130
most holy and ancient statue of Minerva,
which was believed to have fallen in time
past from Heaven; and a golden lamp made
by Callimaches, which when once filled burnt
continually for the period of a year, over
which was placed a brazen palm-tree to
disperse the smoke. These last were fixed in
the lower or western division of the Erec-
theum, consecrated to Minerva Polias, the
protectress of the city; in which also were a
statue of Mercury in wood, the bed-frame of
Daedalus, a coat of mail which belonged to
Masistius the Mede, and a sword formerly
the property of Mardonius the Persian gene-
ral. u But of the olive there is nothing told,
except that it is a memorial of the contention
between Neptune and Minerva, and that hav-
ing been burnt by the Medes, it sprang up
the same day to the height of two cubits.
The Temple of Panelrosus (in which the sa-
cred olive-tree here mentioned was preserved)
adjoins that of Minerva Polias/'
The compound structure, that is, the double
temple of Erecthetis and Minerva, with the
most holy and ancient statue of Minerva,
which was believed to have fallen in time
past from Heaven; and a golden lamp made
by Callimaches, which when once filled burnt
continually for the period of a year, over
which was placed a brazen palm-tree to
disperse the smoke. These last were fixed in
the lower or western division of the Erec-
theum, consecrated to Minerva Polias, the
protectress of the city; in which also were a
statue of Mercury in wood, the bed-frame of
Daedalus, a coat of mail which belonged to
Masistius the Mede, and a sword formerly
the property of Mardonius the Persian gene-
ral. u But of the olive there is nothing told,
except that it is a memorial of the contention
between Neptune and Minerva, and that hav-
ing been burnt by the Medes, it sprang up
the same day to the height of two cubits.
The Temple of Panelrosus (in which the sa-
cred olive-tree here mentioned was preserved)
adjoins that of Minerva Polias/'
The compound structure, that is, the double
temple of Erecthetis and Minerva, with the