step. Behind this group is the single combat to which we have alluded, and which, we think, is unconnected with the previous group. The third group seems to be a double group of two figures, each representing an independent action. In that to the left, a warrior is hastening to strike another combatant, who has fallen upon his right knee, and who is protecting himself with his shield. In that to the right, another naked warrior appears in the act of striking an opponent, who is seeking safety in flight. III. THE SIGEAN BAS-RELIEF.' The slab marked No. 324, known generally by the name of the Sigean Bas-relief, was first noticed by Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, on her visit to Sigeum in the Troad in June 1718, and subsequently by Dr. Chandler in 1764, and by the Count de Choiseul Gouffier. Both this marble and the celebrated Sigean inscription which we shall describe hereafter, were placed as seats in a Church on the brow of a hill in the direction of Mount Ida, near or on the promontory of Sigeum. It has been already engraved as a vignette to the first volume of the Ionian Antiquities, and in Choiseul Gouffier's Voyage Pittoresque en Grèce, tom. ii. pl. 38, p. 433. Various opinions have been entertained as to the original use and destination of this fragment: Lady Mary W. Montagu called it part of a tomb, others have supposed it to have been an oblong shallow vessel to contain holy-water. Dr. Chandler thought that it was a pedestal as it was never more than three inches and a half in depth, it could not have been a tomb. The sculpture on the monument, whatever may have been its original use, consists of five figures, the central one, who is seated, being evidently a Divinity. Before her are two women approaching, each carrying in their arms an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes. Behind is a third female, who carries another infant similarly attired; and, behind her, again, is another female who carries in her left hand a broad open vessel, and in her right a square templeformed cista, with a pointed roof. The whole subject probably 1 Engraved in Museum Marbles,' Part 1x., pl. xi., p. 53. represents Hera, in the character of Juno Lucina, presiding, in her capacity of matron or nurse, over the birth and rearing of infants. The Goddess is apparently listening to the addresses and accepting the offerings of these matrons. IV. CASTS FROM THE THESEION. We proceed now to describe the monuments from the Theseion, or Temple of Theseus at Athens, Nos. 136-157,' of which the Museum has casts, the originals still remaining on the temple. The Temple of Theseus belongs to the order called Peripteral Hexastyle, that is, it is surrounded by columns, and has six at each front; the height of these columns being about eighteen and a half feet, and the whole height of the temple from the base of the columns to the summit of the pediment about thirty-one feet. In this temple, as in the Parthenon, the Eastern appears to have been the principal front of the building, holes still remaining for the metal cramps by which statues may, perhaps, formerly, have been attached to the pediment. On the Eastern and Western fronts is an external frieze in alto rilievo. The ten metopes upon the Eastern front, and the four adjoining on each side, are decorated with sculpture, the others on both sides and at the Western end are devoid of ornament. The chief interest which attaches to the sculptures from this building is this, that we know that it was erected about thirty years before the Parthenon, to celebrate the arrival at Athens of the bones of the national hero Theseus, which had been procured from the island of Scyros by Cimon the son of Miltiades, about B.C. 469. The sculptures therefore are a little anterior to the age of Pheidias. The objects preserved in the Elgin Room connected with the Temple of Theseus are casts of three of the metopes from the North side, being the first, second, and fourth, commencing from the Northeast angle, and the greater portion of the Friezes which decorated the Pronaos and Posticum. They were made at Athens by direction of the Earl of Elgin, from the sculptures which, at that time, existed upon the temple. It appears that in this case, as in many other instances in Grecian buildings, colour has been called in to heighten the effect of the sculpture; for Colonel Leake observes, that " ves 1 The Numbers at present on these casts run from 55 A to 73A. ASHMOLEAN OXFORD MUSEUM tiges of bronze and golden coloured arms, of a blue sky, and of blue, green, and red drapery, are still very apparent. A painted foliage and mæander is seen on the interior cornice of the Peristyle, and a painted star in the Lacunaria.” The subjects represented upon the sculptures from this temple have been much discussed, and various conjectures have been advanced as to their general purport. If, however, we follow the analogy of what seems to have been the usual principles whereby the Grecian artists were guided in the decoration of their temples, we may conjecture that the monuments on this building refer to the mythic exploits of the hero Theseus, to whom the temple was dedicated. As the marbles on the Parthenon at Athens, and on the Temple of Athene in Ægina, refer to the deeds of that Goddess, and those from Phigaleia, the Temple of Victory, and the Choragic Monument of Lysicrates, to Apollo Epicurius, the Goddess of Victory, and Dionysus respectively, so may we presume that the sculptures on the Temple of Theseus refer to him in some especial manner. Thus all the authorities connect the representations with Theseus, though they differ considerably in the parts which they assign to him. Stuart imagines that, in one portion, Theseus is represented rushing upon the enemies of the Athenians at Marathon; Colonel Leake, that the decorations of the flanks refer to the exploits of Theseus, while those of the posticum and front represent respectively the combat of the Centaurs and Lapithæ, and the Gigantomachia, in allusion to the .exploits of Heracles;3 Müller, that the subject of the frieze is the war of the Athenians under the command of Theseus against the Pallantidæ, a race of gigantic strength, who wield rocks for their arms, and who are said to have contended with Theseus for the throne of Athens. 4 It is probable that several distinct actions are represented in these sculptures, the subject of each being separated off by the interposed groups of seated Divinities. To proceed to an examination of the sculptures themselves :—5 No. 136-the first opposite the left hand of the spectator when 1 Leake, Topogr. of Athens, p. 400. 4 Müller, Denkm. d..alt. Kunst, p. 11. All the marbles are engraved, Ancient Marbles in British Museum,' Part IX. pl. xii. et seq. looking up to the Eastern front of the Temple of Theseus-appears to represent a subject detached from the rest of the Frieze on this front; as it is separated from them by a group of Divinities, who are seated with their backs to the scene, and pay no regard to it. It appears to have consisted of five figures, three of whom are armed, and two unarmed. One of the latter is captured, the other (lost since Stuart's visit) was manifestly making his escape as fast as possible. Nos. 137, 138 represent three seated figures, which balance three others at the opposite end of the Frieze, and without doubt represent the Olympian deities, Zeus, Hera, and Athene, seated on the rocks at the summit of Mount Olympus. The figure to the left of the spectator is Athene, that in the centre is Hera, and to the right is Zeus, who appears, from the position of his right foot, to be in the act of rising from his seat. The armed figure to the extreme right of this slab belongs to the subject in the next marble. This slab has been considerably injured since Stuart's drawing was made. Nos. 139, 140, 141 represent all that now remains of a combat which is taking place in the presence of the Divinities last described. In this battle scene there were originally eight persons engaged, of whom portions only of six now remain; and these so much mutilated, that it is impossible to determine what particular battle the artist intended to record. Two of the figures, however, appear to |