Page:Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography Volume I Part 1.djvu/314

 296 ATHENAE.

cus passed between the hllls of Pnyx and Museium. The whole of this hilly district formed the quarter called Melite, which was a demos of Attica. Pausanias says, that close to the Pompeiom was a temple of Demeter, containing statues of Demeter, Core (Proserpine), and Iacchus holding a torch; and as Hercules is said to have been initiated in Melite into the Lesser Eleusinian mysteries (Schol. ad Aristoph. Ran. 504), we may infer that the above-mentioned temple is the one in which the initiation took place. It was probably for this reason that a temple was built to Hercules in Melite, in which at the time of the plague there was dedicated the celebrated statue of Hercules Alexicacus, the work of Ageladas. (Schol. ad Aristoph. l. c.; Tzetz. Chil. viii. 191.) This temple is not mentioned by Pausanias, probably because it lay at a little distance to the right of the street.

This street appears to have been one of considerable length. After describing the Pompeium, the temple of Demeter, and a group representing Poseidon on horseback hurling his trident at the giant Polybotes, he proceeds to say: "From the gate to the Cerameicus extend colonnades ((rroo), before which are brazen images of illustrious men and women. The one of the two colonnades (ii ir4pa, rwf (FToAv) contains sanctuaries of the gods, a gymnasium of Hermes, and the house of Polytion, wherein some of the noblest Athenians are said to have imitated the Eleusinian mysteries. In my time the house was consecrated to Dionysus. This Dionysus they call Melpomenus, for a similar reason that Apollo is called Musagetes. Here are statues of Athena Paeonia, of Zeus, of Mnemosyne, of the Muses, and of Apollo, a dedication and work of Eubulides. Here also is the daemon Acratus, one of the companions of Dionysus, whose face only is seen projecting from the wall. After the sacred enclosure (rifuvos) of Dionysus there is a building containing images of clay, which represent Amphictyon, king of the Athenians, entertaining Dionysus and other gods. Here also is Pegasus of Eleutherae, who introduced Dionysus among the Athenians."

It would appear that the (rroeJ, of which Pausanias speaks in this passage, were a continuous series of colonnades or cloisters, supported by pillars and open to the street, such as are common in many continental towns, and of which we had a specimen a few years ago in part of Regent Street in London. Under them were the entrances to the private houses and sanctuaries. That Pausanias was speaking of a continuous series of colonnades, on either side of the street, is evident from the words ^ kripa, ruv aroStw, Unfortunately Pausanias does not mention the name of this street. In speaking of the house of Polytion, Pausanias evidently alludes to Alcibiades and his companions; but it may be remarked that an accusation against Alcibiades speaks of the house of Alcibiades as the place where the profanation took place, though it mentions Polytion as one of the accomplices. (Plut. Alc. 22.)

C. Second Part of the Route of Pausanias.—From the Stoa Basileius in the Agora to the Temple of Eucleia beyond the Ilissus. (Paus. i. 3–14.)

In entering the Cerameicus from the street leading between the hills of Pnyx and the Museium, Pausanias turned to the right, and stood before the ATHENAE. Stoa Basileius, or Royal Colonnade, in which the Archon Basileus held his court. It is evident from what has been said previously, that Pausanias had now entered the Agora, though he does not mention the name of the latter; and the buildings which he now describes were all situated in the Agora, or its immediate neighbourhood. Upon the roof of the Stoa Basileius were statues of Theseus throwing Sciron into the sea, and of Hemera (Aurora) carrying away Cephalus: hence it has been inferred that there was a temple of Hemera under or by the side of this Stoa. It appears to have faced the east, so that the statues of Hemera and Cephalus would witness the first dawn of day. Near the portico there were statues of Conon, Timotheus, Evagoras, and Zeus Eleutherius. Behind the latter, says Pausanias, was a stoa, containing paintings of the gods, of Theseus, Democracy, and the People, and of the battle of Mantineia. These paintings were by Euphranor, and were much celebrated. (Plut. de Glor. Ath. 2; Plin. xxxv. 11. s. 40; Val. Max. viii. 12.) Pausanias does not mention the name of this stoa, but we know from other authorities, and from his description of the paintings, that it was the Stoa Eleutherius. In front of it stood the statue of Zeus Eleutherius, as Pausanias describes. This stoa probably stood alongside of the Stoa Basileius. (Plat. Theag. init.; Xen. Oeconom, 7. § 1; Harpocrat. Hesych. s. v. ficurlkttos ^irod; Eustath. ad Odyss. i. 395.) Near the Stoa Basileius was the Temple of Apollo Patrous, the same as the Pythian Apollo, but worshipped at Athens as a guardian deity under the name of Patrons (rbv 'AirdAAw rhrn^iov, %s TJttTp^6s ion rj iriJAf t, Dem. de Cor. p. 274; Aristid. Or. Panath. i. p. 112, Jebb; Harpocrat. s. v.)

Pausanias next mentions "a Temple of the Mother of the Gods (the Metroon, Wrrrp^ov)^ whose statue was made by Pheidias, and near it the Bouleuterium (^fiovevHi(Mv)j or Council House of the Five Hundred." He gives no indication of the position of these buildings relatively to those previously mentioned; but as we know that the statues of Harmodius and Aristogeiton, which stood higher up, near the ascent to the Acropolis, were over against the Metroum (jcarayTucpv rod Mtjrptfovj Arrian, Anab. iii. 16), we may, perhaps, conclude that they stood on the side of the Agora at right angles to the side occupied by the Stoa Basileius and Stoa Eletherius. In the Metroum the public records were kept. It is also said by Aeschines to have been near the Bouleuterium (Aesch. c. Ctesiph. p. 576, Reiske; Dem. ''de Fals. Leg. p. 381, c. Aristog.'' i. p. 799; Lycurg. c. Leocrat. p. 184; Harpocrat s. v. M19- rp^v, Suidas, s. v. Mrrrpayvfnris.) In the Bouleuterium were sanctuaries of Zeus Boulaeus and Athena Boulaea, and an altar of Hestia Boulaea. Suppliants placed themselves under the protection of these deities, and oaths were taken upon their altars. (Xen. Hell. ii. 3. § 52; Andoc. de Mys. p. 22, de Redit. p. 82, Reiske; Antiph. ''de Fals. Leg.'' p. 227; Diod. xiv. 4.)

The Tholus, which Pausanias places near the Bouleuterion (i. 5. § 1), probably stood immediately above the latter. It was a circular building, and was covered with a dome built of stone. (Timaeus, Lex. Plat., Hesych., Suid., Phot. s. v. O^Aos; Bekker, Anecd. Gr. i. p. 264.) It contained some small silver images of the gods, and was the place where the Prytanes took their common meals, and offered their sacrifices. (Pollux, viii. 155; Dem. de Fals. Leg.'