Note 143 — MINERALS. (continued 2)

GREEK MARBLES.—143. Pentelic Marble is of beautiful white colour, and nearly resembles the Parian marble (145) of the Italians; but it is in coarser granulations. Sometimes it is splintery. It was obtained from quarries on Mount Pentelicus, near Athens, and was generally preferred, by the Grecian artists, to Parian marble. The Pantheon was built entirely of Pentelic marble; and many of the Athenian statues, and works carried on near Athens during the administration of Pericles, were executed in it. Dr. Clarke, however, has observed that while the works wrought of Parian marble remain perfect to the present time, those of Pentelic marble have been decomposed by the atmosphere, and sometimes exhibit a surface as rude and earthy as common lime-stone. There are numerous examples of Pentelic marble in those works of Phidias which form the Elgin collection in the British Museum.