object is, if possible, to convey to the reader some conception of the
ancient splendor and magnificence of Athens; to revive the scenes amidst
which the Athenians daily moved, and which may be presumed to have
exerted a powerful influence upon the manners, the taste, the habits of
thought, and the entire character of the Athenian people. To secure this
object we need only direct attention to the Acropolis, which was crowded
with the monuments of Athenian glory, and exhibited an amazing
concentration of all that was most perfect in art, unsurpassed in
excellence, and unrivalled in richness and splendor. It was "the
peerless gem of Greece, the glory and pride of art, the wonder and envy
of the world."

The western side of the Acropolis, which furnished the only access to
the summit of the hill, was about 168 feet in breadth; an opening so
narrow that, to the artists of Pericles, it appeared practicable to fill
up the space with a single building, which, in serving the purpose of a
gateway to the Acropolis, should also contribute to adorn, as well as
fortify the citadel. This work, the greatest achievement of civil
architecture in Athens, which rivalled the Parthenon in felicity of
execution, and surpassed it in boldness and originality of design,
consisted of a grand central colonnade closed by projecting wings. This
incomparable edifice, built of Pentelic marble, received the name of
Propylaea from its forming the vestibule to the five-fold gates by which
the citadel was entered. In front of the right wing there stood a small
Ionic temple of pure white marble, dedicated to Nike Apteros (Wingless
Victory).

A gigantic flight of steps conducted from the five-fold gates to the
platform of the Acropolis, which was, in fact, one vast composition of
architecture and sculpture dedicated to the national glory. Here stood
the Parthenon, or temple of the Virgin Goddess, the glorious temple
which rose in the proudest period of Athenian history to the honor of
Minerva, and which ages have only partially effaced. This magnificent
temple, "by its united excellences of materials, design, and decoration,
internal as well as external, has been universally considered the most
perfect which human genius ever planned and executed. Its dimensions
were sufficiently large to produce an impression of grandeur and
sublimity, which was not disturbed by any obtrusive subdivision of
parts; and, whether viewed at a small or greater distance, the