Page:History of Architecture in All Countries Vol 1.djvu/414

 382 SASSANIAN ARCHITECTURE. Part I. and liis visit to India and alliance with its kings, all point to extended power abroad ; while the improvement in the fine arts at home indi- cates returning prosperity aud a degree of security unknown since the fall of the Achgemenidse. These kings seem to have been of native race, and claimed descent from the older dynasties : at all events they restored the ancient reli- gion and many of the habits and customs with which we are familiar as existing before the time of Alexander the Great. As before remarked, fire-worship does not admit of temples, and we consequently miss that class of buildings which in all ages best illustrates the beauties of architecture ; and it is only in a few scattered remains of palaces that we are able to trace the progress of the style. Such as they are, they indicate considerable originality and power, bxt at the same time j^oint to a state of society Avhen attention to security hardly allowed the architect the free exercise of the more delicate ornaments of his art. The Sassanians took up the style where it was left by the builders of Al Hadhr ; but we only find it after a long interval of time, during which changes had taken place which altered it to a considerable extent, and made it in fact into a new and complete style. They retained the great tunnel-like halls of Al Hadhr, l)ut only as entrances. They cut bold arches through the dividing walls, so as to form them into lateral suites. But, above all, they learnt to place domes on the intersections of their halls, not resting on drums, but on pendentives,! and did not even attempt to bring down simulated lines of support to the ground Besides all these constructive peculiarities, they lost all trace of Roman detail, and adopted a system of long reed- like pilasters, extending from the ground to the cornice, below which they were joined by'small semicircular arches. They in short adoj^ted all the peciiliarities which are found in the Byzantine style as carried out at a later aixe in Armenia and tlie East. We must know more of this style, and be able to ascribe authentic dates to such examples as we are acquainted Avith, before we can decide whether the Sassanians borrowed the style from the Eastern Romans, or Avhether they them- selves Avere in fact the inventors from Avliom the architects of the Uiore Avestern nations took the hints which they afterAvards so much improved upon. The A'arious steps by Avhich the Romans advanced from the con- struction of buildings like the Pantheon to that of the church of Sta. Sophia at Constantinople are so consecutive and so easily traced 1 These are expedients for filling up the corners of square lower stories on Avhich it is intended to place a circular superstructure. They someAvhat re- semble very large brackets or corbels placed in an angle. Examples of them have been given in speaking of Byzan- tine architecture, and others will be found in the chapter on Mahomedan Architecture in India, further on.