The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1870-07-25

pouring on the ORIENT sue OA TIC
Doric Temple, a deeper and more
mournful grandeur on the shades
within.
To dissipate the spell. we stepped
to the Fashioned heights of the
Acropolis and gazed, in newly aroused
admiration. on the panorama beneath
and around US.
Beginning on the northeast, the eye
first rests on the foreground palace
and garden of King George, then
rises to the summit of Lycabettussin
the middle ground, greeting the white
quarries Of Pentelican marble in the
rear, with the more eastern Hymettus
in the background.
To the east and southeast we view
the Temple of Jupiter Olympus with
the gate of Hadrian already described,
the bed and ripping waters OF b
almost Summer dried Ilissus, and n
place Of Callirrhoe's nine fountains.
Stepping back to the Propylea and
looking down the broad flight of
stems. up which the Athenians as
cended to the worship of the goddess,
we see in the south and southwest,
Philopappas, Socrates prison and the
Demosthenean PDyX.
Slowly turning to the west, we be-
hold the Temple of Theseus and the
Observatory; while the verdure of the
olive groves relieves the eyes as 1t
rises to the harbor of Pieus and the
more distant Salamis. But now q
new object arrests the attention, on
the west, at a short distance below us,
and carries the mind from the glories
r A. r-nk CEanko~ UInrYQg nj
nature, to the infinite glory of " God
! that made the world and all things
| therein" There stands the rock OF
Mars Hill, from which Paul pro-
claimed TO the ATeOpagus and the
Athenians the unknown God,
whom therefore they ignorantlY wor-
shipped: the Lord who dwelleth not
in Temples made with hands" who
needeth not a Parthenon; for His
Temple is the Universe, and His ex-
istence omnipresent.
From the glorious Acropolis, then
let us descend, in humility, to Mars
Hill, ponder on the day when He
will Judge the world in righteous
ness and supplicate for ourselves
and friends, forgiveness and accept
ance.
The Lind thus tranquilized, we
wander to the
STADIUM AND L~YCABETTUS MOUNTAIN,
Passing along the banks of the
Ilissus, and by the Nine Fountains Of
the Nymphs, where there is now a
pleasure garden, we found the Stadl-
um, and were pleased to notice exca'
vations going on. These have al.
ready reached the original level Of
the space devoted to the games and
s~pectacfes, which are supposed to
have delighted sometimes as many as
10000 spectators, comfortably seated
on marble terraces, FURNISHED by the
liberality of Herrodius, the son OF
Atticus,) while as many more could
find seats on the turf of the ample
natural amphitheatre of 675 feet in
length, and in all extending at least
100 feet above the arena.
The excavations have reached parts
of the white marble, forming, appar-
emily, the lowest tier of seats, at about
ten or twelve feet below the present
bed of the valley; and, since my re-
turn, l have seen notices of addition
al highly interesting discoveries made
by these excavations.
From here, passing around the
modern Palace Garden, we assembled
the mountain, generally supposed to
be the ancient Lycabettus, with Au-
chesonius (by some deemed sinony-
nous, but more properly a part only
OF Lycabettus), at no great distance
on Its southwest, and entering the
chapel of st. George, On the summit
of the former, saw a painting OF
that hero vanquishing the dragon.
From this elevated, rock-ribbed
point, the prospect far and near is
truly magnificent, and we we're fortu-
nate enough to have a clear atmos-
phere for a time. Athens looked
small indeed. and even the Kings
Palace dwindled to pigmy dimensions,
as the eye ranged from valley to
mountain, and followed now an undu-
lating, low, terrated outline until it
again dropped to the sea-blue horizon
of water, and traversing the Straits of
Corinth, looked far into its distant
gulf. As thus we gazed toward Mar
athon and Thermopyl3, then to Sala-
mis- and the region of the distant Mis-
%solonghi, uniting ancient with mod
ern Greek valoI, we thought that
Byron's dream might possibly yet be
realized, and "Greece be living
Greece F" again.
Standing on Mars Hill after long
expectation and delay, we we're re-
minded by a miniature representa-
ton of the world on fire. First, Ju-
piter Olympus sent forth a blaze that
illumined the previously darkened
heavens, for the moon was hidden by
clouds. Then Philopappus took up
the signal light and sped itfrom point
to point. .Theseus' Temple was M
sheet Of white light: Socrates dun
geon emitted lurid flames from its
three apertures; Demosthenes Pnyx
sent laundering echoes TO the clouds,
and rockets to the sky that fell in tri-
colored beauty almost at the Queenly
feet, as the royal party drove past.
Blue blazes rose from Neptune's well,
Nlctorys Temple seemed burning up,
the whole Propyl9a shot its light to
the summit of the Genoese Tower,
and the P%arthenon, towering in a
majesty of brightness, sent its rays
over the whole Athenian City.
Many private residences responded to
the call, and the illumination was
| general. The French Embassy was
festooned along its whole front with
a glare of tri colored lights in sue
cessive gauzy lanterns. The gaiety
was general, the harmony remarkable,
the success satisfactory. and at IL
PM. Athens was as deeply hushed in
repose as Solon's laws could have
commanded, or Plato's wisdom have
eDjoined.
Most truly yours,
RICHARD OWEN.
KENTUCKY LETTER.