parts of the
country, one to AEsculapius; a bas-relief of a Roman standard of the
second legion; and pigs of lead inscribed with the names of Roman
emperors. Having examined these objects, the visitor should pass at
once westward into the

PHIGALEIAN SALOON.

He may here take a seat for a few moments and read the points of
history which belong to this saloon, before he commences his
examination of it. One year, while the present century was young,
fifteen gentlemen encamped round about the ruins of a temple, known to
the neighbouring inhabitants as the "columns." These columns were
those believed to be the ruins of a temple of Apollo Epicurius, built
by the citizens of ancient Phigaleia, in Arcadia. These "columns" were
situated upon a shelf of land, high up the side of Mount Cotilium, and
surrounded by a rich and various landscape. Lying scattered about were
the shattered fragments of the sculptured frieze of the temple; and,
with infinite labour the camp of explorers succeeded in gathering
together and arranging the slabs which are now deposited in this, the
Phigaleian saloon. To the sound of Arcadian music, workmen excavated
in the neighbourhood of these ruins; and in 1814 the Prince Regent
obtained a grant of 15,000L. to purchase them for the British Museum.

The subjects represented by these sculptures are, the battle of the
Centaurs and the Lapithae, and the war between the Amazons and
Athenians--mythical struggles upon which Greek sculptors were fond of
exercising their imagination. THE BATTLE OF THE CENTAURS is the first
to which the visitor should direct his attention. The origin of this
myth is thus described by Sir Henry Ellis: "The story of the Centaurs,
it is remarked, is of Thessalian origin. The people of Thessaly were
remarkably expert in horsemanship, and were supposed to be the first
in Greece who practised the art of riding on horseback. Pelion, and
other mountains in this part of Greece, abounding in wild bulls, these
ferocious animals were frequently hunted by the people of the country
on horseback, and when overtaken were seized by their pursuers, who
caught hold of them by the horns, in a manner not less dexterous than
daring. Hence, these hunters acquired the name of Centauri and
Hippocentauri. The novel sight of a man seated on a horse, and
galloping over the plains with more than human velocity, might easily
suggest to the minds of an ignorant peasantry, the idea of an animal
composed part