DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.796#0224
19o THE ACROPOLIS OF ATHENS
and his opponents led to a postponement in the execution of
this decree, the conservative party championing the preroga-
tives of this temple, the party of Pericles being eager to carry
on the great plans for building the Parthenon and Propylaea.
The project of building the temple to Athena Nike, which
had been held in abeyance for several years, was revived under
the leadership of the party that was hostile to Pericles, and
Mnesicles was obliged to alter his plan of the southwest wing
of the Propylaea, which was already in course of construction.
As an additional proof of the priority of the substructure of
the Propylaea, it should be remarked that recent investiga-
tions show that the pavement around the temple lies on
massive walls which are fitted to the foundations of the
Propylaea.
The marble platform on which the temple was built is still
nearly entire on the north side, but on the east and south sides
only a few pieces remain. On the west side the temple was
built so close to the edge of the bastion that no room was left
for a pavement. The coping of the bastion on the north side
consisted of single blocks of marble which form the archi-
tectural finish of this wall and also of the pilaster that
stands east of the flight of steps, and make the finish of the
foundation wall of the south wing of the Propylaea. Upon
this wall stood one of the equestrian figures mentioned by
Pausanias (see p. 277 below).
Immediately opposite the middle of the east front of the
temple are the traces of what is believed to have been the altar
mentioned in an inscription {C.I.A. ii. 163 and 471), on
which the usual offering of a cow was made. Round the
precipitous sides of the bastion on which the temple stood
was built a balustrade about 1.05 m. (3 ft. 5 in.) high, com-
posed of marble slabs which were clamped together, and
which supported a bronze railing. The sockets into which the
marble slabs fitted can still be seen on the north and west
sides of the temple. Some of the slabs and a number of
the fragments of the balustrade have been found, and are
preserved in the Acropolis Museum. The slabs were polished
and left blank on the inner side, but the outer side of them
was adorned with a series of figures in relief, which are justly
regarded as among the most beautiful specimens of ancient
and his opponents led to a postponement in the execution of
this decree, the conservative party championing the preroga-
tives of this temple, the party of Pericles being eager to carry
on the great plans for building the Parthenon and Propylaea.
The project of building the temple to Athena Nike, which
had been held in abeyance for several years, was revived under
the leadership of the party that was hostile to Pericles, and
Mnesicles was obliged to alter his plan of the southwest wing
of the Propylaea, which was already in course of construction.
As an additional proof of the priority of the substructure of
the Propylaea, it should be remarked that recent investiga-
tions show that the pavement around the temple lies on
massive walls which are fitted to the foundations of the
Propylaea.
The marble platform on which the temple was built is still
nearly entire on the north side, but on the east and south sides
only a few pieces remain. On the west side the temple was
built so close to the edge of the bastion that no room was left
for a pavement. The coping of the bastion on the north side
consisted of single blocks of marble which form the archi-
tectural finish of this wall and also of the pilaster that
stands east of the flight of steps, and make the finish of the
foundation wall of the south wing of the Propylaea. Upon
this wall stood one of the equestrian figures mentioned by
Pausanias (see p. 277 below).
Immediately opposite the middle of the east front of the
temple are the traces of what is believed to have been the altar
mentioned in an inscription {C.I.A. ii. 163 and 471), on
which the usual offering of a cow was made. Round the
precipitous sides of the bastion on which the temple stood
was built a balustrade about 1.05 m. (3 ft. 5 in.) high, com-
posed of marble slabs which were clamped together, and
which supported a bronze railing. The sockets into which the
marble slabs fitted can still be seen on the north and west
sides of the temple. Some of the slabs and a number of
the fragments of the balustrade have been found, and are
preserved in the Acropolis Museum. The slabs were polished
and left blank on the inner side, but the outer side of them
was adorned with a series of figures in relief, which are justly
regarded as among the most beautiful specimens of ancient