Chapter VIII: Sea Routes in the Eastern Mediterranean (9)

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=.