25, according to some authorities, stood nearer the centre of the Agora, a good deal to the W. of the position here given.

About 200 ft. to the eastward of the Cave of Pan, in the midst of the Long rocks, as that part of the precipice was called, and at their foot, is a remarkable cavern, and 120 ft. further on and immediately under the wall of the citadel, not many yards from the northern portico of the Erechtheum, is a smaller one. Within the latter are remains of 13 niches. The former has great antiquarian interest. Leake (p. 266) showed that in all probability this cavern must have had a communication with the Acropolis above, and this has since been proved to be the fact. Wordsworth identifies this cavern as the grotto of Agraulos. Close by, a

little lower down the hill, was a temple of the Dioscuri (Castor and Pollux), named the Anaceium. Polyænus relates that when Pisistratus had seized the Acropolis, his next object was to disarm the Athenians. For this purpose he summoned an assembly in the Anaceium; descending into which he addressed the people in so low a tone of voice, that in order to hear they were obliged to crowd about him. While thus engaged, their arms were seized upon by the adherents of Pisistratus, and conveyed into the Agraulium, which was, as we know, in communication with the Acropolis. The Anaceium was a strongly fortified post.

Returning to the Cave of Apollo | cliff. The eastern wall of the Acroand Pan for the purpose of examining polis appears to have been entirely the walls themselves, we find a large rebuilt in the middle ages on the old buttress of not very ancient construc- foundations. On this side a ledge of tion. The rock is here very steep and several feet in width is left between crested by the wall. On passing round the summit of the precipice and the a salient angle, where there is a small base of the wall, flanked by a small buttress, we find a nearly straight line square tower, which projects in front of wall for about 210 feet, then a short of the curtain at the N.E. corner. bend to the S.E., and afterwards a Near the middle of this reach of wall further straight reach for about 120 there is a large cavern in the rock. feet, nearly parallel to the former. This and the slope which it surmounts The first of these two lines of wall is considered by Leake to have been the contains very interesting remains of a Eleusinium-a hierum inferior only in Doric entablature of Piraïc limestone; sanctity to the Temple of Ceres (Dêand the second, of frusta of columns mêtêr) at Eleusis. He also supposes it and steps of Pentelic marble. They to have been a kind of outwork to the evidently belonged to the same build- Acropolis, and that there was a coming; and there can be no reasonable munication with the upper citadel doubt that this was the Temple of through the cavern. For we learn Minerva which preceded the present from Thucydides that in the beginning Parthenon on the same site. The frag- of the Peloponnesian war the Eleuments of entablature are in two separate sinium was strongly fortified, and groups. The architrave stones, although guarded with the greatest jealousy. of the same height, differ considerably Little more is known of this temple. in length in the two groups: those in Pausanias, in all matters connected the western averaging about 13 ft. 3 in., with the Mysteries, is a tiresome and the others 12 ft. 7 in. The columns guide. Of this sanctuary he says, were of two sizes; the larger, 6 ft. 3 in., "While intending to proceed further and the smaller, 5 ft. 7 in. in diameter. in this matter (T. of Triptolemus), as The temple therefore must have had a well as in those things which relate to difference in its front and flank inter- the Athenian temple called Eleusicolumniations, and the columns of the nium, I was deterred by a vision in Pronaos and Posticum must have been my sleep." Southward of this cave smaller than those of the Peristyle. the rock becomes remarkably fine and These data have been of service in precipitous. At the S.E. angle we arriving at the general dimensions of again find the Hellenic masonry of the the temple given above. S. wall or Cimonium (built by Cimon). Twenty-nine courses remain, making 45 ft. of height. This wall, instead of being perpendicular, "batters" a little, the stones being set back from those below them, about an inch in each course. As we follow the wall westwards, we find that it has been almost entirely cased in medieval and recent times, and is further supported by nine buttresses. Among the stones which form this casing may be noticed a few small fragments of statues, one or two of a very fine character. The Hellenic masonry can be traced all along, as far as the Propylæa, under the casing, where the latter has been shattered. The centre of the Dionysiac Theatre occurs about 200 ft. from

A medieval buttress, about 100 ft. from the N.E. angle of the Erechtheum, forms the termination of the second reach of wall, viz. that in which are the frusta of columns. Hence to the N.E. angle of the Acropolis, occur several large squared stones, which appear to have belonged to some early temple.

The wall into which these as well as the fragments before mentioned are built, seems to be of Hellenic construction. From opposite the Erechtheum, to the north-eastern extremity, the natural rock, although still very steep, is less inaccessible than almost anywhere else, except at the Propylæa; the wall immediately surmounts the

the eastern end of the Cimonium. A little westward of it occurs a deep course of the Piraïc limestone, a fragment of some early temple. A little further on the wall is 65 ft. high, and batters 7 ft. This is much loftier than any part of the wall to the N., but the rocks are less precipitous. The difference is mainly this, that there a very steep cliff is little more than crested by the wall; here a cliff less strong by nature is encased by an artificial construction of great importance. Beyond the point last-mentioned, the wall takes a bend to the W.N.W., and terminates in a solid tower about 30 ft. high, which is surmounted by the small Ionic temple of Victory without Wings. Until lately the only entrance to the Acropolis was immediately under the W. face of this tower: but we may now pass through the new opening formed in the western wall of the mediæval outworks, whence we commenced our circuit, and ascend in a direct line from the W., that is, from the ancient Agora.

The Acropolis-the city of Cecrops and the cradle of Athens.-after the invasion of Xerxes, ceased to be inhabited as a town and became one great sanctuary, partitioned only by the boundaries of the sacred portions or Teuern, for we learn that in the Peloponnesian war, when the inhabitants of all Attica crowded to Athens and every available space was allotted to them; even then, so sacred was the Acropolis, that it remained uninhabited. (Thucyd. ii. 17.) It was, nevertheless, to be used as a citadel to retire to, but only in the last extremity, as in modern warfare churches have sometimes been resorted to. "In order then," as Leake says (p. 309), "to form a due conception of the effect of this storehouse of the arts, and to do justice to Athenian taste, we must imagine the platform of the hill cleared of everything but the temples and a few buildings necessary for their administration, and thus forming one vast composition of architecture and sculpture; or, to use the words of a Greek rhetorician, a single monument or dedication to the gods."

It is somewhat difficult to comprehend the nature of the outworks and approaches which defended the Propylæa. The approach was guarded on the left, we may assume, by men stationed in the Pinacotheca, and on the right by the wing on the base now occupied by the huge medieval structure called the Venetian tower; but the five gates alone of the Propylæa, without some other work in front, would be of little avail against an enemy provided with machines of war. We must look lower down for external military defences of the citadel. In front, i. e. westwards of the great flight of steps, there seems to have been a kind of fortified court protected by flanking walls and towers, in some degree resembling the great gate at Megalopolis, only that there the court is round, here it was square. The wall which remains is of moderate thickness, a little more than 20 ft. high, and built of Pentelic marble. The lower courses are very much narrower than those above them. This wall is pierced by a doorway, about 12 ft. high and 6 wide. Above the lintel is a Doric entablature, composed of architrave, triglyphs, and cornice, together between 4 and 5 ft. high. These probably originally formed part of some other construction. Above the cornice has been added another architrave, with the usual band and guttæ tablets. This circumstance, together with the irregularity in the courses above mentioned, and the general inferiority of execution in the masonry, lead to the supposition that this wall, as we see it, is not coeval with the Propylæa, but was part of some restoration of former military works. From its irregular construction it is believed by Professor Rousopoulos to be of Roman origin (probably of the time of Valerian), and to have been added to first by Byzantines and afterwards by Turks. That it is at least posterior to the age of Demosthenes, is proved by the fact of Professor Rousopoulos having discovered a piece of marble placed horizontally in the wall to the north of the western gate, the exposed part

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