Page:History of Architecture in All Countries Vol 1.djvu/306

 274 GRECIAN ARCHITECTURE, I'ART L have been brought home to give its dimensions absolutely. All the parts of the Ionic order are complete. The steps of the pyramid have been found and portions of the three friezes, and these, with Pliny's dimensions and description, are all that are required to assure us that its aspect must have been very similar to the form represented in Woodcut No. 162. There can be little doubt with regard to the upper story, but in order to work out to the dimensions given by Pliny (411 ft. in circumference) and those found cut out in the rock (462 ft.), the lower story must be spread out beyond the upper to that extent, and most probably something after the manner shown in the woodcut. The building consisted internally of two chambers superimposed the one on the other, each 52 ft. 6 in. by 42 ft. — the lower one being the vestibule to the tomb beyond — the upper was surrounded by a peristyle of 36 colunms. Externally the height was divided into three equal portions of 37 ft. 6 in. each (25 cubits), one of which was allotted to the base — one to the pyramid with its meta — and one to the order between them. These with 14 ft., the height of the quadriga, and the same dimension belonging to the lower entablature, made up the height of 140 Greek feet^ given it bv Plinv- Though its height was unusually great for a Greek building, it* other dimensions were small. It covered only 13,230 feet. The ad- miration therefore which tlie Greeks expressed regarding it must have arisen, first, from the unusual nature of its design and of the purpose to which it was applied, or perha])s more still from the extent and richness of its sculptured decorations, of the beauty of Avhich we are now enabled to judge, and can fully share with them in admiring. Another, but very much smaller, tomb of about the same age was- found by Mr. Newton at Cnidus, and known as the Lion Tomb, from the fisrure of that animal, now in the British Museum, which crowned its summit. Like many other tombs found in Asia and in Africa, it follows the type of the Mausoleum in its more important features. It possesses abase — a peristyle — a i)yramid of steps — and, lastly, an acroterion or pedestal meant to sup'ort a quadriga or statue, or some other crowning object, which appropriately terminated the design upwards. Several examples erected during the Roman period will be illus- trated when si)eaking of the architecture of that people, all bearing the impress of the influence the Mausoleum had on the tomb archi- ' The figures given in the text are all (ireek feet: the difference between them and English feet, being only per cent., is hardly perceptible in these dimensions. without descending to minute fractions^ and disturbing the comparison with Pliny's text.