DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4265#0067
G6
OF THE TEMPLE OF THESEUS.
Nor was this all; festivals were instituted, and games celebrated, in honour of the event; and
on this occasion, as it has been generally supposed, happened that famous contest between iEschylus
and Sophocles, two competitors for dramatic glory, who since that time, if we except Euripides, have
hardly either of them had a rival: the victory was adjudged to Sophocles, and his high-spirited anta-
gonist, unable to support the disgrace, or submit to the decision of his judges, left his country, and
passed into Sicily a voluntary exile. This was transacted, we are told by Plutarch, in the year that
Aphepsion was archon a, which the best authorities place in the fourth year of the seventy-seventh
Olympiad, 4G7 before Christ; that is, exactly forty years before the death of Pericles, or precisely at
the time when he began to acquire popularity and power in Athens : so that this temple may well be
accounted a work of the age of Pericles.
It is built of Pentelic marble, and, in the language of Vitruvius, is a Peripteros, as will be
particularly explained in the remarks on Plate V. Fig. 2. The principal front faces the east ; and the
pediment of that front appears to have been adorned, like those of the Parthenon, with figures of
entire relief, fixed in their places by cramps of metal; for on the face of this pediment remain several
holes, in which the ends of those cramps have been inserted, though the figures they supported are
all of them destroyed b. *
* Plutarch, Life of Cimon.
b The style of architecture of this Temple perfectly corre-
sponds with that of the era assigned to it, and as the earliest
temples were frequently tombs, this edifice was probably as well
the sepulchre of Theseus. Pausanias records Micon as the artist
engaged in the decoration of this temple., of which he gives the
following description: —
Xl^ot; 06 T'jj TviAvccdu Qrtaiw; lar*v Upon* y^upect 01 Eio"t, ttpo$ A^ta-
(o)ia.<; AvYiva-'ioi jxa^p^svoi.......ytypcc7rrxi ds h tu> rov Qricrsvi;
Upui «*i » Kinau^m xai r) AairtQSv pcix/i' ©ijcteu; /mv ovt oWextowj
to-Tiy r,or) K.f)Ta.v%ot, roi"; Si aAAoi; 1% 't<rov xa6'.t?Tr,x.et sti *) p&X'1'
7oi Si TfiTOU tut roip^un v) ygctQri pri irvQouitotf, a. \syovcrn, oi truQtiq Sbt**"
ra [Atv Trov dta tov pspovoy, roc S\ Mtxwii ov rov itavra. sypai^s Xoyov.
.....O /xei/ d>)@>5T£WC &rix.o$ A^rivccion; lysvtTo uo-tspov v) M'/jdot Ma-
paQuva. icryov, Kifjiuvoi; rov MthnciSov lLx.v%iov<; Trotr/cciVTOi; owco'Ta.Tovs,
Slaw d£ "rov ©rivecijc; Ga^arot/, xa* ret octo. nojj.ia-a.vroi; e? ' A^rivac,.
" Near the Gymnasium is the temple (is<w) of Theseus, at
which are pictures (representing) the Athenians fighting the
Amazons . . . . ; and there is also painted in the Temple of
Theseus the battle of the Centaurs and Lapithee. Theseus is
there represented killing a Centaur, while the others are engaged
in an equal contest. The painting on the third wall is not to be
understood by those unacquainted with its history : this is either
on account of its being injured by time, or because Micon has
not represented the whole of the subject..... The sanctuary
Qtr tomb, c-»jxo«] of Theseus was raised by the Athenians after
the Modes were at Marathon, when Cimon, the son of Miltiades,
expelled the people of Scyros, a retribution for the death of The-
seus, and carried his bones to Athens."
The Theseum stands on a rocky knoll, and, according to Thucy-
dides, must have been surrounded with an extensive peribolus,
since it was capacious enough for armed assemblies of the people,
and was also a sanctuary for fugitive slaves. Of this inclosure,
however, no traces are now to be observed. The greater part
of the platform of this peribolus must have been of artificial
formation, since the rains have carried away much of it at the
north-west angle of the temple, so as to expose to view six courses
of the substruction beneath the marble steps, while, on the
southern side, the soil has accumulated to the level of the peri-
stylium. A remarkable peculiarity in the Theseum, is that of
having only two steps of ascent to it, while most other Grecian
temples we are acquainted with have at least three. This cir-
cumstance possibly denotes that it was an heroum. The founda-
tion of this structure is composed of common freestone, probably
from the Pirsecan quarries, but the other parts of the temple are
wrought in Pentelic marble. The columns are composed of eight
frusta, inclusive of the capitals. They are executed with a very
perceptible entasis. The walls consist of ten courses below the
architrave, including the lower course, which is two feet nine
inches high. The architrave is in two thicknesses. The cornice
is formed of blocks of the length of two mutules, and two inter-
stices. It is evident, that above the lateral cornices there was no
sima, while over the cymatium terminating the pediments, the
plug-holes are apparent, by which that moulding attached to the
tiling was fastened. The tympana of the pediments consist of seven
slabs, having, as at the Parthenon and Erechtheum, only vertical
joints. Between the remaining columns and antie of the posticum,
holes are perceptible, in which the metal railing and gates were
fixed, which protected the entrance, as at the Parthenon and the
generality of Grecian temples. It has been asserted, that the
sculpture of this temple was of Parian marble; but that does not
seem to be the case, since it partakes precisely of the same ochre-
ous tinge as the rest of the edifice. Indeed the greater part of
this temple is of so deep and rich a ferruginous hue, that those ac-
customed alone to the dingy colour of marble exposed to the air in
our northern climate, would scarcely credit the pictorial repre-
sentation of it. This effect may be accounted for from the com-
parative absence of sunshine, and the prevalence of rain in our
northern latitude causing a different sort of decomposition.
The eastern (as evident at other Athenian temples) was the
principal and most decorated front, and the depth of the portico
and pronaos was six feet more than that of the posterior portico and
posticum. It has been supposed that the paintings of Micon,
alluded to by Pausanias, were painted sculptures, of which the
present friezes remaining at the temple formed a part; and the
combat of the Centaurs at the posticum, in which one Centaur is
alone overthrown by his antagonist, leads to such a supposition from
that correspondence with his description; but as no similar sculp-
ture ever existed at the temple representing the combats of the
Athenians and Amazons, and as the labours of Hercules and
Theseus, more conspicuous than the sculpture of the posticum, are
not alluded to by Pausanias, we may therefore infer that the
existing sculptures were not the ypectpu.) of Micon. That term
was equally adopted by Pausanias in speaking of the paintings
of Polygnotus at the Propylaca, and of the works of art at the
Erechtheum, which are equally known to have been pictures, and
the remains of a fine marble stucco, which is ascertained to have
anciently covered the walls of the temple, also indicate the more
probable place of the paintings to have been on the walls of the
temple behind the pcristylium, if indeed they did not decorate
those of the peribolus. Mr. Dodwell conjectures that, " The
subject relating to Theseus, which Pausanias says was un-
finished, was probably painted on the remaining fifty metopee,
and the Amazonian battle was, perhaps, represented in the same
manner on the tympana." One of the tympana, however, it is
certain was filled with statues. It may therefore on the whole
be concluded, that Pausanias described positive pictures on the
walls of this temple; and as at the Parthenon he leaves entirely
unnoticed the sculpture of the metopse, and of the interior of the
pcristylium, it may also be inferred that he did so likewise in the
description of this smaller temple.
The temple at present is covered with a semicircular arch,
OF THE TEMPLE OF THESEUS.
Nor was this all; festivals were instituted, and games celebrated, in honour of the event; and
on this occasion, as it has been generally supposed, happened that famous contest between iEschylus
and Sophocles, two competitors for dramatic glory, who since that time, if we except Euripides, have
hardly either of them had a rival: the victory was adjudged to Sophocles, and his high-spirited anta-
gonist, unable to support the disgrace, or submit to the decision of his judges, left his country, and
passed into Sicily a voluntary exile. This was transacted, we are told by Plutarch, in the year that
Aphepsion was archon a, which the best authorities place in the fourth year of the seventy-seventh
Olympiad, 4G7 before Christ; that is, exactly forty years before the death of Pericles, or precisely at
the time when he began to acquire popularity and power in Athens : so that this temple may well be
accounted a work of the age of Pericles.
It is built of Pentelic marble, and, in the language of Vitruvius, is a Peripteros, as will be
particularly explained in the remarks on Plate V. Fig. 2. The principal front faces the east ; and the
pediment of that front appears to have been adorned, like those of the Parthenon, with figures of
entire relief, fixed in their places by cramps of metal; for on the face of this pediment remain several
holes, in which the ends of those cramps have been inserted, though the figures they supported are
all of them destroyed b. *
* Plutarch, Life of Cimon.
b The style of architecture of this Temple perfectly corre-
sponds with that of the era assigned to it, and as the earliest
temples were frequently tombs, this edifice was probably as well
the sepulchre of Theseus. Pausanias records Micon as the artist
engaged in the decoration of this temple., of which he gives the
following description: —
Xl^ot; 06 T'jj TviAvccdu Qrtaiw; lar*v Upon* y^upect 01 Eio"t, ttpo$ A^ta-
(o)ia.<; AvYiva-'ioi jxa^p^svoi.......ytypcc7rrxi ds h tu> rov Qricrsvi;
Upui «*i » Kinau^m xai r) AairtQSv pcix/i' ©ijcteu; /mv ovt oWextowj
to-Tiy r,or) K.f)Ta.v%ot, roi"; Si aAAoi; 1% 't<rov xa6'.t?Tr,x.et sti *) p&X'1'
7oi Si TfiTOU tut roip^un v) ygctQri pri irvQouitotf, a. \syovcrn, oi truQtiq Sbt**"
ra [Atv Trov dta tov pspovoy, roc S\ Mtxwii ov rov itavra. sypai^s Xoyov.
.....O /xei/ d>)@>5T£WC &rix.o$ A^rivccion; lysvtTo uo-tspov v) M'/jdot Ma-
paQuva. icryov, Kifjiuvoi; rov MthnciSov lLx.v%iov<; Trotr/cciVTOi; owco'Ta.Tovs,
Slaw d£ "rov ©rivecijc; Ga^arot/, xa* ret octo. nojj.ia-a.vroi; e? ' A^rivac,.
" Near the Gymnasium is the temple (is<w) of Theseus, at
which are pictures (representing) the Athenians fighting the
Amazons . . . . ; and there is also painted in the Temple of
Theseus the battle of the Centaurs and Lapithee. Theseus is
there represented killing a Centaur, while the others are engaged
in an equal contest. The painting on the third wall is not to be
understood by those unacquainted with its history : this is either
on account of its being injured by time, or because Micon has
not represented the whole of the subject..... The sanctuary
Qtr tomb, c-»jxo«] of Theseus was raised by the Athenians after
the Modes were at Marathon, when Cimon, the son of Miltiades,
expelled the people of Scyros, a retribution for the death of The-
seus, and carried his bones to Athens."
The Theseum stands on a rocky knoll, and, according to Thucy-
dides, must have been surrounded with an extensive peribolus,
since it was capacious enough for armed assemblies of the people,
and was also a sanctuary for fugitive slaves. Of this inclosure,
however, no traces are now to be observed. The greater part
of the platform of this peribolus must have been of artificial
formation, since the rains have carried away much of it at the
north-west angle of the temple, so as to expose to view six courses
of the substruction beneath the marble steps, while, on the
southern side, the soil has accumulated to the level of the peri-
stylium. A remarkable peculiarity in the Theseum, is that of
having only two steps of ascent to it, while most other Grecian
temples we are acquainted with have at least three. This cir-
cumstance possibly denotes that it was an heroum. The founda-
tion of this structure is composed of common freestone, probably
from the Pirsecan quarries, but the other parts of the temple are
wrought in Pentelic marble. The columns are composed of eight
frusta, inclusive of the capitals. They are executed with a very
perceptible entasis. The walls consist of ten courses below the
architrave, including the lower course, which is two feet nine
inches high. The architrave is in two thicknesses. The cornice
is formed of blocks of the length of two mutules, and two inter-
stices. It is evident, that above the lateral cornices there was no
sima, while over the cymatium terminating the pediments, the
plug-holes are apparent, by which that moulding attached to the
tiling was fastened. The tympana of the pediments consist of seven
slabs, having, as at the Parthenon and Erechtheum, only vertical
joints. Between the remaining columns and antie of the posticum,
holes are perceptible, in which the metal railing and gates were
fixed, which protected the entrance, as at the Parthenon and the
generality of Grecian temples. It has been asserted, that the
sculpture of this temple was of Parian marble; but that does not
seem to be the case, since it partakes precisely of the same ochre-
ous tinge as the rest of the edifice. Indeed the greater part of
this temple is of so deep and rich a ferruginous hue, that those ac-
customed alone to the dingy colour of marble exposed to the air in
our northern climate, would scarcely credit the pictorial repre-
sentation of it. This effect may be accounted for from the com-
parative absence of sunshine, and the prevalence of rain in our
northern latitude causing a different sort of decomposition.
The eastern (as evident at other Athenian temples) was the
principal and most decorated front, and the depth of the portico
and pronaos was six feet more than that of the posterior portico and
posticum. It has been supposed that the paintings of Micon,
alluded to by Pausanias, were painted sculptures, of which the
present friezes remaining at the temple formed a part; and the
combat of the Centaurs at the posticum, in which one Centaur is
alone overthrown by his antagonist, leads to such a supposition from
that correspondence with his description; but as no similar sculp-
ture ever existed at the temple representing the combats of the
Athenians and Amazons, and as the labours of Hercules and
Theseus, more conspicuous than the sculpture of the posticum, are
not alluded to by Pausanias, we may therefore infer that the
existing sculptures were not the ypectpu.) of Micon. That term
was equally adopted by Pausanias in speaking of the paintings
of Polygnotus at the Propylaca, and of the works of art at the
Erechtheum, which are equally known to have been pictures, and
the remains of a fine marble stucco, which is ascertained to have
anciently covered the walls of the temple, also indicate the more
probable place of the paintings to have been on the walls of the
temple behind the pcristylium, if indeed they did not decorate
those of the peribolus. Mr. Dodwell conjectures that, " The
subject relating to Theseus, which Pausanias says was un-
finished, was probably painted on the remaining fifty metopee,
and the Amazonian battle was, perhaps, represented in the same
manner on the tympana." One of the tympana, however, it is
certain was filled with statues. It may therefore on the whole
be concluded, that Pausanias described positive pictures on the
walls of this temple; and as at the Parthenon he leaves entirely
unnoticed the sculpture of the metopse, and of the interior of the
pcristylium, it may also be inferred that he did so likewise in the
description of this smaller temple.
The temple at present is covered with a semicircular arch,