temple o f Minerva called the Parthenon in the acropolis at
Athens or in the time of Pericles* it having like proportions,
though far inferior in magnitude. The order is Doric, and it
appears to have been a fabric of exquifite beauty. It had 'fix
columns in front. Nine columns were ftanding on the; fouth*
weft fide in the year 1676, and five on theoppofite, with two
antae or pilafters at the fouth end, and part of the pronaos. .The
number is now twelve, befides two in front and one o f the
ante j the other lying in a heap, having been recently thrown
down, is we were, informed, by the famous Jaffier bey, then
captain o f a Turkilh galeote, to get at the metal uniting the-
ftones. The ruin of the Pronaos is • mufch diminifhed. The CP?
lumns next to the lea are fcaled and damaged, owing to their
afpedt. We fearched diligently for infcription%> hut without
fuccefs, except finding, on the wall q£ „the-temple many modern
names, .with the.following memorial in Greek, cut in rude apd
barbarous chara<fters, but with fome labput,:Qnefimqs remember-
ed bis Sifter Cbrejie. The. old name Sunium i& ffilnfed^and:* the
cape diftinguifhed by.its columns,.--Gepo, .Gblom&z«»
T he Hydriote fleet, which had failed qutt of . the g-ulf,when
we. arrived, returned on the f folLowing d.ay, /laden^ with corn
from Cea, purchafed fo ra Venetian armed ihip/jcaptain ALex.-?
ander, who was. then crime to an anchor within theeape. This
being .a, con traband cargo, was to be delivered clandeftioejyi and
we were informed the heats. bad-- given to theu oomthander.! of%a
Twkilh cmaifer, which appeared in. the offing, the fum iof fif^
teen piafters eachfor his permiffion to fulfil their cpritradl Without
moleftation. Sunium: was reckoned threer hundred .'and
thirty ftadia -.or .forty-one .miles and -three quarters . frrim the
Piraeus 1 or port of Athens.
I *, Strabo. JnPliny forty-two miles.
C H A P .
T R A V E L S i n G R E E C E , 9
C H A P . III.
O f "the ijland Mgina— W e fa il by the ijland o f Patroclus—
Our marineri — W ? arrive at Mgina—r- View from M . Panbel-
lenius-—Story cJ'Macus — Temple o f Jupiter — We fa t fa il fo r
Ike city- o f Mgina . t
THE gulf included within the two promontories, Sunium
and Scyllasum, contains feveral Hlands, o f which iEgina is the
principal. This Ma-nd was furrounded by Attica, the Megans
or territory o f Megara, and the Peloponnefus ; each diftant
about one hundred ftadia, or twelve miles and a half. In circumference
it was reckoned one hundred and eighty ftadia, or
twenty-two miles and a half. It was waflied on the eaft Mid fouth
by the Myrtoan and Cretan leas. It is now called Eyina orEgina;
the g foft and the 7 ihort. “ What occafion is there, exclaims
Strabo, to mention, that this is one o f the iflands which have
been excefiively renowned ? fince it was the country o f dEacus ;
it has enjoyed naval dominion i and has dHputed with Athens
the prize o f fuperior glory in the famous battle with the Perfian
fleet off Salamis.”
T he diftant hills continued hazy j but the wind being fair,
we embarked on the fecond evening after our landing at Sunium,
and letting fail, paffed very near to a finall ifland called Gaitha-
ronefi {AJfes IjlandJ, a naked rock, except a few bunches o f
thyme j not even a Ihrub growing on it* the clefts inhabited by
wild pigeons. It once hone the name o f Pafroclus, by whom it
was fortified with a wall and fofle. He was lent with lome
Egyptian triremes to afiift the Athenians againft Antigonus Ion
of Demetrius.' Sailing on, wc had on our, right hand the mountain
Laurium, formerly noted for filver mines. The coall: of
Attica was bare and of a parched afpedt.
C W e