Burrow, Edward John: The Elgin marbles: with an abridged historical and topographical account of Athens (Band 1): Illustrated with forty plates (London, 1817)

57

ances are mentioned by Pliny, as existing in
his time at Pergamus. This ingenious artist
had a propensity very inimical to his fame,
that of destroying his own pictures in the heat
of passion.

Towards the end of the fifth century, in
which painting had been first cultivated with
success in Greece, flourished Micon, one of
the most renowned of ancient artists. He
was denominated " the prince of Athenian
painters," and was intrusted with the execu-
tion of the works destined to beautify the su-
perb portico which is known by the name of
the Paecile. In these he was gratuitously as-
sisted by Polygnotus, who, though not an
Athenian, but of Thasos an island in the
iEgean sea, contributed many of the finest pk>
turps which adorned the public buildings of
the city of Athens. The paintings of the
Paecile were not, however, the only works in
which the superior talents of Micon were dis-
played: he enriched the walls of the Temple
of Theseus with pictures of the battles be-
tween the Athenians and Amazons; and be-
tween the Centaurs and Lapithas; the third.