occasional innuendoes to the effect that the Pisistratidæ could tell more about the origin of the fire that destroyed the late temple than they evidently cared to, thereby intimating a crime as against their rivals that it might have been difficult to have proved. They even won the Oracle to their side by similar simple and ingenuous methods, with the result that ever afterward the Oracle did not hesitate to speak a kind word for the Alcmæonidæ and favor their native city, Athens. The architect of this new temple was Spintharus, a Corinthian. As nothing further seems to be known of him, we have been somewhat particular to mention the importance of this work, to show that Spintharus was an artist who stood very high in his profession at the time. But as the temple was one of the longest in process of construction, taking about seventy-two years to complete, it is not likely that Spintharus lived to enjoy the full fruition of his work. It may be of interest to add that no structure of its kind throughout all Greece was made the depository of richer or more extensive treasure than this temple to Apollo at Delphi, a fact not to be marvelled at if we do not lose sight of the Oracle. We have already seen how it excited the cupidity of the brothers Agamedes and Trophonius. What they appropriated to themselves from the rich vaults of its predecessor was, however, comparatively insignificant to the wholesale robberies that went on from time to time of the fifth temple designed by Spintharus. Herodotus says that the wealth of Delphi was better known to the Persian Xerxes than were the contents of his own palace, and that after forcing the pass of Thermopylæ he detached a portion of his army to capture Delphi. It failed to do so, only through the interposition of the Oracle or some other deity. Many years afterward the Phocians plundered the temple of what might be represented by $10,600,000 of our money. Still later the Gauls also made a rich haul, which the Romans afterward found in their city of Tolosa unexpended, probably because there was so much of it; and Nero is said to have taken from it five hundred bronze statues at one time.