Stuart, James; Revett, Nicholas: The antiquities of Athens (Band 1) (London, 1825)

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OF THE OCTOGON TOWER OF ANDRONICUS CYRRHESTES.

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PLATE XIX.

Three of the eight dials on the tower of the winds. Under the word notos is that on the
south side; under ETPOD is that on the south-east side; and under AIIHAUITHS, that on the east side
of the tower.

PLATE XX.

Two more of the eight dials1. Under the word KAIKIA2, is that on the north-east side ; and
under the word BOPEA2, that on the north side of this tower. The lines on the three remaining dials
are the reverse of those on the south-east, the east, and the north-cast dials already mentioned; all
these lines are very entire, and the cavitiesb in which the gnomons were fixed, are not much injured;
but the gnomons themselves are destroyed.

It is observable that not only the hours of the clay, but the solstices also, and the equinoxes
are projected on these dials; and that the longest as well as the shortest days, are divided alike into
twelve hours.

The eight figures engraved on the following plate are copied from the sculptures which repre-
sent the eight winds; and because many persons who are likely to become our readers, have wished
that some notice should be taken of Mons. Le Roy's account of these figures; their desire shall here
be complied with. In doing this we shall therefore, immediately after the account given of each
figure, subjoin Mons. Le Roy's description of it, together with what Wheler or Spon have said on the
same subject, that our readers may have an opportunity of comparing them. By this comparison it
will be seen, that if Mons. Le Roy owes a great deal to his copying their relation so faithfully, he has
by that sort of exactness been also led into many mistakes.

To avoid repetition in the description of each particular wind, we shall here observe in general,
that, the sculptor has given wings to all these figures; Libs and Zephyrus only appear with their legs
naked, all the others he has represented wearing a kind of buskin; and he has distinguished each
figure, Eurus only excepted, by some particular symbol. In the following description of them, the

a The mathematical precision with which these dials are
traced may be appreciated by the following remarks continued
from the Chevalier Delambre, — ' Nous nous sommes convain-
eus que le cadran du midi etoit d'une exactitude remark-
able. — Le Cadran Boreal n'est qu'un supplement du pre-
mier, il est sur la meme echelle et il avoit le meme style.—Le
Cadran de I'Est n'est pas moins exacte que celui du midi;—■
Le Cadran dc I'Eurus offre le meme accord sans toutes ses par-
ties.—Le Cadran de Cassias ou du Nord-Est, ne paroit pas
avoir ete trace avee autant de soin ou du moins de succes.—
D'ailleurs, ce cadran est le moins important de tons, on n'y voit
rien qu'on ne peut obtenir avec beaucoup plus de surete par les
Cadrans voisins'.—Les trois autres Cadrans, ceux du Sud-ouest,
de I'Guest, et du Nord-ouesl, n'auroient offert que la contre-
epreuve des Cadrans opposes, 1'auteur ne les a point figures dans
ses planches. Ccs cadrans forment le monument le plus curieux
que nous connoissions de la Gnomonique pratique des anciens.'
V. Mag. Ency. Tome I. 1815, p. 131.

We regret the disuse of this elegant species of horography,
resulting from the unerring combinations of nature, and neces-
sarily associating in a marked way with our intellectual system
the contemplation of the divine essence. Solar dials are capable
of receiving a tasteful decoration, they are connected with the
feelings derived from the edifices of many of our ancient institu-
tions where they are frequently found, and are rendered impres-

sive by the inscriptions generally attached to them. The ancients
traced them in a capricious way, as may be observed on a bronze
found in the excavations of Portici, 1755, forming a portable sun-
dial shaped in the form of a large ham, suspended by a ring,
with a dial traced on the back of it, to which the tail forms the
Gnomon. Among the Elgin marbles is a quadriform dial, which
perhaps was placed at the junction of converging roads, inscribed
with the name Phiedrus, the mathematician who traced it. In the
Anthologia it appears that the Grecian dials were marked with
the Greek letters corresponding with our numerals, whence an epi-
grammatist, taking advantage of the position of the letters
Z, 7, H, 8, ©, 9, I, 10, which, detached, form the imperative
£i9i, of the verb zia, ' to live,' produced the following distich :

Tea-y-^cca-i hlx.mpuia.1 ZH0I A=youo-i (J^otok.

' Six hours [[are] very fit for labours, those Qiours] after them
being apparent by the letters [[attached to them] say to mortals
—Live'; implying that the first hours of the day should be de-
voted to occupation, and the latter to the pleasures of repast and
society. It is to be remarked that no letters are engraved on
these dials. CEUD-X

b It is to be observed that the cavities for the Gnomons are
cut some upon, and some above the b'stel beneath the figures.

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