Pennethorne, John; Robinson, John [Ill.]: The geometry and optics of ancient architecture: illustrated by examples from Thebes, Athens, and Rome (London [u.a.], 1878)

36 THE FIEST GIVEN PKOPOBTIONS.

to the eye of the spectator, containing the west portico and the north side, combined in one
perspective view, seen exactly within the angle of 45°; some steps cut in the rock serve to give
additional apparent height to the design; Pansanias however takes little notice of Athenian
Architecture, and passes on to the east portico, describing the works of Sculpture in the
pediment, and the statue of ivory and gold within the Temple.

In front of the east portico is an extensive platform, nearly level, formed partly out
of the natural rock, and partly by being filled in with the ruins of the earlier Temple and with
the fragments of the present one that were laid aside while it was being built, and then paved
over where required with Piraic stone.

This platform is bounded on all sides; on the north the rock is cut to a perpen-
dicular face; on the east are still some traces of a Piraic stone wall; and on the south is the
fortification wall, which Pausanias describes as the "wall called Notium," towards which he
went, for he says, " On the wall, called Notium, are represented the war of the giants, the
" battle of the Athenians with the Amazons, the battle of Marathon, and the destruction of the
" Gauls in Mysia; each of these are three feet in height."

These works of Art were clustered near the second angular view of the Parthenon,
containing the picture of the east portico and the south return side, seen also within the
visual angle of 45°, for which sufficient space is allowed on the platform.

Thus it was arranged that two perspective angular views of the Parthenon should be
obtained—one at the north-west angle, designed from near the base of the statue of Minerva;
the other at the south-east angle, designed for a point of view near to the works of Art on the
wall called Notium. At the other two angles, the north-east and the south-west, the spectator
is brought close up to the building. (See Plan.)

The Eeechtheium.

Pausanias passes direct from the south wall of the Parthenon enclosure to the platform
in front of the east portico of the Erechtheium, possibly along the road, marked by the rock
being cut to a perpendicular face, which unites the level road bounded by the north fortifi-
cation wall, with the Parthenon platform.

Pausanias merely says, " There is a building called Erechtheium, before the entrance
" of which is an altar to Jupiter Hypatus."

But a large platform was formed in front of the east portico of the Erechtheium, partly
enclosed by the north fortification wall, and the roads and the fortification walls are so arranged
as to allow an angular view of the portico to be obtained within the invariable visual angle of 45

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