T R A V Ï 250 E S 31 M G R,E E ' C E.
Within was the temple of Jupiter; and alfo a temple of Juno,
fixty three feet long, with* columns* round; it, ofthoDofic order;
and; a Metroum* or temple ofth em o th e r of" the1 gods, a large
Dprio>■ edificei; - with holy* Treasfuries, as- at Delphi.. Thefe;
andthe- Porticoes ji, a G*ymnafium; Prytaneum, and many more
buildings, chiefly in the ■ inclofore, with, the» houfes. of» the
priefts -and' other* inhabitants, made Olympia no ineonfiderable
place. The Stadium was- in the grove- of» wild olive-trees,
before the. great temple-; and. near it was- the Hippodrome or
courfe>>for the Paces of horfes- and chariots. T h e Alp he us
flowed »by- from - Arcadia with-a copious and very pleafant ftream,
which was received- on the .coalLby. the- Sicilian fea.
; T he temple of Jupiter was of the Doric order, fix ty eight
feet high to the pediment, ninety ,fiv? wide, and. two hundred
and thirty long > the cell encompaflfed with columns. It was
eredted with the country-ftone j the roof,, not ^ eafth baked,
birt-of Penrelic marble,- tW flabs difpofed -as. t5$ee; dber way ta>
it np.ja -winding ftaiteafe.] The* two* pediments were-; enriched
with fenlpture,- and-one had- over- the centre,a ftatue of. Victory
»gilded 4 atnd underneath, a- yptive buckler $£ gojfI?t A t each
corner was a gilded vafe. Above the colunnns gMj&Z twenty
on£gilded* bucklers* offered at thejconteliriion o f the. Adaeauiwar
by the Roman -general Mummius~. The gates in tbe-two fronts
were oRbrafe, and .over them were carved-the labours« of. Her-,
culfe&r Withio th e ocU» as in the Parthenon* at Athens*», were;
double colonnades, between which was the approach to the
image.
T he Jupiter-of; Olympia* was .accountedalone* fufficient to
immortalise its maker, Phidias, i t waa-of; ivory and. gold, the *
head crowned with» olive. In« the right hand was a ftatue of
Vidtory ; in the lefty a*.flowered feeptre, comp®fed) of- various -
metals, on which was an eagle. The fandals were of gold, as alfo
the veftment, wh ichwa s curioufty emboffed with'lilies .and
animals# The throne was- gold inlaid with- ebony andivosy;.
and
m i ftudded with Jewels, intermixed With paintings and
figures in relievo. T h é pillars between the fe^ contributed to
its fupport. Before it were walls, fervmg as a fence, decorated
■ pri-nc^aliy With the exploits o f Hercules-; the portion o^ o fite to
the dbor óf a blue colour. It was the office o f defbended
from Phidias, -called V M m m x ^ to
fe * p the wbrk bright add clean ■ TheWeR or^urtkm Was -doth
tichw ith the purple dye of Èhééfiiêia and with Affymn em^
broidery, an offering of king Antiedhws; ahd was ^ ’drawn up
as in the temple o f Diana at Ephefite, bet Wés let è w n from
by loofing the Rribgs. - The image rinpréflbd
tator an opinion that it- was higher and wider thab it meafered.
Its magnitude was'fuch, th a t ttik g fi thetemfflewas v^ylatg e,
the a im feeteèd to have Orted in the proportions. The go ,
fitting, nearly touched the ceding with his head-jfhggeftmg an
idea, that ^ he were to rife op; he Woifld d e f t ig t h e A
part of the paVeméHt before it Was o f black matble, trtetofed m
a rim of Pariah Of white, where they pöhréd
fvory. Paufanias has remarked; that the dry éir énd idftym ua-
tion Of the citadel M Athens' rendered-WatèfmcÉëproperifor-tóe
Mifiéfv^ih thé Parthenon. He cnqUirèd-Why nether was W
at Epidaurus] add was informed that the image and throne o
JEföüia^ias ftöèd oWfc é Well; - ?
T he altar of Jupiter Olympias- Was ó f :great antiqhity, and
compofed ö f é f l^ froth the thighs-hf
carried -up and Cohfumed Sn tftte top With Wood o f the white
poplar-free. -The a « ó f the Prytahdhm, m which- a
perpetual fire Was kept On a hearth, were remövèd a n h h ^ O n
a fixed day, and fpttiad on it; beitlg firft imhglëd ^ h water
from the Alpheus. - Tfcedèméhf, it Waéaffirmed-could-^made
With that fluid only, MA ffifeefórethis-rWér Was much r^efcted,
and dleemcd the moft-fridhdiy o f ahy-t^lhe IN * W f ® ”
fide of fhe altar Werè ffctrt fteps. Its höghr Was'twemy two
fóet. Girls add Wómehiwhén altö*rêd4 o *Bë ?wcre
fuffered- bafeirièWt, Which Was-'; an hcmdte
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