DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.796#0207
THE AGE OF PERICLES 173
of Mnesicles, who reared his new portal over it. The pro-
blem that the architect had to solve was not an easy one.
He had to erect a large structure upon a rapidly rising
and rocky declivity, to fit it into its place symmetrically,
and to make an impressive approach from below and suitable
exit above, presenting at both sides a noble facade. To
these architectural difficulties others, which will be considered
later, were added when the plans were already in process of
execution.
This structure has been studied and characterized most
■ carefully by R. Bohn (104), upon whose work all later
investigations and descriptions must necessarily be based.
The ground plan shows in the centre the ascent, about
twenty metres wide, once covered by the great Roman
stairway (see above, p. 37). To the south stands the bastion
which supports the little Nike temple (see Fig. 86). Nearly
opposite, to the north, stands the basis of the monument
erected in 27 B.C. in honor of M. Vipsanius Agrippa.
Ancient remains, hatched in the cut, show that, as was
pointed out before, the general line of the older walls
was nearly parallel with this basis, but not with the later
Roman stairway. Near the summit the great portal that
gives entrance to the sacred enclosure rises majestically
before us. Spanning a width of 45 metres (148 ft.) and a
length of 31 metres (102 ft), we see the ruins of this noble
building. It consists of a central structure facing nearly
west, with two wings flanking the approach on either side.
The central structure, 25.04 m. (82 ft. 2 in.) long and
18.12 m. (57 ft. 6 in.) wide, is the portal proper, which
consists of a wall pierced by five openings and two porticos,
one in front and the other at the rear. The chief gateway
is in the middle and is 7.37 m. (24 ft. 2 in.) high and
4-18 m. (13 ft. 8 in.) wide. The lintel forming this doorway
is composed of two blocks of marble about 22 feet long.
The size of these blocks is exceeded only by those that form
the lintel over the doorway of the Parthenon. The two
gateways on either side are somewhat smaller. These five
gates were closed by massive doors of bronze, or at least
plated with bronze (105). To the grating noise of these
doors when opened Aristophanes refers in a famous passage
A. A. M
of Mnesicles, who reared his new portal over it. The pro-
blem that the architect had to solve was not an easy one.
He had to erect a large structure upon a rapidly rising
and rocky declivity, to fit it into its place symmetrically,
and to make an impressive approach from below and suitable
exit above, presenting at both sides a noble facade. To
these architectural difficulties others, which will be considered
later, were added when the plans were already in process of
execution.
This structure has been studied and characterized most
■ carefully by R. Bohn (104), upon whose work all later
investigations and descriptions must necessarily be based.
The ground plan shows in the centre the ascent, about
twenty metres wide, once covered by the great Roman
stairway (see above, p. 37). To the south stands the bastion
which supports the little Nike temple (see Fig. 86). Nearly
opposite, to the north, stands the basis of the monument
erected in 27 B.C. in honor of M. Vipsanius Agrippa.
Ancient remains, hatched in the cut, show that, as was
pointed out before, the general line of the older walls
was nearly parallel with this basis, but not with the later
Roman stairway. Near the summit the great portal that
gives entrance to the sacred enclosure rises majestically
before us. Spanning a width of 45 metres (148 ft.) and a
length of 31 metres (102 ft), we see the ruins of this noble
building. It consists of a central structure facing nearly
west, with two wings flanking the approach on either side.
The central structure, 25.04 m. (82 ft. 2 in.) long and
18.12 m. (57 ft. 6 in.) wide, is the portal proper, which
consists of a wall pierced by five openings and two porticos,
one in front and the other at the rear. The chief gateway
is in the middle and is 7.37 m. (24 ft. 2 in.) high and
4-18 m. (13 ft. 8 in.) wide. The lintel forming this doorway
is composed of two blocks of marble about 22 feet long.
The size of these blocks is exceeded only by those that form
the lintel over the doorway of the Parthenon. The two
gateways on either side are somewhat smaller. These five
gates were closed by massive doors of bronze, or at least
plated with bronze (105). To the grating noise of these
doors when opened Aristophanes refers in a famous passage
A. A. M