The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1882-11-03


cases, twenty feet long and ten wide
and the head turning up to the distance
: of nearly twenty feet
AT the end of this avenue is one Of
those solid structures peculiar to
Egyptian views, called the propylon
1t consists of two massive uprights Of
pyramidal form, rising to the hight OF
about seventy feet, and between these
a solid wall with the exception of q
gateway. Some of these propyla have
a moulding on all the edges, and are
engraved with various devices of reeds,
battle.scenes, etc, but that at Karnak
is not engraved and was never complet.
cd. Passing through the prophylon
one comes to court surrounded by
columns, covered, and forming prom
cnade. There comes another kind of
propylon. This is about 800 feet long
by l75 feet wide and was covered with
| eto"n. tho ~-vhit-o-ea -e~ti.A.s ~.- --.>s-.
moth columns seventy-fve feet high and
twelve feet thick. The columns COM
posing the side aisles were forty feet
high and nine feet in diameter.
Standing at the entrance and looking
through, the effect of size is simply
overwhelming. One marked peculiari-
ty of these temples is that from one end
to the other You cannot find single
vertical line.
The Egyptians believed in the i'm
mortality of the soul, and that it would
return to this earth either in some other
human body or that of some beast or
bird
For this reason, then, the Egyptians
built their temples in this strong and
lasting manner, as the soul would, of
course, be pleased to find on its return,
things Just as ii had left them. They
also spent great care upon the tombs
and hnhias fn" tho so"o ~oaso", ond L
believe that with all our appliances
and improvements we could not be able
TO build such structures as those old
Egyptians did, We don't like to ac-
knowledge it, but it is fact, and facts
are stubborn things. We can form
some opinion of the amount of work Oh
these buildings, from the fact that il
took ZQOQ men three years to place one
stone. OF course there had to he an
inclined plane made to roll it into posi-
ton, as no staging could hold such an
immense block as this must have been.
think have said enough of This
temple so | will proceed TO the next
There was a people for long time
not entirely distinct from the Egyptians
but who afterwards came to be sepa-
rate nation. These people derived
many valuable ideas from the Egyp-
tians. rcfere TO the Crooks
The next temple of which will speak
is the iarthenon, the temple dedicated
to the Virgin Pallas Attiene, later
known as the Roman goddess Minerva,
who was the only goddess ofthe Greeks,
who was celebrated always as virgin.
| do not hesitate to say that this was
the most perfect temple ever erected.
1t was built about 4Sl b. c., during |
the life of Periclcs, who, although q |
private citizen OF Athens, had more
power than any other man there. New
er since have there been such workmen
as built this magnificent structure. 1t |
was situated upon the Acropolis, and |
was POO feet long by 100 wide. The
amount Of money expended upon
this temple is estimated at iivo million !
dollars, and to-day no architect living
could build one like it for it for fifty
First there was marble hall, and in
tho marble there is not a drop of NOR
~, 49, 49, Li- - - ---~.l.i~ o~n fftal |
so closely that even now, in many |
places, it is imposs ible TO insert q sheet |
of paper in the cracks. This hall is |
surrounded by row of columns seven
teen in number on each side, and ON the !
front and rear, double rows of eight |
each. These colnmps are seventy feet
long and six in diameter, and are fitted
as closely as are the blocks in the hall. |
The Greeks had learned that they |
could make a column six feet thick as
strong as one twelve feet thick, and so |
applied that knowledge. This temple |
was built on steps and adorned with
statues of rhe Gods, and Phidias carved |
Il statue of the Goddess, seventy feet
high, OF ivory and gold, and her spear
of gold protruding from the open sky
light in the center of the hall could be |
seen both by sunlight and moonlight |
for miles around, and acted as beacon |
light for ships at sea. The architect
who planned this temple was Ictimus.
There is hardly straight line in this
temple, nearly all being gentle curves
not more than one and one-half inches |
in one hundred and twenty feet, but
still curved. This was not discovered |
for POGO years. The temple was blown
up about 100 years ago. \ Venetian
ship bombarding the city, accidentally |
threw a shell right into the centre of
tie. e.hall ,theu used as powder magazine,
and blew large portion of the temple
to small pieces, and most of the gods
are on exhibition in London. a sad
fate indeed.
/ will speak but briefly OF the other
temple. 1t was built by the Romans,
who conquered many nations, and as fast
as they conquered them extended their
citizenship 10 ta6e in many of their
people and their religion to take in
their gods. Now the number of gods
was so great that each could not con-