IN THE CITY OF CROESUS

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLVI, Issue XLVI, 30 May 1914, Page 12

IN THE CITY OF CROESUS

Sardis, the capital of ancient Lydia, the city of Midas, and of Croesus, the last King of Lydia, is being excavated by an American archaeological expedition, and the results so far achieved, as summed up m the March Scribner's, are decidedly one of these being nothing less than the discovery of a hitherto unknown language. The excavators began their work in 1910, and have confined themselves throughout to the ancient Graeoo-Lydian city, leaving untouched the Roman and Byzantine towns situated at some disance away. Two lonic columns, 6ft in. diameter, but little over 30ft high, afforded the clue that the city itself must be at least 30ft below—the correct lonic proportion of height to diameter being nine to one—and the excavations were arranged accordingly. The first find v.Rs &n ancient building, oblo-ig, and with a flight of steps on its long western side. Here in two rows 'were found rectangular marble bases with sockets to hold inscribed slabs or steles, and one such stele was found'engraved with a long inscription in Lydian—the unknown tongue" The building was found on further investigation to be a temple dedicated to the goddess Artemis, and to date from the fourth century, B.C. It had been apparently used since the sixth century of the present era as a quarry, and more thar, two-thirds of the complete building, its walls, columns, and entablature, even its marble tiled roof, had been broken no and converted into lime at least 1200 years ago. Nevertheless, though so litfclf? remained of the temple, it was easily recognisable as having, once been one of the finest Greek temples in -the world. More than 300 ft. long, it stands in the midst <>f the excavation, its east end risimr in hiehlv finished walls 15ft or 20ft high. Of its fifteen huge columns, in three "iows. none is l«vis than 25ft, and two towi?r almost 60f*. above the platform. An ii'terestinsc .Ynrl at the Rast end of tho temnle " ra^ that of a littfo Ivrir-k V.M'ly Oristta-n Church, with its walls and Oi e Tinlf dome of its apse intarjfc. n».d fV lit+3© ».ltnr standing *s ii- stood fit the celebration of thfl last Mass