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

the NegrOpont). brought US I Oay-
light in view of the Athenian flights;
nd before 8 AM. the day after leav-
* Constantinople, we stood, (escap-
sa from bargemen and hackmen, res
sued from dragomans by the selection
of one), on classic ground, gazing on
he
pARTHENON AND OTHER WONDERS OF
THE ACRoPoLIs.
The feelings experienced on first
a~pproaching the Piraeus, in the grey
mist Of a cold and cloudy daybreak,
driving in a rickety hack under the
auspices and guidance, for four long,
bsrren miles, of two brigand-looking
creeks, the driver and the interpre-
ter, encountering only a few peasants
With their donkeys. were not ealcu-
lated to raise our enthusiasm for class
ical ground to q very elevated pitch.
The greater then, by contrast, was
our delight when, after wandering
past double lines of the beautiful
" Pepper Tree" with its graceful ev-
ergreen pendent foliage and crimson
berry clusters. we assembled the nights
dedicated to Minerva, and saw in sue
eession the splendors of antiquity.
First in order we take, however,
below, the remains of Olympic Jupl-
ter's Temple, commenced by Pisistra-
rms. $50 b. O., of which fifteen splen-
did Corinthian futed columns, at
least sixty feet high, still re-
main. notwithstanding a fire which
blackened them, while destroy
ing others. Thirteen stand near
each other, two at a considerable dis.
lance. and one, PROSTATE its full
length. shows itself to have been six
feet and a half in diameter, and made
ND of eighteen separate blocks. held IN
Mace by iron spikes, which do not
show externally. Near this Temple is
the Gate. or Arch Of Hadrian, still
exhibiting architecture OF the most
refined taste and artistic execution,
and commemorating the completion by
Hadrian of the Temple OF Olympian
,Joye, commenced three centuries be-
fore, namely, ia B. O., by Antio-
chus Epiphanes. There is ample
a in front Of the Temple for
games or trials of skill.
Next in order, as being also not far
from the base of the Acropolis, may
be mentioned the monument of Lysi-
crates. or Lantern of Demosthenes,'
a small tripod-crowned Temple OF
Pavilion. According to inscriptions
on its architrave, it was constructed
by Ly~sierates, a successful victor and
chorus leader in Olympic song. The
space around is being cleared, even
Lord Byfon's house having been re-
moved, to make way for ornamental
shrubbery and grounds around this
relic of antiquity.
We pass now to the Amphitheatre
of Bacchus, recently cleared from the
rubbish which concealed it, and made
to exhibit the new stone seats in the
sIoping hillsides, the first tier of
white marble chairs having the names
Of the prominent men who occupied
them inscribed by the stone-cutter's
chisel. Ascending passways, nearly
three feet wide, run In radial lines
beginning about twelve feet apart al
the arena, to the summit of the ter.
race, thus afording ample means OF
ingress and egress, this place oil
amusement communicates with an
other amphitheatre at no great dis.
lance, said, by our guide, to have
been built by an agriculturist, Hero
dius Attarus, with a treasure which
he found when c~ultivating the plains
Of Marathon, and which, having, as
was supposed, been long buried there,
he honestly conceived belonged to the
public. But this story is doubtless
apocryphal, as Tiberius ClaudEus
Attius Herodius inherited a large
fortune from his father. In front OF
this Odeon are large arched dungeon
looking places, of more recent Roman
structure. Around this Theatre of
Herod, or Odeon of Regilla, as be
called it, after his deceased wife, are
piled up many relics of statuary, more
or less perfect, such as those of
Neptune, Silenus, &c, which escaped
the ravages of war, while many others
as we'll as the Parthenon itself sufered
greatly from the cannonading during
the attack of the Turks, but still more
in earlier times from the Venitians.
Many of these relics are preserved in
the classical Temple of Theseus, near
the western base of the Acropolis, in
front of which we found fine looking
young soldiers drilling with an energy
which recalled the palmy days Of
Greece. One of the statues is claim
ed to represent the soldier who died
of exhaustion after carrying to
Athens the news of Marathon's field.
E%nlarging our circle somewhat before
ascen ding to the Acropolitan glories,
we pass near the Observatory, and
view the sliding rock of more than
doubtful efficacy in accomplishing
maternal wishes; then ascend the
Pnyx, and witness, in Imagination.
the electric power produced on the
upturned faces of an Athenian crowd
below, by the thunders of Demosthe-
mes; wander to the dungeon of Soc
rates, and reflect on his tried virtue:
then gaze from PhiIopappus' heights
at the glorious Temple of Minerva
PoIus, until impatience to scale the
Acropolis, brooks no longer delay.
Edinburg, Scotland's picturesque
capital, has been called the modern
Athens, chiefly l suppose from her
attention to literature; but there il
certainly a strong physical resem-
blance in their topography; Lycabet-
tus answers to Arthur's Seat; Au-
ehesNus, or the subordinate part of
Lycabettus to the Cotton Hill; the
Acr2polis to the Castle Rock; and
the Harh5r of Pirarus to the Firth of
Forth. True, Athens is built on
comparatively level ground, and
Justly boasts of antiquities which can
not be found on British soil; yet the
prominent features of resemblance
are there.
THE EMPRESS OF THE FRENCH IN
ATHENS.
This morning. 9th October, 1869
oony and housetop. of almost every