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ANTIQUE STATUES.
THE APHRODITE OF MELOS.
(I874-)
IN the month of February, 1820, that statue came to
light, which, known under the name of " la. Vinus de
Milo " passes for the most precious pearl of the collection
of antique works in marble, at the Louvre.
High up on a mountain, the summit of which is
crowned by the little city of Castro, while its declivities
are overstrewn with remains from the old Hellenic time,
a peasant was at work in his garden. With the hoe, he
cleared away weeds and parasites, and so came to a mas-
tic bush, which he tore up by the roots. The dry earth
in which this had shot out branches, ran down into a hole
which now became visible between two bricks. Jorgos,
so the peasant was named, drew from this the inference
that there must be a vault underneath. He called his
son, Antonio Bottonis ; both seized their spades, dug
eagerly, struck upon a wall ; discovered in the wall a deep
niche adorned in colors, and in the niche a marble statue
six feet* high, standing upon its pedestal. The statue
represented a woman, covered from the hips to the feet
with a drapery. They found near it, in the same vault,
two figures of Hermes and some fragments of marble.
The French consular agent at Melos, Louis Brest.
* Swedish feet.
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