Weekly graphic. [volume] (Kirksville, Adair Co., Missouri) 1880-1949, 1891-01-09
A LETTER FROM GREECE.
FOR THE GRAPHIC.

Ioh III oRaI IltOs
The modern city of Athens has
about sixty thousand Inhabitants
aud is located in a plain about
three miles from the sea shore
and is surrounded by hills and
mountains. and the most historic
OF these is the Acropolis Just in
the suburbs of the modern city.
The summit of this hill is occu-
pied by the ruins of Parthenon
the most renound of Greek ruins.
1t was built entirely Of pure,
white marble with polished walls
seven feet thick and about forty
feet high. A double row of col
umns are built on the four sides
of the temple. These support a
grand canopy made of marble and
adorned in fresco. These col
umns are about six feet III diane
ter AMI are the same height as tae
building. The floor is made of
great blocks of polished marble
about SIX feet square and one foot
thick. There is also a grand
fight of steps leading from the
toot of the temple to the front en-
france. The most of the walls are
yet standing and with TIE excep-
ton OF being battered by shot and
shell are yet true to plumb line.
Besides the Parthenon there is
here also the temple of Victory,
the temple of the six godesses and
a wilderness of marble statues,
fallen towers, columns and rich
decorations in architecture. The
Dorlc, Ionic and Corintbian col
umns are seen here in their origi-
nal purity and though built five
hundred years B. c. they are yet
used as models in modern archi.
lecture, and the statues of the gods
have never been equaled as works
of the sculptor's art.
Phldlas in the age of Pericles
built the Psrthenon, aud it after
wards served rs a model for the
Pantheon at Paris and the chief
TEMPLES at Rome.
We have now seen the things of
ancient Greece and Rome bg
which they won renown in the
progress of the world, and while
Rome exeelled in size and great
conceptions in which the arch and
lone played a chief part. yet, for
simple beauty, excellence,
strength, delicacy and beauty of
execution the rufus of Athens ex-
cell all else we have yet seen in
either modern or ancient works in
marble.
From the Acropolis we look
down on a field of ruins where the
philosophers, builders AMI paint
ers of ancient Greece displayed
all their power of mind and body. |
The remains OF the temple of |
Jupiter Olympia is close by; also
the renowned tower Of the winds
which has warred againt storms
OF shot and shell and tempests for
more than two thousand years.
Then the forum of Damosthenese
is here which is simply large
platform hewn out of the solid
rock on hillside in front of
which there Is large, level, open
space where the assembled multi
'ude gathered to hear his "a
ions. Here too is the excavated
'ock prison in which Socrates was
'ortned and in which he drank
he hemlock, only because his
,enlus was in advance of his time. .
The room is about twelve feet .
quare with circular hole in the
op to admit the light. Near by {
'e also find the site of the court
t Areopagus where ST. Paul vas
rled, and where he preached to the .
eople concerning the unknown
rod whom they ignorantly wor-
hlped. A rock floor on cliff is all !
nat remains. Yet it Is almost as |
ndurlng as the truthes the apos- I
es proclaimed on the site. From )
ere we may also look down on J
he site of the graves where Plato {
'ught philosophy in his open air )
'ctures. Then there are some {
sry fine modern palaces and ;
;atues which show the Greeks 5
ave not lost the skill their ances- 4
RS gave to the world. Then 5
'oking far away over the olive a
'ove and vine lands we behold 7
e site of the battle of Marathon Z
here l1,O00 Greeks 400 B. C. +
empowered the combined armies l
the Persian King Darius with I
10000 men. This was the most Z
'rowned victory of ancient times j
I'd by it Europe was saved from q
g future fate of Persian despot- z
m. and Greece became ruler of j.
e world under Alexander the j
reat. Then farther away we Y
ay almost see the mountains
rming the pass of Thermopylae
mere Leonidas and his brave
oartan band died in front OF the
ersian invaders. Thus the h.
enes we here behold are those
e world reads about, poets sing c,
'out and the modern school bow N
caves into his Grafton.