A MYSTERIOUS GODDESS

Evening Star, Issue 17793, 15 October 1921, Page 9

A MYSTERIOUS GODDESS

DISCOVERIES AT CTBESSL

RELICS OF OLD GREEK COLONY.

Gyrene, tbo oldest Greek colony in Africa, immortalfaed by Pindar; Bengasi, tho modern capital, the ancient Berenice, standing in tho midst of the Gardens of the Hcsporides near tin mouth of the Raver Letho; the othoi cities of the Pcntapolis, Tcuchcim Barco, with its port Ptolcmais, Apollon Ire and tbo remains cf many nameless Greek and Libyan cities cover a vast territory tliat. was almost completely unknown at tho beginning of tho century (writes Gilbert liagnani in the ‘Morning Post’). Tho dillioultios of transport, and, above all, tho hostility of the oH-pcwsrfnl Scnussi sect, made all oefantiflo work impos'‘A V. No won ter, then, that when Italy r'Ki ton yea.... *■occupied the couutn ..i.U students hoped that much new Ughfc would bo throwu on Greek history and art. Those hopes have not been dfaappofateSj, though hardly folly realised. At OyrsMjt where excavations wore begun at onety dtliouph discoveries of very great impoflm tauca llavc boon made, the mam problomjs, ; such as the history of tho first Quick . settlement in the seventh century B.a, th* type of tho local pottery, the plan, ftma {ha buildings of tho city as known to Pfa» Jar, are as obscure oa over. W« can onhf state that the ancient city of tho Bottisdjt | was completely rebuilt in Ptolemaic times, ; and then again by Hadrian and hie sue* ; cossora after the terrible Jewish fasuxrec- ‘ tion of 116 a.». Hadrian appears to have 'been almost tho second founder of tho ’ city; everywhere are traces of Us work ' and inscriptions in his honor. The bars _ f which supported- tho colossal statue of: lSon«, one of tho finest sculptures found, 1 boats a dedication to Hadrian from Ufacity of Gyrene “ because ho had decorated it with statues." 13" the side of tho great: tomplo of Apollo, tho centra of the relit pious life of tho city, a email but remarks ably graceful building has been discovered, whldi, ably restored, is now one of tha most picturesque of the ruins. Among the fragments cf its decoration was found a portioq of an architrave bearing a dedi* cation to Hadrian near by whore Smith and I’orchcr in 1060 had found tho statue of Hadrian now in tho British Museum, The conclusion is obvious. Tho grateful people had built this temple to Hadrian by tho very aide cf their patron deity* TEMPLE OF APOLLO, Tho excavation of tho temple of Apollo, lias now been almost completed, bat unfortunately Smith and Poroher, in 1860, • had already partly excavated the temple, and had carried off the sculpture to the British Museum, Tho temple itself Is surrounded on all sides by tho remains of its fallen columns. Uto earthquake that destroyed Cyrcno in tho fourth oontury A.n. caused tbo whole building to open out as if by some internal cxploAinn. In front of iho entrance lie three great Dorio columns perfectly preserved, with their drums still closely knit together. Inside the temple, below the level of the mosaic pavement, ore heaped up a great number of email fluted monolith columns. They m o tho columns which supported tho interior of tho ancient tomplo at the time of Pindar. Two are still In place, and the line cf tho nayo and aisles, fa quite clear. Tho walls and columns which surrounded it are, however, as yet invisible, buried under the ruins pf the later tom l * n'lc. At some tune, probably fa the late Hellenistic period, tho ancient and venerable cdifico of tho Battiads was destroyed, probably by firo, and if was rebuilt on ft Ini'f'cr scale. To raieo the floor of th& alirino, tbo builders made use of tho DUincrouß columns in tho interior. All zouas iho temple aro fountains which were filfect with tho water from tho holy spring \ end, oven as I 'write, preparations are being made to excavate tlio spring iteolf and to. discover, if pondlfla, the eocrod fanotebt* ; head. \ AN UNICNOWN GODDESS. J Above tho fountain, near tho Acropolis, stand? tho well-preserved tomplo of jfaufl, in the middle of tho marketplace. It fa surrounded by an imposing colonnade, architecturally ono of iho finest buildings discovered. In front of it ore the remains of tho wretched hovels built by tho cup* vivors of tho earthquake, who mado no attempt to restore tho city. Nearby chance excavations haw brought to light an interesting littlo sanctuary, probably of tho time of Junior* tlio Apostate. It was dedicated to Eastern divinities, and in Hie foundation deposit wore found egg shells, lamps, and some coins of the Constantines. But the place of honor is held by a small marble statue of a goddess. She wears the characteristic hcaddiws of Iris, but tho lower part of the boilv in tightly swathed in a kind of net. Tho colors with which the statuo was painted have been wonderfully preserve*!, more eo than in any oilier ancient striimi. The gilding of tho hair, the blood red of the lips and mantle, tho green of tho tunic, and the many and various colors of tho net give it an extraordinary and somewhat uncanny appears new. The- goddess bus been named Irir-AiarfatLs, but who flio is -or what tho symbolism means is riili uncertain. But by far tho most important find, so far we.'} made only a few woeks ago. Dr Olive:.!;!, a brilliant epigraphlst, while c.r cavu thin came acio.xi a greet block of -> >bh' imho Off. long. Ho had It raised, and what was hfa surprise to find ono of il , ("iveed with a Greek inscription, over 100 linen ct fine lettering fdthout a Break. without a flaw, without an erasure, Jb in (ho l.hrek Iran .relation of a letter of Augustus on (ho government and Iho adv>” i. iiati.m of jurUw in Cyremiea, Prom it wo get tt wonderful insight into tho financial and judicial conditions of the country at that tiiqo, and we sop with what enrn tho coniral administrative government watched over the- prosperity of the province?. Jte importance cannot posrihly 1m mn iclrei ; it will form one of Cm fnndiiKii ntal aourros for tho history of tho iimnan Enrniro under Augrotos, ana it;: (lublieittion Irom tlio ablo pen of Dr Oliviwo is oacerlv nwaitod. Hit'.Vi:'-, TONES or GLADIATORS.

.At Ileiijcn-si itwli only urt B’toliainuic coinelery has come to At Teuebcira, tho modem Tocra, tho in'Ji■(.ary hej'iin '.voi‘3: on c Byzsuitmo churohf but tho (i-t«vvation» hero have had to bo j eruipanded far tho present. Tho important j modem viilsgo of MordJ, which occupied iho filf of tho ancient fiarco, lias yielded two line I’anatberiaic vases of thS fifth, coiitary ejkl fiomo interesting CVfla iiifaiiiitiraif.. which will have great inv poTtancc. when tho history of tho AxiA (onquo.t comeu to Ip wriUcru Tho cxi" Timvo mins of TolmelU (Ptoicsmala) h«w> ■ ml yet been excavated ; but acme oisoonr* ! inr ( cf interest have been made oocidca* j idly—u fuio Etatne of ft woman draped la ,• mi (uoiihauf;; ddn end come gravcjrtooe# j of gladiators. The Senuesi convent, or j Ziraia, near Cyrene, called tho Zaaia-ol-Bc’ia, has been proved to occupy the cite of tho city of Balngnto, and a noteworthy filatuo ox victory has been found theits. At Apollonia important work is being done, A Chmtion basilica of. tho fifth oor.tury if. l;»eiii,'» excavated and restored, mid srano fine mosaics have already been found. Its appeitrance when all ito great columns of Cij>o.tlino innrhlo have fipon raised will be most impaaing. and will form a fitting monument to Ly&lan Christia'iity and to tho r.u'inory of the great Bishop Sr':,,: -a.