Riou, Stephen: The Grecian orders of architecture: delineated and explained from the antiquities of Athens ; also the parallels of the orders of Palladio, Scamozzi and Vignola (London, 1768)

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The Grecian Ortlcrs

dsntcls irt the same Corinthian cornice. As to the [d) invention os the capital, the talc os a i;
commonly known; it may not, however, be improper to give the transeript of it srom the ori-
ginal in his own words.
Vitruvius insorms us, ((•) that among the considcrable edifices os different orders, the mos: remark-
able were, the temple os Jupiter Olympius at Athens, the temple of Diana at Ephcsus, the
temple os Apollo at Miletus, and the temple of Ceres and Proscrpine at Elcusis. Scamozzi
mentions another temple in the issand os Cyprus, dedicated to Venus. At Rome there are sevc-
ral ancient remains of this order, well known to curious travellers, and may be scen faithfully
measured and delineated in the works os the accurate and ingenious Desgodetz. All these edi-
fices were certainly designed and executed by Grecian artilts, as sew extraordinary artists were
sound among the Romans; and it is part doubt, that several materials of edisices pulled down in
Greece were brought to Rome and ellewhcre, and there rebuilt, iince the sacility this people
had in transporting such immense bodies, muss readily be granted, when one coniiders the
Egyptian obclisks which they brought into their capital, and there erected.
It is very remarkable, that the entablature which Palladio and other moderns have given to
their Roman or Composite column, is no other than the true Corinthian entablature; as such it
was found with its capital in that beautisul and ornamented sragment, called the frontispicce of
Nero, supposed to have made a part os the immense palace built by that emperor, and which he
* named his golden house, so called srom the incredible richness bestowed upon it. Suetonius de-
Icribes it as having scvcral parts within lidc overlaid with gold, and every where adorned with
the dazzling glitter of precious stones and mother of pearl. Its extent was srom the Palatine to
the Esquiline Mount: it contained porticos supported by scVeral rows of columns, a sull mile
in length : there was also a lake like a sea, lurrounded with buildings, like so many cities. From
all this we may inser, that a relique os this pediment, mult be received as one of the mosfc
authentic models, in all the members of its entablature; and this is surther confirmed by the
Corin'thian entablature of the Poikile or stoa, in the antiquities os Athens, having exactly the
same members; but firit of the pedertal and base.

PLATE XII.
The pedestal A. is taken srom the Stoa at Athens ; by this we may observe, that the ancients
wire not fond of high pedestals, since the total height is little more than three semi-diameters,
and the basement plinth is higher than the die os the pcdestal. Now, as we have said before,
the pedestal was very rarely intended but as a parapet or balustrade, (whose height is little variable)
theresore the columns os the greatcst diameter will have the lowest pedestals, and vice versa, in
proportion to their diameter. For example, a column of two seet diameter may have a pcdestal
three seet and a half highj or a little more; and a column one soot and a hals diameter mult

(■1) Kjusautem capituli prima invemio (ic memoratur cssi: sassj. Virgo ciiis Corinthla jam niatura nupliis, implicit.! morbo
dtccssit. Port scpulmram ejus, quibus c.i viva poculis dclcctabatur, nutrix collegia & compolita in Calatho pertulit ad monu-
niemum, k in I'ummo colbcavit ■ k uti sa pcrminercnt diutius Tub divo, tegula tcxil : is Calathus sonuito fupia acanthi radicem
suerat collocatus. Interim ponderc preiTa radix acanthi media, solia & Cttjlioul6l circa vernum tempos proludit, cuius cauli-
culi secur.durii calathi latera crescentes, & ab angiitis tegul* pondere neccllitate exprclsi, siexuras in extremas partes volutarum
lacere sum coaCli. Turn Callimachus, qui propter clcgantiam tc iubtilitatem artis marmorex ab Atlieniensibus, catatechno;
sucrai nominatus, pt^teiicns hoc monnmentum, aninudvertii cutn calaihura & circa soliorum nascentem teneritatem, delech-
tusque grnere U sotmtc novitatc ad id exemplar columnas apud CorinthtOl secit, svnimetriasque conltituit, ex eoque in
ptilsL'iionibus Corinthii generis dtstriblrft rationed Lib. IV. c. i.
P .Mt. Lib. v:i.
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