New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-01-08

veteran explorer and architect, has since
brought some vestiges Of the primitive Oym-
pieum of Pisistratus to light just enough to
demonstrate that II was a Doric hexastye.
The reconstruction of the temple as a Co
rinthian decastyle of white marble and on a
scale SO large that its interior resembled an
open court rather than the celed and window
less hall of the normal Greek temple, the
work of two princey patrons Of Athens in her
not altogether inglorious provincial days. King
Antochus ~ of Syria and Emperor Hadrian.
For once Rome had more than a pecuniary
part in an artistic enterprise on Greek soil, for
the architect OF Antiochus Decimus
Cossutlus His temple occupied over G0,OOO
square feet. larger area than the Temple Of
Diana of the Ephesians the pride OF Asia. DR..
Staes has cut deep trench clear around the
crepidoma- II reveals rectlinear drain run
ming parallel with the four faces Of the temple.
and intended to carry of the considerable vol
ume OF rain water that fell on the roof surfaces
Here and there part of big futed column
drum rs extracted In a fair state Of preserva-
ton gridiron OF shorter trenches radiating
from this main one created heaps OF earth and
marble debris for progressive removal and II
is now POSSIBLE to obtain an effect intended by
the architect when one stands In the widened
trench at the northwest corner Of the temple
and looks UP at the huge bases and soaring
shafts OF his clustered colonnades BY moon
light this is very effective experiment
The space between the north precinct wall
Of the Olympieum the lower courses OF which
now divide the temple esplanade from the ad-
joining Exposition Building Park has been
cleared to the level Of the pavement on which
the temple itself seemed TO rest, and in places
down 10 the beds Of marble chips left by the
workmen of Cossutius. 1t has yielded a FAIR
harvest of inscribed statue bases and diverse
architectural members both of the late classical
and of the early Christian epochs These were
once parts Of the exedras and porticos that
lined the inner face of the precinct wall. The
most striking pieces found here are two re-
Jected gutter blocks of the great temple, with
rough -hewn hummocks of white marble where
the lines Of tiles were to crd. and lumpy pro-
lectons where the perforated hons heads were
to be The precinct wall is going to be set up
again with d Judcious utilization of these an
tique materials. in such fashion as to mark OF
the temple precinct from the adjoining rubbish
dumps and ornamental plantations
The finished columns of the old Temple OF
Psistratus carried 10 Rome by Sulia to
serve IN his restoration OF the Temple OF Ju-
/
hopes of discovering some connected vestiges
Of the Doric temple of the sixth century before
Christ IN the section of soil which he will at
tack next. that inclosed within the outline Of
the crepidoma Only recently he able to
identify the location Of colossal statue which
the descriptive work of Pausanas refers to as
occupying "a position behind the temple. that Is
to say a little west of IL
al All
tinguished at exactly this point I, bore the
monumental tribute of the municipality OF
Athens to its imperial benefactor Hadrian The
statue was designed of unusual size in order to
outshne the many sculptured portraits of the
same Prince which other Greek cities bad dedi-
Gated under the caves of his Olympieum
Among the inscribed pedestaIs found recently
is Of statue of HadriaD Sc, ny by the
town of Coropissus In LycaOnia
DISCOVERIES AT SICYON AND ERETRIA.
Sicyon, on the Gulf Of Corinth, the promon-
tory Of Sunum Al the tip OF Attica, and Ere
tria on the island Of EubGa are the sites out
side OF Athens where discoveries Of conse-
quence have been made during the summer
holidays One is tempted to add Corinth and
Thereon. IN Etoa where digging ceased only
at midsummer Dr. Soteriades's excavation OF
the natter site mas ehllCheu ''ie '>aNo"a' ''u
scum with unique object. not yet placed on
exhibition II is a series OF painted terra-cotta
plaques. composing triangular tympanum
They are entirely Nat. Here is for the frs'
time an Indication that the ancients were ac-
customed TO employ purely pictorial decora-
ton a. well painted sculptures III terra
Gotta or marble for the decoration OF then
temple pediments Coming hard upon the dis
covery al Delphi Of a sculptured pediment OF a
single block OF marble 50 curiously carved a.
70 make the lower halves Of the standing hg-
ures reliefs while then upper halves are carved