Galczcays: Gale of the places, as at the gate of the city, the so-called "Gate of the Lions" (fig. II), the courses are horizontal and the joints are vertical. The door itself is now for the greater part of its height blocked with earth and daris, so that only the upper part can be seen; it consists on both sides of two huge stone jambs leaning toward each other, upon which is a lintel nearly 5 metres (r6q feet) long and metres (nearly 5 feet) thick. Above the lintel is a tri angular space, the sides of which are formed of horizontal courses of stones which project toward one another, so as to meet above. In this tri angular opening is inserted a block of the same shape, on which are carved in relief two lions standing with their fore-feet on the pedestal of a central pillar. Egyptian influence as well as the working of a primitive idea can be traced in the form of this gate, while the rendering of the muscles of the animals and the treatment of the .reliefs remind us of Asiatic works.
Other City Gates. and II alls.—The walls of Phigalia, a portion of which remains, have a gate the jambs of which consist of several stones with oblique ends projecting inward. An immense lintel closes the opening (N. 4, fig. 13). The upper parts of the gates of Amphissa (fig. 14) and Samos (fig. 15) show us regularly-built work with vertical joints. Besides these walls, similar ones exist at Buphagos and Psophis. In Asia Minor there also exist remains of walls belonging to the same category, as at Kalynda, in Carla, where the masonry is polygonally jointed, and at lasos, on the Carian coast, where the courses are almost regular. We also meet with similar walls in Italy, as at the city of Cossa, where the irregularly-polygonal blocks are without mortar, and at Vol terra, Populonia, Fiesole, and Cortona, where the blocks are in regular courses. Some walls in Greece have doors worked out of horizontal courses into an arched form, while some of the later Italian ones show perfect arch-construction.
We cannot assign a date to the erection of these walls; it seems indubitable that they are older than the later Assyrian buildings. Equally doubtless it appears to us that that method of arch-construction which consisted of horizontally-projecting courses, as here exemplified, cannot be the forerunner of the vaulted building, and from the multifarious rela tions which existed between the Asiatic civilization and the Pelasgian races we may conclude that the latter derived the arch from ancient Asia, first in imperfect imitation, but afterward in correct construction. The various tribes to which these walls belong bore a multitude of names, yet it would be clear that they were allied in race, or at least belonged to one and the same phase of civilization, even were there no evidence other than that of the fortification-walls, similarly fashioned and nearly contemporaneous, which we have described above. Another common
characteristic is the want of any massive monumental temples.
Pelasgian Temples.—The simple nature-worship of the Pelasgi sought its gods in forest and grove, in rock and stream, frequented the spots where they resided, and received visits from them in human form either to aid or to punish, according to their will. Homer mentions temples which enclosed the image of a god that served for the protection of the city, just as each house had its Penates, but gives no further information concerning their structure and arrangements—an omission which he cer tainly would not have made had they by the beauty of their forms, their size, or their conspicuous appearance given him ail opportunity for poetic description. But we find in the older writers glowing descriptions of sacred groves and altars under the open sky where the chief ceremonial of the worship of the gods—the offering of sacrifices—could be performed. Such was the sanctuary of Zeus in the oak-grove of Dodona, which was retained by the Hellenes as a holy place. Wherever mention is made of temples we must believe them to have been made of bronze or of wood and to have been constructed in Asiatic fashion. Pausanias tells us (x. 5, 9) that the first Temple of Apollo at Delphi was built of laurel, while a later one was of bronze.
On the island of Eubcea there remain some rectangular structures built of irregularly-shaped stone slabs, among which, as in the walls of Tiryns, smaller stones fill in the interstices between the larger and make for them a secure bed. There are three of these on Mount Cliosi, near Styra, and one on Mount Odia, near Karystos. From the structure of these stone temples it is evident that they were contemporary with the walls before described. The building at Mount Ocha is internally about 9 metres feet) long and 454 metres (nearly 15 feet) wide; the upright walls are about 3 metres feet) thick and about 2 metres (6Y feet) high. Slabs which internally project over one another, leaving an open ing at the top, form a gable-like ceiling to the room, which is thus higher in the centre. On the southern long face of the rectangle is a gate very similar to that at Mykeme, built of two opposite stone jambs with a stone lintel. Two small four-sided openings apparently served as windows. Although the building is known as the Temple of Hera, we cannot be certain that it is a sanctuary, but incline to believe it a memorial sacred to departed heroes.