Stanhope, John Spencer: Olympia or topography illustrative of the actual state of the plain of Olympia and of the ruins of the city of Elis (London, 1824)

it appeal's to uie, that the interpretation to be given to the text is not,
that one side was longer than the other, but thai the prow itself became
wider towards the portico of Aguamptus.

There is, however, a still greater difficulty to overcome—one which
even startled the Count do Choiseul himself— [ mean, the difference of the
width of hisAphesis with that of Pausanias; but instead of being led to
doubt the correctness of his theory, he boldly concluded that the passage
of that author was to be interpreted so as to coincide with his plan.
Before, however, we are persuaded to admit that a building we have been
taught to consider as 400 feet in length is, in reality, only 80 feel, we
must refer to the text of the author; that is the only test, by which such
theories ought to be tried, and, in no case, should the meaning of ancient
authors be perverted, in order lo support any hypothesis which the
imaginations of the moderns may suggest:

a at; S'r: rrA^.-i ■->!; <V:.r

Each side of the Aphesis is more than 400 feel: in length.

Can any thing he more positive than these words, and upon what
possible grounds can we conclude, that when Pausanias says, that each