DOI Kapitel:
Divison D: The Acropolis, from the Propylaea to the statue of Athene Lemnia
DOI Kapitel:Section XIV
DOI Seite / Zitierlink:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.61302#0535
SEC. XIV
OF ANCIENT ATHENS
361
sacred precincts—that of Artemis Brauronia to the east, and
Athene Nike to the west. Against such intrusion it is very likely
the priesthood rose and protested, and before even the founda-
tions were laid, he had to give up, at least for the time, the
whole of the south-east hall and a part of the south-west wing.
But this explanation does not apply to the north-east hall.
That Mnesikles went on hoping to complete this long after he
gave up his project for the southern side is, Dr. Dorpfeld thinks,
evident from the interior cornice and the holes for the beams and
rafters. The obstacle that prevented him was probably in this case
not religious, but political—the outbreak of the Peloponnesian war.
On the right hand Pausanias saw and briefly notes the temple
of Wingless Victory (Nike Apteros).11 Its modern history is a
curious one. It was seen and described by Wheler. By Stuart’s
time it had disappeared, and he mistook the Pinakotheke for it ;
it had, in fact, been pulled down in the interval by the Turks and
used as material for building up a bastion known as the “ middle
battery.” Lord Elgin found a portion of the frieze built into a
wall and brought it away ; it is now in the British Museum. The
rest of the temple was re-discovered by Ross in the bastion, and the
whole structure was re-erected in 1835 under the superintendence
of the architect Laurent, and now stands on its original site com-
plete as to its architecture, with the exception of a few unimportant
restorations. Some years later the slabs belonging to the balus-
trade round the northern side of the temple were discovered.
The temple (fig. 8) was built entirely of Pentelic marble, was of
the Ionic order, and consisted of a cella with four-pillared porch,
front and back (amphi-prostylos tetrastylos). As to its date,
which is much disputed, it seems certain that it was at least
planned before the Propylaea was complete (432 B.C.). Whether
the sculptural decoration was set up at the same time is quite
another matter, and must be decided from the internal evidence
of the sculptures themselves. These consist of-
1. The sculptures of the frieze.
2. The sculptures of the balustrade.
(1) The sculptured frieze runs round the whole of the temple.
Three sides represent battle scenes ; the fourth, on the eastern front,
is taken up by an assembly of the gods seated and standing. The
individual figures are not recognisable, though it is conjectured-
and probably the conjecture is right—that Athene stands nearly in
OF ANCIENT ATHENS
361
sacred precincts—that of Artemis Brauronia to the east, and
Athene Nike to the west. Against such intrusion it is very likely
the priesthood rose and protested, and before even the founda-
tions were laid, he had to give up, at least for the time, the
whole of the south-east hall and a part of the south-west wing.
But this explanation does not apply to the north-east hall.
That Mnesikles went on hoping to complete this long after he
gave up his project for the southern side is, Dr. Dorpfeld thinks,
evident from the interior cornice and the holes for the beams and
rafters. The obstacle that prevented him was probably in this case
not religious, but political—the outbreak of the Peloponnesian war.
On the right hand Pausanias saw and briefly notes the temple
of Wingless Victory (Nike Apteros).11 Its modern history is a
curious one. It was seen and described by Wheler. By Stuart’s
time it had disappeared, and he mistook the Pinakotheke for it ;
it had, in fact, been pulled down in the interval by the Turks and
used as material for building up a bastion known as the “ middle
battery.” Lord Elgin found a portion of the frieze built into a
wall and brought it away ; it is now in the British Museum. The
rest of the temple was re-discovered by Ross in the bastion, and the
whole structure was re-erected in 1835 under the superintendence
of the architect Laurent, and now stands on its original site com-
plete as to its architecture, with the exception of a few unimportant
restorations. Some years later the slabs belonging to the balus-
trade round the northern side of the temple were discovered.
The temple (fig. 8) was built entirely of Pentelic marble, was of
the Ionic order, and consisted of a cella with four-pillared porch,
front and back (amphi-prostylos tetrastylos). As to its date,
which is much disputed, it seems certain that it was at least
planned before the Propylaea was complete (432 B.C.). Whether
the sculptural decoration was set up at the same time is quite
another matter, and must be decided from the internal evidence
of the sculptures themselves. These consist of-
1. The sculptures of the frieze.
2. The sculptures of the balustrade.
(1) The sculptured frieze runs round the whole of the temple.
Three sides represent battle scenes ; the fourth, on the eastern front,
is taken up by an assembly of the gods seated and standing. The
individual figures are not recognisable, though it is conjectured-
and probably the conjecture is right—that Athene stands nearly in