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

117

Acropolis/' In this Temple, consecrated to
patriotism, the Athenian youths took the oaths
of subjection to the laws, and of devotion to
the service of their country.

The building named the Propyleea from the Propyls,
colonnade before the Gates, in the central
part, extended 184/—10", quite across the
western end of the rock: it was constructed by
Mnesicles, begun in the archonship of Euthy-
menes A. C. 437? and, under the auspices of
Pericles, was completed in five years, as it
has been said, at the enormous expense of
one thousand drachms, or a sum exceeding
400,000/.

At the extremities of a broad flight of steps
leading up to the Propylaaa, were two square

gates and the common approach/' to which they could not have
climbed without passing near the Temple (xmro Ipov) of
Aglauros the daughter of Cecrops. That the rock is at this point
([acx.Xio-t'cc dirotousQy) extremely abrupt, enough so at least to
break the heroine's neck, appears to be the case in views of the
Acropolis 5 and the words of Pausanias do not require to be ren-
dered *f. steepest," with reference to the other quarters. The
sculptured marbles, too, bear the strongest tesimony, that the
Ionic building on which they were discovered was dedicated
to some martial purpose, and could not belong either to Ceres
or the Earthy whose fanes were situated near this spot.