The Canton mail. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 18??-1882, 1875-12-04
The Excavations of Olympia.

| army HcSe eACtlNdthpIiS were SUCCESS
ful in every way, and from the east
end of the Temple of Zeus admirably
preserved rcIiefs of the metopes, which
now adorn the museum of the Louvre,
were obtained. Unfortunately for the
cause of archaeological research the
sudden recall of the army from the
Pcloponnesus rendered it necessary to
abandon this promising and interest
ing field. Some twenty years later
Professor Ernst Curtirls, of Berlin,
who gives glowing account in the
current number of the International
of the present prospect at Olympia,
delivered an address in which he re-
vived the old project of Winckelmann,
rousing in the mind of the youthful
Crown Prince of Germany the deter
mination, SO soon as circumstances
should allow him, to carry the original
plans into execution. Immediately
following peace with France negotia-
tions were opened with the. Greek
Government. An agreement was
signed April Is, 1874, which was not,
however, ratified until year later,
the terms of which were, that acting
in the interests of science, the German
Government resigned all claim to the
possession of the objects which might
| be discovered. The Greek Govern
| ment, Jealous of its ancient relics, vet
unwilling to act in the matter upon its
own account, would not listen to the
surrender to foreigners of native works
of art. Indeed many persons in
Greece were openly opposed to the
acceptance of an offer which must ever
rebound to the credit of German
enterprise and scholarship 1t was
finally conceded upon the part of the
Greeks that the Germans in return for
their trouble and expense, should re-
ceive such antiquities as might be con-
sidered in a certain sense duplicates.
In accordance with the terms of this
| agreement, on the ID of last Scpten-
Der, two young men, an archeologist,
DIR. Gustavus Hirsehfeld, and an en-
| gineer, Paul Bottacher, set out from
Venice for Zante, EN- route for Olym-
| pla, where they are empowered to
| begin the excavations which have been
determined upon by the government
of the German Empire These forth
coming excavations will differ from
those undertaken above the sites of
the famous cities which for centuries
have lain embosomed i'm lava and ashes,
in that no ancient cities of Greece
have been so buried. In the language
of Professor Curtits, 1T is only neces-
sary TO select a site where first, the
original abundance of statues and
works of art is sufficiently established;
and secondly, one where, unhindered
by modern buildings the excavations
can be carried forward at will Oh every
side" All the conditions desirable for |
excavation exist at Olympia. There
is an area clearly and sharply defined
by unchanging natural boundaries.
The temples, altars, and other buildings
required by the various necessities of
the festival are all clearly indicated
On the north stretch The Olympian
mountains, and flowing down in deep
ly worn channel roll the Alpheios and
the Kladeos, its tributary. Within the
space inclosed by these heights and
streams lay the sacred area of the Altis,
while outside Of this incIosure stood
the Stadium, the Hippodrome, and the
buildings where the muititudes which !
streamed to the festivals were lodged.
The ruins of the Temple of Zeus Olym-
Plus form Il sure landmark within the
Altis. The sanctuary of Pelops is
within easy range, and in the direction
of the hill Kronion lay the Great Altar.
Then came the famous temple of Hera,
and other buildings. AT the foot of
the hill kronion there stood Il double
terrace, whereOn was situated the
in which votive offer
ings were deposited, with n number of
bronze statues of Zeus. Affairs and
votive offerings were interspersed be-
tween the buildings, and here it is con-
fidentlv expected at every step that
vestiges of antiquity Of undying inter-
est will be recovered.
Notwithstanding the ravages of Nero,
and the destruction and plumber of sin
gle works of art, it is confidently be-
lieved that the treas,lre-house of OIym-
pia has suffered no material harm.
rhe great monuments of public wor-
ship, the temples, with the statues
which they contained-thcsc, says the
learned and eloquent Curtius, are
treasures on which we may be sure
neither Romans nor barbarians have
laid their hands The temple of Zeus
at Olympia in its entirety is doubtless
one of the most interesting architcctu-
raj works of antiquity, and it may be
expected that through the excavations
10 be made in and around its site now
light will be thrown upon the relation
If Attic to Pcloponnesian art. Ia re-
'pect to everything which stands in
with the public worship and
he public festivals of ancient Greece,
he excavations recommended by Pro
cssor Curtius, and undertaken with |
uch bright hopes by these German cN-
,erts, may be confidently expected to
'cveal Il rich mine of archaeological
rcaSlrc which must materially increase
,ur knowledge of that ancient life 50
connected with our modern
culture.
ppOI TJCE ON THE (oNING WINTER