The time during which the Lycians may be said to have enjoyed their
highest civilisation dates from about five centuries before our era,
up to the period of the Byzantine empire. During this long interval,
most of the monuments of which this room contains some remarkable
specimens were conceived and executed. Of the sculpture, not
immediately illustrative of tombs, in the Lycian room, the most
interesting, undoubtedly, is that gleaned from the site of an ancient
building on the Acropolis of ancient Xanthus, by Sir Charles Fellows.
Passing a few fragments, including that marked (33), from Xanthus,
which represents the foreparts of two lions issuing from a square
block, the visitor should pass at once to the model of a Xanthian
Ionic peristyle building, surrounded by fourteen columns and
ornamented with statues, made under the direction of Sir Charles
Fellows, from the remains found on the site of the original building,
which lie about the room, and which the visitor is about to examine.
The original building was thirty-five feet in height, measuring from
the pediment to the base. Its object has been variously stated, but
cannot be said to be clearly and satisfactorily known. Of the
conjectures which have obtained certain credit, we may mention that
which described it as a trophy raised, in 476 B.C., to celebrate the
subjugation of Lycia by the Persians; and that which describes the
subject of the decorative sculptures as that of the suppression of the
revolt of the Cilicians by the Persian Satrap of Lycia. The remains of
this mysterious building are ranged in groups about the room; and the
visitor will observe indications of the flow of the lines, and the
artistic grace, which subsequently marked Grecian sculpture from every
other on the face of the earth. Here it is not impossible to recognise
the Greek mind: far below that of the decoration of the Parthenon, it
is true; but yet elegant and thoughtful. The groups of sculpture
marked (34-49) are the sculptures of the broader frieze which, it is
conjectured, surrounded the base of the building. Here are represented
a series of warlike encounters in which the Greek arms are
prominent--their helmets, crests, and Argolic bucklers; while other
soldiers are represented nearly nude, and in some instances wearing
the Asiatic pointed cap. This frieze undoubtedly represents the Greeks
at war with Asiatic tribes. The fragments of the narrow frieze which
bordered the upper part of the frieze are marked from 50 to 68. The
first four fragments represent the attack of a town, supposed to be
the Lycian town Xanthus. Here the besiegers may be observed scaling
the wall, and the officers cheering on the men. The five following
fragments represent various scenes of warfare between Greeks and
Asiatics. Then a walled city is represented, with the heads of a
besieged party looking over the ramparts; then a figure of a Satrap
occurs (62), supposed to be that of the Persian conqueror of Lycia,
Harpagus, who is screened with an umbrella held by a slave, which is
the emblem of his sovereignty, and is in the act of receiving a
deputation from the besieged city. The next two fragments represent a
sally from the besieged town; and upon the 67th fragment is some
carving supposed to illustrate the retreat of the besieged to their
city. The groups marked (69,70,74) are fragments of the capping-stones
of the east front of the base, and columns and fragments of columns
from the peristyle. Those groups, however, marked (75-84), which
consist of the statues originally placed in the intercolumniations of
the building, are figures of divinities, with various symbols at their
feet, as the dolphin, the halcyon, &c., and are meant to represent, by
the flow of the drapery, that they are flying through the air. They
have been variously interpreted, but never satisfactorily; some
authorities asserting that they were meant to celebrate the arrival of
Latona at Xanthus, and others that they symbolise the great naval
victory over Evagoras. Passing over one or two unimportant groups of
fragments, the visitor should next examine the remains of the narrow
frieze (95-109), upon which an entertainment is represented--the
guests, perfectly used to luxuries, reclining upon couches, and taking
wine to the strains of female musicians; also, a sacrifice of various
animals. Passing the coffers of the ceiling (106-109), the visitor
should next examine the remains of another narrow frieze, where a
Satrap is represented receiving presents; and bear and boar hunting
scenes occur. The fragment marked (125) is the eastern pediment,
sculptured in relief with various figures; and that marked (126) is
half of the western pediment sculptured with figures of six
foot-soldiers. The groups numbered (132-135) are fine specimens of
Lycian sculpture: on the first a draped female figure is shown in
rapid flight; and on the second, youths are shown bearing off women.
The group marked (138) is one of the samples of the roof-tiles with
which the building was covered in. Two crouching lions (139, 140),
supposed to have occupied intercolumnar space in the building, are the
last of the fragments. These fragments, however, together with Sir
Charles's interesting model, and the landscape (also in the room),
realise more vividly to the mind of the general spectator the ancient
Xanthus, than all the other detached and solitary fragments. Near the
two lions just mentioned are the paws of another lion, and a fragment,
found near the Harpy Tomb, of a crouching warrior and bull. Having
noticed these, the visitor may occupy himself for a few minutes with
the fragments of Byzantine architecture (177-183). These remains were
discovered amidst the ruins of a Christian village; and, it is
conjectured, were buried by an earthquake. These objects being
discussed, the visitor should repair to the glass case at the end of
the room, and examine some small curiosities from the Xanthian
Acropolis, which are placed therein. These consist chiefly of a
Parian-marble torso of a Venus; the left elbow of a female, and the
left side of a female head, in Parian marble, found built into the
walls of the Acropolis; leaden and iron cramps found in the oldest
sculptures of the Acropolis; four small lamps; vases; a cup; fragments
of glass vessels; fragment of a vase of the Byzantine period, stamped
with a cross; bronze vessels; lead grating for a drain pipe; a
fragment of a terra cotta amphora, inscribed, in the Doric dialect,
with the name of Hippocrates; fragments of painted cement from early
Christian buildings--all found in the excavations made for the ruins
of the building of which the model and fragments have lately been
noticed. Some sickles, a leaden weight, fragments of glass windows,
and terra cotta fragments, also included in the glass-case, were
discovered among the ruins of the houses, buried by the fall of the
great building. And in this case, also, are some curiosities from
Pinara, including fragments of human bones, tiles, and cement, all
amalgamated by a deposit of lime filtering through the rock of a tomb;
cement used to line a water cistern, and to block up the door of a
rock-tomb. With an examination of these relics, the visitor will close
his inspection of the Lycian remains, and proceed at once to the