I do not think that, with our present ideas of economy, we are able to
appreciate the motives of the Athenians in choosing their marble from
the Pentelic quarries in preference to those of Mount Hymettus. We must
remember that the Greeks built for their gods; and the Pentelic marble,
by presenting greater difficulties in its acquisition may have been a
more precious offering. I can more easily understand this than the use
of granite by the Egyptians, which was sought for from quarries much
more distant, and presented difficulties of workmanship many times
greater.
Mr. Penrose has examined most minutely the capitals of the columns of
the Parthenon, and is convinced that no outline of any kind exists upon
them; but I am not so convinced that there never was one there, because,
although outlines are found on fragments of some of the mouldings, they
do not exist everywhere on the same moulding: it is only under
favourable circumstances that the outline has been preserved. A Doric
echinus may yet be found with outlines upon it.