3* T R A V E L S i n 0 R E E C E.
C H A P. IX.
O f Pericles— O f bis buildings—- Entrance o f the acropolis-—'the
- propylea— Story o f: the - architeSl--- Hhe temple <f mibloryi Or
right miqg o f the propyUa“ Ji Hhe left wing -— Brefhnt ftaU o f
?he propylea—-X )f the temple -— Ignorance o f the Harks and
Greeks-— O f 'the- left wing— Hhe propylea when ruined— -
Infcription on a pedejlal.
I T was the fortune o f Athens; vyhile flourishing in glory,
dominion, and revenue; to produce- Pericfe^ a-thah as- diftin-
guifhed by the-vafhietl o r ?ms^idea% as hy<di<^%i^e^he^tt)f.4d8' •
tafte, and as eloquent as fplendid. His enemies declaiming
againft his temples and images, and comparing the city with its
gilding and painting to ia1 vain woman .hung.;-with jewels*) hei
took occasion to fhow, it was wifdomto.con'vert:the,prafperity
o f a Hate, fufficiently prepared fo r f war, into its 1 perpetuate i
ornament by public works,- which excited; every liberal'art,
moved every hand, and difpenfed plenty to the labourer and
artificer, to the mariner and merchant; the whole city betng'at.i
once employed, maintained; and beautified by.itfelf.3ui “ Think i
“ ye, faid he, it is much I have;expended ?” Sortie anfweredj •
‘ ‘ .very much. Be mine then, he replied, the;.whole:burthen, 1
“ and mine the honour of.infcribing the edifices railed, fori you.-’ ;;
But the multitude refufed, and calling out, bade him take
from the treafury and fpare not. 'I
T he f architects employed- by -Pericles were polfeffed of' con- \
fummate fkill in their profefljon, and Phidias was his overfeer.
The artificers in the various branches were emulous, to excel' the
materials by their workmanfhip. To grandeurof proportion
were added inimitable form and grace. The vigour, o f one
adminift ration accomplished what appeared to require the united
efforts of many ; yet each fabric was as mature in perfection, as
i f
T R A V E L S i n G R E E C E. P
i f it had been long in fin-ifhing.; Plutarch affirms, that, in his
time, the flruCtures of Pericles alone-demonftrated the relations
o f the antïent'jjower and wealth o f Hellas not to be romantic.
In* their iCharMCtefi WÉf ah excdll^^ ^ééüliar arid- ünpafallelïed*
-Evehv then they' re'tainéd f all their! original, beauty» : A : certain.
'frefhnefs bloomed upon them, arid preferred their faces uninjured';
’as i f they pofFefled a never-fading fpirit, 'sfrfd had a fóuL
infenfible-to age. -The remains of%fmë5 of-thefe edifices,-’ flilh
extant in4hé"acropolis,, cannot" bé beheld'without admiration. j
T h E -acrdjpblis has ' nöw; as' enhance^
which fronts the Piraeus.. The afeent ‘is- by traverfest;and rude
fortifications'iurhifhed'with oahnefn; but without-carriagés and
negleCted. E y the fecond gate .is the station of the'guard; who
fits crofiPlegged- under covert much' at his-eafe, frppiing his
pipe, o r drinking-'coffee ; with-his-companions about hmfi'rt
like attitudes. Over this gateway is an‘ irifeription in large
characters on a ftone turned iipfide down, ahet black from the
fires made below. . It records a prefent o f a' pair o f gates?*'*'
G o i n g ' farther up, ydu come to the ruins o f the propylea?
ah edifice; which graced.the cntrdnCe' into thé citafiël? This
was'J ode of, the ffruCïüresP'of ÈëriËësf^whü feg alr Ir^Whëïi
Eüthymehés Wa| archori, four hundred thirfy-fiie y^als 'fcëföré
Chriffc. It^ Wa^cfir^lëmdihfiveyëars; at the éxpèllë%f*1twh
thousand antf twelve talents. It wasr o f marble, o f the 'döri'c
order, and had five doors, to afford an feafy paffagé 'to ' the
multitudes, which: reforted on bufiriefs’ or. devotioh to- thé'acropolis
» '
W h i l e this fabric wis building, the archite&,"''Mhë&dteLfê
whbfe activity equalled his fk ill,' was hurt by a fall, arid? the
phyficians defpaired of his life;.bu t Minerva, wha was.'própt-
t ^ s tothe undertaking, appealed, it was faid„ to, Pericles'; and
preferibed a remedy, by which he was fpeédily and ëafily cured.
W m i t