DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.26747#0320
256
GRECIAN ARCHITECTURE.
Book VI.
a more ancient record lias been read on the monnments of Egypt, and
dug out of the bowels of the earth in Assyria.
It is nevertheless true that the deciphemient of the hieroglyphics
on the one hand, and the reading of the arrow-headed characters on the
other, have disclosed to us two forms of civilisation anterior to that
which reappeared in Greece in the 8th century hefore Christ. Based
on those tliat preceded, it developed itself there with a degree of per-
fection never hefore seen, and in its own peculiar department never
since surpassed.
These discoveries have heen of the utmost importance, not only in
correcting our hitherto narrow views of ancient history, hut also as es-
plaining much that was ohscru’e, or utterly uniutelligihle, in those
histories with which we were more immediately familiar. We now, for
the first time, comprehend whence the Greeks obtained their arts and
civilisation, and how far the cliaracter of these was affected hy the
sources from which they were derived.
Having already descrihed the artistic forms of Egypt and Assyria,
it is not diflficult to discover tlie origin of almost every idea, and of
every architectural feature, that afterwards was found in Greece. To
comprehend her arts, it is necessary to hear in mind that Greece was
inhahitecl hy two distinct and separate races, the one ahoriginal, as far
as we know, which, for distinction’s sake, may he called Pelasgic, a
race which not only spread over Greece, but Etruria ancl Asia Minor,
and before the war of Troy was generally the dominant race in all these
countxies. In Greece their power hecame extinct with the return of the
ITeraclidce to the Peloponnese in the 11th century b.c. In Etruriathey
retained their supremacy till dispossessed hy the Bomans ; and in Asia
they never were, strictly speaking, superseded, though under Grecian
influence their civilisation took a form widely different from what we
fincl in the earlier ages.
The other, or Dorian race, may have existed in Greece from the
earliest ages, but only superseded the Pelasgi politically ahout 10 cen-
turies hefore Christ; hut their civilisation took no new artistic form for
at least 3 centuries afterwards, at which time what we know as tke true
Grecian form of art first made its appearance.
Architecturally these two races may he distinguished, the one as an
Ionic, the other as a Doric race. We may feel sure that the Pelasgic
race prevailed wherever the Ionic order is found ; and the Doric order,
in like manner, marks the exact degree of prevalence of the other race
in the places where it exists.
Sparta may he considered as the liead-quarters of the Doric, Arcadia
of the Ionic races. In Athens they seem to liave heen nearly equally
mixed, and in other states in varying proportions.
As in all countries and in all ages down to the present day, tlie
Doric race, which was identical with, or at least closely allied to, the
Teutonic, seems to have heen far better adapted for the arts of war
and self-government than for tlie softer arts of poetry and peace.
The Pelasgi, on the other hand, as connected with the Celtic or Tartar
races, seem to liave had a peculiar facility in elahorating heauty, the
GRECIAN ARCHITECTURE.
Book VI.
a more ancient record lias been read on the monnments of Egypt, and
dug out of the bowels of the earth in Assyria.
It is nevertheless true that the deciphemient of the hieroglyphics
on the one hand, and the reading of the arrow-headed characters on the
other, have disclosed to us two forms of civilisation anterior to that
which reappeared in Greece in the 8th century hefore Christ. Based
on those tliat preceded, it developed itself there with a degree of per-
fection never hefore seen, and in its own peculiar department never
since surpassed.
These discoveries have heen of the utmost importance, not only in
correcting our hitherto narrow views of ancient history, hut also as es-
plaining much that was ohscru’e, or utterly uniutelligihle, in those
histories with which we were more immediately familiar. We now, for
the first time, comprehend whence the Greeks obtained their arts and
civilisation, and how far the cliaracter of these was affected hy the
sources from which they were derived.
Having already descrihed the artistic forms of Egypt and Assyria,
it is not diflficult to discover tlie origin of almost every idea, and of
every architectural feature, that afterwards was found in Greece. To
comprehend her arts, it is necessary to hear in mind that Greece was
inhahitecl hy two distinct and separate races, the one ahoriginal, as far
as we know, which, for distinction’s sake, may he called Pelasgic, a
race which not only spread over Greece, but Etruria ancl Asia Minor,
and before the war of Troy was generally the dominant race in all these
countxies. In Greece their power hecame extinct with the return of the
ITeraclidce to the Peloponnese in the 11th century b.c. In Etruriathey
retained their supremacy till dispossessed hy the Bomans ; and in Asia
they never were, strictly speaking, superseded, though under Grecian
influence their civilisation took a form widely different from what we
fincl in the earlier ages.
The other, or Dorian race, may have existed in Greece from the
earliest ages, but only superseded the Pelasgi politically ahout 10 cen-
turies hefore Christ; hut their civilisation took no new artistic form for
at least 3 centuries afterwards, at which time what we know as tke true
Grecian form of art first made its appearance.
Architecturally these two races may he distinguished, the one as an
Ionic, the other as a Doric race. We may feel sure that the Pelasgic
race prevailed wherever the Ionic order is found ; and the Doric order,
in like manner, marks the exact degree of prevalence of the other race
in the places where it exists.
Sparta may he considered as the liead-quarters of the Doric, Arcadia
of the Ionic races. In Athens they seem to liave heen nearly equally
mixed, and in other states in varying proportions.
As in all countries and in all ages down to the present day, tlie
Doric race, which was identical with, or at least closely allied to, the
Teutonic, seems to have heen far better adapted for the arts of war
and self-government than for tlie softer arts of poetry and peace.
The Pelasgi, on the other hand, as connected with the Celtic or Tartar
races, seem to liave had a peculiar facility in elahorating heauty, the