Part 77

The market was adorned with statues of great poets and orators, such as Pindar and Demosthenes. Around it rose the chief public buildings. Among them were the _Stoa Basileios_ (Pl. B, 5; seat of the Archon Basileus), the foundations of which (6th cent.) are supposed to have been discovered at No. 14 Poseidon Street.; also the Metroon, or temple of the mother of the gods, the Buleuterion, or town-hall, etc.

To the N.W. of the Theseion a bridge crosses the Piræus railway (p. 495) to the _Theseion Station_ (Pl. B, 5). To the W. of this we reach the continuation of the Rue du Pirée. Following the latter for 150 paces to the N.E. towards the town, and just before reaching the conspicuous yellow and red chapel of _Hagia Triáda_ or _Trias_ (Pl. A, 4), we come to a gate on the right leading into the ancient cemetery at the Dipylon (small gratuity on leaving). Here we follow an ancient side-street, bordered with tombs, as far as the walls (see Pl. A, 4), which we skirt to the left. At their N.E. end we reach the outer Dipylon.

The =Dipylon= (Pl. B, 4), the only ancient ‘double gate’ of Athens (end of 4th cent.), was the chief entrance of the city. Here converged the roads coming from Megara in the Peloponnesus and Eleusis and from Platæa and Thebes in Bœotia; and from this gate ran the _Dromos_, a great colonnaded street, to the S.E., below the Theseion hill, to the Kerameikos market-place (p. 522). The left side of the gateway has wholly disappeared, but a few blocks, attached to their base, of the right (S.) wall are still visible. In front of these rises a considerable part of the S. gateway-tower. In the centre are traces of the pier between the two passages. This outer gateway was connected with an inner gateway, on precisely the same plan, by walls 38 yds. long, thus forming an enclosed court. The S.E. tower was adjoined on the E. by a well-house.

To the S.W. of the Dipylon the _City Wall_, here only 6½ ft. thick, has been brought to light. The carefully jointed blocks of blue limestone rest on the hastily built wall of Themistokles (479–478); the upper part was built of sun-dried brick. Outside this wall once rose a rampart, probably coeval with the Dipylon, 14 ft. thick, consisting of two walls with earth between. Beside the city wall, five paces to the S.W. of the Dipylon, is an ancient boundary-stone; seventy paces farther are remains of another gateway, probably the _Funeral Gate_. This, like the Dipylon, consisted of two gate-buildings, enclosing a court, though it had only a single passage. Through it, by the roadside, flowed the little brook _Eridanos_.

To the W. of the Dipylon, in the direction of the Hagia Triáda Chapel, we soon reach the *=Burial Ground outside the Dipylon=, the principal cemetery of ancient Athens. As at Rome and Pompeii the tombs bordered the highroads outside the gates. In this case the more durable monuments have been left by the excavators in their original positions. Some of these are artistically executed, others seem to have been merely rectangular walled spaces. In ancient days, as now, the ground was very uneven; some of the tombs close to the road were raised on terraces 5–8 ft. above it.

Before reaching the Hagia Triáda Chapel, we observe, on the left side of the road, two stelæ on Doric substructures, the tombs of _Thersandros_ and _Simylos_ (375 B. C.) and of _Pythagoras_ (5th cent.). Ascending to the left beyond a depression in the soil we come to a temple-shaped tomb, with figures of _Demetria_ and _Pamphile_, dating from the middle of the 4th century. Close to the Hagia Triáda Chapel is a large block of marble resembling a sarcophagus, the _Tomb of Hipparete_ (middle of the 4th cent.).—To the left, on and beyond the stone wall of the side-street mentioned at p. 522, are rows of tombs, arranged in order of families and phylæ or tribes and extending down to the Roman period. At the corner is that of the family of _Lysanias_, with a *_Relief of Dexileos on horseback_, who distinguished himself before Corinth in 394–393; the weapons and bridle were added in bronze. Next come the tombs of the family of _Agathon_ (4th cent.); that of his wife _Korallion_ represents a family group; then a temple-shaped tomb, the interior of which was adorned with paintings now almost completely erased. Farther on is a monument crowned with a huge bull. In front of it is another little temple-like monument with traces of painting; then a great Molossian hound. Beyond it, a tomb-relief with a boat.—Opposite the hound is the *_Tomb of Hegeso_, perhaps the finest of all, a lady at her toilet attended by a maid (4th cent.). About twenty paces short of the keeper’s house, and thirty paces to the S. of the path, is a graceful _Hydrophoros_ or female water-carrier (5–4th cent.).

* * * * *

The range of hills to the W. of the Acropolis and Areopagus, now uninhabited, was a favourite residential quarter of the ancient city, as is evidenced by countless remains of steps, cisterns, conduits, walls, and streets. From the Theseion (223 ft.) we ascend the broad AVENUE OF THE APOSTLE PAUL (Pl. B, 6), where, immediately on the right, rises the _Hagia Marina Hill_, thickly strewn with relics of ancient dwellings. Above it rises the _Hill of the Nymphs_, crowned with the _Observatory_ (Pl. A, 6; 345 ft.).

To the S. of the Observatory a road descends into a slight hollow and then ascends the long =Pnyx Hill= (Pl. B, 7; 358 ft.), the structure on the N.E. slope of which is distinctly visible from the Areopagus and Acropolis. This consists of a terrace or platform, 131 yds. long and 71 yds. wide, the upper margin of which is cut out of the rock, while the lower part is buttressed by a massive wall of huge blocks of stone, forming a slightly flattened semicircle. In front of the abrupt back-wall of the terrace, about 13 ft. high, rise three steps bearing a cube of rock. This has been identified with the _Pnyx_, the place where, before the tiers of stone benches were erected in the theatre of Dionysos (p. 510), the Athenians held their political assemblies. The orator’s tribune (bēma) is supposed to have been attached to sockets on the platform in front of the cube of rock. The space occupied by the listening throng of citizens sloped gradually up to the supporting wall, which at that time was much higher. Above the cube once ran an upper terrace, where there rose a similar rock-altar, now much damaged. From this point we obtain a very striking view of the Acropolis.

To the S. of the Pnyx Hill, in a depression, is the chapel of _Hagios Demetrios Lumpardiáris_ (Pl. B, 7), to the S. of which we now ascend the Philopappos Hill, the ancient _Museion_. On its crest we recognize many fragments of the ancient city-wall, which was joined by the Long Walls (p. 506) on the heights near the Monument and near the Observatory (see above).

The =Monument of Philopappos= (Pl. B, 8) was built in 114–16 A.D. The upper part, in Pentelic marble, two-thirds preserved, had a frieze in high relief, crowned with three niches separated by Corinthian half-columns. The statue seated in the central niche is that of Antiochos Philopappos; to the left is that of his grandfather Antiochos IV. Epiphanes (p. 507). The relief is supposed to represent the ceremonial progress of Philopappos in his consular capacity. The square chamber behind was the burial-place.

Very beautiful, especially at sunset, is the *VIEW FROM THE PHILOPAPPOS HILL. The Acropolis is visible in its full extent; at its base are the Odeion and the Theatre of Dionysos; to the right of these rise Hadrian’s Arch and the hills of the Stadion and Hymettos. To the left of the Acropolis are the Theseion and the Hill of the Nymphs, and beyond them the Athenian plain, bounded by Ægaleos, and Parnes. Above the Acropolis rise Mt. Lykabettos and part of Pentelikon. Towards the S. stretches the Saronic Gulf.

d. The Modern Quarters.

From the Place de la Constitution two broad streets lead to the N.W. to the Place de la Concorde: the RUE DU STADE (Pl. F-D, 5–3) and the Boul. de l’Université. In the former, immediately to the right, are the _Royal Stables_; then on the left, standing a little back, the _Parliament House_ (Pl. E, 5).

In the BOULEVARD DE L’UNIVERSITÉ the first house on the right (Pl. S.; F, 5), is that of _Dr. Schliemann_ (1822–90), the famous discoverer of Troy, Mycenæ, and Tiryns. Farther on on the right are also the _Roman Catholic Church_ (Pl. F, 4) and the—

*=Academy of Science= (Pl. F, 4), built of Pentelic marble in 1859–84. The style is classic Grecian, with Ionic porticos, tympana embellished with sculptures, and rich colouring, thus resembling a classic edifice in its palmy days. The tympanum group of the main building (birth of Athena) and the statues of Plato (left) and Socrates (right), opposite the entrance, are by Drosos.

From the vestibule a passage to the right, descending a few steps, leads to the _Numismatic Museum_ (adm., p. 504), containing a valuable collection of coins, chiefly from countries influenced by Grecian civilization.

Adjacent is the =University= (Pl. F, 3, 4), founded in 1837. It also has an Ionic portico and is enriched with colouring. The organization is similar to that of the German universities. There are about a hundred professors and lecturers and 2800 students. The buildings contain also the natural history collections.

The adjacent =Library= (Pl. E, 3; _National_ and _University_, united in 1903), a handsome edifice in Pentelic marble, contains 314,000 vols, and 2530 MSS.

The Rue du Stade and the Boulevard de l’Université cross the Rue d’Eole (p. 520) and its prolongation the Rue de Patisia (see below) and end at the PLACE DE LA CONCORDE (_Plateia tēs Omoneias_; Pl. D, 2, 3; tramways, p. 503), planted with trees and much frequented in the evening. From its S. side runs the Rue d’Athéna (Pl. D, 3–5) and from its S.W. angle the Rue du Pirée (Pl. D-A, 3, 4; fine view of the sea in the evening). To the W. runs the Rue Constantin, with the handsome new _Constantine Church_ (Pl. C, 2) and the new _National Theatre_ opposite (p. 504). At the end of it the road to the Peloponnesus Station (p. 502) bends round to the right.

In the RUE DE PATISIA (Pl. D, E, 2, 1), near the outskirts of the town, on the right, are the Polytechnic and the _National Museum_.

The =Polytechnic Institute= (Pl. E, 1), built in 1858 of Pentelic marble, consists of a two-storied central edifice in the Doric and Ionic styles and two Doric wings. The upper floor of the main building contains the _Historical and Ethnological Museum_ (adm., see p. 504), a collection of memorials of the Greek war of independence, costumes, etc.—Beyond the next side-street is the Museum.

e. The National Archæological Museum.

The **_National Archaeological Museum_ (Pl. E, 1), erected in 1866–89, contains the collections of antiquities belonging to the state (other than those of the Acropolis, Olympia, Delphi, etc.). Adm., see p. 504. In the central rooms are exhibited the Mycenæan and Egyptian antiquities, in the left (N.) wing the marble sculptures, in the E. annex the bronzes, and in the S. wing the vases.

From the Vestibule we go straight into the central building.

*ROOM OF THE MYCENÆAN ANTIQUITIES (about B.C. 1500–1000; comp. p. 416). The cases Nos. 1–41 in the middle contain the objects found in the richly furnished royal tombs in the citadel of Mycenæ, the traditional burial-place of Agamemnon and his family. They comprise trinkets, bronze weapons, vessels and utensils of gold, silver, and clay, etc.; thus, in stands 20 and 24 are golden masks used to cover the faces of the dead bodies, in stand 27 a double-handled beaker with doves, like that of Nestor described by Homer. The five reliefs on limestone slabs (Nos. 51–55), in the centre of the side-walls, were found above the tombs. No. 50, a case in the centre, shows the 6th tomb exactly as when discovered in 1878.

The other cases contain relics of the same period from Mycenæ, and also, of rather later date, from other places in Greece, where the tombs were more plainly fitted up. At the end of the room, on columns: *1758, *1759. Gold goblets from Vaphio (near Sparta), with lifelike embossed scenes of browsing cattle and a bull-hunt. In the centre, in the detached glass-case No. 4, are chased and inlaid *Daggers.

Adjacent, straight on, is the EGYPTIAN ROOM.

We return to the Vestibule and enter the N. wing, containing the =Marble Sculptures=.

ROOM OF ARCHAIC ART (7–6th cent.). To the left in the ante-room, No. 1. _Female Statue_ (votive offering of Nikandre, primitive), and Nos. 6, 57. _Female seated Statues_; in the chief room are the so-called _Apollo Figures_, nude, some of them probably of deceased persons exalted into heroes; of this series No. 10, by the right wall, and Nos. 1904 and 9, by the left, are followed by many others, progressive in style. Also in the chief room, in front of the column on the right, No. 21. _Winged Nike._ By the right wall, 2687, 1959. _Tomb Stelae._ By the left pillar at the entrance, and also to the left farther on, 30, 86. Painted _Stelae_, and 29. _Stela of Aristion_, with the painted relief of a warrior.

ROOM OF THE ATHENA (5–4th cent.). In the centre, 129. Varvakion Statuette, a copy in marble, 39 inches high, of the ivory and gold statue of Parthenos by Phidias (p. 516), appearing somewhat heavy in its reduced size, as the original was intended to be viewed from a distance.—To the left of the entrance, *126. The _Eleusinian Relief_, Demeter and Kore presenting the young Triptolemos (father of husbandry) with grains of corn (5th cent.). By the pillar, 177. Female ideal head.—Left wall, 178. _Boar’s Head_, and 179, 180. _Heads of Youths_, probably by Skopas; *181. So-called _Eubuleus_, resembling the Hermes of Praxiteles; 182. _Head of Aphrodite_; 159–161. Three graceful figures of _Nike_.—Wall of exit, 128. So-called Lenormant’s statuette of Athena, another copy of Phidias’s Parthenos, more faithful in detail (base, shield, etc.) than the Varvakion statuette; 1783. _Votive Relief_, two-sided.—By right wall, 136–174. Sculptures and architectural fragments from the temple of Æsculapius at Epidauros (4th cent.).

ROOM OF THE HERMES (5–4th cent.). Left wall, 218. So-called _Hermes of Andros_, similar to that of Praxiteles; to the left of it, 221, 222. Frieze from Lamia, a procession of Tritons, Nereids, and Cupids; to the right, *215–217. _Marble Pedestal_ from Mantinea, with the contest between Apollo and Marsyas, of the school of Praxiteles. Then, in front of the pilaster, 1733. Square _Pedestal_, probably by Bryaxis (4th cent.).—In the right half of the room are four works by Damophon (2nd cent. B.C.), from _Lykosura_: to the left of the entrance, 1736. Head in the style of the Zeus of Otricoli in Rome; on the right and left of the exit, two female heads; near the former, 1737. Fragment of drapery, with grotesque ornamentation. Also in front of the window-wall, *1463. Triangular _Tripod Base_, with Dionysos and two female figures, of the school of Praxiteles. By the window-wall, 1561–1583. Sculptures from the Heræon at Argos (about 400 B. C.), incl. No. 1571, a fine female head.

Straight on, we pass through the Poseidon Room to the (left)—

ROOM OF THEMIS. Right wall, 231. Colossal statue of _Themis_ (about 300 B. C.).—Two marble statues found in 1900–1 among others at the bottom of the sea in the strait of Kythera: one, by the wall of entrance, a wrestler, about to kneel (Hellenistic style); the other, in the right corner, figure of a youth, coated with shells.

ROOM OF POSEIDON (Hellenistic and Roman periods). By the entrance, 235. Colossal figure of _Poseidon_.—In the centre, 261. _Maenad_ asleep.—By the left wall, 239. _Satyr_, from Lamia; 240. _Hermes of Atalante_; 244. _Youth_, from Eretria (head recalling the Hermes of Praxiteles); 234. Colossal head of _Athena_; 243. _Hermes with the Ram_; 262. _Aphrodite_, with transparent drapery.—To the right of the exit, *247. _Celtic Warrior_, fallen in battle, recalling the Pergamenian groups.—Right side, 1826. Copy of the _Diadumenos_ of Polykleitos; 252, 251. Statuettes of Pan; 257. Silenos, with the young Dionysos on his left shoulder; 258. Æsculapius.

ROOM OF THE KOSMETÆ. To the left of the entrance, 249. Hadrian; right, 420. Head with long hair and Semitic features (recalling heads of Christ).—Near the exit, 417, 418. Antinous.—Near the left wall, 384–416. Hermæ and heads of _Kosmetae_ (officials of the Ephebic gymnasia of Athens), of the early centuries A. D.—_Mosaic_ from the Piræus.

THREE ROOMS OF TOMB RELIEFS, chiefly of the golden age of Greek art.—ROOM OF TOMB VASES, massive marble vases of the Greek ages, mostly tall slender lekythi (for perfumes) and amphoræ.—ROOM OF THE SARCOPHAGI and of sepulchral decorations of the Greek and Roman ages.

To the left is the annex containing the =Bronzes=.

I. BRONZE ROOM. In the centre, 13,396. _Statue of a Youth_, over life-size, stretching out his right hand, a good work of the 4th cent., (reconstructed); this is the finest of the sculptures found in the strait of Kythera.—To the right of the entrance, _Archaic Bronzes from the Acropolis_, votive offerings, implements, and utensils, mostly found in the rubbish left by the Persians (p. 506); the finest are Nos. 6447, 6448. Statuettes of Athena, 6445. Statuette of a youth; 6446. Bearded head, with eyes inserted.—To the left, _Bronzes from Olympia_, primitive and archaic little figures of animals and men, weapons, and implements; on columns, 6439. Realistic head of an athlete (Hellenistic), 7474. Statuette of a youth.

II. BRONZE ROOM, containing bronze _Figurines, Statuettes, Implements, and Utensils_ (vases, lamps, mirrors, helmets, strigils, bracelets, rings, brooches, surgical instruments).—To the left of the entrance of the next room, 11,761. _Statue of Poseidon_ (early 5th cent.).

III. BRONZE ROOM (rotunda) contains the other bronzes found in the strait of Kythera (comp. R. I). To the right of the entrance, 13,399. Figure of a youth, in the style of the older Argive school, still on its old pedestal; 13,397 and 13,398. Statuettes of youths; 13,400. Hellenistic head.

We return to the Sarcophagus Room and pass to the left through the ROOM OF THE ROMAN TOMB RELIEFS to the—

ROOM OF THE VOTIVE RELIEFS. By the entrance wall and on the left are votive reliefs from the _Asklepieion_ (p. 511). The most elaborately executed is No. 1377, near the middle of the left wall (4th cent.); adjacent is No. 2565, in the form of a stele.—The KARAPANOS ROOM is chiefly devoted to relics from the Zeus oracle at Dodona.

On the S. side of the museum is the =Collection of Vases=. The finest are mostly from Attica, the chief seat of the vase-painting of the 6–4th cent., such as the _Black-figured Vases_, with their silhouette-like figures painted in black (6th cent.; ROOM I, cabinets 13–23); the _Red-figured Vases_, vessels entirely covered with a black glaze, the figures alone, on their original red ground, remaining free (after middle of 6th cent.; ROOM II); and the _Lekythi_, slender vessels for perfumes, with coloured figures on a white ground (after the Persian wars; ROOM III, cabinets 41–50).

Adjacent are three front-rooms containing the =Terracottas=, including fine sets of figurines of the best period (5–4th cent.). In the last room are exhibited also antique trinkets and vessels.

f. Walks.

The ascent of =Lykabettós= (909 ft.), the finely shaped hill to the N.E. of Athens, is specially attractive by early morning or late evening light. We diverge to the N. from the Rue de Képhisia at the end of the palace-garden (Pl. G, 5), cross the Kolonáki Square (Pl. G, H, 5), and in 6 min. reach the reservoir of the _Water Conduit_ of Hadrian, now utilized anew (Pl. H, 4; 445 ft.), where there is a small café commanding a fine view. Hence we proceed to the Lukianos Street, from the N. end of which an easy path ascends through young plantations. After the first zigzags a level path (Pl. H, 3) diverging to the left affords almost finer views than the top of the hill. The path straight on ascends to the _Georgios Chapel_ (Pl. H, 3) on the summit in ½ hr. more.

The view embraces the city of Athens, with the Acropolis and the Attic plain, the Piræus, the bay of Phaleron, and the Saronic Gulf, with Ægina and Salamis and the distant mountains of Argolis; to the right of Salamis are the hills of Corinth and Megara; in the foreground, concealing the bay of Eleusis, rises Mt. Ægaleos; farther to the N. is Mt. Parnes. Between the latter and Pentelikon, which rises to the N.E., extends the upper plain of Attica. To the E. is Mt. Hymettos.

A fine view of Athens and the Acropolis is obtained also from the =Kolōnós= hill, the legendary home of Sophocles. From the Place de la Concorde (Pl. D, 2, 3) we follow the tramway to _Kolokythu_ (comp. Pl. A, 1) and reach the hill in ½ hr.; it rises to the right of the road and is recognized by the conspicuous monuments of the antiquarians Otfried Müller (d. 1840) and Chas. Lenormant (d. 1859). Adjacent lay the AKADEMEIA, the grove where Plato taught.

The most popular resort on fine summer evenings is =New Pháleron= (tramway and Piræus railway, see p. 503), on the bay of Phaleron. A band plays in the evening on the broad coast-terrace, with its cafés and bath-houses (bath 40 l.).—A branch of the tramway runs to the quieter sea-baths of OLD PHALERON (comp. p. 503).—The _Piraeus_, see p. 494.

80. From Athens viâ Smyrna to Constantinople.

545 M. STEAMERS (agents at the Piræus, see pp. 494, 495; at Smyrna, p. 531; at Constantinople, pp. 538, 539). =1.= _North German Lloyd_ (comp. RR. 23, 24, 77), Mediterranean & Levant Service, in either direction every other Thurs.; from the Piræus to Smyrna in 1, to Constantinople in 2–2½ days (fare to Smyrna 40 or 28, to Constantinople 72 or 48 marks).—=2.= _Messageries Maritimes_ (comp. RR. 23, 77), N. Mediterranean service, from the Piræus every other Mon. (from Constantinople Thurs.), to Smyrna in 1, to Constantinople in 2 days (fare 90 or 60 fr.); also the Marseilles, Constantinople, and Batum line, from the Piræus Thurs. (from Constantinople Tues.), to Smyrna in 1, to Constantinople in 3 days (fare 80 or 40 fr.).—=3.= _Khedivial Mail Steamship Co._ (comp. R. 76), from the Piræus Frid. (from Constantinople Tues.) aft., to Smyrna in 18 hrs., to Constantinople in 2 days (fare 52 or 39, and 91 or 61 fr.).—=4.= _Austrian Lloyd_ (comp. R. 78), Greek-Oriental Line, from the Piræus Frid. even, (from Constantinople Mon.), to Smyrna in 2, to Constantinople in 5 days (fares 54 or 38, and 132 or 93 fr.).

Line XI of the Società Nazionale (pp. 493, 563) touches at Smyrna on the outward voyage only (Piræus to Constantinople 3½ days).

TO CONSTANTINOPLE DIRECT. =1.= _Rumanian Mail Line_, from the Piræus Sun. aft., in 24 hrs. (returning from Constantinople Frid. aft. in 23 hrs.).—=2.= _Società Nazionale_, Line XII, from the Piræus Thurs. night, in 32 hrs. (returning from Constantinople Wed. foren., in 31 hrs.); fares 101 fr. 30, 70 fr. 70 c.—=3.= _Austrian Lloyd_, fast steamers between Trieste and Constantinople, from the Piræus Sat. aft., in 35 hrs. (from Constantinople Sat. foren., in 29 hrs.); fare 90 or 60 fr.

_Athens_ and the _Piraeus_, see pp. 502, 494. We first steer to the S.E. across the _Bay of Ægina_ (p. 494), past the three pinnacles of _Cape Zostēr_, the southmost spur of Hymettos, and near the islets of _Phleva_ (ancient _Phabra_; lighthouse) and _Gaïdaronisi_.