DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.1031#0060
38 LARGER TEMPLE OF NEMESIS. [CHAP. V.
This inscription records the dedication by He-
rodes Atticus, who had a villa in this neighbourhood,
of a statue of one of his adopted children, Polydeu-
cion, to the goddess Nemesis.
From this inscription confirming the previous pre-
sumption, it is clear that the larger of the two
temples, in which the inscription now lies, was dedi-
cated to Nemesis. The question now arises, to whom
was the smaller temple consecrated, which nearly
touches the former.
It has been inferred, from the discrepancy of age
of these two buildings, together with their very un-
symmetrical local combination, that they never existed
as contemporaneous temples for worship, but that the
smaller of the two was either destroyed or fell into
decay, before the larger was erected.
The 'Persians are known to have destroyed the
Greek temples of which they acquired possession.
When they landed at Marathon they probably em-
ployed some of their large force in this work of
demolition. The earlier temple at Rhamnus is sup-
posed to have been one of their victims. After the
battle a statue, we are told, was wrought from the
2 Parian marble which the Persians brought as material
1 Cic de Legg. n. 10. Magis auctoribus Xerxes inflammasse templa
(wifiirpaiiai i/eios. iKschyl. Pers. 815.) Graecorum dicitur.
2 The singular story of the Parian origin and Persian transport of
the marble block from which the statue of Nemesis was made, rests on the
single
This inscription records the dedication by He-
rodes Atticus, who had a villa in this neighbourhood,
of a statue of one of his adopted children, Polydeu-
cion, to the goddess Nemesis.
From this inscription confirming the previous pre-
sumption, it is clear that the larger of the two
temples, in which the inscription now lies, was dedi-
cated to Nemesis. The question now arises, to whom
was the smaller temple consecrated, which nearly
touches the former.
It has been inferred, from the discrepancy of age
of these two buildings, together with their very un-
symmetrical local combination, that they never existed
as contemporaneous temples for worship, but that the
smaller of the two was either destroyed or fell into
decay, before the larger was erected.
The 'Persians are known to have destroyed the
Greek temples of which they acquired possession.
When they landed at Marathon they probably em-
ployed some of their large force in this work of
demolition. The earlier temple at Rhamnus is sup-
posed to have been one of their victims. After the
battle a statue, we are told, was wrought from the
2 Parian marble which the Persians brought as material
1 Cic de Legg. n. 10. Magis auctoribus Xerxes inflammasse templa
(wifiirpaiiai i/eios. iKschyl. Pers. 815.) Graecorum dicitur.
2 The singular story of the Parian origin and Persian transport of
the marble block from which the statue of Nemesis was made, rests on the
single