New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-04-30
UNEA RTHED AT POHPEH.
RECENT DISCOVERIES OF AN UNFlN'oh"D
TEMPLE AND A REMARKABLE Mo-
SAIC OF THE AREOPAGUS.

From The London Times.
The excavations at Pompe have been con-
tinued during the last year ana nave resultru
ing objects of secondary interest and lmpor
lance In the neghborhood OF the ua.e %
Vesuvus a portion Of the city wall peioneIh6 W
the earliest period Of Pompeiian building was
laid bare and is interesting. as II is apparently
more ancient than such other portions Oh the
wall as have been discovered. III appears 10 pe
Of Oscan construction, being pulit vi lais
blocks of rough stone neatly Joined without NOR :
tar and resembles somewhat the Iacaoe VI
THE House of the Surgeon which IS ADMIT
tcdly OF Oscar architecture, though the Stones
are larger and not so smoothly faced TINS sec
ton of the excavations being exhausted, the
ground already appropriated being nnisheo, the
director determined to excaVate the sinai COZ
ner near the Sea Gate" which was the only
unexcavated spot in that part OF the city' EA-
perts had long been anxious to see what lay
buried there for there was portion OF very
large and handsome red marble pluar whlch
had long been above ground, and had gwen rise
to sundry conjectureS.
On removing the soil the site was found to be
occupied by the foundations of a temple wnlch
was in course of construction at the tlme OF the
destruction of the city in ~ A ID. rms is par
ticulary interesting, because IL was supposeu
that all the sacred edifices OF the CITY nad peeh
discovered long ago no important deity being
without a representative temple; but, unfortu-
nately there is nothing in the rudlments OF the
temple before US to indicate TO whom II was 10
he dedicated on its completion. 1t is evident
that though very small it was intended to rival
in it's decoration any temple which existed IN
the city, and though it had scarcely risen above
the ground level, the marble architraves, carved
with the usual egg and tooth moulding, are
lying around it ready to be put up, and the
Cornthian capitals some finished ana others
only partly executed, are displayed In the IN
closure, as well as the base OF a pillar upon
which the mason was a. work at the time OF the
catastrophe which overwhelmed the city. The
tool marks on this base are clearly perceptpie,
and look as if the workman had only just left
his task
As to the handsome red marble pillar to which
we have alluded, it is reasonable to conjecture
that was the base for the statue OF the god. as
il is about four feet long and the only piece or
colored marble found on the site. The partly eX-
ecued capitals are extremely interesting as
showing the methods Of the Roman artist who
was engaged upon them while those that are
complete very good specimens indeed. con-
sderng that they belong to an age of decline.
If Pompeii itself has not been productive Of
sensation this year. "a small excavation on prl-
vate ground only few yards outside the walls
has more than made up for tins by revealing
one Of the finest and most interesting mosaics of
antiquity. Surround0i by most exquisite gar
land of flowers. with theatrical mask thrown
in here and there to break the pattern is
picture representing a group OF seven phllos-
ophers one Of whom is seated with papyrus in
his hand. and the others are grouped round
listening to him. In the background are some
ruined pillars and in the right-hand upper cor
ner is a representation of the Areopagus OF Attn
| ems. with It's rocks and buildings.
The mosaic is poychrome and in dimnutive
cubes of very fine workmanship. equal in merit
TO those by DiOscOrdes Of Samos in the Naples
Museum. which are believed to be the only
signed Inosaics Of antiquity. Ii is about three
feet square. and was, no doubt intended for the
centre of the pavement Of room. IL had prob
ably never been used. and was new mosaic be
cause il was not found on the ground but lean
ing against wall showing either that II had
been moved from some other place or that II
was about to he put down for the first time. Its
perfect condition leads one 10 prefer the latter
! conjecture The Government has purchased il
from Signor D'Acquno. and II will shortly be
| exhibited to the pubic in the mosaic department
Of the Naples Museum.
II is generally admitted that the earliest
mosajcs in Italy date from about ~ h. C.. and
there can be no doubt that in many cases they
were reproductions. or. at all events, traditions
of famous pictures. In the case before us the
| sketch OF the Areopagus, concerning the identity
of which there can be no doubt in the mind Of
any one who knows the spot even in its present
state displays the Greek origin OF the work. and
the scene depicted must either be some cele-
brated discussion Mars HILL, or what is
more unlikely. casual group of. one of the
Attic schools OF thought :ch as might be seen
there any day. AT any rate, sketch OF the
Areopagus which is recognizable at the end or
the neteenth century is no mean treasure, and
are encouraged to hope that one or other
of the archaeological schools OF Athens may he
able TO throw some light on the subject of this
interesting mosaic
1t is not thought likely that the D'Acquino
cavations will produce other objects OF great
importance. the house far has shown no
signs OF being anything more than suburban
villa After the rich find of silver which was
made some three years ago in house about a
mile from POmpeii and presented by Baron
Rothschd to the Louvre ii is unsafe TO speak
with too much confidence. but the above is the
opinion Of the expert who is in charge of the ex-
cavation.
MOTIVE POWER FROM BACTERIA.