. A smaller history of Greece, from the earliest times to the Roman conquest. as nodoubt delayed by that event, and it was probably not completedbefore 393 TThen finished it presented one of the finest modelsof the Ionic order, as the Parthenon was of the Doric. It stood tcthe north of the latter building, and close to the northern wall ofthe Acropolis. The form of the Erechtheum differs from everyknown example of a Grecian temple. Usually a Grecian templewas an oblong figure with a portico at each extremity. The Erech-theum. on the contrary, though oblong in shape, and having aportico at
. A smaller history of Greece, from the earliest times to the Roman conquest. as nodoubt delayed by that event, and it was probably not completedbefore 393 TThen finished it presented one of the finest modelsof the Ionic order, as the Parthenon was of the Doric. It stood tcthe north of the latter building, and close to the northern wall ofthe Acropolis. The form of the Erechtheum differs from everyknown example of a Grecian temple. Usually a Grecian templewas an oblong figure with a portico at each extremity. The Erech-theum. on the contrary, though oblong in shape, and having aportico at the eastern or principal front, had none at its westernend, where, however, a portico projected north and south fromeither side, thus forming a kind of transept. This irregularityseems to have been chiefly owing to the necessity of preserving thedifferent sanctuaries and religious objects belonging to the ancienttemple. A view of it is given opposite. The roof of the southernportico, as shown in the view, was supported by six Caryatides. Chap. X. THE DIONYSIAC THEATRE. 95. The Erechtheum restored. Such were the principal objects which adorned the Acropolis atthe time of which we are now speaking. Their general appearancewill be best gathered from the engraving on the Frontispiece. Before quitting the city of Athens, there are two or three otherobjects of interest which must be briefly described. First, theDionysiac theatre, which occupied the slope at the south-easternextremity of the Acropolis. The middle of it was excavated outof the rock, and the rows of seats ascended in curves one aboveanother, the diameter increasing with the height. It was no doubtsufficiently large to accommodate the whole body of Athenian citi-zens, as well as the strangers who nocked to Athens during theDionysiac festival, but its dimensions cannot now be accuratelyascertained. It had no roof, but the spectators were probably pro-tected from the sun by an awning, and from their elevated seatsthey had
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