Foreign topography; or, an encyclopedick account, alphabetically arranged, of the ancient remains in Africa, Asia, and Europe; forming a sequel to the Encyclopedia of antiquities / By the Rev. Thomas Dudley Fosbroke.
- Thomas Dudley Fosbroke
- Date:
- 1828
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Foreign topography; or, an encyclopedick account, alphabetically arranged, of the ancient remains in Africa, Asia, and Europe; forming a sequel to the Encyclopedia of antiquities / By the Rev. Thomas Dudley Fosbroke. Source: Wellcome Collection.
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![SEGOBRIGA.—SELINUS. elevated in proportion as the ground over wliich it extends declines. At its hishest part. It has the appearance of a bridge, boldly thrown over a prodigious abyss. It has two branches, which form an obtuse angle relatively to the city. It is at these angles that it becomes really awful. Iwo rows of arches rise majestically one above the other to an amazing height. Its solidity, which has braved sixteen centuries seems inexplicable, on closely observing the simplicity of its construction. It is comnosed of square stones placed one above another, without any exterior appearance of cement though we cannot now be certain whether they are really united without this aid bv being cut and placed with peculiar art; or whether the cement has been destroyed by time. It is remarked CArchceolog. iv. 410) as a curious circumstance, that there are arches in this aqueduct. It is engraved by Montfaucon, &c. It is ascribed to the reign of Trajan, and Dillon says (p. 114) that the marks and holes of the letters which contained the inscription are yet visible. Segusia (now Susa in Piedmont). The arch is not triumphal, but a gate of the town, raised in honour of Augustus by Julius Cottius, son of King Donnus. Trunks o columns, capitals, &c. are found. (MllUn^ Voyage en Savoie^ 8^c. i. 107 II4.) Ihe arcli shows the distinction of the Provincial works from those of Rome at the same period, for the capitals of the pilasters are in a style not then usual at Rome Enc. des Antiquites. Segyn (Morlachia). Near here stood the ancient Roman Mquum. There are re- mains of an amphitheatre and aqueduct. Archceol. iii. 343, seq. Seleucia (now Suadea, near Antioch). A large gate, approaching to the Dorick order, yet remains entire. Ihe rock near it has been excavated into various apart- ments. A ])art exists of the thick and substantial wall which defended Seleucia to- wards the sea. The Port is formed by a mole of very large stones. It is now dry. A little to the north is a remarkable passage cut in the rock, leading by a gentle descent from the summit of the mountain towards the water. It is above boo common paces long, from 30 to 50 feet high, and about 20 broad. In the middle of it is a covered way, arched through the rock, but both the ends are open. A channel for water runs along the side, conveying the pure element down from the mountain to Seleucia. The whole lock above is full of artificial cavities, for what purpose does not appear. There is a Greek inscription on the south side of the cavern, comprising, Browne thinks, five lines ; but, as it was lofty, he could only discern tetar. He also found catacombs, ornamented with pilasters, cornices, and mouldings. One of the chambers contained thirty niches for the dead, another fourteen. Browne, 391, 392. Selimbria, of Herodotus, is now Selivia. Here is the old Roman military way. Small tumuli for marking distances occur with great regularity in pairs, one on each side of the road on the approach to the capital. Upon an eminence, before the enter- ing the place, are two large tumuli. Clarke, viii. 128, 129, 207. Selin us (now called the Peleri, Sicily). Here are the remains of magnificent tem- ples. The great temple of Jupiter is Dorick, and, like the generality of his temples, hypaethral. Its form was octostyle-dipteral; having eight columns in each front, and a double row surrounding the cella ; the number of columns in the flanks was sixteen. The columns in the east front were fluted, and it appears to have been the desio-n of the architect that they should have been so. Some however are quite plain. Others exhibit proportions for the flutings more or less advanced. The method of fluting the columns in the east front is unlike that observed by Mr. Wilkins in every other](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b22012035_0362.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
