Papers of the American School of Classical Studies at Athens (4.1885-1886)

THE ATHENIAN PNYX.

21 I

place where Dike was now sitting. As she was there to await the
coming of the people, it is highly probable that she looked in the
direction from which they were expected to come. This supposition
is rendered almost necessary by the nature of the place. The
Areopagus is precipitous on all sides except the west, where it slopes
gradually to the open space south of the temple known as the
Theseum. Such a crowd as Dike seems to have expected could
scarcely have come from any other direction. The topography of the
place is thus seen to correspond with the testimony of the ancients.
Nor does it weigh against this supposition that Dike sat looking
towards the west, that she saw Pan and asked Hermes who he was
before he went to summon the people. Pan's grotto was east of
where Dike was sitting, under the north-west corner of the Acropolis ;
but there is no intimation of the direction from which he was coming.
Luoian says simply that he was approaching, 7rpdcnwv. From this
passage we conclude that the «Pnyx was visible from the Areopagus
and was probably in a south-western direction from it.

IV. In the Life of Theseus (§ 27), Plutarch gives an account of
the battle between the Amazons and the Athenians. The encamp-
ment of the Amazons was within the city, iv aara, and the battle was
fought in the vicinity of the Pnyx and the Museum Hill, -n-epl ryv
Hvvko. kcu to Movo-uov. In regard to the encampment, he adds
further that it was iv, rrj iroXu ax^Sov, which is tautological unless we
understand the word ttoXu in this clause to refer to the Acropolis.
Otherwise it is difficult to understand why Plutarch should say that
the encampment was iv ao-ra, and then add immediately afterwards
that it was almost iv rrj rrokei. That he means that the encampment
was almost on the Acropolis is also favored by a not uncommon
usage by which the word tto'Ais takes the place of 'AKpoVoAi?.
Plutarch then quotes Cleidemus, who, he says, gives us accurate
details, as saying: to piv evuivv/xov tuiv 'Apa^ovoiv Kepas i-rrLarpe-
cj>av Trpos to vvv KaKovpcvov 'Apa^ovtiov, TtS Si 8e£i(S Trpo's rrjv Hvvko.
Kara, rijv Xpvaav r/Keiv- fj.a)(e.o-0aL Si 7rp6s toCto tous Kd-qvalowi ujto
toxi Movcretov Tats 'A/tafderi (Tvp.irccrovra';, kcu Ta<^>ou5 tuiv weo~6vTU)v ircpi
rrjv TrXareiav elvai rr/v (j>epovaav em Tas 7riAas trapa to XaAKwSovTOs
rjpwov, as vvv Heipa'iKas ovo/id^ovau

1 " The left wing of the Amazons turned towards the place now called
the Amazoneum, while the light wing extended to the Pnyx at a place called