DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4324#0076
36
DIDYME.
and twenty-four years after Xerxes destroyed the temple, twenty-two before Alexander's expedi-
tion, and three hundred and fifty-six before the Christian aera.
This very eminent master was a Sicyonian, named Canachus, and a scholar of Polycletus, the
Argive.* Several of his works are on record, as the boys riding a single horse; -f one of the
images representing the worthies, who with Lysander acquired renown at ^Egospotamos, in the
Delphic temple ; X the statue of Bucellus, the first Sicyonian who conquered as a pugil among the
boys, at Olympia; § and a statue of Venus, at Sicyon, in gold and ivory. || He worked in marble
also,f as well as in these precious materials ; and had a brother, named Aristocles, who was little
inferior to him in reputation.
* *
The Apollo Didymaeus, or Philesius, as he is sometimes styled, was formed in brass of JEgi-
netic temperature, naked, 44 and, as represented on medals of Augustus and Caligula, holding a
lyre. By him was a stag ingeniously balanced and contrived, X X which on a medal of Balbinus he
bears in one hand, with his temple in the other. The Apollo Ismenius at Thebes was executed
by the same Canachus, in cedar, and resembled this at Didyme so much, that Pausanias remarks,
it was easy for one who had seen either, and heard the name of the master, to pronounce by whom
the other was made.}}
With what magnificence and prodigious spirit this new edifice was designed, may in some
measure be collected from the present remains. Strabo has termed it " the greatest of all temples,"
adding, it continued without a roof on account of its bigness ; Pausanias mentions it as unfinished,
but as one of the wonders peculiar to Ionia ; and Vitruvius numbers this among the four temples
which had raised their architects to the summit of renown. || ||
It is remarkable, the vicinity of a spring was deemed a necessary adjunct to the oracular seats of
Apollo ; and when those failed, he was supposed to forsake these. Hence their mutual coexist-
ence is insisted on in a response f f given by the god concerning the silent Oracles, in which he
declares that innumerable divine oracular sources had burst forth on the surface of the earth, both
fountains and whirly exhalations : and some the earth opening had again received into its bosom,
and some in a long series of years had perished; but that Apollo still enjoyed the inspiring Myca-
leian water in the recess of Didyme, with the Delphic, and that at Claros.
* * *
* Pausan. L. ii. p. 134.
•f See note f, p. 35.
§ Pausan. L. vi. p. 483.
H Plin. L. xxxvi. p. 731.
-f~-j~ See note -j-, p. 35.
§ § Pausan. L. ii. p. 134.
L. vi. p. 483. L. vii. p. 570.
X Pausan. L. x. p. 820.
|| Pausan. L. ii. p. 134.
** Pausan. L.vi.p. 459, 473.
X % See note f, p. 35.
L. ix. p. 730.
Strab. p. 634. Pausan. L. vii. p. 533. Vitruv. Prsef.
L. vii.
!! Tlepi ruv iKXiXoiiroJuv xpytfjiipiuv £Xf>vla'ev a^l°? o hiroWuv.
Af*.Qi S$ Ilu^w ol (I. kcci) K^api^v (7e omittend.) pxvjsvpccjoc.
<foC*
Avdyirsi Cpocjig ypejzpvi vefiijuatcnv ofitpxig.
MvpKx. piev yxtyg (Axvjvjix 9"E<n«Aa vuju
ESXuir^rj, irqyxi re Kxi xtr^ptxjx hvr\£v\x'
Kxi ra fjuv at]/ %§ovioi<riv v-rrxi koXttoktiv €^£k]o
Avjy yxtx %xv&<rx' tx S aXeire pwpiog ociuv.
Mvvi? $' He^icp <pxt<ripi&po]u turtf sxariv
Ei/ AiSuptuv yvxXoig MvxxXytov ev§iov voup,
Tlv^uvog r xvx nvtCxv vircci Tlxpvxtririov xwog,
Kxi Kpocvxy KAapjij, rp^yp tf\o^x <poiCxdog opttp^g.
Euseb. Prsep. Evang. L. v. c. 16.
*** Hence these three oracular seats are jointly noted
DIDYME.
and twenty-four years after Xerxes destroyed the temple, twenty-two before Alexander's expedi-
tion, and three hundred and fifty-six before the Christian aera.
This very eminent master was a Sicyonian, named Canachus, and a scholar of Polycletus, the
Argive.* Several of his works are on record, as the boys riding a single horse; -f one of the
images representing the worthies, who with Lysander acquired renown at ^Egospotamos, in the
Delphic temple ; X the statue of Bucellus, the first Sicyonian who conquered as a pugil among the
boys, at Olympia; § and a statue of Venus, at Sicyon, in gold and ivory. || He worked in marble
also,f as well as in these precious materials ; and had a brother, named Aristocles, who was little
inferior to him in reputation.
* *
The Apollo Didymaeus, or Philesius, as he is sometimes styled, was formed in brass of JEgi-
netic temperature, naked, 44 and, as represented on medals of Augustus and Caligula, holding a
lyre. By him was a stag ingeniously balanced and contrived, X X which on a medal of Balbinus he
bears in one hand, with his temple in the other. The Apollo Ismenius at Thebes was executed
by the same Canachus, in cedar, and resembled this at Didyme so much, that Pausanias remarks,
it was easy for one who had seen either, and heard the name of the master, to pronounce by whom
the other was made.}}
With what magnificence and prodigious spirit this new edifice was designed, may in some
measure be collected from the present remains. Strabo has termed it " the greatest of all temples,"
adding, it continued without a roof on account of its bigness ; Pausanias mentions it as unfinished,
but as one of the wonders peculiar to Ionia ; and Vitruvius numbers this among the four temples
which had raised their architects to the summit of renown. || ||
It is remarkable, the vicinity of a spring was deemed a necessary adjunct to the oracular seats of
Apollo ; and when those failed, he was supposed to forsake these. Hence their mutual coexist-
ence is insisted on in a response f f given by the god concerning the silent Oracles, in which he
declares that innumerable divine oracular sources had burst forth on the surface of the earth, both
fountains and whirly exhalations : and some the earth opening had again received into its bosom,
and some in a long series of years had perished; but that Apollo still enjoyed the inspiring Myca-
leian water in the recess of Didyme, with the Delphic, and that at Claros.
* * *
* Pausan. L. ii. p. 134.
•f See note f, p. 35.
§ Pausan. L. vi. p. 483.
H Plin. L. xxxvi. p. 731.
-f~-j~ See note -j-, p. 35.
§ § Pausan. L. ii. p. 134.
L. vi. p. 483. L. vii. p. 570.
X Pausan. L. x. p. 820.
|| Pausan. L. ii. p. 134.
** Pausan. L.vi.p. 459, 473.
X % See note f, p. 35.
L. ix. p. 730.
Strab. p. 634. Pausan. L. vii. p. 533. Vitruv. Prsef.
L. vii.
!! Tlepi ruv iKXiXoiiroJuv xpytfjiipiuv £Xf>vla'ev a^l°? o hiroWuv.
Af*.Qi S$ Ilu^w ol (I. kcci) K^api^v (7e omittend.) pxvjsvpccjoc.
<foC*
Avdyirsi Cpocjig ypejzpvi vefiijuatcnv ofitpxig.
MvpKx. piev yxtyg (Axvjvjix 9"E<n«Aa vuju
ESXuir^rj, irqyxi re Kxi xtr^ptxjx hvr\£v\x'
Kxi ra fjuv at]/ %§ovioi<riv v-rrxi koXttoktiv €^£k]o
Avjy yxtx %xv&<rx' tx S aXeire pwpiog ociuv.
Mvvi? $' He^icp <pxt<ripi&po]u turtf sxariv
Ei/ AiSuptuv yvxXoig MvxxXytov ev§iov voup,
Tlv^uvog r xvx nvtCxv vircci Tlxpvxtririov xwog,
Kxi Kpocvxy KAapjij, rp^yp tf\o^x <poiCxdog opttp^g.
Euseb. Prsep. Evang. L. v. c. 16.
*** Hence these three oracular seats are jointly noted