HMS Belvidera and the Temple of Minerva

Gill and Gill examine the small marble "book" that recorded the activities of the Royal Navy warship, HMS Belvidera, in the Saronic and Aegean during May and June of 1832. While the book seems to show a representation of the Parthenon, there is no mention in the ship's log that the Be...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Notes and queries 2010-06, Vol.57 (2), p.199-210
Main Authors: Gill, David W J, Gill, Caroline
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Archives & records
English language
Warships
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:Gill and Gill examine the small marble "book" that recorded the activities of the Royal Navy warship, HMS Belvidera, in the Saronic and Aegean during May and June of 1832. While the book seems to show a representation of the Parthenon, there is no mention in the ship's log that the Belvidera visited Parthenon or indeed Attica. It seems unlikely, therefore, that the piece of marble was a souvenir from the Parthenon itself. However, there is no other obvious candidate for an extant temple, visible from the sea, against such a mountainous backdrop. The identification of the building with "The Temple of Minerva" also narrows the possibilities. It is conceivable that the book had been prepared in anticipation of a projected visit to Athens, which had to be cancelled in the event due to the political unrest in Tripoli. The marble itself could have been acquired in Nauplia or at one of the islands visited during the voyage.
ISSN:0029-3970
1471-6941
DOI:10.1093/notesj/gjq023