DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4266#0005
INTRODUCTION. 3
course of time was ruined, nevertheless one part, which was connected with three Giants and some
columns, remained a long time standing; which is held in remembrance by the city of Agrigentum even
to this day, and they have added them to their armsa ; but this part, from neglect of the Agrigentines,
fell down in the year 1301, on the ninth day of December, and in that place, at the present time,
nothing remains but an immense heap of stones; which is called by the common people to the present
day, the palace of the Giants."
To the above historical notices nothing satisfactory has since been added, excepting some im-
perfect admeasurements previous to the excavation in 1804 b.
The peculiar method of construction in this edifice, may be sufficiently explained by the
nature of the materials employed in it. The city was built upon a platform of rock, the best quar-
ries of which could not furnish stone either of sufficient scantling or strength to enable the Agri-
gentines to execute disengaged columns with their epistylia of the prodigious dimension required;
nor to vie in this respect with the neighbouring city of Selinus, where a stronger material was found.
No other method, therefore, presented itself of accomplishing their vast designs, than by inclosing
the intercolumnia, and thus giving stability to these enormous proportions composed of parts com-
paratively small.
Sicily was probably chief amongst the " Isles " with which Tyre and Sidon are said to have
traded. Agrigentum lying on its southern coast, was admirably situated for commerce; from which
it must have derived its chief revenues ; that of grapes and olives in exchange for the wealth of
Libya is especially mentioned by Diodorus Siculus:—Its territory, though fertile in the highest degree,
could never have exceeded 1000 square miles; yet this " phenomenon0 of political prosperity" contained
at one time, according to Diogenes Laertiusd, 800,000 souls.—The luxury and hospitality of its in-
habitants had become proverbial; " their merchants were princes": one of them is said to have
received 500 knights in his house, and to have supplied them all with change of raiment:—the
daughter of another had 800 cars in her bridal train ; 300 pair of white horses accompanied the
return of a victor from the Olympic games.—Their taste in the fine arts was equally conspicuous,
especially in building; it was said by Plato e " that they built as if they were to live for ever, and
feasted as though they were to die on the morrow."—But however great these advantages, they are
still insufficient to account for the magnificence of the temples of Agrigentum, unless we make large
allowance for the religious and patriotic enthusiasm which the constitution of the Grecian republics
seems so peculiarly to have fostered ; and which has left examples of devotion and taste, hitherto
unrivalled in the world.
8 See the frontispiece, one of the two examples in marble, that Nomina Gigantum, Enceladus ; Kama, which has been supposed
exist in Girgenti, of the arms of the modern city. On the top to signify Polyphemus ; and Cams ; anno Domini 1529.
of the centre Tower, supported by the Giants, is the monogram b The valuable work of Mr. Wilkins on Magna Groecia, and
of Christ y TL s inscribed on a circle, much resembling a con- the " Voyages Pictoresques " of Sicily, by Messrs. Houel, Denon
r- ■ • ii, • i rn omi\t/i m and others, were undertaken before the excavations in 1R04 dia
serrated wafer in a pix; on the side Tower S M D I G; (Sancta , , - ,, ... ™ omuyhuuhs m ion Ol8>
SLl' ,,— *..» ., r ■ 11 covered so much or the orimnsil nrr-hitentm-o nf ♦!,;„ tu„„i_ .
Maria Domini Genetnx ;) on the frieze or entablature
SIGET-AGRIGENTV-MIRABILIS-AVLA-GIGATVM.
In the spaces which occur between the Giants, the following in-
scriptions are traced, which are given exactly as they were found:
NOIA
GIGA
.n.
TV
ENC
ELA
DVS
PAMA
CAEVS
AD
MD
2-9
covered so much of the original architecture of this Temple •
their observations on the subject being therefore almost conjec-
tural, demand no other refutation than is afforded by the accom-
panying plates.
c See Mitford's History of Greece, C. XXIX.
d Lib. VIII.
« .Elian. Var. Hist. Lib. XII. 29.
course of time was ruined, nevertheless one part, which was connected with three Giants and some
columns, remained a long time standing; which is held in remembrance by the city of Agrigentum even
to this day, and they have added them to their armsa ; but this part, from neglect of the Agrigentines,
fell down in the year 1301, on the ninth day of December, and in that place, at the present time,
nothing remains but an immense heap of stones; which is called by the common people to the present
day, the palace of the Giants."
To the above historical notices nothing satisfactory has since been added, excepting some im-
perfect admeasurements previous to the excavation in 1804 b.
The peculiar method of construction in this edifice, may be sufficiently explained by the
nature of the materials employed in it. The city was built upon a platform of rock, the best quar-
ries of which could not furnish stone either of sufficient scantling or strength to enable the Agri-
gentines to execute disengaged columns with their epistylia of the prodigious dimension required;
nor to vie in this respect with the neighbouring city of Selinus, where a stronger material was found.
No other method, therefore, presented itself of accomplishing their vast designs, than by inclosing
the intercolumnia, and thus giving stability to these enormous proportions composed of parts com-
paratively small.
Sicily was probably chief amongst the " Isles " with which Tyre and Sidon are said to have
traded. Agrigentum lying on its southern coast, was admirably situated for commerce; from which
it must have derived its chief revenues ; that of grapes and olives in exchange for the wealth of
Libya is especially mentioned by Diodorus Siculus:—Its territory, though fertile in the highest degree,
could never have exceeded 1000 square miles; yet this " phenomenon0 of political prosperity" contained
at one time, according to Diogenes Laertiusd, 800,000 souls.—The luxury and hospitality of its in-
habitants had become proverbial; " their merchants were princes": one of them is said to have
received 500 knights in his house, and to have supplied them all with change of raiment:—the
daughter of another had 800 cars in her bridal train ; 300 pair of white horses accompanied the
return of a victor from the Olympic games.—Their taste in the fine arts was equally conspicuous,
especially in building; it was said by Plato e " that they built as if they were to live for ever, and
feasted as though they were to die on the morrow."—But however great these advantages, they are
still insufficient to account for the magnificence of the temples of Agrigentum, unless we make large
allowance for the religious and patriotic enthusiasm which the constitution of the Grecian republics
seems so peculiarly to have fostered ; and which has left examples of devotion and taste, hitherto
unrivalled in the world.
8 See the frontispiece, one of the two examples in marble, that Nomina Gigantum, Enceladus ; Kama, which has been supposed
exist in Girgenti, of the arms of the modern city. On the top to signify Polyphemus ; and Cams ; anno Domini 1529.
of the centre Tower, supported by the Giants, is the monogram b The valuable work of Mr. Wilkins on Magna Groecia, and
of Christ y TL s inscribed on a circle, much resembling a con- the " Voyages Pictoresques " of Sicily, by Messrs. Houel, Denon
r- ■ • ii, • i rn omi\t/i m and others, were undertaken before the excavations in 1R04 dia
serrated wafer in a pix; on the side Tower S M D I G; (Sancta , , - ,, ... ™ omuyhuuhs m ion Ol8>
SLl' ,,— *..» ., r ■ 11 covered so much or the orimnsil nrr-hitentm-o nf ♦!,;„ tu„„i_ .
Maria Domini Genetnx ;) on the frieze or entablature
SIGET-AGRIGENTV-MIRABILIS-AVLA-GIGATVM.
In the spaces which occur between the Giants, the following in-
scriptions are traced, which are given exactly as they were found:
NOIA
GIGA
.n.
TV
ENC
ELA
DVS
PAMA
CAEVS
AD
MD
2-9
covered so much of the original architecture of this Temple •
their observations on the subject being therefore almost conjec-
tural, demand no other refutation than is afforded by the accom-
panying plates.
c See Mitford's History of Greece, C. XXIX.
d Lib. VIII.
« .Elian. Var. Hist. Lib. XII. 29.