Page:The geography of Strabo (1854) Volume 2.djvu/73

 B. vin. c. vi. 23. CORINTH. SICYON. 65 brave and generous than an admirer of the arts, presented them without hesitation to those who asked for them. 1 Lu- cullus, having built the temple of Good Fortune, and a porti- co, requested of Mummius the use of some statues, under the pretext of ornamenting the temple with them at the time of its dedication, and promised to restore them. He did not, however, restore, but presented them as sacred offerings, and told Mummius to take them away if he pleased. Mummius did not resent this conduct, not caring about the statues, but obtained more honour than Lucullus, who presented them as sacred offerings. Corinth remained a long time deserted, till at length it was restored on account of its natural advantages by divus Caesar, who sent colonists thither, who consisted, for the most part, of the descendants of free-men. On moving the ruins, and digging open the sepulchres, an abundance of works in pottery with figures on them, and many in brass, were found. The workmanship was admired, and all the sepulchres were examined with the greatest care. Thus was obtained a large quantity of things, which were disposed of at a great price, and Rome filled with Necro- Corinthia, by which name were distinguished the articles taken out of the sepulchres, and particularly the pottery. At first these latter were held in as much esteem as the works of the Corinthian artists in brass, but this desire to have them did not continue, not only because the supply failed, but because the greatest part of them were not well executed. 2 The city of Corinth was large and opulent at all periods, and produced a great number of statesmen and artists. For here in particular, and at Sicyon, flourished painting, and modelling, and every art of this kind. The soil was not very fertile ; its surface was uneven and 1 Mummius was so ignorant of the arts, that he threatened those who were intrusted with the care of conveying to Rome the pictures and sta- tues taken at Corinth, to have them replaced by new ones at their ex- pense, in case they should be so unfortunate as to lose them. 2 The plastic art was invented at Sicyon by Dibutades ; according to others, at the island of Samos, by Roecus and Theodorus. From Greece it was carried into Etruria by Demaratus, who was accompanied by Eucheir and Eugraminus, plastic artists, and by the painter Cleophantus of Cor- inth, B. c. G63. See b. v. c. ii. 2.