Page:History of Art in Primitive Greece - Mycenian Art Vol 1.djvu/433

 4o6 Primitive Greece : Mycenian Art. the base of the Acropolis and not the plateau. An interval, spacious enough to afford standing-room for a whole multitude, parted the central portion of the rocky mass from the ring encircling it. This by extension came to be called Pelasgicon as well. It was on this spot that Hippias, in 510 B.C., when pursued by Cleomenes, entrenched himself with his followers, lodge him.*' ^ Again, whilst the Peloponnesian army was laying waste Attica (431 B.C.), the country folk who had hurried to the town got shelter in the Pelasgic enclosure. That it was a free space we gather from an undated Delphian oracle, for- bidding the erection of any structure within the Pelasgicon.- The prohibition was doubtless suggested to the Pythia by one or other of the far-seeing statesmen of Athens, who guided her affairs during the first half of the fifth century B.C., Aristides or Themistocles, Cimon or Pericles. Had houses been staged up the slopes of the hill, once the first enclosure was forced, they would not only have afforded shelter, but admirable defences to a hostile force against the missiles rained down from the citadel ; whilst favoured by darkness the invaders could suddenly appear before the upper rampart, and carry it before the garrison was aware of their presence. That the leading men of that day were fully aware of the advantages of providing what in modern parlance would be called a ** military zone," is inferred from the fact that they called in divine inter- vention to support them in this direction. Once only, during the invasion led by Archidamus, was the law sanctioned by religion infringed upon. In those early days, however, no such fears disturbed the inhabitants, who could calmly view the pos- sibility of a siege, in the full consciousness that their defensive means were more than a match against the machines which the attacking party might oppose to them. They trusted, not in vain, in their massive ramparts, and felt at ease. Then, as now, rustic abodes must have covered the lower portion of the hill to the north and north-eastward, where three or four springs bubble up from the rock. Mere threads of water, if you will, but which never dry up.^ With the exercise of a little patience ^ Herodotus. 2 Thucydides. ^ The ancient names of these springs will be found in E. Curtius, Die Stadtgeschichte^ 6^c,
 * whence," says Herodotus, **the Lacedemonians could not dis-