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154 ROMAN DAYS.
altogether from that which Mr. Marcellus has given us.
The account is drawn up by Dumont d’Urville’s friend
and former comrade on board la Chevrette, Matterer,
captain of a frigate and major of marines at Toulon,
The latter informs us that the question was decided not
by the gifts of eloquence of Mr. de Marcellus, but as he
himself expresses it, " by main force." Captain Robert,
at the head of his sailors and soldiers, attacked Oikon-
omos’s men. Mr. Brest, swinging in one hand a sabre,
in the other a cudgel, took part in the fray. Oikonomos
got a sound drubbing, his men were routed, and the
Venus victrix, as spoils and sign of victory, was carried
on board of VEstafette.^
Prince Nikolaki Morusi was seized with the most vio-
lent indignation, at news of this event, and knew no bet-
ter way of cooling his wrath than to have the members
of the unlucky municipal council of Castro soundly flog-
ged. When the Greek war of independence broke out,
they took their revenge. They or their friends seized
Prince Nikolaki, and hanged him.
The Melian statue arrived safely in Paris. Long the
work remained behind closed doors ; but the Parisian
press already announced, in advance, that France, through
its ambassador at Constantinople, had been enriched with
a production of ancient Greek art, of the very highest
order, outshining even the works that had won the most
rapturous homage of Winckelmann.
At last the Melian Venus had obtained her place
among the other objects to be seen in the gallery of the
* This report of Matterer is confirmed by Frencli travellers—most re-
cently by the former emissary of France to Greece, Jules Ferry, who during
his sojourn at Melos, last year, heard the fight spoken of.
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