Identifier: mazeslabyrinthsg1922matt (find matches)
Title: Mazes and labyrinths; a general account of their history and developments
Year: 1922 (1920s)
Authors: Matthews, William Henry, 1882-
Subjects: Labyrinths
Publisher: London, New York, etc. Longmans, Green
Contributing Library: Boston College Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Boston Library Consortium Member Libraries

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globe there arefour more pyramids, each a hundred feet in height, andabove them is a platform on which are five more pyra-mids. The height of the latter, Varro is ashamed to add,but, according to the Etruscan stories, it was equal tothat of the rest of the building. What utter madness isthis, to attempt to seek glory at a great cost which cannever be of use to anyone; not to mention the drain uponthe resources of the country. And all to the end that theartist may receive the greater share of the praise I There have been many discussions as to the possi-bility of a monument of this nature having existed, andvarious reconstructions have been attempted, notablyone (Fig. 13), based on Varros account, by a celebratedFrench scholar of a century ago, M. Quatremere deQuincy. One enthusiast, a certain Father Angelo Cortenovis,even wrote a treatise to prove that the whole contrivancewas nothing more nor less than a huge electrical machine! 1 A sort of low-crowned round hat with a broad brim. 38
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Fig. 13. Tomb of Lars Porsena at Clusium.Conjectural restoration by Quatremere de Quincy after Varros description. Most writers on the subject have been inclined to lookupon Varros description as at best a gross exaggera-tion, but Professor Mtiller gave it as his opinion thatthe labyrinth described did actually exist, and thatthe upper part, though no doubt highly embellished inthe description, was not the mere offspring of fancy.He thought it quite probable that there was a squarebasement of regular masonry supporting five pyramidsas recounted by Varro, but that the latter described theupper part from hearsay. He drew attention to the factthat a tomb somewhat of this nature is still in existenceon the Appian Way at Albano, the pyramids being re-presented in this case by cones. It is commonly calledthe Tomb of the Horatii and Curiatii. In the early part of last century a British traveller,G. Dennis, made a study of the antiquities of Etruriaand gave particular attention to the remarka

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