74

THE ORIGIN OF PILLARS.

reported to have existed in the land of Syriad or Syria even at the time when the Jewish historian wrote; but it seems more than probable that Josephus has in this case jumbled names and dates, a fault frequently found in that great writer; for Seth, the son of Sesostris, the very originator of pillars, erected many such in Syria for reasons enumerated by Herodotus. Pillars were also set up as a witness. Lot's wife looked back on Sodom, and she became her own sepulchral monument, a "pillar of salt." Jacob "took the stone he had used for his pillow, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil on the top of it," thus consecrating it an altar; and this practice we can trace through the classic nations, even to modern times; for at the consecration of Roman Catholic houses of worship in some countries they anoint the altars, door-posts, and pillars. The first mention of it as a funereal emblem is that over the grave of Rachel. The patriarch Jacob erected another pillar to bear witness to his solemn covenant with Laban, and directed his brethren to gather stones and make an heap. Now the Hebrew

gal, which is here translated heap, properly speaking means a circle; and this circle was, no doubt, placed round the pillar. From this fact, we naturally revert to the remarkable stone circles found in the British isles, at Stonehenge, Grange, and Aubry; and here also the pillar alone is found, as in the case of the curious pillar of Rudstone; and several such are found in Ireland under the

name of giants' finger stones. That after a time these funeral monuments were made in the likeness of some object, and adored, would appear from the command of Moses that the Jews should not erect any such, as they might lead them to the practice of idolatry. At the farewell exhortation of Joshua he set up a great stone under an oak in Sechem, for a witness or memorial, as it heard all that was said. The Nasamones swore by laying their hands on the tombs and pillars of eminent persons; and in like manner the famous pillars of Jachin and Boaz, in Solomon's temple, were not only ornaments, and had many mystical meanings, but were afterwards used by the kings of Judah, who "witnessed" (standing by them) to any solemn covenant that was made. Numbers of such stelæ have been lately dug up in the ruins of ancient Athens, corresponding to those at Telmessus, and representing an ancient Hebrew rite.* Pompey's pillar was most likely a sepulchral monument. The Samians inscribed the names of eminent men upon public columns ; and pillars were placed round the temple of Esculapius at Corinth with the names

As to what relation the round towers of Ireland may bear to the oriental pillar I will not take upon me to say, as a work is now in the press which will no doubt treat upon that subject. And those who may wish to be further informed upon this interesting topic should consult "An Essay upon the State of Architecture and Antiquities previous to the landing of the Anglo-Normans in Ireland, by Miss L. C. Beauford," published in the Transactions of the Royal Irish Academy, vol. xv.

of diseases, and the remedies, prescribed upon them.

The third form of tomb is the soros or sarcophagus; and of these there are many varieties; one kind is the Cyclopean prototype of those to be met in every English churchyard, and consists of an oblong, square chamber, formed by four stones placed upright, and roofed by an immense slab. Some of these flags are flat, others raised into a ridge in the centre, and several of them that I measured were ten feet eight inches long, by nine feet nine inches broad. The entrance is at the end; and on the right hand side is an inscription, that usually written by the ancient Greeks, being a recital of the name of the person buried within, by whom the tomb was erected, and imposing a fine to the state, and also imprecations of the wrath and vengeance of the infernal deities, on all disturbers of them. Beneath this chamber is another smaller vault of stone, in which the body was placed. The upper apartment may have been used as a place of mourning for the friends who we read occasionally resorted to such places for that purpose. Many of these upper chambers are of such a size that whole families of the poorer inhabitants have taken up their abodes within them, and others are converted into donkey stables and are filled with filth and rubbish. The tomb of Helen, a woman of Telmessus, situated in a small enclosure by the sea-side, near the town, which, from its inscription, Porson consi

SARCOPHAGI OF ASIA MINOR.

77

dered to have been built two thousand two hundred years ago, belongs to the class I have now described.

The second variety of soros is a form of tomb of great elegance and beauty, and seems to be peculiar to Asia Minor; none of this kind having been as yet found in any other part of the world, except two or three in the valley of Waddy Mousa. It consists of a sarcophagus of one solid stone, raised upon a pedestal, and having a roof like that of a trunk lid, ornamented with a ridge at top, and knobs jutting out on either side. The knobs, independent of their ornamental character, may have been used in raising these massive stones into their present position. There is also in these an upper chamber serving the purpose of a cenotaph.

Some of these monuments are entirely formed out of single blocks of stone; limestone bolders, which for ages occupied their present position, and which the Grecian artist took advantage of for hewing into tombs. These had their entrances at the end, the stone doors of which moved up and down in a groove carved within. When either the repository or the top was a separate piece no such opening was required, as it was raised on the pedestals after the body was placed within. Some of these monolithic monuments are placed upon the rugged, unhewn rocks, others have their situation in corn fields and enclosures, and form some of the most picturesque objects that I have ever seen. There are inscriptions on several, but greatly

78

A WARRIOR'S TOMB.

defaced; and others have groups of figures embossed upon the sides, representing death scenes and groups of friends mourning at the last farewell. In several of these entablatures the principal figure is represented sitting, and with an outstretched hand seems to be in the act of admonishing the others, who stand in a row with the right hand holding a napkin or part of the drapery applied to the eyes. There is one of these tombs so very extraordinary that I cannot refrain from briefly describing it; as it is by far the most interesting of this kind, both from the beauty of its construction and the position which it at present occupies.

This, which was, in all likelihood, the mausoleum of a warrior, has several boldly designed and well executed bas-reliefs upon its panelled sides, representing battles, horsemen, and chariots. It is not unlike the marble tomb at Xanthus, lately drawn by Mr. Fellows,* but in a state of much better preservation. The pedestal of this stood upon

*While these sheets are passing through the press, the very elegant work of Mr. Fellows upon Asia Minor has appeared, in which he has established the topography of some of the ancient cities in this country, and drawn with great truth and fidelity several tombs of the kind that I have described as existing in Lycia, at Xanthus, Antiphellus, and other places. It will also give much pleasure to all lovers of antiquities to learn, that at the suggestion of the trustees of the British Museum, one of the principal tombs at Xanthus is about being removed by the government to this country. It would be well if those employed upon that object, were to take a look at the warrior's tomb at Macri.