DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.793#0054
ENTRANCE TO ATHENS.
THIS entrance to the city of Athens is in the eastern wall near the Gate of Hadrian,
and conducts to the villages in that part of the plain called Messogia, to Cephissia,
Mount Pentelikon, and Marathon. It is constructed of three masses of marhle belonging
to an ancient aqueduct. The beginning of one of the archivolts is seen at the end of
the frieze, upon which and the architrave are the remains of an inscription, which has
been completed by Potter from Grutcr. Spoil indicates the order in which the words
were placed, the remaining moiety of the inscription being upon a corresponding portion
at the other extremity of the arcli, but which was lost even in his time. The whole
reads as follows:
IMP. CAESAK. T. AELIVS HADRIANVS. ANTONINVS AUG. PIUS. COS.
III. TEIB. POT. II. P. P. AQUAEDUCTUM IN NOVIS ATHENIS C03PTUM
A DIVO HADRIANO PATP.E SUO CONSUMMAVTT DKDICAVITQUE.
Tlirough the opening is seen a modern Turkish fountain.
The walls surrounding the lower modern cily are about ten feet in height, and not
two in thickness. They were constructed about 1780, as a defence against the piratical
attacks of the Arnauls, who occasionally entered the town at night, and threatened at
times to pillage it. They were completed in seventy-five days, no intermission to the
labour of all hands taking place during the intervening nights; but as this service was
compulsory, the cost was small. Every variety of materials which could be collected
were employed in their construction; they consequently exhibit frequently marbles and
fragments of inscriptions torn from ancient buildings. The bridge of Hadrian over the
Ilissus on this occasion shared the late of other perhaps more beautiful remains.
THIS entrance to the city of Athens is in the eastern wall near the Gate of Hadrian,
and conducts to the villages in that part of the plain called Messogia, to Cephissia,
Mount Pentelikon, and Marathon. It is constructed of three masses of marhle belonging
to an ancient aqueduct. The beginning of one of the archivolts is seen at the end of
the frieze, upon which and the architrave are the remains of an inscription, which has
been completed by Potter from Grutcr. Spoil indicates the order in which the words
were placed, the remaining moiety of the inscription being upon a corresponding portion
at the other extremity of the arcli, but which was lost even in his time. The whole
reads as follows:
IMP. CAESAK. T. AELIVS HADRIANVS. ANTONINVS AUG. PIUS. COS.
III. TEIB. POT. II. P. P. AQUAEDUCTUM IN NOVIS ATHENIS C03PTUM
A DIVO HADRIANO PATP.E SUO CONSUMMAVTT DKDICAVITQUE.
Tlirough the opening is seen a modern Turkish fountain.
The walls surrounding the lower modern cily are about ten feet in height, and not
two in thickness. They were constructed about 1780, as a defence against the piratical
attacks of the Arnauls, who occasionally entered the town at night, and threatened at
times to pillage it. They were completed in seventy-five days, no intermission to the
labour of all hands taking place during the intervening nights; but as this service was
compulsory, the cost was small. Every variety of materials which could be collected
were employed in their construction; they consequently exhibit frequently marbles and
fragments of inscriptions torn from ancient buildings. The bridge of Hadrian over the
Ilissus on this occasion shared the late of other perhaps more beautiful remains.