DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.5310#0061
THE RESTORATION OF THE PROPYLEA, PARTHENON,
AND THE PANATHENEAN PROCESSION.
This elegant Plate supplies us with a restoration of the Propylea, the temples of the
Parthenon, Victory, part of the temple of Minerva Polias, and the Panathenaic pro-
cession on the day of the greater festival. We are indebted to the late ingenious Mr.
Pars, and the learned Doctor Chandler, for this beautiful specimen of the temples and
processions of the elegant people of Athens in the age of Pericles and Phidias. The
Athensea were festivals at Athens in honour of Minerva; they were, according to
Harpocration and Suidas, first instituted by Erechtheus, fourth king of Athens; but
Theseus afterwards renewed them, and caused them to be celebrated and observed
by all the tribes of Athens, which he had united into one, and from which reason the
festivals received their name. There were two kinds of Panathenea; the greater, ob-
served every flfth year; and the lesser, which were kept every third year, or rather
annually. Persons of all ages, of every sex and quality, attended the procession, which
was led by old men and women, carrying olive branches in their hands : during the
celebration, no person was permitted to appear in black or coloured garments.
Demosthenes informs us, that the Athenians expended more money upon the Pana-
thenean and Dionysian festivals, than upon any one of their great naval expeditions.
The former of these festivals continued several days, and consisted of foot and horse
races, gymnastic exercises, musical contentions, pyrrhic dances, imitations of a naval
fight, pompous processions, and finished with a sumptuous sacrifice, in which every
one of the Athenian tribes contributed an ox; and the whole was concluded by an
entertainment for all the company.1
17
AND THE PANATHENEAN PROCESSION.
This elegant Plate supplies us with a restoration of the Propylea, the temples of the
Parthenon, Victory, part of the temple of Minerva Polias, and the Panathenaic pro-
cession on the day of the greater festival. We are indebted to the late ingenious Mr.
Pars, and the learned Doctor Chandler, for this beautiful specimen of the temples and
processions of the elegant people of Athens in the age of Pericles and Phidias. The
Athensea were festivals at Athens in honour of Minerva; they were, according to
Harpocration and Suidas, first instituted by Erechtheus, fourth king of Athens; but
Theseus afterwards renewed them, and caused them to be celebrated and observed
by all the tribes of Athens, which he had united into one, and from which reason the
festivals received their name. There were two kinds of Panathenea; the greater, ob-
served every flfth year; and the lesser, which were kept every third year, or rather
annually. Persons of all ages, of every sex and quality, attended the procession, which
was led by old men and women, carrying olive branches in their hands : during the
celebration, no person was permitted to appear in black or coloured garments.
Demosthenes informs us, that the Athenians expended more money upon the Pana-
thenean and Dionysian festivals, than upon any one of their great naval expeditions.
The former of these festivals continued several days, and consisted of foot and horse
races, gymnastic exercises, musical contentions, pyrrhic dances, imitations of a naval
fight, pompous processions, and finished with a sumptuous sacrifice, in which every
one of the Athenian tribes contributed an ox; and the whole was concluded by an
entertainment for all the company.1
17