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AJA ONLINE PUBLICATIONS The First American Classical Archaeologist CHARLES ELIOT NORTON In the year 1812 a volume in folio, with much attention to antiquity. The war numerous colored plates, was published in between the United States and Great Britain London, with the following title: “Grecian for three years interrupted the literary as Remains in Italy, a Description of Cyclopian well as the political relations between the Walls, and of Roman Antiquities. With two countries. Mr. Middleton’s book may topographical and picturesque Views of have attracted the regard of a few scholars Ancient Latium. By J. J. Middleton.” In the and artists; but it disappeared from view Introductory Chapter the author says that it before its value was recognized, and before is his intention to give an idea of those securing for its author the repute which he monuments in Latium which are of a date deserved. His name is not found in anterior to Roman greatness. In work of this Allibone’s Dictionary; his book is not kind, he says, “The artist is perhaps of more mentioned by Lowndes, Brunet, or Graesse; real use than the scholar. I for this reason C. O. Müller, Stark and Reinach in their adopted the plan of making a collection of respective Manuals make no reference to the very accurate drawings. The views, there- work, or to the writer. A brief and insuffi- fore, which are now offered to the public are cient notice of Mr. Middleton is contained in not meant merely to accompany the text; Appleton’s Cyclopædia; but his name has they are the principal object of this publica- been generally forgotten, and his work has tion. I write, because I have drawn.” He been unknown to those who have followed adds: “These sketches were executed during him in the same field of study. Even if his the years 1808 and 1809; and it is more than book had little original value, had become is absolutely necessary to add that the antiquated, and were now superseded, it country they are intended to give an idea of would still deserve to be rescued from was visited in the company of two English oblivion, as the first contribution made by an gentlemen, then resident at Rome; but I am American to the knowledge of classical happy to seize every opportunity of antiquity. But it deserves this for its own assuring them how much I value their sake: the accuracy and excellence of the friendship, and how pleasing it is to me to drawings reproduced in it give it such 1 (1885)3–9 recollect the days I passed with them.” This permanent worth that it may well form the sentence contains in the word “English” the corner-stone of the growing library of sole indication which the volume affords that American treatises on classical archæology, the author himself was not an Englishman. while its author’s name properly stands at The book has an air of good breeding, taste, the head of the fast lengthening list of and learning, which mark its writer as a American investigators of the “monuments gentleman, but afford no hint as to his of former men” in the Old World. country. Mr. John Izard Middleton belonged to a American Journal of Archaeology / The volume appeared at an unfortunate well-known South Carolinian family, long moment for obtaining the notice it deserved. distinguished alike for its historic public The last years of the struggle with Napoleon service and for the hereditary high culture of JANUARY 15, 2000 REPRINT Copyright © 2000 by the Archaeological Institute of America were too full of immediate interest to permit its leading members. He was the son of the patriot, and signer of the Declaration of acceptance, especially from German Independence, Arthur Middleton, and was archæologists; and it was not until the born in 1785. He lost his father in his infancy, subsequent investigations of Dodwell and and, like him, received his college education Gell in Greece and the islands of the Mediter- at Cambridge, England. From the University ranean had confirmed his views, that the he proceeded to the Continent, and in Italy Pelasgic origin of these ancient walls came to and France he spent the greater part of his be regarded as probable, and that a division life. Endowed by nature with uncommon of them was established into three or four gifts, which he had cultivated to advantage, different orders, according to the shaping he found ready access to good society, and and laying of their stones. was received on terms of intimacy in circles Dodwell who had previously visited into which foreigners seldom gained Greece, was one of the “English gentlemen” entrance. He sought for no public distinc- in whose company Mr. Middleton had tions, and spent the greater part of his life in drawn and studied the Latian walls. He did elegant if not indolent, leisure. With his facile not fail to note the resemblance between the powers and varied gifts, with all the graces Cyclopean work of one land and the other; and accomplishments of culture, it would but it was not till 1818 that be published his seem that he needed only ambition to secure excellent “Classical and Topographical Tour the repute for which he did not care. He died through Greece,” in which he drew attention in Paris in 1849. His body was brought to once more to these oldest remains of America, and buried in the family vaults at European civilization. Had the publication of Middleton Place, on Ashley River, in South Mr. Middleton’s observations been equally Carolina. The house was burned and the delayed, they might have been as well vaults dishonored by the Union troops in received and remembered. His book was the 1864; and among the family memorials first, so far as I am aware, in which the which were then miserably dispersed or conclusions of M. Petit-Radel were sup- destroyed were some of the beautiful ported by fresh evidence and illustrated by drawings of Mr. Middleton. accurate drawings. In his opening chapter he It was soon after quitting Cambridge that says: he went to reside in Italy. The attention of Pausanias was the first who gave the generic students of antiquity had lately been drawn term Cyclopian to walls of the nature of to the prehistoric walls in Latium by the those we treat of; but I believe no regular researches of M. Petit-Radel. To these walls system was built upon the observation of this scholar had given the name of their singularity, until about twelve years Cyclopean, because they seemed to him to ago, when Mr. Petit Radel, a member of the National Institute in Paris, published a exhibit the same character as those of Tiryns, memoir on the subject; in this tract he terms Mycenæ, and other ancient Greek sites, them “Constructions polygones, which the Greek writers themselves had irrégulières,” and endeavors to prove, first, attributed to the mythical race of Cyclopes. that they have no connection with the “opus Observing the methods of construction of incertum” of Vitruvius; and secondly, that these primitive walls, the evidences of they are the remains of monuments built by comparative antiquity which they afforded, the Pelasgians. 1 (1885) 3–9 and the sites where they were found, he The first part is very easily established and is conceived the idea that they were in truth evident to any person who has seen the two the work of the Pelasgi, a race which up to modes of construction, as the “opus this time had appeared scarcely less mythical incertum” is only the embryo of the “opus than the Cyclopes themselves. French reticulatum,” and differs from the Cyclopian scholarship at this time was not at its best, in being composed of small bricks, which are “L’étude de l’Antiquité était alors chez nous joined by mortar; whereas the Cyclopian walls are built of immense stones, five, ten, en train de renaître:” says Saint-Beuve, fifteen, and occasionally twenty feet long, speaking of the First Empire. M. Petit-Radel without any cement, but joined by the nicety was something of a pedant, and his conclu- of the squaring, and kept together by their American Journal of Archaeology sions were suspected as resting on too / own weight. Alberti has mentioned these narrow a basis of evidence. Published in the walls in his Roman Antiquities (B. I., c. 3); “Magasin encyclopédique” in 1804 and and Piranesi, when he speaks of them, calls REPRINT subsequent years, they at first met with little them erroneously “opus incertum.” 2 His second theory is scarcely less established, fully described and carefully illustrated by according to my opinion, by the circumstan- Mr. Middleton; and it seems worth while to tial evidence of the similarity between these quote a portion of his account of them to walls and those of many towns in Greece. show the character of his archæological There is scarcely any doubt of their being of Grecian origin, on account of this similarity, observations. and because those walls are not to be found The hill on which Segni is situated is very in any part of the Roman territory, except in steep, and we were nearly two hours that tract of country which Dionysius of ascending its barren sides. The modern Halicarnassus tells us was peopled by town of Segni lies enclosed within the ancient Pelasgian colonies. walls but does not occupy half the space of “The mystery,” adds Mr. Middleton, “that the ancient city. As usual, in the places where Cyclopian remains are found, the site cannot envelops this particular branch of the history be better adapted for defence; as, with the of arts, adds very much to the interest it exception of the gate by which you enter inspires; .