; t £ H A P . : XVI.
flthe' Jiadium— Rebuilt by Atticus Herodes-^-Prefent. Jlaite,—-
A temple by the Hijfus— Once the Eleufinium—- ’Phe lejjjer- myf-
teries — 'Temple o f Diana the bunt refs-— Phe fountain Callirhoe
s tfr, Enneacrunus-*- Scene o f a dialogue o f Plato -r-Ebanged.
T H E bridge over the bed of the Iliflus, mentioned in the
.preceding chapter, is oppofite to the Radium called :the Pana-
"thenaean from ,a folemn ieftival, o f all the Athenians^: . at ,which
the games were held there. By-uhiting'the two banks itimade
the eroding eafy, and prevented any inconvenience i f a flood
; happened. T h e rewards o f vidtory in the gymnie exerciftsf performed
in.; the Radium .were a crown of. olive, and: ajariofmoft
pretious oil, the produce of holy trees called Mori®. Thefts were
.twelye in.number, immediate defeendants from the original olive
o f Minerva Polias, planted in the Academy, and;.on account of
.their fanftity untouched by the Laced®monians, when 1 they invaded
At t i c a . In it private merit was emblazoned by‘. public
gratitude, the herald proclaiming the honorary decrees of the
.people, with the names of the perfons prefented;wjth,fta;tues
and golden crowns ; and it was regarded as a glorious' recom-
penfe, to be diftinguilhed and applauded in this aflembly. ; T h e
emperor Hadrian prefided, when at Athens, and furniflied a
thoufand wild, beafts to be hunted for their diverfion., The
ftadium was one o f the works of Lycurgus, and the ground-
plat a torrent-bed, which he fmoothed.
T h e ftadium of Lycurgus was much decayed, when Atticus
Herodes, pleafed with a crown, which had been conferred on
him, and with his reception at the Panathen®a, rofe up and
addreffing the company, promifed the Athenians to : provide for
them, and for the Greeks who ftiould repair to the next folemnity,
lemnity, and for thofe who ihbuld cèntend at it, a new ftadium
o£ white marble. This was completed in four years, chiefly
from the quarries* on. mount Pentele, and is extolled as without »
a rival, and as unequalled by any theatre. “ What indeed,
« fays Paufanias, is not alike pleafing to thofe, who have heard
«< of it, but is a wonder to thofe who have feen it, is the
« ftadium of Herodes the Athenian. One may guefs at < the
“ magnitude from 'hence. It is a mountain beginning at a
“ diftance, beyond the Iliflus, o f a lunar form, reaching to the
“ rivej^bank, ftrait and'double.” The author; it feems»- would ?
infinuate, that' the magnificence o f Herodes was. a topic not
very agreeable. By the Will of his father the people were
entitled to a/large-bequeft ; but among his papers were found
gpuchers for j furnSj bois©w©d: ta a great amount. Herodes: had
balanced the old debt with the .legacy. This had ;rajtfe<i>a
clamour, i o f their due:; and
offitmerl, .it .was indeed a Panatheoaean ftadium, for that
all the Athenians - paid 'for «it. On one fide was a. temple, of
Fortune, with a ftatue.of ivory.
W h e n the Panathenaaa, with the other fpeRacles, .^dafed,
the ftadium became as ufelefs as the odéum or theatre, ,and was
treated in like manner. The mountain, on which quarries were
exhaufted, has been totally ftripped o f . its marble covering.
The feats were continued in roWs very high up, on the fide
next the fea; the flopes favouring fiich a difpofition. At the
two extremities by the Ilifius is lome ftone-work. The area,
which produces grain, has been exa&ly meafured, and found to
be fix hundred and thirty Englhh feet long.' On the left hand,
going up it, near, the top, is a fubterranedns paftage through
the mountain, once under the feats.' This was a private way,
by which the prefident of the games, the magiftrates, and
priefts entered to take their 'piac.es,; after the fpedtators.^were
me t; and by which, it* has been fiirmiféd, thófe who contended
and were unfuccefsful made their retreat. Such avenues
were not uncommon in the ftadiums of Greece.|
1 M GcrrNG