The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-03-29

uuon OF AerXeS were probably destroyed by
him, the only temple he spared in Ionia being
that OF Ephesus. At what subsequent period
the Preneans began to rebuild them seems
to be uncertain, but when Alexander came
that way it may be presumed that he found
the Temple of Athene in progress for his
name occurs as its dedicator on a stone which
used to be at the east end of the heap of
ruins, but which is now in the British Mu-
scum. The inscription is especially interest
ing inasmuch as it is believed to present the
sole instance in which Alexander's name
occurs geographically by his own COM
mand. 1t seems that the inhabitants
of Priene were less independent than
those of Ephesus, for when Alexander
wished his name to figure as the dedicator Of
the restored Temple of Diana, after its
destruction by Herostratus, and offered in
return to repay to the Ephesians all that they
had spent upon it, they refused to entertain
his proposal. The marbles brought from
Priene contain another very interesting in
scription referring to the history of the city.
1t was copied by Chandler and Lebas, and it
has been recently edited by Mr.. Waddington
in his continuation of Lebas' ''Voyage dams
le Levant," but none of the copies hitherto
taken have been perfect. Now that we pos
sess the original we shall, in all probability,
be able to obtain correct reading of the
whole. 1t relates to quarrel between Priene
anu DdulOs, Dack as lar as JQe C6le-
brated Bias of Seven-Sages notoriety AS
the contending parties could not settle the
question themselves, they referred it for
arbitration to Lysimachus, as well as to
several other princes, and also to the Rhodi-
ans, who seem to have given decision in
favor of Priene. But the dispute still
| dragged on; during the reign either of
Ptolemy Philopator, it was again decided
partially, if not entirely in favor of Priene;
but after the defeat of Antiochus the Great,
when the Romans sent the Consul On. Man
lius, with ten assistant judges, to settle the
| state of affairs in Asia Minor, the Samians
contrived to get O decree in their favor.
This, however, which was obtained B. @. 1S8,
was set aside b. G. 1876 by decision of the
Roman Senate, which confirmed the original
| judgment of the Rhodians. Thus, in all pro-
! liability, ended lawsuit which had been
running, or at least creeping, for upwards of
| four centuries.
When the first exploration of Priene by the
agent of the Dilettanti Society took place, the
ruins of the temple of Athene were found
lying in scattered heaps just as they had fallen
after the shock of the earthquake which over
| threw the edifce. These ruins were recently
! cleared away by Mr.. Pullan to such an ex-
tent as to lay bare the entire area of the celia,
and he also dug over the ground in front of
the temple as far as the Propyl@a. One of
|
| end of the celia an immense pedestal with en-
! riched mouldings was found, on which no
doubt used to stand the colossal statue of
Athene Polias herself. This 0dgtun1, OF
shrine, had been anciently fenced off from
the rest of the celia by bronze grating,
the traces of which are still apparent on
the pavement. On that pavement, and
on the top of the ruined walls of the
celia, were various fragments Of
sculpture. Among the most striking of those
which have been transferred to the Britisl
Museum may be mentioned a foot, hand
and some other portions of q colossal female
figure, the execution of which may safely bt
referred to the best period of Greek sculp
ture, and which in all probability belonged e
the celebrated figure of Athene which stood
on the pedestal. On a smaller scale is
female head of great beauty; which in its pc
| culiar head-dress, as well as in its genera
character, is very similar to one of the head
discovered by Mr. Newton on the site of tn
Mausoleum, and engraved in his travels
There are also two draped torsos, smalle
head, male head, and several hands, a
we'll as a pair of bronze wings, which ma
have belonged to Victory he'll
in the hand of Athene. All thes
, fragments of sculpture are discolored by fire
and have evidently suffered at some perio
} when the beams of the temple must hav
} fallen on the pavement in a burning state
} But there are other fragments which bear n
) traces of fire, and which evidently belong t
} q frieze. The figures are in very high relie
8 and at least some of them will probably b
, found, when the fragments are put togethe
Y to belong to some battle scene, perhaps
0 Gigdntomdchta. In their modelling and gem
Q raj treatment these figures present strikin
y resemblance to those on the frieze of I'll
: Mausoleum.
We trust that we shall learn more abol
n these sculptures, and about the beautifl
> Ionic architecture of the temple to whiC
IS they belonged, when the Dilettanti Socie
IS publish their next volume on Ionia, which,
e is to be hoped, will contain full account {
o Mr.. Pullan's recent mission to Teos, Il
j. Smintheum, and Priene.
l. PROPOSALS.
r N NoTICE TO CoNTR CT h