Identifier: palacesofcreteth00moss (find matches)
Title: The palaces of Crete and their builders
Year: 1907 (1900s)
Authors: Mosso, A. (Angelo), 1846-1910
Subjects: Palaces
Publisher: London, Unwin
Contributing Library: Robarts - University of Toronto
Digitizing Sponsor: University of Toronto

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allowtombs within the sacred enclosure, but there was certainly onevery illustrious citizen for whom the city of Gortyna made anexception, and raised to his memory this tomb near the entrance tothe temple. Now his very name is lost and his bones are scattered.Four steps of Pentelic marble lead to the uncovered tomb, withinwhich the poppies have spread a purple pall. V. At the time of the Roman dominion Greek artists used tokeep statues without heads ready in their shops so as to facilitate thetrade in monuments. They had emperors wearing the cuirass,consuls in the toga, philosophers, orators, and poets with the tecaand roll of writing at the foot. They were quite finished exceptthe head, and that was done as soon as the order was given. Thefour statues of Fig. 45, photographed under the direction ofProfessor Halbherr, were made in this fashion. An author, twoconsuls and an emperor have lost their heads by the strange ironyof fate and have again become anonymous as in their early days
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6 THE RUINS OF GORTYNA 103 in the warehouse. It seems like the destruction of marbles whenthe Roman Senate ordered the damnatio memorue in the timeof Nero and Domitian, when the statues of the emperors and theirofficials were overturned and decapitated. GoRTYNA, June I, 1906. To-day I have seen a sad picture of human inconstancy ina field far from the road and at such a distance that I had to goon horseback to the spot. But it was a record of my favouriteauthor, Marcus Aurelius, and nothing would have kept me fromrendering homage to his memory. At the end of a block of masonry the tablet to MarcusAurelius and Lucius Verus ^ appeared like a white patch in a fieldof deep, almost blue green tobacco. Taking off my hat, Iapproached and read the inscription. After the Medes andParthians had been overcome by Marcus Aurelius a monumentwas erected at Gortyna to this celebrated writer and philosopherand to other emperors, but the monument having been destroyedanother was set up in its place. We

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