I. Walls of the Acropolis.

columns and entablature; and as we know from Thucydides (i. 93) that the ruins of former buildings were much employed in rebuilding the walls of the Asty, we may conclude that the same was the case in rebuilding those of the Acropolis.

Being a citadel, the Acropolis was fortified. The ancient fortifications are ascribed to the Pelasgians, who are said to have levelled the summit of the rock, and to have built a wall around it, called the The Pelasgicum signified not only a portion of the Pelasgic Wall or Fortress. (Пeλaoyikdy teîxos, walls of the Acropolis, but also a space of ground below Herod. v. 64; τείχισμα Πελαργικόν, Callimach. ap. the latter (τὸ Πελασγικὸν καλούμενον τὸ ὑπὸ τὴν Schol. ad Aristoph. Av. 832; Hecataeus, ap. Herod. 'Aкрówоλw, Thuc. ii. 17.) That it was not a wall vi. 137; Myrsilus, ap. Dionys. i. 28; Cleidemus, is evident from the account of Thucydides, who says ap. Suid. s. vv. ànéda, hæédišov.) The approach on that an oracle had enjoined that it should remain the western side was protected by a system of works, uninhabited; but that it was, notwithstanding this comprehending nine gates, hence called évveánuλov prohibition, built upon, in consequence of the numTò Пeλаσуikóv. (Cleidem. l. c.) These fortifica-ber of people who flocked into Athens at the comtions were sufficiently strong to defy the Spartans, mencement of the Peloponnesian war. Lucian (Piswhen the Peisistratidae took refuge in the Acropolis cator. 47) represents a person sitting upon the (Herod. v. 64, 65); but after the expulsion of the wall of the Acropolis, and letting down his hook to family of the despot, it is not improbable that they angle for philosophers in the Pelasgicum. This spot were partly dismantled, to prevent any attempt to is said to have been originally inhabited by the Perestore the former state of things, since the seizure lasgians, who fortified the Acropolis, and from which of the citadel was always the first step towards the they were expelled because they plotted against the establishment of despotism in a Greek state. When Athenians. (Schol. ad Thuc. ii. 17; Philochorus, Xerxes attacked the Acropolis, its chief fortifications ap. Schol. ad Lucian. Catapl. 1; Paus. i. 28. § 3.) consisted of palisades and other works constructed of It is placed by Leake and most other authorities at wood. The Persians took up their position on the the north-western angle of the Acropolis. A recent Areiopagus, which was opposite the western side of traveller remarks that "the story of the Pelasgic the Acropolis, just as the Amazons had done when settlement under the north side of the Acropolis inthey attacked the city of Cecrops. (Aesch. Eum. evitably rises before us, when we see the black shade 685, seq.) From the Areiopagus the Persians dis- always falling upon it, as over an accursed spot, in charged hot missiles against the wooden defences, contrast with the bright gleam of sunshine which which soon took fire and were consumed, thus leav- always seems to invest the Acropolis itself; and ing the road on the western side open to the enemy. we can imagine how naturally the gloom of the steep The garrison kept them at bay by rolling down precipice would conspire with the remembrance of large stones, as they attempted to ascend the road; an accursed and hateful race, to make the Athenians and the Persians only obtained possession of the dread the spot." (Stanley, Class. Mus. vol. i. p. 53.) citadel by scaling the precipitous rock on the northern side, close by the temple of Aglaurus. (Herod. viii. 52, 53.) It would seem to follow from this narrative that the elaborate system of works, with its nine gates on the western side, could not have been in existence at this time. After the capture of the Acropolis, the Persians set fire to all the buildings upon it; and when they visited Athens in the following year, they destroyed whatever remained of the walls, or houses, or temples of Athens. (Herod. viii. 53, ix. 93.)

The foundations of the ancient walls no doubt remained, and the name of Pelasgic continued to be applied to a part of the fortifications down to the latest times. Aristophanes (Av. 832) speaks of Tηs Tóλews to Пeλapуikóv, which the Scholiast explains as the "Pelargic wall on the Acropolis;" and Pausanias (i. 28. § 3) says that the Acropolis was surrounded by the Pelasgians with walls, except on the side fortified by Cimon. We have seen, however, from other authorities that the Pelasgians fortified the whole hill; and the remark of Pausanias probably only means that in his time the northern wall was called the Pelasgic, and the southern the Cimonian. (Comp. Plut. Cim. 13.) When the Athenians returned to their city after its occupation by the Persians, they commenced the restoration of the walls of the Acropolis, as well as of those of the Asty; and there can be little doubt that the northern wall had been rebuilt, when Cimon completed the southern wall twelve years after the retreat of the Persians. The restoration of the northern wall may be ascribed to Themistocles; for though called apparently the Pelasgic wall, its remains show that the greater part of it was of more recent origin. In the middle of it we find courses of masonry, formed of pieces of Doric

The rocks along the northern side of the Acropolis were called the Long Rocks (Makрaí), a name under which they are frequently mentioned in the Ion of Euripides, in connection with the grotto of Pan, and the sanctuary of Aglaurus:

ἔνθα προσβόῤῥους πέτρας Παλλάδος ὑπ ̓ ὄχθῳ τῆς ̓Αθηναίων χθονὸς Μακρὰς καλοῦσι γῆς ἄνακτες 'Ατθίδος. (Eurip. Ion, 11, seq.; comp. 296, 506, 953, 1413.) This name is explained by the fact that the length of the Acropolis is much greater than its width; but it might have been given with equal propriety to the rocks on the southern side. The reason why the southern rocks had not the same name appears to have been, that the rocks on the northern side could be seen from the greater part of the Athenian plain, and from almost all the demi of Mt. Parnes; while those on the southern side were only visible from the small and more undulating district between Hymettus, the Long Walls, and the sea. In the city itself the rocks of the Acropolis were for the most part concealed from view by houses and public buildings. (Forchhammer, p. 364, seq.)

The surface of the Acropolis appears to have been divided into platforms, communicating with one another by steps. Upon these platforms stood the temples, sanctuaries, or monuments, which occupied all the summit. Before proceeding to describe the monuments of the Acropolis, it will be adviseable to give a description of the present condition of the walls, and of the recent excavations on the platform of the rock, for which we are indebted to Mr. Penrose's important work. (An Investigation of the Principles of Athenian Architecture, by F. C. Penrose; London, 1851.)

On the ascent to the Acropolis from the modern | town our first attention is called to the angle of the Hellenic wall, west of the northern wing of the Propylaea. It is probable that this wall formed the exterior defence of the Acropolis at this point. Following this wall northwards, we come to a bastion, built about the year 1822 by the Greek general Odysseus to defend an ancient well, to which there is access within the bastion by an antique passage and stairs of some length cut in the rock. Turning eastwards round the corner, we come to two caves, one of which is supposed to have been dedicated to Pan; in these caves are traces of tablets let into the rock. Leaving these eaves we come to a large buttress, after which the wall runs upon the edge of the nearly vertical rock. On passing round a salient angle, where is a small buttress, we find a nearly straight line of wall for about 210 feet; then a short bend to the south-east; afterwards a further straight reach for about 120 feet, nearly parallel to the former. These two lines of wall contain the remains of Doric columns and entablature, to which reference has already been made. A mediaeval buttress about 100 feet from the angle of the Erechtheium forms the termination of this second reach of wall. From hence to the north-east angle of the Acropolis, where there is a tower apparently Turkish, occur several large square stones, which also appear to have belonged to some early temple. The wall, into which these, as well as the before mentioned fragments, are built, seems to be of Hellenic origin. The eastern face of the wall appears to have been entirely built in the Middle Ages on the old foundations. At the south-east angle we find the Hellenic masonry of the Southern or Cimonian wall. At this spot 29 courses remain, making a height of 45 feet. Westward of this point the wall has been almost

entirely cased in mediaeval and recent times, and is further supported by 9 buttresses, which, as well as those on the north and east sides, appear to be mediaeval. But the Hellenic masonry of the Cimonian wall can be traced all along as far as the Propylaea under the casing. The south-west reach of the Hellenic wall terminates westwards in a solid tower about 30 feet high, which is surmounted by the temple of Nike Apteros, described below. This tower commanded the unshielded side of any troops approaching the gate, which, there is good reason to believe, was in the same position as the present entrance. After passing through the gate and proceeding northwards underneath the west face of the tower, we come to the Propylaea. The effect of emerging from the dark gate and narrow passage to the magnificent marble staircase, 70 feet broad, surmounted by the Propylaea, must have been exceedingly grand. A small portion of the ancient Pelasgic wall still remains near the south-east angle of the southern wing of the Propylaea, now occupied by a lofty mediaeval tower. After passing the gateways of the Propylaea we come upon the area of the Acropolis, of which considerably more than half has been excavated under the auspices of the Greek government. Upon entering the enclosure of the Acropolis the colossal statue of Athena Promachus was seen a little to the left, and the Parthenon to the right; both offering angular views, according to the usual custom of the Greeks in arranging the approaches to their public buildings. The road leading upwards in the direction of the Parthenon is slightly worked out of the rock; it is at first of considerable breadth, and afterwards becomes narrower. On the right hand, as we leave the Propylaea, and on the road itself, are traces of 5 votive altars, one of which is dedicated to Athena Hygieia. Further on, to the left of the road, is the

Προπυλαίων.

'Aλλ' ¿λoλú§aтe paivoμévaiσiv Taîs aρxiao ̓Αθήναις,

Καὶ θαυμασταῖς καὶ πολυύμνοις, ἵν ̓ ὁ κλεῖνος Δῆμος ἐνοικεῖ.

(Aristoph. Equit. 1326.)

The Propylaea were considered one of the masterpieces of Athenian art, and are mentioned along with the Parthenon as the great architectural glory of the Periclean age. (Dem. c. Androt. p. 597, Reiske; Philostr. Vit. Apoll. ii. 5.) When Epaminondas was urging the Thebans to rival the glory of Athens, he told them that they must uproot the Propylaea of the Athenian Acropolis, and plant them in front of the Cadmean citadel. (Aesch. de Fals. Leg. p. 279, Reiske.)

site of the statue of Athena Promachus. North-|Ὄψεσθε δέ καὶ γὰρ ἀνοιγνυμένων ψόφος ἤδη τῶν wards of this statue, we come to a staircase close to the edge of the rock, partly built, partly cut out, leading to the grotto of Aglaurus. This staircase passes downwards through a deep cleft in the rock, nearly parallel in its direction to the outer wall, and opening out in the face of the cliff a little below its foundation. In the year 1845 it was possible to creep into this passage, and ascend into the Acropolis; but since that time the entrance has been closed up. Close to the Parthenon the original soil was formed of made ground in three layers of chips of stone; the lowest being of the rock of the Acropolis, the next of Pentelic marble, and the uppermost of Peiräic stone. In the extensive excavation made to the east of the Parthenon there was found a number of drums of columns, in a more or less perfect state, some much shattered, others apparently rough from the quarry, others partly worked and discarded in consequence of some defect in the material. The ground about them was strewed with marble chips; and some sculptors' tools, and jars containing red colour were found with them. In front of the eastern portico of the Parthenon we find considerable remains of a level platform, partly of smoothed rock, and partly of Peiräic paving. North of this platform is the highest part of the Acropolis. Westwards of this spot we arrive at the area between the Parthenon and Erechtheium, which slopes from the former to the latter. Near the Parthenon is a small well, or rather mouth of a cistern, excavated in the rock, which may have been supplied with water from the roof of the temple. Close to the south, or Caryatid portico of the Erechtheium, is a small levelled area on which was probably placed one of the many altars or statues surrounding that temple.

Before quitting the general plan of the Acropolis, Mr. Penrose calls attention to the remarkable absence of parallelism among the several buildings. "Except the Propylaea and Parthenon, which were perhaps intended to bear a definite relation to one another, no two are parallel. This asymmetria is productive of very great beauty; for it not only obviates the dry uniformity of too many parallel lines, but also produces exquisite varieties of light and shade. One of the most happy instances of this latter effect is in the temple of Nike Apteros, in front of the southern wing of the Propylaea. The façade of this temple and pedestal of Agrippa, which is opposite to it, remain in shade for a considerable time A. Pinacotheca. after the front of the Propylaea has been lighted up; and they gradually receive every variety of light, until the sun is sufficiently on the decline to shine nearly equally on all the western faces of the entire group." Mr. Penrose observes that a similar want of parallelism in the separate parts is found to obtain in several of the finest mediaeval structures, and may conduce in some degree to the beauty of the magnificent Piazza of St. Marc at Venice.

2. The Propylaea.

The road up the western slope of the Acropolis led from the agora, and was paved with slabs of Pentelic marble. (Ross, in the Kunstblatt, 1836, No. 60.) At the summit of the rock Pericles caused a magnificent building to be constructed, which might serve as a suitable entrance (ПponúAaia) to the wonderful works of architecture and sculpture within:

GROUND PLAN OF THE PROPYLAEA.
B. Temple of Nike Apteros.
C. Pedestal of Agrippa

of

The architect of the Propylaea was Mnesicles. It was commenced in the archonship of Euthymenes, B. C. 437, and was completed in the short space five years. (Plut. Pericl. 13.) It cost 2000 talents (Harpocrat. s. v. Пponúλaia), or 460,000! The building was constructed entirely of Pentelic marble, and covered the whole of the western end of the Acropolis, which was 168 feet in breadth. The central part of the building consisted of two Doric hexastyle porticoes, covered with a roof of white marble, which attracted the particular notice of Pausanias (i. 22. § 4). Of these porticoes the

western faced the city, and the eastern the interior of the Acropolis; the latter, owing to the rise of the ground, being higher than the former. They were divided into two unequal halves by a wall, pierced by five gates or doors, by which the Acropolis was entered. The western portico was 43 feet in depth, and the eastern about half this depth; and they were

called Propylaea from their forming a vestibule to the five gates or doors just mentioned Each portico or vestibule consisted of a front of six fluted Doric columns, supporting a pediment, the columns being 4 feet in diameter, and nearly 29 feet in height. Of the five gates the one in the centre was the largest, and was equal in breadth to the space between the two central columns in the portico in front. It was by this gate that the carriages and horsemen entered the Acropolis, and the marks of the chariotwheels worn in the rock are still visible. The doors on either side of the central one were much smaller both in height and breadth, and designed for the admission of foot passengers only. The roof of the western portico was supported by two rows of three Ionic columns each, between which was the road to the central gate.

The central part of the building which we have been describing, was 58 feet in breadth, and consequently did not cover the whole width of the rock: the remainder was occupied by two wings, which projected 26 feet in front of the western portico. Each of these wings was built in the form of Doric temples, and communicated with the adjoining angle of the great portico. In the northern wing (on the left hand to a person ascending the Acropolis) a porch of 12 feet in depth conducted into a chamber

of 35 feet by 30, usually called the Pinacotheca,
from its walls being covered with paintings (olknμa
Exov ypapás, Paus. i. 22. § 6). The southern wing
(on the right hand to a person ascending the Acro-
polis) consisted only of a porch or open gallery of
26 feet by 17, which did not conduct into any
chamber behind. On the western front of this
southern wing stood the small temple of Nike Apte-
ros (NikηATTEpos), the Wingless Victory. (Paus.
i. 22. § 4.) The spot occupied by this temple com-
mands a wide prospect of the sea, and it was here
that Aegeus is said to have watched his son's re-
turn from Crete. (Paus. I. c.) From this part of
the rock he threw himself, when he saw the black
sail on the mast of Theseus. Later writers, in order
to account for the name of the Aegaean sea, relate
that Aegeus threw himself from the Acropolis into
the sea, which is three miles off.

There are still considerable remains of the Propylaea. The eastern portico, together with the adjacent parts, was thrown down about 1656 by an explosion of gunpowder which had been deposited in that place; but the inner wall, with its five gateways, still exists. The northern wing is tolerably perfect; but the southern is almost entirely destroyed: two columns of the latter are seen imbedded in the adjacent walls of the mediaeval tower.

visited Athens in 1676; but in 1751 nothing remained of it but some traces of the foundation and fragments of masonry lying in the neighbourhood of its former site. There were also found in a neighbouring wall four slabs of its sculptured frieze, which are now in the British Museum. It seemed that this temple had perished utterly; but the stones of which it was built were discovered in the excavations of the year 1835, and it has been rebuilt with the original materials under the auspices of Ross and Schaubert. The greater part of its frieze was also discovered at the same time. The temple now stands on its original site, and at a distance looks very much like a new building, with its white marble columns and walls glittering in the sun.

The Temple of Nike Apteros requires a few | words. In the time of Pericles, Nike or Victory was figured as a young female with golden wings (Nikn TÉTETаι TтEрÚYou Xpvσaiv, Aristoph. Av. 574); but the more ancient statues of the goddess are said to have been without wings. (Schol. ad Aristoph. 1. c.) Nike Apteros was identified with Athena, and was called Nike Athena. (Nikn 'Aonva, Heliodor. ap. Harpocrat. Suid. s. v.) Standing as she did at the exit from the Acropolis, her aid was naturally implored by persons starting on a dangerous enterprise. (Nin ' 'Aláva Пoλiàs, owe u' del, Soph. Philoct. 134.) Hence, the opponents of Lysistrata, upon reaching the top of the ascent to the Acropolis, invoke Nike (déorova Níkn Evyyevov), before whose temple they were standing. (Aristoph. This temple is of the class called AmphiproLysistr. 318; from Wordsworth, p. 107, seq.) This stylus Tetrastylus, consisting of a cella with four temple was still in existence when Spon and Wheler | Ionic columns at either front, but with none on