The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1859-03-26
A VISIT TO ATHENS.
From the N. Y. Evening Post

A fairer day l never saw, npt even in America, while
after a hurried breakfast and with excited imaginations we
fastened To the ruins Of Athens. On that bold rock be-
fore us was once seated the grandeur of the "City of
Minerva the Acropols-within whose bounds stood
the magnificent Parthenon and the Pandroseum, besides
many of those buildings with which Pericles so beautifcd
his city. 1t was for this point we were hnrrying but
stay, how can we pass these beautiful columnsG How
grand On inquiring of our guide, he informs us in a
long sing-song narrative, (which makes me SO angry
that they are supposed to be the remaining columns of
the temple of Jupiter Olympus-ft emblems of its fallen
grandeur and was it here that the gold and ivory statue
of the god was, where these novels, was onos the tenn.
Pile of Jupiter 1t is even so, for all along our route the
huts OF the squatters are built Of stone from the ruins,
and l am told that when a farmer wants to wall his land,
he has but to go to the ruins, where he finds the blocks
already hewn. After a little ~scrambling over broken
pedestils and scattered capitals, we found ourselves in
the presence of the Parthenon and it was not till now
that its grandeur and extent became visible. All around
us lay its s~culptured stones, while above lowered its
splendid columns. Tearing ourselves from this absorbing
scene for q moment, we gazed around us-we were 10 the
centre OF o lovely, fertile plain, encircled by a range of
blue mountains. On the one side lay the struggling re-
mains of ancient grandeur while on the other modern
Athens. See the fate Of cities Like that of man, they
are made of dust they flourish to dust they return.
A few whitening lines alone now mark the site of the
pride of Pericies.
Boz 70 the Parthenon again this temple was dedicated
to Minerva, but was destroyed in the ruins Of the city by
the Persians. Pericles, Ito whom we owe That encour-
agenent of art before unknownD in 444 b.. c., rebuilt it
In a most noble manner, as its remains now declare. 1t
was in this temple that Phidias's renowned ivory statue
of the goddess stood it was forty-six feet high, and cost
about $576, 900. This rock of the Acropolis is one per
feet mass of ruins-ruins, too, that will cope with any in
the world, Egypt not excepted. There are growing on
this field of stone a few scattered olive trees, which were
one of the emblems of Minerva. After spending many
hours among these interesting remains, we descended to
the Catapoljs, which is now occupied by the site of mod
en Athens. There were many wonderful buildings ia
this part of the ancient city, but they are now almost en-
tirely oblterated. IL was in this part of the city that
the most magnificent ediice of the Grecians was situated,
/ refer to the temple of Jupiter Olympus, whose remains
/ have before referred to. Here, too, were those schools
in which the philosophers used to teach their scholars
not dismal prisons, but beautiful gardens, where were ex-
pounded the most magnificent theories of the world.
Athens fuldls all my expectations, with the exception
that / did not find rs many ~sculpturcd stones and fires
Goes as l had before imagined these I suppose have been
taken by greedy collectors, and il would be hnrd to say
If they are not now ut better purposes than to be defiled
and made stone walls of. The sun is already tinting the
Parthenon with its varied hues, and 1 must close this
very uninteresting letter on a very interesting subject.