The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1859-04-07
From hc y. y. Er"mjmy Post.
A VISIT TO ATHENS

|
America, while after Il hurried hrcakf:,s, and
with excited imaginat;ons we hastcncd to
the ruins of Athens. On that bold rock
before us WAS once seated the grandeur of
the Getty of Minerva" THE Acropolis -
within whose houn'is stood II e magnificent
Iarthenon and the Pundroscum, besides
many of those buildings with whicl, Pcrc
les so brautiied his city. 1t was for this
point we were hurrying; but stay, how can
we pass these beautiful columns. How
grand ! On inquiring Of our guide, he iu-
forms us in long sing g-song narrative
(Which makes me SO angry.) that they are
supposed to be the remaining columns Of
the temple O: Jupiter OIympus-fit en-.
bIems of its fallen grandeur; and wis it
here that the gold and ivory statue of the
god was, where these novels, was once the.
temple Of Jupiter? 1t is even so, for al,
along our route the hutS of the suua,:crs
are built Of stone from the ruins. and | am
told that when tlrrner wants to wall his
lahd he has but to 90 10 the ruins, where
lie flnds the blocks already hewn. After a
little scram'lIng over broken pc,lcstals and
scattered capitals, we found ourselves in til.
presence of the parlhenon and il was
not till now that its grandeur and extent
became visible. All around lis Law lis
scuirtured stones, while above lowered its
splendid columns. Tearing ourselves from
this absorbing scene for mouIcnt. we
gaZed around us--we were in the GENRE of
lovely, fertile plain, crcirclcd bv a range
OF blue mountains. On the one side law
the struggling remains Of ancient grandeur;
While on the other modern Athcns Sc.
the Fate Of cities! Like that of man, they
arc made of dust; they flourish; to dust
Trey return. A few whitening lines alone
now mark the site Of the pride Of pericles
But to the partlenon again this temple
WAS dedicated TO Minerva, but WIS DESTROYED
III the ruins OF the city by the Pcrciles TO
whom we owe that encouragement Of art
before unknow,) in 444, Be, rebuilt it in
most noble manner, rs its remains now
declare 1t was in this temple that phiL
'as S renowned ivory statue of the goddess
stood; it was fo'iy.six feet hi.,h. and cos,
about $4,000. This rock of the :Acropo-
Us Is one perfect mass of rnins-ruins. too
that will cope with any in the world, Ervpt
not excepted There are growing on this
ilril OF stone few scattered olive trees,
which were one Of the cmllems Of Min
erva. Alter spending many hours among
these interesting remains, We dcc,nded TO
The Catapolis, which is now occupied by
the site Of modern Athens. There were
many wonderful buildings in this part Of
The city, but they are now almost entirely
o"''terH'ed. 1t was i'll this part Of the city
that the most magnificent edfice of the
"recnns was situated, refer to the temple
CT Jupiter Olympus, whose remains I have
before referred to. Here, too, were those
schools Ill which the philosophers used to
teach their scholars; not dismal prisons,
but beautiful gardens, where We're ex.
pounded the most magnificent theories of
the world. Athens fulfiIls all my expcc,a-
tIons, with the exception that did not find
as many scupturcd stones and frcscocs as
| had before imagined; these, suppose,
have been taken by greedy collectors, and
it would be hard to say if they are not now
at better purposes than to lie defiled and
made stone walls of. The sun is already
tinting the Parthenon with its varied hues.
aud must close this very unintercs,nc
letter on very interesting subject.