DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4328#0016
THE FIRST AND SECOND IONIAN MISSIONS OF THE SOCIETY OF DILETTANTI 3
There are additional drawings from Ephesus, and some details from a late Doric temple at
Baffi (Heracleia ?), also some from Athens and from Epidaurus. One of the drawings represents " the
capital and architrave of a [Doric] temple in the land of Poro."!
In selecting the young painter Pars (1742-1782) to accompany Revett and Chandler, the Society
was particularly fortunate; the views of sites and details of sculpture which he brought back are
wonderfully minute and accurate. His views of Teos, Didyma, Miletus, Priene, Jakli, Euromos
(formerly identified as Labranda), Mylasa, Heracleia, Ephesus, Laodicea, and Troas are now in the
Print Room of the British Museum. He drew Greek sculpture with an insight which has hardly been
surpassed, as may be seen by the drawings of the Metopes of the Theseum, now in the Department
of Greek and Roman Antiquities at the British Museum.2 It is a matter for much regret that his
drawings of the sculptures of the Parthenon, some of which were published by Stuart and others in
the Museum Worsleyanum, have been lost.3 Chandler edited Part I. of the Antiquities of Ionia, for
which he wrote the historical accounts; Revett described the architecture, and R. Wood wrote the
preface. The Society handed over to Chandler the inscriptions collected by the Mission, and the
Journal of the travellers, both of which he published in his own name. A copy of the Travels in
Asia Minor in the British Museum has MS. notes by Revett, one correcting the identification of
Myus to Heracleia.
It appears from the Society's books that the members of the Mission expended the sum of £2100,
and £400 was divided among them on their return as a mark of the Society's approbation of their
services. The first Part of the Antiquities of Ionia appeared in 1769 with the names of Chandler,
Revett, and Pars on the title-page. It contained four chapters on the architectural remains of the
four Ionian cities of Teos, Priene, Didyma, and (as supposed) Labranda.4 The Society also paid the
expense of engraving the copper-plate of what was called the Athenian Inscription, and made an
additional present to Dr. Chandler of twenty-five guineas on receiving a bound copy of his Inscrip-
tions, 1774:, which, like his Travels, was dedicated to the Society. From a letter by Mr. Revett to the
Society (Ann. Soc. 47, i.e. 1780) it appears that the profits from the sale of the Antiquities of Ionia were
given equally in shares to Dr. Chandler, Mr. Revett, and Mr. Pars. The Society paid for engraving
the plates, setting the letterpress, and for printing 150 copies of the volume for the members. Two
years later, 200 more copies of the work were purchased by the Society from Mr. Revett. Many of
the drawings made by Mr. Pars (not being used in the Society's publication) served to add consider-
ably to the value of Mr. Stuart's volumes on the Antiquities of Athens. While these works were
going on the Society also appropriated the sum of £120 during each of the two years, 1775 and
1776, to the maintenance of Mr. Pars (who later became an A.R.A.) and Mr. Jeffries, as students of
painting at Rome. Between 1784 and 1794, Sir Joseph Banks, the Society's Treasurer and Secretary,
had disbursed £1140: 17s. towards editing the Second Part of the Antiquities of Ionia.5
Between 1797 and 1807 inclusive, Mr. Metcalfe, who succeeded Sir J. Banks, paid out the sum
of £2167 : 14 : 8 for drawings and engravings chiefly for the first volume of the Specimens of Antient
Sculpture, which was published in 1809. On the completion of this splendid volume the Society
prepared to undertake the second Ionian Mission, part of the results of which are contained in the
present volume. Early in 1811, a special Ionian Committee was formed, and soon after, Sir William
Gell, one of the Society's members (elected 1807), was engaged to travel in Greece and Asia
Minor, in company with Messrs. Gandy and Bedford, with the same general objects as those laid
down for the first mission. W. Wilkins, architect (elected to the Society in 1809), advised as to the
monuments to be examined. The instructions for this expedition, which were drawn up by Lord
Aberdeen, exist in the Society's collection of papers, but bound up with matter relating to later
years. In a covering letter, dated September 15, 1811, Lord Aberdeen says: "I enclose the
instructions which are in great measure founded on those given to Chandler and Revett, I do not at
all think them too much. It is a liberal and expensive undertaking on the part of the Society
.... I have added an agreement for Gell to sign which is in substance the same as he sent me.
There can be no occasion for any separate agreement with Gandy and Bedford as it is better to put
them entirely under Gell and to pay them through him."
A great number of bills for the things required for the equipment of the expedition show how
liberal the outfit was. They range from a gold repeater watch, £55, for Gell, to £1 : 18s. worth of
1 The temple at Poroa was excavated some years ago and found to have had six columns on the fronts by twelve on the flanks. It was of the
local stone and early in style.
2 These were published by Stuart but inadequately; one of Hercules capturing the horse was reversed on the plate.
3 See Mr. A. H. Smith's Parthenon Sculptures, ed. 1900, p. 114. 4 Properly Euromos. 5 Published in 1797.
There are additional drawings from Ephesus, and some details from a late Doric temple at
Baffi (Heracleia ?), also some from Athens and from Epidaurus. One of the drawings represents " the
capital and architrave of a [Doric] temple in the land of Poro."!
In selecting the young painter Pars (1742-1782) to accompany Revett and Chandler, the Society
was particularly fortunate; the views of sites and details of sculpture which he brought back are
wonderfully minute and accurate. His views of Teos, Didyma, Miletus, Priene, Jakli, Euromos
(formerly identified as Labranda), Mylasa, Heracleia, Ephesus, Laodicea, and Troas are now in the
Print Room of the British Museum. He drew Greek sculpture with an insight which has hardly been
surpassed, as may be seen by the drawings of the Metopes of the Theseum, now in the Department
of Greek and Roman Antiquities at the British Museum.2 It is a matter for much regret that his
drawings of the sculptures of the Parthenon, some of which were published by Stuart and others in
the Museum Worsleyanum, have been lost.3 Chandler edited Part I. of the Antiquities of Ionia, for
which he wrote the historical accounts; Revett described the architecture, and R. Wood wrote the
preface. The Society handed over to Chandler the inscriptions collected by the Mission, and the
Journal of the travellers, both of which he published in his own name. A copy of the Travels in
Asia Minor in the British Museum has MS. notes by Revett, one correcting the identification of
Myus to Heracleia.
It appears from the Society's books that the members of the Mission expended the sum of £2100,
and £400 was divided among them on their return as a mark of the Society's approbation of their
services. The first Part of the Antiquities of Ionia appeared in 1769 with the names of Chandler,
Revett, and Pars on the title-page. It contained four chapters on the architectural remains of the
four Ionian cities of Teos, Priene, Didyma, and (as supposed) Labranda.4 The Society also paid the
expense of engraving the copper-plate of what was called the Athenian Inscription, and made an
additional present to Dr. Chandler of twenty-five guineas on receiving a bound copy of his Inscrip-
tions, 1774:, which, like his Travels, was dedicated to the Society. From a letter by Mr. Revett to the
Society (Ann. Soc. 47, i.e. 1780) it appears that the profits from the sale of the Antiquities of Ionia were
given equally in shares to Dr. Chandler, Mr. Revett, and Mr. Pars. The Society paid for engraving
the plates, setting the letterpress, and for printing 150 copies of the volume for the members. Two
years later, 200 more copies of the work were purchased by the Society from Mr. Revett. Many of
the drawings made by Mr. Pars (not being used in the Society's publication) served to add consider-
ably to the value of Mr. Stuart's volumes on the Antiquities of Athens. While these works were
going on the Society also appropriated the sum of £120 during each of the two years, 1775 and
1776, to the maintenance of Mr. Pars (who later became an A.R.A.) and Mr. Jeffries, as students of
painting at Rome. Between 1784 and 1794, Sir Joseph Banks, the Society's Treasurer and Secretary,
had disbursed £1140: 17s. towards editing the Second Part of the Antiquities of Ionia.5
Between 1797 and 1807 inclusive, Mr. Metcalfe, who succeeded Sir J. Banks, paid out the sum
of £2167 : 14 : 8 for drawings and engravings chiefly for the first volume of the Specimens of Antient
Sculpture, which was published in 1809. On the completion of this splendid volume the Society
prepared to undertake the second Ionian Mission, part of the results of which are contained in the
present volume. Early in 1811, a special Ionian Committee was formed, and soon after, Sir William
Gell, one of the Society's members (elected 1807), was engaged to travel in Greece and Asia
Minor, in company with Messrs. Gandy and Bedford, with the same general objects as those laid
down for the first mission. W. Wilkins, architect (elected to the Society in 1809), advised as to the
monuments to be examined. The instructions for this expedition, which were drawn up by Lord
Aberdeen, exist in the Society's collection of papers, but bound up with matter relating to later
years. In a covering letter, dated September 15, 1811, Lord Aberdeen says: "I enclose the
instructions which are in great measure founded on those given to Chandler and Revett, I do not at
all think them too much. It is a liberal and expensive undertaking on the part of the Society
.... I have added an agreement for Gell to sign which is in substance the same as he sent me.
There can be no occasion for any separate agreement with Gandy and Bedford as it is better to put
them entirely under Gell and to pay them through him."
A great number of bills for the things required for the equipment of the expedition show how
liberal the outfit was. They range from a gold repeater watch, £55, for Gell, to £1 : 18s. worth of
1 The temple at Poroa was excavated some years ago and found to have had six columns on the fronts by twelve on the flanks. It was of the
local stone and early in style.
2 These were published by Stuart but inadequately; one of Hercules capturing the horse was reversed on the plate.
3 See Mr. A. H. Smith's Parthenon Sculptures, ed. 1900, p. 114. 4 Properly Euromos. 5 Published in 1797.