DOI Artikel:
Crow, John; Clarke, Joseph Thacher: The Athenian Pnyx
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.8561#0252
THE ATHENIAN PNYX.
237
Pnyx is without any doubt to be sought in the place where it has
hitherto been thought to be."1 Forchhammer says, " In regard to
the Ilissos, the Acropolis, and the Pnyx, no difference of opinion can
prevail." Raoul Rochette says, " Cette determination [of the site
of the Pnyx] ne saurait plus, a notre avis, comporter la moindre
objection."
Many others have expressed themselves with equal decision. The
division of opinion arose among the Germans, some of whom still
hold Chandler's view, while others follow Welcker and Curtius in ac-
cepting the altar theory. We regret very much that we are not at
liberty to present here the opinions of some German scholars whose
conclusions in regard to the Pnyx have not yet been published.
The Pnyx question has been narrowed down by the identification
with other places of all the names mentioned above as having been
given at different times to the Pnyx, so that at present but two views
prevail: one, that the so-called Pnyx is the real Pnyx; and another,
that it is a place of ancient worship sacred to Zeus, and that the
bema is the altar. The latter idea originated with Ulrichs, who travelled
with Welcker in Greece in 1842. He did not express himself decid-
edly about it when this thought first occurred to him, because he knew
of no other suitable place for the Pnyx; but later he refers to it in his
article "Ueber das attische Emporium in Piraeus" in such a way as to
show that this was his conclusion. Ulrichs's suggestion received no
particular attention for ten years. During this time (in 1851) C. W.
Goettling published a paper on "Das Pelasgikon in Athen." In this
he introduced into the discussion the novel idea that the Pelasgicum,
which Leake located under the north-west corner of the Acropolis, is
not to be sought near the Acropolis or on its slope, but in the ruin
usually known as the Pnyx. According to his view, the semicircular
wall and the blocks on the top of the hill (marked "wall" on the sur-
vey) are the remains of a fortification which was constructed here by
the Pelasgians.-" In this old fort, he thinks, the Athenians afterwards-
1 Das Pelasgikon und die Pnyx, p. 19.
M. The error of this assumption is evident from the fact that the semi-
circular masonry is not a bulwark, but simply and only the retaining wall of a
terrace of earth. It has no counterscarp whatever, not having been intended to-
be seen from the inner side. It is even probable, from constructive reasons, that
the space within it was filled in with rubble and earth as rapidly as the blocks
237
Pnyx is without any doubt to be sought in the place where it has
hitherto been thought to be."1 Forchhammer says, " In regard to
the Ilissos, the Acropolis, and the Pnyx, no difference of opinion can
prevail." Raoul Rochette says, " Cette determination [of the site
of the Pnyx] ne saurait plus, a notre avis, comporter la moindre
objection."
Many others have expressed themselves with equal decision. The
division of opinion arose among the Germans, some of whom still
hold Chandler's view, while others follow Welcker and Curtius in ac-
cepting the altar theory. We regret very much that we are not at
liberty to present here the opinions of some German scholars whose
conclusions in regard to the Pnyx have not yet been published.
The Pnyx question has been narrowed down by the identification
with other places of all the names mentioned above as having been
given at different times to the Pnyx, so that at present but two views
prevail: one, that the so-called Pnyx is the real Pnyx; and another,
that it is a place of ancient worship sacred to Zeus, and that the
bema is the altar. The latter idea originated with Ulrichs, who travelled
with Welcker in Greece in 1842. He did not express himself decid-
edly about it when this thought first occurred to him, because he knew
of no other suitable place for the Pnyx; but later he refers to it in his
article "Ueber das attische Emporium in Piraeus" in such a way as to
show that this was his conclusion. Ulrichs's suggestion received no
particular attention for ten years. During this time (in 1851) C. W.
Goettling published a paper on "Das Pelasgikon in Athen." In this
he introduced into the discussion the novel idea that the Pelasgicum,
which Leake located under the north-west corner of the Acropolis, is
not to be sought near the Acropolis or on its slope, but in the ruin
usually known as the Pnyx. According to his view, the semicircular
wall and the blocks on the top of the hill (marked "wall" on the sur-
vey) are the remains of a fortification which was constructed here by
the Pelasgians.-" In this old fort, he thinks, the Athenians afterwards-
1 Das Pelasgikon und die Pnyx, p. 19.
M. The error of this assumption is evident from the fact that the semi-
circular masonry is not a bulwark, but simply and only the retaining wall of a
terrace of earth. It has no counterscarp whatever, not having been intended to-
be seen from the inner side. It is even probable, from constructive reasons, that
the space within it was filled in with rubble and earth as rapidly as the blocks