A Collection of the Most Approved Examples of Doorways (Classic Reprint)

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Excerpt from A Collection of the Most Approved Examples of DoorwaysSome writers suppose, that the Greeks derived many of their customs from the Egyptians, and this opinion seems to acquire force from a practice of that people similar to the one just noticed, many of their temples being approached through long avenues of sphynxes, placed there as guardians of the entrance leading to these superb fanes.But cautious as were the ancients to protect their threshold by every possible precaution from the depredation of the midnight robber or the impertinent intrusion of unwelcome visitors, they were no less anxious to receive their friends and relations with every demonstration of welcome. The hospitable salutation of salve inscribed on the wall, traced in mosaic on the sill itself, or worked on the pavement immediately within the porch, offered a propitious omen to those, whom they held in particular regard. Frequent instances of this custom occur in the Houses of Pompeii, a city, rich in these memorials of the domestic habits of the ancients, and affording the antiquary a fruitful source, from which he may derive a greater intimacy with the common usages of life and a greater insight into the customs of the ancients recorded in their writings, than in any other remains of antiquity.About the PublisherForgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.comThis book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully, any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.