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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 23 December 2013
Since such works as Beulé's L'Acropole, d'Athènes, the Count De Laborde's Athènes au xv.e, xvi.e, et xvii.eSiècles, and Michaelis's Parthenon have appeared, the history of the Acropolis and its buildings has been made widely known, or at least the ascertainment of exact information has been made easy for all interested in these subjects. The more complete the list of records, the more importance do we attach to any new document referring directly to the Acropolis or the Parthenon. The two drawings in the library of the late Sir Thomas Phillipps at Thirlstane House, Cheltenham, here published, give views of the Acropolis in 1687.
The main points in the history of the Parthenon (for this ever remains the centre of interest on the Acropolis of Athens), are the following: After its completion in 438 B.C. it appears to have remained in its original condition until it was turned into a Christian church about the middle of the fifth century or the middle of the sixth, and by peculiar persistency of its original dedication to the virgin goddess of wisdom, it appears to have been at first converted into a church of St. Sophia and then of the Virgin Mary. The alterations made chiefly affected the interior of the temple.
page 87 note 1 See Laborde, , Athènes, &c., Vol. II. pp. 65, seq.Google Scholar; Michaelis, , Der Parthenon pp. 61, seq.Google Scholar and Anhang III pp. 345, seq.
page 88 note 2 Catalogus Librorum Manuscriptorum in Bibliotheca Phillippica.
page 88 note 3 I was led to go to Cheltenham because my attention was drawn to No. 7010 in the printed catalogue: “Drawings of Greek statues and inscriptions in the possession of M. Fauvel, at Constantinople, 8° ch. S. xviii. Ex Bibl. Guilford.” Fauvel was consul at Athens in the time of Choiseul-Gouffier's embassy and was, as far as the Parthenon marbles were concerned, the rival of Lord Elgin. I therefore thought it not impossible that these drawings might contain some new information concerning the Parthenon marbles. This was not the case. The drawings were chiefly of marbles in the possession of Fauvel (
is the note generally added), which are now in the Louvre. The copies of inscriptions would perhaps be interesting to an epigraphist. This is still more the case with another set of MSS. No. 17369. These also came from the Guilford library and appeared to me to be in the same handwriting as those of No. 7019. Who the author of these copies was became quite clear, when on the back of letter paper containing inscriptions the address Alla Sua Eccel. Sign. W. North was fonnd. He no doubt also copied the inscriptions in No. 7019.
page 89 note 1 Gaz. Arch. 1875, p. 26, seq. Pl. 8.
page 89 note 2 Mittheilungen des deutschen Arch. Inst. in Athen 1877, p. 38, Taf. 2.
page 89 note 3 The Parthenon; an essay on the mode by which light was introduced into Greek and Roman Temples. By James Fergusson. 4to London, 1883.
