MODERN GREECE:
A NARRATIVE
OF A
RESIDENCE AND TRAVELS IN THAT COUNTRY;
WITH
OBSERVATIONS ON ITS ANTIQUITIES, LITERATURE, LANGUAGE,
POLITICS, AND RELIGION.
BY HENRY M. BAIRD, M.A.
ILLUSTRATED BY ABOUT SIXTY ENGRAVINGS.
--., =:.,,.   -
~;- — __ —
NEW YORK:
HARPER & BROTHERS, PUBLISHERS,
FRANKLIN SQUARE.
1856.




Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year one thousand
eight hundred and fifty-six, by
HARPER & BROTHERS,
in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the Southern District
of New York.




PREFACE.
THE author of this volume spent a year at Athens,
for the prosecution of special studies, and traveled extensively, both in Peloponnesus and in Northern Greece.
During repeated tours, nearly every site famous in the
ancient history of the country was visited, together with
those places which have figured prominently in more
recent transactions. The following pages are the result
of observations noted at the time, although, for various
reasons, the form  of a diary has not been retained
throughout.
Several chapters have been devoted to the literature
of Modern Greece-a subject to which little attention
has been given, out of that country itself. The manners and customs, politics, religion and religious festivals, and the state of popular education, have been made
the topics of separate examination.  The author has
taken great satisfaction in chronicling the unexampled
progress of the Greek race in civilization and intelligence; and, while advocating no particular theory as to
its origin, has felt that sufficient interest and sympathy
have not been entertained in Christian Europe and America for the struggles of that race to free itself from the
trammels of tyranny-political, religious, and intellectual-with which so many centuries of barbarism  had
invested it.




iv                    PREFACE.
About forty of the illustrations in this volume have
been executed after original sketches from nature.
The author can not abstain from expressing in this
place his obligations to the Rev. Jonas King, D.D., and
his estimable lady, whose house was his home for so
many months, and whose suggestions were so useful to
him in the prosecution of his plans. Nor would he fail
to mention the Rev. Dr. Hill, and the Rev. Messrs. Arnold and Buel, who did all in their power to render his
sojourn at Athens so fruitful of pleasant reminiscences.
He would do injustice to his feelings were he to leave
unnoticed the open cordiality that characterizes the Athenian men of letters, whether professors or students, and
their readiness to facilitate the researches of the stranger.




CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I.
APPROACH TO ATHENS.
On the fEgean.-First Sight of Athens.-Importunate Boatmen.Piraeus and its Harbor.-A Sciote Merchant.-Matrimonial Negotiations.-Plain of Athens.-A Panoramic View.-Kariskakis.-Olive
Grove and Vineyards. - Oriental Habits. - An Unpatriotic Irishm an........................................................................  Page    13
CHAPTER II.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS.
Labyrinthine Streets.-Dr. King.-Scene at the American Consulate.
-The Old Town.-Cypress and Palm-trees.-Post-office.-Medrese.
-Market-place.-Grapes.-Mustalevria.-General Church.-Constitution of 1843.-Adventures in Italy.-Mr. Finlay, the Historian.Mediaeval History.-American Missionaries............................ 21
CHAPTER III.
THE ACROPOLIS.
Streets in Ancient Athens.-Walls of All Ages.-An Imprecation.Turkish Prophecy.-Panathenaic Procession.-Propylea.-Mutilated
Statues.-Ancient Galleries of Paintings.-Ducal Tower.-Temple
of Victory Apteros.- Area of Acropolis. - Parthenon. - Venetian
Plunderers. - Chryselephantine Statue. - Frieze. - Excavations. -
Antique Vases.-Erechtheum.-The Caryatids.-A Colossal Statue.
-British Vandalism............................................ 30
CHAPTER IV.
ANTIQUITIES OF THE LOWER TOWN.
The City of Hadrian.-His Gate.-Olympium.-Vicissitudes.-A New
Simon Stylites.-Ilissus.-Stadium. —Dandelion Salad.-Monument
of Lysicrates.-Street of the Tripods.-Theatre of Bacchus.-Virgin
of the Cave.-Odeum of Herodes.-Singular Fragments.-Monument
of Philopappus.-The Long Walls.-Prison of Socrates.-Pnyx.Demosthenes.-Hill of Mars.-Ancient Clock-tower.-Stoa of Hadrian.-Gate of the New Market.-Stoa Poecile.-Theseum....... 48




1i                        CONTENTS.
CHAPTER V.
WALKS ABOUT ATHENS.
Festival of St. Demetrius.-Visits.-Sweetmeats.-The Promenade.Palace Garden.-Costumes of the Athenians.-Beads.-Greek Ladies.-Priests' Dress.-Long Hair worn in Token of Mourning.Plan of Modern Athens.-House of a former Minister.-Digging
through a Wall.-Position of the Female Sex.-Mercenary Motives
in   M arriage..............................................................  Page  68
CHAPTER VI.
STUDENT LIFE IN ATHENS.
University of Otho.-Professor Asopius.-University Library.-Professor Bambas.-Translated the Bible.-Singular Meeting.-Other
Professors. - Students' Quarters. -Low Salaries.- Student at the
Cafe.-The Four Faculties.-Number of Professors and Students.University educates Greeks from Turkey.-Crowded Lecture-room.
-Popular Education.-Scientific Schools............................... 77
CHAPTER VII.
MODERN GREEK CUSTOMS.
Wedding in the Upper Circles.-A Greek Party.-The Bride and
Groom.-Entrance of the Bishop.-Crowning the Pair.-A Cup of
Wine.-A Circle made.-Sugar Plums.-A Compulsory Marriage.Marriage among the Lower Orders.-Relatives make the Match.Preliminary Steps.-Gifts to the Bride's Father.-Nuptial Procession.
-Bride carried away.-Termination of the Festivities.-A Greek
Baptism.-Trine Immersion.-A Token given to Witnesses.-A Funeral Procession.-Collyva.-Offerings to the Dead.................. 88
CHAPTER VIII.
THE COURT AND POLITICS OF GREECE.
American Vessels of War.-Colocotroni, Master of Ceremonies.-Adventure of an American Lieutenant.-Cautious Officers.-Presenta-tion at Court.-QueenAmelia.-King Otho.-The Constitution.-Constitutional Provisions.-Liberty Guaranteed.-Elections.-A Political
Measure.-Russian, French, and English Parties.-The Crown independent.-Bad State of Roads.-Banditti in the Mountains... 103
CHAPTER IX.
THE GREEK CHURCH.
Nationality and Religion.-The Holy Synod.-Separation from  the
Patriarchate. -The Synodical Tome.-Pharmakides. -Differences
from the Latin Church.-The Catechism of Plato.-Mariolatry.The Parish Priests.-Ignorance and Corruption.-Pilgrims to the
Holy Places.-Ecclesiastical Parties.-Obstacles to Missionary Success.-Dr. King.-Dr. Hill.-Hopeful Indications................... 115




CONTENTS.                         vii
CHAPTER X.
CHURCH FESTIVALS AT ATHENS.
Silent Streets.-The Twelve Gospels. -Persecution of the Jews.Good Friday at St. Irene's.-The Epitaphion.-A Torchlight Procession.-Kyrie Eleyson.-Easter Dawn.-Christos Aneste.-The Second Anastasis.-Dances at the Temple of Theseus.-The Romaica.
-Blessing the Sea.-Feast of the Three Hierarchs.-Interior of a
Church.-Celebration of the Mass.-Standing in Worship. Page 128
CHAPTER XI.
TIIREE DAYS IN ARGOLIS.
Passports.-Leaving Piraeus.-A Party on Deck.-A  Representative
Electioneering.-Island of Hydra.-The Home of Liberty.-Nauplia
from the Bay.-The Lernian Hydra.-Streets of Nauplia.-Plain of
Argos.-Wall of Tiryns.-Description by Pausanias.-Mycene.-~The
Treasury of Atreus.-Acropolis of Mycenae.-Gate of Lions.-Its
History.-A Dish of Snails.-Beggars at Argos.-Theatre in the
Rock.-Market-place of Argos.-Murder of Capo d'Istria.-Pass of
Trcetus.-Rout of Drami Ali.-A Rainy Morning.-The Temple of
Nemea.-Khan of Courtessa.-Shepherds' Huts.-The Inn at Corinth.-The Acrocorinthus.-St. Paul at Corinth.-The Isthmus. 137
CHAPTER XII.
~EGINA AND EPIDAURUS.
Mode of Traveling.-Selection of a Guide.-Delay at Piraeus.-Becalmed on the Saronic Gulf.-Devotions of the Sailors.-The Island
of Egina.-Temple of Jupiter Panhellenius.-Sail to Epidaurus.Declaration of Independence.-Ruins of Epidaurus.-Nicholas and
the Agoyates.-Hiero of iEsculapius.-An Ancient Watering-place.
-N auplia.......................................................................  160
CHAPTER XIII.
MANTINEA-TRIPOLITZA-SPARTA.
The Argolic Plain.-Routes into Arcadia.-A Katavothron.-Hysiae.Plain of Mantinea.-Ruins of the Wall.-Battles at Mantinea.-Smallness of Grecian States.-Fair'at Tripolitza.-A Murderous Assault.Tegea.-A Country Papas.-Tardy Vegetation.-Battle-field of Sellasia.-Vourlia.-A Portable Cradle.-Site of Ancient Sparta.-Roman
Ruins.-Modern Sparta.-A Sarcophagus.-Interior of a Khan... 173
CHAPTER XIV.
MEGALOPOLIS AND MESSENE.
Ride to " The Great City."-The Theatre.-Inquisitive Scholars.-Moreote Shepherds.-Messenian Plain.-Mount Ithome.-Struggles of
Freedom.-Policy of Epaminondas.-Monastery of Vurcano.-Ruins
of Messene.-The Great Gate.-Rustic Wonderment.-Dragoi.. 192




Viii                       CONTENTS.
CHAPTER XV.
PIIIGALEA, OLYMPIA, AND ARCADIA.
Phigalea.-The Sirocco.-Temple of Apollo Epicurius.-Andritzena.Banks of the Alpheus.-Tributaries of the Alpheus.-Vale of Olympia.-Temple of Jupiter.-Ride to Lala.-A  Scene in the Revolution. - An Afternoon at Tripotamo. -Psophis. -A New Route.Village Discussion.-Clitor.-Ancient Coins.-Arcadian Shepherds.
-Primitive Ploughs.-Greek Oaths.-Outlet of Lake Pheneus.-A
Serious Mishap.-The Monastery of Phonia................... Page 203
CHAPTER XVI.
STYX, MEGASPELION, AND VOSTITZA.
A Costly Shrine.-A Monk's Views of Philosophy.-The Village of
Solos.-Patriotic Exploits.-A primitive Lamp.-The "River Styx."
-Its mysterious Properties.-View of the Corinthian Gulf.-Birthplace of the Revolution.-Calavryta.-Cross-questioning.-Monastery of Megaspelion.-The Monks.-St. Luke as a Sculptor.-The
Wine-cellar.-Library.-History of Megaspelion.-Ride to Vostitza.
-Bargaining  for a  Boat....................................................  218
CHAPTER XVII.
DELPHI-PARNASSUS-CHLERONEA.
Crossing the Corinthian Gulf.-Scala of Salona.-Crissa.-Necropolis
of Delphi.-Village of Castri.-Castalian Fount.-Oracle of Apollo.
-Ascent of Mount Parnassus.-Corycian Cave.-A Disappointment.
- Schiste. - Daulis. - Panopeus. - Battle-ground of Chaeronea.Tumulus and Colossal Lion.-Population of Greece.-Lebadea or
Livadia.-Cave of Trophonius.-Monastery of Scripu-Treasury of
Minyas.-Acropolis of Orchomenus.-Lake Copais.-Victory of the
Catalans.-A "Kake Scala."-Ruins of Abe......................... 232
CHAPTER XVIII.
THERMOPYLAE AND EUBCEA.
Costume of the Women at Exarcho.-Hyampolis.-Masonry of the
Ancients.-Elatea.-Seizure of Elatea by Philip.-Consternation at
Athens.-The Papas at Pundonitza.-Pass of Thermopylae.-Change
of Physical Aspect.-The Hot Springs.-Thessaly Phthiotis.-Lamia
or Zeitun.-Robbers.-Their Inroad into Rachi.-Tortures.-Larissa
Cremaste.-Detention by a Ilealth-officer.-Crossing to Euboea.Oreos or Histiaea.-Xerochori.-Fine Scenery.-An Englishman's
Estate.-Insecurity.-Traveling in Euboea.-Chalcis.-Discovery of
Ancient Armor...............................................................   249




CONTENTS.                          ix
CHAPTER XIX.
THEBES AND ELEUSIS.
Chalcis under Venetian Rule.-Euripus.-Bridge.-An Ancient Greek
Road.-Site of Aulis.-Plain of the Asopus.-Tanagra.-Thebes.ThebanPlain.-Site of Thespiae.-FountainofAganippe.-Battle-field
of Leuctra.-Platea.-Battle-ground.-Ascent of Mount Citheron.
-Acropolis of (Enoe.-Interior of a Tower.-Ancient Fortifications.
-Hellenic Tower.-Village and Acropolis of Eleusis.-The Sacred
Way.-Monastery of Daphne.-Return to Athens........... Page 268
CHAPTER XX.
RAMBLES IN ATTICA.
Excursion to Marathon.-Cephisia.-Pass of Deceleia.-Plain of Marathon.-Cynosura.-Funeral Mound.-Battle-ground.-Numbers engaged.-Temple of Minerva Hellotis.-Marathona.-Return.-Excursion to Sunium.-Fountains built by the Road-side.-Silver Mines
of Mount Laurium.-Temple of Minerva at Sunium.-Excursion to
Phyle.-Cephissus.- Colonos. -Calyvia of Khassia. -Fortress of
Phyle.-View of Athens.-Thrasybulus at Phyle.-Excursion to the
Marble Quarries of Pentelicus.-Village of Calandri.-The Arbutus.
-Quarries.-Inclined Plane.-Prospect from the Summit of Mount
Pentelicus.-Mount Hymettus.-A Warrior Abbot.-Honey of Hymettus.-Straits of Salamis.-Battle of Salamis..................... 283
CHAPTER XXI.
THE MODERN GREEK LANGUAGE.
Close Resemblance to the Ancient.-Its Disadvantage in Comparison
with other modern Languages.-Sounds of its Consonants and Diphthongs.-Pronounced according to Accent.-Grammatical Changes.
-Introduction of Words from Foreign Tongues.-Reaction within
the present Century.-Influence of the University, the Government,
and the Press.-Number of Newspapers and Periodicals at Athens...............................................................................   307
CHAPTER XXII.
THE MODERN GREEK LITERATURE.
Low Condition of Greece in the Last Century.-A Revival of Learning. - New Schools.-A Religious Literature. - Remarks of Lord
Byron. —" Cathreptes Gynaicon."-Adamantius Coray.- His Early
Life.-Taught by Bernard Keun.-Removes to France.-Translates
Strabo.-Various Publications.-His Prolegomena.-Papa Trechas.
— Religious Views of Coray.- Translates the "Advice of Three
Bishops."-Considers the Revolution premature.-Neophytus Doukas.
-His Views in respect to the Modern Greek, and those of Coray.Publications of Doukas.-Panagiotes Soutsos.-Alexander Soutsos.A2




x                           CONTENTS.
Rangabes.-Salomos.-Coumanoudes.-Lyric Poems of Christopoulos. —Neophytus Bambas.-Translation of the Bible.-A Text-book
in the Schools.-Professor Asopius.-A. Radinos.-Antiquities.-Pittakes.-Archaological Society. - Historical Studies.-Germanos.Speliades.-Tricoupes.-Mamoukas.-Medieval History. - Oriental
Researches.-Demetrius Galanos.-A Greek Book in Roman Characters.  Pharmakides.-Influence of the Learned Professions.Speech of Saripolos.-Greek Lexicography.................... Page 313
CHAPTER XXIII.
BALLAD POETRY.
Popular Songs of Greece.-Their Value.-Very short-lived.-Subjects
of Ballads.-Principles of Greek Poetry.-The Kleftic Songs.-History and Manners of the Klefts.-Their Head-quarters.-Incidents
referred to in the Ballads.-Lament of a Wounded Kleft. —-Death of
Metros.-Parallelisms.-Song of Boucovallas.-The Panegyri.-Songs
of the Plains.-On special Occasions.-At Parting.-At a Wedding.
— lierologia, or Laments.-Religious Poems.-Remains of Popular
Superstitions...................................................................  343
CHAPTER XXIV.
TRIAL OF DR. KING.
A  Trial appointed.-Distribution of printed Handbills.-Appearance
of the Court-room.-Trial not by Jury.-Witnesses for the Prosecution.-Vagueness of the Testimony.-Its Irrelevancy.-Partiality of
the Court.-Speech of the King's Attorney.-Counsel for the Accused.-Dr. King not allowed to defend himself.-Decision.-Sentence of Imprisonment and Banishment. - Excitement after the
Trial.-Crafty Delay of the King's Attorney.-Appeal to the Areopagus.-Its Decision.-Dr. King protests.-Opinions of the Press of
Athens.-Other Grievances.-Mission of Mr. Marsh.-Evasive Policy
of the Court.-The Greek Government finally yields.-Results of the
T rial............................................................................   355
CHAPTER XXV.
DEPARTURE FROM ATHENS-SYRIA-CORFU.
Piraeus.-Daughter of Marco Bozzaris.-Mr. Contostaulos.-Manufacture of Silk.-The "Maid of Athens."-Remains of Piraeus.-Altar
of the "Unknown God."-Antipathy of Greeks to public Executions.
-Hermopolis, or Syra.-Its Commerce.-Schools of Rev. Mr. Hildner. - Bay of Navarino. - Zante. - Corfu.-Shrine of St. Spyridon.
-A reputed Miracle.-Mission among the Jews.-Ancient Corcyra.-Ionian Confederation.-Italian Language supplanted by the
Greek............................................................ 368




ILLUSTRATIONS.
VIEW  OF ATHENS FROM THE STADIUM........................... Title-page.
GATE  OF  HADRIAN  AT  ATHENS..............................................    13
ACROPOLIS  FROM  THE  PNYX..................................................   21
THE  PROPYL2EA........................................................    30
TEMPLE  OF  VICTORY  WITHOUT  WINGS......................................   37
THE  PARTHENON...............................................................   38
FRIEZE  OF  THE  PARTHENON..................................................   41
THE  ERECHTHEUM..............................................................   43
A    CARYATIS......................................................................   44
THE  ERECHTHEUM  RESTORED................................................   46
THE BEMA OF THE PNYX AT ATHENS......................................  48
CHORAGIC  MONUMENT  OF  LYSICRATES.....................................   55
STREET  OF  THE  TRIPODS.......................................................   56
ODEUM   OF  HERODES...........................................................   58
MONUMENT  OF  PHILOPAPPUS..................................................   60
BAS-RELIEF FROM THE MONUMENT OF LYSICRATES.....................  67
HOROLOGIUM  OF  ANDRONICUS  CYRRHESTES..............................    68
RUINS OF THE TEMPLE OF THE OLYMPIAN JOVE.........................  76
UNIVERSITY  OF  OTHO  AT  ATHENS............................................   77
THE  ACROPOLIS  RESTORED...................................................   87
THE ACROPOLIS, FROM THE HILL OF THE MUSEUM.....................  88
VIEW   OF  ATHENS..............................................................  103
A   GREEK  CHURCH.............................................................. 115
TEMPLE  OF  THESEUS  AT  ATHENS...........................................  128
NAUPLIA, FROM   THE  BAY......................................................  137
ARCH  IN  THE  W ALL  OF  TIRYNS..............................................  144
GATE  OF  LIONS  AT  MYCENE..................................................   149
TEMPLE  OF  JUPITER  AT  NEMEA..................................                                                  155
VIEW    OF  CORINTH  AND  THE  ACROCORINTHUS............................  159
TEMPLE  OF  JUPITER  AT  ZEGINA.......................................  160
INTERIOR  OF  THE  KHAN  OF  GEORGITZANA.................................  173




lli                                        ILLUSTRATIONS.
WALL  OF  THE  CITADEL  AT ARGOS.......................................... 174
VIEW OF MOUNT TAYGETUS FROM THE SITE OF SPARTA............... 184
THE  GREAT  GATE  OF  MESSENE.............................................. 192
ITHOME, FROM  THE  STADIUM  OF  MESSENE................................ 201
TEMPLE  OF  APOLLO  EPICURIUS  AT BASS................................  203
RUINS  OF  THE  TEMPLE  OF  JUPITER  AT  OLYMPIA........................ 218
MONASTERY  OF  MEGASPELION................................................ 226
INTERIOR  OF  THE  ACROPOLIS  OF  CENOE...................................  232
VIEW   OF  DELPHI AND  MOUNT  PARNASSUS................................ 237
THE  PLAIN  OF  CHR   ONEA.................................................... 241
RUINED TOWER NEAR (ENOE...................................... 249
PEASANT  WOMAN  OF  EXARCHO............................................... 250
VIEW   OF  THERMOPYLE........................................................ 255
THE  ACROPOLIS  OF   ENOE....................................................  268
INTERIOR  OF  A  TOWER  AT   ENOE............................................  277
THE  PLAIN  OF  MARATHON.................................................. 283
THE  MOUND  AT MARATHON........................28...............                    286
VIEW   OF  PHYLE................................................................. 293
TEMPLE  OF  MINERVA  AT  SUNIU............................................ 307
FORTRESS  OF  PHYLE............................................................ 313
THE  STRAITS OF  SALAMIS..................................................... 343
HOUSE  OF  JONAS  KING, D.D................................................ 355
GATE  OF  THE  NEW   AGORA...................................................  368




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GATE OF HADRIAN AT ATHENS.
MODERN GREECE.
CHAPTER I.
APPROACH TO ATHENS.
"Whoever does not wish to see Athens, is foolish; he who sees it and
is not pleased with it, is more foolish; but the climax of folly is to have
seen it, to be pleased with it, and yet to leave it."-Ancient Author.
ON a beautiful morning toward the end of September, I
found myself on board the French steam-ship Lycurge, off the
eastern coast of Lacedoemonia. For the last three days, since
leaving Valetta, we had been sailing slowly and quietly over a
motionless sea in a direct course for Cape lMatapan. Only at
noon, on the previous day, had the faint outline of distant
mountains become perceptible; and at dusk we approached
the shores of Messenia.  We were not yet near enough, however, to view with any distinctness the island of Sphacteria,
behind which was fought the Battle of Navarino.




14               APPROACH TO ATHENS.
The wind had been contrary all night, and we made but
little progress after doubling Cape Matapan. When I came
on deck in the morning, the first objects visible on shore were
the high mountains, not very distant, that skirt this side of
Peloponnesus. So barren did they seem, that scarce a patch
of verdure relieved their rugged uniformity. Below this rocky
chain could be descried, as though rising out of the waves,
the sea-girt walls and towers of Monembasia, a locality which
finds no record in ancient history, but has appeared conspicuous in recent wars. Built, not unlike Gibraltar, on the end
of a small peninsula, it is so strongly fortified both by nature
and by art as to be nearly impregnable.
The sea was calm and unruffled. Not a ripple could be seen
disturbing its placid surface. The sky was cloudless, and the
day one of the fairest of autumn. The clear atmosphere gave
to all around a deceptive appearance, which was quite new
to me. The most distant objects seemed close at hand, and I
could scarcely credit the assertion of the captain that we were
at least five or six miles from shore. The steamer plowed its
way as over the dark blue waters of some small inland lake.
We were not many hours in crossing the mouth of the Argolic Gulf, and approaching the group of islands that lie off
the extremity of the northeastern peninsula of the Morea.
The pretty town of Spetzia appeared on our left, built upon
the side of a hill and running down to the water's edge. In
half an hour more we were opposite the picturesque town of
Hydra, where were born most of the distinguished naval commanders in the Revolution. At length, about noon, we entered the Saronic Gulf, and Attica itself came into sight. The
passengers collected on the bows, and watched with eager eyes
the shore, which seemed rather to recede as we advanced. The
only unconcerned spectators were a group of Frenchmen, who,
seated on a pile of luggage on the forecastle, were diverting
themselves with a game of cards.  Running by the island of
}Egina, on whose height we could easily distinguish with a
glass the ruined columns of the temple of Jupiter, in the
midst of a wild and desolate district, we made toward the port
of Piraus. For miles far out on the Saronic Gulf, a white
building served as a beacon to indicate the site of Athens it



PIRAEUS AND ITS HARBOR.              15
self. It was the palace of King Otho. The rest of the town
was hidden from our sight by the hill of the Acropolis. Presently we could see the high signal-pole standing on the promontory Munychium. At about four o'clock we had rounded
it, and were entering Piraeus through a narrow opening, guarded on both sides by the ruins of ancient moles.
The paddle-wheels had scarcely ceased to move before we
were surrounded by a multitude of row-boats, each manned
by a Greek in the native costume, wearing the bright red fezi
slouched on his head, and a long blue tassel fluttering in the
wind. All were loud in their appeals; but as the quarantine
officers had not yet made us their visit, they kept a respectful
distance.  "Have a boat, sir?" "Voulez-vous un bateau?" resounded from all quarters; while the less favored linguists, relying mainly on the strength of their lungs to make themselves
understood, poured forth a volley of unintelligible Greek.
Though I had been schooling myself to the native pronunciation under the friendly direction of a pleasant Sciote, whose
lessons had relieved the tedium of the passage from Marseilles,
their volubility was too much for my small practice. Rather
than resign myself to the tender mercies of the boatmen, I resolved to make common cause with my companion, the Greek
merchant. After a short delay, leave was given us to land,
and this served as a signal for the simultaneous onset of half
a score of couriers and runners for the hotels, each eager to
get custom. We soon found the one we wanted, and, having
secured our luggage, embarked in one of the boats for shore.
We left the motley group of watermen, expecting every moment to see them fall from brawling to fighting; but their disputes never result in any thing more serious than the success
of one in supplanting the rest.
The harbor of Piraeus is less than three-fourths of a mile
in length, and opens toward the west; where, between the
piers that project from either side, a heavy chain was stretched
during the earlier ages. The modern town lines the eastern
side with a continuous row of neat white houses, generally
two stories in height. A number of sloops and caiques were
drawn up to the wharves, but the brigs and larger vessels
stood out at anchor in deeper water.




16                 APPROACH TO ATHENS.
A custom-house officer and a dozen idlers awaited our arrival on Grecian soil. The examination of our effects was
brief, owing, perhaps, partly to the happy influence of a silver
coin or two, which my companion managed to slip dexterously
into the hand of the inspecting officer. We were in no mood
after our long sea-voyage to remain longer than necessary at
Pirous.  My friend and myself were equally intent upon
reaching our journey's end, and enjoying a respite from the
fatigue and vexation of travel.  I am  wrong, however, in
representing our eagerness as equal.  I had before me only
the prospect of a long, though, it is true, far from uninteresting course of study, on classic ground. The Sciote who stood
beside me, an intelligent man of five-and-forty, had accumulated a handsome fortune in foreign parts, and was connected
with the extensive mercantile house of A. and Co.* He had
come hither, as I subsequently learned, on an errand of love.
* Mr. A., from his extensive business connections, was able to give
me much valuable information respecting the Greek mercantile houses,
which are every year increasing in number and in importance. I was
astonished to learn how numerous they are. They already abound in
England. Manchester may be styled their head-quarters, for there are
no fewer than sixty Greek establishments in that city. London possesses
forty more, and Liverpool seven. Trieste boasts of seventy, and Marseilles, Odessa, and Leghorn, each of more than twenty. How many
are to be found in Constantinople it is quite impossible to state: certainly one hundred would be a very small estimate. Such were the
statements of a merchant, than whom no one could be found with better means of acquiring accurate information. The wonderful success
of these commercial houses he attributed to their unity of action more
than to any other single cause. Prudence in all their investments, combined with rare sagacity, has insured them against loss of capital and reputation. The great houses of Rallis, Argentis, and others, have branches
all over the globe, each to a certain degree independent, and yet each
reposing an implicit confidence in the others. In this way, by their tact
and by their union, the Greek houses have begun to exercise an important influence on the trade of the East, which is little by little falling
into their hands. Through their instrumentality, Manchester fabrics
are distributed over Asia Minor in exchange for native produce. The
Eastern war has doubtless augmented their influence upon the grain
market of the world, and the number of Greek merchants at Liverpool
must now be far greater than in 1851. Mr. A.'s statements are confirmed in almost every particular by the writer of an able article on
this subject in the New York Daily Times of October 20, 1855.




PLAIN OF ATHENS.                  17
Having well-nigh, if not quite, attained the age of an old
bachelor, he had bethought himself of matrimony; and, casting about for a wife, had fixed his choice upon a certain damsel whose good looks and good qualities he had taken upon
trust. The negotiations between the parents and himself (for
it is not customary to attach much weight to the young lady's
choice in such matters) had proved mutually satisfactory.
The happy man was now on his way to Athens for the first
time to find his betrothed, of whose personal appearance, except by means of a portrait and descriptions, he knew about
as much as I did. The lady in question was also a native
of Scio, whose children rarely marry into families of foreign
extraction.
Our courier had provided a carriage, one of the best the
place could boast of, and we jumped in; the Greek official
touched his cap, and we rattled off through the streets of
Piraeus. We noticed, in passing, that the streets along the
wharves were well paved, and all the thoroughfares laid out
with strict regard to symmetry and a regular plan. The better class of houses, too, were built of stone, neatly stuccoed.
It was not long ere we emerged from the town, and entered
upon the road which leads in a nearly direct line to Athens,
a distance of about five miles. Nothing was requisite to beguile our attention as we rode toward "the city," as the Athenian of the olden time was wont to style it by pre-eminence.
We sat watching with no common emotion the various objects that successively presented themselves to the eye. For
the first time I began to realize that I was at length in Greece,
and that the curtain was soon to rise upon the scene of so
many triumphs of art and eloquence. As we issued from the
streets of Pirseus, the heights back of the town intercepted
the whole prospect; but presently the plain of Athens unfolded itself before us in all its loveliness. On the right, but a
few hundred yards distant, was the bay of Phalerum, running
parallel to the road, and afterward making a gradual bend
where the sea is nearest to Athens. Beyond it stretched the'
long ridge of Mount Hymettus, barren of trees and uncultivated.
To the left, in the distance, rose the more pointed summit
of Pentelicus, whose marble rock, exposed by the quarryings




18               APPROACH TO ATHENS.
weighed down under the heavy load of the dark-blue clusters.
of past centuries, reflected the rays of the sun like new-fallen
snow.  Then came Mount Parnes, and a chain of lower hills
running down from it to the sea-shore opposite the Straits of
Salamis, whose rugged isle, cleft with many a deep ravine,
terminated the panorama. In the midst of the plain could be
descried, far on before us, the city of Athens itself, or rather
a portion of it; for the greater part lay concealed behind the
Acropolis, on whose summit could barely be distinguished the
columns of the Parthenon, so discolored by time as to have
assumed a sober autumnal tint.
For two or three miles the dusty road along which we drove
has been built on the foundations of one of the " Long Walls"
connecting Athens with its port.  Adjoining it is a low,
marshy meadow, in the middle of which stands a lonely monument, small and plain, marking the grave of Kariskakis, who
fell here in a conflict with the Turks during the Revolution.
The ground about it is strewn with the bones of his brave
comrades, and ever and anon, as the plough or some accident
reveals to the sight a skull or a solitary bone, the peasant adds
it to the heap which has accumulated within a neighboring inclosure, where the remains of so many heroes lie bleaching in
the sun.
Passing this spot, the road crossed the scanty bed of the
Cephissus, and entered the olive-grove which clothes either
bank of the river with its dark-green foliage. The trunks of
the olive-trees were thick, and occasionally assumed fantastic
shapes like the willows that grow in some parts of Switzerland. Emerging from the grove, which only flourishes where
the trees can be constantly supplied with water, we came to
vineyards, each surrounded with its low wall of sun-dried clay,
and protected from the effects of sunshine and rain by a sort
of thatch of straw or brush. The vines, like all surrounding
vegetation, had a dry and dusty aspect. Not a green patch
of grass was any where to be seen. The distant fields were
brown, as if parched by the prevailing heat; for since April
or May no rain had fallen, with the exception, perhaps, of
one or two transient showers. The vines were kept trimmed
within a short distance of the ground, and the branches were




ORIENTAL HABITS.                 19
The vintage had begun some weeks previous, but was not yet
half over.
At length, winding about the base of the hill of the Observatory, we found ourselves at the very portal of Athens. The
various objects that struck the eye were already familiar to
me through descriptions and delineations. The Greek merchant was astonished to see a stranger from the New World
pointing out with readiness the ruins which he had never before surveyed. The Parthenon, with its brown columns towering above the town on the lofty Acropolis, was not to be
mistaken. The Pnyx, witness to the eloquence of Demosthenes, and the Hill of Mars, where St. Paul addressed the
men of ancient Athens, were both on the right; while the Temple of Theseus, the oldest, yet the best preserved monument of
Greece, stood but a few steps from the entrance to the modern
town.
I had been much interested in speculating upon the probable aspect of the modern town, and the condition of its inhabitants. From the desponding accounts of former travelers, I
had formed rather low conceptions of Greek civilization and
intelligence. The descriptions of the people, their appearance
and manners, had left me in doubt whether they were not to
be classed among semi-barbarous nations of the earth. Yet
there lurked a secret hope that I might find that some prejudice
had inclined those travelers to look with too little sympathy
upon the struggles of a nation shaking off the chains of twenty
centuries of servitude. Their foibles, I imagined, ought to be
viewed rather with the eye of a Democritus than with that of
an Heraclitus. Whether my anticipations were correct or not
will be gathered from the sequel. I, at least, looked with delight upon every symptom of refinement, and congratulated
myself upon the prospect of comfort in my future sojourn.
We had arrived on Sunday. The day being universally
kept rather as a period of recreation than as one sacred to religious purposes, the streets were thronged with people engaged
either in promenading or in visiting their friends. Their striking costumes, so different from any thing to be seen in western
cities, gave peculiar animation to the scene. A characteristic,
however, which could not but force itself on the observation,




20               APPROACH TO ATHENS.
was the fact that so few well-dressed women were to be seen
in the crowd; and on closer investigation I learned that they
were never allowed to walk out alone or unaccompanied by
husband or father.  Such is still the strength of Eastern habits and notions of propriety, notwithstanding the increased
communication with the rest of Europe.
We drove through a number of winding streets to the Hotel d'Orient, an old and inelegant edifice fronting on a neglected square in the immediate vicinity of the Royal Mint. The
building had formerly served as the palace of the young King
Otho, on occasion of his first coming to Greece; and I was, I
am credibly informed, so fortunate as to occupy his majesty's
bedchamber, in which I spent my first night at Athens. The
only other lodgers at the hotel were a couple of Irishmen, with
whom my Sciote companion and I partook gayly of a good
dinner at the table d'hote, ending off with a dessert of delicious
grapes and figs, and a taste of the famous Hymettus honey. The
younger Irishman was the correspondent of a London journal,
but stood in daily expectation of a post under the Greek government. He considered himself secure of a professorship of
English in the royal gymnasium of Patras, to which he conceived himself entitled by reason of services rendered during
the late difficulties between Great Britain and this country.
His rather unpatriotic effusions in defence of the Greek ministry attracted considerable notice at the time of their publication in England.




ACROPOLIS FROM THE PNYX.
CHAPTEIR II.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS.
THE hours were too fashionable at the Hotel d'Orient. I
was impatient to sally forth; but breakfast could not be served
before nine o'clock. Instead, therefore, of undertaking to explore the labyrinth of alleys we had passed through the night
before, I received from my good friend the Sciote a parting lesson in pronunciation, with which I graduated from his school.
Fortified with a good meal and a store of Greek phrases, I set
out to find the individuals for whom I brought letters of introduction. I had too little confidence in my own proficiency to
trust myself alone, and mine host committed me to a guide,
who should conduct me first to the house of Dr. King. Avoiding the principal thoroughfares, he led me by the nearest route,
which happened to be through a maze of crooked lanes branching off at every possible angle. Their average breadth could
scarcely exceed twenty feet, and they were often lined with
blank walls, or houses without a single window opening on
the street. More frequently the heavy iron bars with which
the latter were provided conveyed the impression that the inmates lived in hourly apprehension of a burglar's attack. We
issued from one of these alleys into a wider street, paved with




22                 FIRST IMPRESSIONS.
stone, and dignified by the name of Hadrian. The garden
attached to Dr. King's house fronts upon this street; but, to
reach the gate, we had to go through a narrow lane which runs
along its side. Here my conductor left me engaged in a mental discussion whether I should ever be able alone to retrace
my steps to my hotel.
On pushing open the heavy door, I found myself in a moderate-sized garden, the end of which is bounded by a long twostory stone house, with a broad flight of steps in front leading
to the upper floor. Dr. King himself was walking in the garden. He courteously invited me to enter the house, and introduced me to his wife, who received me with equal cordiality. Mrs. King is a native Greek, born at Smyrna, and had
never visited the United States; but she speaks English with
fluency and grace. Mrs. King wore, like most of the Greek
ladies, the dress of her native city. The most characteristic
portion of this costume is the head-dress, consisting of a small
red fezi, or skull-cap, around which the braided hair is wound.
Dr. King is a man of some sixty years, rather below the medium  stature, and apparently of a weak constitution.  His
head is large and intellectual. His face is a fair index of his
character, in which suavity of manner and warmth of heart
are associated with an unusual measure of determination and
energy. In its well-defined lineaments one may read the man
" whom no contumely, no violence, no danger can move from
the cause he has undertaken, and the opinions he has espoused."* Principle has been weighed in him, and has not
been found wanting.
Dr. King had already been acquainted by letter with the
objects of my coming to Greece. He entered into them with
warmth, and expressed his desire to assist in their furtherance
to the extent of his power. He concluded by kindly insisting
on my spending at least the first months of my sojourn under
his roof, where the Greek is almost exclusively spoken, until
I should become more familiar with the manners and customs
of the country. I felt no disposition to decline an invitation
so cordially extended, and that very afternoon I found myself
domiciled at his house.
* Cicero pro Ligario, c. 9.




SCENE AT THE AMERICAN CONSULATE.         23
Besides'his duties as missionary of the American Board,
Dr. King was then also discharging the functions of consul
of the United States. The latter office, though not one of his
own seeking, and, indeed, forced upon him by circumstances
beyond his control, had lately been of considerable service.
One Sabbath morning, not many months before my arrival,
his Greek service was attended by an uncommonly large number of persons. Among the rest came some beardless youths,
as it soon became evident, for the express purpose of creating
a disturbance. At the close of the discourse, one of them
arose, and taking up the theme of the day, commenced a violent harangue. In answer, the missionary stated that he would
willingly enter into a discussion with him on any day that
might be appointed, with the exception of Sunday. But the
people would not hear of such a thing as putting it off to another time, and filled the air with their outcries.  "This is
my private house," said Dr. King, "and I do not wish this
uproar; but furthermore it is the Consulate of the United
States, and I will not have it."  "We know it is the Consulate of the United States, but we mean to have the discussion
now," cried the mob, in reply. They went so far as to threaten the servants for interfering, and turned some of the family
quite out of the room. It so happened, by a singular coincidence, that Dr. King had only the day previous received from
Washington a tin box containing an American flag, sent under seal of the Department of State. A happy thought struck
him. With the assistance of his old man-servant, Barba Constantine, he hoisted the flag on one of the columns of the
porch. The wind filled its ample folds, and displayed every
star and stripe to the wondering gaze of the crowd below.
Instantly the tumult of voices was stilled. They had dared
to insult the consul of the United States, but they were afraid
of his flag. No sooner did they catch a glimpse of it, than
the chief aim of each seemed to be to reach the gate before
the others. In half a minute not a man of them was to be
seen upon the premises.
This part of Athens is the old town, if that appellation can
be given to the portion which is only a quarter of a century
old. Looking from my window, I have the northeastern cor



24                 FIRST IMPRESSIONS.
ner of the Acropolis before me at the distance of a few hundred feet, crowned by the old Turkish and Frank walls which
tower far above.  On this side their base can scarcely be
reached, by reason of the steep ledges of rock that occupy
most of the acclivity. In one or two places, however, a slope
of grass stretches up to the very foot of the wall, which, on
account of this facility of approach, has been built stronger
and higher. Wherever a patch of grass exists, flocks of goats
and black sheep are to be seen clambering over the rocks and
browsing on points apparently the most inaccessible. From
the veranda on the opposite side of the house the eye glances
over a collection of houses standing in a slight depression.
Beyond the more remote of these, the little white chapel of St.
George, on the summit of Mount Lycabettus, just appears.
The trees that are scattered about stand in gardens; for there
are not a dozen in the streets of the old town. All of them
look strange to an American.  The cypress is, perhaps, the
most striking. Its spire-like form, so regular and tapering, is
associated in the traveler's mind with Eastern cemeteries; but
here it is also a favorite in the vicinity of houses. We have
one near us which waves most gracefully, and creaks most lugubriously at the lightest breeze. In an adjoining inclosure
there is a fine old laurel which has attained a size rare in
Western Europe, and a mulberry-tree of only twenty years'
growth overshadows nearly the whole garden. The greatest
curiosity of this kind in Athens is the palm-tree that stands
in the "Hodos Hermou," very near the western entrance,
where it constitutes one of the first objects that greet the
stranger's eye. It is a date-palm, introduced, doubtless, by
the Turks, but in too high a latitude to yield fruit.
My anxiety for letters led me first to the post-office, where,
as the French mail had been distributed, I hoped to find a
package of them from America.  But I was disappointed, not
having made due allowance for the increased time demanded
for communication.  A month is the average time a letter
takes in coming from New York to Athens; though I remember once to have opened one precisely three weeks after date.
The post-office is a low wooden house with a rickety portico.
All the business of the establishment is transacted by half a




THE MARKET-PLACE.                  25
dozen clerks. Like the employes of some other post-office departments, they are not above the suspicion of occasionally
violating the sacredness of epistolary correspondence. And
whenever trouble of any kind is brewing, the Government frequently finds it very convenient to ignore that provision of the
constitution which forbids all tampering with the mails.
From the post-office I strolled through the market-placethe agora or bazari, as it is indifferently called. On the way
thither I walked by the common prison, a one-story building
without a window opening on the street. But through the
grated door I saw a crowd of miserable looking creatures,
wandering aimlessly about an open space. A motley crew
they were. Men and women and children, the condemned
and the accused as yet untried, the petty thief and the murderer, the hardened villain and the neophyte in vice, all huddled together to the number of one hundred and fifty in a
court fifty feet square. The building was erected years ago,
and used to serve as a Medrese or school; it still bears that
Turkish appellation. But I doubt if the instruction once
given in letters was half so complete as the lessons of crime
and wickedness imbibed by those who are confined for a fortnight within its walls.
The market-place was nearly empty of purchasers, albeit the
traders still sat cross-legged in their booths, which nestle about
the old gray walls of Hadrian's porticoes. Though now near
the end of September, the sun continues to pour down his rays
with scorching power, and the air is insufferably hot, even in
the shade. Every body keeps to the house during five or six
hours of the day; and at noon the streets are almost as deserted as at night. Strangers are warned by residents not to
deviate from this practice, unless they are willing to pay for
the imprudence by a dangerous and often fatal disease. An
hour or two of exposure in the sun is pretty sure to bring on
an attack of the Greek fever, which is the curse of Athens at
the present day. Although late in the season, fruits of every
sort are yet in their prime. Those that belong to southern
climates peculiarly are to be found here in the greatest profusion, and at what would seem to us a ridiculously small price.
On the other hand, apples are a rarity, and those for sale are
B




2G                  FIkRST IMPRESSIONS.
small and inferior; nor will the peaches compare with those
of our American orchards. But the apricots, pomegranates,
and melons of all kinds are excellent.  The francosyca are a
puzzle to the stranger till he recognizes them as the fruit of
the common prickly-pear, whose curiously-jointed stems grow
here to an astonishing size. The Greeks I meet will not credit
my assertion that this plant is a native of the American continent originally, for they say that it grows wild in the remotest parts of Mani. The Greek grapes are decidedly the
best I have ever tasted.  The choicest Fontainebleau or Muscat
can not approach the luscious flavor of the Smyrniote. Some
of these varieties resemble the Malaga grapes of our shops.
Another species, from Tenos I believe, is peculiar, the fruit
not showing a vestige of a seed within. It is very sweet, and
smaller than the rest. There is a large black grape, one of
which from curiosity I measured, and found it over four inches in circumference.  The produce of the vineyards around
Athens, though not of such choice kinds, is excellent and
plentiful. An oke (nearly three pounds) of the black grape, is
sold for a copper coin answering to one cent and two-thirds
of the American currency, and the price of the white is but
just double. As the vintage has been in progress for some
time, the must, or unfermented juice of the grape, can be procured. It enters into the composition of a number of national
dishes. Mixed with flour it forms the mustalevria, a refreshing food of about the consistency of the " apple-butter" of our
Western States, which it resembles in color also. In its perfection the mustalevria has a sprinkling of almonds, and is ornamented with the red pomegranate seeds. It is also dried in
sticks that are as hard as stone.
On the other side of the narrow alley that runs along one
side of the Consulate, lives Sir Richard Church, whose acquaintance I had the pleasure of making on the third day after my
arrival. Upon introduction he adverted at once to the friendship he had formed five years before with my father, and asked
what news I brought with me from America, a country in
which he takes a lively interest.  Conversation naturally
turned on the thrilling scenes in which General Church himself had been an actor, and the combats of the patriots whom




GENERAL CHURCH.                   27
he had come from England to head. He expressed his regret
at the fact that Greece has to so great an extent failed to answer the expectations, perhaps too sanguine, of her well-wishers. This failure he attributed, not to the people themselves,
but to the weak and injudicious government under which they
live. A government that squanders on frivolous objects the
revenue which should be expended on the improvement of the
roads and the education of the masses, can not merit the esteem and affection of those who are true friends of the national welfare. The expenditures, he informed me, exceed the
revenue by several million drachms annually; and this deficit
is every year helping to swell the public debt.
General Church is at present one of the most prominent members of the opposition. He is regarded by King Otho, it is to be
presumed, with the personal dislike which that monarch continues to cherish toward all, without exception, who took an active part in the formation of the Constitution of 1843. Callerges, who was its prime-mover, and who sat upon one of the
cannon that were pointed at the palace, ready to be fired in
case the king should refuse to ratify that document, was at
first treated with marks of the highest favor. But when the
storm was past, the first opportunity was seized to send him
away from the royal presence, in a sort of banishment, to Argos. General Church, who occupied a high post in the army,
resigned in consequence of some slight shown him by the ministry, and the latter were only too glad to rid themselves of a
man too upright and inflexible for the doing of their behests.
He retains a seat for life in the Greek senate, where, rather
by his private influence and his vote than by public speeches,
he seeks to promote pure and patriotic legislation. Unfortunately the country needs something more than good laws —it
needs their faithful execution.
General Church expressed the lively interest he had taken in
reading the newspaper accounts of the brilliant engagements of
our Mexican campaigns.  He spoke with the warmest admiration of the conduct of the war by Generals Scott and Taylor,
and made particular inquiries whether any reliable history of
the whole conflict had recently appeared in the United States.
Few men living, probably, have had a better opportunity to




28                 FIRST IMPRESSIONS.
become thoroughly acquainted with the history of the Greek
revolution. I was pleased to learn from his own lips that he
had collected all the materials for such a record of it as the
world demands, and that he himself either had commenced, or
intended soon to commence reducing them to the shape of a
systematic narrative. Sir Richard's previous career in Italy
and elsewhere, during which he earned in the British service
his present rank of Lieutenant General, was varied and thrilling. I had subsequently the pleasure of perusing a manuscript
account of some of his adventures in ridding the kingdom of
Naples of the banditti who infested it. They were so full of
romantic interest, that I regretted the limitation of a perusal
of them to a very small circle of friends. Were it proper, I
would gladly transcribe one or two of them upon these pages.
Among the most distinguished English residents in Athens
there was none I more desired to see than Mr. George Finlay,
the historian. He had been upon a visit to his native land,
from which he returned not long after I reached Greece. One
day Dr. King proposed a call upon him. His name was already familiar to me from the various works he has recently
published on the modern history of Greece, as well as from
his connection with the recent difficulties between the Greek
and English governments. The most eligible spot in the city
was chosen for the site of the king's palace, and some lands
of Mr. Finlay were among those that were absorbed by the
garden attached to it. But the ministry refused to make to
the owners any adequate indemnification for the loss of the
ground they had appropriated. Mr. Finlay having little faith
in the power or inclination of the law-courts to grant him redress, appealed to his own government, who enforced his claims
by a powerful fleet which for one hundred days blockaded the
ports of Greece.
We entered Mr. Finlay's house, situated in the old quarter
of the city, through a garden well stocked with flowers, and
were received in his study. The walls, besides being stored
with perhaps the choicest private library in the capital, were
further ornamented with a valuable collection of antiquities
found in this country, and a candelabrum and a curious brazen mirror graced the mantle. Mr. Finlay is a tall and some



AMERICAN MISSIONARIES.               29
what slender man, about fifty years of age. His face is one
of those which inspire confidence and respect, and his eye is
bright and intellectual. I have seldom met one whose conversation is more entertaining. No subject can be started
with which he does not seem perfectly familiar, and, where
you least expect it, he is able to rectify your misapprehensions, or unravel what before seemed an enigma. History,
however, is his favorite topic. With the Mediaeval history of
Greece no man living is better acquainted; and few, besides
the Frenchman Buchon, have made it so careful a study. Mr.
Finlay told me that he was still engaged upon his work, which
is to contain in four independent volumes the vicissitudes of
Greece, from the fall of Corinth to the conquest by the Turks.
This is a portion of history which should have been treated
by Gibbon, but to which that writer never deigned to devote
more than a stray paragraph. Those who have read Mr. Finlay's able productions must, I think, acquiesce in the greater
number of his conclusions.  On the great controverted point
of the origin of the modern Greeks, he adopts a middle course
between those who declare them of Sclavonic ancestry, and
those who affirm them to be scions of the noble stock of the
Hellenes. As a natural consequence, he displeases the advocates of both theories. I only regret that, in delineating the
mutations of the Greeks under the Frank domination, he has
chosen to look at them from the foreign rather than the native point of view, and given us the chronicles of the conquerors instead of those of the vanquished.
To my countrymen, the Rev. Dr. Hill of the Protestant
Episcopal Mission, and the Rev. Messrs. Arnold and Buel of
the Baptist Mission, I shall have opportunity to refer in another connection. The kindly offices of these gentlemen contributed essentially to the attainment of the ends for which I
visited Greece. Of the more private evidences of friendship
received by me, in common with so many wayfarers, at their
hospitable homes, I can, of course, make no adequate mention
in these pages.




;l____ ____7111I
TIE PROPYLAA.
CHAPTER III.
THE ACROPOLIS.
MucH as I desired to see the Acropolis and its classic contents, I was obliged to defer my first visit until late in the afternoon. The hill was already casting its long shadows over
the eastern quarter of the town when, with a party of friends,
I sallied forth. The heat was yet oppressive, and many of
those whom we met were, like ourselves, provided with white
cotton umbrellas, and wore white shoes, so pleasant for the
feet in this sultry season. Two or three steep lanes, interrupted by an occasional stairway, led us to the clear ground
at the foot of the Acropolis; but without a guide we would
indubitably have lost our way, and come to a stand in some
filthy court. It is a consolation to know that, if modern Athens can boast of an intricate maze of streets, ancient Athens
would seem to have been but little better off in this respect.
The father of Greek verse must have used some poetic license
when he spoke of the wide streets of Athens. For a writer,




WALLS OF ALL AGES.                   31
who flourished some three centuries before the Christian era,
and had traveled in foreign parts, expresses his regret at their
narrowness and irregularity. He contrasts the capital with
its port, Piraeus, and states that the former was badly laid out
as to its streets and squares, on account of its antiquity. "If
a stranger," adds he, "were to be suddenly set down in the
midst of the town, so small, inconvenient, and ill-situated are
the houses, that he would doubt whether he were actually in
famous Athens.  But of this he would be speedily convinced,
if, looking up in some more open spot, he should catch a
glimpse of the Odeum, the most handsome in the world; the
theatre, magnificent, great, and wonderful; the sumptuous,
conspicuous, and admirable temple of Minerva, called the Parthenon, rising aloft, and striking the beholder with admiration."
We, however, had reached a point whence we could survey
the whole city, while we obtained a good view of the Acropolis itself. It is an oblong height, perhaps three quarters of a
mile in circuit at the base, with a barrier of steep rocks rising
on every side to prevent the approach of invaders. Above
these tower the grim old walls, to whose foot, even, it is in
most places all but impossible to ascend. On this side they
are said to have been raised by the Pelasgians, when the Athenian state was yet in its infancy; but these original works
have probably been destroyed to the very foundation. Much
of those which now exist, were built by the Athenians when
they regained their city after the retreat of Xerxes. In such
haste were the citizens to restore the crumbling fortress, that
they are said to have seized whatever first came to hand, and
converted it to use. It is interesting to notice, to this very
day, stones evidently drawn from some more ancient, and perhaps ruined edifice, deeply imbedded in the midst of other masonry. At one place there is a conspicuous row of drums of
marble columns, which probably belonged to the old Parthenon,
a temple burned by the Persians when they ravaged Attica
with fire and sword. The rest of the wall is a singular medley of works of every age. Here a bit of Roman brick-work,
there a Frankish bastion or Turkish parapet, all mixed in in* Dicparchus Vit. Grmec., p. 8.




3'2                  THE ACROPOLIS.
extricable confusion. Every conqueror has left some traces
of his power, while Time, the greatest conqueror of all, has
been undoing their boasted work.
But we must now approach the entrance, and to reach it we
were obliged to make half the circuit of the hill. On the way
we passed a small portal, in what was once a Turkish defence.
One jamb was formed of an old marble slab that had once
graced some sacred inclosure, as the following imprecation
against all sacrilegious trespassers indicates. The similarity
it bears to those curses which the monks of the Middle Ages
used to insert on the fly-leaves of their books, is striking, to
say the least.
" I intrust the guardianship of this Chapel to the Infernal
Gods, to Pluto, and to Ceres, and to Proserpine, and to the
Furies, and to all the Infernal Gods. If any one shall deface
this Chapel, or mutilate it, or remove any thing from it, either
himself or by means of another, to him may not the land be
passable, nor the sea navigable, but may he be utterly uprooted. May he experience all evils, fever and ague, and quartan
ague, and leprosy. And as many ills as man is liable to, may
they befall that man who dares to move any thing from this
Chapel."
We reached the entrance of the Acropolis at the western
end, where it connects with the lower height of the Areopagus, or Hill of Mars, the scene of St. Paul's masterly defence.
Here the slope was originally more gradual, and offered the
easiest, or, in fact, the only approach. Formerly there stood
here a splendid gateway, strongly defended by walls and overlooking towers'on either side, and a broad flight of steps led
directly up behind it. More recently this was found too difficult to protect, and now the visitor passes through no fewer
than three portals before he can say that he is fairly within.
Over the outermost of these a Turkish inscription is to be seen.
I understand that its import is the boast that the Christian
giaour shall never again hold possession of this citadel. If so,
it stands there a sufficient refutation of its own falsehood.  I
was unable to vouch for the correctness of the interpretation;
and having no Turkish dragoman at hand, we went on to the
second gate, which was closed. -A loud rap brought to the




PANATHENAIC PROCESSION..33
door a soldier dressed in rather rusty European uniform, who,
on our presenting a printed permit good for the whole season,
opened the gate, and admitted us into a small court. Here
was a lodge, before which half a dozen guards were lounging
and smoking their chebouks. A classic air was given to their
abode by a promiscuous collection of fragments of statuary;
while a number of marble cannon-balls, made during the recent wars out of the pillars of the Parthenon or Propylea, lay
scattered about. Some were evidently intended for guns of
large calibre.
One of the guards now opened a third gate, and passing
through we found ourselves at the base of an acclivity, above
which rose the Propylaea. A series of marble steps, some of
which were discovered beneath the rubbish of a Turkish battery that formerly encumbered the spot, and others in their
original places, have been partially restored under the direction of the Archaeological Society. The centre is paved with
large slabs of stone, and served in old times as a carriage-way.
The pavement was grooved to give a foothold to the yoke of
oxen that annually drew the car of Minerva up to the temple
of the goddess. In these Panathenaic festivals a vast concourse of people were accustomed to attend the solemn convoy, the men carrying offerings, or baskets containing the sacred utensils, the women shouldering jars of pure water, while
comely virgins brought the most pleasant flowers to bedeck
the virgin goddess, and form a fragrant bed around her statue.
Most conspicuous in the throng was said to be the new peplus
with which the figure of Minerva was to be clothed or screened. It was a magnificent robe woven by the maidens of the
noblest families, who disputed the right of having a part in
the honorable task. The conflicts of Minerva with the giants
were the subject of the embroidery, which was fastened, as a
sort of sail, to the mast of a boat laid upon the sacred car.
We stood upon the threshold of the wonderful inclosure,
with somewhat of the same awe and reverence that inspired
the ancient pilgrim as he entered the precincts of the gorgeous
temple.  If he was filled with superstitious dread of the august deities whom he imagined the tenants of the spacious
fabric, we were overwhelmed with wonder and admiration of
B2




384                  TilE ACROPOLIS.
the genius that planned the graceful architecture, and the liberal statesman who shrank from no expense to decorate his
native city and render it the gem of Greece. The Propylcea,
which we had now reached, was a fit introduction to the host
of temples, statues, and altars within. Less famous now than
in former times, it was placed by the ancients on a level with
the Parthenon, so far as beauty of design and exquisite finish
were concerned. While yet entire, it stood directly in view
of the people assembled for deliberation on the Pnyx; and
Demosthenes and -Eschines often took occasion, from the sight
of its magnificence, to exhort a declining age to emulate the
glory and renown of their forefathers. It is said that Epaminondas was heard to exclaim, that he would never rest satisfied until he had transported the Propylaea, and set it down
at the entrance of the Cadmean hill in Thebes.
The object of the edifice seems to have been two-fold. It
was designed to be ornamental, and at the same time a strong
military fortification, commanding the sole access to the citadel. The combination was difficult, but seems to have been
admirably attained. Let me attempt to give an idea of the
arrangement.  The main structure consists of a massive marble wall pierced by five portals, of which the central one is
much the largest. With its bronze gates, it might easily withstand the assaults of the enemy who should succeed in bursting
through the lower walls, while exposed to the galling arrows
of the troops from the heights on either side of the ascent,
which afforded them every advantage of situation. This is
the defensive part.  The ornamental consists of wide porticoes on either front.  That which faces the steps is the
deeper. It is, I think, a circumstance worthy of note, that
wherever it was desirable, as in the present case, to impress
the beholder with a sense of awe and reverence, the Doric
style of architecture was uniformly resorted to by the ancients.
Its massive proportions, the simplicity of its outlines, and the
stern baldness of its capitals, seem to be the natural expression
of majesty and inflexible severity. It symbolizes reverence
without affection. Accordingly the stately front of the Propylaea was composed of six stout Doric columns, each four feet
and a half in diameter, and twenty-nine feet high. They have




ANCIENT GALLERIE  OF PAINTING.           35
been sadly ill-used by father Time, who has spared little more
than half their height. Behind this line, and before reaching
the wall, is a space of forty feet and more, the roof of which
was once supported by six Ionic columns. The reason for
the adoption of another order here, was that the slender proportions of its pillars obstructed the view much less, and enabled the eye to gaze more freely on a ceiling adorned with
sunken panels, all variegated with the most brilliant coloring.
The front vestibule of the Propylaea has been converted, for
lack of some more convenient receptacle, into a sort of museum of antiquities.  All the broken heads, fractured legs, mutilated arms, and fragmentary hands, dug up in every quarter
of the Acropolis, are ranged on benches upon the strictest anatomical principles. This classification has at least the merit
of enabling the visitor to gain a pretty complete acquaintance
with the whole collection. My own attention was specially
drawn to one or two large heads, in which the eye had been
excavated, evidently for the purpose of filling the cavity with
an eyeball of ivory, or some precious metal. We turned from
the main building to our left, and entered a wing of the Propylea, a square chamber with a narrow colonnade before it.
This served in ancient times as a picture-gallery, orpinacotheke.
True, it is difficult to suppose that many paintings could have
been contained within the limits of a room about thirty feet
square; but the merit of the pictures probably made up for
their fewness. And if the space here allowed was but small,
there were certainly much larger collections in the lower city,
where they adorned the inner walls of the long porticoes with
which the city abounded. It was doubtless the ambition of
the young painter to hang his first production in some such
public place, where the philosophers, as they walked to and
fro, and the tradesmen, hurrying toward their shops, might
pause a moment to admire its execution, and inquire the artist's name. The Battle of Marathon seems to have been a favorite subject at Athens, just as the brilliant victories of Napoleon abound in the galleries of Versailles, where you look
in vain for any representation of Waterloo.
We crossed next to the right side of the entrance, where a
smaller wing of the same building is for the most part con



36                  THE ACRtOPOL1S.
cealed under the great square tower that occupies so prominent a place in every picture of the Acropolis. It is usually
called a Turkish tower; but it was much more probably built
by the Christian dukes of Athens in the thirteenth century.
The Vandalism that has busied itself for the past thirty years
in destroying every relic of the mediaeval history of the country, has thus far spared this venerable monument. How long
it will be permitted to stand is very doubtful. From a mistaken pride, the modern Greeks have thought it incumbent
on them to signalize their admiration of antiquity, by obliterating every vestige of an age of barbarism and subjection.
How different was the policy of those for whom they affect to
entertain such enthusiastic admiration! Every work of their
uncultivated forefathers was cherished with the most sedulous
care; for it served as an index of their own progress in the
arts of life. Even the traces of the Persian invasion were
gladly preserved, that they might teach posterity the authenticity of achievements, which otherwise would have appeared
too gigantic to be worthy of credit. The more powerful they
could picture the Persian host, the more did they enhance their
own prowess, since victory had crowned them in the unequal
contest.
As I have said, the Propylsea was, until recently, encumbered with the remains of a dilapidated Turkish battery. In
removing these ruins, a number of columns and bas-reliefs
were discovered, belonging to a small temple of the Ionic order. It was then remembered that such an edifice had been
described by travelers of the, seventeenth century, as standing
in advance of the Propylea, on the southwestern corner of the
wall. The exact spot was easily found by means of the remaining foundation. In 1835 its restoration was commenced;
and so many pieces were found that scarcely a stone had to
be supplied.  The roof only is wanting, with the greater
part of the continuous frieze that ran around the top of the
building, sculptured with figures of the Persians. This was
unfortunately discovered earlier, and shared the fate of Lord
Elgin's spoliations. Though but twenty-seven feet long by
eighteen broad, the temple of Victory had a double front,
adorned with four Tonic fluted columns executed in the most




TEMPLE OF VICTORY.                  37
C;,
TEMPLE OF VICTORY WITHOUT WINGS.
finished style.  It was Cimon who built it, in commemoration of glorious defeats inflicted upon the Persians, both by
land and by sea. But the jealous eye of the republican Athenians would not suffer him to indulge in private ostentation;
and prevented him  from recording his own astonishing successes on the dwelling-house of a deity.  He chose for its decoration the achievements of older generals, whose merits the
populace could better endure to hear praised, since they had
gone into a banishment whence no popular vote could recall
them.  Cimon dedicated this exquisite little temple to Victory; but fearing lest the fickle goddess should some day take it
into her head to desert his native city, he robbed her of her
wings. Perhaps he hoped in this way to fix her irrevocably
to her present seat; but succeeding generations discovered to
their cost, that if Victory had lost the power of soaring away
on her airy pinions, she could, in a more prosaic manner, abandon her beautiful niche, and give them leg-bail.
We paused for a few minutes within the temple of Victory
without wings, to admire the few sculptured slabs that have
been collected there.  They refer mostlv to Victory, and orig



8-, 8'TIlE ACROPOLIS.
inally formed a parapet around the platform of the temple.
One was so exquisite that I could have stopped an hour before it without weariness. It represents the goddess just
alighting on her favorite hill. She stoops to unbuckle her
sandal, indicating the determination here to cease her wanderings and take up a perpetual abode.  Nothing can be more
elegant than the posture and the finish of the well-turned ankle.  From the steps of the temple we obtained a delightful
view of the sea, on the very spot whence iEgeus is said to
have precipitated himself upon the rocks below, when he saw
the black sails which Theseus, on his successful return from
Crete, had forgotten to lower.
But we were impatient to visit the Parthenon, the grand
object of attraction.  So passing once more through the portal of the Propylaea, we stood in the presence of that majestic
pile, which for beauty of proportion, excellence of material,
and grace of ornament, is yet proclaimed by all who can appreciate the arts of architecture and sculpture, as unequaled
by any fabric of more modern date. The first impression upon
the mind is that of perfect symmetry and grandeur. Less august than when the dazzling brilliancy of its Pentelican marble
was undimmed, it is perhaps more picturesque now. Its ruined
pillars and tottering architraves are now laden with the traditionary interest of more than two thousand years. It is not
the size alone that strikes the fancy; for the Olympium itself,
though much larger, has never attained a tithe of its celebrity.
TH PATH N1
THE PARTHENON.




THE PARTHENON.;39)
The summit of the Acropolis is not perfectly level, but is
shaped into a number of distinct platforms, hewn out of the
solid rock when Athens was confined to the limits of this hill.
In after times temples took the place of dwelling-houses, and
the inhabitants were compelled to descend into the valley.
The entire area thus cleared is one thousand feet long and
five hundred feet in its greatest width, containing about seven acres of ground. The greatest length is precisely east and
west.
A modern architect, perhaps, would have placed the Parthenon directly in front of the entrance, so that only the western facade might be seen, thus preserving symmetry, or, rather,
uniformity. Without doubt, however, the site was purposely
chosen a little to the right upon the highest part of the citadel. This gives us the most favorable view of the temple,
whose base is full forty feet above the ground on which we
stand. The devotional feelings of an ancient pilgrim were
deepened, too, as, in the long circuit he was obliged to make
in order to reach the principal entrance at the opposite end,
his eye could examine in detail the sculptured works upon its
sides, products of the chisel of Phidias and his scholars.
As we walked up toward the Parthenon we met a small
man, rather beyond the prime of life, who was introduced as
Mr. Pittakes, the Inspector General of the antiquities within
the kingdom of Greece. He is affable in conversation, and
wholly absorbed in his favorite pursuit. His duty it is to see
that the statuary and other works of art, discovered from year
to year, are not carried from the country or broken up for
lime by the ignorant peasantry.  Of all the Greeks he is
doubtless the best informed as to the topography of Athens,
respecting which'he has written a work of considerable merit.
Notwithstanding his dry manner and a certain nasal indistinctness of utterance, there was no one whom we were more
delighted to meet.
I do not know that a better idea of the Parthenon can be
given, than by saying that its exterior is the prototype of the
Madeleine at Paris, and the Bavarian Walhalla. Around the
whole body of the edifice runs a continuous portico, sustained
by seventeen Doric columns on either side, and eight in each




40                  THE ACROPOLIS.
front. The vestibule at either end of the temple was deepened by the addition of a second row of columns to support the
roof. Such was the condition of the Parthenon a century and
a half ago. Since that time it has incurred the severest losses.
At one time a powder magazine was recklessly placed within
the building by the Turks. During the bombardment by the
Venetians under Francesco Morosini, in 1687, a bomb happened to fall into the very centre of the temple, and a fearful
explosion was the result. A great part of the lateral walls
was overturned, and more than half a dozen columns on either
side fell prostrate to the ground. From that time the building, which at one period had served as a church dedicated to
the Virgin, was almost deserted. During an attack of three
days, the Venetians did more damage to the Parthenon than it
had sustained since the year of its erection. They consummated their outrage by a robbery of the movable statuary
which adorned the triangular pediments on the fronts. It is
related of them, that, as their general was lowering the car
and horses which were most prominent in the group, the ropes
either broke or slipped, and the statues were shivered into a
thousand fragments upon the pavement below.
The interior of the Parthenon was divided into two unequal
parts. Rather more than two-thirds were taken up with the
temple proper, while the remainder, toward the west, served
as the treasury of the state, and went by the name of Opisthodomus. The great statue of Minerva, from whom the temple
obtained its name of Parthenon, or the Virgin's House, occupied
the centre, and drew the undivided attention of every visitor.
It was the master-piece of Phidias, and was no less precious
for its material than for its workmanship. The statue was
all of the purest gold, except the face, hands, and feet, which
were curiously wrought of ivory brought from the remote and
almost unknown depths of India. It was not to be expected
that a work of such intrinsic value should escape the rapacity
of either Romans or barbarians.
We know comparatively little of the internal arrangements
of the Parthenon; but we may be confident that they were
embellished as lavishly as the exterior. Indeed the prodigal
expenditure or ornament seems to have been one of the most




FRIEZE OF THE PARTHENON.                 41
FRIEZE OF TIE PARTHIENON.
striking peculiarities of this temple. Although its length was
only two hundred and twenty-eight feet, yet it was loaded
with a profusion of sculpture such as would have been more
than sufficient, according to the rules ordinarily followed, for
an edifice of thrice that size. Not only were all the metopes
immediately below the exterior cornice made to represent the
single combats of centaurs and other fabulous monsters, but
an uninterrupted frieze was placed on the walls of the body,
or cella, within the colonnade. This inimitable work of art,
when entire, was no less than five hundred and twenty feet
long, with a width of more than a yard.  It represented in
high relief the yearly procession at the Panathenaic festival.
In addition to these decorations, a group of statues filled eacIl
of the pediments, one representing the birth of Minerva, the
other her contest with Neptune for the possession of Attica.
What is more astonishing than even the quantity of statuary,
is its quality. Slabs of marble intended to be seen at the
height of thirty to fifty feet above the spectator, were finished
with as much care as though designed for a close inspection.
Of this I satisfied myself, not only from the pieces collected
below, but by a nearer examination of those which remain in
their places. In one of the walls of the Parthenon we found
a narrow winding staircase, from which we emerged on the
top of the front. Probably the same means of gaining a better view of the statues on the pediment was privately afforded
of old to the artist and the more curious visitor.




42                  THE ACROPOLIS.
Mr. Pittakes took us up to the eastern end of the edifice,
and pointed out some excavations, undertaken within a few
years, with the view of examining the substructure. The
workmen have brought to light what a spirited writer has
called the work-shop of the Parthenon.  Huge heaps of chippings from the marbles, unfinished drums of columns, apparently abandoned on account of some defect in the stone, are
mingled with traces of works made by all the nations who
have ruled here in succession. Not least remarkable was the
discovery of a quantity of burnt wood still lower down, at a
depth of fifteen or twenty feet below the present surface of
the ground. These timbers, from their position, must evidently have been older than the erection of the present Parthenon by Pericles, in the middle of the fifth century before
Christ. According to the most probable hypothesis, they are
traces of the conflagration kindled by Xerxes when the old
Hecatompedon, the predecessor of the Parthenon, shared the
common destruction of all that was most precious in Athens.
Blocks of marble belonging to the same structure were also
found, with a great variety of antique bronzes and vases.
Architects have been much interested of late in the results
of some new and very accurate measurements of the Parthenon, which have revealed a number of startling facts. For
instance, it has been found that of the apparently straight
lines, few, if any, are strictly such, but, in reality, describe
curves of a figure that may be calculated with the utmost precision. Thus, the platform and steps in front of the temple,
though to all appearance perfectly level, have been shown to
be three or four inches higher toward the middle than at
either end. And as each side is similarly shaped, the base of
the Parthenon slants in all directions toward the four corners.
The same holds good, in some measure, with all the other
lines, some of which actually curve in two directions. The
columns, too, are found not to stand perfectly upright, but to
slant inwardly, and so are some inches longer on the outer
edge than on the inner. Nor do they taper uniformly toward
the summit, but bulge out a little at the middle. Archaeologists affirm that they have now discovered the secret of the
undoubted superiority of all the ancient temples over even




THE ERECHTHEUM.                   43
their most servile imitations in modern times. If such care
was taken in the construction of the Parthenon and the Propylaea, we can no longer wonder that the enormous sum of a
thousand talents, equivalent to $1,100,000, should have been
expended upon the former of those buildings alone, at a time
when that sum would command three times as much labor as
at present.
We followed Mr. Pittakes from the Parthenon to a small
ruinous frame-house, where, under lock and key, are preserved a number of antique vases and other remains. But in
this department no Grecian collection can compare with the
vast assortment of the British and Neapolitan museums. Descending the rotten stairs, I picked up a human skull, which
I noticed bleaching in the sun close by: whether it belonged
to some gallant defender of the Acropolis, or to a Turkish soldier, it was too late to inquire. The guard who accompanied
us, and whose only duty was to see that we took away none
of the antiquities, did not evince much surprise or feeling for
the relic of one who may have been 4 former comrade in arms.
Instead of giving it Christian burial, he threw it into a dark corner, and it rattled down into a hole, where it doubtless still lies.
So much for the remains of the combatants in the revolution.
We next passed to the only other remaining group of ruins
on the Acropolis, the curious cluster of temples that stand
near the northern wall overlooking the modern town. I call
it a cluster of temples, for the Erechtheum comprises several
sanctuaries dedicated to various gods and fabulous personages.
THE ERECIITIIEU.M




-4 i                 THE ACROPOLIS.
Its singularly irregular shape adds propriety to the expression,
while it renders description the more difficult. It consists of
an oblong edifice, which formed the most important part, and
three dissimilar porches covering almost as much more ground.
We approached it from the east, which, as in the case of all
the more ancient temples, was the principal front. Passing
through a portico of six Ionic columns, we jumped down some
eight or ten feet, and found ourselves in the sanctuary of Minerva Polias, the defender of the city, a shrine at one time held
in even greater esteem than its more pretending neighbor, the
Parthenon.  Clambering over stones and bushes, we came to
a partition wall. Beyond it was the part dedicated to Pandrosos, one of the daughters of Cecrops, who was worshipped
here with almost divine honors. Thence we reached a narrower space along the western end of the structure, which
seems to have served as a mere passage between the northern
and southern porticoes, the greatest ornaments of the Erechtheum. The former is a
large and spacious porch of the Ionic order,
which here is to be seen in its most perfect
expression. Less grand, perhaps, than the
stately Doric when gazed upon from a distance, the richness and chasteness of detail
li~ l- I   ~ is calculated to make this order a more general favorite. The adjacent soil here is sev~^^ 1JlU^l  eral feet lower than in front, and the columns are consequently much larger than
those of the chief entrance.
l1 ^   But the southern portico, that of the Caryatides, to which we next repaired, was an
object of far greater curiosity and interest.
Its dimensions are much smaller than those
of the others; but here the place of ponderous columns has been assumed by six
colossal damsels, whose marble heads support the ponderous roof.  Some say that
i   l, |~  the statues represent the captive women of..... B     Carya, a town of Peloponnesus, destroyed
A CARYATIS.    by the Athenians for siding with the Per



THE CARYATIDES.                   4 5
sian invaders against their country. But I prefer the other
story, which makes them portraits of the fairest and most distinguished of Athens' daughters, chosen on account of their
beauty to sit for this honorable distinction. Theirs are no
meretricious charms, but a dignified and devout expression,
mingled with indescribable grace:' A group
Of shrinking Caryatides, they muse
Upon the ground, eyelids half-closed,..
To linger out their penance in mute stone."
ROBERT BROWNING.
Fitting guardians of the sacred olive-tree, which probably
stood in this portico; the same tree that Minerva was fabled
to have caused to grow, when she contended with Neptune
for supremacy in Attica.  The salt-spring, created by one
stroke of the sea-god's potent trident, was also within the
temple. Antiquarians will probably have a puzzling search
before they find it.
I have spoken of six Caryatides: in reality there are but
five; the sixth is replaced by a wooden effigy. Its prototype
is far away in a museum, where, by foul means and fair, the
plunder of the choicest monuments of antiquity has been collected. Lord Elgin, the spoiler of the Parthenon, in robbing
that building, confined himself to taking away all the movable bas-reliefs. Here, with a more ruthless hand, he removed
one of the statues that supported this graceful portico-as a
sample of the thing, I presume. The consequence was, that
the roof fell, but was recently restored, and a fictitious Caryatid has taken her place in the midst of the lovely sisterhood.
With the Erechtheum  we terminated our survey of the
Acropolis and its edifices. The whole area of the summit
was once stocked with statues of benefactors and altars dedicated to the gods. Nearly all these have disappeared. The
most precious and beautiful were undoubtedly carried away at
a very early date, to grace the imperial palaces and private
villas of Rome and Constantinople. A semicircular pedestal
was, however, recently discovered by the side of the Propylaea,
where we saw it, with an inscription " To Minerva the Health



46                     THE ACROPOLIS.
THE ERECHTHEUM RESTORED.
giver."  It is said to have been erected in consequence of the
following circumstance: A  favorite workman of Pericles,
while engaged in the construction of the magnificent portal,
missed his foothold and fell to the ground. Strange to say,
he was not killed by the fall, and his miraculous preservation,
ascribed by his master to the guardianship of the goddess, was
the occasion of the erection of this monument. But the most
striking object that greeted the eye, as ancient travelers inform
us, was a colossal statue of Minerva, standing between the
Parthenon and the Erechtheum.  It was surnamed Promachus,
or " the Champion," from the threatening mien with which it
confronted those who entered the sacred precincts. Armed
with helmet and spear, it seemed about to take speedy vengeance on the audacious mortal who should dare to disturb, with
sacrilegious hands, the consecrated temples on either side. The
valiant warriors of Marathon had dedicated this statue, made
of the spoils of battle, in token of their gratitude. Standing
on a pedestal, the goddess was full seventy-five feet above the




STATUE OF MINERVA.                47
platform of the hill, and towered head and shoulders over all
surrounding objects. The mariner, as he doubled Cape Sunium, caught a glimpse of the crested helmet and the spear-head,
and shaped his course accordingly. It was a legend of the
Middle Ages, that the conquering Alaric had advanced, in the
fourth century of our era, to the city of Athens, and climbed
the Acropolis, intending to rifle the time-honored localities of
their accumulated treasures of gold, silver, and precious stones.
But as the creaking gates of the Propylsea were thrown open at
his command, he saw before him the gigantic statue of Pallas
Minerva armed with spear and buckler. She seemed to threaten the trespasser with sudden destruction. The barbarian, who
had feared neither God nor man, shrunk from what he deemed
so unequal a combat, and retired from the place animated with
mingled admiration and awe. Whether the story be true or
apocryphal, the visitor is tempted to wish that our modern
Vandals might have beheld some like vision, or at least, anticipating the universal execration of posterity, have been induced to withhold their hands from spoiling the most beautiful monuments of human skill.
We bade Mr. Pittakes good-evening, and retraced our steps
toward the entrance, observing as we passed a lofty pedestal,
standing opposite the temple of Victory, which was surmounted at first by the equestrian statues of the two sons of Xenophon. In later times, however, Agrippa, the favorite of Augustus, supplanted them, and now there is scarcely a trace of
either of the statues. In descending the outer slope of the
hill toward the town, we found the ground covered with a singular vine, which an old Greek servant who accompanied us
called picra angouria, or bitter cucumbers. If the ripe fruit be
merely touched the rind splits, like the common " touch-menot," and the seeds are scattered in all directions. I found
that it was the momordica elaterium, a powerful cathartic, and,
in large doses, a virulent poison. It seems to abound most in
the neighborhood of ancient ruins.




TLHE IHEMIA OF THE PNYX AT ATHENS.
CHAPTER IV.
ANTIQUITIES OF THE LOWER TOWN.
HAVING gratified my curiosity with a brief survey of the
Acropolis, a visit often to be repeated during my sojourn in
Athens, there remained to be seen the antiquities of the lower
town. The buildings of the Acropolis have the advantage of
belonging exclusively to a single age, and present us with the
outlines of a picture of Athens in the time of Pericles: its
lights and shades the imagination can easily supply. Those
structures, on the contrary, whose ruins are scattered over the
plain, date from various epochs. Some carry us back to the
glorious times of liberty, when the name of Greek was synonymous with that of freeman. Others tell of foreign domination, when gold and tinsel could scarcely disguise the galling
chains of the Roman Emperors.  Though not so numerous as
the ruins of the city of the Csesars, nor spread over so extensive a surface, they are, on the whole, better preserved, and
more interesting in themselves. They can scarcely be brought
within the compass of a single excursion.
My first walk led me to that quarter of ancient Athens
which the Emperor Hadrian took under his special protection,
and was ambitious to have named from himself. Early one
morning, issuing forth into the street upon which the Consulate faced, I followed it in the opposite direction from the
Market, and in five minutes reached the open fields. Here,
as on all sides of Athens, there stood formerly a low wall: but
it has been destroyed since the time of the Turks, although the
town has not spread at all in this direction. The view was




THE GATE OF HADRIAN.                 49
quite unobstructed.  But a few paces from me rose a light
and airy gateway, through whose open arch appeared in the
distance the remnant of a noble colonnade, on a platform
overlooking the bed of the River Ilissus. Beyond the latter
were some low hills lining the opposite bank, in which was
embedded the stadium, or ancient race-course. The "Flowery hill Hymettus," a rugged mountain, formed the background
of the tableau. Nearer on the left were the king's palace and
the English church. Approaching the arch, I recognized in
it the "Gate of Hadrian," marking the entrance into Hadrianopolis. Directly over the arch an inscription is cut in large
letters, which in English would read thus:
"THIS IS ATHENS, THE ANCIENT CITY OF THESEUS."
But on the eastern side are the words,
4THIS IS THE CITY OF HADRIAN, NOT THAT OF THESEUS."
They indicate conclusively that the Emperor arrogated to himself the founding of this part of Athens, as Theseus had erected the older portion. But though the Emperor was a noble
patron of the arts and sciences, and strove ineffectually to rekindle the half-extinguished embers of Grecian genius, we can
only give him the credit of restoring and embellishing the
dilapidated city. Over the archway there were columns of
the Corinthian order, supporting a pediment of graceful proportions. Between the columns there were three compartments; the central one doubtless containing the statue of the
royal benefactor, and the others statues of his favored friends.
All the great threshing-floors of Athens are situated near
this gateway and the adjoining temple. From the fields for
miles around the city, the wheat is brought on the backs of
horses or asses to the public floor. This is generally a circular area of fifty feet in diameter, paved with common rough
stones. Great heaps of sheaves are collected, until there is a
sufficient quantity to give occupation to the threshers. Then
the wheat is evenly distributed over the entire floor to the
depth of several inches. Half a dozen horses with drags perform the operation of treading out the grain. The drag is
furnished with iron teeth on its under side, and is rendered
more effective by the weight of the driver, who stands on it
with a rope to guide his horses, and a long stick in his hands.
C




50         ANTIQUITIES OF THE LOWER TOWN.
The entire number of horses run abreast, and as they whirl
around, considerable skill is necessary to prevent collision.
The air, meanwhile, re-echoes with the merry shouts of the
threshers. In a short time the grain is separated from the
stalk, and the straw is removed with great wooden pitchforks.
Should the wind be strong enough, the remaining wheat is
winnowed by being thrown into the air by means of wooden
shovels. Passing by these threshing-floors toward dusk one
evening, I found that the grain not yet thoroughly cleansed of
chaff had been piled up in various places in long low heaps.
As we approached two or three peasants simultaneously shouted to us to take care not to touch the wheat. In seeking a
cause for their solicitude, we found that the smooth surface
of the heap had been stamped in various places, or, as they
said, it had been sealed-" boulonetai."  Impressions had
been made by means of a board a foot long, with a few letters
deeply cut into it, at intervals of a few inches, over the entire
surface. The object was to prevent the owner from coming
stealthily and removing any part of his produce, without paying the usual contribution of one tenth to the government.
The owner is consequently obliged to lie down by the floor at
night, and prevent any stray cattle from marring the impression of the seal. The custom is of Oriental origin, and it may
be readily imagined how oppressive it is to the Greek farmer.
The archway is still a thoroughfare; for I met a long line
of donkeys laden with brush, entering the town through it;
while another string came, on their way from the market,
with empty paniers on their backs. I walked to the columns
that I had seen in the distance, belonging to the Temple of Jupiter Olympius. From afar some conception of their size could
be formed, by comparing them with two or three wooden drinking-shops in their immediate neighborhood. But when I stood
by the pedestal of one of these enormous piles, it seemed to
tower almost to the skies. The square block on which one of
them rested measured, I found, about eight feet and a half on
each side. The base of the column was twenty-one feet in
circumference, and it was more than sixty feet high. Of these
immense pillars only sixteen were standing, and one of these
has fallen since. They belonged to the southeastern corner of




THE OLYMPIUM.                      51
the edifice. Of the magnitude and appearance of the Olympium, the following particulars will convey some idea. It
was 359 feet long and 173 broad. The whole was surrounded by a spacious portico, sustained on the sides by a double,
and at the ends by a triple row of Corinthian columns. Twenty stood in each row on the sides, and ten formed the fagade.
There were, besides, a few columns in the entrance of the main
body, or cella of the temple; so that the entire number employed in the adorning of the outside was no less than 120 or
122.  The cost of quarrying such immense blocks of stone as
make up these columns, must necessarily have been enormous;
for they were brought with little or no mechanical assistance
from the marble quarries of Mount Pentelicus. They have
suffered less from the effects of earthquakes than the Parthenon; but the hand of man has dealt even more hardly with
them.  For ages the unfortunate Olympium has served as a
marble mine for the inhabitants of Athens.  As late as 1760
a seventeenth column was demolished by order of the Turkish
governor, who used its materials in the construction of a new
mosque in the bazar. Such also has doubtless been the fate of
the whole interior of the temple, of which not a vestige has
been left.
And yet
"Thou art not silent!-oracles are thine
Which the wind utters, and the spirit hears,
Lingering mid ruin'd fane and broken shrine,
O'er many a tale and trace of other years!
Bright as an ark, o'er all the flood of tears
That wraps thy cradle-land, thine earthly love,
Where hours of hope mid centuries of fears,
Have gleamed, like lightnings through the gloom above,
Stands, roofless to the sky, thy home, Olympian Jove!"
T. K. HERVEY.
The history of the Olympium  adds interest to its ruins
greater than the mere statement of their dimensions could give.
No ancient structure in Greece has undergone such vicissitudes
of fortune.  About twenty-four centuries have rolled away
since the first stone was laid, not far from a hundred years before Pericles commenced the Parthenon. To Pisistratus, about
the year 530 B.C., may be ascribed tile idea of erecting in Ath



6 2        ANTIQUITIES OF THE LOWVER TOWN.
ens a temple to the Jupiter of Mount Olympus: but his plan
was slowly executed during the period of the Athenian commonwealth. For ages the Olympium, like the shrines of Cologne and Milan, remained in an unfinished condition. The
limited resources of the Athenian state could ill afford the vast
sums needful for the completion of a temple, which, after that
of Diana at Ephesus, was probably the greatest structure of
the Greek world. All her own revenues, and those of her allies, were swallowed up in a rapid succession of useless civil
wars, or lavished in the decoration of the smaller but more exquisite models of the Acropolis. To cap the climax of misfortune, when Sylla captured Athens with a Roman army,
after an obstinate siege, he plundered the Olympium of all its
newly-prepared columns, which he transported to Rome, and
placed around the more potent Jupiter of the Capitol. After
so severe a loss, more than two centuries elapsed before the
Emperor Hadrian undertook to finish it. Those fine columns
of Pentelican marble which we now see, were doubtless erected
by this prince, and nothing older remains, but the massive
stone walls supporting its platform, strengthened at regular
intervals by strong buttresses.
An Athenian friend pointed out to me a piece of modern
wall on the top of the architrave of one of the columns, between sixty and seventy feet above the ground.  "That,"
said he, " was the cell of a solitary hermit, who many years
ago took up his abode there for the remnant of his life. His
superior sanctity soon became known throughout the town.
Multitudes flocked out to see this new Simon Stylites, who
spent his time, as was reported, solely in the exercise of meditation and devotion.  Since, however, neither the one nor
the other could satisfy his bodily wants, he was accustomed
at stated intervals to lower a basket, which the devout old
women were but too glad to fill with all necessary food. Unfortunately the old hermit has gone the way of all living;
and no one has been found sufficiently devout or courageous
to take his place, even in hope of living on the public during
the term of his natural life."
Descending from the platform of the Olympium, I presently
reached the bed of the Ilissus. It was as dry as the ground




THE STADIUM. 
about it, except in one spot where there was a spring. At
this spot the women were already busy washing clothes; while
half a score of boys played about the water, and filled the air
with their outcries. This, it is now well agreed, was the fountain Callirrhoe, or Enneacrunus, as it was called from the nine
pipes that fed it. Its water was considered the purest, and
maidens before their marriage, as well as priestesses, were wont
to bathe in its mystic bosom. I followed the dry channel for
some distance. In winter the rains swell the Ilissus to the
size of a moderate creek; but it never deserves the name of a
river, in our sense of the word. At present it was overgrown
with shrubs. Among the rest, I noticed particularly the agnus castus, and the oleander, both of which flower in spring.
They grow here in the greatest profusion.
A few steps brought me to the piers of an ancient bridge
across the Ilissus: which was undoubtedly a much more constant, and, perhaps, a more abundant stream, when the country
was more thoroughly cultivated, and the mountains were covered with dense forests. The bridge served as an approach to
the Stadium, occupying a hollow between two low hills on the
opposite, or southern bank. The ravine was naturally well
adapted to the construction of a stadium, and it required comparatively little labor to give it the form required.  This
was done about the middle of the fourth century before Christ,
for the celebration of the games annually observed during the
Panathenaic festival. The hills on either side were crowded
with benches for spectators, of whom twenty-five thousand
might be accommodated with seats, besides the multitudes who
could stand on the summit. The length of the level space at
the bottom is 675 feet, and its width at the end toward the
Ilissus is 137 feet. At the other, or rounded end, where the
chariots were to turn, it is nearly twice as wide.  Here the
judges sat far aloft. The benches, which were originally of
the common limestone, or else of wood, were replaced by the
bounty of a single private citizen, Herodes Atticus, a subject
of Hadrian, by marble seats; which, however, have been all
taken away. The effect of those imposing games was further
increased by two temples crowning the hill on both sides of
the Stadium.




,-,-    \ANTIQUITIES OF THE LOWER- TOWN.
I made my way, through the clumps of bushes that cover
the bottom of the Stadium, to the rounded end. Here I found
a man busy at work, picking dandelion leaves, of which he was
going to ma e a salad. This dish is said, by those who like salads, to be qiite palatable; but I must confess that it was not to
my taste. A little to the right of the judges' seat is a large
opening in the side of the hill, which I explored. Following
it a short distance, I found it nearly choked up in places by the
falling of stone and earth from overhead. After a bend the
passage comes out upon the opposite side of the hill. The object of this outlet was obvious enough. The charioteers who
had been vanquished, drove, or rather sneaked out through it;
while their victorious competitor proceeded to the city by the
direct road, and received the loud acclamations of the multitude.
The heat was already growing oppressive, and I hastened
to return. Beyond the Ilissus from the-Stadium, a stone wall
bounds a small inclosure which now serves as the English and
American cemetery.  Here are buried a number of our countrymen who have died far from home and native land. The
whole is well laid out, and in time will be a cool and pleasant spot.
Upon another morning I went to visit the ruins on the southern side of the Acropolis.  During the previous day there had
sprung up a strong north wind, called by the Greeks Meltempi. While it continued the air was filled with sand and dust,
raised in its course over the dry plain, upon which scarcely a
drop of rain had fallen. It is, said to continue at least three
days; and during that time it is exceedingly disagreeable to
venture out. It was quite impossible to make even the roughest sketch. Clouds of dust concealed the distant mountains
from view.  Not far below the southeastern corner of the
Acropolis, I came to a half-ruined building, said to be part
of the monastery where Lord Byron resided while at Athens.
Just beyond it was the singular little structure that goes by
the popular name of the Lantern of Demosthenes. More properly it is the Choragic Monument of Lysicrates. Its plan is quite
unique. Upon a square foundation, now almost entirely buried
beneath an accumulation of earth, rises a round building,




COMlBA.S TO' BACCHIUS.                 55
-,, 1
i i l
CHIOIAGIC MIOUMENT OF TIYSICOATES.
scarcely six feet in diameter. Six graceful Corinthian columns support an entablature, upon which are sculptured with
exquisite skill, though on a small scale, the contests of Bacchus and the Tyrrhenian pirates.  These criminals are seen
fleeing before the wine-god and his attendant satyrs. In two
or three places they are represented at the very moment when,
by the mandate of Bacchus, their bodies are undergoing a transformation into dolphins.  The fish's head already grows on
the man's shoulders, and the unfortunate monster is about to
plunge into ocean's depths. Elsewhere, Bacchus is seen relaxing from his toils, and playing with a huge lion, upon a lonely rock. On the top of the roof there is a triangular pedestal. This explains the use of the whole monument, or temple.
Lysicrates, as indeed we learn from an inscription still legible on the architrave, was a wealthy citizen of Athens, and
one of those who were expected to defray the expenses of train



56         ANTIQUITIES O' THE LOWVEI TOWN.
ing the orchestras, for the great musical performances in the
neighboring Theatre of Bacchus. On one occasion, the same
year that Alexander the Great invaded the Persian empire, his
chorus gained the victory; and the prize, a highly ornamented
brazen tripod, was adjudged to Lysicrates. This little temple
was erected expressly to serve as a support for the honorable
reward.  The common people give it the name of Lantern of
Demosthenes, because they have a tradition that the noble
Athenian orator made it his study. The chief difficulty that
naturally occurs to every one at first sight, is that the ancient
worthy would have been at a loss to know how to enter the
building, for the space between the columns was closed by
curved slabs of marble, and there was no door. Besides, the
dark interior of a monument scarce six feet in breadth, could
not have furnished him a very pleasant place of meditation.
The modern town does not extend much further in this direction. The neighborhood can muster, however, a goodly number of boys; who, on another occasion, when I came to sketch
the "lantern," or "fanari," gathered around me, to my no
small amusement, and watched me as narrowly as they did
my drawing. A fiiend of mine, an American artist, not long
after, while engaged in the same occupation, was equally entertained in observing the interest that these urchins manifested in his proceedings. In fact, they came up closer than necessary; and on his return to the hotel he found that his handkerchief had been skillfully abstracted from his pocket.
Having turned the southeastern corner of the Acropolis, I
TRET OF HE TPO
STREET OF THE TRIPODS.




STREET OF THE TRIPODS.,.
reached a slope once occupied by the Theatre of Bacchus, of
which scarcely a trace remains, except in the shape of the soil.
The ancient approach to this celebrated edifice was by a thoroughfare running by the Monument of Lysicrates, and called
the Street of the Tripods, from the number of those trophies
displayed on every side. Directly above the theatre there is a
natural cavern, which was formerly adorned with a facade by
some successful leader in the orchestra; and two columns of
unequal height standing at the very foot of the citadel's walls,
were likewise surmounted by tripods. I climbed up to -the
cavern, which is now turned into a sort of chapel dedicated to
the "Panagia Speliotissa," or the "Virgin of the Cave."  A
solitary lamp was burning in broad daylight before a rude picture; but not a soul was in sight. It is a pleasing feature of
the Greek character, that even the vilest pay a sincere respect
to religion. However mistaken their notions of morality and
devotion in general, even the cleft, or professed robber, would
never dream  of touching with sacrilegious intent any thing
belonging to the Church; though the unfortunate curate happening to fall in with him finds no pity at his hands. The
churches and chapels in the most lonely places are left open
without the least fear of desecration. Before the entrance of
the cave lie one or two inscriptions bearing the name of Thrasyllus, the builder of the architectural part.
Following the base of the southern side of the Acropolis, I
passed over the site of the Stoa or Porch of Eumenes, where
the people used to take refuge, when a sudden shower of rain
drove them from the roofless theatre. I noticed there several
deep wells, and a bath made of stone, with an inscription diffcult to be deciphered. I now entered the Odeum of Regilla,
built by Herodes Atticus in honor of his wife. This private
citizen was, next to his sovereign Hadrian, the greatest benefactor of Athens, where he left ample indications of his munificence. So great was his wealth, that the story was current
that his father had unexpectedly discovered a treasure hidden
under ground. According to law, it belonged to the crown;
and Herodes wrote at once to the Emperor, to ask what he
should do with it.  "Use it," was Nerva's direction.  The
treasure was so considerable, that the Athenian replied he
2




-8      ~ANTIQUITIES OF THE LOWAVER TOWN.
ODEUAI OF I1E-iODES.
knew not how to use it. " Abuse it then," the generous monarch at once rejoined.  Accordingly the son lavished his
money with a freedom that knew no parallel; but he had at
least the merit of making it conduce to the public good.
I found the remains of the Odeum more extensive than I
had anticipated. The spectators sat on marble benches on the
side of the hill; but these have been carried away. The massive wall, however, behind the orchestra, rises to the height
of three or four stories. The scene was formed by the receding of the wall toward the centre; and the windows behind it
were closed, that the attention of the spectators might not be
distracted by a sight of the landscape beyond. The other
windows were large and arched, and plenty of light was obtained from overhead, since all the performances took place during the daytime. Lest, however, the people should be incommoded by the sun, a huge tent of canvas was stretched over
the audience. It has been calculated that about six thousand
people could be contained within the Odeum, whose diameter
is about two hundred and forty feet; while the Theatre of
Bacchus is stated to have been capable of holding twenty or
even thirty thousand spectgators. I climbed with ease to one
of the windows, and sat there a while, enjoying an extended
view reaching to the Saronic Gulf on the left. The hill of
* Gibbon, chap. II.




TIlE MUSEUM.;            )
the Museum, which I intended to visit next, was directly in
front.  At the western end of the scene I found an ancient
winding stairway by which I attained the exterior; and then
ascended to the level of the ground by an ancient flight of steps.
A dry and dusty field stretched between the Odeum and the
Museum. It was a veritable field of stones, mixed with fragments of broken pottery. A friend walking with me over the
same ground, picked up the handle of a jar of common earthenware, with a stamp containing the name of the archon in
whose time it was made. Such fragments are not unfrequently found, and seem to indicate, from the frequent occurrence
of the names of Rhodes, Cos, etc., that most of the vessels
were made in the islands of the Archipelago. Less fortunate,
I discovered, nevertheless, two pieces of baked clay in the form
of square truncated pyramids, above two inches high, and an
inch and a half broad at the base. Dr. K. supposes them to
have been used for plumb-lines, from their similarity to the
weights now employed for that purpose; but Mr. Finlay inclines to think that they were weights used by weavers, or,
perhaps, even registered weights.  The two that I found had
each a hole passing through near the top, for a string or handle, and were originally covered with glazing.
There were a number of men dressed in the common peasant's costume, with their wide baggy trowsers, engaged in collecting the stones into heaps-an endless task, as it seemed to
me.  How any thing can grow in so arid a soil passed my
comprehension. Yet it is difficult to judge of the productiveness of the land, at a season when it has been parched during
five or six months of uninterrupted drought; that is, since the
middle of May.
The Museum is a hill of almost the same height as the
Acropolis, though altogether different in shape, and presenting an easy ascent on this side. It is situated a few hundred
yards to the south or southwest. The name is derived from a
poet, Musmeus, who is fabled to have sung his last songs here,
and to have been buried on the spot. The chief object of interest is a very conspicuous ruin on the summit, which can be
descried from afar on the plain.  It is the Monument of PhiJopappus, the last descendant of the Seleucide. the ruling dy



{60         A N'TIQUITIES OF THE LOWER TOWN.
t.''~~...   -
MONtUMENT OF PHILOPAPPUS.
nasty of Syria until its conquest by the Romans. Semicircular in form, the concave portion is turned toward the city, and
is adorned with sculptures of considerable merit, executed about
A.D. 105, during the reign of Trajan. Originally there were
three niches, separated by pilasters; but as the western third
has fallen, there now remain but two niches. The principal
one is filled by a mutilated statue of Philopappus himself, who
seems to have become an Athenian citizen, and distinguished
himself for his; public liberality and munificence. This accounts for the permission granted him to erect his tomb within the walls by the Athenians, who were so much opposed to
intermural interments. The niches on either side were smaller, and contained statues of Antiochus and Seleucus. Below
them is a spirited bas-relief representing a triumphal procession-most probably that of the Emperor Trajan.  As usual,
not one of the heads of the figures has been preserved. The
Turks, believing them to be the idols of the infidels, uniformly
mutilated the countenances, that they might no longer be ob



LONG WALLS OF ATHENS.                61
jects of adoration. The whole edifice seems to have been
about thirty feet broad. The opposite or convex side was
probably devoid of much ornament; and, indeed, any decoration would have been quite useless, since the city wall was directly in the rear.
On the Museum the fortifications of Athens joined the Long
Walls, which served to keep up a safe and constant communication between it and Piraeus. Standing on the top, I could
readily trace the direction of the two walls, running parallel
for nearly four miles, at the distance of five hundred and fifty
feet apart. When they reached the heights above Piraeus,
these huge arms of the city opened and received the entire
port within their embrace. The northern wall encompassed
the principal harbor, while the other ran down to the seashore. Themistocles, who erected the powerful fortifications
of Piraeus, is said to have planned this immense undertaking;
but it was executed by Pericles, and ranked among his greatest works. For the space between the walls not only offered
a safe refuge to the villagers and country-people, but the walls
were a long intrenchment defending all the fields to the south
from armed invasion. The possession of so strong a system of
fortification was naturally an object of envy to the Spartans;
and when Athens fell into their hands, at the conclusion of
the Peloponnesian War, they set about the work of destruction to the sound of joyous music, and crowned with festive
chaplets.* It was fourteen years later that the Athenian admiral, Conon, supported by a Persian fleet, restored the walls
to their original strength.
I walked down the western side of the hill, and in the hollow between it and the Pnyx I saw a curious tomb hewn out
from the solid rock. Farther on I reached what goes by the
name of the Prison of Socrates. There are three doors in the
face of the rock. The left and middle one lead into a square
chamber with rough walls. The other opens into an oblong
room of small size, in the farther corner of which there is a
doorway conducting to a third chamber, ten or fifteen feet in
diameter. The ceiling is dome-shaped, and a round aperture
lets in a flood of light from above. What these excavations
* Thirlwall's History of Greece. c. XXX.




02          ANTIQUITIES OF THE LOWER TOWN.
served for, I was quite at a loss in settling to my own satisfaction. It seems improbable that they should have been used
for a prison; and being inside of the walls, they can scarcely
have been tombs.  The notion has long prevailed among the
Athenians that they were occupied by the Attic sage whose
name they bear, and that he expired within their vaults.
Walking along the Pnyx, which is a ridge much lower than
the Museum, I soon found myself on the level platform where
the assemblies of the people were held. The ground seems to
have been reduced to its present condition by artificial means.
Its plan is semicircular; and the base, which appears to be
straight, is in reality curved inwardly. Whether this was accidental, or answered the purpose of improving the acoustic
effect, I am not informed. The arrangement, however, seems
eminently to favor the conveyance of sound over a large area.
The perpendicular face of rock, some ten feet in height, bounding the Pnyx on this side, is interrupted in the centre by a
square stand projecting some feet out of the line. By means
of steps on one side of it, I mounted to the top, and stood upon
the bema, or rostrum, whence Demosthenes delivered some of
his most stirring orations.  On the crowded space before
him were collected thousands of auditors who hung upon his
words. Since no part of the area was occupied by seats, the
number within reach of his voice must have been immense.
Every voter could be accommodated with ease, for it contained no less than twelve thousand yards;  and six thousand
hearers are mentioned as having been present on some particular occasions. The lower side of the platform is supported
by a wall of stone drawn from the vicinity. These attracted
my attention from their unusual size. One that I measured
was twelve feet in length and six or seven high; its breadth
I was unable to ascertain.  The bulk of these blocks entitles
them almost to be ranked among the Cyclopean constructions
of the earlier period of Greek history.
Between the Pnyx and the Acropolis is a still lower hill,
one of the same system of elevations, and I directed my steps
thither as I returned to the consulate. It is a mere rock,
rough and precipitous on three sides, especially toward the
* Wordsworth's Athens and Attica, p. 69.




THE HILL OF  MARi.                 03
Acropolis, where a large mass has broken off and fallen. This
is the Areopagus, or Hill of Mars. Nothing in its external
appearance would convey the least intimation that here was
the seat of the most venerable court of Athens, or indeed of
Greece, whose first duty is said to have been to try the god Mars
on a charge of murder, while among its last scenes was the noble defence of the Apostle Paul. Here, in full view of the
whole city, whose gorgeous temples, the resort of a devout and
superstitious multitude, towered above the other buildings:
the orator was called upon to defend the introduction of a
new and strange religion. Unterrified by the fear of punishment for a crime that four centuries before had cost Socrates
his life, St. Paul boldly preached a God, whom they ignorantly worshipped, and the resurrection of the dead, which they
laughed to scorn. Of no site in Athens can there be less reason to distrust the identity. It has been proved beyond the
shadow of a doubt. And though it be divested of all save
these hallowed associations, the Christian can stand on no
spot, even in this classic land, that calls up such thrilling recollections. It is well for us, perhaps, that besides some sixteen steps cut in the limestone rock, and a bench near the top,
little remains to indicate the precise locality where the renowned court held its sessions. I felt that we might be induced to pay too much reverence to the scene of so great a
transaction, and forget the truths the Apostle meant to inculcate. Strangely enough, the Greeks have built no chapel on
the illustrious rock, though, until lately, there were the ruins
of a small church of St. Dionysius the Areopagite at a short
distance below.
I had now made most of the circuit of the Acropolis, and I
brought my walk to a conclusion by strolling along the northern side until I entered a narrow lane, and found my way
home.
To complete our survey of the antiquities of Athens, we
must explore those that lie concealed in the modern town.
Almost directly in front of the post-office is a singular octagonal building. The common name it goes by is the Temple
of 2Eolus, or of the Winds, from the winged figures upon the
sides. Each is the impersonation of the wind blowing from




t64        A1NTIQUITIES OF THE LOVWiI TOWN.
that particular point of the compass. Boreas looks northward
down the principal thoroughfare of the city, toward the market-place. Zephyrus meets the mild western breezes that blow
from the plains of Eleusis. A curious triton formerly adorned
the top like a weather-cock, and the wand in his hand pointed out the wind that prevailed. This interesting monument,
which was in reality a Ilorologium, or "clock-tower," built
by a single public-spirited Athenian, Andronicus Cyrrhestes,
served to keep time for the whole town. On the sides are to
be traced as easily as ever the lines of the old sun-dials. A
few years since new rods of iron were inserted as gnomons at
each of the corners; and now the passer may read the time
from the face of the marble, chiseled two thousand years ago.
For cloudy weather a water-clock, the only time-piece the ancients were acquainted with, was placed for inspection in the
interior of the edifice. This was, in fact, its principal design.
An aqueduct, a few arches of which still remain, conducted
the water of a small spring into a reservoir just behind the
tower, and so supplied the clock. At present the Horologium
stands in a hole full fifteen or twenty feet deep. This furnishes a pretty accurate standard to determine the accumulation
of soil during the past twenty centuries. What treasures of
art lie concealed beneath the rubbish it is now impossible to
determine. The modern town has grown over it again since
the revolution, and there are slender grounds for expecting
that any thorough system of exploration will be undertaken
in our day.
Walking down into the market-place our attention is immediately drawn to the gray stone walls overtopping the wooden
shanties, and contrasting singularly with their weakness. I
penetrated through the crowd of peddlers and buyers, and
found myself within the inclosure of the Stoa of Hadrian. It
was a great quadrangle, 376 feet long and 252 broad, with a
stout wall of marble surrounding it. Externally the face was
merely supported at intervals by massive buttresses, except on
the west, where a stately row of Corinthian columns still
shows that this was the principal entrance. Around the
court on the inside ran a broad portico; and the court itself
was perhaps cultivated as a garden. It contained a library




GATE OF TIlE NEW MARKET. 
and other buildings. But what a metamorphosis has the
entire structure undergone! The whole interior, for I know
not how long, has been used as a bazar. The quiet retreat
of philosophers is the most noisy part of the city; the beautiful paintings of the walls are defaced; the costly marbles have
disappeared. Where the library stood is seen an unsightly
clock-tower erected by Lord Elgin himself, as a sort of indemnification, I presume, for his pilfering from the Parthenon. He
has chronicled his own munificence in a long Latin inscription, which I have heard the more educated Greeks read with
the greatest indignation. The government for a long time
has been talking of procuring a more suitable place for the
market, and clearing this whole area. This were a consummation much to be desired. As it was, in hunting out the
spot where a few traces of the inner portico were said to remain, I was obliged to make my way through a butcher's
shop, and past the heaps of new hides from a slaughter-house,
to a place where, looking into a dilapidated hovel, I saw three
or four columns supporting an architrave. How much more
remains concealed, will only appear when the plan of the government is put into execution.
I left the busy scenes of the market, and a few minutes
after found myself standing before a stately portal of four large
marble columns of the Doric order.  The precise object of
this solitary monument is not, at first sight, quite evident;
but it has been pretty well settled that it graced the entrance
to the New Market, or Agora. This was not the space devoted to the purposes of trade in the palmy days of Athens;
for that covered the ground south of the Acropolis and Areopagus.  It was here, however, that St. Paul was in the habit
of engaging in discussion, alike with the learned and the lowly.
I found close by an upright slab of marble, on which were inscribed the prices of various commodities sold in the market,
as regulated by an ordinance of the Emperor.  One would
think that with so strict precautions the hucksters could find
few means of cheating their customers; but such does not
seem to have been the fact. The maximum prices of many
of the articles would furnish a striking contrast with their
value in money at the present day.




bG          AANTiQUITIES OF THE LOWER'TOWN.
I wished next to find my way to the Temple of Theseus;
and for this purpose followed a westerly direction. Passing
through what was once perhaps the most populous portion of
the city, I could find but few remains. One of small extent
is attributed to the Stoa Pecile, the most famous of all the porticoes of which Athens could boast. A room in it, which I
entered through a garden, was formerly used as a chapel; but
has now been degraded into a store for all manner of rubbish.
Further on there is another and more extensive collection of
walls, which, from their construction with alternately wide and
narrow layers of stone, are known to have been erected about
the Macedonian epoch. In one obscure court I came across
a statue of elegant workmanship, representing a Triton. His
well-shaped body is terminated by a scaly tail twisted nearly
up to his head. The general expression is one of suffering and
despair. Hence Pittakes supposed the colossal effigy to have
belonged to the monument of Phorbas, whom  Erechtheus
wished to slay.*
The Theseum, whose serene front soon appeared over the top
of the mud walls in the vicinity, stands upon a slight eminence
on the very outskirts of Athens toward the west. More perfect outwardly than any other temple extant, it gives a better
notion of the imposing character of a Grecian shrine, executed
according to the strictest requirements of art. It has undergone little change since the day of its foundation. The columns are intact; their sharp edges occasionally somewhat
softened down by the wear of time, and a stray block in their
lofty shafts moved slightly from its firm foundation, by the irresistible force of repeated earthquakes. The building was
considerably smaller than the Parthenon. There are but six
columns on the front and thirteen on the sides. Its length of
one hundred and four feet scarcely exceeds the width of the
Parthenon, and its breadth is but forty-five feet. Its antiquity,
however, is greater than that of the shrine of the Acropolis, and
dates as far back as 465 B.c. It is said to have been erected to
cover the bones of the famous hero Theseus, which had been recently found on the island of Scyrus, and had been brought with
superstitious care to this spot. In respect to sculpture, the The* L'Ancienne Athenes, p. 95 (1835).




THESEUM.                         67
seum presented a marked contrast to the richness of ornament
that loaded every available part of the Parthenon. Of the
square metopes on the architrave above the columns, merely
those of the fronts were adorned with works of the chisel; on
the sides they were quite plain, with the exception of those
nearest either end. I found a porter at the side door ready
to conduct me into the interior of the temple. In the present
lack of a grand public museum, the government have suffered
this edifice to be turned into a hall for the reception of a valuable collection of statues and inscriptions. Many of them
are well worthy of protracted study. I was more particularly interested in a slab of marble carefully preserved under a
glass cover. It was recently dug up on the site of a small
temple at Marathon, and from the name of the artist chiseled
upon it, has been supposed to have been wrought in the sixth
or seventh century before Christ. The figure represented at
full length is in low relief, and the execution is of that stiff
and hard character which belongs to the infancy of art in every land. Its perfect preservation is indeed almost a miracle,
considering the lapse of time.
B EI  FRMT'E MOUEF_ _    YIA
BAS-IELIEF FROM TIlE MONUMEN'T OF LJYSICRATW.




ltt
OIOROLOGIUM OF ANDRONICUS CYRUHESTES.
CHAPTER V.
WALKS ABOUT ATHENS.
ON Sundays, and especially on the great feasts of the Church,
the streets of Athens are thronged with men, women, and children, all intent upon recreation. At such times the shops are
closed, and business transactions suspended. The early morning is spent in attendance on divine service; while the remainder of the day is devoted to visits or amusements.
The 26th of October (Old Style) was the festival of St. Demetrius-that holy man who acted the part of Lot with variations. So, at least, the legendaries would have us believe.
Once upon a time, say they, the wickedness of Salonica had
risen to such a pitch, as to render its destruction imperatively
necessary. Angels were accordingly dispatched to bear intelligence to the saint, then sojourning in the doomed city, and
bid him depart from its precincts. Demetrius, upon hearing
the mandate, begins to remonstrate with the messengers, and
endeavors to persuade them to spare Salonica. They answer




A VISIT.                     69
that this is quite impossible: they have express commands.
The holy man stops for a moment to reflect, and then exclaims,
" I shall not depart. Go tell your Master that he must not
destroy the city!" Notwithstanding the peremptory character of the instructions they have received, the angels dare not
execute their commission. They return, and Salonica is
spared! Such is the blasphemous history given of this highlyesteemed saint in the Greek legends.
All the Athenians who happen to be named after St. Demetrius, receive the visits of their acquaintance on his day; and
these, in return, are honored in like manner on the festivals
of their respective patrons in the calendar. Falling in with
the custom, I walked out in the afternoon with a few friends,
and called upon Mr. L. at his house in Hermes Street, not far
from the solitary date-palm, so conspicuous an object in this
part of the town. After passing through a narrow court-yard,
we were ushered into a small but neatly-furnished parlor.
Our host, a portly Greek of five-and-forty, rose to meet us,
and received with smiling countenance our congratulations on
his continued health and prosperity. We were invited to sit
down, and were soon engaged in agreeable conversation. The
ladies of the house contributed to our entertainment, and, before the termination of our short stay, brought in some refreshments. A favorite jar of sweetmeats-a curious preserve compounded solely of rose-leaves and sugar-was offered successively to each person, who helped himself to a single spoonful.
By most persons the taste is considered very delicate and pleasant; while others think that the flavor of the flower is scarcely sufficiently. smothered in quadruple the weight of sugar.
Being forewarned, I limited myself to the usual supply, and
thus avoided the mistake of some foreigners, who have committed the unpardonable offence of dipping the spoon a second
time into the common jar.  After tasting the rose preserves
each guest took a very small glass of Samian wine, or a tumbler of water, as his inclination or his principles directed.
From the house of our Greek friend we proceeded to the
public promenade, which, since the heat had diminished, was
every evening crowded with the " elite" of Athens. The principal walk is on the road leading northward toward the village




70               WALKS ABOUT ATHENS.
of Patissia-a continuation of JEolus Street. Pedestrians occupy the greater part of the hard and smooth surface of this
road, scattering upon the approach of any vehicle. It is also
a favorite resort of the king and queen, who may be seen almost any afternoon riding out on horseback in this direction,
attended by a few guards. Their subjects on such occasions
stop and do them homage as they pass, and receive a bow in
return. A stranger need not be astonished, if, when he meets
the royal party in some solitary place, he is honored with this
mark of condescension on the part of their Hellenic majesties.
A more pleasant spot for recreation is the palace garden, to
which I repeatedly gained access by permission of one of the
king's adjutants. Its grounds are tastefully laid out with
handsome walks and shrubbery, and the cultivated flowers are
mostly the same as those that are favorites with us. In the
midst of a labyrinth on the southern side is a small pond, whose
surface is covered with the gigantic leaves of the Victoria regina-the monster water-lily of the tropics. The climate seems
to be well adapted to its development; but I am not aware
of its having flowered as yet. That this ground was once included within the populous portion of the city, is evident from
the discovery of a number of antiquities. In one part of the
garden a mosaic floor, by far the most perfect of its kind at
Athens, was uncovered a few years ago, and is now protected
by an arbor densely shaded by varieties of beautiful creepers.
It is long and irregular in shape, and in an excellent state of
preservation. Aquatic birds and other unmistakable symbols
show that it was the floor of some elegant private bath attached to the villa of a rich Athenian citizen. Not far from
this mosaic are the prostrate columns of a small temple, whose
foundations are seen close by. Just beyond the fence on the
east a long arched channel was found a few months after my
arrival; but I have heard no satisfactory solution of its use.
The land-owners in the vicinity of the royal grounds have every thing to fear from their gradual enlargement. It has even
been proposed to extend their limits to the banks of the Ilissus,
and take in the Temple of Jupiter Olympius itself; but as this
would include one of the most popular resorts of the Athenians, the project was abandoned as infeasible.




COSTUMES OF THE ATHENIANS.               71
The picturesque costumes of the Greeks-so different from
those of other countries-give a strange liveliness to the scene
on the promenade.  Many of the gentlemen have adopted the
common European dress; but the rest cling to that which their
ancestors have worn for ages. The higher class usually wear
the Albanian costume, consisting of a tight vest, and over this
a short coat with the sleeves slit and hanging loosely from the
elbow. From the waist, a white skirt, or fustanella, reaches
to the knees, and is confined to its place by a wide sash or girdle. By the Greeks of the old school a very slender waist is
esteemed the greatest point of beauty in a man; and some are
said to draw the sash so tightly, that after the lapse of years
it becomes painful to loosen it even at night.
Most of the lower class retain the nautical trowsers, differing from the Turkish in that, whereas the latter have a bag
for each leg, in the former both legs are thrust through one
large blue sack in such a way that the greater part remains
flapping behind.  With this dress, a thick girdle, or sometimes a broad leathern belt is substituted for the sash. The
belt is made a general receptacle for pistols and daggers, whose
projecting handles give the stranger an impression of insecurity,
augmented by the fierce countenances of those that carry them.
On the promenade, as well as in society, the Greek generally
carries a string of beads, frequently of large size, which a
stranger would naturally mistake for a rosary, until informed
that it has no religious significance. In fact, it is only a plaything to occupy the fingers, while the mind and lips are busy
with something else. When engaged in calm conversation,
the beads pass slowly through the fingers; but as the speaker
becomes more and more heated in debate, their motion increases in rapidity. Playing with his beads, which are apt to
distract the attention of a foreigner, thus comes to facilitate
the utterance of a Greek; and even a public speaker does not
disdain to make use of them in his forensic efforts.
The ladies are gradually abandoning their peculiar provincial attire; and if now and then the graceful Smyrniote, or
the odd Hydriote dress is met with, it is much more rare than
the French fashion. Not unfrequently a lady will take a halfway course, and continue to wear the red fezi, or cap. such




72                 WALKS ABOUT ATHENS.
as is worn by the men. Set negligently on the head, with its
long blue tassel hanging down on one side, it gives the female
face too boyish a look to be becoming.
In the midst of the crowd, the priests may readily be detected by their long black robes reaching to the feet, and their
large caps of the same color. Another distinctive mark of the
order is their long hair, gathered up under their caps, and
their long and flowing beards.  A youth who contemplates
embracing a monastic or priestly life, begins his preparation
by allowing his hair to grow for a year or two.
It is said that in some portions of the peninsula of Maina,
the southernmost part of Lacedaemonia, it was customary for
the men to suffer their beards to grow, until they had revenged
themselves for any injury they might have received. In the
midst of the civil feuds which rent that unhappy district, this
practice was adopted as a badge to indicate a thirst for revenge.* A singular, but I believe an authentic instance of
this custom was seen in the following occurrence, some twenty
years since. When the President, Capo d'Istria, on a certain
visit to Maina, was entertained in one of the villages, he noticed an individual sitting at the further end of the same
room; a man of gloomy and forbidding aspect, with long hair
and unshaven face, who seemed to shun all intercourse with
those around.  Calling him, the President asked him whether
he was a candidate for orders; and the man replied that he
was not.  "What are you then?"-" What you have made
me," was the reply.  The stranger proceeded to say that, a
few months before, his son had been killed in a private quarrel. According to immemorial custom, it became his duty to,
* This practice is the more interesting, from the fact that Herodotus
tells us of a similar usage among the ancient Peloponnesians. In a battle between the Argives and Spartans, the former were routed, and lost
the important town of Thyreae. "From this time," says the historian,
"the Argives cut their hair short (for formerly they wore long hair, according to fixed custom), and made a law, enforced by a curse, that no
Argive should wear long hair, nor the women deck themselves with gold
ornaments, until they should regain Thyreae. But the Lacedeemonians,
on the contrary, passed a law ordaining that, although previously it had
not been their custom to wear long hair, they should do so thenceforth."
(I. 82.)




LONG HAIR WORN FOR REVENGE.              73
slay the murderer; but from doing this he was prevented by
the new laws introduced under the President's administration.
He had, therefore, waited for justice to be done him; but
months had elapsed, and yet the murderer was at large.
" Now," added he, " if within forty days I am not avenged, I
shall take the law into my own hands." The President promised to attend to the matter, even though much blood might
be spilled in capturing the culprit. But after his departure,
he forgot his promise, and so nothing was done. Two months
after, the injured man went stealthily to his enemy's house,
and killed; not only him, but four others of his family. He
then sat down, and penned a letter to Count Capo d'Istria,
somewhat to this effect: "I have waited not only forty, but
sixty days, and no justice has been done me. I have now taken my revenge with interest." The perpetrator of the bloody
deed was yet alive a few years since.
The influence of Oriental notions of propriety is observable
in the restraints put upon the freedom of the gentler sex. A
lady is thought to have broken all rules of decorum when she
ventures out alone into the streets, even at mid-day. A stout
man-servant must follow to protect her; or, at least, she must
be accompanied by a trusty maid. There is much of the old
Grecian feeling in this: for in Athens " no respectable lady
thought of going out without a female slave; and the husband
always assigned one to his wife. At a later date the number
of these attendants was greatly increased."*
The dwelling-houses in Athens are of a character much superior to those of the rural districts and towns. True, the old
portion surrounding the base of the Acropolis has been rebuilt
on a plan very similar to that of the town before the Revolution; every wall that had not been ruined in that disastrous period was put to use by the returning citizens: and
such was the scarcity of timber of suitable size, that the
houses were necessarily constructed of a long and narrow
shape. But the greater part of the city has since been erected
in a more symmetrical manner. Unfortunately, three or four
plans were successively submitted to the government, and in
turn adopted. Any one of them would have made Athens a
* Becker's Charicles, p. 469.
D




74               WALKS ABOUT ATHENS.
finely laid-out city.  Scarcely, however, had the Athenians
begun to rebuild their houses in conformity with one plan,
before it was replaced by another. The palace of the king
was the single point whence all the principal avenues must
radiate; and the palace, according to one plan, was to be situated on the high ground toward the Cephissus; and, according to another, at the northern end of the city. The citizens
were ready to chant a Jubilate, when at length their doubts
were removed, and the corner-stone of the regal mansion was
laid with great pomp on a third site, near the banks of the
River Ilissus.
All these adverse circumstances have not prevented the
New Town, as it is called, from presenting a very comely appearance: and numbers of costly edifices, public and private,
are continually rising. One of these gave the people a fine occasion for indulging in bitter sarcasm. The owner, a former
member of the king's cabinet, had been noted for the peculiar
facility with which an office could be obtained from him, by
any one that was able to cross his hand with gold. To satisfy
his vanity, the ex-minister inscribed his initials P. D. on the
front of his palatial residence. But the people, supposing them
to denote the source whence his wealth was obtained, chose to
read them proxenica dora-that is, " consular bribes"-instead
of simple Peter Deliannis.
In every house great precautions are adopted against robberies. These a few years since were frequently committed.
A band of ten or fifteen robbers has been known to enter one
of the largest houses in the city, by the connivance of the porter, and to plunder it of all its valuables. The poorer class
of houses are entered with comparative ease. One of these
-a small shop at the corner of the next street to my residence-was one morning found rifled of a small amount of
money that had been left in the drawer. But instead of breaking through the thick door, the robber had effected an entrance
by digging a hole in the wall, which he had found the easier
task of the two. This little incident brought forcibly to my
mind the passage of Holy Writ-" In the dark they dig
through houses, which they had marked out in the daytime."
Allusion to the same insecurity of earthen walls is made in




POSITION OF THE FEMALE SEX.              75
the description of houses (as it reads in the original), " where
thieves dig through and steal;" and in the remarkable passage
where the prophet Ezekiel is represented as conveying his
goods out, through a hole that he had made in the wall of his
own house.
Our modern ideas'of gallantry are greatly shocked by the
open disparagement of the female sex, characteristic of Greek
society. The birth of a daughter is as much a subject of condolence, as the birth of a son is one of congratulation. A foreign resident at Athens, the father of a large family of girls,
is looked upon by his neighbors as the most unlucky of men.
They wonder at his failure to appreciate their sympathy. A
story is told of an Athenian, who had set his heart on obtaining a son to perpetuate his name. Upon learning the disappointment of his expectations, he endeavored to conceal his
chagrin, and shame also, in the grove of the Cephissus; where
he skulked for three days, before he could regain sufficient assurance to meet his acquaintance. The anecdote may be somewhat exaggerated; but the fact that such feelings exist can
not be doubted.
This remarkable preference of the male sex is somewhat atccounted for, by the prevalence of the custom of giving a large
dowry with a daughter at marriage.  In Maina alone the reverse is true: the husband purchases his bride at a heavy
cost. Elsewhere a portion of the family estate must be sacrificed at the marriage of each daughter; and he who is able or
willing to give most, is generally sure of seeing his daughters
first established in life. Such is the mercenary light in which
the marriage relation is regarded.  Qualities of mind are but
little taken into account. Nor is it considered an objection of
any moment that the parties to the contract be totally unacquainted with each other's characters and tastes. Since
the lady's consent is altogether unessential, her preferences
are not necessarily consulted. The father's great concern is
to marry off his daughter at as small a loss as possible; that
of the suitor, to obtain the most advantageous match. Money being the chief object on either side, the unfortunate maiden is apt to fare badly between the two. Hence the frequency
of ill-sorted marriages-a fruitful source of domestic misery.




76                WALKS ABOUT ATHENS.
The wife who has been forced into so unftrtunate a union, is
not free even from abuse and corporal chastisement; of the
prevalence of which we need no stronger proof than is afforded by the frequent allusions to it in the proverbs most current
among the people.
RUINS OF THE TEMPLE OF THE OLYMPIAN JOVE.




.- -;^ _.a_
UNIVERSITY OF OTIIO, AT ATHENS.
CHAPTER VI.
STUDENT-LIFE IN ATHENS.
"Let those that will believe it: I, for one,
Can not thus read the history of my kind:
Remembering all this little Greece has done
To raise the universal human mind."
MILNES.
IT may sound strange and incongruous to many an ear to
talk of education and literature in connection with modern
Greece. We have been wont to think of the Greeks as the
most barbarous and illiterate nation of Europe. We began
by ignoring the natural consequences of long ages of servitude,
and expected them to emerge from the slime with a robe of
unsullied brilliancy. Having been disappointed in our unreasonable anticipations, we have long since ceased to take any
account of their struggles in the path of improvement. The
wonderful development that popular education has undergone
is unknown to most; and few are aware of the existence of
any schools of learning that will favorably compare with our
own. When, therefore, I say that the University of Otho at
Athens possesses at least as many students, and twice as large
a corps of professors, as the largest of our colleges, I am stating a fact that may excite some surprise.
Shortly after my arrival at Athens I was desirous of visit



STUDENT-LIFE IN ATHENS.
ing the University, and making some inquiries as to the course
of instruction. I had long intended to avail myself of the
public lectures as the most convenient means of accustoming the ear to the sound of the modern language when spoken
in its greatest purity.  In company with Dr. King, who had
promised to introduce me to some of the more distinguished
professors, I walked thither one morning at about ten o'clock.
The winter term had not yet commenced, after a long vacation of four months, from June to October. Although the
regular day for opening was close at hand, only a few students were to be seen in the halls. The spell of summer continued as yet unbroken by a single refreshing shower; and
neither professors nor students were in any way anxious to
recommence their occupations until the oppressive heat should
have somewhat abated.
The edifice is spacious, and by no means faulty in point of
taste. Though built in the form of an H, only one of the two
main portions is entirely finished and in use. The effect of
the structure is good, but suffers in dignity from the lowness
of the roof, contrasted with the size of the building. The
principal front is said to be constructed in imitation of one of
the galleries of the Erechtheum. A wide portico runs almost
the entire length, and is supported by short pillars resting
upon a high wall that half incloses it. The entrance is between two large Ionic columns of fine Pentelican marble presented by the king.
In the secretary's office we found the Secretary, Mr. Dokos,
and one of the most distinguished professors, Constantine Asopius. He is an elderly man, some seventy years of age, I
should judge. Born at Jannina, in Epirus, he studied there
under the best teachers. Next he taught school for the Greek
residents of Trieste. Lord Gilford-whose memory to this
day is held in grateful honor by many Greeks, not only for his
personal kindness, but on account of the lively interest he entertained in the whole nation-appreciated his fine abilities,
and sent him at his own expense to perfect his education in
Germany, France, and England. On his return he appointed
him  teacher of Greek philology in the Ionian Academy.*
* A. Soutsos, Panorama of Greece, Part II., p. 76.




UNIVERSITY LIBRARY.                79
When the University was founded at Athens, Asopius was
called thither to fill a similar chair. He enjoys the reputation of being perhaps the best living philologist among the
Greeks; and his learning is by no means confined to a single
department. A fine intellectual head, and a face indicative of
that rare attainment-a placid old age, ruffled by no impatient
or peevish disposition-attract the admiration and affection of
all the students. In their welfare Professor Asopius takes a
warm interest; nor is there any one of whom the student is
more ready to ask counsel. It may, indeed, be remarked that
in general the coldness and hauteur which mark the relation
of teacher and pupil in many of our institutions is here replaced by a friendly and even familiar intercourse. Professor
Asopius was evidently pleased at the idea that an American
had come to Athens to find out what facilities this city afforded to those who wished to gain a thorough knowledge of both
ancient and modern Greek. He expressed the hope that I
might be only the forerunner of a multitude of American
scholars, and cordially invited me to his lecture-room. His
lectures on the Odyssey, and on philology, and the history of
the Greek poets, are held in high esteem. I began to attend
them as soon as they commenced; but the indistinct utterance
of the speaker is a difficulty which meets one at the very
threshold.
The library was the only part of the building that was
open to inspection. It took me quite by surprise. I had anticipated seeing at most a few thousand books. The librarian,
Mr. G. Typaldus, informed me that there were not less than
70,000 volumes, and that the annual increase was six or eight
thousand. Nor does it consist of works of small value or merit.
As far as my subsequent observation went, the selection seemed
to be excellent; while some works-such as Napoleon's Expedition d'Egypte-are rare and costly. In the English department, however, the library is singularly incomplete; and with
the exception of the Smithsonian Institute's " Contributions to
Knowledge" (of which the set is defective), there are no American publications of importance. This rapid rise of a collection
of books which equals, if it does not exceed, any similar one
in the United States, is the more astonishing as the outlay of




80              STUDENT-LIFE' IN ATHENS.
money has been very small. Most of the additions have been
by gifts of wealthy Greeks, and foreigners, among whom I am
sorry not to be able to mention the names of any American
benefactors.
From the library we walked a short distance to the house
of Neophytus Bambas. An old woman answered our knock;
and on asking for the kyrios, we were conducted through a corridor to a small back room, where we found Professor Bambas. He recognized Dr. King at once, and set about finding
us chairs to sit down. A Greek student's room is not usually
well provided with such furniture; but by the moving of a
number of books and piles of manuscript, seats were provided,
while the worthy Professor found a place for himself on the
edge of a cot that occupied a corner of the room. One or
two students, friends of his, who attended him as did the disciples of the ancient philosophers, stood just within the door,
listening respectfully to our conversation. Professor Bambas
was a short old man, with white hair, and long flowing beard,
dressed in the monastic costume. His tone in conversation
was distinct, but somewhat nasal. For the past thirty or
forty years he had occupied a distinguished rank among the
scholars of Greece, and he was a friend and contemporary of
the great Coray. A native of Scio, so far back as 1816, after
completing his studies at Paris, he taught in the Lyceum of
his native city. In 1821 he joined the standard of Demetrius
Ypsilantis, and for a single year followed a soldier's profession.
But he soon abandoned an occupation so foreign to his inclinations, and retired to Cephallenia, and thence to Corfu, to occupy the chair of Philosophy. I was the more interested in
him as having been associated with Rev. Mr. Lowndes and
Mr. Nicolaides, of Philadelphia, in Asia Minor, in translating
the Bible into modern Greek. The translation was made at
the expense of the British and Foreign Bible Society. It was
at first opposed by many natives on the ground that the language was so nearly the same as to render a version quite unnecessary. But the educated laity will now readily concede that
the Scriptures must remain a dead letter to the people until
they are supplied with it in an easier idiom than the original
text, or the Septuagint. A second edition has, however, been




NEOPIIYTUS BAMBAS.                81
greatly altered, so as to exclude many vulgarisms whose introduction seemed unavoidable in the first, and to meet the demands of the improved state of the language. It is to be regretted that of late years Professor Bambas has shown a disposition
to stand aloof from the liberal movements both in Church and
State.  During the invasion of Turkish territory he was
among the prominent advocates of that ill-starred measure.
While we were conversing a visitor was announced, who
proved to be my friend the Sciote merchant, Mr. A. He had
come to revive old reminiscences and forgotten acquaintance.
He was once a pupil of Bambas in Scio, where he learned the
first rudiments of knowledge, at a time when his native island
was still the garden of the Archipelago. The master and pupil had not met since that fearful massacre which sent every
family into mourning for the greater part of its members.
Bambas did not know but that the boy had fallen a victim to
the devouring sword, or lingered only to meet the more appalling doom of perpetual servitude. The scene was truly touching, when the old man learned from his own lips the merchant's
name. He threw his arms affectionately around his former
scholar's neck, and his flowing silvery locks mingled with the
young man's darker hair as he kissed him, in true Oriental
style, on either cheek. Then came a host of questions to be
answered by each party —of friends long lost, of acquaintances
in foreign lands, and of their own personal history. I felt that
my presence would tend to mar the interest of the interview,
and I rose to leave with a cordial invitation to come often to
the Professor's sanctum. I regret to be obliged to chronicle
the recent death of Neophytus Bambas-an event which deprived Greece of an honest and intelligent man whom she
could ill spare, and of one who had always endeavored to serve
his country to the best of his knowledge.
The number of students in attendance upon the University
was daily increasing, and in about a week the various courses
of lectures were successively commenced. Meanwhile I had
formed the acquaintance of some more professors. Among
them were Mr. Rangabes, who unites the apparently incompatible qualities necessary for the pursuit'of archaeology and
the more graceful culture of the muse; Mr. Benthylus of the
D2




82              STUDENT-LIFE IN ATIIENS.
Philosophical School; and Mr. Manousis, lecturer on Universal History. The latter, as I subsequently learned, is particularly obnoxious to the English, and to those who espouse
their side, for the violence with which he attacked them during the differences between the British and Hellenic governments in 1850.
I found no difficulty in augmenting my circle of friends
among the students, whose warm reception at once set me at
ease withl them. There are no dormitories within the University, or Panepistemion; the students consequently lodge in
various quarters of the town. Their rooms are generally
shared between two occupants; and as the most of them are
in reduced circumstances, the stock of furniture and books is
very small. This fact, however, attracts little notice at Athens, from the rarity of large fortunes, and the simple style of
living. The salaries of the employes of the government are
singularly low —so low, indeed, as to be utterly insufficient
for the maintenance of a respectable appearance, without the
means derived from peculation and bribery. Yet the professors of the University, most of whom are single men, without
the exercise of any uncommon degree of frugality, contrive to
live on salaries of six hundred dollars a year, and even to save
some part of that sum: and even with such paltry emoluments,
it is the highest ambition of numbers of young Greeks to occupy a chair in that institution.
The Athenian student always takes his meals at the eatinghouse, and his fare is simple and wholesome. The warmth of
the climate reduces the necessity and relish for animal food,
which rarely appears on the table in any considerable quantity, except at Easter. On that great festival, the most august
of the year, it is a universal and immemorial custom to have
a whole lamb roasted in every family. There is no one so
poor within the realm as to be unable to have some part in
the gayety and good cheer to which the day is devoted. On
other occasions the only recreation that the student takes consists in a visit to the theatre, or a walk on the public promenade with a friend. He will then invariably insist upon accompanying him to the cafe to partake of the rahat-lakoumi, a
Turkish sweetmeat deservedly popular throughout the East.




GREEK PROFESSORS.                 8j
In imitation of the German plan, the University is composed
of four distinct Schools-those of Theology, Law, Medicine,
and Philosophy. The whole number of professors whose
names appear on the programme of studies published soon
after my arrival, was forty-six; of whom twenty-five were ordinary professors, and the remainder extraordinary, honorary,
and adjunct; the distinction consisting merely in the difference of the emolument they enjoyed, and not in the character
of their instruction. All these gentlemen are native Greeks,
with the single exception of Professor Landerer, who has long
resided in the country, and is a naturalized citizen. One of
the faculty is annually elected by his associates as Prytanis,
or President; but the powers attached to this honorable post
are very limited, and extend little farther than the delivery of
an oration at the yearly Commencement in June. The Prytanis of the previous year had been the Archimandrite Misael
Apostolides of the Theological School, a man of talent and
high attainments, but thoroughly wedded to the Russian party.  He was now to be succeeded by Mr. Pellicas, one of the
most prominent jurists and law professors of Greece.
The distribution of instructors in the several departments
was exceedingly unequal; as likewise that of the hours devoted weekly to the branches of study. In Theology the three
professors gave but fifteen hours of instruction; while in Law
there were eleven professors and upward of forty lectures; in
Medicine twelve professors and between sixty and seventy lectures; and in Philosophy and the kindred studies twenty professors and eighty-two lectures. The total number of lectures
delivered within the compass of a week was, consequently,
more than two hundred, embracing every department of science and art. There is a similar inequality with respect to
the apportionment of students in attendance. Of 397 regularly matriculated students, during a previous year, 242 were
studying medicine, 86 law, 62 philosophy, and only 7 theology.
And though the number had now increased to 455, the same
inequality was still observable. Besides these students who
were inscribed on the books, and who expected to pursue a
regular course of study (the phoetetce), there were at least three
hundred more attending certain branches with greater or less




84                STUDENT-LIFE IN ATHENS.
regularity for a year or two, who receive the designation of
acroatce, or " listeners."  The number of students may, therefore, be safely set down at 750, without including those who
occasionally frequent the lecture-room  as they find time.  It
is a circumstance well worth the noticing, that rather more
than one half of the matriculated students are from districts
under the rule of the Sultan.  Thus " Free Greece," as she is
proudly styled, is furnishing to the millions of the same blood
that are subject to the tyrant's sway, the benefits of a liberal
education; and thus is she gradually preparing the way for
their total emancipation from the shackles of ignorance and
superstition.
As in Germany, instruction is given wholly by means of
written lectures.* From the great lack of suitable text-books,
the students labor under serious disadvantages, and are compelled to make the mere taking of notes an arduous undertaking, wasting in the manual exercise much time that might
be far more profitably expended in reading on the subjects
treated in the public discourses. It becomes the more indispensable to commit to paper the entire substance of the lectures, from the fact that the only examinations are those to
which the candidate for a degree must submit. They embrace
all the subjects comprehended within the course, and are so
severe that comparatively few succeed in undergoing them.
Their difficulty arises in part from the want of any prescribed
order of study.  Any lack of adequate preparation is consequently apt to remain undetected until the final trial.t
As the admission is entirely free, on a pleasant afternoon
the lecture-room of a popular instructor will be crowded to
overflowing. Step with me, for instance, into the hall where
Professor Manousis daily holds forth, and you will find it
thronged not only with regular students, but with others who
eagerly seize the opportunity to hear an entertaining discourse
* The only recitation is one that is intended exclusively for those who
expect to devote themselves to teaching.
t See the preface to "Directions to the students of each School, respecting the succession of the various sciences, and the preservation of
Method and Order in the pursuit of the studies in the University"-a
pamphlet published by the Prytanis in 1838, in order to diminish the
danger of serious mistake.




POPULAR EDUCATION.                 85
on Universal History.  Here is the soldier, off duty, in his
gay uniform, and by his side the parish priest wearing his long
black gown and large cap. The youth on another bench, who
is distinguished by his long hair, -is a candidate for deacon's
orders. Here and there, mingled with these, is a fair representation of the townspeople who have escaped from their
day's toils, and drop in for an hour or two before returning
home.  If the discourse be consecrated to Chemistry, the
crowd of auditors will be still greater-the aisles crowded,
and several standing even upon the lecturer's platform.
Connected with the University, there is on the hill of the
Nymphs an excellent astronomical observatory, the munificent
gift of a single wealthy Greek residing in Austria-the Baron
Simas-who gave not less than $50,000 to build and furnish
it with suitable instruments. Among these the chief is a refracting telescope, magnifying about five hundred diameters.
On a clear evening the observatory is a favorite resort of the
Athenians of all classes.
That an institution so well organized, presided over by men
of the greatest distinction for talents and learning, and yearly
attended by seven hundred and fifty youth, has been reared
within the short space of twenty years, in spite of formidable
obstacles from ignorance and prejudice, is a fact of which
Greece may well be proud.  But a yet higher claim to the
respect of civilized Europe and America can be based on the
completeness of her system of gratuitous and popular education, extending from the primary school to the very threshold
of the University. It may be affirmed with confidence that
none need be deprived of a respectable education, save in consequence of their own willfulness or want of industry. The
whole area of Greece, containing, according to the official returns, 992,643 inhabitants, is divided into 272 demi, or townships. In these there were, in 1852,325 common schools regularly organized, with 29,229 children, and in 1853, about
40,000.  The studies are such as are most essential for the
pursuits of ordinary life. It is not a little remarkable that
over 4000 of these scholars are girls. Thirty years ago it
was esteemed preposterous for a parent to teach his daughter
any thing beyond reading and writing; and such a thing as a




86               STUDENT-LIFE IN ATHENS.
school for girls was unheard of. Yet, at present, there is a
sort of female college under the care of Madame Mano, where
several hundred young ladies are educated: it occupies a.
imposing edifice recently erected by the contributions of many,
and the liberality of a few wealthy citizens. Of the school instituted many years since by our countryman, the Rev. Dr.
Hill, and his estimable lady, mention is made in another
place.
Next in rank above the common or demotic schools, are the
Hellenic schools, eighty-five in number; and the six or seven
gymnasia, corresponding to our grammar-schools, and, in part,
to our colleges. Thence the transition is easy to the University, where the professional studies are first undertaken. These
seminaries of learning are frequented by about 10,000 students.
Besides these institutions, there are a number of others
more special in their character. The Rizarian School is a
sort of theological seminary for the education of young men
for the priesthood, founded by a wealthy Greek after whom it
is named. Of the height of its standard in a literary point of
view, I am unable to speak with certainty. It was brought
prominently into notice during my stay in Athens by a rebellion of its sixty students.  Their ostensible ground was the
coarseness of the bread they were fed upon; but it was stated
in the journals that the true reason was the dissatisfaction of
the bigoted students with the more liberal views and practice
of one or two of their professors. It was only by the intervention of the police, and the capture of a few of their number, that peace was restored among these bellicose theologians.
There is a Military School at Athens, a Naval School at
Syra, and an Agricultural School situated but a few rods from
the ruins of ancient Tiryns, in Argolis. But the latter, though
possessing, it is said, some fifty students, is generally considered a failure. Perhaps the most singular institution is the
Polytechnic School, "where on feast days and Sundays the
mechanics of the capital resort to be taught chemistry applied
to the arts, drawing, etc."*
* I am indebted for most of the statistical information respecting the
schools of Greece, to a manuscript paper "On the State of Education




PROSPECTS OF EDUCATION,               87
Such are a few of the data by which we may form an opinion of the present intellectual position of Greece. The system of education, though carefully planned on French, and especially German models, is doubtless capable of considerable
improvement; but it is truly wonderful, considering the rapidity of its rise. In Athens alone there are five thousand souls,
out of a population of about thirty thousand, engaged in study.
Under such circumstances, no one can deny that the present
condition of Greece is full of promise. Seed has been planted
that must yield a plentiful harvest. Greece needs, however,
a higher tone of morality, and a purer form of religion. This is
the dark side of the picture. Would that clearer indications
of a change so much to be desired could be presaged in the
future.  Then might we confidently abide the time, when,
though insignificant in size beside the overgrown states of modern Europe, Greece would wield an influence disproportioned
to the extent of her territory or the number of her inhabitants.
in Greece," procured from the Bureau of the Minister of Public Instruction, through my friend Mr. Pittakes. It has never been published,
I understand.
THE ACROPOLIS RESTORED.




i-jjTIE ACROPOLIS, FROM THE HILL OF THE MUSEUM.
CHAPTER VII.
MODERN GREEK CUSTOMS.
A WEDDING IN THE UPPER CIRCLES.
A MARRIAGE ceremony at Athens is a celebration very different from one in the country. In the former we find exhibited
somewhat of European civilization and cultivation; while into
the remote villages, the influence of foreign customs has not
yet penetrated. There, people are married, as well as baptized
and buried, according to the good old customs of their fathers.
And yet, even in the city, so many characteristic peculiarities
have been preserved, that they appear novel and interesting
to a stranger. I was therefore greatly pleased upon receiving
one day an invitation to the wedding of a young Greek couple,
who were to be married a few evenings later.
The rite takes place generally at the house of the bridegroom, though in some provinces the parish church is resorted
to. But in this respect, as in most others, each petty district
has its own customs, immutable as the laws of the Medes
and Persians. We went at an early hour to the scene of the
evening's festivities. It was a mansion of the old style, built
of stone and stucco, and facing upon one of the small streets
that abound in the more ancient part of the town. A crowd




A WEDDING PARTY.                 89
of the lower classes, who, though not among the invited, made
bold to collect in force around the door, seemed to preclude our
entrance. A small company at a drinking-shop some distance
down the street were keeping up their spirits with frequent
potations, and made merry with the music of a stringed instrument, whose notes grated harshly upon our ears. This
entertainment was every now and then interrupted by the jocose comments of the party upon the appearance of the guests,
as they successively came into the light cast by a flaming
torch fastened near the door. When at length we had worked our way up the thronged stairs, we found that some sixty
or eighty persons were already assembled in the moderately
large parlor, which though it seemed rather bare of ornament
and furniture to one who had come from the West, had some
pretensions in common with the drawing-rooms of Paris and
London. The assembled company, composed as usual of a
much greater proportion of ladies than of gentlemen, were
mostly dressed in the latest style of Paris fashions. Yet there
was a sprinkling of gentlemen clad in the genuine Albanian
dress, comprising your free-and-easy people who wish to pass
for the more independent class of society, and scorn to adopt
the perpetually changing mode. There were not wanting a
considerable number of pretty faces among the ladies (who,
according to the common practice, congregated on one side of
the room); but it was a beauty that consisted rather in freshnless of color, and a good healthy look, than in delicacy of feature. If, however, fame speaks truly, some of the color is
borrowed, and the belle of the ball-room makes but a sorry
figure the next morning. All the tight lacing in the world
could not give an Athenian young lady the wasp-like contour
which is the admiration of French dressmakers and misses in
their teens. Disguise it as they may, there is a tendency to
embonpoint among the ladies, many of whom waddle about
with a grace which would seem charming in the eyes of our
Dutch progenitors. The men, on the other hand, are a lean,
lank race, whose dark complexions acquire an additional touch
of ferocity from the formidable mustaches which, when their
hands are not otherwise employed, they may be seen twirling
by the hour.




901             MODERN GREEK CUSTOMS.
The company were all assembled, and on the tip-toe of expectation, when the bridegroom and the bride entered, and
took their stand at the further extremity of the room. Each
of them held a long, lighted waxen taper, and the groomsman
and bridesmaid carried similar ones. The bride, arrayed in a
white satin dress, covered with lace, and having for a headdress a wreath of flowers, from behind which a long white veil
hung down over her shoulders, looked charming-as what
bride does not? She bore the classic name of Athena. The
bridegroom was dressed entirely in Frank costume.  The
priests came in at the same time with the couple-or, more
properly, there were present at the beginning of the service
two priests, with a deacon and a young man who read the
responses, and who corresponded to the enfant de chceur of the
Latin Church.
There are two distinct services in the Greek Church pertaining to this ceremony; and the rite of marriage can not
take place unless the parties have been previously betrothed.
Sometimes, however, as in this instance, the one service takes
place immediately before the other. The liturgy was read by
one of the priests from an elegantly-bound service-book. In
one part of the ceremony he stopped, and taking up a ring
from the small table, on which were deposited the various
utensils which the deacon had brought in, he thrice made the
sign of the cross over the book. Then he touched it to the
forehead of the bridegroom and to that of the bride. Last of
all, he placed it successively upon the finger, first of one, and
then of the other, after divers crossings performed in the air.
When the parties were thus lawfully betrothed, there was
a short pause; and then the bishop, whom the relatives had
invited to officiate, in order to give more brilliancy to the
wedding, entered the room, and the priests hastened to do
him homage. His ordinary episcopal costume consists of a
black cloak and gown, and the clerical cap, over which a
black veil hangs down behind as a distinguishing mark of his
office. But on this occasion his head was covered with a
crown, and he carried a heavy silver crozier, such as is only
to be seen in the Greek Church-Roman Catholic bishops
rarely appearing in public with it. The handsome dresses of




MARRIAGE CEREMONY.                 91
the priests added to the singularity of the scene. The bishop
now took a principal part in the services, reading from a
book of solid silver binding, which one of the priests held before him. Whenever he found it necessary to lay aside his
crozier, one of the attendant ecclesiastics took it, at the same
time kissing his hand; and when he resumed it, the same ceremony was gone through, to the no small disgust of those of
us who were not accustomed to such abject servility. The
service was protracted, and we became rather weary of it; for
it was chiefly made up of prayers, hurried through, and of
passages of Scripture, mumbled over in such a manner as to
be quite unintelligible. Some portions of the written form
are in themselves so utterly senseless, that no one can have
the least idea of what they mean.
The great and essential part of the rite was the crowning of
the couple. The crowns were, in this case, merely wreaths of
artificial flowers, numbers of which may be seen in the shops
every day. The groomsman held one over the head of the
bridegroom, and the bridesmaid held a similar one over the
bride's head during the whole time, and they appeared quite
fatigued before the end of the ceremony was reached. At
last, the proper moment arriving, the bishop took one of the
wreaths, touching it to the forehead of the bridegroom, and
afterward to that of the bride, and made with it the sign of
the cross between the couple. This he repeated three times,
at the same time reciting the words that follow: " Thou, the
servant of the Lord, Gregory, art crowned (or married) to the
servant of the Lord, Athena, in the name of the Father, and
of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost."  He then crowned the
bridegroom with this wreath, and with the other performed
the same ceremony in respect to the bride; Subsequently, the
groomsman, who is usually the godfather, or nonnos of the
bridegroom, and is expected to be hereditary sponsor, exchanged the wreaths, and then replaced them on the heads
of the couple.  A cup was next handed by the bishop, first
to the man, and then to the woman, and each of them drank
a portion of the wine it contained. This very pleasing ceremony was symbolic of the obligation that both parties assume
to participate equally in all the pleasures and sufferings of




92              MODERN GREEK CUSTOMS.
life, in its joys and its sorrows. I had heard it stated that a
bitter ingredient is mingled with the wine; but those of
whom I inquired assured me that nothing of the kind was
customary.  It was singular that so affecting an incident
should be closely followed by another of a ludicrous character.  The bishop took the hand of the priest; he, in turn,
grasped that of the deacon; and so with the married couple,
the singers, and all, a string was made, which the chief ecclesiastic led around the table in the centre of the room.
The whole bore an amusing resemblance to some of the
games that children play in America. With this the service
ended, to the satisfaction of every one present. When the
priests had retired, the company pressed around the bridegroom and bride to offer congratulations, some formal, and
others affectionate.  The guests remained but a few moments more.  A servant came, bringing in a large waiter
covered with candies, and each was expected to help himself
plentifully to them, as well as to carry some home. A few
of those present seemed to measure their kind feelings to the
couple by the quantity they heaped together; and, judging by
this criterion, their benevolent feelings were not small. Two
or three drew out their handkerchiefs, and carried them away
full. After this the company began to disperse, and we followed the general example.
It struck me as a very singular feature, that during the entire-service I had been listening to, not a single response was
made by the couple, nor had the consent of the parties been
expressed, or any promise exacted of them.  In fact, the
bridegroom may arrange the whole matter with the parents
or guardians of the lady, without her knowledge, and even
against her will. 4nd let not any one suppose that such an
arrangement, while sanctioned by law, never actually occurs
in point of fact. We must assure him that such things do
happen, and not unfrequently. A case of this kind was related to me, as having taken place not long since at Smyrna;
and the story was romantic enough, in its details, to form the
subject of a tale of no ordinary interest. A wealthy inhabitant of that city, an old Greek subject, had an only daughter,
named Theodosia.  Her hand had been sought, and her affec



COMPULSORY MARRIAGE.                 93tions had been gained by a respectable young English resident
of the place. But the father was too proud to let his daughter
marry a foreigner, and a heretic besides; and he commanded
her to think no more of him. As an offset, he promised her
in marriage to a boorish Greek from the East. But the affections, it is well known, are sometimes most unreasonably
stubborn, and the young lady preferred an elopement.  A
rendezvous was fixed upon by the two lovers; but unfortunately there was a misunderstanding as to the spot, and Theodosia, after waiting for hours at the place agreed upon, was
finally discovered and brought back to her father's house.
-Threats, and even chastisement were employed, ineffectually,
with the hope of gaining her consent to the match. Notwithstanding this persistency, a day was appointed for the nuptials,
the priests were called in to perform the rite, and the young
girl was brought into the room by main force. While the
service was being read Theodosia fainted, and the priests stopped until she recovered her senses, when they proceeded, and
she was wedded to a man whom she loathed.  This compulsion may appear the more remarkable from the fact, that at
this time she was nineteen or twenty years of age. So inauspicious a wedding was not likely to introduce a happy
union. It was not very long before she was forced to be separated from her husband, who treated her in a most cruel
manner.  Her father had been the strenuous advocate of the
marriage; but for a long time he found himself utterly unable
to persuade her to leave the man whom he had compelled her
to wed.*
MARRIAGE AMONG THE LOWER ORDERS.
The customs that characterize a country are to be found in
their purity chiefly in those remote portions where the manners of other nations have not as yet intruded. The increasing facilities of intercommunication, while they improve the
condition of the poorer classes, so far as material interests are
affected, destroy those striking contrasts in the mode of living
* Such is the story as related by one who had been a neighbor and
intimate acquaintance of the parties; and it was confirmed by several
esteemed Athenian friends.




94              MODERN GREEK CUSTOMS.
which excite the curiosity of the stranger.  An American
walking the streets of Athens, hears at every turn the cry of
the peddler, who, under the name of "pania Americanica,"
hawks the fabrics of the Lowell mills; and the Grecian
mother finds it cheaper to clothe her daughters in these, than
to occupy her leisure hours at the loom.
In secluded villages the ceremony of marriage, which in the
capital has become gradually assimilated to the stereotyped
form of other countries, includes a number of curious remnants of ancient usages.  Every petty hamlet, or at least
every small district, possesses its own customs, which entirely regulate the performance of the ceremony, and which none
even of the more polished citizens attempt to abrogate. It
would, therefore, be quite a hopeless task to- describe all the
different modes; and the customs that prevail in the province
of Maina, at the southerly extremity of the country, may be
taken as a fair specimen of the rest. The connection, long
since projected, and fully discussed in family council on either
side, has at length been approved, and the time for its consummation determined, by all the nearest relatives of the interested parties. Indeed, such a thing as a clandestine marriage, or one celebrated without the authorization of friends,
is almost unheard of. Whoever should marry a young lady
without first asking the consent of her relatives, would in
Maina inevitably draw upon himself their fiercest animosity,
and cause an irretrievable breach, sooner or later ending in
revenge and bloodshed.  We have heard the instance of one
young man, who eloped with a girl of his acquaintance,
and who, after forty years had passed, when surrounded by
grown-up sons and daughters, fell a victim to the relentless
hatred of those whom he had so long since offended.*
The more important preparations for the wedding uniformly
commence on Thursday evening.  Toward dusk, the young
men who have been invited bring the wood necessary for cook* This incident is embodied in one of those pathetic mcerologia, or
laments, which are repeated over the tombs of the deceased. In this
poetic history the leading events of the man's life are related with considerable detail. Some persons have acquired a singular reputation for
their skill in composing them.




PREPARATIONS FOR A WEDDING.             95
ing purposes; while the young women meet to sift the coarse
flour that is to be employed. On Friday, they again assemble
to cleanse the wheat and to grind it in the hand-mill. The
flour thus obtained is used that very evening, when the maidens gather round the kneading-trough to fashion several kinds
of cake. One of the girls, who according to ancient custom
must have both her parents living, begins the kneading; whiled
the others, standing around, throw in various coins, and sing;
ditties which are mostly quite unintelligible, but have been
handed down traditionally from dame to daughter for generations. The cakes made of this dough are sent to all the friends
of the parties, as invitations to attend the wedding. Another
large cake is prepared at the same time, to be cut on Sunday
evening, at the house of the bridegroom, as a signal for the
termination of the festivities.
The bridegroom and his intended father-in-law each invite
their friends to their houses. If they live in the same village,
this is accomplished in person; but if they live too far off, the
invitation is equally well understood on the reception of the
small cake, which in these hamlets takes the place of the gilt
and crested envelope, and the "At home" card of our more
refined countries.  After its reception a person is in duty
bound to go on the same day to the house to which he is bidden, where a convivial party is thus assembled. Its occupation for the afternoon consists in cleansing, and sometimes
grinding the wheat, though this latter operation is often deferred for a day or two. While they perform these offices of
friendship, the company enliven their labors by singing various songs, for the most part curious and characteristic, but
few of which have ever yet been collected into a permanent
form.
The remainder of the week is spent in a quiet manner, and
it is not until the ensuing Saturday that the same parties reassemble, at the house of the bridegroom or bride, as the case
may be, for no one is invited to both places. The bridegroom,
who according to the custom of the district bears all the expenses, has agreed previously to provide a stipulated number
of rams or sheep, which never number less than three, and
rarely exceed a dozen. These he now sends to the house of




96              MODERN GREEK CUSTOMS.
his intended father-in-law, and with them, three times as many
loaves of bread as there are sheep, and three times as many
okes of wine* as there are loaves of bread.  The men who
are dispatched with these gifts-intended, of course, for
immediate consumption-expect to be entertained and lodged
at the house of the bride for the night. Such an addition to
the domestic circle might terrify an American housekeeper;
but as beds are a commodity unknown or unused, so far as
the greater part of the population are concerned, even a large
number of guests can be easily accommodated.  The Greek
peasant, provided that he finds plenty to eat, and especially to
drink, lays himself down in perfect contentment, wrapped up
in his huge capote, or shaggy cloak, by the side of the fire,
kindled on a stone hearth, in the middle of the room; meanwhile the family, perhaps, occupy a small inclosed space at
one of the ends of the house, to which access is gained by a
ladder of two or three steps.
At about midnight another set of men are dispatched from
the bridegroom's house. They carry a complete attire for the
bride, who is dressed in it immediately. Then on Sunday
morning, at about three or four o'clock, the bridegroom proceeds thither in person, accompanied by a few of his more intimate friends.  And now the marriage ceremony, that is to
say, the stephanoma, or crowning, takes place in the presence
of all; the parish priest, who has quitted his slumbers at this
early hour, officiating. Upon the conclusion of the service
the priest retires to his home, and so does the bridegroom,
leaving the lady at her father's house. But at perhaps nine
o'clock, in broad daylight, he proceeds on horseback, attended
by all his friends, to clairm and carry home his newly-married
wife.  On either hand walk two of his nearest female relatives, on his father's and mother's side. When the procession
reaches the house, the bridegroom does not enter, but, according to custom, stops in some part of the court, while the guests
of the bride's father come severally to greet him. First his
mother-in-law embraces him, at the same time placing about
his neck a handkerchief, as a gift. All the women follow her
* Wine and oil are in Greece measured by weight, and an oke is
nearly equal to three pounds of our standard.




NUPTIAL GIFTS.                   97
example, and place a similar present on his shoulders, so that
before they get through he finds himself loaded down with a
pile of handkerchiefs. These, of course, he does not wish to
keep, and within a few days disposes of, without compunction, by sale. As the custom is universal in that region, the
matter is merely one of exchange, for each receives in the
end about as much as he gives.  And now the bridegroom
and his friends may enter the house, where they are generously entertained, and for a while conviviality reigns.
But this must end.  The father takes his daughter, and,
committing her to the husband's care, gives him such advice
and exhortation as he may think proper. Then, leading them
both into the court, he makes them tread on some firm stone
-a ceremony which, if it has any meaning at all, as, with
regard to many of these more trifling particulars, seems rather
improbable, is intended to convey the idea of the unanimity
that should exist between them.*  The parents now take
leave of their daughter, and the friends accompany the newly-married couple to their home.  The guests of the bridegroom as they go, divert themselves with songs of little poetical merit, indeed, but lively enough, in which they represent
themselves as having " robbed a neighborhood, and spoiled a
country, to carry off the bride whose praises thousands sing."
This nettles the friends of the bride's fatler, who retort upon
them by wishing that "the bride may shine upon them like
the sun, or like the moon; that she may trample them under
foot like the earth, and be in no way dependent on them for
any thing."
The same ceremony that took place at the dwelling of the
father-in-law is now repeated at that of the bridegroom; and
the bride is not allowed to enter her new home before her husband's friends have all pressed around her to load her with
presents, which consist of various little commodities, or of
* Strange to say, a custom very similar prevails among the Hindoos.
"A stone being placed before her (the bride), she, with her hands joined
in a hollow form, was made to tread upon it with the toes of her right
foot during this address of the bridegroom:'Ascend this stone-be firm
like this stone-distress my foe, and be not subservient to my enemy.'"
-India and the Hindoos, by F. DE W. WARD, p. 248.
E




98              MODERN GREEK CUSTOMS.
money.  All the assembled company then follow the couple
into the house, where, after a few unimportant forms, they
sit down to a collation, with which the entire ceremonial
comes to an end.
Those acquainted with the customs of the ancient Greeks
will scarcely fail to remark the very striking points of resemblance presented by these observances.  The wedding, the
bridal procession, the songs of the friends, and many of the
inferior details preserve a similarity truly wonderful, when
we take into consideration the varied circumstances, and the
long space of time that has intervened. The fact must, however, be borne in mind, that the habits of the people in various districts are so extremely diverse, that the description of
those which prevail in one place will by no means convey a
correct idea of those of a village only a few miles distant.
A GREEK BAPTISM.
One of the tenants of a friend was about to have his child
baptized, and we were included among those invited to witness the ceremony. The small cottage, which stood with its
end to the street, was entered from the court on its side, and
here a part of the family, in their gala dress, were awaiting
the arrival of the priest who was to officiate. There is a
large fund of kindness in the Greek heart, even among the
poorest; and the inmates of the cottage received us with
pleasure, and exerted themselves to the utmost to entertain
us. The priest kept us waiting for him. When he came, I
found that he was an acquaintance, and officiated in the
neighboring church of St. Nicholas Rangaves, whose shrill
little bell, ringing to call the people to their devotions, used
to break in upon my morning slumbers.  A good heart beats
beneath that coarse black cloak, and a ruddy face beams with
good-nature from under the priestly cap; but a plentiful use
of the snuff-box does not improve its appearance as to cleanliness.
A large brass vessel, two feet in diameter, was brought in
by a young man, and placed in the centre of the room, and
several bucketfuls of warm and cold water were poured in
until the temperature was judged to be suitable. But before




TRINE IMMERSION.                   99
the water was fit to be used, another operation was necessary; for the presence of any evil spirits or magic in the water would infallibly impair, if not destroy, the effect of the
ordinance. If any such beings or influences lay concealed,
they were surely dispelled by the manipulations of the priest,
who, baring his arm, three times drew it through the water,
making the sign of the cross. And if this had been ineffectual, they could scarcely remain after he had blown upon the
surface, making on it the same sacred sign. The water being
thus consecrated, the child was brought in, neatly dressed in
white, and presented by its godfather for baptism. And now
it was stripped of every article of clothing, and taken by the
priest, who held it up before the whole company, in order, I
presume, that all might be witnesses to the act.  A small
bottle of oil was taken, and with its contents the infant's entire body was rubbed. This is not considered part of the religious rite, but is merely intended to prevent any injurious
effects of the application of cold water to its body at so tender an age, as is customary among the Greeks. And the precaution, if it be of any avail, is certainly needed. The common people consider the performance of the ceremony almost, if not quite, a sine qua non of salvation, believing fully
in its regenerating influence.  So, the more delicate the
babe's constitution, the more anxious are the parents to have
the rite performed as early as possible.  Notwithstanding
all their precautions, however, I have heard that great numbers of infants die yearly in consequence of the shock they
receive.
The act of baptism itself consisted in three times entirely
immersing the child.  The priest managed this very adroitly,
and prevented its strangling by covering its mouth and entire
face with one of his hands. After this was done (the name
being given at the same time), the priest returned the crying
and shivering baby into the hands of the godfather and the
others who stood by, who immediately wiped and dressed it.
The baptism is completed by the application of a little of the
" holy unguent" to the baby's forehead, ears, hands, and feet.
This "holy unguent" is, or was until lately, compounded only
by the Patriarch at Constantinople, and dispensed once a yeam




100              MODERN GREEK CUSTOMS.
to all the cnurches.*  The child was now taken away, and
the godfather distributed to each of the persons present a
small, bright, silver coin, with the date of the current year,
and a ribbon passed through a hole in it. The person who
receives this piece of money is bound to keep it safely, that
it may remind him of his having witnessed the baptism  of
that child.  And this testimony he is expected to render,
if necessary, before men, and also before the angels at the
judgment day.  The glittering coin that lies on the table before me as I write these lines, its neat knot of blue ribbon
tied to it, recalls the image of that little departed innocent,
who no longer needs here on earth a witness to its christening.
The godfather bears all the contingent expenses, which
were in this case but small, though sometimes they amount
to a considerable sum.  Hence, it is esteemed quite a mark
of friendship to be willing to stand sponsor for a neighbor's
child. But the most important consideration, by far, is that
the connection thus formed is no less binding than a natural
relationship, and forever precludes all intermarriage between
those who become so related to each other, to the same extent
as with members of the same stock-that is, according to
Greek law, as far as the ninth degree, I believe.
FUNERAL PROCESSIONS AND OFFERINGS TO THE DEAD.
Look with me for a moment at the procession which is
slowly passing, on its way to the cemetery beyond the Ilissus.
During the summer months, while the fever is making its
fearful ravages on the population of this unhealthy city,t
many such may be counted every day.
* It has been the policy of the Patriarch and the "Holy Synod" to
attach the Greeks to the "Mother Church" by making them dependent
in this manner for the articles necessary for the celebration of the ordinances of religion.
t With a population of about 27,000 souls, Athens, in 1851, had 1105
deaths; while the births, according to the same official reports, were
only 526. Evidently the population of Athens at this rate would soon
become extinct, were it not for the great influx of strangers. It is stated
that the previous year there were as many as 1400 deaths. The greater
part of these were undoubtedly from Greek fever. It is a fact worthy
of note, that of the 526 children born in 1851, only ten were illegitimate.
The same year there were 122 marriages. —Eon, Jan. 30, 1852.




OFFERINGS TO THE DEAD.              101
The melancholy nasal chant of the priests as they come
along, betokens the approach of the train, and as it draws
nearer, the litanies they recite become distinguishable. The
corpse of the deceased is borne in a light wooden box or coffin;
and the body, decorated with flowers, and clothed in white, is
exposed to the gaze of all: for the lid has been removed, and
is carried by a man or boy at head of the train. This lid has
invariably a large cross painted upon it.  As it approaches
every by-stander reverently raises his hat, and stands uncovered
until it has passed; but this mark of respect is paid not to
the departed, but to the sign of the cross, as my Greek friends
assure me.  It must be confessed, there is something rather
repulsive in this parading of death through the thronged streets
of a city, especially when its subject has been chosen from
among the aged, or bears the marks of great and recent suffering.  Such is the manner in which the common people are
borne to their last resting-place: but the death of a bishop
occasions much more display of pomp. He is carried through
the most public thoroughfares, dressed as in the discharge of
his ecclesiastical functions, and placed in a sitting posture
upon the bier.  The place of burial being reached, he is interred in the same position, a distinction allowed to no one
else.
The interest entertained by survivors for the memory and
the souls of the dead, is evinced by the prayers that are said
in their behalf, although the Greeks do not profess to believe
in the existence of a purgatory. A singular practice calls up
their remembrance yet more vividly. Several successive Fridays are set apart as especially devoted to the dead. The bell
of the little church of Saint Nicholas Rangaves, situated at the
very base of the Acropolis, attracted my attention on one of
these occasions.  Upon entering the church-a small edifice,
-scarce exceeding in size an ordinary room-I found a few persons waiting for the commencement of the services; the men
and boys standing near the altar, while the women, as usual,
remained somewhat farther off. Ever and anon some person
would come in, carrying a small dish covered with a napkin,
and after devoutly crossing himself, placed the dish upon the
floor in front of the screen of the hieron, or holy place. These




102             MODERN GREEK CUSTOMS.
plates contained a peculiar sort of cake, which is called Collyva.
It is, in fact, an offering made to the manes of the dead, and
can certainly claim a pagan rather than a Christian origin.
It is carefully made, the principal ingredients being boiled
wheat and currants.  The surface of the top is ornamented
with various degrees of neatness, by means of the eatable red
grains of the pomegranate, or almonds, or any thing of the
kind.  These cakes were sent by the relatives of those who had
died within a year or two, and if handsome were allowed to
remain before the chancel.  If more commonly prepared, the
contents were thrown together into a basket. In every plate
of collyva, and in every basket, were stuck a number of little
lighted waxen tapers, which burned during the service.
The notion of the common people respecting this usage was
expressed to me by a person whom I asked to explain its purport.  "The soul of the deceased," said he, "for whom the
collyva is offered, comes down during the service, and eats a
single grain of the wheat."  But what manner of good this
could do the disembodied spirit he was not able to explain;
nor did he give me any satisfactory reason for offering so large
a quantity, when the spirit is so moderate in its desires.  The
parish priest during the short service I attended took notice
of the names of all those for whom collyva had been offered.
At the conclusion he helped himself to his share of the cakes,
after the spirits had enjoyed an ample opportunity of eating to
their hearts' content. The rest was distributed by handfuls
to every person present, to be carried away and eaten at home
-a feast for the dead.




____  \_1_1-711 _1l
^^ -.'
VIEW OF ATHENS.
CHAPTER VIII.
THE COURT AND POLITICS OF GREECE.
THE arrival of the American frigate Cumberland in the
harbor of Piraeus, followed shortly by the steamship San
Jacinto, produced some commotion in the city of Athens.
An intervention on the part of the United States in behalf of
Dr. King had been threatened, but was not generally expected.
No American vessel of war had done more than touch at
Piraeus for a number of years past; and multitudes had never
even seen one of our frigates. The unusual circumstance was,
therefore, set down at once as having some connection with
the trial and imprisonment of the only representative of the
United States within the boundaries of the kingdom.
The Hon. Mr. Marsh, American Minister to Constantinople,
having been commissioned to investigate the heavy charges of




104       THE COURT AND POLITICS OF GREECE.
injustice preferred against the courts of law by the joint testimony of all the Americans residing at Athens, was a passenger on board the San Jacinto.  Though not accredited to
the Court of Athens at this time, his official character rendered it imperatively necessary that there should be a formal
presentation to the queen, who was regent during the temporary absence of King Otho in Germany.  To arrange the preliminaries, Dr. King and myself called on Mr. Colocotroni,
the master of ceremonies (aularches), whom we found living in
very simple style, in the northern quarter of the town. He
was a middle aged man, of slender form, and pleasing address.
The interview was a short one, and we left, Mr. Colocotroni
promising to send early notice of the time when it would suit
the queen's convenience to receive the American Minister and
officers.
Meanwhile an amusing incident occurred at Piraeus.  A
young American lieutenant had long been desirous of procuring a block of genuine Pentelican marble, to serve as a pedestal for the bust of his father-in-law, a warm admirer of Greece.
In the garden of a friend in Athens, he found a piece that
exactly suited his purpose. The owner cheerfully presented
him with it, and had it neatly inclosed in a box.  One evening, after a call in the city, the officer placed it in his carriage
and rode down to Piraeus, expecting to find one of the ship's
boats in waiting.  It was late, however, and none were to be
found; but there were other boats at hand, and he deposited
himself and his prize in one of these. On reaching the frigate
he stepped on board, telling the boatmen to bring his box on
deck. Instead of doing so, they demanded an exorbitant fare;
and when he refused to pay it, quietly shoved off, and put
back to shore.  The lieutenant, who was on deck and unarmed, was unable to stop the rogues; and retired to his
state-room for the night, as may be imagined, considerably
vexed at the occurrence. Early the next morning, application
was made for the arrest of the dishonest boatmen. They were
readily identified, and in their house was found the box, which
they had conveyed thither with no little trouble, and had
broken open to discover its contents.  They had evidently
been deceived by its great weight; and doubtless their chagrin




PRESENTATION AT COURT.               105
was considerable, when instead of a small treasure in gold or
silver, they found inside nothing but a worthless block of stone.
But for an unlucky discovery, the box would now have been
restored to its owner.  The marble had once been embedded
in some church or chapel, as was manifest from  a large
Byzantine cross rudely carved on one face.  The customhouse officers declared that this cross was old, and that the
stone came under the category of antiquities, whose exportation is prohibited by law. There was no use in arguing the
matter with them. The only resource was to send up to the
city for Mr. Pittakes, the General Superintendent of Antiquities; who, on his arrival, laughed at the simplicity of the
officials, and readily granted permission to export that block,
and as many more such as could be procured.
On the day appointed by the queen, we rode to the palace,
and were ushered into the waiting-chamber, upon the second
story near the northeastern corner.  Here we were met by
Mr. Colocotroni, who was introduced to Mr. Marsh, Commodore Stringham, and fourteen other officers.  Having been
desired by Mr. M. to assist him in the translation of the various Greek documents relating to Dr. King's case, it was
thought proper by Mr. Colocotroni, that I should be presented at the same time; which would otherwise have been
out of order.  The usual routine of commonplace remarks
having been gone through on either side, Mr. Colocotroni
seated himself by my side, and inquired privately respecting
the rank and names of the several officers; for the purpose,
as I afterward learned, of informing the queen on the subject,
and furnishing her with appropriate staple of remark. He
then retired; and after a brief interval returned and ushered
us into the adjoining presentation-room.
Queen Amelia was standing near the centre of the room,
which, though on no great scale of magnificence, was handsomely decorated and furnished.  She was attired very
tastefully: her dress was not remarkable for costliness; and
she wore but little jewelry. Her height is good; and though
well-formed, she is rather disposed to be fleshy. By most
persons she is considered handsome. She is certainly betterlooking than most of the crowned heads of Europe. At the
E 2




106       THE COURT AND POLITICS OF GREECE.
age of thirty-two or three she had, however, naturally lost
much of her former beauty. A few paces behind the queen
was the giraCide mrnactresse, Madame Pulsky, who during the
entire ceremony of presentation stood in the same spot, immovable as a statue.
On entering the room each individual bowed profoundly,
and then all ranged themselves in the form of a crescent, occupying positions corresponding to their official rank. Mr.
Colocotroni first presented Mr. Marsh; and the queen having
advanced, stood for some five or ten minutes engaged in conversation with him. Then Mr. Marsh accompanied her along
the line, introducing each one in succession. To the superior
officers a few questions were addressed, which had to be interpreted to those who were so unfortunate as not to know a
single word of French-the language that the queen had
chosen to make use of. The junior officers were, for the most
part, honored with but a single interrogatory; and that related to their own department of naval service. The captain of the marines, for instance, was merely asked how
many men he commanded, or some other similarly trivial
question.
I have no doubt all were equally delighted when the awkward ceremony was dispatched, and a bow from the queen
announced that we were at liberty to retire from the royal
presence. If our entrance had been punctilious, our departure
was still more so; and we literally bowed ourselves out of the
room; for it would have been a gross violation of all courtly
etiquette to turn our backs upon the queen. Although the
retrograde motion was neither convenient nor graceful, we
made good our retreat to the door. Most of the party seemed
much pleased with the result of the interview, the consequence of which was an invitation sent to the American Minister, Commodore, and Captains, to dine at the palace on a
specified day. Strange to say, only Mr. Marsh and one of
the captains were forthcoming; the attractions of royalty not
being sufficiently powerful to induce the Commodore to postpone his departure for Constantinople, where the presence of
an American frigate was imperatively demanded to protect
our citizens.




KING OTHO.                   107
The king enjoys a far smaller share of personal popularity
than Queen Amelia. Nor has it been on the increase of late
years. Chosen by the three powers of England, France, and
Russia, formerly in alliance to form a protectorate of Greece,
he was elevated to the throne while a mere youth, after the assassination of the " Governor," Count Capo d'Istrias.  The
crown had previously been offered to the young Leopold, now
King of Belgium; who was unwilling to accept it, unless certain of the hearty good-will of the people. Well would it have
been for Greece had she been so fortunate as to receive such a
ruler! Otho was the son of Louis, late King of Bavaria, and
a younger brother of the present occupant of the throne. He
was, consequently, educated a strict Roman Catholic, and entirely under the influence of the priesthood. From the date
of his arrival in Greece until the first of June, 1835, his twentieth birth-day, the government was administered by a German Regency, whose conduct has been regarded in a very different light by those who have viewed it from opposite sides.
The first eight years of King Otho's reign were a continuation
of the same line of policy with that previously pursued. Within eighteen months after his accession, he gained the hand of
the princess Amelia, of Oldenburg, who was some four years
younger than himself, and a Protestant in point of religion.
The Regency had filled most of the posts of honor and emolument with their own countrymen. Under the young monarch
there was a German ministry: German generals commanded
troops, many of whom were themselves Germans: and not a
few professors in the university were of foreign birth.
The fact that both king and queen were strangers, as well
in faith as in nationality, to the great mass of their subjects,
was never palatable to the Greeks, who regard their religion as
a precious heir-loom, and as the bond of union in the Hellenic
state. But it was quite insupportable to the poor but proud
revolutionary soldiers and klefts, to see a horde of foreigners
reaping the rewards of their toils, and occupying the situations
to which they considered themselves entitled. A constitution,
too, had been promised from time to time; but it was a mere
promise. The monarchy was in fact autocratic: the king's
edict having the full force of law.




108       THE COURT AND POLITICS OF GREECE.
At length the people grew tired of waiting for the change
that was to put an end to the disorders complained of. On
one of the first days of September, 1843, a crowd gathered in
front of the palace, gradually increasing by fresh arrivals from
town and country, till the spacious square was one dense mass
of human beings, all loudly demanding a constitution. It
was now no time for delay, and promises could no longer
avail. The troops themselves had caught the general enthusiasm, and siding with the citizens, were loudest in their vociferations.  Cannon were even pointed at the palace, and
Callerges, who sat on one of them, threatened to fire, if, at
the expiration of a few hours, the king still refused to satisfy
the popular desire.  Otho was disposed to be obstinate.  Nothing was farther from his wishes, than to be trammeled by a
constitution, and to share his legislative functions with the
representatives of the nation. His wife, though no less attached than himself to unlimited power, grasped the full consequences of resistance; and is said to have begged him with
tears to bend, rather than break, before the approaching storm.
Perceiving that the people were in no mood to be trifled with,
Otho reluctantly yielded. The 3d of September (old style) is
annually kept as a festival to commemorate the auspicious
event. A representation of the people was at once called to
draft a proper constitution; which, on the 18th of the next
March, was solemnly sworn to by the king, in the presence
of all the officers of the government.
In accordance with this instrument,* the legislative powers
are vested in a Congress composed of two bodies, the Senate
(gerousia), and the House of Representatives (boule).  The
former, which is intended to be the conservative branch,
should be composed of not less then twenty-seven members,
nor of more than one half the number of representatives in
the other House, save with its own consent. The senators
are chosen for life by the king; but the classes of individuals
* A Greek work entitled " Hippodamus; Principles of Constitutional
Law, or the Greek Constitution Annotated, by N. Pappadoukas," contains a lucid and able commentary. The true author is reported to be
the well-known Demetrius Kyriakou, some time Minister of Justice, one
of the best lawyers of Athens.




CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISIONS.              109
from  which they may be selected, are carefully enumerated.
They are chiefly those who commanded the armies in the
great revolutionary struggle, or have occupied high stations
of honor and trust in the civil, judicial, and military departments for a specified period, varying from four to ten years.*
The senator must be at least forty years of age. The other
House is composed of the representatives of the people, one being elected for about ten thousand inhabitants. Their number can not be less than eighty. No male citizen above twentyfive years, with the exception of the clergy, is debarred from the
right of voting; but none are eligible to office until they are
thirty years old. The members of both houses are remunerated
for their services, the senators receiving $83, and the representatives 843 per month, during the session. The intrusion of
foreigners into office is effectually precluded by the provisions
of the constitution, which expressly declare that no foreign
army shall be allowed to pass through, or be maintained in
Grcece, unless permission be specially granted by law. To
obviate fiture inconvenience from  the anomaly of a king
professing a religion different from that of the great mass of
the inhabitants, the successor to the throne must embrace the
Greek religion.  The crowns of Greece and Bavaria, it is
farther stipulated, shall never be united on the same head.
The king's annual stipend is fixed by law at one million
drachms ($166,000).
Such are some of the most important provisions of the Constitution, inaugurating a government theoretically perhaps the
most liberal in Europe.  All citizens are equal in the eye of
the law; for the creation of titles of nobility is expressly forbidden, and there is no room  for an hereditary aristocracy.
And though the prevailing or established religion is declared
to be the " Orthodox Oriental Church of Christ," yet one of
the chief excellences of the Constitution is its liberality toward other creeds.  "Every known religion is tolerated, and
its worship conducted without hindrance under the protection
of the law, proselytism  and every other encroachment upon
the dominant religion being forbidden."  "Every one may
publish his opinions orally, in writing, and by the press, ob* See Article 72 of the Constitution,




110       THE COURT AND POLITICS OF GREECE.
serving the laws of the State."* How these principles have
been violated in Dr. King's condemnation I shall elsewhere
narrate.  Meanwhile, the checks upon the power of the
crown are apparently as great as are compatible with the existence of the regal system. The budget is, of course, submitted by the ministry to the chambers. As the latter alone have
the right to provide the revenue necessary for carrying on
the government, by authorizing the levy of taxes and the collection of duties, the entire control of the Executive is apparently intrusted to their hands. The ministers are made personally responsible for their actions; and all members of the
royal family are excluded from the cabinet, in order that they
may not be liable to impeachment.
In practice, however, the throne may be said, under the
present administration, to be almost unrestrained by the popular element in the accomplishment of the measures it has
determined upon.  It is notorious that the government of
Otho is generally unpopular throughout the land, and yet it
constantly succeeds in securing a majority in the chambers
sufficient to attain its ends.  The representatives are, it is
true, chosen by the people at large, but the government is
rarely at a loss for means to obtain a favorable result. Under the pretext of allowing the greatest freedom for voters, the
election is made by ballot; but during the eight days of the
election the ballot-boxes are left in the keeping of an electioncommittee.   In some cases the boxes are known to have contained a number of votes larger than the entire number of registered voters in the district. During the election, as well as
before, the greatest exertions are made by all the government
officers, in conjunction with the friends of the candidates, to
influence the people to vote for those who are known to be
most favorable to the measures of the king. But even in the
House of Representatives there can not exist for any great
length of time a numerous and determined opposition. Every
method-bribes, offers of promotion, and of the patronage of
friends, are employed, and most of those elected are soon induced to yield support to the government.
* Articles 1 and 10.
t Act to regulate the Election of Representatives, tit. 3. arts. 18. 22.




A POLITICAL MEASURE.               111
An instance of the determination of the ministry to carry
its plans at any cost was seen in the passage of a certain law
in the summer of 1851. Its object was the creation of a large
number of ephori, or officers for the collection of the revenue.
Its introduction was the signal for opposition from those who
were not attached to the courtly party, and saw no necessity
for so considerable an increase of the places in the gift of the
throne.  It passed the Lower House, however; but on being
brought up in the Senate, although the king had, in anticipation, created three or four new members, that body refused to
concur in the proposed act.  Thereupon the king prorogued
both Houses for the space of some forty days. In the mean
while ten or more additional senators were appointed, for the
most part from the officers of the king's own household, or
from the ministry, and all of them persons devoted to himself.
The party thus reinforced was now enabled to reconsider the
bill in the Senate, and it was passed in accordance with the
desires of the ministry. In this manner, and by means of the
most flagrant corruption, the throne is usually able to control
with ease the deliberations of the legislative bodies.  And
this is much facilitated by the Constitution, which, although
it declares that representatives cease to be such the moment
they accept any post under the government, yet permits executive officers to be elected representatives.* Thus it happens that many military officers are at the same time members of one of the legislative bodies, where, as they retain
their commissions merely during the sovereign's pleasure, they
constitute the warmest adherents of the crown. A remarkable clause is, however, inserted in the Constitution, providing
that in such a case the individual is not entitled to the emoluments of both offices, but only to those of the more lucrative
of the two.t
In respect to foreign relations, the politicians of Greece may
be divided into three parties-the Russian or Napist, the English, and the French: a result which the acute mind of Coray long since foresaw and deplored. For it was not, he argued, until Greece was divided into the Macedonian and antiMacedonian parties that Philip found an entering wedge for
* Article 64.                         t Article 68.




112       TIHE COURT AND POLITICS OF GREECE.
his ambition.  The Russian party is undoubtedly the most
numerous and influential.  It stands forth the advocate of a
close political and religious connection with Russia. Hence,
almost the entire clergy are, from policy or conviction, among
its adherents. Ambition to restore a Greek empire embracing
all who profess the Greek creed and speak the Greek language,
is its animating principle. Despairing of success in this vast
undertaking with their own unaided resources, the Napists
cast about them for some more powerful ally.  France and
England are unfortunately too much interested in the maintenance of the balance of power, to offer any hope of assistance, or even of countenance. The same policy that excluded
from the map of the new state of Greece one half of the territory that had asserted and upheld its independence, restoring
it once more to the Sublime Porte, would never help to weaken and destroy the Ottoman Empire.  On the other hand, a
community of religion naturally draws the Greeks to look to
the great Russian empire for means to realize their ambitious
projects. Some are simple enough to imagine that, after conquering Constantinople at his own expense, the Czar will be
so generous as to make it over without equivalent to his
friends the Greeks. While others assert that he will annex
Asia Minor to the kingdom of Greece, and set one of his
younger sons over the united empire.
The English and French parties are the advocates of democratic principles. To them belong the most liberal and intelligent statesmen, the Tricoupis, the Mavrocordatos, and, in
general, the men of the largest patriotism. But they are in
a minority, and their influence can scarcely be a positive one
for good. They rather counteract the ill-advised measures of
the dominant politicians.
The king, for his part, identifies himself with none of these
sections, and strives, as far as possible, to employ them all as
tools for the furtherance of his plans. The court is given to gayety and pleasure, and the revenue, which should be expended
for the benefit of the nation, is lavished on balls and entertainments. The queen, Amelia, has the reputation of being the
best rider and dancer at Athens. Her passion for the latter
accomplishment is such, that whoever can dance well is a wel



BAD STATE OF ROADS.                113
come guest at the public balls, and can readily secure her as a
partner.
Meanwhile, the country is suffering for the want of attention paid by the government to the improvement of its natural resources. Probably-the greatest obstacle to the prosperity of Greece is to be found in the difficulty of the interchange
of commodities. No country in the world stands in more
pressing need of good roads: in none are they more difficult
of construction. Successive ranges of mountains, with their
branching spurs, divide the cultivable ground into a thousand
small valleys, each deprived of easy communication with its
neighbors.  From  one township to the next nothing can be
transported but by the horses and mules accustomed to climb
the rugged mountain-paths, and tread firmly on the ladder-like
ascents. The only carriage-roads in Greece are a few short
ones about Athens, one, twelve or fifteen miles long, near Lamia, and others at Corinth, Chalcis, and a few other large
towns. The ordinary mode of transportation is so expensive
that it can not be much employed, nor is it available for any
but the most valuable products. In this way it happens that
Greece is often compelled to import wheat for its sea-board
towns, whereas, at the distance of but a day's journey inland,
there is, or might be produced enough to furnish an ample
supply. With a revenue of twenty-one or two millions of
drachms ($3,500,000), obtained from its million subjects, the
government is unable, or unwilling, to expend even a million
annually upon the most indispensable improvements.  The
demi, or towns, on the other hand, are too poor, too ignorant,
or can not sufficiently combine their efforts to construct and
maintain good roads.
Yet while such have been the shortcomings of the government, there are other respects in which it is entitled to the
highest commendation.  It can not be denied that it has succeeded in destroying many relics of a darker age. In Maina,
particularly, it has broken up the tyrannical and lawless clans,
whose perpetual wranglings and hereditary animosities among
themselves, made the entire district the scene of oft-recurring
deeds of bloodshed. To appreciate the value of the change, one
should hear some of the sanguinary recitals that are yet cur



114       THE COURT AND POLITICS OF GREECE.
rent among the people.  The kefts, or mountain robbers,
from whose depredations no village was safe, have now been
mostly brought to justice, or expelled. For years none have
been heard of in Peloponnesus. The few that remain infest the
mountains forming the boundary line of Turkey, or the sparsely
inhabited districts of Acarnania and.Etolia. It is true that
in reaching this end much needless suffering has been inflicted, by the rapacity and oppression of the soldiers and petty
officers quartered upon the villages in the vicinity of the robbers; but this was to be expected, and it has been merely
temporary in its duration.  By far the greatest eulogium,
however, that can with truth be conferred on the government
of King Otho, is that it has spared no expense or efforts to diffuse education and intelligence among the people. Henceforth
no one need remain in ignorance except from his own choice.
To the diligent a free course of instruction is offered, extending from the primary school to the university. The present
system of education promises to make Greece one of the most
intelligent and well-informed nations of Europe; and the light
of literature and science is again commencing to dawn upon
its ancient seat of Athens.
Toward religion the government assumes rather an attitude
of unconcern than of partiality. The king and queen have
respectively their Roman Catholic and Protestant chaplains;
but otherwise they appear quite indifferent to the subject.
It is more to please the bigotry of the priesthood, than to
gratify any preferences of their own, that any infringements
upon the freedom of religious worship have been countenanced.




A GREEK CIIURCH.
CHAPTER IX.
THE GREEK CHURCH.
A CIRCUMSTANCE that adds to the interest and importance
of the consideration of the religious state of Greece, is the intimate connection which the prevalent faith has ever sustained with the national fortunes. To one even who should feel
no concern in a subject most vital to the welfare of individuals,
the consequence of its political bearings would commend it for
careful scrutiny. There are few facts in history more striking
than the tenacity with which the Eastern Churches have clung
to their religious belief, through ages beset with temptations
and perils': when they were exposed, not only to the seductive influences of power and wealth, but, at times also, to more
open trials, under the form of political disfranchisement and
persecution. This steadfast adherence to their ancient tenets
it was, that alone preserved the nationality of the Greeks, during their subjection to the Mussulman power; this it was that
rendered the resuscitation of their separate existence possible.
It is even now the sole connecting link between the Hellenic
kingdom and the provinces that are yet enslaved.
The Greek denomination, comprising a vast majority of the
inhabitants of the Russian Empire, in addition to seven or
eight millions in the Turkish dominions. embraces, probably,




11.6              THE GREEK CHURCH.
between sixty and seventy millions of souls. Compared, however, with the body of Protestants, whose numbers are but
little superior, the Greek Church can scarcely be said to exert a sensible influence upon the intellect of the world. It is
but just awaking from that lethargy in which the East has
for centuries been plunged. It produces no theologians of any
note, and it has made no contributions to current literature.
The clergy, instead of being, as il the West, among the bestinformed members of the community, have sunk to the common level; or, often, seem to be the enemies of learning and
intelligence. It is this that adds so much to the singularity
of the fact, that, tried by the test of purity of doctrine, the
Greek Church is so far superior to the Roman Catholic.
In many respects the two Churches closely resemble each
other; and in none more than in their hierarchical systems.
Yet even here there are striking points of contrast, which
point out the Oriental as by far the less corrupt. It has never
allowed an ecclesiastical authority to arrogate supreme dominion in the Church. The four Archbishops of Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem, have, it is true,
obtained, under the title of Patriarchs, an acknowledged ascendency over the other bishops and archbishops. But the
ground of this pre-eminence, as stated in the acts of Councils,
is merely the existence of the custom of attributing to the
prelates of those cities a great degree of honor. Consequently
they have never claimed a more direct apostolic succession,
an absolute power, or infallibility. The Patriarch, by his
own confession, is simply a superior bishop, basing his pretensions, at farthest, upon the decrees of the Councils.
Until 1821, the Church of Greece retained a close connection with the "Holy Synod" of Constantinople. When, however, the Revolutionary War broke out, the Patriarch, who
was suspected-no doubt with justice-of friendliness to the
cause of freedom, fell a victim to the jealousy of the Porte;
and another, a mere creature of the government, was installed in his place. The clergy of Greece, under the guidance of Germanos, Bishop of Patras, had taken a prominent
part in the revolt. To reduce them to submission, the spiritual influence of the Patriarch was invoked. After having




SEPARATION FROM THE PATRIARCH.            117
fulminated, near the commencement of the conflict, an edict
of excommunication against all the belligerent Greeks, the
Patriarch and his Synod, on the 20th of February (March 3d,
N. S.), 1828, issued a second letter, addressed to "all Christians inhabiting Peloponnesus and the.Egean Sea." In this
remarkable production they are reminded of " the submission
and fidelity they owe to the lawful Ottoman Empire watched
over by God;" and are warned not to lose precious moments
in deceitful procrastination. They are allured by the prospect
of a speedy restoration to the spiritual graces in the gift of the
Church.  "But if," it is added in conclusion, "we should
again meet-which God forbid!-with stubbornness and disobedience, arising from the delusive ideas that lead you astray
-the ax is laid at the root of the tree.  See you to that /"
A document of such a tenor, and issued at so inauspicious
a juncture-when the exertions of seven years of continual
warfare had been crowned with success for the Greek arms,
in the decisive victory of Navarino-was not calculated, as
may be imagined, to heal the breach. This injudicious measure too clearly proved, what had long been asserted-that the
Patriarchate was but a tool in the hands of the Sultan. Every link that connected the Church in Greece to that in Turkey
was sundered; and the former remained independent, though
lying under interdict, until the year 1850. By the second
article of the Constitution of 1843, now in force, it is expressly declared that "the Orthodox Church of Greece, acknowledging our Lord Jesus Christ as its head, is indivisibly
united to the Great Church of Constantinople, and every other
Church of Christ that holds the same faith; adhering, precisely as they do, to the holy canons of the apostles and councils, and to the holy traditions: yet it is independent, exercising its sovereign functions free from the control of any other
Church."
Notwithstanding this declaration, the difficulties of the position of the Greek Church were felt in so lively a manner,
that no new bishoprics were erected, and the vacancies created by the death of the incumbents were not filled. At
* The letter was republished in the form of a small pamphlet, at the
office of the Euterpe, a literary periodical: Athens, 1852.




118               THE GREEK CHURCH.
length the necessity of giving some more definite shape to the
ecclesiastical affairs of the state, had become so evident, that
the Ministry resolved to send a commission to the Church of
Constantinople, with letters from the government and from
the Synod of Greece, requesting them to " approve their ecclesiastical constitution; and, recognizing the Synod of the
kingdom of Greece erected in accordance with it, to receive it
as a sister-church holding the same doctrines, and equal in
honor;" and to announce it as such to the other three Patriarchates.
The reply received to these letters was a master-piece of
cunning.  It was styled The Synodical Tome, and the Russian
party in the state not only extolled it to the skies, but advocated its immediate ratification and adoption as an organic
law of the realm. Such must have been the inevitable result,
had not an antagonist appeared in the author of an anonymous
work upon the subject, who was soon known to be the theologian Theophilus Pharmakides, a distinguished professor in the
university.  He stigmatized the entire movement as one
which, if consummated, would lead to the virtual surrender
of the established polity. The Patriarchal letter, instead of
recognizing the Hellenic Church as already independent, proceeded, on certain conditions, to decree it such. This implied
the right to revoke the privileges that were granted, if the
terms of the contract should not be observed. The conditions
were the following: The establishment of a perpetual Synod
of bishops, to be the highest authority in matters of religion,
and to exercise its functions independent of secular interference; the insertion of petitions for the Patriarch and his advisers in the public services; the procuring of the "Holy
Myron," or anointing oil used after baptism, directly from
Constantinople; the consultation of the Great Church on all
important matters needing reflection.  On these and other
equally humiliating conditions, the Patriarch was pleased to
remove the sentence of excommunication, and recognize the
validity of the ordination of the Greek clergy.*
* The Tome, and all the documents relating to the discussion, may be
found in the work of Professor Pharmakides, entitled The Synodical
Tome, or Of Truth: Athens, 1852.




THE SYNODICAL TOME.                  119
It was too evident that the Tome was but a fresh attempt
to foist upon the Greeks the yoke of their ancient masters;
and, when its impudent design was thus clearly exposed, no
alternative remained but to reject it altogether. The only
visible result it produced, was to awaken the jealousy of the
nation, and call attention to many points in ecclesiastical history, of which the multitude had hitherto been entirely ignorant.  How the Church insensibly passed from a democratic,
representative form of government, to an arrogant oligarchy
under the sway of the bishops and patriarchs, was fully discussed by Professor Pharmakides.
By a law framed in 1852, the ecclesiastical polity of the
kingdom  has been completely remodeled.  It increased the
episcopal sees to twenty-four-a large number, assuredly, for
a population of scarce a million souls.* To each of these is
annexed a salary payable by the government, and varying
from seven hundred to a thousand dollars.  The Bishop of
Attica was, at the same time, promoted to be Metropolitan of
Athens.  Measures were at once taken to fill as many of the
vacant episcopal chairs as possible.  In order to allay the
vexation naturally entertained by the Patriarch and his Synod, in consequence of the indignity offered to them in the
rejection of the "Tome," a special messenger was dispatched
by the king, with full power to confer on the mortified ecclesiastics as many decorations of the honorary Greek " Order of
the Saviour" as might be found necessary; besides covering
the insult with a profusion of empty compliments.
The differences between the Latin and Greek Churches,
as already stated, are no less marked than their points of
resemblance.  It is not my intention to enter with minuteness upon a subject so strictly theological. It is rather my
* The Holy Synod of Greece was to be composed of one metropolitan,
of Athens, the capital of the nome of Attica, and of Greece; ten archbishops, nine of them taking their titles from the capitals of the other
nine nomes into which the kingdom is divided; the tenth from Corinth,
"which, though not the capital of a norne, on account of the antiquity
of the church founded there by Paul," is raised to the dignity of an
archbishopric; and thirteen bishops complete the list of the hierarchy.
The Synod nominates three candidates to fill every vacancy, and the
king selects one from this number.-'E0yueplr roo Aaov, July 2, 1852.




120               THE GREEK CHURCH.
aim to convey a general idea, that shall at the same time be
a correct one, of the present attitude which the " Orthodox"
Church, as it styles itself, assumes in relation to the great
religious movements of the day. A fact lying on the surface
is, that its doctrinal perversions, unlike those of its Latin
sister, have never become part of a deliberately-formed system,
ratified by successive generations, and codified, as it were, by
a Council like that of Trent. Nor have its pretensions reached
so daring a point.  Its degeneracy arises rather from the
ignorance of the Middle Ages than from a willful perversion of
truth.  It acknowledges but seven general Councils, whose
authority is binding on Christians, the last in A. D. 786 being
that which condemned the doctrines of the Iconoclasts. Yet,
by the high esteem in which tradition is held, the multiplication of feast-days and of superstitious practices, the complication of the ritual, and a few cardinal errors of doctrine, a
state of things has been induced, little superior to that existing
in the West. On the other hand, the Greeks have never admitted the claims of the Pope to be the Vicar of God on earth.
This, indeed, was the primary cause of the schism between the
two Churches; the occasion was the insertion of the words
filioque in the Nicene creed.  The doctrine of the existence of
a purgatory has never been admitted; although, practically,
by offering prayers for the dead, such a notion is sanctioned.
The Apocrypha has never been received into the canon of
Scripture, " though containing many praiseworthy moral passages." Still, many intelligent men would be quite at a loss
to discriminate between the books which their own fathers
pronounce canonical, and those that are not. It ought also
to be said, to the praise of the Eastern Church, that the reading of the Scriptures by the common people has never been
forbidden by the Church; however individuals among the
clergy may have endeavored, sometimes by open, and more
frequently by secret opposition, to repress it.
The Catechism of Plato, Archbishop of Moscow, translated
by Coray, and approved by the Holy Synod and the Minister
of Public Instruction, is, I believe, required to be taught in all
the higher schools of the kingdom. It is, therefore, a fair exponent of the doctrines of the Greek Church; while its com



THE CATECHISM OF PLATO.                 121
pleteness and orderly arrangement would entitle it, under any
circumstances, to a careful perusal.* The Orthodox Christian, according to this catechism, recognizes Christ as sole
Head of the Church, the clergy being shepherds of his flock;
the bishops as first, and the priests as second in rank. The
Church can follow no leader but Christ. The " power of the
keys" committed to the Church, is the authority to reprove or
exclude from its communion the unworthy participant. The
Sacraments of the New Testament are seven: baptism, the
Lord's Supper, chrism, confession, orders, marriage, and the
anointing of the sick; but of these, the first two are superior
in importance, and the last three are not binding on all Christians. The doctrines of baptismal regeneration, and the real
presence in the Eucharist, are clearly set forth. The importance of the traditions and customs of the Fathers is insisted
on, as an essential part of Christian doctrine and worship.
The invocation of saints is defended, upon the usual grounds,
against the imputation of violating the first commandment of
the Decalogue. In the explanation of the second, the Greek
Church discriminates between the graven image and the picture of a saint, declaring the former alone to be reprehensible.
Yet it condemns as idolatrous " those that consider one picture
more holy than another; that expect more benefit from one
than from another; that bring into the Church a picture and
will worship no other; that honor the picture with costly
ornaments, more than that which is without, or the old one
more than the new; or that are unwilling to worship in a
Tlace where there are no images."
To a Protestant there is, perhaps, no part of the Greek sys* The Catechism of Plato, translated from the German by the able
hand of Coray, is a compend of Theology, rather than an elementary
treatise, as its name would give us to expect. It is a volume of about
140 pages in 8vo. The first part, treating of Natural Theology, enters
with detail into the examination of the proofs of God's existence, the,nature and attributes of God, the natural estate of man, and his conscious ill-desert. The second and main division sets forth the Evangelical Faith, that is, Revealed Religion, with the exception of the Law of
God, which forms the subject of the third part. The discussion of the
particular doctrines is mostly full and satisfactory, while the notes of
the translator are characterized by an evangelical spirit.
F




1 22                THE GREEK CHURCH.
tem more shocking than the worship of the Virgin Mary, as it
exists, and as it is countenanced by the standards now in use.
To say that many of the common peasants are unable to
make that distinction which the Church pretends to enjoin,
and from mere veneration easily step over into the domain of
a most culpable religious worship-is stating a fact which no
intelligent eye-witness of their devotions can find reason to
deny.  It may not be so generally known that the prayerbooks in common use, even more than the public service,
abound with passages well calculated to mislead the worshipper, and induce him to look to the blessed Virgin for assistance which God alone can grant.*
* A single example of such a prayer may not be altogether out of
place; and its completeness and elegance must atone for its length. It
will be noticed that the several parts-adoration, confession, and supplication-are clearly marked and impressively conveyed. Yet so strong
are the ascriptions of divine attributes, that were the prayer addressed
to the Deity, no expression would be found inconsistent with His character. I translate from the Hiera Synopsis, a small volume of prayers
intended for the use of private Christians (p. 44).
"A Prayer to the Most HIoly Mother of God.
"0 spotless, undefiled, uncorrupted, uncontaminated, pure Virgin,
Queen, the Bride of God! Who didst unite God the Word to men, by
thy wonderful conception; and join the alienated nature of our race to
heavenly things. The only hope of the despairing, and help of them
that be warred against; the ready defence of those that fly unto thee,
and the refuge of all Christians. Do not abhor me a sinner and accursed; who, by base thoughts, words, and deeds, have rendered myself
utterly vile.... But, as Mother of the compassionate God, kindly pity
me a sinner and prodigal, and receive my prayer offered to thee by my
polluted lips. And do thou, making use of thy motherly liberty, importune thy Son, and our Lord and Master, to open to me, too, the kind
bowels of his goodness, and, passing by my numberless offences, turn
me to repentance, and make me a tried doer of his precepts. And be
present unto me alway merciful, compassionate, and good: both in
this life as a warm protectress and helper, warding off the assaults of
them that be against me, and leading me unto salvation; and in the
time of my departure, caring for my miserable soul, and driving far
from it dark visions of evil spirits. And in the fearful day of judgment*
deliver me from everlasting punishment, and make me an heir of the
unspeakable glory of thy Son and our God. Which may I attain unto,
my Queen, all Holy Mother of God, through thy mediation and intercession; by the grace and compassion of thy only-begotten Son, our
Lord, God, and Saviour," etc.




THE PARISH PRIEST.                 123
The condition of the clergy is an important topic for consideration. Like most other topics, to a general view it has a dark
as well as a bright side. The priest, or papas, it is true, has not
necessarily sundered, by a prescribed celibacy, all the ties that
serve to unite him, in sympathy and affection, with his spiritual flock. In fact, many of the parish priests are married
men; nor is this circumstance considered in the least discreditable.  There is, however, this restriction: the aspirant for
orders must marry, if at all, before becoming a deacon; and
so it happens that while a priest may be a married man, yet
a priest is. prohibited from marrying.
Although the priest's tenure of office does not depend, as
has been asserted, at least in Greece, upon the life of his wife,
he can not marry a second time without forfeiting his priestly
character.  Happily, neither law nor public opinion place any
obstacles in the way of his retiring. There are not a few
curates who have renounced their sacerdotal functions from
this cause; while a much larger number who took up arms in
the Revolutionary War, and imbrued their hands in blood, are
on that account incapacitated from officiating.
The ignorance and degradation of the clergy forms the
gloomier aspect of the picture. Springing from the lowest
class of society, they are notoriously illiterate and immoral.
So deeply rooted has the notion of their debasement become in
the popular mind, that when a boy is unruly, and his parents
have failed in persuading him to learn some honest trade, they
frequently consider the Church their last and only resource.
This idea is embodied in a current proverb, which may be
rendered in English by the couplet,
"Vicious and ignorant, gluttonous beast,
Nothing remains but to make him a priest."
But when the fact is known, that until lately there has
been no provision for their education, beyond schools where
they might learn to read and write, such a state of things
will scarcely excite surprise. It is even asserted that a few
ecclesiastics may still be found, unable to, read their service,
and consequently relying either upon their own memory or
upon the assistance of others. I have myself met with several
who gloried in the scantiness of the opportunities for instruc



124                THE GREEK CHURCH.
tion enjoyed by their order, asserting that a more liberal education had the effect of making atheists of the youth. Unfortunately this is not far from being the case in Greece. I have
known several deacons and others in the University that were
skeptics even as to the truth of religion, and would gladly cut
off their long hair,* and lay aside their sacerdotal robes, could
they be sure of gaining a livelihood by some other profession
than that they had embraced.  The monks are even more
ignorant and degraded, while they display an inveterate hostility to every measure tending to enlighten and elevate the
people.
Corruption is, unhappily, equally common in Church and
State. It is notorious that no one can obtain the appointment of Greek Consul for the more frequented ports-such as
Trieste, Marseilles, or Odessa-without first obtaining the influence and support of some important man near the king's
person, by means of a costly present. A similar practice holds
good with respect to the ordination of priests. So flagrant is
this system of bribery in every department of the Church, that
in a " letter-writer" published at Athens, not many years ago,
and now lying before me, a number of forms are given for
such occasions as the following. In one, the writer beseeches
a bishop not to grant a divorce in the case of his daughter,
and accompanies his petition with a present of 5000 piastres
-a little more than $200.  Another is an application to a
prelate for a dispensation to permit a man to marry a third time.
It will be remembered that a third marriage is an abomination in the eyes of the Greeks, and is considered criminal unless the previous permission of the Patriarch be obtained.
The applicant states that the prelate's agent, to whom he had
addressed himself, had demanded the sum of three thousand
piastres; and he therefore begs not to be compelled to pay
any thing more than that which is customary.  The character of the transaction is more frequently veiled under the appearance of a gift. The Patriarch of Jerusalem grants plenary pardon to all that devoutly visit the Holy Places: but
the pilgrim must first gratify his avarice by a present of some
* Letting the hair grow long is considered indispensable to the exercise of any of the priestly functions.




ECCLESIASTICAL PARTIES.               1 2
two hundred dollars.   Having satisfied his conscience at so
cheap a price, the Hadgi, as he is now called, returns to his
own country, with a store of acquired righteousness so ample,
as to be quite sufficient, both in his own estimation and in
that of his neighbors, to cover all his future sins. He rarely
fails to make large drafts on this imaginary deposit. "As bad
as a Haclgi," has become a proverbial expression to denote the
most abandoned of characters.
On similar grounds, all who contribute twenty-five piastres
to the treasury of the miracle-working church of the Evangelista at Tenos, have their names inscribed in a particular book,
and receive the bishop's special benediction. The beatitude
has been reversed, so as to become, " Blessed are the rich."
The Greek clergy may, like the laity, be divided into two
parties, differing not on doctrinal points, but in their tendencies.  The first is the Russian, or Napist, party-embracing
by far the larger portion of the clergy-desirous of more intimate connection with Russia, in both Church and State. Opposed to liberal sentiments, jealous of religious liberty, and of
English and French influence, it includes not only the few admirers of Russian despotism, but the more numerous class of
those that hope, through the agency of Russian arms, to obtain Constantinople, and set up a new Greek empire.  The
other and less powerful party, on the other hand, expects
more permanent advantage from the influence of Western letters, than from Oriental power.  Here are found the friends
of religious liberty-though opposed to proselytism-the patrons of education, the more consistent and stienuous enemies
of every form of tyranny.
It requires no very great amount of penetration to discover,
that one formidable obstacle to the success of missionary enterprises in Greece is the political ambition of the people.
With the mass even of intelligent men, the contemplation of
the future prospects of their country excludes from their minds
all consideration of religion as a personal concern. To embrace a purer type of Christianity seems to them, not only to
be forsaking the religion of their forefathers, but to be severing
* A translation of the certificate given to pilgrims was published a
few years since in the Missionary Herald.




126                THE GREEK CHURCH.
every tie that binds together the scattered members of the
Hellenic race.  "It will be time enough to consider the truth
or falsity of our tenets," is a common remark; "when Constantinople has fallen into our hands." Meanwhile they are
ready to regard every one that endeavors to disturb their ecclesiastical unity, as conspiring against the high and manifest
destiny of Greece.
Three distinct missionary enterprises, undertaken by Evangelical Christians of America, have been prosecuted for a number of years. The earliest is that commenced about the year
1828 by Rev. Jonas King, D.D., under the auspices of the
American Board.  Shortly after, Rev. J. H. Hill, D.D., was
sent out by the Protestant Episcopal Board. And the Baptist
Missionary Union has until lately been represented on Greek
soil by Rev. Messrs. Buel and Arnold-the latter having been
for some years previous stationed on the island of Corfu.
Dr. King's labors were at first directed to the establishment
of schools for the education of boys chiefly. But the American
Board having deemed it inexpedient to continue the large appropriations requisite for prosecuting this enterprise, it became
necessary to abandon it. As far as respects the mere intellectual education of boys, the necessity of private schools has
been removed by the establishment of an extensive system of
popular education, including higher seminaries of learning and
a noble university. During the last few years, Dr. King has
devoted himself to preaching and publishing useful religious
books and tracts.*
Dr. Hill has long superintended a large female school, at one
time containing several hundred girls, belonging to families
that occupy the highest social position. Many of his former
pupils are already exerting an extended, and, it is hoped, a
very healthful influence in society. Mr. Buel-after having
in vain attempted to establish schools at Piraeus, in which the
* I am happy to learn that, since I left Greece, Dr. King has gathered
a number of pious youth, chiefly, if not wholly, Greeks from Turkey,
and has begun to give them systematic instruction in Theology. There
are already ten of these students, and there is a prospect of farther accessions. These are the men, we trust, that are to become instruments
of great good, in the reformation of the nineteenth century, among the
Eastern Christian Churches.




HOPEFUL INDICATIONS.               127
Gospel might be taught without the introduction of the Greek
Catechism, as prescribed by the government-now devotes
himself (as did also Mr. Arnold, at Athens) to a work similar
to that of Dr. King. Of the Rev. Mr. Hildner's schools at
Syra, I shall speak in another connection.
It can not be denied that Greece has hitherto proved a difficult field of labor. To those that look for immediate results,
and estimate success only by the abundance of present fruit,
the seed may seem to have fallen upon a barren soil. But
there are those who can not persuade themselves that more
than a quarter of a century of incessant toils has been thrown
away; that the multitudes that have heard the gospel preached
in its purity will retain none of its elevating principles; that
the child, who gained his first lessons of knowledge in an
American school, has not been permanently benefited; above
all, that thousands of copies of the Scriptures, scattered broadcast over the land, can fail, sooner or later, to be a potent element in the forces that shall bring about the reformation of
the Greek Church. To such the progress of education and
enlightenment, and the advance toward complete religious liberty, constitute a favorable omen of the approach of the time
when the results of so much toil shall become manifest to all.




TEMPLE OF THESEUS AT ATHENS.
CHAPTER X.
CHURCH FESTIVALS AT ATHENS.
THE shops throughout Athens were kept closed all day on
Good Friday.  Their exterior was decorated with a profusion of waxen tapers, combined in a variety of ways, and giving them an appearance of considerable liveliness. At a number of stalls temporarily erected in the street of _Eolus, crowds
of citizens were seen providing themselves with torches-almost the only article exposed for sale-in anticipation of the
great season of rejoicing so soon to succeed. Passing by this
busy scene I walked on to the Church of St. Irene-the most
important in the city as long.as the Cathedral remains unfinished.
Last night, being " Great Thursday," as the Greeks call it,
there was a service said in the various churches of the city
lasting several hours. What are called the "Twelve Gospels"
-that is, twelve selections of Scripture relating to the Passion of our Lord-were read at that time.  During the protracted reading, or at its close, an image representing the
blessed Saviour on the cross, was brought out by the priests,
and laid in the midst of the church. It has been customary
to produce, at the same time, an effigy of the apostate Judas,




GOOD FRIDAY -AT ST. IRENE'S.          129
and to burn it in public. This immemorial practice- has,
however, of late years been abandoned, and is now prohibited
by the government, in consequence, I understand, of the animosity that such a sight naturally revived in the breasts of
the uneducated classes against the Israelitish population.
The last outbreak of this feeling took place on the 4th of
April, 1847, when a bigoted mob attacked the house of
Mr. Pacifico, an unoffending Jewish resident.  The doors were
burst open; various members of his family were insulted or
maltreated; while the more cunning took advantage of the
opportunity to appropriate all that they could lay hands on.
Happily for Mr. Pacifico, he was a British subject; and, since
he found it impossible to obtain redress for his injuries, because of the inefficiency or partiality of the courts of justice,
he appealed to his own government. It was only after a delay of three years, and the blockade of the port of Piraeus by
an English fleet, that the Greek ministry could be induced to
pay the required indemnity.
There was no extraordinary service to-day at St. Irene's;
but the image of our Lord was still lying in state beneath a
rich canopy directly under the dome. An image, or ikon, in
the Greek sense of the word, is nothing more than a simple
painting; for, in the ecclesiastical works, a distinction is
made, as we have stated, between images and statues: the
worship of the latter being considered idolatrous, while the
reverence given to the former is regarded as not only allowable, but even praiseworthy. The more devout, who seemed
to consist chiefly of women and children, came in from time
to time to say their prayers, and kiss the hands and feet of the
image. An attendant sat near by at a table. As each worshipper was about to leave the church, he placed a piece or
two of silver upon the waiter, or one of the holy discs, for the
benefit of the church. In return he received a blessing, and
a flower was handed to him from a pile that was doubtless
consecrated.
In the evening I went again to St. Irene's, to hear the
"Epitaphion," a sort of funeral service, in which every circumstance is carefully adapted to express sorrow and mourning, in commemoration of the burial of our Saviour. The
F 2




130          CHURCH FESTIVALS AT ATHENS.
ceremonies in the church being ended, a procession formed.
Standing in the street at a distance, its coming was announced
by the glare of a thousand torches borne by the throng that
accompanied' the funeral pageant. As it drew nearer I could
catch more distinctly the mournful tones of the priests, as with
measured chant they carried on a bier the image that I had
seen in the church itself. It was preceded by a great wooden
cross, before which the spectators crossed themselves repeatedly and bowed profoundly. The bier was followed by a number of distinguished persons, among whom was Mr. Paicos,
Minister of Foreign Affairs, with other members of the government. Last year the ministers carried the pall. The convoy
was accompanied by a military band, with muffled drums, playing a dead march, and followed by a large crowd, whose torches
threw a dazzling brilliancy on every object as they passed.
Still more characteristic and impressive was the procession
from a smaller church, which I met a few minutes later not
far from the same spot. Without a band, or the presence of
men of distinction, it advanced amidst a host of flitting lights.
Instead of musicians it was preceded by a hundred or more
children and youth, continually shouting rather than chanting that solemn petition so frequently occurring in their
litany: " Kyrie eleyson" —" Lord have mercy!"  But though
there was a certain earnestness of manner, it was too evident
that few in their boisterous shouts remembered the full import of the cry. Next came the priests, repeating portions
of the service, and carrying, instead of the picture of Christ,
a genuine coffin, covered with a black pall. Whenever the
procession approached a church it paused, and did not proceed till a certain number of prayers were repeated.
Saturday is observed as a day of mourning rather than of
festivity; but toward night the churches are crowded with
worshippers. At about ten in the evening I took my station
on a balcony opposite St. Irene's, to which I had been kindly
invited by the occupants of the apartments.  Until near
midnight the time passed in agreeable conversation with our
Greek host and hostess, and those of their acquaintance that
had been invited to attend. A few minutes before twelve
the king and queen, with their suite, drove up, and, preceded




EASTER DAWN.                     131
by the Bishop of Attica, ascended the platform erected in the
centre of the square in front of the church. While they stood
there facing the people, I could not but think of the feelings
that must fill their breasts: the one as a Roman Catholic,
probably abhorring the rites of an inimical faith; the other
as a Protestant, grieved, if she reflected at all on the subject,
at the superstitious observances in which she was compelled
to act a studied part.  For a quarter or half an hour the
priests chanted the "Anastasis," a service commemorative of
the resurrection of our Lord; but owing to the absurd practice of ringing the church bells incessantly, nothing could be
understood.  The number of tapers carried by the crowd being much greater, the effect was still more brilliant and pleasing than on Good Friday.  This service was then transferred
to the interior of St. Irene's, where it lasted a while longer.
To me the most interesting part of the occasion was at
the conclusion of the exercises.  Easter was now regarded
as actually begun, commemorating the Saviour's resurrection. Each, as if animated by the joyful thought, turned to
his neighbor, and kissing him, exclaimed, " Christos aneste""Christ is risen!"   To which the other in turn responded: "Alethos aneste"-~" He is risen indeed!"  The salutation
was first given by the ministers of state to each other, and
from them it spread to the rest of the assembly. For weeks
after I occasionally saw the same thing repeated; but it was
only between acquaintances, when they met for the first time
since Easter. Usage is said to limit the employment of this
mode of address to the space of forty days.
After the termination of these ceremonies, all is mirth.
The bells from all parts of the city send forth a joyful peal.
Generally the Easter festivities have been accompanied by
frequent discharges of fire-arms, after the manner of our
"Fourth of July;" but this year the practice has been forbidden, and the prohibition strictly enforced. Various have
been the surmises respecting the cause of this sudden rigor.
The ostensible reason is the numerous accidents that have
resulted from the use of balls. More probably the government feared lest the occasion should be seized by the discontented to make a revolution, or an attempt to assassinate the




132          CHURCH FESTIVALS AT ATHENS.
king. For months previous rumors had been circulated of an
intention to overthrow the constitution of September, 1843;
as was first alleged, by the king a la Napoleon III., afterward
by the people, or by some ambitious demagogues. An investigation was at this time in progress, conducted by committees
of the Legislature. The whole matter seemed to be very much
involved in obscurity.
A second service on Easter Sunday concluded the festivities
of the Holy Week at Athens.  It is styled the second Anastasis, and is chiefly remarkable for the recital of the gospel of the
day in as many languages as the clergy can muster.  It is
currently reported that they "cram" for the occasion with
whole pages of languages of which they do not understand a
single word-a very natural result, since quantity, not quality, is the requisite for the occasion.
At the conclusion of Lent, whose fast has been kept with a
strictness for which no parallel can be found in Western Europe, the rejoicings of the people are the greater, in proportion
to their protracted abstinence. The fare of the peasant on
Easter-day is the best of the whole year. There is no family
so poor that, on this day at least, it does not have for dinner an
entire lamb, roasted on the coals.  Then the following Tuesday is kept as a general holiday. All business is suspended,
and almost the entire population resorts to the fields about the
Temple of Theseus, and the hills of Mars and the Nymphs, to
join in dances, or to witness them. It is no exaggeration to
say that on the occasion when I was present, there were thousands of men, women, and children assembled, all in their best
attire. It was curious to notice the animated scene, so close
upon the most venerable monument of Athenian art.
The Romaic dance, which can here be seen to great advantage, is quite peculiar to Greece. The dancers, who are always
of the same sex, rarely number less than twenty or thirty.
Having selected a leader, they form a sort of train, always
preserving somewhat of a circular position, and often clinging
to each other by means of a handkerchief passed around their
neighbor's waist." Within this partial circle sits sometimes
one musician, but oftener two or three. One. plays discordantly on the pipe; a second laboriously endeavors to extract




BLESSING THE SEA.                133
harmonious tones from an instrument not very much unlike a
banjo; while a third, at measured intervals, thumps with a
large stick upon a cracked drum. The music, however, seems
to be of secondary importance. The motions of the dancers
are slow and dignified, partaking of the nature of pantomime,
in which the chief object of each is to reproduce the action and
gestures of the leader. But at times the action becomes more
violent, varying with the nature of the subject of song, and
the temperament of the leader. It is a favorite idea among
the learned Greeks with whom I have conversed respecting it,
that the Romaic is but a modification of the Pyrrhic dance of
the ancients, and its character, so utterly unlike the frivolous
dances now in vogue, goes far toward establishing at least a
connection between them.  The Romaic resembles what I
would fancy to be the war-dance of our Indians.
On the morning of the festival of Epiphany, a singular ceremony took place at Piraeus, analogous to the marrying of the
sea practised by the ancient doges of Venice. At an early
hour the Archbishop of Athens, attended by a large company
of ecclesiastics, repaired to the margin of the harbor. A vast
throng, especially of boatmen, gathered around while he proceeded to bless the waters according to a formula provided for
such occasions. At the same time he cast a small cross into
the waves. By the contact, the waters of the bay are presumed to be hallowed, and the shipping in some measure insured from shipwreck and other perils of the deep. From the
annual repetition, it would seem that the blessing is sufficient
only for a single year; and were it not renewed, it would be
almost impossible to persuade a Greek sailor to embark upon
the unsanctified element. Scarcely had the cross disappeared
from sight before a crowd of boatmen plunged in to find the
glittering prize. And then began a strife in the deep water,
until one, more fortunate than his competitors, emerged, clutching the cross in his hand. Amidst the congratulations of his
friends, he now hastened home.  Having equipped himself
with his best suit of clothes, he next rode to Athens and presented himself with his cross at the palace. It is customary
for the king to make the finder the handsome gift of one hundred or more drachms, The ministers of state, and then all




1 34         CHURCH FESTIVALS AT ATHENS.
others, follow the royal example; and, even before the day
has closed, it not unfrequently happens that the boatman's
gains amount to a hundred dollars.
The festival of the Three Hierarchs occurred on the eleventh
of February, New Style; or twelve days sooner, according to
the old method of computing time. It was observed in a special manner by the University. Not only were all exercises
suspended, but most of the professors and students repaired
early in the morning to the church of St. Irene, to attend a
long and tedious service. The chief feature of interest was
the delivery of a written discourse by the Archimandrite Misael, perpetual secretary of the Holy Synod. Preaching is of
such rare occurrence in the Greek Church, that I was curious
to know what a man holding so elevated a station in that communion would select for his theme.  Taking for his text the
sixteenth verse of the fifth chapter of St. Matthew, the archimandrite enjoined on his hearers the necessity of leading a
good life, as well as professing the orthodox faith. And as
suitable examples for imitation, he held forth the virtues of
the three "Hierarchs," in honor of whom the day was observed: St. Gregory the Theologian, St. Basil the Great, and
St. John Chrysostom.  The discourse was a fair moral homily; but that was all. A pagan or a deist could have found
little fault with its Christianity; for it ignored alike human
inability and divine grace.
The churches in Greece are very numerous, but mostly
small and inelegant. The village church is often no more
than twenty or thirty feet long, without bell or belfry, and the
exterior disfigured by a coating of whitewash. Some in Athens, even, are equally unpretending. On entering one of these
humble structures, a narrow space at the farther end is found
to be separated from the part occupied by the people by a highly-decorated wooden screen. It is adorned with several paintings, ort canvas or wood, according to the wealth of the church.
Those of our Saviour and the Virgin Mary occupy the most
conspicuous places, on either side of the main entrance into the
hieron, or "holy place," as the room behind the screen is
called. One who is skilled in recognizing the saints by their
appropriate symbols, can generally determine at first glance to




CELEBRATION OF THE MASS.              135
whom the church is dedicated; for the picture of the patron
is usually placed next to that of our Saviour. In the poorer
chapels, instead of costly paintings, there are sometimes very
mediocre engravings; but a curiously-wrought lamp of traditional shape invariably burns before them, and its flickering
light is usually kept up all night.
In the larger churches there are three doors opening into
the " hieron."  Through the middle entrance appears the " sacred table," to which the name of altar is, I believe, never applied. It is there that the consecration of the elements employed in the Lord's Supper is performed; but this portion of
the service is not witnessed by the people.  When it takes
place, the curtains are drawn over the door, and now only the
low plaintive tones of the officiating priest are heard by the
worshippers who stand with bowed heads without. The scene
is certainly more impressive than the more gorgeous ceremonial of the Latin Church. As a reason for observing this secrecy, it is alleged that the solemnity of the service might otherwise be marred by the levity and irreverence of the audience.
On either side of the principal entrance into the hieron are
stalls in parallel rows facing each other. One, larger and
handsomer than the rest, is set apart for the bishop, whenever
he is present: the others are occupied by the men and boys
that chant parts of the service.  Women are not allowed to
sing; nor, indeed, are they permitted to stand so near the
"holy table."  In St. Irene's they occupy the galleries; and
elsewhere the sides or farther end of the nave is appropriated
to them.
Still more singular, in the eyes of one who has often witnessed the devotions of Roman Catholic assemblies, and their
numerous genuflexions, does it appear that a Greek auditory,
no less reverent in their demeanor, should never prostrate
themselves, but retain the primitive Christian custom of standing in prayer. Not only chairs, but kneeling-stools, even, are
entirely wanting. The tottering bishop himself stands erect
during a great part of the service. The stranger will, however, easily distinguish the more impressive portions of the mass,
by the number of times that the sign of the cross is employed.
The Greek rarely crosses himself less than three times in suc



136          CHURCH FESTIVALS AT ATHENS.
cession, and irequently does it nine times. In the use of this
sign he is much more deliberate and reverential than the Latins, whom he regards as highly irregular in their practice;
because, while he makes it from right to left, they make it in
the opposite direction. With equal tenacity does he insist on
the use of three fingers in pronouncing the benediction, thereby
testifying his belief in the Holy Trinity. He likewise employs,
in certain parts of the service, two bundles of waxen tapers.
The first, composed of three, has the same symbolical sense as
that just mentioned. The two tapers bound in the other, are
used to set forth the two Natures in the one Person of our
Saviour.




NAITPLIA, FROM TIIE BAY.
CHAPTER XI.
THREE DAYS IN ARGOLIS.
"These massive walls,
Whose date o'erawes tradition, gird the home
Of a great race of kings, along whose line
The eager mind lives aching, through tile darkness
Of ages else unstoried, till its shapes
Of armed sovereigns spread to godlike port,
And, frowning in the uncertain dawn of time,
Strike awe, as powers who ruled an older world,
In mute obedience."
TALFOURD'S ION.
IT was between six and seven in the evening of one of the
first days of April before I could make the necessary arrangements for a tour with a party intending to start on the morrow for Nauplia.  Mr. Newton, late an antiquarian attached
to the British Museum, but recently appointed Vice-Consul
for the Island of Mitylene, and C., son of a prominent London
publisher, were to be my companions, and we had engaged
Demetrius, familiarly called Demetri, for our guide.  By the
time we had fully concluded to make the excursion, it was wellnigh dark; and yet neither Demetri nor I had procured our
passes, without which we were liable to be stopped at any




138             THREE DAYS IN ARGOLIS.
moment on our way, and perhaps subjected to considerable
trouble in clearing ourselves from the suspicion of being either
robbers or vagrants. The passport office was closed; but the
timely disbursement of two or three drachms readily opened
it for us. A fresh difficulty presented itself; for not a blank
pass could be found in the office. The ingenuity of the clerk
easily surmounted this obstacle. An old pass which had seen
service was discovered; the name upon it was transmuted to
what might be supposed to bear a slight resemblance to mine;
and the words " with his man, Demetrius," were added.  So
were we permitted to visit Argolis.
The next morning saw us on our way to Piraeus, by the
Macadamized road, which for three-fourths of the distance
runs in a direct line across the meadows. The German surveyors chose for its substruction the northern of the Long
Walls of Themistocles, and every violent rain uncovers temporarily the upper course of stones. Our driver did himself
credit, and we reached the harbor in three quarters of an hour,
and in ample time for the little Austrian steamer upon which
we took passage for Nauplia.
The weather was cloudy and dull when we started; but as
we advanced the atmosphere grew clearer, and we saw with
great distinctness the shores of the Saronic Gulf, upon which
we entered. Just beyond the narrow entrance of the harbor,
our attention was drawn to the simple monument of Miaulis;
and only a few feet farther were the fragments of what popular tradition has dignified with the name of Themistocles'
Tomb. Whether this be the exact spot of his sepulture or
not, the bones of the great general of ancient times, and those
of the most famous admiral of moder Greece, lie mouldering
on the shores of the }Egean, within a few yards of each other.
Themistocles, it is well known, was buried by the sea-side, in
full view of the Straits of Salamis, the scene of his most splendid victory over the Persian fleet.
We altered our course as soon as we had cleared the promontory of Munychia, and, leaving on our right the island of Salamis, headed for the eastern cape of Argolis. This brought
us within a very short distance of the Temple of lEgina, dedicated of old to Jupiter Panhellenius. Through the captain's




A PARTY ON DECK.                  139
glass we could distinguish without difficulty its standing columns.  It is one of the most perfect edifices out of Athens itself; but we saw it to little advantage, and I reserved a visit
for a future occasion.
There were quite a number of passengers on board our little
steamer, and as the day was fair and mild, every body congregated on deck.  Indeed, the trip being a short one, most of
them were deck passengers. The Greeks are so talkative and
so easy of access, that it is not difficult to make a number of
acquaintances in a short time.  Our company was a lively
one, too. As they had nothing else to do, most of them
amused themselves by playing cards. One party of eight or
ten were seated in Turkish fashion near the helm, forming a
circle around a cloth, on which figured a cold leg of mutton
and several bottles of wine. The men helped themselves plentifully, and, disdaining the use of forks, cut the meat with their
jack-knives, or tore it to pieces with their fingers. These
were evidently all from the same neighborhood, and members
of the same clan. Some had that free-and-easy look, united
to a considerable share of fierceness, that distinguishes the old
kleft; others, who were younger, belonged to the no less energetic, but more tractable class, that is now springing up to
take the place of the mountain brigand. I fell into conversation with some students of the University that were returning
home to spend the Easter Week vacation. Like all the rest
of Greek students, they were poor, and evidently self-made
men. Another set was collected around a musician, who afforded entertainment by playing on an instrument not unlike
the banjo, and by singing some country songs.
There were but two cabin passengers besides ourselves, and
they were members of the House of Representatives.  One of
them, Mr. Axelos, who represents the city of Nauplia, was disposed to be very communicative.  He informed me that an
election was about to be held at Argos the next day, or the
day after, and that he was going thither to attend it. Being
a partisan of the king, he seemed to be commissioned to procure as favorable a result for the ministry as he could. The
officer to be chosen on this occasion was the demarch, or mayor of the city, the most important municipal authority. The




140             THREE DAYS IN ARGOLIS.
mode of election, as Mr. Axelos described it, is a most curious
one.  The people choose twelve men as electors, and twelve
more as substitutes. The first twelve choose from their own
number four men with their substitutes; and finally three candidates are selected by these for the office of mayor. Their
names are presented to the king or ministry, and these designate the one who shall be mayor. Out of the three candidates, I presume, the monarch may safely depend on finding
one that will advocate the ministerial measures, for the sake
of gaining office. And, of course, in so complicated a procedure, the government will find abundant opportunity for wielding an influence over the election. It would be too great a
stretch of charity to believe that my friend, Mr. Axelos, had
no part to take in the election at Argos, as he was furnished
by the ministry with an order for an escort of soldiers through
the dangerous pass from Argos to Corinth, of which he invited
me to avail myself in returning to Athens.
By eleven o'clock we had crossed the Saronic Gulf, passing
close to the island of Poros, remarkable of late years for the
burning of the Greek fleet in its harbor; but more famous
under the name of Calauria, as the scene of the death of
Demosthenes. It is a bleak, barren rock, without the sign
of a habitation on this side. We kept on our course, near to
the main land, and inside of the island of Hydra, which rises
high and rocky from the sea. The town itself is divided by a
ridge, which, running out into the sea, forms two harbors, the
smaller serving for quarantine. The house of Condurriotti,
the famous Hydriote, stands on the narrow tongue of land between the two, and was pointed out to me. The commerce
of Hydra has never recovered from the shock it received during the Revolutionary war. The prizes captured did not compensate for the great drains upon its resources.  Since the
Revolution, its neighbor, Spezzia, has regained some of its former importance; but Hydra has never sent forth such extensive fleets as those which it sent annually into the Black Sea.
The privileges enjoyed by the islanders were so singular that
they had little reason to complain of the tyranny of the Turks.
Hydra was almost independent of the Porte, governing itself,
permitting no infidel to set foot on its soil, and merely paying




HYDRA, THE HOME OF LIBERTY.            141
a small annual tribute. Commerce has usually the effect of
removing national prejudice, and of making men more tolerant
of the religion, manners, and customs of their neighbors; but
at Hydra it seems to have had a result directly the reverse.
A Smyrniote lady at Athens told me that her father once'nearly lost his life for presuming to enter Hydra in Frank
dress. So inveterate was the dislike entertained for the foreign costume, that he was pursued and hooted at in the streets,
and compelled to take refuge in a house. It was a characteristic outburst of patriotism that led the admiral Tombazi to
reply to one who exclaimed "What a spot you have chosen
for your country!" "It was liberty that chose the spot, not
we."  But along with this noble sentiment, and with others
distinguishing them above the rest of their countrymen, the
Hydriotes possess a considerable measure of the sordid love of
gain. It is said that there actually existed in their city, at
the time of the Revolution, three mints for the manufacture
of counterfeit Turkish coin, which was taken to Turkey, and
there put in circulation.*
Our steamboat stopped but a few moments off Hydra, to
land passengers, and then continued its course until, coming
between Spezzia and the continent, we entered the Gulf of
Argos. The town of Spezzia is less picturesquely situated
than Hydra; but the island is lower and not so rocky. The
harbor is long and narrow. The remainder of the afternoon
was spent in steaming up the Gulf, with the bare rocks of the
Argolic peninsula on the right, and the equally precipitous
hills of Laconia on the other side, coming down to the very
margin of the water. After turning a promontory, our steamer
anchored directly between Nauplia and the little fort of St.
Nicholas, or Bourtzi, on a small island opposite the city.
Nauplia is finely situated, and appears to great advantage
from the water. The houses are generally built of white
limestone, with tiled roofs but slightly inclined. They rise
gradually one above another on the side of a hill that forms
the end of the promontory, and is crowned by the fort of Itchkali. But these works are slight compared with those on the
Palamede, a hill 740 feet in height, which commands the town
* Howe's Greek Revolution, p. 155, note infine,




142             THREE DAYS IN ARGOLIS.
from  the southeast, and renders Nauplia one of the three
strongest places in the Morea-the Acrocorinthus and Monembasia being the other two. It is singular that so remarkable
a situation as this should not have been occupied, in the times
of the ancients, by a populous town. But Nauplia is scarcely
mentioned by historians and geographers until a comparatively
modern date. Even toward the bay the town is protected by
a high wall, which rises from the water's edge, and allows the
landing of boats only in a single place. It is said, also, that a
double chain used to be stretched from the fort Bourtzi to the
main land. It is no wonder that the Turks were foiled in the
attempt to take this place by storm from the hands of the
Greeks.
Although it was not late in the afternoon when we arrived
off Nauplia, we were deterred from landing by a violent thunder-storm; and we concluded, following Demetri's advice, to
spend the night on shipboard. The sun rose, on the morrow,
in a clear sky, revealing all the features of the surrounding
landscape. Northward we saw the low and level plain of
Argos bounded by mountains; and on the west, at the base
of the high hills that ran southward as far as the eye could
distinguish them, was the low, marshy ground, where now
stand the few houses of Myli. That was the ancient Lerne,
the haunt of the famous Lernian Hydra, whose slaughter constituted one of the great achievements of Hercules. If the
Hydra-as German critics pretend-was only symbolic of the
pestilential vapors, which Hercules effectually removed by
draining it, the monster is now as active as ever: for the
neighborhood of Lerne, like all other low and boggy grounds
in this warm country, is infested with fever and ague during
nearly two-thirds of the year.
After waiting a long while impatiently for our guide, who
had gone off to the shore, Demetri at last appeared; and we
repaired in a boat to the landing-place, where we found the
horses that had been procured for us. We set off at once,
without stopping to look at Nauplia, for the old ruined cities
of Tiryns, Mycenae, and Argos. Through a number of narrow lanes we rode at full speed, brushing past the little open
shops, and now and then drawing our beasts near the wall, in




PLAIN OF ARGOS.                 143
order to avoid a train of mules laden with sacks or baskets,
or a row of donkeys carrying huge bundles of brushwood, under which they were almost hidden. As for foot-passengers,
they shifted for themselves; and, in case the street was too
narrow to allow more than a couple of horses to pass at
the same time, they took refuge in some open doorway or
shop. We left Nauplia through the only land gate, over
which the old winged lion of St. lMark still exists sculptured
on a slab of marble, a witness to the former supremacy of the
Venetian Republic. We saw the same emblem, more or less
entire, on various other portions of the wall. The Turks,
when they gained possession of the city, after carefully destroying the head of the lion, which they supposed, doubtless, to be
one of the idols of the Christians, cared little whether the remainder of the monument was still there or not. Passing the
narrow strip of ground used as a promenade, at the foot of the
Palamede, we came to the suburb of Pronia, which, when
Nauplia was the capital of the government, as it was for
many years after the Revoluticn, was crowded with countryseats of all the principal families. Pronia has witnessed some
stormy scenes. The congress that assembled there was broken
up by force of arms, and its deputies dispersed. On the cliffs
that encircle the recess in which Pronia is situated, we noticed,
in riding by, a lion cut out of the solid rock, in imitation of
the famous monument at Lucerne. It commemorated the
Bavarians who died in Greece.
We now turned northward, and entered the plain of Argos.
A remarkable plain it is, indeed, and the scene of interesting
historical events, from the time of Hercules, the Pelasgians,
and the heroes of the Trojan war. The names of its celebrated cities, Mycenae, Tiryns, and Argos, are mentioned as
the seats of potent monarchs, at a time when proud Athens
itself was mentioned by Homer as only a " demus," or town.
The fertility of the soil, and its advantageous situation for
commerce, led to its early selection for the principal kingdom
of Greece; and it still enjoys the reputation of being superior
in productiveness to any other part of the country, except
Messenia. We certainly could not fail to be struck with the
vast difference between this plain and that of Athens, than




144             THREE DAYS IN ARGOLIS.
which a more rocky and arid district would be difficult to
find. The Argolic valley, measuring, perhaps, a dozen miles
in length-from Nauplia to Mycenae-and not less than seven
or eight in breadth at its southern end, gradually contracted
as we rode on, until above Mycenae it became a narrow defile.
Fields of wheat, and vineyards of the Corinthian currant, occupied both sides of the road. The products of both are said
to be excellent. But there are none of those fine old olivegroves that give such a light-green tinge to the landscape in
Attica. No one that travels across it, as we were about to
do, just after a heavy rain, and is obliged to wade through
pools of waters covering the entire road, or to stem the current of the Inachus, would be likely to style the plain of Argos-as both ancients and moderns have done-" a thirsty
land."  Yet such it generally is, in consequence of the meagreness of the Inachus, the only torrent it possesses.
In half an hour we reached Tiryns.  The long and narrow eminence is a striking object. Rising in the midst of
a perfectly level country, it has been compared to a large ship
upon the calm surface of the sea.  The road runs parallel to
its western side. Having turned into the fields on the right,
we rode up to the principal entrance of this acropolis. We
alighted at the walls, and, while our guide led the horses around
the hill to the road, we explored the remains of Greek masonry.
To reach the mouth of a passage running through the thickness of the wall on the eastern side of the place, it was necessary to thread our way through the mass of tangled vines
and stinging nettles that had grown up luxuriantly during the
rains of spring. The wall was built of large, rough, and apparently unwrought stones,... O Ti                heaped one upon another,
with smaller ones frequently filling up the interstices.
Some of the stones measured five or six, and others
as much as ten feet in
Eifii     length.  The passage-way
was vaulted, not accordA:ICc IN' THE W-A,L, OF TIRYN.S.    ing to the principle of the




RUINS OF TIRYNS.                 -45
arch, but with large stones projecting more and more, until the
highest courses met entirely; their balance being preserved by
their being proportionately longer, so that the centre of gravity should fall within the wall. We entered this curious gallery, and found it some eight or nine feet high, and stretching
about one hundred feet in depth, when it comes to a sudden
termination.  A  single stone at the end has fallen, and the
light entering through the vacant space shows that the gallery
never extended any farther.  By the same dim light we could
distinguish five or six openings, or doors, on the right, which
served at some time or other as entrances leading from the exterior of the city. They have all since been walled up. What
could their use have been? Perhaps for making sallies upon
the enemy that might undertake to besiege the town.
We found another similar passage on the opposite, or western side of the great entrance; but it was less interesting.
The vault was perfect for a short distance only, the remainder
being quite destroyed.  We passed on, and ascended to the
top of the citadel, which appeared to be elevated some thirty
to fifty feet above the plain-one part being much lower than
the other, which was a sort of interior fortress. The summit
is about seven or eight hundred feet long from north to south,
and usually about one-fourth as wide, although it varies considerably. On these three or four acres of ground stood the
city of Tiryns, one of the oldest cities in Greece, and principally famous for the wars with its neighbors. It is curious to
see that in the time of that most invaluable of ancient topographers, Pausanias, sixteen or seventeen hundred years ago, it
was in the same ruinous condition as at present. " The wall,"
he tells us, "the only part of the ruins that remains, is the
work of the Cyclops; and built of unwrought stones, each of
which is so large that a yoke of mules could not move even
the smallest of them. Small stones have been of old fitted in
with them, so as each to form a connection between the large
stones."*  Nothing but an earthquake could make much impression on these gigantic masses; and so most of the circuit
of the wall remains quite perfect. The view over the vicinity
is extensive. Near the hill a neat-looking building has been
* Pausanias, II., 25.
(C




146             THREE DAYS IN ARGOLIS.
erected by the government for an agricultural college, which
thus far has not met with much success. The Greek taste, I
imagine, does not incline much to agriculture.
Demetri came to us before we had fully satisfied our curiosity, and reminded us of the long ride we had yet before us;
but promised that if there were time, we should have the opportunity of spending half an hour more at Tiryns on our return. So mounting again, we rode toward the upper end of
the valley, over a level district, abounding in villages and well
cultivated, leaving the city of Argos far to the left. Near
Mycenae the soil became lighter, and the country less populous. At the little khan of Kharvati we diverged from the
main road, and took a path which led us up to the village of
the same name.  Our arrival was greeted by some dozens of
boys who came to beg, and by as many dogs that came to bark
at us; but we set both at defiance, and pursued our way. We
were struck with the miserable condition of the inhabitants,
who live in low stone or mud hovels, thatched with brushwood and plants gathered in the vicinity.
A few rods beyond the village we reached the neighborhood
of Mycenae, and before entering the inclosure of the wall, descended into the far-famed Treasury of Atreus. An inclined
plane, bordered on either side by massive stone walls, led us
down to the building, which is excavated in the bowels of the
hill. On advancing through the wide portal, we found ourselves in a great circular, vaulted chamber, about fifty feet in
diameter, and forty in height. The walls gradually approach
as they rise in a series of regular courses of squared stone,
and form a conical dome-if I may be allowedthe expression.
Architecturally, the most remarkable feature of the construction is, that its solidity does not depend upon the vertical
strength of the arch; but each successive circle of stones is so
nicely adjusted, as not only to be firmly held together by its
own weight, but also to support the pressure of the circles
above it. A single stone-now displaced-capped the entire
structure. The gateway, through which we had entered, was
one of the most wonderful portions of the Treasury. Though
scarcely more than eight feet wide, it is spanned by an enormous soffit twenty-eight feet long, nineteen feet broad, and three




THE TREASURY OF ATREUS.              147
feet and nine inches in thickness! How that mass, weighing
many tons, was brought to this spot, and raised to the height
of twenty feet above the floor-and that, too, without the aid
of modern improvements in machinery-is a mystery difficult
of solution. Certainly the architects of Agamemnon's age
possessed no mean skill. Above this ponderous slab there is
a triangular window that serves to let a faint light into the
building.
Leaving our horses here, we groped our way through a
similar, but much smaller door, almost choked up with rubbish, into a lateral chamber. Demetri brought in an armful
of brush, and kindled a fire, whose flame revealed to us the
shape of a damp room some twenty feet square, by our measurement, and fourteen feet high, cut out of the hard rock, and
left with rough walls. The use of this portion of the building
is uncertain. Our guide persisted in calling it the Tomb of
Agamemnon, while the rest he styled the Treasury of Atreus.
The reverse, however, is the more reasonable supposition: the
costly chamber may have been the monument of the illustrious monarch, while the rough chamber, protected by the inviolable sanctity that attached to the resting-places of the
dead, may have served as a treasury for the living. Since the
structure stood outside the walls of the city-the most ancient
walls, at any rate-it is not impossible that this should have
been a tomb; but some authors endeavor to prove, and with
a show of plausibility too, that it was in some way connected
with the worship of those early races that inhabited Greece
before authentic history, and concerning whom the amount
of knowledge we possess, notwithstanding the bulky tomes
written about them, might be summed up in a few pages.
Possibly the walls of this inner chamber were coated with
marble, while those of the dome undoubtedly were covered
with copper plates, as is evident from the abundant remains
of copper nails studding their entire surface.
Riding along the crest of the hill, on which ran the more
recent walls of the city, we came unexpectedly to a hole,
through which the traces of a monument, precisely similar to
that we had been visiting, were visible. The upper part of
the dome had fallen in, disclosing some of the lower courses




148              THREE DAYS IN ARGOLIS.
of masonry.  Most of this "Treasury" is buried below the accumulated rubbish. There are two more outside the walls.
On reaching the acropolis of Mycenae, we dismounted, and
made a great part of the circuit on foot, observing the different kinds of construction that were here exhibited.  Sometimes, as at Tiryns, there were great masses of stone heaped
together, apparently without any attempt to give them a more
symmetrical shape. In other places the masses, though scarcely smaller, were hewn into large and almost regular courses,
the occasional crevices being filled with small fragments. In
walls of a yet more recent date the stones were much smaller,
but of a polygonal form, and generally so admirably fitted
as hardly to leave a visible joint between. We entered the
acropolis by a gate built, in the most simple manner, of three
stones-two upright slabs covered by a third. On either jamb
there were projections, against which the door rested, and on
one side were two holes, in which was placed the heavy bar
that secured it.  From  the elevated platform  on which we
stood we could look far and wide over the plain, where reigned "Agamemnon, king of men."  This was the capital of the
kingdom, while Tiryns to the south, and Argos, at the foot
of that high hill almost as far toward the southwest, were the
older and later capitals of the Atreidae. The ground we stood
on was perhaps occupied of old by the royal palace celebrated
for the misdeeds of Clytaemnestra and JEgisthus, and where
the victorious monarch, Agamemnon, was assassinated, with
the laurel still fresh on his brow.*
We descended from the top of the hill to the object of greatest interest in the place-the Gate of Lions.  Two enormous
* Agamemnon was sometimes styled King of Argos; but under this
name was included not only the city of Argos-this being the capital of
Diomede's dominions-but a large portion of the Peloponnesus, including particularly the cities of Mycenae and Tiryns. (HEYNE, Excurs. ],
ad II. 2.) The scene of the play of 2Eschylus was more probably laid at
Argos, whose site certainly accords better with the description given by
the poet, of the signal fires that transmitted to Clytaemnestra the news of
the fall of Troy, and of her husband's speedy return. I have not deemed it necessary to enter upon this discussion. The reader may find some
remarks upon it in a note by Professor Felton on LORD CARLISLE'S Diary in Turkish and (reek lVWaters, p. 252.




MYCEN^.                      119
GATE OF LIONS AT MYCENE.
stones, standing on end, support a slab equally ponderous;
and on the top of this is a triangular piece of gray limestone,
ten feet long and nine high, upholding the only statuary to
be found at Mycenae. A couple of lions are represented in
high relief erect on their hind legs, and facing each other.
Their front feet rest on a low pedestal between them, which
is, in fact, a short Doric column reversed. Unfortunately, the
heads of the lions are entirely destroyed, and so, also, is any
object that may have been upon the top of the column: thus
every clew to the meaning of this curious monument has disappeared, and it is impossible to tell, with any degree of certainty, whether it was connected with the worship of the mysterious builders of Mycena.  The artist who executed this
work was not devoid of skill in portraying nature.  Every
muscle of the lion's body is expressed, and even exaggerated,
though there is a certain stiffness about the whole that marks
an early period of art. At a glance one is struck with the
resemblance of the figures to Egyptian works; and no one
that has seen the Assyrian monuments in the London and
Parisian museums can fail to notice an equal likeness to their
rigid outlines.  It is a well-authenticated tradition that the
Egyptians sent colonies to this part of Greece; but it seems
very doubtful whether these monuments resemble each other




150             THREE DAYS IN ARGOLIS.
any farther than as to the mere clumsiness that characterizes
all works of remote antiquity.
The ruins of Mycenae are the more interesting from the fact,
that since the time of Pausanias they have undergone little or
no change.  "The inhabitants of Argos," says the historian,
" destroyed Mycenae out of envy; for while the Argives remained at rest during the invasion of the Medes, the Mycenians dispatched eight men to Thermopylae, who took part in
the contest with the Lacedaemonians. This brought destruction upon them, since it excited the emulation of the Argives.
There remains, however, besides other portions of the inclosure, the gate with the lions standing over it. They say that
these are the work of the Cyclopes, who constructed the wall
at Tiryns for Prcetus."  The great topographer also mentions
the treasuries of Atreus and his children, his tomb, and those
of Agamemnon and Clytamnestra
We lingered for an hour or two among the ruins of Mycere,
and then hurried back to Kharvati, to take our lunch at -:
khan. While we were partaking of such food as our guide
had provided, some peasants brought us the ancient coins they
had found in ploughing.  Most of them were of the Byzantine period. They set an enormous value upon them, prizing
especially all those that bore the impress of a Christian emperor. It is said that when a medal of Constantine is found,
it is kept as an heir-loom in the family, and nothing can tempt
the fortunate possessor to part with it. Some peasants at the
same khan were taking their mid-day repast; but as it was
still Lent, they rigidly abstained from meat and fish. They
had before them a panful of snails, which they ate raw with
their bread, seeming to regard them in the light of a delicacy.
We were almost tempted to follow their example; but our
prejudice against snails was too powerful to be overcome, and
we confined ourselves to that which the more civilized Demetri fad set before us.
In returning to Nauplia we took a longer road, which passes
by Argos. This consumed more than two hours; for our
horses were poor, and the road, though good in dry weather,
led across the swollen stream Inachus, which is quite a respectable creek at this season of the year. We found Argos




THEATRE OF ARGOS.                1i
utterly unlike Nauplia in appearance. The houses are newer, and not so high; and many are surrounded by gardens and
vineyards, forming a populous but straggling town. Nauplia
is its rival, and for a long time entirely overshadowed it: but
now Argos contains, if I am rightly informed, ten or twelve
thousand souls, while Nauplia has only eight.  Our object
here was to see the remains of a Greek theatre. To reach it,
we were obliged to traverse the greater part of Argos; and a
crowd of boys seeing the milordi coming, quitted their games to
follow our steps. We had seen enough of their character to
know that nothing could be gained by commanding them to
be gone. Each who had been loudest in his play but a moment before, pressed us in piteous tones to give him a penny;
and when we alighted, half a dozen called us in different directions to show us the ruins. If we walked behind any one of
them, he was satisfied that we had engaged him as guide; so
that, by the time we were through, we found ourselves indebted
to them, by their own calculation, in quite a considerable sum.
The theatre itself, however, was interesting enough, notwithstanding the disturbance of our clamorous attendants.
The seats are cut out of the solid rock, and, rising one above
the other, are divided by alleys into three divisions. Although the lower part of the theatre is covered over with
soil, and a flourishing wheat field occupies the arena, some
sixty-seven seats are still visible. In one or two places on the
neighboring rocks, small bas-reliefs were rudely sculptured, of
which we could make little. A friend of mine at Athens told
me that he was a member of one of the chief congresses during the Greek revolution, which held its session in open air in
this splendid monument of antiquity. Behind the theatre,
which could seat about 20,000 persons, according to calculations made from the number of seats, rises the lofty Larissa,
the castle of modern, and the acropolis of old Argos. Its
name is sufficient evidence of a Pelasgian origin. It is covered by Venetian fortifications. The summit of the hill was
probably the station of that watchman whom the Tragic poet
represents as watching for ten long years, wet with the dews
of every night, for the signal-fires that were to announce the
capture of Troy by the Grecian troops.




152             THREE DAYS IN ARGOLIS.
From the theatre of Argos we returned to Nauplia.  Our
route led through the agora, or market-place of Argos. The
name is not confined here to a building or an open square,
but is applied to the portion of the town where provisions and
other commodities are sold. There were few or no shops,
every thing being exposed for sale on cloths and carpets spread
upon the ground on either side of the way. Like the Turkish
bazars, the place is noisy and crowded; every seller screams
in your ear, extolling the quality of his wares, and you find
yourself heartily glad when no longer within hearing. There
were but few houses between Argos and Nauplia, a distance
of six or seven miles; but the traffic and intercommunication
was evidently considerable. We reached the harbor a few
minutes prior to the departure of the steamer on its return to
Athens, and my companions hastened on board. As for myself, I concluded to vary the excursion by crossing to Corinth
by way of Nemea, and taking the steamer thence to Piraeus.
Since Demetri was to accompany the rest of the party, I had
a new pass made out, and soon domiciled myself in the small
old " Hotel of Peace," opposite the public square.
Mine host, who rejoiced in the name of Elias Giannopoulos,
finding that we could converse in his own native language,
was disposed to show me every attention. It was too late in
the afternoon to procure-permission of the mayor to visit the
Palamede; but he volunteered to show me the other curiosities of the place. He took me to the Church of St. Spiridon,
a small building in an obscure lane.  " This," said he, " was
the spot where Capo d'Istria, the first president of Greece, was
slain by the sons of Petron Bey. The two Mlavromichalis,
the assassins, stood a few feet down the alley, and when the
president, at the conclusion of divine service, issued from the
door of the church, they gave him a mortal wound."  My
friend Elias, though he disapproved of the bloody deed, and
admitted its utter uselessness, did not exhibit, I must confess,
much sorrow for the murdered man, who was the head of the
Russian party.  He grew very animated in describing the
abuses of the government at Nauplia, and the corruption introduced even into the municipal authority. My window at
the inn looked out upon the monument erected to the memory




PASS OF TR(ETUS.                158
of Ypsilanti, of whom Elias was a great admirer. He seemed
very much interested in learning that a town in America had
been named after the favorite hero of this part of Greece.
As Elias was about to send to Corinth to bring travelers to
his hotel, I had no difficulty in procuring a horse arid a guide
to cross the Argolic isthmus. On rising the next morning, we
found that the weather had undergone a sudden change during
the night; and instead of a clear, bright day, such as we had
enjoyed, the clouds hung threateningly upon the sides of the
hills, offering but a poor prospect for our long day's journey.
Again we traversed the plain of Argos, following the same road
as on the previous day; and again we lunched at the khan of
Kharvati, near the ruins of Mycene. Here the plain contracted into a valley, that shortly terminated in a narrow ravine.
This was the entrance into the Pass of Trcetus, famous in antiquity for its difficulty. It was here that, in 1822, eight thousand Turks, under Drami Ali Pasha, after having ravaged the
whole Argolic plain, and utterly destroyed Argos, attempted
to cross the mountains into Corinthia. A handful of Greeks,
with Nicetas at their head, were posted at the most defensible
point in the pass, while sixteen hundred more occupied the
heights about the entrance. For a time the Turks were permitted to advance unmolested; but when they had fairly entered on the intricacies of the defile, they were assailed from
behind rocks and bushes with volleys of shot. In vain did the
Turks attempt to dislodge their unseen enemies; they had
to contend with mountaineers, trained in the rocky heights of
Mount Taygetus. Drami Ali hoped, by pressing onward, to
free himself from his perilous situation. But after two hours'
march, with the enemy continually killing numbers of his men,
he reached the narrowest part of the pass, where Nicetas had
been impatiently awaiting his approach. Out of the entire
army of the Turks, only two thousand succeeded in dashing
through the opposing force.  About as many more retreated
to Nauplia; but between three and four thousand perished in
the fearful conflict. Quarter was sued for by many; but the
Greeks massacred to the last of their enemies. The spoil was
very great, for the Turks were laden with the plunder of Argos and many Greek villages. How changed the scene now 
G9 2




154             THREE DAYS IN ARGOLIS.
The pass was the picture of loneliness, and not a sound was
to be heard. It is noted only for robbers, who have infested
it until lately. It is even now considered the most likely
place for their reappearance; although Peloponnesus is, at
the present moment, entirely free from depredations.
The rain that had been threatening since morning now began to descend in torrents. In addition to this, the cold was
excessive, for the season of the year; and I found an overcoat
and an umbrella poor protection. My guide, Sideri, wrapped
in his great capote of camel's hair, fared much better. The
Pass of Troetus is long, and we sought for shelter, hoping that
the rain, would cease, or at least diminish. At length we
reached a hut; but, upon opening the door, we found the dark
interior crowded by a set of Greek peasants, who were endeavoring to console themselves with the bottle for the unpromising aspect of the weather without. Not relishing their
society, we pressed onward, my guide and a fellow-traveler
with whom we had fallen in amusing themselves by singing, in
the nasal tone peculiar to this country, some Greek love ditties.
Our new companion left us, and pursued his way to Corinth
by the direct road, while we turned to the left, and proceeded
to the little valley of Hagios Georgios, the ancient Nemea. I
was determined to visit the ruins, whatever the chances of the
continuation of the storm. Some caves were to be seen as we
approached Nemea; they were those fancied by the poets of
old to have been the haunts of the Nemean lion slain by Hercules. At length, from a small elevation, we saw before us
the retired valley of Nemea-apparently about three or four
miles long, and one mile broad-isolated among the high hills
of Argolis. A few minutes more brought us to the Temple
of Jupiter.
It was raining as hard as ever; but I dismounted and
tramped through the high grass, to examine this famous structure. There are only three columns standing-two of which
belong to the " pronaos," or chief entrance, and the third to
the portico that ran before it. Yet the shape of. the edifice
can be made out with distinctness, from the lower course of
stones belonging to the wall. All the columns of the portico
that surrounded the temple lie strewn. about the surface of the




TEMPLE OF NEMEA.                  1.5
TEMPLE OF JUPITER AT NEMEA.
ground. The numerous earthquakes with which this portion
of the globe has been visited have thrown down one stone
or one pillar after another; and where a whole column has
fallen at once, its pieces lie on the ground beside each other
in regular succession. The capital upon one of the remaining
columns has, by the same convulsion of nature, been singularly shifted from its place; and a few more movements of the
same kind will cause its fall. The inferiority of the coarse,
gray limestone of which the temple was constructed, but especially the distance of Nemea from  any modern Greek city,
have saved the temple from spoliation. It seems very probable that there remain sufficient materials to reconstruct the
greater part of the edifice. I sat down upon the wet stones,
and, under the shelter of an umbrella, succeeded in transferring to paper a sketch of the ruins. The temple was of the
Doric order, with a front of six columns. A ruined chapel
near by was built of the ruins of this or some other ancient
edifice of the same material. Instead of the busy scene which
this valley must have presented two thousand years ago, when
crowds of pleasure-loving Greeks thronged it, to behold the
games celebrated here every third year in honor of Archemorus, not a single habitation stands within sight of the, temple.
The surrounding fields are partly sown in wheat; while a few
shepherds tend their flocks of black sheep and goats on the
neighboring hills.
We had entered the valley from its southern end: we left




156             THREE DAYS IN ARGOLIS.
it by crossing the hills on the eastern side, near a fountain,
which was perhaps that of Adraste.  Then we followed the
course of a ravine, until, descending to the khan of Courtessa,
we rested a while to dry ourselves and drink a cup of hot
Turkish coffee. A khan is a cottage provided for the entertainment of the traveler, in which the farm-house and the hotel
are combined under one roof. The khan of Courtessa is not
very different from other khans throughout Greece, but as we
sat warming and drying ourselves, I had a good opportunity of
observing it. It is a small building, with a hard clay floor, in
the centre of which a rude hearth is built, and the smoke must
find its way out through the chinks of the roof, or the open
doors and windows. At the farther end, a little room, or
closet, is raised above the general level, with a boarded floor;
while the other end is fitted up as a country store. The sides
of the room are covered with the various products of the neighborhood. The floor is generally occupied at night as a sleeping-place, not only by the family, but by the countrymen who
put up there.
At Courtessa, we entered upon a clayey country, where a
torrent, now quite full on account of the recent rains, has cut
itself out a deep channel. Our path crossed it very frequently, and sometimes we were obliged to wade for a considerable
distance. At one place we crossed by means of a bridge,
which, my companion informed me, had been the head-quarters
of a celebrated kleft named Tambouris, who was accustomed
to strip the passers-by, but was at last captured and put to
death.  The ancient city of Cleonae occupied, it is supposed,
an eminence very near Courtessa, commanding the passes.
At intervals we saw, on the sides of the hills, caverns which
had been converted into sheep-folds, by constructing a fence of
brushwood around their mouths. The huts of the shepherds
were built of the same fragile materials, and, being destitute
of chimney and windows, were quite blackened with smoke.
It was after five o'clock when we began to descend into
the plain of Corinthia. The rain had ceased, and we would
have enjoyed a fine view of the Gulf, had not heavy clouds
shut out the distance. As it was, a broad plain, partly covered with a flourishing olive-grove, was extended at our feet,




THE INN AT CORINTH.               157
stretching far beyond Sicyon toward the west.  When we
reached the small " H6tel de Bretagne" at Corinth, the day
was too near its close to allow of my ascending to the Acrocorinthus; besides, I hoped that the weather might become
more propitious by morning.
I found that my friend, the deputy, who had so kindly invited me to come from Nauplia under the protection of his
escort, had arrived before me, and occupied the only decent
room in the establishment. My own was bad enough. Mine
host, a red-faced Ionian, who spoke Italian better than Greek,
came to know what I wished to-eat.  "What would you like,"
said he, "lamb, beef, or eggs, with bread and butter?"  I
expressed myself perfectly satisfied if I could procure some of
either of the former.  " I am really most sorry," replied he;
" but there is not a particle of meat in the house."  "Can
you not procure some in the village?" I asked, quite alarmed
at the idea that, after solacing myself all day with the prospect of a good dinner, I stood a fair chance of being starved.
" It is quite impossible; there is not a bit to be found in town."
" What in the world have you, then?" I demanded, with some
repressed indignation.  "Why, please your honor, there is
nothing but some bread and. eggs." So I dined on a piece of
brown bread and two or three eggs, which, in absence of spoons,
were dispatched as best might be. After which feast, I soon
threw myself on my bed to await the morrow; and soliloquized"Non cuivis homini contingit adire Corinthum."
In the morning I found that the weather had not improved.
Having an hour or two to spare, I concluded, nevertheless, to
ascend the Acrocorinthus, the acropolis of ancient Corinth.
It is a great hill, more than 1800 feet in height, lying south
of the city. The Corinthians call it an hour's ride to the top;
we accomplished the ascent in somewhat less time, I believe.
From the Acropolis of Athens, it differs in every respect; being
not only more lofty, but inclosing a far greater space within
its walls. The summit, too, is not a level surface; but it
could contain, as we know it has contained, a large town.
Evidences of this fact are to be seen in the numerous cisterns,
etc., of more ancient times. A ruinous mosque or two attest




158             THREE DAYS IN ARGOLIS.
the rule of the Turks.  We woke from his morning slumbers
one of the six soldiers that formed the entire garrison, and he
led us around the fortifications. These seemed strong enough;
but one would say that, even without them, the rocky precipices below would render the position impregnable.  Only
five or six guns, I understood, were mounted. We lost all
that extensive prospect for which the Acrocorinthus is celebrated; but had a good view of the two gulfs, and of the Bays
of Cenchrea and Lecheum, with the adjacent country.
On our return to Corinth, we spent a short time in the examination of the only objects of interest that remain on the
site of a city which once exceeded Athens for commerce and
population-a temple in the very midst of the modern village,
and an amphitheatre about three-fourths of a mile east of it.
The former is a hexastyle Doric temple, of which only five
columns belonging to the front, and two on one of the sides,
are yet standing. Besides the noteworthy fact, that the only
temple of which any trace exists at Corinth is of the Doric
order, it is observable that the columns are "monoliths," or
composed of a single block of stone. The temple could never,
I think, have possessed much pretension to beauty, the proportions being too heavy. All the loose stones have been incorporated into the buildings of the village, to which they were
so conveniently situated. The amphitheatre is small but interesting, with a subterranean passage under the seat of the
presiding officers. Such are the only ruins of consequence on
the site of one of the most remarkable cities of Greece. How
familiar must every feature of the natural scenery have been
to the Apostle Paul, who resided here upward of a year and a
half (Acts 18: 11, 18), devoting himself to the sacred functions of his office! He seems, by implication, to have come
to Corinth from Athens by land; and, when he departed, he
sailed in a ship from Cenchrea for Ephesus. The village of
Corinth barely contains a couple of thousand inhabitants. Its
houses are low and poorly built; and Corinth, famous of old
for its luxuries and pleasures, now presents the aspect of a
miserable hamlet, with nothing but the ancient name to uphold
its reputation.
The ride from  Corinth to Kalamaki occupied about an




''HE ISTHMUfS.                 159
hour and a half.  T'he distance is about seven miles.  Until
reaching the village of Hexamili, the road was covered with
water from the continual rains. There the road to Cenchreaa
branched off to the right.  In the vicinity of Kalamaki, we
passed first the ruins of the ancient isthmic wall, and not long
after the site of the great ship canal that was undertaken to
unite the waters of the Saronic and CQrinthian Gulfs. Here
the width of the isthmus of Corinth is the least. It is to be
hoped that the enterprise of the present day will soon construct a new canal, from which advantages so great would result to the commerce of the world. The isthmus is but three
miles and a half wide in a direct line, and the utmost elevation is 250 feet above the sea.  In this neighborhood the
famous Isthmian games were celebrated once in four years.
A theatre, situated on the hill above Kalamaki, can even now
be recognized, and may have been connected with their celebration.
At Kalamaki I found the Austrian steamer waiting for the
passengers and merchandise that had landed from the other
steamer at Lutraki, on the Corinthian Gulf. At three o'clock
we started for Piraeus, which we reached at half past six that
afternoon.
FEW    ORTTI A' T  AROCORINTHIS
VIE\W OF CORINTI1 AND THE ACROCORINTIHUiS,




TEMPLE OF JUPITER AT AEGINA.
CHAPTER XII.
_EGINA AND EPIDAUIRUS.
"And thence from Athens turn away our eyes,
To seek new friends and strange companies."
MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM.
THE months of April and May are the most pleasant of the
year for traveling in Greece, and I had been waiting some time
for agreeable companions only to commence my long-contemplated tour. By accident I fell in with two gentlemen-the
one an Englishman, and the other a Frenchman-who proposed pursuing the same route, and who had reached Athens
at the most suitable season. In other countries the traveler is
left comparatively independent of the rest of mankind in forming his plans. Almost every where he will find good roads,
regular conveyances, and tolerable hotels.  He may spend at
a given place just as much time as he shall find agreeable;
and, on leaving, is certain of meeting fellow-travelers similar
to those from whom he has parted. Not so in Greece. Here
the tourist is tied down to the same party, from the time of
departure until he once more sets foot in Athens-unless, indeed, he prefers proceeding in solitary glory, with no better company than an illiterate guide and one or two stupid peasants.




SELECTION OF A GUIDE.              161
We found that the organizing of an expedition so extensive
as that which we had planned was the work of some days.
Guides there were in abundance willing to undertake, at a
fixed rate per diem, to conduct us into any part of Greece.
We put an end to their rival pretensions by a personal inspection of their equipments. The harness of the horses; the
portable bedsteads, table, and chairs; the cooking utensils-all
underwent a rigid scrutiny: the result of which was that we
chose Nicholas Combotteca for our guide. I should not fail
to mention, however, that the candidates for that honor were
questioned as to their knowledge of the route, and we satisfied
ourselves that Nicholas was better acquainted with the localities we were to visit than any of his competitors. Tuesday,
April 27th, was fixed upon as the day for our departure, and
our guide was empowered to engage a caique at Piraeus, as well
as to send on horses to await our arrival at Epidaurus.
We did not forget to obtain the requisite passes for our
whole company at the police-office; our passports were happily laid aside for the time, and we could travel with a simple order from one part of the country to the other. Without this we should have been subject, at every town or mountain pass, to be arrested as brigands-the only class that take
the liberty of dispensing with this formality in Greece.
At an early hour on the appointed day a carriage was
waiting at my door to carry my companions and myself to
Piraeus. Our luggage, in view of the fact that every thing
was to be carried hereafter on horseback, was limited, by
mutual consent, to a moderate carpet-bag, or something of
equal bulk. In this bag we must, some way or other, find
room  to stow away our wearing apparel for more than a
month, and sundry guide-books, which we severally contributed to the general stock. On the top of the carriage, and in
another which had been sent on before, were piled baskets,
mattresses-every thing, in short, that was to conduce to our
future comfort. We had scarcely started, when my comrades
discovered that I had brought a watch with me, at which they
informed me that they had left theirs in the hotel-keeper's
hands for fear of robbers, and were quite destitute of any jewelry to tempt the avarice of the klefts. Profiting by their ex



162       _      EGINA AND EPIDAURUS.
ample, I deposited mine in the safe-keeping of Mr. Buel at
Piraeus, and we then drove to the wharf. An unexpected delay awaited us here. The caique we had engaged was at hand,
and ready to sail; but the captain-whose crew consisted of
two men and a boy-was missing.  He had gone, we were
informed, to get his clearance papers. The previous day had
happened to be a holiday in honor of the French vessels lying
in port, and as none of the public offices had been open, we
were now obliged to wait till the necessary papers could be
obtained. The consequence was the delay of an hour or more
on the wharf, and great indignation on the part of Nicholas
against the unoffending master, as well as against customhouses in general.
Our order finally came, and we jumped into the small boat
that was to take us to the caique, lying in deeper water. Sails
were soon set, but the breeze, though favorable, was light, and
we advanced at a very slow rate.  We left the harbor, and
passed the ruined moles at its outlet, adorned during the Middle Ages by two lions" to guard the entrance, across which a
chain was stretched with ease. We coasted for a time along
the promontory of Munychia, and then struck into the Gulf,
in a direct line toward IEgina. The Temple of Jupiter Panhellenius, the principal object we wished to see on the island,
occupies the nearest, or northeastern corner, about twelve
miles distant.  We were hardly half way across before the
favorable breeze gradually died away, and at noon a southerly wind sprang up.  Our man Nicholas, with the assistance
of the Arab cook, set us a table on the deck, around which
we collected with the best of appetites; and the dinner, in
truth, was not a bad one. Indeed, we never had the least
reason to complain of our fare. The only inconvenience experienced at this time was an occasional roll of the boat; and
once or twice we narrowly escaped having our viands precipitated into the sea by the shifting of the boom as the sail
flapped to and fro. Meanwhile we were making little or no
* The lions, which were of marble, were carried away by the Venetians during their invasion of Greece, and now grace the entrance of
their arsenal. Notwithstanding their loss, the harbor long continued to
retain the name of Porte Leone.




DEVOTIONS OF THE SAILORS.            163
progress. To console ourselves, I lay upon the deck of our
caique reading whatever books we had providently placed in
our carpet-bags, and my companions solaced themselves by
smoking their long chebouks.
We had a small cabin, for our craft was of twelve or fifteen
tons burden; but as it was, we gave it as wide a berth as
possible. The smell of the confined air and bilge-water was
unendurable, and we would have preferred being thoroughly
drenched on deck to taking refuge in the hold. On one side
of this cabin was hung a small painting, or icon, of Saint
Nicholas, before which the devout sailors lighted a small lamp
in his honor. Beside it was another religious print, such as
are found in abundance about here, but the subject we could
not make out by the dim light. Every class of society in
Greece has for its patron some one of the saints, or the Virgin Mary, who is presumed to look down with complacency
upon his or her worshippers. The manufacture of these miserable engravings, or still more wretched daubs in oil-colors
upon wood, is a lucrative employment. Every house must
have one of the precious representations. It is a well-attested fact that even the burglar, who breaks into your house at
midnight, and the pirate, who assassinates upon the high seas,
are no less devout in this respect than their more honest neighbors. One of the modern saints has usurped the place of Mercury, the god of robbers. The shrine of this patron is enriched with the full tithe of the unholy gains of the avowed outlaw, who promises himself, in return, not only success and
immunity in this world, but a bright crown and plenary forgiveness in the next. It is said that the visitor may have
pointed out to him at one of the most celebrated shrines in
the land-that of the Evangelista at Tenos-votive offerings
well known to have been hung on its walls by the pirates in
return for some fancied benefit received. Such ideas of common morality as this circumstance implies may well shock the
sensibilities of those who have been educated in a more enlightened land; but they are the legitimate offspring of a system which elevates the ecclesiastical above the moral duties
of man. Some saints appear to have a stronger hold upon
the religious feelings or imaginations of the people than oth



164              EGINA AND EPIDAURUS.
ers. It may be doubted whether the faithful in Greece do
not possess as many representations of St. George and the
Dragon as does the whole island of Great Britain, while there
is certainly more honor paid to St. Nicholas than even in the
goodly city of the Manhattoes.
All day we enjoyed a very extensive and beautiful view.
The eye ranged over the whole circuit of the Saronic Gulf,
and the prospect included, besides the Acrocorinthus, the
snow-capped summits of Cithaeron, of Cyllene, and of Khelmos. The plain of Athens, too, was visible in almost its
whole extent. On the right of it, Mount Hymettus, which,
from Athens, appears to be one continuous ridge, was seen to
be separated into two distinct masses.
By one o'clock in the afternoon we were lying almost becalmed within a mile or two of the island. Leaving the caique
to come on more leisurely, we got into the small boat and
rowed to the nearest point of the shore. We reached an ancient landing-place, and proceeded by the shortest path to the
temple. The island is high and rugged, measuring about
eight miles on each of its three sides-its shape being that of
an equilateral triangle. The soil is rocky and barren, and it
can at the present time support but a small population. It
was probably in consequence of this infertility of the soil
that the iEginetans early turned their attention to commerce,
and so became the rivals of Athens in the fifth and sixth centuries before the Christian era. The town of IEgina, however, was situated farther westward. We crossed in our walk a
few cultivated fields, but for the greater part, the ground on
either side was too rough to be tilled, and was very dry. It
was, nevertheless, a very paradise of flowers, of those rich and
varied hues that are characteristic of this climate. Before we
regained our boat, we had gathered a variety of species, of
which we were compelled, though with reluctance, to throw
the larger part away.
The Temple of Jupiter Panhellenius, which some antiquarians suppose to be rather that of Minerva, occupies the summit of an eminence at the very northeastern corner of the island, and overlooks the sea on two sides. There were originally six columns on the fronts, and thirteen on each side of the




TEMPLE O  JUPITER PANHELLENIUS.          165
temple, forming a portico that ran around the entire building.
Most of these are yet standing, much corroded by the action
of the storms that beat with resistless violence upon this unsheltered spot. They are of the Doric order, and are distinguished from those of the Parthenon and Theseum by their
less slender shape. The inside of the inclosure is now an almost indiscriminate pile of blocks of stone, overgrown with
ivy, and with small shrubs of prickly oak. No vestige remains
of the numerous sculptured slabs which used to adorn the
structure. The fragments of statuary found in the vicinity,
in the year 1812, were purchased by the late King of Bavaria
for the sum of ~6000, and are now in the collection at Munich.  Among the principal peculiarities of these representations is their strict adherence to nature; but they are less
graceful than the subsequent works of Phidias on the Parthenon, and preserve more of the stiffness that characterizes the
labors of an earlier age. It has sorely puzzled the learned to
find upon them the traces of paint; from which it appears
that the drapery, eyes, lips, and arms were colored. Many of
the figures would seem to have been covered with armor of
bronze fastened on by means of nails, the holes of which are
to be seen.  Some preconceived ideas of the taste of the ancients, too, have been sadly shocked by the discovery that the
building itself was not suffered to retain its natural color. The
cella, or body of the temple, was painted red, the tympanum
sky-blue; the architrave, above the columns, was variegated
with yellow and green foliage, the triglyphs, still higher up,
being colored blue.*
While I sat down near by the southwestern corner of the
temple to sketch it, J. was measuring the temple by means of
the tape he carried with him-a practice to which he was very
much addicted.  The dimensions of the building, the size of
the columns, and the proportions of the architectural details,
were noted in a pocket-book.  Thence they were transferred
in the evening to a journal, after a careful comparison with
those given by Leake and others, with as much satisfaction as
* See C. O. ~MULLER'S Ancient Art and its Remains, translated by
Leitch, p. 48. The temple is supposed to have been erected near the
same time with the Temple of Theseus, about B.C. 465.




166 6EGINA AND EPIDAURUS.
a cockney experiences when, having read the description of
the Apollo Belvidere in the Vatican, he pronounced Murray
"all right."  It is but justice to J. to add that he was much
interested in architecture, and that his painstaking was not in
reality so useless as it appeared.
We were loth to leave the charming site, with its extensive
prospect over the island and the surrounding gulf; but we had
to hurry back to our boat. I believe that we did not meet'a
single man on our way, so small is the population of this barren part of iEgina.  On the distant left we saw the ruined
town, which the inhabitants abandoned for the coast in the
time of Capo d'Istria's rule. We passed no dwelling-houses
at all, but several churches, one of them built on the summit
of a hill. We found our captain had in the mean while succeeded finally in getting the caique along shore. The place
where we re-embarked was a miniature harbor of a nearly circular shape, cut out of the rock, which is almost level with
the water's edge. It was evidently made by the ancients, to
whom it probably served as the port of the Temple, which
was completely isolated from the habitations of men. We noticed on its shores the foundations of a building or bath in a
depression of the rock.
With a fair wind we sailed rapidly along the northern side
of IEgina; then, as we turned southward, passed on our left
the modern city of IEgina, a place of some note in the time
of the Revolution, until the removal of the capital to Athens.
In ancient times the Athenians laid the first foundations of
their maritime supremacy on the ruins of the wealthy JEginetans, the inventors of the coining of silver money; and the
same process has been repeated of late in a more pacific way.
The museum, the gymnasium, and other public institutions,
have been transferred to the new capital; and at the present
hour the little town of.Egina is altogether devoid of interest.
At about nine in the evening we reached the opening of the
harbor of Epidaurus, which we entered with some difficulty,
after tacking several times. It was full half past ten before
we landed.
Nicholas led us to a house near by, half khan, and half private dwelling; but it was closed for the night, and the inmates




DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE.            167
were buried in their slumbers. Thereupon our worthy guide
commenced a loud rapping at the door, and soon roused the
owner, who loudly inquired from within the cause of this unseasonable interruption. The master of the house in vain
pleaded, from within his bolted door, the old excuse that " his
children were with him in bed;" we were pertinacious.  A
room was cleared with a little difficulty, by the removal of
half a dozen drowsy heads. Our guide arranged our beds, and
we retired to rest under the tutelary watch of St. George,
whose image, lighted up by a flickering taper, adorned the
wall of our chamber.
The next morning we rose at an early hour, having a good
day's work before us; and after breakfast, while our attendants were loading the horses with our luggage, we went around
the harbor of Epidaurus to see the ruins of the ancient
Acropolis. The modern village, consisting of perhaps fifty
houses, somewhat better built than the common dwellings of
the peasantry, occupies one side of the bay. It bears the
name of Pidaur6 or Pidaura, which is only a slight change
from Epidauros, the ancient appellation. It would scarcely
have appeared on the page of modern history, had not this,
fortunately, been the spot chosen for the meeting of the first
National Assembly. Here, on the 1st of January (old style),
1822, the following declaration of independence was framed
and given to the world:
"The Greek nation, under the dreadful Othoman rule, unable to endure the most heavy and unparalleled yoke of tyranny, and casting it off with great sacrifices, proclaims this day,
through its lawful Representatives, in National Assembly convened, and in the sight of God and of men, its political existence and independence."*
A foot-path led us around the head of the harbor, skirting a
narrow marsh. A man who came along with us conducted
us first to two statues lying hidden in the fields of wheat.
They were much mutilated, and did not show many traces of
fine chiseling. They were probably both recumbent figures
on slabs of marble, serving as tops of monuments. Two or
three of much superior execution have been taken to Athens
* Howe's Sketch of the Greek Revolution, p. 73.




168             AGINA ANDI EPIDAURIUS.
or elsewhere. The ancient city occupied the high termination of a tongue of land that forms the southern side of the
harbor. We were first led to a long line of ancient wall running along the southern side parallel to the shore; it seemed
to have been the wall of the city. The stones it is composed
of are polygonal, of that construction which goes under the
name of Cyclopean, closely fitting one to another. Their size
is not remarkable; there are few more than three feet, or three
and a half in length, and most are much smaller. At another
spot higher up there are remains of a wall built in regular
courses, and with cement, which is a sure indication of its
more recent date; for until the Romans conquered Greece
there is no trace of any mortar having been employed in the
building of walls. On the whole, however, we saw nothing
of much interest on the site of the city, where we cleared our
way through a tangled undergrowth of shrubs. To see the
vegetation of Greece in all its glory, this is decidedly the most
favorable time. Every spot where a plant can find room for
its root is covered with a blooming profusion of wild beauties.
We returned to Epidaurus in season to find every thing
ready for departure. It is time that I should give some account of our arrangements. Nicholas, who superintended the
whole preparations, had sent on to Corinth to procure the
horses, which had arrived at Epidaurus the previous day.
These amounted to eight, all told. Besides the three which
my companions and I rode, our guide had a fourth. The other four were pack-horses, upon whose patient backs were piled
an indiscriminate mass of portable bedsteads, beds, table, and
chairs, with every utensil that might be needed for a month to
come. One horse was specially to be noted from the quantity
of kettles and cooking apparatus dangling from its sides:
above all which was perched our indispensable Arab.  To
attend the pack-horses we needed three more men, who served
as agoyates.
Our company altogether must have presented rather a comical appearance as we defiled along the narrow path leading
out of Epidaurus. The van was led by our guide, Nicholas
Combotteca-a man of some thirty-five summers; thin, and
clad in the common Albanian costume. A pretty good-hu



HIERO OF ASCULAPIUS.               169
mored man he is, but variable, and, for the most part, reserved.
Nicholas, though possessed of little learning, is our leader.
Next in importance comes Ianni, our cook.  Though his face
is black as coal, he holds his head as high as the best, and
boasts of having been cook to the greatest folks in the kingdom. His father came from Arabia, I believe; but Ianni
prides himself upon having been born on Grecian soil. No
ill-will or dislike existed between lanni and the drivers, for
no prejudice against his color prevails in these parts. At any
hour in the course of the day you might find him at his work,
his face radiant with contentment. Ianni's importance commenced where that of Nicholas terminated.  On reaching the
end of our day's journey, the pack-horses were drawn up to the
door of the khan, or, as was more frequently the case, of the
private house; and Ianni was the first to enter, carrying a
pair of saddle-bags on his arm. Every thing within reach was
laid under contribution to furnish us with a dinner. Indeed
it used to add no little relish to our meals to wonder where
lanni could have procured the materials for them.
The rear was brought up by the four agoyates. Panaghiotes, their leader, is an arrant hypocrite, but making great
pretensions to strict honesty. He is chief proprietor of the
beasts of burden; while the others are part owners. Two
disputed among themselves the honor of being the " last man;"
and they might often be seen far in the distance running to
catch up with our caravan.  Our own equipages were not
of a very superior order. J.'s horse was unfortunately given
to falling and losing his shoes in rocky places; and the other
beasts were not much better.
Our baggage was sent on toward Nauplia, by the direct,
road passing through the village of Ligourio. We turned off
to the left, to visit the ruins of the Hiero, or Sacred Inclosure,
of Epidaurus. This ancient town obtained the whole of its
celebrity from the sacred grove and temple of. Esculapius, situated at the distance of some four or five miles, in a secluded
valley. The road thither followed for a while a ravine which
ascends from Epidaurus; this, by-and-by, contracted into a
mere mountain glen. The ascent was very slight at any point.
The mountains on either side were rocky to the extreme, with
HIT




170             rEGINA AND EPIDAURUS.
rounded summits, and almost entirely bare of trees. One of
them, by the name of CEta, seemed to be very lofty. We rode
directly to the most interesting object remaining-the ruins
of the theatre, one of the largest extant within the limits of
Greece proper. We dismounted and climbed up the rows of
marble seats to explore it. The form is finely preserved, and
row after row of seats may be counted, to the number of fiftysix or seven, upon which it has been calculated that twelve
thousand persons might be seated and witness the performances of the stage. As in most other ruins of modern Greece,
the prickly oak has sprung up in the narrow flights of steps
leading up the cavea, and has often torn away the marble
benches of the spectators. Notwithstanding this, the theatre
is undoubtedly the best preserved in Greece. The arrangements of such a building may be better learned by an examination of this edifice than by any other. From the orchestra
ascended no fewer than twenty-four small staircases, dividing
the audience, and giving ready access to every part of the theatre. As usual, the architect, in selecting the site, had taken
advantage of a small recess or hollow, which with very little
labor was made to assume the requisite shape.  Some idea of
the size of this theatre may be gained from the fact that its
diameter was about three hundred and seventy feet.
Our guide led us next to the Stadium, which is to be recognized only by its outline, and by a few scattered seats. It appears to have been a very large one, though not to compare
with that of Athens. In the very midst of the sacred inclosure are the few and uncertain Bemains of the famous Temple of
Asculapius, around which the other buildings were arranged
as subordinate in importance. We could distinguish nothing
but a mass of wrought stone, indicating the general form of
the building. Near by are the more undoubted remains of
ancient baths, built in Roman times for the reception of the
health-giving waters of the place; for Epidaurus served the
purpose of a fashionable watering-place; and the theatre
proves that the frequenters of the baths were unwilling to
forego even here their customary amusements. The cisterns,
to which a small conduit leads, are extensive. One of those
we passed was no less than one hundred and twenty or thirty




AN ANCIENT WATERING-PLACE.                  171
feet long, the brick walls of the Roman structure being supported by what appeared to be an earlier Greek masonry.
Among the confused remains of ancient temples, baths, and
perhaps less considerable edifices, strewing the whole valley, it
is difficult to recognize any one of those buildings whose splendor is portrayed in brilliant colors by the tourists who gazed,
two thousand years ago, upon the same localities, with mingled curiosity and awe. In those days the sick of all kinds
flocked to the fane of the wonder-working demigod, and whether it was the healing influence of the medicinal waters, or the
effect of imagination, numbers returned to their homes, as they
supposed, the subjects of marvelous cures. We may readily
believe that it was esteemed more fashionable to be restored
to health by the miraculous interposition of the god and his
serpent, than by the more practical, but more ignoble, influence of drugs. The walls of the temple were crowded with
tablets descriptive of cures, and rich with gifts suspended by
the invalids who had been relieved; much as in some of the
popular shrines of Italy at the present day. The sanctity of
the inclosure, however, proved but a weak barrier to the cupidity of those who conquered the country, even before the
Christian era.*
After an hour's delay we rode on, and, leaving the secluded
valley of Hiero, reached a small village by the name of Ligourio.  At the khan we sat down for a few minutes to lunch.
* The ordinary sacrifice to Esculapius was of a cock, whose head was
generally wrung off. The body, I presume, fell to the share of the priests.
Such a sacrifice Socrates is represented as enjoining his friend to offer,
while lying on his couch before his death; assuredly not in the so-called
" prison of Socrates." The singularity of the matter is, that this custom,
like many others in Modern Greece, has survived the lapse of so many
centuries, and the fall of paganism. Dr. R6ser, the king's physicianhimself, therefore, a votary of 2Esculapius-told me that, while at Calandri, a village some five or six miles distant from Athens, he saw a
child to whose neck a dead pullet had been tied, as a sort of charm. In
some parts of the country women often have a cock strangled to insure
their safe confinement; and the interest of their attendants is consulted, since the fowl is afterward given to them. In Macedonia, on the
other hand, the healthy teething of a child is supposed to be secured by
its parents by means of cakes covered with sweets, distributed to other
children.




172              EGINA AN  EPIDAURUS.
This place, it is supposed, occupies the site of the ancient Lessa. The valley into which we had crossed was cultivated
with considerable care, every available spot being planted
with grain. As we were yet some distance from Nauplia, we
rode rapidly forward, leaving our guide to come on more leisurely with one of the horses which had lost its shoe; nor, indeed, was there any thing of interest to detain us along the
way. The mountains, barren and rocky on either side, presently left between them only an arid and stony glen, where the
eye could scarcely rest upon a shrub or tree. Not a single
hamlet did we pass, until at length, emerging from the hills,
after a wearisome ride, we saw before us the Palamede of
Nauplia, beneath which the quiet town nestles along the water's edge. Having overtaken our baggage train just before
approaching the gates, we fell into single file, and threaded the
somewhat intricate lanes of Nauplia. The " Hotel of Peace,"
of my quondam friend Elias, was again our rendezvous; and
albeit remarkable neither for cleanliness nor for spaciousness,
we long treasured, in our subsequent wanderings, the memory
of its humble luxuries.




INTERIOR OF TIlE KHAN OF GEORGITZANA.
CHAPTER XIII.
MANTINEA-TRIPOLITZA-SPARTA.
ON rising the next morning, we found the weather foul. It
had been raining all night, and there were no indications of a
respite. We debated the expediency of taking a carriage to
make the tour of the plain of Argos; but, on inquiry, learned
that the roads were too muddy for any wheeled vehicle. We
sallied out, therefore, on horseback, at a little before eight,
leaving our agoyates to proceed, with the baggage, along the
direct road to Argos. As for ourselves, we set forth to visit
the ruined cities of Tiryns and Mycenae. I shall not detain
the reader with a full description of these places, which have
been mentioned elsewhere. The plain of Argos, always celebrated for its fertility, was now much more flourishing than
it had been three or four weeks previous. The view of the
mountains all around was, however, limited by the heavy
clouds hanging over their sides. Late in the afternoon they
began to break, and when we reached Argos we had ample
time to climb the high and steep Larissa that overhangs the
town toward the west. A winding path led us gradually
around the hill, and presently we found ourselves on the summit, commanding an extensive prospect over the plain. About
us were the dismantled towers and battlements of the Vene



174          MANTINEA-TRIPOLITZA —SPARTA.
tian or Frank fortifications, and in the middle of the castle we
found a couple of large cisterns hewn out in the rock. During the late wars, the possession of this strong position was
warmly contested by the Greeks and the Turks.  Its almost
impregnable strength commanded the passes to the south along
the sea-shore, as well as the neighboring plain. But now the
deserted walls are shattered and untenable. May the time
never return when it shall become necessary to repair their
ruins, and the sound of war shall again be heard in the depopulated valleys of Greece.
ALL OF TIE CITADEL AT GO
n  ALL OF THE CITADEL AT ARGOS.
On the morrow we rose early to accomplish the long day's
journey before us. It was our purpose to reach Tripolitza
that night, visiting on our way the site of ancient Mantinea.
There is a steep mountain path, practicable only in the summer season, across the close range that bounds the plain on
the west, separating it from the inland district of Arcadia.
We soon discovered that the recent heavy fall of snow had
formed a trackless waste, and we were compelled to turn considerably to the southward to reach an easier pass. In doing
so, we skirted the Lernian marsh, or, rather, left it some distance on our left. This locality, so famous as the habitual
resort of the Hydra, slain by the strong arm of Hercules, is at
present haunted by a no less formidable and destructive monster, in the guise of the fever or " malaria."  When another
deliverer shall arise and free the country from its baleful influence, he will be quite as deserving of the remembrance of
mankind as the deified hero.
Before leaving the plain of Argos, we came to the source of
the Erasinus, a river which empties, after the course of a mile
or two, into the Gulf. This is not a small spring, but an en



A KATAVOTHRON.                   175
tire stream, that bursts out from the rock with great violence,
and is evidently a subterraneous river. Both ancients and
moderns have agreed in supposing it to be the outlet of Lake
Stymphalus, full twenty-five miles distant. It is, in fact, such
an opening as the modern Greeks call a katavothron; that is,
a chasm, through which a stream worms its way beneath entire chains of mountains. In the high, mountainous country
of Arcadia the rains fall more abundantly than in any other
part of Greece, but, at the same time, there are fewer outlets
for the streams.  Huge and undivided ranges oppose themselves to the progress of the waters, which, collecting in the
hollow valleys, form those pretty lakes that diversify that district, and present so striking a contrast to the aridity of the
neighboring regions. The whole of Arcadia, however, would
soon be converted into a single, pond were there not some
means of discharge for the superfluous waters. Fortunately
the prevailing rocks are soft, and for the most part limestone.
Through them, in the course of ages, the streams have gradually worn themselves a passage, and thus, after an underground channel of several miles, find egress into the lower
lands, whence, in general, they easily take their way to the
sea. But sometimes their farther progress is not unimpeded.
A second, and even a third range, interposes; and again and
again the river must delve through the rocky obstacle. Not
a stream succeeds in breaking through the mountains, which
separate Arcadia on all sides from the adjacent states, like a
continuous wall, by a uniform  course, except on the west,
where the rapid Alpheus finds a narrow passage through a
contracted gap. All the rest appear and disappear, as if disdaining to attempt an easier exit than that directly through
the bowels of the earth itself.
Such are these katavothra, of which we met quite a number
in our tour in Arcadia.  Naturally these holes, in time, become partially, if not entirely, choked with the accumulation
of sand, wood, stone, and other materials. Then the lakes,
finding an insufficient discharge for their ever-accumulating
contents, rise far above their usual banks, and flood the adjoining fields and villages. This has occurred periodically for
centuries.  Many extraordinary swellings are mentioned as




1 7 6       MANTINA —TRIPOLITZA —SPA KTA,
occurring in ancient times, when, as the country was more
densely inhabited, their devastations were still more extensive. Below the katavothron of Argos are situated several
mills, which obtain ample motive power from the river, and
directly above it is a large and curious cave, stretching back
much farther than we had time to follow it. From the position it would seem very likely to have been the former channel of the stream below. The devotion of the neighboring
peasants has turned a corner of the cavern into a diminutive
church or chapel; it was, however, locked, so that we did
not succeed in viewing its internal arrangements. Nicholas
insisted on calling the cavern " the haunt of the Lernian hydra."  We attempted to disabuse him of this topographical
error by reminding him of the fact that Lerne lay several
miles off, by the water's edge.
We now turned inland, and commenced a long and tedious
ascent in a pass between the mountains, bearing the name of
Ktenia and Roino, the former being nearly five thousand feet
in height. The khan of Achladocampo (" Apricot Valley")
was our resting-place at noon.  This charming and retired
spot was the site of the ancient town of Hysice. Its peaceful
repose was once, at least, disturbed by the din of battle, when
the inhabitants of Argos contested the field with the Spartans,
and came off victors. The fortress of the town which was
the reluctant spectator of this conflict has left some remains
on the brow of one of the hills, but they seem to be of Roman construction.  An upper room in the khan was soon
cleared for us, and here we sat down upon a carpet spread
out in the middle of the floor, to eat our mid-day meal. Several women were spinning around us. They used the antique
spindle, which is twirled by being rubbed against the knee,
and then left to twist the thread with the motion imparted to
it. Occasionally the distaff was replenished from a large pile
of cotton in one corner. Meanwhile, as we ate, we furnished
them a fruitful theme of conversation, supposing, as they did,
that we understood no more Greek than do most travelers
from the west.
There awaited us, after leaving Hysiae, an ascent yet more
fatiguing over Mount Parthenius, which bounds the western




MOUNTAlN PASS.                  177
side of the valley of Achladocampo. The road was for the
most part a narrow ledge or shelf, now cut out of the solid
rock, and now, again, paved with stone. Very little pains are
usually taken to improve the state of the roads in these regions; but here, for the first time, we met an old man engaged in keeping the mountain path in repair. This he did,
I presume, of his own accord, depending for his support on
the contributions of passers-by. A collection of a few leptas
secured to us his gratitude, and, if we might believe him, the
protection of numberless saints of the calendar, whose names
he glibly repeated. At length we reached the top of the hills,
and suddenly obtained an extensive view of the plain of Tripolitza. The town itself was in full sight to the west. And
now we commenced the descent. A village on our left furnished, in its vicinity, another example of the passage of a
stream through one of those remarkable katavothra.
Leaving our baggage to proceed directly to Tripolitza under the charge of the Arab cook, we turned off toward Mantinea, some seven or eight miles northward. The prospect,
as we'approached, was quite alpine. On all sides we were
shut in by mountains, of which Mount Khelmos stood out
prominently in front, its snow-capped head with double its
usual covering at present. The hills on either side approach
at one spot, forming a separation between the parts of the
plain.  Our road led us along the right side of the valley,
passing through a hamlet, where a troop of barking dogs came
out to greet us. This is the invariable indication of approach
to a village in the Morea, and it is an occurrence quite too
uniform to be pleasant. Fortunately the courage of the curs
was not equal to their zeal, and a few well-directed stones
rarely failed to disperse the entire pack. We were not a little amused at the stratagem of one of our agoyates, who was
accustomed to aim, first, a projectile, at which the dogs flew
in a rage, affording him a good mark for his second missile.
Not far from this village a peasant came running up, wishing
to show and sell us a small coin he had found in ploughing.
But his coin was,too much defaced, and his price was too exorbitant, so that he failed to obtain a purchaser.
We reached the site of Mantinea, standing in the centre of
2




178          MANTINEA-TRIPOLITZA-SPARTA.
this part of the valley, in the midst of a marsh produced by a
small creek, which, shortly after buries itself, like its neighbors, in a katavothron near by. The ancient wall is the principal, or, indeed, the only object of interest beyond the mere
position and natural features of this city, one of the most illustrious of Peloponnesus. This wall, it is true, rises at no
place above three tiers of symmetrical courses of masonry;
but the entire circuit of the fortifications is preserved. At
regular intervals of sixty or eighty feet there are square towers projecting from the line of the wall, and numbering, it is
said, near one hundred.and twenty.  The old moat is still
filled with water, and we were compelled to ride around a
great part of the wall before finding a spot which the horses
could ford.  Within the inclosure were some remains of a
theatre, only its general outline and some scattered stones at
its base being distinguishable. The most peculiar circumstance respecting iMantinea was its situation; for, unlike most
Grecian towns, it possessed no acropolis or fortress. The
lowness of its position suggested to the Spartan, Agesipolis,
who in B.C. 385 laid siege to this city, a clever device for
reducing it to terms. The walls at that time, it appears,
were built of sun-dried bricks. By stopping the course of
the stream, Agesipolis succeeded in inundating the vicinity
of the walls, which soon began to crumble and fall. The inhabitants at once gave up the attempt to maintain themselves,
and capitulated.
Perhaps no locality in the world can boast of an equal
number of battles fought upon its soil. Besides several minor engagements, three great conflicts have been here described by three of the greatest Greek historians-Thucydides, Xenophon, and Polybius.  In the first, fought B.C.
418, the Mantineans and their allies were routed, in a most
decisive action, by the Spartans under Agis. Notwithstanding this success, however, the place was of ill omen for the
Lacedaemonian arms.  In the second of these great contests
the Thebans, under Epaminondas, in the year B.C. 362, met
and put to flight the Spartan army at the expense of their
gallant commander's life. Carried almost lifeless to one of
the adjoining eminences (the spur of the mountain which sep



THE BATTLES AT MANTINEA.             179
arates the valleys of Mantinea and Tripolitza), he beheld from
thence the complete discomfiture of his enemies. Contented,
he withdrew the hand with which he had closed the bleeding
wound, and died in the full height of his glory. The third
battle was fought between the Spartans and the Achaeans under the generalship of Philopoemen, the "last of the Greeks,"
B.C. 207. It resulted in the defeat of the former, and the
death of their king. This was one of the last and most
deadly blows struck at the supremacy of Sparta.
No wonder, then, that a student of history should gaze with
peculiar interest upon a field on which the destinies of states
have been decided again and again, and whose soil has been
stained with blood shed in civil wars. The plain is indeed one
most suitable for such contests. Its fertility, so far superior
to that of most of the neighboring valleys, gave to Mantinea
its high rank among the independent cities in Arcadia. Yet
nothing, it seemed to me, could better illustrate the diminutive size of these states, so famous in ancient story, than the
mere circumstance that Tegea and Mantinea, those determined and implacable rivals, were separated from each other
by an interval of only ten or twelve miles, which a horseman
might easily traverse in little more than an hour. Had railroads been in use, the troops of one city might have been
brought to the walls of the other in a quarter of that time.
In view of the improvements of modern tactics, and especially
the inventions of modern art, the misery arising from long-continuedhostilities, or from their frequent recurrence, must necessarily come to an end. If the implements of warfare are more
deadly, the aggregate of happiness is much greater than when
the peaceful pursuits of industry and agriculture were continually disturbed by hostile inroads. Then the husbandman,
who ventured out of sight of his native walls, fell into the
hands of the predatory parties of the enemy. Battles, ordinarily resulting in the loss of but a few citizens on either
side, were frequently the means, not so much of terminating
the conflict as of engendering yet deeper hostility in the minds
of the people who had been injured, but who had not lost the
hope of retaliation. Such are the reflections that can not but
force themselves a hundred times upon even the most enthusi



180          MANTIN EA-TRIPOLITZ A-SPARTA.
astic lover of antiquity, whether he may read the history of
Greece, or whether, like myself, he may have the good fortune
to tread its classic soil.
The night overtook us on our way toward Tripolitza.
Upon arriving, we found the town crowded with people from
various neighboring villages, who had assembled to attend a
fair on the morrow.  They were collected in companies at
the khans and drinking-shops, making merry with wine and
music. Long after retiring for the night we heard their protracted carousals.  The panegyris, as these periodical assemblages of people are styled, are occasions of great enjoyment
among the inhabitants of the whole neighborhood. To them
the blind bards, who occupy the place of the ancient rhapsodists, flock in considerable numbers. In a hospitable khan,
or in the open street, a crowd hangs on the minstrel's lips;
while he chants the heroic lay of some famous kleft, or recounts the actions of the no less courageous citizens of Souli,
who ofttimes, from  their mountain fastness, repulsed the
Pasha's troops. Then, again, a more lively theme excites to
the dance, accompanied by the inharmonious notes of a rude
guitar. These simple ballads, constituting at once the most
correct history of a nation's feelings, and the most entertaining and popular portion of its literature, are but short-lived
at best. Few of them reach the ears of the educated; fewer
still are ever committed to paper; and a score of years is
often sufficient to obliterate the memory of those which have
been most in vogue. A second generation of composers brings
forth an entirely new series of poems on original topics.
Tripolitza contains little or nothing suited to interest a
stranger. It is an overgrown village rather than a town.
Standing on the site of an ancient Arcadian city, Pallantium,
it is entirely destitute of any classical remains. Yet Tripolitza has played a most important part in the recent history
of Greece. Even before the Revolution, its central situation
in Peloponnesus, and the extraordinary salubrity and fertility
of its environs, had induced the Pashas to make it the political capital of the province. It was said (but this, in all probability, was an overstatement) to contain at that time a popplation of twenty thousand souls. In 1821, when the "rav



A SCENE iO CARNAGE.                 181
ahs," after their lethargic submission of more than three centuries, had suddenly, by a single exertion of their unsuspected
strength, broken asunder the slender cords with which the
Sultan attempted to confine their vigorous limbs, the Turks
fled in dismay to the open gates of Tripolitza. This city offered but a precarious defence. After a few months of negligent blockade, and one day of unremitted carnage, it fell a
ready prey to an inferior Greek force.  The streets swam
with blood, and packs of half-famished dogs reveled upon the
thirty thousand carcasses that choked the highways. The
conquered were not spared by the sword; and few, besides
the commandant, escaped by an appeal to the avarice of their
captors.*
The scene was reversed in 1825, when Ibrahim Pasha invaded Greece with his Egyptian forces, and poured upon the
wretched city the retribution to which he had long doomed it.
The miserable inhabitants who escaped sought refuge in the
mountains, where many perished of hunger.  The rest for
three long years from their haunts could espy the enemy in
possession of their ancient homes. At length the treaty of
pacification between Greece and Turkey put an end to their
exile. The inhabitants once more gained possession of their
deserted homes; but the wounds which a resolute enemy can
inflict in a few days or weeks require assiduous treatment for
years. The town of Tripolitza can scarcely yet be termed
convalescent.
Our pack-horses were sent on by the direct road to Sparta,
while we turned to the east, and crossed the Mantinean plain
toward the ruins of Tegea, or, to speak more properly, toward
its site. This place, like several others in the country, bears
the name of Paleo Episcopi, from the only edifice in the vicinity, an old diocesan church. It appears to have been built in
the early ages of Christianity, when the architects found an
abundance of materials in the now forsaken temples of their
heathen ancestors. Every thing from this convenient quarry
came in good stead. A Corinthian pillar or a Doric column
* This scene is described, with all its details of horror, in the account
of an eye-witness contained in Aldenhoven's Itineraire de l'Attique et du
Peloponnese (Athenes, 1841), p. 271-4.




182         MANTINEA-TRIPOLITZA-SPARTA.
were equally acceptable. Whether plain or fluted, they were
placed side by side. Bas-reliefs representing pagan subjects
were embedded in the walls on the outside, or, laid upon the
ground with their faces downward, formed a cheap and excellent floor. At Tegea the most important remains are solve
fragmentary inscriptions. Such are the few traces of a city,
perhaps the most powerful in Arcadia, whose gallant warriors
for six or seven generations withstood the famous troops of
their neighboring and encroaching rivals, the Spartans. One
of the expeditions of these restless enemies (about 580 B.C.)
ended very disastrously for the invaders. The proud warriors
who had so lately issued from their native-city, flushed with
the confident expectation of reducing the Tegeatans to peace
and slavery, fell into the hands of those whom they had hoped
to wrong. The Spartan, stripped of his burnished armor, was
loaded with the very chains he had brought with him to fetter
the enemy, and condemned, as a slave, to till for others the
lands which he had too rashly expected to enjoy. The superstition of the age attributed this wonderful success to the
possession of the bones of the ancient hero, Orestes, and subsequent reverses were ascribed to the loss of that palladium
of Tegean liberties.
After satisfying our curiosity with all that was to be seen,
or imagined to exist on the spot, we found a narrow road
that was to lead us to the more direct route from Tripolitza
to Sparta, which our baggage had taken. In a field on our
right we observed a countrypapas, or priest, engaged in husbandry with some half a dozen men and boys of his spiritual
flock. He had probably induced them to work for him by
offering them a more tangible recompense than masses or absolution; for the Greek priesthood do not possess that almost
unlimited influence which the Italian curate exercises over his
ignorant and devout parishioners. They are usually attached
to the people by the ties of fellow-feeling and intermarriage,
and no despotism compels the unwilling service of the peasantry. The vicinity abounded with plantations of the staphis,
or currant, as yet scarce in leaf; and the wheat-fields were
full a month behind those of Attica.  We shortly entered
the ravine of the Sarandopotamos. a torrent which our guide




BATTLE-FIELD OF SELLASIA,           183
averred was so called from the forty-times the road crosses it.
In this wild district there were no.bridges, and the horses
were obliged every few minutes to wade through some branch,
or the main stream itself. Hence a certain degree of judgment is necessary to select the most shallow parts of the
stream; for the track is often quite undistinguishable on the
gravelly banks of the creek. The whole ride was desolate, and
rarely picturesque. The only living beings we met during the
course of the day were a few agoyates, with their heavy-laden
beasts, who carry on almost the whole internal trade of the
country as far as there exists any trade at all.  We lunched
at noon, and rested our horses a while near a cool spring;
then commenced a long, fatiguing, and uninteresting ascent
of the mountainous country that divides Arcadia on the south
from Laconia. Not only was the soil exceedingly barren and
stony, but, from its height above the sea, the season was very
backward. The oaks, of which there was a great abundance,
had not yet put forth a single leaf.
As we began the descent into the valley of the Eurotas,
our guide pointed out to us on the left, at some distance below, the small valley supposed to be that of Sellasia, in or
near which was fought, B.C. 222, a battle, where the power
of Sparta received a mortal wound. The united armies of
the Macedonian, Antigonus Doson, and of Aratus, head of
the Achean league, defeated the Spartan king, Cleomenes,
at this outpost of Laconia; and the ancient city of Leonidas
and Pausanias never recovered its former influence. Wishing to ascertain how much my friend Nicholas knew of the
historical incidents of the battle, I asked him to give me the
best account of it he could. He confessed himself quite in
the dark as to the matter, but thought that one of the warriors who distinguished himself in the engagement was that
famous old hero Agamemnon, whose tomb we had entered a
few days before at Mycenae.  On the whole, the tourist in
either Greece or Italy may rely quite as much on the readiness of his guide's invention as on his historical accuracy.
The day was fast hastening to its close when we reached
the crest of the hills, whence the valley of Sparta suddenly
bursts on the eye with its broad expanse of green fields and




184         MANTINEA-TRIPOLITZA-SPARTA.
VIEW OF MOUNT TAYGETUS FROM TIIE SITE OF SPARTA.
pastures, relieved by the rugged, snow-capped cliffs of Mount
Taygetus.  We halted at the khan of Vourlia, intending to
spend the night; for the few hours of light would not allow
us time to descend into the lower country. Before dismounting, however, we found that a detachment of soldiers had
taken possession of our quarters, having been sent here to
watch for robbers, who always appear first along the difficult
passes of the mountains.  Making a virtue of necessity, we
pursued our way farther to the village itself, and soon fixed
on one of the most respectable houses of the place as our
lodging. As usual, Nicholas overcame any reluctance of the
inmates by the promise of a small gratuity on the morrow.
But the necessary arrangements of the landlord and the unpacking of the baggage occupied considerable time, and allowed us to disperse through the village, and sit down a while to
enjoy the extensive and delightful prospect. The old town of
Mistra appeared in the distance, on the sides and top of a steep
hill that seemed close upon Mount Taygetus.  Thither it was
that the inhabitants of Sparta betook themselves, leaving their
ancient home to fall into ruin and desolation. But within
some years a new town has risen on the old site, and threatens to eclipse its neighbor. The government has made new
Sparta the capital of one of the nomes of the kingdom; and




A PORTABLE CRADLE.                185
a number of white houses might be discerned somewhat to
the left of Mistra, marking the new settlement.  The aspect
of the Vourliote women afforded us some amusement. Their
dress was not very different from that which prevails in some
other localities we had passed through; but they are accustomed to carry their infants in a sort of cradle upon their
backs. The construction is very simple. A square piece of
cloth, very thick and stiff, is supported by thongs inserted in
the four corners, and these are made fast around the nurse's
shoulders, much after the manner of a knapsack. In the
trough thus formed the baby is laid, and the wonder is why it
does not slip out. Whether such accidents are expected to
occur from time to time, I was not informed. The mother,
thus freed from all solicitude for her infant charge, moves
about the house with activity, and engages with ease in her
various occupations.
Our host proved to be a physician. A number of his medical books were lying about, being a nearer approach to a library than we had met with since leaving Athens. Our quarters, though of limited extent, were good. As for the agoyates,
they generally slept wherever they could find a convenient
spot. If the night was cool and the region elevated, they retreated within doors, and formed a ring around the hearth.
But if, as to-night at Vourlia, the cold was not too severe,
they preferred wrapping their shaggy capotes about them and
lying down on the porch in the open air. No wonder that
they do not catch cold, for their covering is intolerably thick,
and no part of the face appears from beneath it. I have frequently stumbled over them unwittingly of an evening. Their
horses, if they find no better place, are tied to some neighboring tree.
Before leaving Vourlia, we held a consultation as to our future course. We had intended, after visiting Sparta, to cross
Taygetus to Calamas; but the mountain pass, we were assured, was at this season impracticable for our horses, though
mules could take us over it. We should, therefore, be compelled to wait a day at Calamas, while the horses made a two
days' circuit of the mountain. It was decided, accordingly,
to forego this part of our tour, and turn northward instead,




18t6         MANTINEA-TRIPOLITZA-SPARTA.
to see the ruins of Megalopolis, which had not entered into our
original plan. The baggage at an early hour was sent off
directly across the head of the valley of the Eurotas, to the
small hamlet of Georgitzi,-where it arrived within a few
hours.  The ride from Vourlia to Sparta occupied us little
more than three hours. We first descended through the deep
gorges of the mountains; but presently reached the large and
clear stream Eurotas, coming from the northwest. At length
we arrived at Sparta, on the right bank of the river.  The
northern part of the site is undulating, and the rest, where
stands the modern town, quite level. On the opposite bank
the ground rises in high, reddish hills, supposed to be the
Meneleum.  The view from this spot toward the west is one
of the most beautiful that can be imagined, where Taygetus
rises against the dark-blue sky. Below, five hills, less elevated, stand in a line, and receive, from their particular form
and number, the collective designation of "Pentedactylon,"
or " the five fingers."
Few cities awaken at the very mention of their names so
much interest as Sparta: a state whose predominance over
its neighbors was secured by the courage of its well-disciplined
and patriotic soldiers; whose gallant citizens were ever prompt
to pour out their life's blood in defence of their country and
their ancestral institutions; whose kings were not above labor for the common weal; whose chivalrous youth were a
sufficient protection for their unfortified capital; whose women could boast that they had never descried the smoke of an
enemy's camp-fires on the adjoining plain! Such a state
must elicit the enthusiasm of mankind, so long as there exists
a spark of the old martial spirit. It is natural, then, to feel
disappointment when, after a pilgrimage of some days, the
traveler finds little to mark the site of so important a city,
and nothing to illustrate former greatness. We discovered a
theatre of large size by the banks of the Eurotas; but, as in
the case of similar remains elsewhere, it was only the general
contour of the interior, and the walls supporting the base, that
were visible. As for the seats of the spectators, they had
long since disappeared, many of them incorporated in some
modern building, and others burned into lime. The whole




SITE OF ANCIENT SPARTA.             187
cavea was sown with wheat, in the midst of which, here and
there, jutted forth some fragment of ancient statuary or defaced marble. We sat down to look about us, and identify,
as far as might be, the various ruins laid down on the charts
of preceding travelers. These were numerous enough, and of
all kinds, but principally of Roman structure, mingled with
those of the Middle Ages.  Every where were to be seen
great walls, many of them composed of ancient fragments imbedded among more recent materials. In one a row or two
of the drums of columns supplied the place of some courses of
masonry. I wandered over the hillocks and down to the river's edge. Along the bank stretches a level piece of ground,
which, from the direction of the hills, takes very much the
shape of a stadium or dromos of large size. It was here, probably, that the Spartan youth of yore were accustomed to practice all the exercises useful for a warlike education, and to engage in trials of speed.
On the whole, save a multitude of tottering walls, there is
comparatively little of interest to distinguish the site of this
famous city. These vestiges date only from the Roman period, when the glory of her ancient renown had forever departed from Sparta. It may be confidently asserted that- little or nothing exists to remind one of the city of Pausanias
and Leonidas.  Of city walls there are none, the laws of Lycurgus having prohibited their erection. Of decorated buildings there are none, the Dorians having been early taught to
repudiate all love of the beautiful,.with whatever tends to polish and refine, and reckon every thing useless that did not pertain to the science of warfare. Their oligarchy, as a contemporary essayist has well remarked, was a perpetual ostracism
of all merit that was not military. It never permitted the full
and healthful development of the arts, the pursuit of war being esteemed the only honorable employment for a freeman.
Our guide, Nicholas, had an acquaintance in the modern
village, and led us to his neat white house, where we lunched
and spent an hour in the middle of the day. The weather
was already very warm upon the plains, and it became not
only unpleasant, but even perilous, to expose ourselves to the
noonday sun.  I bore a letter of introduction from Mr. Pie



188         MANTINEA-TRIPOIITZA-SPARTA.
raches, the representative of this district, and a member of the
extremely powerful Maniote family, Mavromichales, to a gen-'
tieman of the place; but as he was out, I failed to see him.
Modern Sparta has been founded since the Revolution, and
already, according to mine host, outnumbers its more ancient
rival, Mistra. He gives to the former fifteen hundred, and to
the latter only one thousand inhabitants. The central government, which has sought to rebuild all the more famous
cities of Greece, as if their ancient renown could be restored
by the mere erection of modern dwellings on the site, has determined that Sparta shall be symmetrically laid out, and has
provided a public square for the promotion of the recreation
of the inhabitants. Our host was an intelligent native of Patras, and Nicholas counted him a relation, as he had stood
godfather to one of his children. The connection thus formed,
he assured me, is as close as the relation of parent and offspring, and more sacred. The latter is only natural, while
the other is holy and perpetual. It is a well-known fact, to
which I have before alluded, that marriage between those who
are bound to each other by such ties is forbidden by the canons
of the " Orthodox" Church, as much as those coming within
the interdicted degrees of consanguinity.
From Sparta we again bent our steps northward. Just
outside the village we passed the so-called " Tomb of Leonidas," which seems to have been nothing more than a platform and a single course of stone belonging to a temple or
other ancient edifice. The stones composing it measure, some
of them, twelve or fourteen feet in length. Farther on, a
small boy told us that a sarcophagus had within a fortnight
been discovered in the vicinity, and led us to it. The upper
part of the front, which alone had been exposed to view by
the removal of the earth, sufficiently exhibited the excellent
preservation of the whole. It was some ten feet long, adorned at the ends and in the middle with figures of bulls' heads,
having crossed horns intertwined with curls and pine cones.
The spaces between were occupied by two large rosettes.
According to our informant, the owner of the vineyard where
this sarcophagus was found, wished to incorporate the venerable relic in a new house which he was building. Fortu



INTERIOR OF A COTTAGE.              189
nately, the law provides that several weeks shall elapse before
any person shall so appropriate a discovery of the kind, in order that the superintendent of antiquities may have the opportunity of saving it from destruction if he deem it worthy of
preservation.
Our road to Georgitzi wound along the banks of the Eurotas.  Soon we left the plain of Sparta, entering a valley
more narrow, and well covered with an undergrowth of small
trees and shrubs. On the opposite side of the river there ran
along the water's edge several tiers of hewn stone, forming a
sort of wall or wharf-the only vestiges of Pellana.  We
passed through several plantations of thriving mulberry-trees
set out in the midst of fields.
Janni, or Merdzianni, our Arab cook, following out the instructions he had received, had, as we found, established himself with our effects in the best cottage he could procure in the
village of Georgitzi, and was busily engaged in preparations
for our evening meal. Let me describe the house and its inmates.  They will give a fair idea of the average dwellings
and the lower class of the population of Greece.
The whole building, about thirty feet long and twelve or
fifteen wide, was formed of rough stone, except the roof, constructed of boards, upon which the tiles reposed. A single
room composed the interior.  On the right of the door there
had been built a square platform of boards, raised three or
four feet above the clay floor, and attainable by means of a
small rickety ladder.  Upon this our beds had been spread
out; and here we ate off the portable table that accompanied
us every where. Meanwhile the culinary operations might be
watched at the other end of the room, where a fire had been
kindled on the large stone hearth. The smoke found its way
out, partly through the interstices of the tiles, partly through
the paneless windows and the door. Around the cook were
grouped a goodly number of Greeks, men and women, eating
and drinking, and making a very babel of the place as they
waxed joyous over their wine. From time to time, a crowd
of children, and grown people too, might be observed peering
through the door, or even intruding into our small apartment,
in order to have a look at the "Frank milords."  Ever and




190          MANTINEA —TRIPOLITZA-SPARTA.
anon Nicholas, by dint of threat or entreaty, would clear
them from the door; but they speedily resumed their posts
of observation, with such perfect nonchalance and good humor, that we were fain to permit the gratification of their curiosity.
Around the room, as usual, were to be seen some of the
products of the neighborhood. Often there will be a large
heap of cotton, whose picking provides ample employment for
the women during the winter months. Ih autumn one corner
is filled with golden ears of Indian corn. Over our heads
were hanging from the rafters a number of wide and shallow
wicker baskets, in which the silkworms were feeding. Already a chrysalis or two might be seen suspended by its delicate constructor from the lower sides of the tiles of the roof,
through the intervals of which, when night fell, the moonbeams gleamed in upon us.
On the whole, I must say, the cottages of the Greek peasantry are remarkably wanting in the air of comfort which a
few slight improvements might readily impart. No neat garden, with its wall-flowers garnishing the border, and the woodbine or honeysuckle climbing over a rustic porch, is to be seen,
as in England, before the door of the most humble laborer.
Few domestic animals are kept, except fierce watch-dogs for
protection, who greet the traveler in packs as often as he has
occasion to enter a village. Even to the rearing of the honey-bee, for which the country is admirably adapted, the people of Peloponnesus pay comparatively little attention; and
a neat row of hives is rarely met with in that district. The
few that you will find are made of osier baskets, merely plastered over with mud or clay and dried in the sun; and perhaps they answer the purpose well enough. This is one of
not a few instances in which contrivances of a manufacture
as simple as that of Homeric times are still commonly
employed.  Small, too, are the substantial comforts with
which the laboring man's home is provided.  Of furniture
there is little except the mere utensils indispensable for cooking; and as the diet of the poor is simple and light, their
number is restricted within a narrow compass. The articles
we esteem as almost necessary to existence are wanting. Such




COTTAGE FURNITURE.                191
a thing as a bedstead can not, I presume, be met with in a peasant's house from one end of Greece to the other. The poor
consider themselves very fortunate if they can purchase some
matting on which to lie. The greater part, so far as I know,
are obliged to content themselves with the great shaggy coats,
or capotas, in which they wrap themselves, and suffer little
from the dampness of the bare ground.  At the same time,
the want of cleanliness pervading the houses makes them an
object of disgust to every person who has not become accustomed to the sight.




-*i
THE GIEAT GATE OF MESSENE.
CHAPTER XIV.
MEGALOPOLIS AND MESSENE.
BEFORE leaving the retired hamlet of Georgitzana, we had
ocular proof of the sensation excited by our arrival among the
rustic population of this place, lying off from the usual lines
of travel. At one time I counted no fewer than thirty-eight
persons, chiefly women and children, all apparently intent
upon seeing the strangers. The female part of this assemblage, engaged in spreading the news or scandal of the village, were scarcely less busy with the spindle and distaff,
their never-failing resource in moments of leisure.
From Georgitzana our route lay in a northwesterly direction, across the hilly and undulating country separating Lacedaemonia from Arcadia, and kept Mount Taygetus on the
left. A more frequented road leads to the pass of Leondari,
which we did not visit.  The country traversed was well
wooded and picturesque, but sustains a very small population. The maple, the plane-tree, the wild olive, the oak, and
the walnut abound.  Cattle, though remarkably small, were
more numerous than in any part of Greece I had hitherto
crossed.  We came to no khan on our way, and accordingly
rested at noon under some large plane-trees near a cool spring




THE "GREAT CITY."                 193
of water, whose stream finds its way to the Eurotas.  At
about three in the afternoon we began our descent toward
Megalopolis, which occupies the centre of a large valley toward the southwestern corner of Arcadia. It appeared exceedingly beautiful; the more so, perhaps, because the sterility of the rocky mountains that gird it is concealed by a
growth of forest trees, in some places quite dense. The valley seemed to be some eight miles long by six wide. Its soil
was very fertile, and cultivated with wheat. A single cypress, rising above the centre of Sinano, guided us thither; for
during much of the time there was no road to follow.  At
an intermediate village we halted for a moment, while Nicholas accosted the Demark, and endeavored to obtain lodgings
for ourselves and our suite. He was urgent in his claim, and
supported it by representations of our fancied greatness and
high rank in our respective countries. But it may be fairly
questioned whether his success was attributable to any credit
given by the Demark to our guide's high-sounding praises, or
to the hospitable disposition which is common to all Greeks.
Riding about ten minutes to the north of the village of Sinano, we reached the site of Megalopolis. It occupied both
banks of the Helisson, a small creek tributary to the Alpheus,
which it joins a few miles to the westward. The ruins most
distinctly traceable were those of the Theatre, the largest
building of the kind, as Pausanias tells us, in Greece. It
seems to have been not less than four hundred and eighty feet
in diameter, and capable of seating some ten or fifteen thousand spectators. The opposite bank is covered with a confused mass of walls and rubbish, among which the site of the
ancient forum has been sought. But it was sufficient for us
to know that here it was that Epaminondas, that greatest of
ancient statesmen, founded a city designed to act as a check
on the overgrown power of Sparta. Within its walls were
collected, by his advice, a great part of the inhabitants of almost every town in Arcadia, who gave to their new home the
emphatic name of the " Great City."
While my companions were indulging in a bath in the cool
waters of the Helisson, I was accosted by a couple of Greeks
of the better class, who proved to be a justice of the peace,
I




194            MEGALOPOLIS AND MESSENE.
and the teacher of the public school. The latter, a fine-looking young man, told me that he had left the University at
Athens only last year, and he appeared much interested in
learning that I had been attending lectures there. Some of
his scholars were with him, looking at the remains of ancient
works, with which they had probably been familiar ever since
infancy. They were unusually polite, and gave us considerable information about the place, whose name they pronounced
as if it were written Shinano, by a corruption which in Greece,
as in Italy, seems to be confined to certain localities. On
hearing that I came from America, they plied me with geographical questions. They seemed especially pleased to find
out that our continent was actually on the opposite side of the
globe, as they had been taught at school, but had scarcely been
able to believe. Accompanied by quite a number of our new
friends, we retraced our steps to Sinano, where, meanwhile,
suitable provision had been made for our entertainment. On
the way thither, a shepherd-boy, who was feeding his flock
near our path, ran up to offer some small copper coins for
sale. They were scarcely legible; but he assured us he had
picked them up himself, and so we took them. The consequence was, that within an hour the door of our lodging-place
was besieged by a host of curiosity-mongers, bringing with
them various articles of interest, which they begged us to purchase.
In starting from Megalopolis on the next day, we turned to
the southwest; and after some miles' ride over the plain, came
to the mountains that divide Arcadia from Messenia. The
passage was long and difficult, the descent being very tedious
into the plain. About half way, our progress was impeded by
a procession, or what seemed to be such, coming up the mountain in the opposite direction. Women and children were generally huddled together on the backs of mules, which were besides overloaded with quantities of clothes, cooking utensils,
fire-arms, and, in short, with every thing necessary to furnish
the hut of a Moreote tsimpanes. It turned out that we had
met one of those yearly migrations of the nomadic shepherds,
who in the spring forsake their villages in the plain to pasture
their flocks or cultivate the higher lands. On inquiry, we




MESSENIAN PLAIN.                 195
found that the caravan was composed of as many as fifty-six
families, and that the next day was to be their great annual
feast in honor of St. George, who may be considered their patron saint. These migrations take place more or less generally in all parts of the country; even the husbandmen leaving
their villages in the spring, and spending a few days or weeks
in ploughing and sowing their arable lands on the mountains.
This done, they descend to the plains, and perhaps have no
farther occasion to return until their fields are ready for harvesting. For their accommodation, they usually erect a summer village-a rude collection of stone hovels, given up more
than three fourths of the year to the vermin, which, from the
slovenly habits of the people, are sufficiently numerous to form
a large, if not respectable, population.
The pass is called Dervenia-a Turkish word signifying a
defile-and is guarded by an effective corps of five or six soldiers, whom we found fast asleep within the guard-house. In
Peloponnesus the soldiery find little occupation; for of late
years robberies have scarcely occurred there, except in the
neighborhood of Calamas.  In Northern Greece they are more
busily employed; but, unfortunately, it is generally the case
that when depredations are committed, the soldiers reach the
scene of action just after the marauders have left; affording
the villagers the poor consolation of a detachment quartered
on them for several days.
Leaving the mountains, we entered upon the valley of Messenia, watered by the River Pamisus (now called Dipotamo),
flowing into the Messenian Gulf.  So well irrigated is this
plain, and so fertile the soil, that it may doubtless be considered the garden of Greece, and almost every inch of ground is
carefully cultivated. Mount Ithome forms the opposite side
of the valley, but we found no road leading thither. Nicholas
was not over anxious to look for one, but struck boldly at
once through the fields in a "bee line" for the place of our
destination.  In spring, when the fields are ploughed, the
farmer takes no pains to preserve the path of the preceding
year, and expects that travelers will make a new one for themselves. No guide, therefore, can remember the location of the
old road; and the common practice is to ride directly through




196            MEGALOPOLIS AND MESSENE.
the fields, whether they be wheat, barley, or any thing else,
without the least compunction. At first I was quite solicitous
about the injury our horses' hoofs would occasion to the young
grain; but as the cultivators we passed seemed quite indifferent to the matter, I soon lost all concern. This morning,
however, our progress was frequently interrupted by numerous ditches for draining or irrigating the country; and we
were obliged to skirt them until we could reach a favorable
spot for leaping or fording.
We passed a village bearing the name of Meligala, but saw
little in the appearance of its inhabitants to indicate the prosperity alluded to in its appellation (" milk and honey"). Soon
after, the ascent began. Our baggage-horses and their drivers
had meanwhile taken a circuitous but much easier road around
the northern side of the mountain of Ithome, and were to stop,
if they could find lodgings, at the small village of Mavromati,
within the walls of the ancient Messene. At the notch separating Mount Ithome from the pointed but somewhat lower
head of Mount Evan on the south, and just above a monastery, we dismounted, and left our horses with the guide, to
take them down to the village.
On the lower part of Mount Evan began the first traces of
the walls, where we noticed particularly a window of shape
somewhat peculiar, and overgrown with bushes and thorny
shrubs. Thence we followed the line of the fortifications, interrupted occasionally by towers and gates, running up the
crest of Mount Ithome. The ascent was very tedious. The
path is steep, and the elevation very considerable. Over a
stony ground covered with bushes of the prickly oak, which
flourishes here, in connection with the yellow flowered broom,
and under a burning sun, it was, perhaps, three quarters of
an hour before we stood on the summit. This is occupied by
an old ruined convent, whose ivy-grown walls we climbed to
enjoy a view extending over the whole of Messenia. To the
south and southeast lay the wide Gulf of Messenia or Coron,
bounded on the east by the highlands of Maina, as far as Cape
Grosso, by which all farther prospect was cut off. Nearer
came the town of Calamas, on the shore of the gulf, and the
intervening luxuriant plain watered by the Pamisus, which




STRUGGLES OF FREEDOM,                197
originates in a large marsh to the north. Toward the south
and west the prospect was hemmed in by mountains, the intervening country being very hilly. Only to the northwest
could we catch a glimpse of the Ionian Sea, and apparently
of the island of Zante in the midst. Of the whole picture the
snow-capped range of Taygetus was the most striking feature.
The monastery bears the same name as the more modern
one below-Panagia of Vurcano.  It is so called from a certain miraculous image of the blessed Virgin that used, as they
say, to appear to shepherds in this neighborhood. Notwithstanding the sanctity of the spot, which was reputed to be so
near to heaven, the old monks found the situation rather too
airy; perhaps, also, the steep ascent was too difficult for their
asthmatic corpulency. Hence the erection of the lower edifice. We entered the silent rooms and courts; but the most
interesting part, the church, was closed. On the walls we
found a curious tablet full of misspellings, and partly written
in characters similar to inscriptions of an early date. But it
was evidently the work of some illiterate monk.
There is no spot where the friend of freedom stands with a
prouder feeling than on the summit of this rocky hill. Other
localities have been noted for feats of valor, and have been the
theatres of glorious successes. Greece may boast of her Thermopyla and Marathon, and cover the graves of Leonidas the
Spartan and Miltiades the Athenian with laurel wreaths and
flowers. But Ithome was witness to a struggle all the more
affecting because of its sad issue. It was the scene of a conflict in which a brave people, never despairing of their country's salvation, animated with indomitable courage and unexampled endurance, in cool blood made a choice of death to
slavery. Three times, after long wars, were the inhabitants
overcome by force of numbers or the treachery of their allies;
and finally they were compelled to succumb to the ambition
and rapacity of their grasping neighbors, the Spartans. Most
of the fugitives emigrated; and some found a refuge in the
city of Messana, in Sicily. But when the Thebans had by a
single blow, at Leuctra, prostrated the long-established power
of Lacedaemon, Epaminondas proved, from interest, a friend to
the Messenians, as he had been to the Arcadians. He pur



198            MEGALOPOLIS AND MESSENE.
sued in this instance the same shrewd policy, and showed
himself the first master of the balance of power. To curb
the strength of their overgrown neighbor, he surrounded Mantinea with new walls, levied contributions of colonists from
every city in Arcadia for the new capital of Megalopolis, and
reassembling the dispersed inhabitants of Messenia, built them
a large and strongly fortified city on and about Ithome, to
which now for the first time he gave the name of Messene.
The existing remains date, almost without exception, from
this period.
It was growing dark, and we hurried toward the village,
making short cuts down the precipitous side of the mountain.
On our way, and just before reaching the village, we were accosted by a lad who informed me that our whole caravan had
gone up to the monastery, not having succeeded in finding accommodations in the village. "All the houses," said he," are
crowded with the peasantry of the neighborhood. All from
far and near are coming to celebrate a panegyri in honor of
St. George to-morrow."  So we must needs wend our way
back again, and it was late when we gained admittance to the
cloister, after a number of vain attempts to make ourselves
heard at the gate. Our guide made the best apology he could
for not having let us know of the change in our destination;
but his excuses were unanimously voted unsatisfactory, nor
was any sort of good humor restored to one, at least, of our
number, until we had partaken of our evening meal. The
monastery was, as usual, built about a court, with galleries
running around it, upon which the rooms opened. A chamber was assigned to us in an upper story, where we seated
ourselves on a wide divan with two or three monks who came
in to chat with us. As they knew no language but their own,
I was obliged to act as interpreter for the company. Conversation naturally turned on the monastery and its inmates.
They told me there were but fifteen monks all told, besides
servants and novices, and that the revenues, which were but
small, were yielded by several estates of land, or metochia,
farmed for their benefit. The abbot was at the time absent
superintending some of this property. Our farther inquiries
were at length interrupted by the tardy arrival of our din



STADIUM OF MESSENE.                 199
ner, and our new friends would not accept an invitation to
join us.
We were up on the morrow in time to step into the small
church of the monastery, where morning prayers were being
recited. It is a curious place, walls and ceiling being ornamented with odd fresco paintings, half effaced in many places,
and full two or three hundred years old.  The entrance is
decorated with representations of the zodiac and of numerous
saints. While the agoyates were loading the horses, my companions and I set out to see the existing ruins of Messene.
On the way we passed the foundation of some temple, whose
site is either not marked, or wrongly located in all the plans
of the city we had examined.  A number of persons came
out to meet us with various coins found in the neighborhood,
some of which, being in a good state of preservation, we took.
On our descent we passed through the village of Mavromati,
so called from its spring, the ancient Clepsydra, in which it
was fabled that Jupiter bathed for the first time. The remains of the old theatre consisted chiefly of a great wall supporting its foundation, built in the same manner as the city
walls we had examined yesterday on the mountain.  The
face of each stone, instead of presenting a flat and even surface, was rounded, so as to bulge out considerably toward the
centre.  Farther down we found several walls, and then the
remnants of a double portico of columns three feet or more
in diameter, which ran around three sides of the stadium or
race-course. This, consequently, served for the reception of
the crowds that flocked to see the games, and afforded an
agreeable shelter in either rainy or very warm weather. Of
the stadium  itself there remain a considerable number of
stone seats, with much of the walls, and the Doric capitals
of the portico.  A striking effect is produced by the small
stream, which is now diverted from its ancient course, and
pours directly down from the village into the stadium, where
it runs over the seats and through the arena. Our explorations were diversified by the discovery and capture of a large,
but, I believe, not a dangerous, snake, which I noticed creeping through the high grass. The reptile measured about four
feet in length.




200            MEGALOPOLIS AND MESSENE.
We returned through the fields to the village, where, after
a peep into the old fountain, we mounted our horses, which
were in waiting, and rode by the northern road along the side
of Ithome nearly a mile, when we reached the famous Gate
of Alegalopolis. This unique specimen of Greek military architecture is not composed of a single portal, but of two gateways separated from each other by a circular court sixty-two
feet across.  Both were undoubtedly closed by ponderous
brazen gates, and the exterior of these was flanked by projections of the walls, from the top of which the besieged
could annoy those of their enemies who had the temerity to
approach. But even should the outermost gate be forced, the
assailants would find themselves inclosed in a small court,
where a hundred unseen hands would be pouring down upon
them a volley of stones, arrows, and other missiles; and the
second portal would be no less difficult to break through than
the first. The court is regularly built in courses of smooth
stone; and the walls, still remaining about fifteen feet high,
are adorned with two niches for statues. The lintel of the
exterior gateway has been destroyed; that which surmounted
the entrance from the city has merely fallen, from the giving
way of the supports on one side.  Strange to say, in this fall
the huge mass of stone received no fracture, and now stands
in an inclined position, with one end resting on the ground.
On measuring it, we found this single block to be eighteen
feet nine inches long, four feet wide, and two feet four inches
thick-dimensions rivaling those of the far-famed Cyclopean
works.  This gate was undoubtedly built in the time of
Epaminondas.  An adjoining tower which we entered was
very perfectly preserved. Its form was square, and twentytwo courses of masonry could be counted. We gained access
to the interior by a door from the wall, and found, within, a
room, fifteen or twenty feet square, of rough stone.' There
were two windows high up, and two embrasures, or openings,
for the archers to shoot through, much resembling those now
in use, being narrow on the outside and wider within, so as to
allow greater freedom of action. Earthquakes have wrought
sad mischief here, and trees and plants have grown up about
the structure. Our guide would scarcely allow us the time




IRUSTIC WONDERMENT.               201
to examine with care these ancient ruins and transfer their
appearance to paper.  So we pushed on with more regret at
leaving Messene than perhaps any site we had visited since
we left Athens.
We were to have gone on directly to Dragoi, or Tragoge;
but, descending into the plain of the Pamisus, J.'s horse had
the misfortune to wrench off one of his shoes and cut his foot
badly.  Nicholas knew nothing of horse-shoeing, and, indeed,
prided himself on his ignorance. Our only resource was to
deviate considerably from our track to the right, and hunt up
the blacksmith of Meligala. This took some time; for it was
St. George's Day, and the smith was reluctant to perform any
work. Meanwhile, we sat in a neighboring khan, and soon beheld a crowd of gaping countrymen collected about the doors,
to whom our coming furnished a rare staple of conversation.
As they supposed us, like the generality of travelers, entirely
ignorant of their dialect, their comments were quite free. In
short, our whole equipment underwent a rigid review, and of
each article of dress they expressed their approval or dislike.
What most excited the interest of the spectators was a guttapercha riding-whip, which H. carried and twisted into all posITHOME, FROM THE STADTITM OF MES8ENX,
r[




202            MEGALOPOLIS AND MESSENE.
sible shapes, to the no small wonder of the peasants, who expected to see it break at every moment. They were a little
disconcerted on discovering, as we were about to leave, that
we could understand what they said. About one o'clock we
got under way again, and, having yet seven hours of traveling, rode as fast as we could across the plain in a direct line
to Constantino, a village with Turkish fortifications, by which
we passed to the opposite side of the valley of the Pamisus,
and comlmenced the ascent of a part of Mount Teffagi.  The
acclivity was very difficult and tiresome, as was the descent
on the opposite side. It was already dark when we reached
the bank of the Bouzi, the ancient Neda, and crossed it.
Presently we overtook our baggage-horses and their drivers,
like ourselves benighted on the mountains. They had.lost
much time on the way, not knowing the roads.  We now
came to a ravine, which, being a little difficult to cross, detained us an hour in the cold, while our guide went off to
call a shepherd to show us the way. At length we reached
the Khan of Dragoi.




TFMPLE OF APOLLO EPICUBIUS AT BASSE.
CHAPTER XV.
PHIGALEA, OLYMPIA, AND ARCADIA.
OUR stay at the khan of Dragoi was somewhat longer than
we had anticipated. We were all exhausted with yesterday's
work, and felt reluctant to set out again. Indeed, J. was indignant that the guide should call us at four o'clock, and
vowed that he for one would not get up. Seeing the rest
of us nearly ready, however, he thought better of it, and concluded to terminate his slumbers. Still it was seven o'clock
before we started.
The village of Dragoi, or Tragoge, is composed of scarce
more than half a dozen houses or huts, in the best of which
we lodged last night. The hill on which Phigalea was built
we saw at a distance to the west. It is crowned with an
acropolis of Cyclopean masonry. As it offered nothing of
much interest, we began ascending the mountain on the east,
and in about an hour and a half.reached the temple we were
in search of, situated a little below the summit, but commanding a very fine view southward to Mount Ithome, and westward toward the city of Arcadia on the sea-shore. To-day,
however, the atmosphere was not at all clear, on account of
the warm and disagreeable Sirocco wind, which had been blowing without intermission for the last three days. Though it




204        PHIGALEA, OLYMPIA, AND ARCADIA.
does not produce the same bad effects as in Arabia and Africa, its presence is at once detected by the difficulty experienced in respiration, and by the very hazy and indistinct appearance it imparts to all distant objects, and especially to
the mountains, without the intervention of any clouds.
The Temple of Apollo Epicurius of Bassae we examined with
much interest, both because it was built by Ictinus, architect
of the Parthenon, and because its parts are more distinctly
traceable than those of any other Grecian temple. It is an
edifice of the Doric order, not of the largest size, being only
one hundred and twenty-six feet long and forty-eight feet
wide. The row of columns that ran around the building, and
formed a continuous portico, is entire, with the exception of
three that have fallen. Each front was supported by six columns. Behind these two more stood before the entrance to
the body or cella, the position of whose walls is now marked
only by a course or two of stones. The floor of the temple
has an oblong depression, some thirty-three feet long, in the
centre.*  Iere the great statue of Apollo must have stood,
until it was removed to grace the city of Megalopolis, only
seventy years after the foundation of the temple. Around
this spot we noticed the lower parts of five half columns on
either side.  They formed the supports of a small interior
portico; but the statue itself was uncovered. All the statuary of this beautiful temple has been removed to the British
Museum, where the beauty of the sculpture, added to the remarkable purity of the Parian marble, make it conspicuous
among the Greek antiquities. The lonely site of this structure, on this high and barren Arcadian mountain, remote even
in ancient times from any large village, strikes one as very
singular. It is, however, referable to the fact that this temple
was erected by the inhabitants of Phigalea, a town some miles
distant, to commemorate their deliverance, through the supposed intercession of Apollo, from a devastating pestilence. In
an architectural point of view, its most salient peculiarity is
* Many archaeologists suppose that these depressions were made for
the purpose of retaining the liquids that were often poured over ivory
statues, to prevent decomposition occasioned by exposure to the atmosphere in an open court.




BANKS OF THE ALPHEUS.                 205
the form  of the columns, which taper perhaps more than
those of any other Greek edifice, and closely resemble those
at Pestum.
Having satisfied our curiosity by this inspection, we returned
a part of the way toward our last night's resting-place, and
then commenced a fresh ascent. At the end of two or three
hours we reached the large village of Andritzena, beautifully situated on the northern slope of a hill, facing the valley
of the River Alpheus.*  Though very straggling, it was certainly the largest and neatest place we had passed through since
leaving Sparta. It is said to have been entirely destroyed by
the Turks during the Revolution, when this part of Peloponnesus suffered most severely from the ravages of Ibrahim Pasha and his Egyptian troops.  We sat in a private house to
lunch, and while our horses were resting were accosted by a
Roman exile, who had fled hither after the suppression of liberty in his native city. Few of these refugees have penetrated
so far into the interior, though many are inhabitants of Athens.
The prospect as we commenced the descent was lovely; it
extended for a considerable distance over the beautiful valley
of the Alpheus to the hills beyond, surmounted by the snowy
head of Olonus.  In the valley we entered upon a paradise
of flowers.  No part of Greece is more plentifully clothed
with vegetation, and almost none contains a smaller population in proportion to its natural resources. The fertile soil
is covered with clumps of trees and shrubs of moderate size,
that give it the aspect of a park. The laurel, lentisk, prickly
oak, and thorn, just coming into blossom, lend variety to the
landscape.  To us the sight possessed peculiar charms, since,
in the course of a few hours, we had passed from a region
where winter had scarcely loosed its bands, into another climate, where the benignant reign of summer was already begun.  Two hours more of riding among the hillocks of the
plain, at no great distance from the Alpheus, brought us op* In crossing the mountains this morning, we noticed with regret the
wantonness with which many forest trees of great size have been destroyed. The shepherds, it appears, are accustomed to light fires by
night at the foot of the largest trees; and in this way about half of them
remained only as blackened trunks, left to rot.




206        PHIGALEA, OLYMPIA, AND ARCADIA.
posite to the village of St. John, or Hagios Joannes. A fording-place was found without much difficulty. At other seasons of the year, or after heavy rains, the Alpheus is frequently much swollen. We had been by no means certain that it
would not be necessary to ride farther up, and thus lose a
day in crossing; or else go down as far as Agolonitza, near
the mouth of the stream, where communication is kept up
between the banks by a regular ferry-boat. We lodged in a
house on the bluff overhanging the Alpheus, at a few minutes'
walk from the principal part of the village.
Hagios Joannes is supposed to occupy the site of the important city of Hercea, of which no traces can be detected
but a small piece of Roman brick-work, lying some distance
back from the river. It is situated at the point where the
Alpheus, forsaking its northwesterly course through the upper valley, turns and flows in the direction of the sea. Olympia, which we were next to visit, lies on the same side of the
river, and the road thither follows the bank of the stream.
The body of water is small, varying in breadth from 50 to
150 feet; but it is, nevertheless, the largest and widest river
in Southern Greece. Its bed is at times much wider, and
sometimes divided by two or three islands. Though the water is now shallow, scarcely reaching to the knee, the course
changes exceedingly from year to year. There may frequently
be seen dry tracts, which at some time or other doubtless
formed part of the bed. This is peculiarly striking in the
vale of Olympia, where the marks left on the alluvial soil
have been mistaken by some antiquarians for the site of a
stadium or hippodrome.
On our way we forded a couple of tributaries to the Alpheus. The first was the Rouphia or Ladon, a stream of
considerable length, rising in the mountainous region of
Northern Arcadia, and drawing most of its waters from the
Lake of Phonia, through an underground channel or katavothron. The people of the neighborhood give the name of
Rouphia to the united stream also, below its junction with
the Alpheus. The other tributary, the Erymanthus, derives
its appellation from the mountain where Hercules is fabled to
have slain the Erymanthian boar. It is known at present as




TEMPLE OF JUPITER AT OLYMPIA.           207
the Doana. There was nothing of antiquarian interest to entertain us on our way. At one spot, indeed, we passed a tumulus of considerable size: on riding up to it, however, I
could perceive only traces of modern excavations. But the
ride was charming, and the air balmy and spring-like. About
an hour's distance from Olympia, we sat down under a clump
of trees to our mid-day repast, and spent a part of the time
allowed us in bathing in the Alpheus. The water was cool,
but too shallow near the shore, and the current was very
strong.
A little past noon we entered the small vale of Olympia,
some two miles long and half as wide, surrounded on all sides
by low and well-wooded hills, among which the river winds.
Our guide first pointed out to us what he maintained was the
ancient stadium; but we easily recognized in it one of the
bends of the Alpheus laid bare by an alteration in its course.
A few years since, the only vestiges that seemed to have survived the general wreck of ages to mark the ancient site of
Olympia, were a few brick walls of Roman construction, and
these scarcely sufficient to determine the precise locality. It
is to the French scientific expedition in the Morea that we
owe the discovery of the exact position, and considerable remains of one of the most famous temples of antiquity. At
some period, perhaps, these ruins at the base of a hill, Mount
Cronius, were overwhelmed by the Alpheus; or, at least, by
some means or other were covered with several feet of alluvial soil, under which they lay as nicely concealed as ever
was a mass of gold under the sands of some Californian creek.
The fortunate discoverers have, of course, made way with
all the portable statuary and bas-reliefs. The more ponderous columns lie scattered about in the excavation, just as
when uncovered. The explorations were sufficient to show
the general form of the temple, which was a great hexastyle
building; that is, had six columns on each front. The columns are truly gigantic, measuring, as I found, over seven
feet in diameter at the top of the first drum. As the style
was the Doric, each fluting is over a foot in breadth. Their
material is hard but ordinary porous limestone, abounding in
petrifactions, and certainly incapable of receiving a high pol



208        PHIGALEA, OLYMPIA, AND ARCADIA.
ish. This seems to necessitate the conviction that the entire
edifice was covered with some sort of stucco, as, indeed, the
discoveries have proved. The whole, we are told, presented to
the eye the appearance of one of the most elegant structures
in the galaxy of Grecian temples, and was dedicated to Jupiter, in whose honor the games were celebrated for nearly
eight centuries before the Christian era. Its size varied little
from that of the Parthenon at Athens; but as there were but
six columns on the fronts, these must necessarily have been
proportionately stouter and loftier. The surrounding space
was occupied by the Altis, or sacred grove of the god; and
the stadium was probably not far off, along the banks of the
Alpheus. If so, we need not despair of its discovery at some
future day, under ten or twelve feet of sand and mud. If any
dikes were formed in this valley by the ancients, to ward off
the encroachments of the treacherous stream, they have been
long since swept away.  The important variations in the
course of the river within a few years, will be readily understood by any one who will take the trouble to compare the
map in Stanhope's Travels with a more modern one.
Near the temple stands a ruined building of polygonal
shape, said to be the stables for the horses used in the Olympian games; but we saw nothing to countenance the supposition. The situation of Olympia was celebrated in ancient
times for the singular heat to which it was subject, sheltered
as it is from every wind by the surrounding hills; and for the
want of drinkable water, until supplied by means of an aqueduct built by Herodes Atticus, the benefactor of Athens. We
experienced both of these inconveniences during the hour we
spent on the spot, though we were yet in the beginning of
May.
There flows into the Alpheus at Olympia a small brook,
the Cladeus, at present called Stravo-kephali. We followed
its ravine, through which, as was our uniform custom, our
baggage had been sent on. The ride was pleasant, through
pine woods and up a continuous ascent. About half past five
we reached the elevated plateau, where stands the village of
Lala, our stopping-place for the night. Our lodgings were at
a pretty good house, which our attendants had been empow



SIEGE OF LALA.                  209
ered to secure for our exclusive enjoyment, by turning the inmates out of their quarters, besides laying hands upon whatever they could find in the way of eatables and cooking uten-sils. But it is long since we have had the luxury of seeing
panes of glass in our windows, or a roof destitute of crevices
between the rows of tiles, furnishing a larger entrance to the
pure air of heaven than is absolutely necessary for the purposes of ventilation.
The brief season of daylight that remained was spent in
walking around Lala.  It consists at present of only a few
straggling huts, barely deserving the name of a hamlet.
Thirty years ago it was a considerable village. Pouqueville
in 1816 describes it as "a large straggling place, presenting
vast palaces and detached groups of houses pierced with loopholes for musketry." It was inhabited by one of those Albanian colonies which it had been the policy of the Porte to
transplant to Grecian soil, in order to check the growth, if
they could not entirely destroy the being, of the old Hellenic
inhabitants.  Like most of their compatriots, they retained
their national costume, their peculiar language, the Mohammedan religion, and an inveterate hatred to their Christian
neighbors. When in 1820 the standard of revolt was unfurled,
the Laliotes took part with the Turks, and for months ravaged
the richer plains toward the sea.  The Greeks in vain attempted to restrain them, till, reinforced by auxiliaries from
the Ionian Isles, they were emboldened to lay siege to Lala,
which, from its strength, offered them no prospect of capture
but by a prolonged blockade. Meanwhile the Albanian Laliotes succeeded in procuring additional forces from Patras,
whither they hoped to be enabled to remove their families for
safety. Jousouf Pasha having thus collected an army of twenty-five hundred men or more, attacked the Christians, who
numbered about fifteen hundred. After an obstinate conflict,
lasting from morning to night, the Turks were worsted, but
succeeded in making their retreat unmolested to Patras. On
the following day the Greeks entered Lala, and, after plundering it, set fire to the village, which lay at too inconvenient a
distance to supply with provisions. This was one of the first
trials of valor between the Greeks and the Turks in the Morea,




210         PHIGALEA, OLYMPIA, AND ARCADIA.
and tended greatly to inspire the insurgents with hope and
courage.*
The only traces of the Turkish period now extant are two
or three square inclosures or citadels, the remains, doubtless,
of the " detached groups of houses" to which Pouqueville alludes; and although built in part of fragments of the Temple
of Jupiter, at Olympia, they presented to us nothing of much
interest.
It was late on the morrow before we set off from Lala.
The plateau on which it stands is apparently quite extensive
toward the east and west. In the neighborhood of the hamlet there are small cultivated fields, inclosed by fences neatly
framed of interwoven brush so tightly put together as absolutely to prevent the intrusion of animals of any kind. On
the northeastern side of the plain there stretches a remarkable
line of hills, which, from their singular uniformity, strongly resemble a fortification composed of two embankments superimposed.  Over the top of both towers the beautiful snowy
summit of Mount Olonos, the ancient Erymanthus.  We rode
directly toward this range, and in the act of entering a narrow
defile, caught on our left a clear view of the isle of Zante, far
off on the Ionian Sea. Our day's ride, though a rough one,
and consisting of alternate ascents and descents, was short.
Passing near the village of Koumara, on the opposite side of
the valley through which the River Erymanthus flows, we witnessed an interesting procession. To-morrow a couple of peasants are to be married, and then the regular ceremony is to be
performed.  But to-day the bridegroom and his attendants repair, with the music of a flute or bagpipe, to the house of the
bride's parents, whence they bring back the young woman's
dowry.  Such a procession we noticed this afternoon, wend* The circumstances of this battle are given at length, and not very
consistently, by Colonel Gordon (list. of Gr. Rev., p. 212-14), Dr. Howe
(Sketch of the Gr. Rev., p. 23, 24), and Archbishop Germanos (lHypomnemata, p. 45-47). The number of the troops engaged, the disposition of the Greeks previous to the battle, and even the day of the
month on which it occurred, are among the discordant points. The
whole has been still farther complicated by an awkward typographical
error in Gordon's work, from which it would naturally be inferred that
all these occurrences happened a year sooner than they did.




PsoPHIS.                    211
ing its way along the side of the opposite mountain; but the
distance was too great to allow us to see it with much distinctness. At a little past three we reached the lonely khan of
Tripotamo-so named because it stands at the junction of three
valleys, from each of which there pours down a stream going
to swell the Erymanthus. The day was wet, and we were
glad to gain a shelter, as well as to obtain time for writing
up our memoranda, finishing sketches, attending to various
specimens of natural history with which we had managed to
store our traveling-bags to the no small detriment of books
and clothing; and, in short, a variety of minor jobs, which,
on account of our usual late hours, had accumulated on our
hands. Still we had in the khan not only the discomforts of
a windy chamber, but the apprehension of being kept awake
all night by a number of sick children under the same roof,
all of whom were afflicted with the hooping-cough.
The isolated conical hill, just eastward of the khan, was
the supposed site of Psophis, or rather of the citadel of that
town. Before we left Tripotamo we undertook the ascent,
and were scarcely repaid for our walk through the moist
grass by the sight of a few remnants of polygonal masonry.
The place is one of the strongest that can be imagined, and
even at present a few cannon placed on the summit of the
hill would command all the passes. Yet we hear, I believe,
of but one siege of this town, B.C. 219.
From Psophis we rode for two hours up the same winding
valley of the Erymanthus, until we arrived at the small village of Dessino, where it seems to terminate.  Thence we
had intended following the road to Calavryta. Some of our
party, however, entertained a great desire to see the Lake
of Phonia and the surrounding scenery, said by many to be
the most grand and picturesque mountain district in Greece.
Nicholas maintained that, in order to accomplish this, we
must inevitably proceed first to Calavryta, thence make an
excursion of two or three days, and return thither again. To
this we were averse, the time of my fellow-travellers' stay in
Greece being quite limited. We had consequently examined
our maps with care, and discovered what we imagined to be
a practicable road leading over the mountains from the vil



212        PHIGALEA, OLYMPIA, AND ARCADIA.
lage of Dessino in precisely the required direction.  Our
guide still persisted in averring the impracticability of leading the horses (especially those that carried the baggage) over
what could be nothing more than a mere foot-path. It was
agreed to refer the matter to the inhabitants of Dessino, who
might naturally be the best judges of the matter. These latter worthies gave us a ready audience. It was a feast-day;
and after their morning devotions, all the wiseacres of the village were collected on the open common. Our arrival put an
end for the time to their games and dances, and they gave us
their advice with hearty good-will. But our perplexity was
now to choose between the conflicting opinions. For while the
old fogies smoked their pipes, and declared it was impossible
with pack-horses to cross directly over to Cleitouras, "Young
Greece" became exceedingly animated, and indignantly asserted that there was not a safer road in the town, as was
proved by the fact that the marriage processions carrying the
bride's dowry took that way when occasion required. The
latter opinion corresponded with our inclinations, and so it
was at once decided to undertake the ascent. We took the
precaution, however, of engaging one of the youths, who had
been the most zealous advocate of the scheme, as our guide.
In half an hour we had reached the summit of the muchslandered pass, and sent back our lad well repaid for his
trouble. The only difficulty we had encountered was that
the path for a considerable distance ran along a narrow ledge
of rock or sand, overhanging an ugly precipice. Once, however, it was necessary partially to unlade the pack-horses.
The descent on the opposite side was much longer. We
passed on the way a monastery dedicated to St. Theodore or
Theodosius, where there were some twenty-five monks, most
of whom came out to see us. They were attired, not as ordinarily in long black gowns, but in garments of sheepskin,
and wore conical caps. Below we found our way into a narrow but rather fertile valley, passing a couple of villages evidently of Albanian or Bulgarian origin, and thence into that
of the ancient Clitor, whence we could distinctly see the hamlet where we were to lodge. J. went on with the baggage
and our guide, while H. and I dismounted, in order to explore




SITE 01' CLITOR.                213
the ruins of the ancient city. This we did without difficulty;
for, excepting the slight remains of one or two temples, and
the half-obliterated site of a theatre, the sole interest is associated with the walls, which are preserved or traceable through
almost their entire circuit. Being on a plain, they take advantage of a continuous hillock, along whose crest one side of the
quadrangle runs, following its sinuosities.  They are protected at distances of one hundred feet by round towers about
twenty-three feet in diameter, almost half embedded in the
walls. This construction, as far as we saw, was quite unique
among ancient fortifications. We followed these walls, which
are now rarely more than four or five feet high, for some distance through the cornfields, and over a soil abounding with
fragments of broken pottery and building materials. Reaching the khan, we found our companion J. in vain attempting
to explain to half a dozen boys, who were offering him a handful of old coins, that he wanted none of their treasures. We
satisfied them by buying one or two; but I set more value
upon a small copper piece that I had myself picked up on the
site of the neighboring ruined city. Our khan was excellent.
I am not sure that it possessed a single window-sash; but it
was spacious. The whole house, some fifty feet long, consisted of one large room, and was provided with a plank floor.
We occupied one end of it, and made no inquiries as to those
who ensconced themselves in the other, after once putting an
interdict upon all smoking and boisterous merriment, prolonged
far into the night.
We were late in getting under way the next morning. The
hamlet where we lodged is merely a summer village belonging to a place a few miles distant named Maza, and, I presume, is abandoned in winter.  It stands on a small eminence in a very picturesque mountain valley, bounded toward
the northeast by Mount Khelmos. We were still in Arcadia;
and this morning as we rode, I heard for the first time the
shepherds on the mountain sides playing on their pipes to collect their flocks about them. In the fields the farmers were
just commencing to plough, and for this purpose employed
the same rude instrument that is in common use throughout
the East. This agricultural implement, which some, with a




214        PHIGALEA, OLYMPIA, AND ARCADIA.
certain show of plausibility, maintain has undergone no improvement since the days of good old Homer, consists of a
long pole with an iron point that serves as a coulter, while
two bent boards on the sides represent the share. The labor
of ploughing, which is done with oxen or cows, is not severe,
as the plough merely scratches the ground to the depth of three
or four inches.
Our monotonous rides are now and then diversified by the
wranglings of the agoyates, or hostlers. Evidently our guide
is no great favorite with them, as he has no manner of patience with their stupid blunderings or indolence. If they
loiter on the way when separated from us, or are unnecessarily long in saddling and lading the horses, he shows his displeasure by such a volley of oaths as quite disconcerts' the
poor fellows.  One of them, Athanasius by name, came to
me and declared he never would travel again with Nicholas
as long as he lived.  The guide had been making use of a favorite oath of his, in which he wished that his Satanic majesty might take, not only him, but his father and his mother,
including in the same category such of his more distant relatives as he went on to specify. No wonder that the agoyates
felt aggrieved. As a general thing, however, the oaths employed by the Greeks are not by any means so shocking as
those blasphemous expressions that greet our ears at every
turn in America and England. In asseverations, too, the name
of the Virgin or some one of the saints is commonly substituted for that of the Deity.
It took us a couple of hours to reach the eastern end of the
valley, where the celebrated katavothron, or chasm, is situated,
through which the waters of Lake Phonia, after having disappeared in a similar cavernous outlet, reappear as the principal source of the River Ladon. These form a small sheet of
water, thirty or forty feet across, and of unknown depth in
the middle, where the water comes up rapidly. As the surface, however, is placid, the appearance of this katavothron is
altogether dissimilar to that of the Erasinus, the outlet of the
neighboring Lake Stymphalus, which we saw near Argos.
At the end of three hours and a half of slow traveling we
commenced the ascent of the pass toward the Lake of Phonia,




OUTLET OF LAKE PHENEUS.              215
from the village of Lycouria. The sides of Mount Saita were
steep, and covered with a growth of pine-trees; but from the
highest portion of our path we were rewarded with a magnificent view of the lake. This quiet sheet of water is about
five miles long, and oval in its general shape, making, however, a considerable bay upon the west. On every side the
lake is surrounded by high mountains cutting off all egress.
Should the subterranean passages become entirely choked up,
the waters would accumulate until they obtained sufficient
force to break through, or attained the height of a pass opposite to that on which we now stood, and which, I believe, is
the lowest point in the entire circuit of the mountains. In
other words, they would have to rise over nine hundred feet
before they would overflow this vast natural basin. The present surface of the lake is about twenty-two hundred feet above
the level of the sea. The effect of this alpine scenery, and of
the brilliant glassy surface of the water lighted up by the sun,
was exceedingly striking, and contrasted favorably with the
ordinary mountain landscapes in the midst of which we had
been traveling.
During our descent toward the lake, the straggling clouds
gradually collected on the mountain tops, and soon enveloped
their sides. The moment we readhed the water's edge, a most
violent rain commenced, for which we were quite unprepared.
Coverings were hastily thrown over the luggage, the agoyates
drew themselves within their heavy capotas, and H. threw
around him an impervious Scotch plaid. But our umbrellas
furnished the rest of us little shelter, and the horses could not
be induced to face the pelting storm. The rain, however, was
as transient as it was heavy, and we soon proceeded along the
margin of the lake toward the village of Phonia, over a ledge
of rocks full of cracks and seams, which rendered it difficult
even for a pedestrian to traverse it. Nicholas being behind,
H. led the way, and, by some mischance, strayed from the
path, until at length, urging his horse to mount a very high
rock, the animal put one of his feet into a hole, from which
he was unable to withdraw it. The horse struggled to get
free, and must infallibly have broken his leg, had not H. held
him near the feet, while I caught him by the head and pre



216        PHIGALEA, OLYMPIA, AND ARCADIA.
vented his rising. It was some minutes before the rest of the
party came up, and after the horse had made several ineffectual struggles, which we had great trouble in subduing, they
succeeded in extricating the unlucky foot. On regaining the
path, we proceeded toward the village of-Phonia, near which
we turned aside through the fields to view the site of the ancient city of Pheneus. It is a peninsula, connected with the
main land by a narrow isthmus, much resembling that of Epidaurus.  A conical hill occupies the northern part, with remains of polygonal walls around the base. From the top the
prospect was pleasing, and the snowy cap of Mount Cyllene,
to the northeast, formed the most characteristic object.
We climbed up to the village, perched in a much higher
situation, on the side and top of a hill, whence, after a slight
lunch, we rode on for three-fourths of an hour to the Monastery of St. George, our quarters for the night. At the moment we entered, the few inmates were engaged in their afternoon devotions. Presently, however, their monotonous tones
died away, and a fine old man came to greet us. The monastery was a large one, but not in very good repair. We were
conducted to an upper chamber opening upon one of the galleries that ran around the court. The room was destitute of
chairs; a carpet had been spread before the capacious fireplace, and there were a number of Turkish cushions for us to
recline upon. We were more in want of a good fire to dry
ourselves by than any thing else. Our monk soon had it kindled on the hearth, and we disposed ourselves to spend the
hour, until our dinner should be ready, in chatting with our
host.
As he himself informed me, our worthy friend was seventyfour or five years old, and had resided here ever since the age
of ten. Clad in the ordinary monastic costume, with a black
robe reaching to his feet, and a black cap on his head, he
presented, with his long white hair and beard, altogether
a patriarchal appearance. The monastery, he said, contained
but twenty monks, besides ten novices; and he complained
that it had been sadly impoverished of late. Its only property consists of lands, some of them bordering on the lake, a
great part of which have been for years submerged. The




MONASTERY OF  PHONIA.                  217
three small channels through which the lake once found an
outlet have been periodically choked with sand, wood, stone,
and other materials. All efforts to clear them have failed, but
the lake has ceased rising for the present. The monk says
that there has been a sort of fatality about the matter. The
very year that the Revolution commenced in Greece (1821)
the waters began rising, and continued to do so until the coming of King Otho, when there ensued five years of prosperity.*
The southern end of the lake is the deepest. Altogether the
old man was very much inclined to repine at the dispensations
of Providence, which, he said, had reduced the monastery to
such straits as to render it too poor even to support an abbot.
* That faithful chronicler, Pausanias, assures us that of old the waters rose to such a height that they inundated the city of Pheneus, and
that marks of the point they reached still remained on the sides of the
mountains. The inhabitants attributed the construction of the subterranean canal to that convenient workman, Hercules, who had freed the
neighboring Lake ofStymphalus from its horrid birds.
K




RA* UINS OF TIE TEILE OF JU.ITER I-T OL.PI'..,
RUINS OF TIHE TEMPLE OF JUPITER AT OLYMPIA.
CHAPTER XVI.
STYX —SEGASPELION-VOSTITZA.
THE rain was falling without intermission when we rose
on the morrow, and it seemed quite useless to undertake to
proceed on our journey.  Meanwhile, our friend the monk
insisted on showing us the chapel, or church, standing quite
detached from the rest of the buildings. It was one of the
neatest in Greece; and the fresco paintings upon the walls,
though executed in the last century, were still brilliant and
pleasing. Our admiration was most excited by the sight of
the shrine separating the holy place, where stands the "sacred
table" (the Greeks do not call it an altar), from the body of
the church. It was of gilt wood very highly ornamented and
carved, and said by the monks to be the richest work of the
kind in the country.*  The conversation turning upon the
priesthood, I elicited my cicerone's sentiments as to education.  "Young priests," said he, "rarely go to the University to study. There are schools at Nauplia and some other
* From an inscription, it appears that the monastery was founded in
a valley midway between its present site and Phonia in the year 1334,
and was removed thence on occasion of a great overflow of the lake.
The church was built in 1754 or 1768, I forget which. There are but
few books in the establishment, and no regular library.




VILLAGE OF SOLOS.               219
places, where they can obtain quite as much learning as they
will need, and it is found advisable to give them no more.
Philosophy atheizes them; and by the time they have completed their academic course, they are but too ready to abandon the sacred office."
Before long the rain held up, and we thought that we might
with prudence venture out. We had wished to reward our
attentive monk for his kindness, besides the remuneration given
to the monastery for our entertainment. Out of motives of
delicacy, my companions had insisted on giving it to him
under the form of a contribution to the church he had been
showing us. Just as we were leaving the gate, we were witness to an animated discussion between him and our Nicholas, from whom he was endeavoring to extort payment for
some fire-wood. When he was told that we had already
much more than canceled that score, he averred he could
never think of touching a " lepton" of our donation, which
must be strictly applied to sacred purposes.
It was out of the question for us to reach Calavryta that
day. The best we could do was to make a short advance,
and spend the night at the village of Solos. On our way, we
enjoyed for a time a clear view of Mount Khelmos on the
left, and of Cyllene, or Zyria, on the right, both of them
thickly covered with recent snow. But the clouds were not
long in collecting about the mountain tops, whence they rapidly descended and deluged us with rain. Altogether, we had
a dismal afternoon of it. We were glad when, after passing
the villages of St. Barbara and Zaroukla, we turned into a
branch of the same valley, and entered one of three or four
villages picturesquely perched on its sides. The small stream
running through it is supplied by the Styx. We wandered
through Solos for some time in quest of accommodation for
the night, and, finding no suitable house, were quite at a loss
what to do. Just at that moment, an officer of the army issued from his door close by, and, as soon as he heard there
were some strangers hunting for quarters, pressed us with
much cordiality to make our stay with him. His house was
by far the best in the place. Our portable tables, beds, and
chairs, were not put in requisition for the night, and we were




220          STYX-MEGASPELION-VOSTITZA.
favored with the presence of our host and a nephew of his at
meal-time.  The young man was able to give us important
information respecting the condition and history of this district. He prided himself not a little upon the patriotic exploits
of his -father, whose name he pointed out to me in a recentlypublished work of Speliades on the Greek Revolution.. Nicholas X. Soliotes was one of the original conspirators, to whose
vigorous plans and no less energetic execution of them, the
successful outbreak of popular vengeance was in great measure due. As soon as it was agreed to commence the momentous struggle, he was the first to draw his sword from the
scabbard and fall upon the unsuspecting Turks.  The first
man slain in the Revolution fell under his hands; and he had
increased the number of his victims to eleven before many
days elapsed.  When he rose to leave, our young friend invited us to pa- him a visit at his own house; but, besides the
fatigue we experienced, we were scarcely in trim for an evening call. Subsequently, our guide warmly censured us for declining; and assured us that we had missed a capital opportunity of seeing several very pretty Greek girls, the daughters
of the revolutionary hero.
I was much struck with the simplicity of the lamps in ordinary use. The shape has scarcely varied from remote antiquity; if any thing, it is even more simple than formerly.
One that I noticed here consisted of a small, oval tin saucer,
with a short spout at one end.  On this the wick rested, the
greater part being coiled in the bottom of the saucer, which
was half full of oil. At the other end, an upright strip of tin,
bent above, served as a handle and support.  This sort of
lamp may be seen in almost every shop, except where a still
more primitive method is resorted to. In the shoemakers'
stalls, torches or tar lights are employed. No whale-oil is to
be found in the kingdom.  Olive-oil is universally burned in
the lamps.
Our baggage left early in the morning for Calavryta by the
direct route.  We hired a guide to conduct us to the celebrated fall of the Styx; for Nicholas did not feel sufficiently
familiar with the way to lead us thither.  We followed up
tl e same ravine in which Solos is situated, keeping far above




THE RIVER STYX.                 221
its bottom, until we reached the foot of Mount Khelmos.
The path generally ran on a ledge of earth that threatened
every moment to give way under our feet.  Our guide, a
peasant from the valley, who should certainly have been accustomed to tramping through the snow, wished to lead us
along an easy path, by which we could advance but a short
distance, and then gain only a distant view of the Styx. He
assured us most vehemently that the other road was quite
impassable on account of the snow. The truth was, that, in
consequence of the recent violent storms, it was difficult to
get up high on the mountains, whose summits were covered
with fresh and deep drifts. We insisted, however, on trying
the more difficult path leading up the left bank of the Styx,
whose fall is visible from below. After traversing a rugged
tract, and surmounting the rocky hills at the base of the
mountain, we commenced the ascent of the mountain itself.
Leaving our horses, we proceeded about an hour, crossed several beds of snow of limited extent, and succeeded in reaching a spot whence we could gain an excellent view of the
stream. Any nearer approach would have been exceedingly
difficult at this season of the year, even had we possessed a
guide worthy of the name of a mountaineer.
The far-famed " River Styx" is composed of two rills of
water springing from the melting snows on the topmost level
of Mount Khelmos, a few feet from each other. They run
but a short distance before coming to the verge of a frightful
precipice several hundred feet in height, over whose perpendicular face they leap at one bound into the chasm below.
The amount of water they contain is very small, and long before they reach the ground they are transformed, as it were,
into a thin spray by the resistance of the atmosphere. The
cascade is surpassed in point of height and volume by many
waterfalls in Switzerland; but various circumstances have
combined to give it, both in ancient and modern times, the
reputation of possessing supernatural qualities. The locality
is wild and secluded, far from the dwellings of men. From
the valley an indistinct view of it can be gained at one or two
points only; its base, if accessible at all, is quite out of reach
during three-fourths of the year, and the springs are covered




2 22         STYX-MEGASPELION-VOSTITZA.
with snow during an equal period, while the water at all seasons is of an icy coldness. The latter circumstance gave rise
to the opinion that the water of the Styx was so deadly, not
only that no man could drink it with impunity, but that even
upon inorganic substances its influence was no less potent.
It was imagined to be an almost universal solvent. " Vessels,
whether of glass or crystal, or murrhine, or of earth, or of
stone, are broken by this water," says Pausanias; "and vessels of horn, bone, iron, brass, lead, tin, silver, amber, and
even of gold, are dissolved by it. But it can not injure the
hoof of the horse: this material alone is not destroyed by the
water."  "It was natural enough that some difference of
opinion should prevail as to the substance which had the virtue of resisting this terrible fluid," Colonel Leake remarks,
"seeing that most certainly the experiment had never been
fairly made. Plutarch gives his testimony in favor of the
hoof of the ass. According to Pliny, it was the hoof of a female mule. Vitruvius seems to admit that of a mule of either
gender. By Theophrastus the virtue was confined to vessels
of horn, in which he is supported by another ancient author.
It would appear, however, from Philo of Heraclea, JElian, and
the epigram at Delphi, that even among horns there was but
one kind capable of resisting the Stygian water, and that was
not very easily procured, being the horn of a Scythian ass."
Some said that Alexander the Great was poisoned by means
of the deadly water; but on this score the ancient world was
not unanimous.  It is, perhaps, the most singular circumstance of all, that the old superstition has survived all the
changes of dynasties, and the wars and immigrations that
have metamorphosed the aspect of society. Even our guide
was unwilling to imitate our example, and drink of the pernicious stream.  It is now called the Black Water, or Mavronero. Lower down, after its junction, the water is esteemed
innocuous enough, and, indeed, it differs in no respect from
the surrounding streams in taste or color.
Our peasant guide told us that during the Revolution, when
the Turks invaded this district, the inhabitants of the villages
took refuge here in large numbers on the rocks below the
* Travels in the Morea, iii., p. 164.




CALAVRYT'1A.                  223
Styx, and were pursued a part of the way by the Turks. Of
these refugees, three hundred, he said, lost their lives by being precipitated from the lofty and difficult rocks, to whose
intricacies they were unaccustomed.  The same statement
was corroborated by another person; but precisely how much
faith is to be attached to either the fact or the numbers, we
were unable to determine.
We descended from the Styx, and, after rejoining Nicholas,
dismissed our mountain guide, who readily confessed that he
had told us that the path we had followed was impracticable
only in order to spare himself a little fatigue. A new ascent
awaited us in crossing one of the spurs of Mount Khelmos,
which intervenes between this valley and the town of Calavryta.  On the summit we came upon a high plateau, some
4000 to 4500 feet, I should judge, above the sea's level, where
the snow lay scattered about in patches. On the uncovered
spots a number of men were to be seen ploughing and preparing the ground for sowing wheat or barley, while the crocuses
and a few other of the early spring plants were in full bloom
on the very margin of the melting snow-banks. A few minutes' ride brought us in sight of Rumeli, or Northern Greece,
with its long line of mountains retreating fiom Helicon and
Parnassus, till, toward Patras on the west, it seemed to mingle with the heights of Peloponnesus. Before it lay extended
the narrow Gulf of Corinth, without a sail to give its blue
waters the appearance of life and activity. Behind us there
was a confused mass of mountains and hills, among which a
small lake lay embosomed.
After a long descent, we reached the town of Calavryta,
the largest place in these parts, most interesting from the fact
that here the first steps were taken to excite the outbreak of
the late Revolution. The events of that contest are yet-too
recent in date to be invested with a romantic interest: the
heroes who figured in it have not wholly passed off from the
scene of contemporary history; and their actions, viewed too
much in the mere connection of the events to which they naturally stand related in point of time, and too little in reference to the great results not yet terminated to which they
conduced, have not yet been fully appreciated. Fifty years




224          8TYX-MEQASPELION-VOSTITZA.
hence the world will do honor to the patriotism and self-sacrifice of the Greek revolutionary soldier; and travelers will
make pilgrimages to the sites of the more illustrious conflicts
between Christian and Infidel. On our way down the mountain, our guide had pointed out to us in the distance a large
edifice about a couple of miles southward of Calavryta as the
Monastery of St. Laura, where the plan of revolt already concocted at Patras was fully perfected by the original conspirators, who, headed by the archbishop of that city, had gone
thither, upon the pretext of a journey to Tripolitza, to escape
the narrow inspection to which the presence of the Turks
subjected them. From this place, when the plot was quite
ripe for execution, letters were sent throughout the breadth
of the land to apprize all the patriots of the design.
Calavryta is quite an ordinary town, though better built
than most of the interior places. The plain, some three or
four miles long by three quarters of a mile wide, is fertile and
well watered.  Somewhere upon it stood the ancient city of
Cynaetha. On arriving, we found that our baggage had gone
on toward the monastery of Megaspelion; but our horses
were considerably jaded, and we were tired, and hungry
enough to enjoy a lunch during the three quarters of an hour
we staid at Calavryta. What time remained was profitably
employed in making purchases of various articles, such as the
more respectable shops were possessed of, and in replenishing
J.'s tobacco-pouch, which had not been proof against the
heavy drafts made upon it while we were traveling in the
back districts of Arcadia.  The streets, or rather lanes, are
rarely more than a dozen feet wide; and the small shops, entirely destitute of windows, are thrown quite open to the
street.  A wide counter occupies almost the whole breadth
of the front, upon which the greater part of the commodities
are exposed for sale. Cobblers and tin-smiths alike sit crosslegged upon them, with their tools and wares by their sides.
Thus situated, they keep a sharp look-out on every one that
passes, and can gossip as much as they please with their
neighbors.
Our presence among them aroused the curiosity of the talkative townsmen. Perhaps our laying in a store of straw hats,




MONASTERY OF MEGASPELION.              223
and of the Indian weed, augmented it. At any rate, a knot
of idlers soon gathered about us while we were lounging
around the khan waiting for our horses.  They seemed determined to find out all they could about our destination, and
we had as firmly made up our iinds not to gratify them.  A
young fellow from the Ionian Isles accosted H. in Italian, and
soon contrived to inquire whether " their excellencies were
bound to Patras;" to which H. replied, that, though not impossible, it was yet doubtful whether we would go to that
place.  The questioner then mentioned a number of other
towns to which he might suppose us en route; but, as the answers were somewhat enigmatical, he gained very little light
in his search for information. Somewhat nettled at his poor
success in eliciting that wherewith to satisfy his companions'
curiosity, we heard him suggesting to them in Greek, as they
beat a retreat, that most likely we were traveling without
passports; but, whether our appearance did not justify them
in setting us down as klefts or smugglers, or they did not care
to make the inquiry, that was the last we heard of the matter.
From Calavryta we had before us a two hours' ride to Megaspelion, along the pleasant banks of the small river Buraicus, winding through a narrow valley toward the Corinthian
Gulf. The monastery is by far the greatest, richest, and most
famous in Greece proper. Imagine a vast cavern upward of
a hundred feet in height, and much wider, as the niche in
which this curious establishment is situated, and this on the
steep side of a mountain at a considerable distance above the
ravine. The approach is along the hill-side by a path winding gradually toward it, and which might easily be defended
against a host of invaders.  The steep land-slopes are cultivated in front of it in a succession of terraces, each presenting the appearance of a garden. As we drew near the building, there could be nothing more singular than its appearance.
A single wall, one hundred and eighty feet long, and seventy
or eighty high, closes up the lower part of the cave's aperture. It is no less than twelve feet thick, and offers little
hope to the assailant of his being able to force his way within.
Above, it is'pierced with windows, and surmounted by seven
or eight wooden houses of curious and diverse aspect, built
K2




226           STYX-MEGASPELION-VOSTITZA.
more or less lofty, according to the irregularities of the cave's
mouth, and leaning against the almost perpendicular rock that
towers three or four hundred feet aloft. The light materials
of which they are constructed contrast singularly with the
massive proportions of the wall that supports them, and from
which they project considerably in different places with staircases and covered galleries sustained by props.
>i         t
MONASTERY OF MEGASPELION.
We rode around to the solitary portal situated at the southern end of the great wall; and here dismounting, we were
welcomed by a number of monks, who were seated on a circular seat at the door, enjoying the shade and the evening
breeze. Oriental custom required us to sit down and converse with them before entering the monastery; to which they
welcomed us with much apparent cordiality. It devolved on
me, as spokesman, to give the chief dignitaries some explanation of the nature of our tour, and to answer whatever interrogatories their curiosity might prompt them to make. As
usual, these related principally to the affairs of the capital,
but more especially to any new phase which the question of
the possession of the Holy Sepulchre at Jerusalem had assumed since the last advices. As it was between two and
three weeks since we had left Athens, we could give them
little information that was new. H. had visited Megaspelion, when cruising in the Mediterranean in his own yacht, a




MONASTERY OF MEGASPELJON.             227
couple of years since; but such is the number of strangers
who from time to time come here to pass a night, that, naturally enough, the monks did not remember him. Profiting
by a pause in the conversation, we excused ourselves on the
ground of our day's travel, and betook ourselves to the room
prepared for our reception, in one of those singular overhanging houses that crown the monastery wall. It seemed to be
the best guest-chamber in the edifice. We were assured that
we were but following in the footsteps of royalty, King Otho
and Queen Amelia being uniformly entertained in this room
whenever they come hither.
In the morning we were conducted through the building.
The church, of course, was the part that the monks took most
delight in exhibiting. Croziers and crosses, curiously carved,
with other articles of solid silver, were proudly and admiringly displayed. But it was the holy " eikon," or picture of the
Virgin, made, as we were informed, by the hands of St. Luke
himself, and discovered during the Middle Ages by a princess
of imperial blood, for which they expected the greatest veneration. The monks bowed profoundly and crossed themselves
frequently before it, and reverently kissed the glass with which
it is protected from the too rude salutations of the vulgar.
This ugly portrait is, in fact, a bas-relief of poor execution,
on a blackish wood, and does little credit to the skill of its
reputed author. If authentic, it would seem to prove that
St. Luke, besides being a wretched dauber, was a very inferior sculptor. Fortunately for the artistic reputation of the
saint, there are tokens of its being a product of mediaeval
times, as evident as are to be found in any portrait ascribed
to the same source in the Italian churches. The brazen gates
of the church, made at Jannina in Epirus, some seventy or
eighty years ago, are of elaborate workmanship.
From the church we were conducted, through intricate corridors and dark stairways, to the kitchens, the baking-rooms,
the refectory, and the wine-cellars-each department being
on a scale commensurate with the size of the monastery and
the number of its inmates. There were a number of large
casks of wine in the cellar, the two largest, Stamato and Angelica, being enormous. Their exact capacity I can not tell;




2 8         STYX-MEGASPELION —V STITZA.
but the weight of the wine they could contain is estimated respectively at 40,000 and 60,000 pounds.* The wine kept here
is all produced by the vineyards belonging to Megaspelion, and
intended for home consumption.  Not less than 160,000 or
170,000 pounds of wine are drunk at the monastery in the
course of the year.  Most of the revenues of the establishment are derived from the sale of the Corinthian currant,
about 400,000 pounds of which are yearly sold by its agents.
This year the crop has so signally failed, that the holy friars
are in great trouble respecting their resources.
The library is contained in a small, dark room, and is kept
perpetually under lock and key. There seemed to be about
a thousand or fifteen hundred books and bound manuscripts;
but in former times much larger and more valuable collections existed here. On two different occasions the library
fell a prey to the conflagrations which reduced the monastery
to ashes, notwithstanding the tutelar care of the sacred image
of the "Panagia" in the chapel. The remaining manuscripts
are principally transcripts of the Greek liturgical works and
of the Gospels, and many of them are beautifully illuminated,
after the manner of the Middle Ages. We could not examine the works critically in the short time at our disposal; but
this had undoubtedly been done by others before us. It is a
remarkable fact, that this small library is probably the largest
collection of books to be fourrd in any monastic institution in
Greece; while the number contained in the monasteries of
Mount Athos, in Turkey, though much larger, is not supposed
to be very considerable. The incessant wars to which this
fair but most unfortunate country has for ages been subject,
the spoliations of western travelers, and the ignorance and
carelessness of the inhabitants, all combined, are scarcely sufficient to account for such a total dearth of mediaeval literature.
We strolled through the gardens and along the hill-side for
a fine view of the monastery, to commit to paper, while the
"hieromonachus," who had been our chief guide, pointed out
to us the elements of its strength, and narrated the most striking incidents of its history. In 1770, during the revolt in
which the Peloponnesians madly involved themselves by giv* 16,000 and 24,000 okes.




DEFENCE Ok' THE MONASTERY.            229
ing faith to the lying promises of Russian emissaries, the wary
monks stood aloof, and, indeed, lent their aid to the Turkish
captives, multitudes of whom they fed, lodged, and sent in
safety to their own homes across the Corinthian Gulf. This
kindness proved the salvation of Megaspelion, and was amply
rewarded by the protection extended to the truly philanthropic
monks.
Such a course was no longer practicable when the flames
of the Revolution of 1821 burst out, and the conflict was a
struggle, not for mere political supremacy, but for national
and individual existence. The question now to be decided,
was whether a single Greek should be permitted to breathe;
for a deep scheme had been laid by the Sultan and his advisers
to annihilate every vestige of the Hellenic race, and replace it
by a barbarous horde of Albanians and Turks, that should
render more implicit obedience to the Porte's commands. It
was, consequently, one of the objects of the Turkish generals
to reduce this fortress, commanding so important a passage
between the Gulf and the interior. But the monk pointed
out with pride the spot where the intruders were met and
repulsed by the "Pallecaria," or braves, collected by the
monastery. On a former occasion, we were informed, the
enemy had climbed to the top of the cliff overhanging the
cave, whence they hurled down huge fragments of rock, with
the intention of overwhelming the building; but the projecting ledges themselves protected it from injury. With superstitious reverence our guide directed attention to one large
boulder on the verge of the impending rock, which seems to
be just about to fall. The invader had, with much toil, conveyed it to its present situation; but the Virgin, the patron
of the monastery, interposed her power, and miraculously secured it fast just as it was about to descend.
There are altogether some two hundred monks at present
in the building, besides fifty more attending to the cultivation
of their farms in different parts of the Morea. Their life is
an easy one, and their accommodations are much superior to
those of the common people, by the sweat of whose brows they
live.
Starting early this morning, we took the road for Vostitza.




230           STYX-MEGASPELION-VOSTITZA.
At first it led along the small stream Buraicus, but presently
diverged to the left.  We lunched at a solitary khan in full
view of the mountains of Northern Greece, and thence descended into a narrow plain bordering on the Gulf of Corinth.  While the baggage proceeded at once toward Vostitza,
we turned to the right, and rode half an hour or more, to visit
the Cave of Hercules Buraicus; but it was scarcely worth our
trouble. It contained nothing remarkable, with the exception of some niches, which may have been intended for the reception of votive offerings.  We had wandered some distance
from the public road, and we now took a more direct course
across the plain, which was partly overgrown with myrtle,
laurel, and oleander. The vicinity of Vostitza, however, is
admirably watered, and almost marshy. It is cultivated chiefly with thriving vineyards of the Corinthian currant, of which
Patras is the principal mart. Vostitza itself we found to be
more handsome and well built than most Greek towns of its
size, and with a population of only a few thousands, possessed
of considerable commerce.  It is built on the site of JEgium,
the most prominent city of the famous Achaean league. Its
ancient and modern pre-eminence it owes to a harbor or roadstead, on a coast where there is a great lack of safe anchorage.
There are few or no remains of the ancient city, and the most
interesting object we saw was a plane-tree of gigantic proportions, growing near the water's edge.*
We wished to cross the Corinthian Gulf at this place, and,
as soon as we arrived, empowered Nicholas to make inquiries
for a suitable ca'que to transport us, with our luggage and
beasts of burden, to the opposite shore. HIe soon returned,
and reported that there was but one such boat in port, and
* Our guide Nicholas told me that at a small village called Pteri, a
short distance northwest of Megaspelion, on the River Buphrasia, there
is a much larger plane-tree. It is hollow, and in the cavity twenty-four
persons can stand at once. This is pretty well for a country that has
suffered so generally from the improvident destruction of the forests.
The plane-tree, or platanus, is the largest that grows in these regions,
and is probably as long-lived as any. There is one upon the banks
of the Bosphorus, near Constantinople, which is believed to have been
that under which Godfroi de Bouillon harangued the first Crusaders, at
the close of the eleventh century of our era.




BARGANINNG FOR A BOAT.              231
that the owner, having learned our situation, demanded the
sum of one hundred and fifty drachms. The captain came to
see us in person, and affirmed he would not abate a jot from
the exorbitant price he asked. In reply, we offered him seventy drachms, and assured him that if he refused that price
we should go on to Patras, where we were sure of finding an
abundance of suitable boats. He left us no less than three or
four times, and each time returned with a lower offer. He
gradually fell to a hundred and twenty-five, ninety, eighty,
and finally seventy, drachms, and agreed to start as soon as
we desired.




INTERIOR OF THE ACROPOLIS OF (ENOi
CHAPTER XVII.
DELPHI-PAR NASSUS-CHJIERONEA.
"Beneath the vintage moon's uncertain light,
And some faint stars that pierced the film of cloud,
Stood those Parnassian peaks before my sight,
Whose fame throughout the ancient world was loud."
DELPHI, An Elegy.
IT was late, however, before we were fairly under way. The
chief cause of detention was the difficulty experienced in shipping our horses, which had to be hoisted into the caique. To
this unpleasant operation some submitted with very good
grace, while others presented a sufficiently ridiculous appearance, by their plunges and struggles in mid air. H. and I had
spent the morning in bathing in the Gulf, and visiting the chief
shops of Vostitza.
At length we started, with a light but favorable breeze,
heading almost directly eastward for Cape Andromachi. Had
it blown fresher, we might without difficulty have made the
Scala of Salona before nightfall. But the wind died away
as we were rounding the Cape and entering the Crissaman Bay,
at the bottom of which our destined harbor lay. We were
becalmed, however, in the midst of a splendid panorama of




NECROPOLIS OF DELPHI.              233
mountains; Parnassus and Helicon being most conspicuous
on the northern side, and Cyllene, Khelmos, and Olonos on
the south.  Our mattresses were spread on the deck, for the
stench of the small cabin was quite intolerable.
In the morning at daybreak we found ourselves still becalmed, within a mile or two of last evening's position. Toward eight o'clock we passed the town of Galaxidi, and came
to anchor opposite the Scala, or landing-place, of the large village of Salona, which lies a few miles in the interior. Here
we experienced another delay of an hour or two before setting
out for Delphi. We thought it not worth while to go on to
Salona, the site of the ancient important town of Amphissa,
and, accordingly, took a direct route through Crissa. The
valley we were riding through was plentifully watered by
streams descending from the hills, and covered with the most
flourishing vineyards I had yet seen in Greece. It was not
long before we entered a beautiful olive-grove. As usual, the
trees are supplied with moisture by means of a system of canals, branching off into multitudes of shallow channels, one
of which runs around each tree. Just beyond the grove, we
rode by the village of Crissa, which shows some remains of
remote antiquity in the way of polygonal walls. Delphi was
situated in a valley beyond, and its walls ran along the crest
of the hill back of Crissa, but a few hundred yards distant.
For some minutes, as we approached them, we seemed to be
traversing the cemetery of the city of the Pythian Apollo.
Some of the sepulchres were mere sarcophagi cut in the solid
rock, while others were chambers of more or less rude construction. We dismounted and entered -one apparently the
most perfect. It consisted of a single chamber, on three of
whose sides were hewn receptacles for the dead, who had
long since mouldered away. It is rare to find any traces of
the covers of these sarcophagi. In the wall behind two of
them were small niches, apparently designed for the reception
of statues of infernal or tutelar deities, and perhaps of lamps
kept burning there by the devotion of surviving friends. A
second tomb we found quite similar to this, and beyond it a
third excavation in the form of a semicircular seat, looking
out upon the Delphic vale.




234          DELPHI —PARNASSUS-CHLERONEA.
This celebrated valley opened upon our view suddenly as
we rose rapidly toward the high and precipitous cliffs on the
north.  My first impression was a feeling of disappointment
at its smallness, and I could scarce persuade myself that this
was in reality the world-renowned seat of the oracle. Instead
of any level piece of ground, Delphi was built on a steep slope,
extending probably not over a mile in length, and certainly
not half a mile wide from the rocks where we stood to the
much more rugged heights on the opposite side. Down below
runs the River Pleistus; beyond rises the bold face of Mount
Cirphis; and above, on the northeast, are two remarkable
crags, in a cleft between which springs the Castalian fountain.
Evidently the vale could scarcely be cultivated without the
construction of terraces. Accordingly, we find numerous walls
of various periods, built as well for this purpose as to serve
for the support of the platforms of the numerous edifices.
They form one of the most striking features of the spot.
"Still could I dimly trace the terraced lines,
Diverging from the cliffs on either side;
A theatre whose steps were filled with shrines
And rich devices of Hellenic pride.
*     *       *       *       *
"The place whence Gods and worshippers had fled;
Only, and they too tenantless, remain
The hallowed chambers of the pious dead."
The rather neat-looking village of Castri occupies the very
site of the celebrated shrine of Apollo, of which few traces
remain.  A church of St. Elias is built on the foundation of
an antique structure, perhaps the " Palace of the Amphictyons"-a body which met alternately here and at Thermopylae.
On the highest portion of the slope we traced the stadium,
so buried by the earth that continually washes down from
the hills, that only two of the uppermost seats appear. The
Delphic games were periodically celebrated here in honor of
the god of divination and the oracle. The theatre was immediately below, but its form only is left imprinted on the
soil; and near by is the fountain Cassotis. On.the whole,
the ruins of Delphi are unsatisfactory, with the exception
of the famous fountain Castalia, which we visited next.  It




CASTALIAN FOUNTAIN.                  235
was of old a curious, open basin, of oblong shape, cut out of
the solid rock at the foot of a perpendicular cliff, in which
there are still to be seen three niches for statues. There was
a secret channel behind, now laid open to view, the object of
which was to draw off the superfluous water.  In front of the
fountain are three or four steps leading down into it. The
side of the basin has been much broken, so that now the water runs through as a mere rill. Some Castriote women were
washing clothes there, while others came from time to time
to draw water.  The whole interior, where the Pythia used
to perform her ablutions before entering the temple, was filled
with a thick growth of thrifty weeds and bushes, and bathing
was entirely out of the question.  We contented ourselves
with tasting some of the sacred water.
This, then, was the famed seat of the oracle, where a frenzied girl, by her delirious exclamations, influenced the councils of distant monarchs, and decided the fates of the globe.
Even in its desolation Delphi is beautiful, and no spot could
be more appropriate for the shrine of a god than this secluded
vale.  But when its temples and princely palaces were in
their pristine glory, few localities could have presented a
more magnificent sight than burst upon the eye of the pagan
pilgrims as, in solemn procession, they crossed the hills that
seem to isolate Delphi from the rest of the world. The small
village of Castri has succeeded to all this glory. Its houses
are, perhaps, somewhat more respectable than those of the
surrounding places, and its inhabitants lay claim to some sort
of superiority over their neighbors, the Arachovites, who are
probably of Albanian origin.
Having satisfied ourselves by a visit to each of the remains
of antiquity, and examining the inscriptions whose discovery
cost the distinguished Miller his life,* we proceeded to the
* Contrary to the advice of his friends and acquaintances at Athens,
he attempted a tour through Boeotia and Phocis in midsummer. At
Delphi he interested himself much in superintending some excavations
on a part of the site of the Temple of Apollo, which were rewarded with
the discovery of very valuable inscriptions. Such was his impatience
to learn their contents, that, without waiting for the cool of the day, or
until they should be transported to some shady place, he sat down in
the sun to copy them. A violent fever was the result of this imprudent




236         DELPHI-PARNASSUS-~CHJERONEA.
private house where we were to lodge.  Nicholas meanwhile
had been making inquiries respecting the practicability of attempting the ascent of Mount Parnassus.  The result was
that he brought us two or three men who pretended to be experienced guides.  They deterred us from undertaking it, and
urged that the great quantity of snow that had fallen of late
would render it impossible to reach the summit of the mountain. We scarcely knew how much faith to put in their representations, remembering our deceitful guide at the Styx,
and were not too sure that Nicholas (who disliked all mountain excursions) had not persuaded them to tell us this story.
The event showed that our surmises were incorrect; but we
had concluded at any rate to visit the Corycian Cave, and we
should lose no time by visiting Parnassus likewise.
It was a clear morning that we chose for the ascent. At
four o'clock we were climbing the mountain behind Delphi,
hlaving left orders for our agoyates to proceed with our horses
and luggage directly to Arachova, a small village some distance above Castri on the Pleistus, where we were to descend.
The mules hired for the occasion were by no means remarkable for elegance, and too much inclined to weakness of the
knees.  The only check upon their propensity to fall was a
halter, and, to guide them, it was necessary occasionally to administer a kick to one side or other of the head, as occasion
required.  With the exception, however, of finding ourselves
once or twice landed on our feet over our mules' heads, we
suffered no great inconvenience.
We shortly reached an elevated table-land, two thousand
feet or more above the level of the sea, at whose extent I was
somewhat astonished.  We rode some distance over it, and
then dismounted to clamber up to the entrance of the Corycian Cave. It is a large cavern, of no great beauty, but deserving a visit for its historical associations.  When Xerxes
invaded Greece, as Herodotus tells us, the Delphians sent
their wives and children over into Achaia, and themselves retired, some to Amphissa, others to the summits of Parnassus
and the Corycian Cave.  There they lay concealed until
exposure, and he returned to Athens only to linger a few days, and be
buried on the neighboring hill of Colonos.




THE CORYCIAN CAVE.                 237
0.WV 0:' DIEL'L   A'.. MIO'T'PARNASSUS.
Apollo vindicated his honor by putting to rout the sacrilegious invaders, upon whom they fell and slew a considerable
number.*  We passed through several chambers with tapers
in our hands, having taken off our shoes in order to walk
more securely over the slippery floors.  Our guides, for the
purpose of expediting our visit as much as possible, wished
us to restrict ourselves to the principal halls; but we explored
the most considerable portion by creeping or crawling through
one or more low passages. The Corycian Cave was dedicated
to Pan and the Nymphs. -At present the peasants call it
"Saranta Aulce," or the forty halls.
After leaving the cave, we rode across the plain to the kalyvia, or summer village, belonging to Arachova, where there
was as yet not a soul to be seen. In the vicinity there was
a large pond or mountain lake, whose only outlet is a subterranean one, giving rise, it is said, to the Castalian spring at
Delphi.  And now commenced the ascent of Mount Parnassus proper, which rises from this high plain. At first our
path lay through a wood of pine and fir trees, reaching as far
* Herodotus, 8. 36-38.




238         DELPHI-PAR SASSUS —CHERONEA.
as the place where the snow first appeared in considerable
patches. There we were obliged to dismount, although usually it is possible to go much farther with mules. Now began our troubles. Our guide, as well as the peasant who accompanied us, was utterly unaccustomed to walking through
the snow, and rather than trust himself upon it, even for a
short distance, would lead us around twice or thrice as far.
Presently, however, it was no longer possible to avoid the
snow, and then loud were the complaints of the Greeks at the
hardship they were undergoing. It would have been easy in
fine weather to have reached the summit within an hour and
a half; but at the end of a couple of hours, what with the
depth of the snow, the circuitous route we had taken, and
the slowness of our "mountaineers," we found ourselves yet
a long distance below the highest peak, though high enough
to gain a fine view. It would have been more extensive, had
not the air been somewhat hazy toward the horizon. It was
clearly impossible to reach the summit and return that day.
H., who seemed most disappointed, proposed that we should
bivouac for the night on the first bare spot of ground we came
to, and make the ascent on the morrow. The rest did not
relish so much the idea of an exposure to the night air in the
vicinity of the snow, without more protection than an overcoat would afford us; but we had some difficulty in persuading H. to relinquish his scheme. In fact, it was rather tantalizing to be so near the top of Parnassus, and yet fail to
reach it. As it turned out, it was well that we did not remain; for the next day the mountain tops were enveloped in
clouds, which would effectually have deprived us of our desired prospect.
Very unwillingly we turned our faces toward Arachova;
and the Greeks, who had positively refused to proceed farther, on the plea of fatigue, once more rose and led the way.
Arriving at Arachova, we strolled through the village, which
is picturesquely situated on the mountain side. The costume
of the women was peculiar. They wore their hair long, and
hanging down behind in a long cue; while their red flannel
aprons and short dresses gave them quite a picturesque appearance. I had formerly known the " didascalos," or teach



PASS OF SCHISTE.                239
er, of the public school, who had studied in the University of
Athens; but as the day was now well advanced, and our excursion -had been a fatiguing one, we resolved not to seek him
out.
From Arachova our plan had been to proceed to the town
of Livadia, and thither we sent our luggage directly. For a
couple of hours we accompanied it, until we reached the narrow pass of Schiste, between Mount Cirphis and the base of
Mount Parnassus. At Schiste, in ancient as in modern times,
three great roads met, leading respectively to Delphi, to Livadia and Thebes, and to Daulis.  Here it was that, according
to the tragic poets, (Edipus accidentally met his father, Laiu~,
whom he unwittingly slew, and so fulfilled the prediction of
the Delphic oracle. It is a lonely spot, upon which the frowning mountains look down in perfect harmony with such a deed
of blood. But toward the east the defile opens, and discloses
to the view a portion of the smiling plain of Boeotia, with' the
Copaic Lake in the midst.
There were three ruined cities, lying considerably to the
north of the direct road to Livadia, which we desired to visit.
We turned off here, and were not long in reaching the citadel
of Daulis, overhanging a village of the same name. The fortifications, still remaining in good preservation, occupy the
summit of a circular hill, near the western termination of a
valley that lies on the eastern side of Parnassus, and opens
into the great central plain of Boeotia. From the masonry
of the wall, the stones of which are polygonal in form, but
approach to regular courses, it would seem that the period of
its erection must have been as early, at least, as the fifth century before Christ. But there are also indications of more
recent constructions of Frank or Turkish origin.
It was the work of a few minutes to inspect all that remained of Daulis, and we hastily rode on for an hour to the
second acropolis-that of Panopeus.  Our mid-day repast was
taken in the hamlet of Ai Vlasi, at its foot. The house that
Nicholas chose chanced to have a board floor; but it could
not boast a single chair. A broom was borrowed of the hostess; and, having cleared a spot to sit upon, we ate our lunch
in peace, without disturbing the women, who, in another part




240         DELPHLI-PARNASSUS- C HLRONEA.
of the same room, were busy picking cotton. The seeds were
removed by means of a machine working with three or four
rollers-a poor substitute for the American cotton-gin. The
hill of Panopeus is lofty, and from its crest the eye takes in
the entire plain of Chaeronea. The remains of its walls we
found to be the most interesting we had seen since leaving
Messene, from their height and strength as well as their antiquity. But neither Daulis nor Panopeus have had the good
fortune to occupy a prominent place on the page of history.
Not so with Chaeronea, whose fortress, some two or three
miles farther to the east, was the next object to be visited.
Occupying a central position, in the neighborhood of a fertile
district, and on the direct route between the monarchy of
Macedon and the free republics of Greece, it enjoyed the unenviable distinction of three times furnishing a battle-field
upon which the die of empire was cast.  The first of these
conflicts, in point of time, was of little moment, scarcely exceeding a skirmish between the Athenians and the aristocratic
party of Boeotia (B.C. 447), and is lost sight of in the comparison with the fearful contest fought a hundred and nine years
later.* Philip of Macedon had at length cast off his mask of
dissimulation; for his specious arts, his seductive speeches,
and his more potent gifts, had accomplished their full design.
Before this, his aim had been merely to gain time, and to secure the undisturbed execution of his plans of aggrandizement.
Among the measures taken for the furtherance of these, he
counted as no lavish expenditure the bribes given to ]Eschines
and others, whose names are consigned to the same infamy
with his. The fault of the Athenians was not so much that
they did not act, as that they were perpetually too late in
their enterprises. They never moved a finger to save Olynthus or Potidaea, until those cities were ready to fall like ripe
fruit into the mouth of the eater. The prophetic eye of Demosthenes had long detected the certainty of the impending
struggle, whose scene it was in the power of the Greeks to
choose.  They might have met and crushed the infant monster upon his own soil, where a victory would have been
* The third and last battle of Chaeronea was between the Romans,
under Sylla, and the army of Mithridates, who was defeated (B.c. 85).




BALTLE OF CHLERONEA.                 2 1
more decisive, or a defeat less disastrous. Their sloth induced
them to neglect the propitious moment, and suffer the conflict
to take place at their very gates, and to be no longer, as Demosthenes had long since foretold, one for supremacy and
power abroad, but for their own liberty and the possession of
Attica itself. Philip was suffered to advance to the banks of
the Boeotian river, Cephissus (which flows through the valley
we were in), and here upon its banks the matter was decided
by force of arms.  The exact spot on which the battle was
fought can not now be recognized with perfect certainty, for
the temple of Hercules that marked it has disappeared. But
it is none the less positive that, before evening, this plain was
covered with slain, and the hills with the fugitives. The Sacred Band of Thebes alone, to a single man, fell at their
posts.  From  that day the light of fieedom never dawned
again upon Greece.
1  IR
TiE PLAIN OHF (CII   ONSEA.
We climbed the Acropolis of Chmronea with mucl grieter
alacrity than those we had previously inspected.  Tiie 1ill in
loftier and more extensive; but we found the walls in a very
poor state of preservation.  They seem to have been double,
and of great strength.  At the base of the hill, on the edge of
the plain, we examined a curious little theatre, resembling that
of Argos, and, like it, cut out of the living rock.  On the face,if' the rock separating the rows of seats I noticed a rude inr




242         DELPHI-PARNASSUS-CH.^ARONEA.
scription in very large letters, purporting to be a dedication
of the theatre to Apollo; but a part of it is at present scarcely legible. Near by is an ancient fountain, still serving for
the neighboring village of Capurna, which is supplied by an
old aqueduct. These are the only traces to be found of the
city of Chaeronea.
Mounting our horses again, we rode for five minutes across
the plain to a tumulus opened some years ago. It had long
been suspected of being an artificial mound, commemorative
of one of the battles fought in the neighborhood. On digging,
the revolutionary chief Odysseus discovered a colossal lion of
white marble, and of good workmanship, which no doubt was
the one described by Pausanias, as erected by the Bceotians
over their countrymen who fell on that memorable day by the
hand of the Macedonians. It is now in fragments, scattered
about the trench, just as it lay twenty years ago. How its
destruction was wrought, I can not state with certainty. I
was informed by several persons that we owe it to the discoverer himself, who, suspecting that the statue contained some
hidden treasure, deliberately blew it up with gunpowder. It
need scarcely be added that his avarice was not rewarded with
the object of his search. If the alleged circumstance be true,
we shall have less reason to regret that such a barbarian met
a tragical end in the Acropolis of Athens a few years later.
Leaving Chaeronea, we now turned southward. The valley
we were also quitting seemed fertile, and well watered by other
streams, as well as by the Cephissus, which, entering it'from
the north, nearly opposite Panopeus, flows through the lower
portion to join the Copaic Lake. But though susceptible of
such general cultivation, we were struck with the fact that
scarce a third or fourth part seems to be tilled. True, some
allowance must be made for some of the crops, such as maize,
cotton, and tobacco, which were yet to be planted during this
and the ensuing months.  Still it can not be denied that a
very large portion of Greece is not cultivated at all, and of
that portion reduced to some kind of cultivation there is little
that is cared for as it should be. Covered as the country is
with a network of mountains and hills, its valleys are most of
them  tolerably rich, some of them even exceedingly fertile;




CAVE OF TROPHONIUS.                 243
and all the products of the temperate zones might be raised in
abundance.  There is not the slightest doubt that a much
greater population could be sustained. Nicholas, with whom
I was conversing on the subject this afternoon, said that, from
what he had seen of the country (and there was scarcely a district that he had not traversed), he was certain that, instead
of a million inhabitants, Greece should support three or four
millions.  And how can we doubt that, in Hellenic times,
when the teeming population could not be nourished by the
domestic produce, and recourse was had to the granaries of
Pontus and Egypt, with a much higher degree of cultivation,
Greece may have contained at least five or six million souls,
exclusive of Thessaly and Epirus?
Our ride to Livadia was uninteresting, but was diversified
by an accident which well nigh proved fatal to one of our party, who was precipitated, head foremost, from his horse, but
providentially escaped uninjured. Livadia, or Lebadea, as the
name is commonly written, is prettily situated, partly on the
theatre-shaped hills, and partly in the plain, in the midst of
which a smaller conical hill, crowned with a Turkish fortification, formed the ancient acropolis. Here, in a khan, and
in the vicinity of an old Mohammedan minaret, we obtained
lodgings for the night. While dinner was preparing, we sallied forth to view the modern town. It has certainly retrograded from the time of the Turkish dominion, when it was so
important as to give its name to the whole of northern Greece,
although even now it is by no means insignificant, with a population of perhaps three or four thousand souls. Finding little to interest, we walked up the narrow gorge behind the citadel, through which the river of Lebadea descends, visiting the
probable site of the sacred grove, and of the famous oracle of
Trophonius. The situation of the cave is not certain. It may
have been one that we saw with its inner extremity blocked
up with stones.  There are numerous niches cut in the rocks
on either side of the ravine, to receive such votive offerings as
those who consulted the oracle chose to dedicate to the hero:
but, though crevices and caves abound, there is none answering to the deep, mysterious cavern which the devotee used to
enter with so much awe: nor have I heard that by entering




244          DELPHI-PARNASSUS-CH.ERONEA.
any of these, a single Greek has lost his accustomed flippancy.*
There is a large fountain close by, the exact counterpart of
the Castalian fount at Delphi, with similar niches behind it,
and numerous passages in the adjoining rock; and the conjecture seems not improbable that these facilitated the pagan
priests in deceiving the people who came to consult the noted
oracle. From this and an adjoining spring, copious streams
of water issue, which straightway form  a respectable river,
turning some mills in the town, and watering the plain.
The day that we were to leave Livadia, we found, on rising,
that the rain was descending in torrents, and we were, consequently, delayed several hours in the khan, where, for the first
time during our tour, there was presented to us that invariable attendant on a Swiss inn-the strangers' book-in which
we were expected to inscribe our names.  This mark of approaching civilization was due to the circumstance of our being
but a couple of days' journey from the capital. The short excursions to which most travelers in Greece limit themselves,
rarely extend farther in this direction than Thebes, Livadia,
and perhaps Delphi.
About nine o'clock the rain ceased, and we pushed forward
toward Scripu, on the margin of Lake Copais. The rain had
swollen the torrents, and we were obliged to make a long circuit to avoid them. The Lebadean plain is exceedingly level,
and so low that the lake can not be seen from it at all. Yet,
though well watered, it is less fertile than that of Chaeronea.
There was an old monastery at Scripu, into whose large court
we drove, and took possession of one of the monks' cells for
our mid-day lunch.  The church, standing on the opposite
side of the square, is extraordinarily large for this retired region. The great quantity of ancient materials employed in
its construction is supposed to indicate that this was the site
of a temple dedicated to the Graces. Numerous inscriptions,
apparently of the time of the Roman domination in Greece,
* Addison's Essay in the "Spectator" contains a livelier and more
graphic account than any ancient author of the fabled properties of the
Cave of Trophonius, the visitor to which was said never to smile again
after his return.




ACROPOLIS OF ORCHOMENUS.                245
are imbedded in the walls, and a statue or two have been recently dug up. Inside of the church there are several drums
of columns of the same singular construction as those employed in the interior of the Phigalian Temple of Apollo, and a
few small sculptured marbles fixed in the whitewashed walls,
from which the old Byzantine paintings have been effaced.
Scripu occupies the site of the ancient Orchomenus, one of
the most prominent towns in the Bceotian state, and a persevering enemy of the Theban power. The only ruin in the
village itself is the so-called "Treasury of Minyas," originally an edifice similar to the Treasury of Atreus-the more
interesting from its mention by Pausanias as among the most
wonderful objects in Greece, and the earliest of the remarkable edifices of this construction. I was disappointed at finding so small a portion of the original structure standing,
or at least visible (for there may remain a great part of it
entire within the hill). In fact, there is nothing to be seen
but a portion of the great portal, one of whose immense slabs
remains, measuring sixteen feet long by eight wide, and
over three in thickness. It presents to us, as it were, a first
trial of the architectural skill that reared the monument of
Atreus.
The remains of most interest and greatest extent, however,
are those of the acropolis, built upon a ridge running up
westward from the city, and at the farther end elevated and
narrow.  This point was occupied by the citadel, which was
situated on a high rock, and was reached from within the
fortifications by a stairway cut in the rock. Here the walls
are in a better state of preservation than elsewhere, rising to
some twenty-two courses of stone. The chief point of interest at Orchomenus is its eventful history. In the early ages
it occupied the first rank among the Boeotian cities-long the
rival, sometimes the superior, of Thebes itself. So limited a
territory could contain but one mistress; and it was the lot
of Orchomenus to succumb to the power and ambition of the
city of Cadmus. Still, in every war Orchomenus was always
to be found siding with the other independent cities of the
district in defence of their common liberties. It was not till
the year 368 B.c., that the project, long entertained, but op



240         DELPHI-PARNASSUS-CH^RONEA.
posed by the humanity and policy of Epaminondas himself,
was, during his absence in the Peloponnesus, actually put in
execution: Orchomenus was razed to the ground, and its inhabitants either slain or sold into slavery.  At the time that
this barbarous measure of policy was consummated, Orchomenus was at peace with the Thebans.  Only a few years
elapsed before the ruined walls were restored, though the new
city never recovered its pristine influence, or a tithe of the
wealth it was fabled to have possessed in the days of its old
king, Minyas.
It is interesting to notice, in the fortifications now extant.
the remains of walls, some of which evidently belong to the
fourth century before the Christian era, while other parts are
with equal certainty to be attributed to the more ancient city.
The walls leading down the hill from the citadel, and inclosing the triangular space occupied by the city, are built of
large and irregular masses of stone, such as were employed
in primitive times. Hence it seems clear that the destruction of Orchomenus was not complete; but the Thebans were
content with overthrowing so much of the walls as to render
their restoration the work of months or years.
From the top of the tower, to which we climbed by about
ninety steps, we obtained a wide view over the central plain
of Boeotia, and extending from  Mount Parnassus on the
west to Parnes and the distant mountains of Euboea eastward, with the hills of Locris to the north, and the snowcapped peaks of Cithaeron and Helicon toward the south.
Below us lay Lake Copais, into which the Cephissus and a
number of smaller streams pour their waters. But, although
the spring had been uncommonly wet, the lake seemed rather
an extensive marsh, with large patches of water in its midst.
It has no outlet above ground; but there are katavothra, or
subterranean passages at the opposite extremity, near Thebes,
through which it discharges into the channel of Eubcea, not
far above Chalcis.  We endeavored to trace out the plan of
the citadel, but were not entirely successful, as the walls of
which it is composed are somewhat intricate. In the centre
was a large excavation, probably for a cistern. The walls
fiom below run up almost contiguous to each other, and seem




VICTORY OF THE CATALANS.             24 7
to have served merely to keep up a communication between
the town and the fortress.
The vicinity of Orchomenus was the scene of a battle of
considerable interest about the year A.D. 1310. The "CataIn Grand Company," a band of Spanish adventurers, had
hired themselves to Walter de Brienne as auxiliary troops.
When the Duke of Athens found them too dangerous and
unruly subjects, and commanded them to depart, they refused
to do so unless their arrears should be paid up, and they
be permitted to march into the Morea. They consequently
took up their station on the banks of the Cephissus, near Orchomenus, and awaited the attack of the duke, who soon appeared at the head of fifteen thousand men. The Catalans
had well chosen their ground.  They had turned the course
of the Cephissus upon the low lands that intervened between
them and the enemy; but the quagmire was concealed by the
growth of grass clothing the fields. The first impetuous onset of the gallant knights in the train of the duke involved
them in inextricable confusion. Horse and rider floundered
and fell in the deceitful bog; retreat was cut off by the very
numbers of the army; and all the cavalry fell an easy prey
to the cunning Catalans. The rest of the Athenian host, deprived of their duke and generals, turned their backs and fled.
Athens itself fell speedily into the hands of the strangers, who
for seventy-five years enjoyed the possessions of their former
masters.  The good old chronicler, Muntaner, oberves that
after the victory many a stout Catalan soldier received as
wife a noble lady, for whom the day before he would have
accounted it an honor to have been allowed to hold a washbasin.:
We had climbed the hill on foot, leaving our caravan to
proceed by the plain. We now detected it in the distance
below, skirting the northeastern base of the hill, and engaged
in following what is called in modern Greek parlance a
" kake scala."  The term is applied to any rough ascent, especially where the rock has been hewn out in steps. It is no
uncommon thing for the traveler to proceed for a quarter of
an hour over what is thus appropriately styled a "bad stair* Finlay, Mediaeval Greece and Trebizond, p. 175.




2t4         DEL. Pl I —ANYXA SS US-CHE~RONEA.
case."  It is wonderful to see with what ease the beasts of
burden, however heavily laden, ascend paths that would be
difficult, if not impossible, for horses differently trained. This
is owing in part to the manner in which they are shod, with
irons covering the whole under surface of the foot. We soon
rejoined our company, who had taken this bad road, as we
learned, because of the lake which comes up to the very base
of the hill.
We had now before us a ride of two hours and a quarter
(not more than seven or eight miles, at the slow rate we were
obliged to travel) to the village of Exarcho. The plain was
well cultivated, but presented no objects of interest. Just
before reaching the village we turned to the left to visit an
ancient acropolis, that of Abce.  Here was the seat of another of those famous oracles whose responses obtained great
renown; and the Apollo of Abae was said to be more ancient
than his namesake at Delphi.  This was one of those upon
whose predictions Croesus relied, and misinterpreted or was
deceived by it. Xerxes, with his fire-worshipping Persians,
committed the temple to flames. The hill is defended on two
sides by precipitous rocks, and elsewhere by a couple of parallel walls, about a hundred yards apart, covering the most
accessible parts. Their construction is of the second style of
Pelasgic masonry, in which the stones are beautifully fitted
to one another.  Near the principal gate, we noticed with
curiosity and admiration a short detached wall, in which, as
though for ornament's sake, the stones are large and accurately cut on the edges into circular arcs, and joined in the
closest manner.
We retraced our steps to the road, and found our way to
the khan of Exarcho, where our Arabian Janni had prepared
for us a good dinner, turning to account all that the village
could furnish in the way of eatables. When night came, a
curtain, formed of H.'s Scotch plaid, was all that screened us
-i'om the rest of the household, who were quite numerous.




ERINED TOWER NEAR (ENOE.
CHAPTER XVIII.
TIIERMOPYLAE AND EUBEA.
THE women of Exarcho and of some of the neighboring
villages wear a singular and characteristic costume.  Their
hair, in general remarkably long and abundant, is braided,
and hangs down behind in a cue. To the end of this is attached a long ribbon, and at the lower extremity of the ribbon a number of silver coins and medals dangle almost about
the feet of the wearer. Every rare piece of money goes to
augment the value of this costly head-dress, unless it be added
to a corresponding ornament around the neck. The dress is
a cotton gown reaching the ankles, over which is worn a short
flannel dress without sleeves; both being confined by a wide
belt around the waist. The head is covered with a handkerchief hanging down behind, and the feet are thrust into short,
pointed slippers. Altogether, the appearance of a handsome
Exarchiote woman is well set off by this costume, of which
she is naturally proud. As for beauty, we have been disappointed, in our travels so far, in discovering so little of it. The
hard domestic toils to which the Greek girl is subjected, almost
from infancy, commonly destroy all traces of fine looks, and
give the gait and form of old age to those in whom we look
TL 2




')50'THERMOPYLE AND EUBOEA.
for the freshness and elasticity of youth.  We certainly saw
as many as ten handsome men, where we found one female
whose face was above mediocrity: a fact that would lead us
to infer much respecting the tyranny with which the feebler
sex are treated in Greece, even if we did not know that they
are  considered the servants,
rather than  the companions
and equals, of men.
Leaving Exarcho, which is
a retired place, and somewhat
remote from  the direct road
to Thessaly, we found our way
in less than an hour to the ruins of Hyampolis, at Vogdana.
The circuit of the walls incloses a small space-six or
seven hundred feet long, and
half as wide-on very level
I illB   -S-  eground.  We followed these
walls through their whole ex~: ~ ia —  tent, and found them  to be-'~-: flong, like most of the ruined
fortifications in this vicinity,
to what may be called the
third epoch of Greek masonry-that is, the period when
PEASANT WOMAN OF EXARCHO.. 
the materials began to be laid
in courses, though by no means regular or of uniform height.*
* The masonry of the Greeks, as exhibited in the remains of their
fortified cities and tombs, may be conveniently referred to three styles
or orders, only the third of which seems to have been employed in historic times. To the first, or Cyclopean order, are to be attributed those
walls of Tiryns, for instance, and part of those of Mycena, which are
built of ponderous masses of stone, scarcely fitted to one another by the
chisel, and whose crevices are filled by the insertion of smaller stones.
In the second, or Pelasgic, the walls are constructed of polygonal stones,
their edges adapted to each other with wonderful precision, and often
presenting a smoother and more beautiful face than those of either of
the other classes. In the third order the stones become quadrangular,
or nearly so, and are laid in regular courses. The second style is known




PHIIP AT ELATEA.                   251
Soon after passing Hyampolis, the road emerged from the
hills, and we entered a valley running westward, and situated
along the northern base of Mount Parnassus, of which it commands at every point a magnificent view.  At Drachmani,
where we stopped at noon, we sent our pack-horses forward
toward Pundonitza, while we rode, for a quarter of an hour,
to the site of the important city of Elatea. The ruins are
very insignificant; but, singularly enough, whereas in most
cases the temples and public edifices alone have escaped entire
ruin, and not a trace is to be seen of the private houses, here
the area of the ancient city is covered with long lines of stones,
forming, perhaps, the foundations of the dwellings of the people. In one place, however, there were remains of the pavement and cella of a small temple, whose interior seems to have
been divided by a cross wall.  The ground upon which the
city stood is slightly inclined, and the position was not in itself a very strong one. Yet Elatea, placed on the great route
leading from  Thessaly into Boeotia, was, after Thermopyle,
the key of Greece.
Almost the first notice we have of Elatea, is the statement
that in Xerxes' expedition into Greece it shared the fate of
many other cities of Greece, and was destroyed with fire. But
the most interesting incident in its history is connected with
its seizure by Philip of Macedon in his advance upon Athens
(B.C. 338).  Although Demosthenes had not ceased to portray
their danger, the  Athenians seemed struck with judicial
blindness, and could not be induced to believe that the wily
king was endeavoring, by his intrigues, to compass their destruction.  The potent spell, which even the enchantments of
Demosthenes' eloquence was not sufficient to overcome, remained unbroken, till the blow that seemed to seal the fate of
the Grecian republics fell suddenly upon the sleepers. Its asto have been generally discontinued previous to the fourth century before the Christian era, and polygonal masonry was in use at least as far
back as the seventh or eighth centuries-perhaps much earlier. The
Cyclopean mode of construction was employed, in all probability, for
many ages anterior to that period, and is undoubtedly the oldest yet
discovered in Greece. For a discussion of this subject, the reader may
consult LEAKE, Travels in the Aforea, i., 377, and C. 0. MiULLER, A,cient Art and its Remains, p. 20-22.




'.22' TI'IERMOPYLIE AND EUB(EA.
tounding eiiect-in a few moments changing the quiet of unconcern into terror and despair-is described by the orator in
~ passage which for ages has been cited for its graphic beauty.
it was addressed to the people.
"It was evening when a messenger came and announced to
l he prytanes that Elatea was taken. Then some of them, rising up instantly in the midst of their supper,* drove out those
that occupied booths in the market-place, and set fire to the
sheds; and others sent for the generals, and called for the
trumpeter; and the city was full of uproar. On the morrow,
as soon as day dawned, the prytanes summoned the Senate to
the council-chamber, while you proceeded to the place of public assembly, and, before the Senate had deliberated and framed
its decree, all the people had taken their seats above. Afterward, when the Senate came in, and the prytanes announced
what had been reported to them, and introduced the messenger, and he had spoken, the herald asked,' Who wishes to harangue?'  But no one came forward.  And while the herald
asked repeatedly, none the more did any one rise, though all
the generals and all the orators were present, and the common
voice of the country called upon whoever was capable of it to
give counsel for its deliverance; although, if it had been necessary for those who desired the salvation of the city to come
forward, all of you would have risen and mounted the platform."t
It was at this juncture that Demosthenes arose to encourage
the dispirited people, and advised the fitting out of that expedition which was brought to so disastrous a termination at the
Battle of Chveronea.
Having satisfied our curiosity, we returned to the village of
Drachmani, and thence pursued our way toward Pundonitza,
crossing Mount Cnemis near a hill of remarkable turret-like
form, called Fontana. On reaching the top of the ridge, it
became evident, from the absence of fresh tracks on the road,
that our baggage-train and J., who accompanied it, though
* The prytanes were a committee of fifty members of the council,
who presided in the assemblies of the people, and supped every day at
the public expense in the prytaneum.
t T)emostheTnes de Corona, p. 284.




A PAPAS AT PUNDONITZA.              25
they started before us, had not passed that way. Some peasants whom we met also confirmed our surmises by saying that
they had met no travelers. In such a predicament, we concluded to leave Nicholas in the pass until nightfall, while H.
and I rode on alone to Pundonitza. The path, it is true, was
not very distinct at all times, and it led through a district
overgrown with bushes and trees; but, by following the general direction given to us, we descended the ridge in safety,
and in a couple of hours found our way to the village.
Our first inquiry on arriving was for the Papas, or parish
priest, at whose house we had been told we should find a welcome, and the best quarters. On either score we found no
reason to complain. The priest seemed to welcome us with
unfeigned cordiality, and was overjoyed on finding out who
had sent us to his house, and that we could keep up a conversation with him in his own language; He introduced us to
his papadia (for he was a married man), and as it was late in
the afternoon, and we might well be hungry, insisted on setting before us his own simple fare-bread and cheese. We
were particularly pleased with the manners and spirit of this
poor and illiterate priest, who forcibly reminded me of Papa
Trechas, whom all who have read Coray's introduction to Homer's Iliad will remember. In politics his views were liberal,
free from the Russian tendencies that render the influence of
the clergy so baneful to the country's welfare; while his religion seemed heartfelt, for the most part devoid of bigotry,
and very evangelical.
The cool evening air tempted us to spend our leisure moments in strolling to the ruined fort, a short distance off. The
village stands upon an extended plateau, on the very edge of
the principal declivity of Mount Cnemis, which, on the east,
falls abruptly toward the sea, but toward the north overlooks
the plain of Lamia and Thessaly. Just at the commencement
of the descent stood the ruined Turkish or Frank castle, to
whose picturesque ruins we directed our steps, in order to gain
the best glimpse of the country beyond. The hillock on which
it stands must have been fortified even in the most remote antiquity, so important, in a military point of view, is the situation. Accordingly, we found some remnants of true Hellenic




254             TIIERMOPYLL  AND EUBCUA.
walls, which can be distinguished from all Subsequent additions
or repairs by the large and regular blocks of which they are
composed, and the entire absence of mortar in the seams.
Pundonitza was more prominent, however, in the Middle Ages'
than either before or afterward, and became the seat of a iiarquis, who ruled over a large Frank territory, comprising a
great part of ancient Locris and Phocis. Blut of the Frank
period nothing remains beyond a ruined chapel and a cistern
or two of large size.
We had nearly given up all hope of seeing our companions
before the next morning, when, between eight and nine o'clock,
they drove into the court. Nicholas had succeeded in meeting them, and thus relieved us from the disagreeable necessity
of losing another day at this place.
On the morrow, we commenced at an early hour to descend from our high position into the lower part of Locris.
The eye could not weary of contemplating this extended prospect.  The quiet Maliac Bay, or Gulf of Lamia, shut in by
the island of Euboea on the right, occupied the central portion. To the left was the fertile plain of Lamia, watered by
the Sperchius, and beyond rose the high mountain range of
Othrys, the northern boundary of modern Greece.  We were
approaching Thermopylce, a couple of hours or more distant
fiom Pundonitza.  First, we saw on our left, between the
high and precipitous hills above Thermopylae and the higher
Mount Callidromus, the pass-rough and difficult, it is true,
but yet practicable-disclosed to Xerxes' army by the treachery and avarice of a neighboring peasant, Epialtes. Through
it Hydarnes was sent, with a detachment of the Persian force.
to turn the position of the Lacedaemonians, for whom nothing
now remained but death or instant retreat. Descending farther, we passed a rivulet or two, one of which was doubtless
the fountain where the Spartans were discovered by the Persian spies adorning their hair previous to the contest.  Here,
too, was the supposed tumulus of the Greeks, over which
were inscribed those world-renowned lines:
"Go, stranger, tell the Spartans, here,
Obedient to their laws, we lie."
" itil on. La Grece Continentale et la Moree, p. 285.




PASS OF'TIIERMOPYL-&.               -'00
Near this famous spot are yet seen the foundations of the first
part of a great northern wall, built in a subsequent age, and
stretching from this point to the shore of the Gulf of Corinth,
beyond Delphi.  The builders doubtless hoped, by this permanent construction, to preclude the possibility of any future
barbarian inroads; but their posterity received a lesson, often
taught, but rarely learned, except by bitter experience. that
neither walls nor fortresses, be they ever so strong, are of
much avail when they cease to be defended by the courage
and intrepidity of patriots and freemen.
VIEW OF TIIERMOPYL.'R.
We reached Thermopylae at length, and found the spot
very different from our preconceived notions. But this disappointment was greatly owing to the changes which nature
herself has effected. Thermopylae is no longer the narrow pas.;
where a few hundred brave Spartans could for days hold at
bay the hundreds of thousands of the enemy.  A wide strip
of land now stretches three miles to the sea, where, as Herodotus tells us, the space between the mountain and the sea was
once narrow, and there was but a single road.* In spring
and winter a great part of this is rendered impassable by the
* Herodotus. 7, 200.




256 t           11EILMuOPYiLA AND EUB(EA.
marshy character of the soil; but in midsummer an army
might march through any part of it.  This is the result of
the long-continued action of the Sperchius and other smaller
streams, whose waters are surcharged with alluvial matter,
sand, and mud, which they deposit at their mouths. Thus,
it is not only a well-ascertained fact that the plain of Lamia has extended itself very considerably toward the east and
the island of Euboea, but the same process is seen strikingly
in present operation. The Sperchius, or rather each of its
two mouths, has formed for itself a long and curved tongue
of land, jutting out like a pier, through which it flows into
the se:.  Two such moles on opposite sides of the Maliac
Gulf have stretched far toward each other, and may, in the
course of centuries, unite and inclose a salt lake, which may
some day be drained. It will be readily imagined that such
a process, continued for a series of years, owing to the shifting of the beds of the rivers, would produce a remarkable
change in the physical aspect of the country.
Here, then, it was that Leonidas, with his gallant band,
met the overwhelming forces of the Persian king, and perished in the unsuccessful conflict. Here, too, the Roman legions were opposed by a less resolute people. And, last of
all, the modern Greeks showed almost equal heroism in the
defence of the pass, when the operations of nature, during
long ages, had combined with the inventions of modern art to
render ineffectual all valor and resolution.  What has given
to the spot such importance, both in ancient and in modern
times, is the fact that the only road from the north, on the
eastern side of the peninsula, must enter Greece at this point.
Next to the battle-scene itself, that which interested me
most was the celebrated hot spring, from which the neighborhood derived its name of "ThermopylT," or the "Warm
Gates."  There are, indeed, two springs; but the most renarkable, by far, is that which rises in the very midst of
the ancient pass.  Beyond a couple of small salt ponds we
reached a plain composed of a white calcareous deposit, formed
by the water flowing from the spring.  Even twigs remaining a short time immersed in it, are incrusted as with stone;
but it is brittle, and cracks to pieces when handled.  As we




IlTHESSAr l'I illT'nIS.            J57
rode over the crust, it gave forth a hollow sound. We tasted
of the water, and found it medicinal, with a strong odor of
sulphur. Its temperature is about 100~ Fahrenheit. There
was a company of peasants from the neighborhood, who had
come to prove the healing powers of the water; but they informed us that the springs at Neo-Patras, the ancient Hypate, a few miles up the valley of the Sperchius, were in much
better repute. If our time had permitted, we should have
been glad to make a trip thither.
We now entered Thessaly Phthiotis, whose boundary is
somewhere about Thermopyla.  Its principal town, Lamia,
or Zeitun, as it was called till recently by the modern Greeks,
stood on the opposite side of the plain, pleasantly situated at
the foot of the mountains. Its acropolis occupied a hill to
the southeast of it. Lamia is said to be a neat and well-built
town; but we did not turn from our route to visit it. The
vicinity has been the scene of a number of important engagements; and Lamia itself underwent a long siege shortly after
the death of Alexander the Great. We rode on to the right,
keeping as near to the head of the Gulf as was possible, in
view of the marshy nature of the ground, the whole of which
in winter becomes a perfect bog. In the vicinity of the village of. Birbos, where we stopped for a while at noon, we
found an encampment of soldiers, who were occupied in target-shooting. In this neighborhood, however, they see some
real service from time to time; for we were now entering the
land of robbers par excellence. True, all Rumeli, or Northern
Greece, is more or less infested by them; but it is here that
they may be said to abound. The Turkish frontier is so near,
that they can with ease betake themselves thither when pursued; and it is even asserted that they receive encouragement
and protection from the local Turkish authorities.
On the north side of the Gulf we fell in with the new road
from Lamia to its port, Stylida, the village where we intended passing the night.  This was the first carriage-road we
had seen for weeks; for, throughout all the rural districts of
Greece, all transportation must be effected by the means of
beasts of burden.  We reached Stylida at an early hour, and
obtained good rooms.  We had thought of attempting the as



235P T'HEi-EfMOPYLI^ AND EUIBEA.
cent of Mount Othrys on the morrow; but the impossibility
of finding mules, the troubled state of the country, and the
reluctance of those who should have served as guides to incur
the risk of falling into the banditti's hands, led us to forego
the excursion, and spend the next day in a visit to the ruins
of Larissa Cremaste.
Before leaving Stylida in the morning, we took care to secure a couple of caiques, which were, during the course of the
day, to drop down the Gulf as far as the hamlet of Achladi.
There we were to meet them, and be carried over to the opposite coast of Euboea. We again fell into a common footpath, now leading through thickets of tangled bushes, and
now through fields of wheat and barley. The soil appeared
exceedingly rich, but less cultivated than almost any other
portion of Greece-a circumstance, doubtless, due to the extreme insecurity of the entire region, and the impotence of
the government to ward off from the unfortunate inhabitants
the miseries of rapine and devastation. At a small village
named Echinus we stopped to examine the remains of old
Greek walls of regular masonry, and lunched at the village
of Rachi.
We turned in at the house of the Papas, where a mat was
spread for us; and, while we ate, he regaled us with a detailed account of an extensive robbery committed here a week
before. Early in the morning, one of the band, in disguise,
had found his way into the village as a spy, and made sure
that almost the whole male population was dispersed in the
distant fields, too far away to learn of the attack until it was
too late. On his return, the miscreants, who, to the number
of forty-five, had been prowling in the outskirts, being satisfied that the way was clear, entered Rachi at about nine
o'clock A.M. The first direction of Semos, the captain of the
band, was to seize all the fire-arms in the village, and to place
the inmates of the fifty houses-women and children almost
exclusively-in close confinement, while the robbers searched
for all that was valuable and portable.  Money, however, was
what most moved their cupidity. The numerous silver coins
forming the most showy part of the head-dress, and ornamenting the person of the women, were of course the first to be




Aki IN)OAD OF ROBBERS.               259
laid hold of: But the ruffians were not so easily satisfied;
and, even after their search, they suspected that much property
remained hidden.  As in Turkey, the Greeks and other rayahs
are accustomed to conceal their wealth from the rapacity of
the Mussulman, under the garb of poverty, so has the unsettled condition of this border country compelled almost every
peasant to use similar precautions. Every dollar that can be
spared is added to the hoard concealed in some hole in the
ground.  The process resorted to by the robbers for discovering the whereabouts of these hidden repositories was a cruel,
but, as we should judge, a pretty effectual one. A kettle full
of oil was set on the fire. If the unfortunate woman, who protested that she was ignorant where her husband had hid his
treasure, relented in view of the coming torture, she was not
molested. But if she persisted in her obstinacy, or really did
not know where it was, the scalding fluid was poured upon
her neck, breast, and body.  Five or six were subjected to
this inhuman treatment; others were merely beaten; and one,
whom we saw, boasted that, though the ruffians stabbed her in
several places, she had not betrayed her husband's trust.
Notwithstanding all this suffering, strange tr say, but one
person was murdered, and that was a man against whom one
of the robbers, himself a native of the place, entertained a personal grudge.  A young man, who happened to be in the village, succeeded in creeping off to one of'the neighboring hills,
where he discharged his gun as a signal. The country people
soon came to the rescue. The band were thus, after a stay of
two hours, compelled to abandon the village, though they had
not ransacked one half of the houses. The mustered peasants,
with a few soldiers, pursued the robbers; but though, after
journeying five hours beyond the Turkish line, they came up
with them, they recovered only some of the heavier goods that
were dropped in the flight.
Our host, the priest, complained with bitterness of his own
misfortunes. He said that until lately he had been ephemerius,
or curate, of Xerochori, in Eubcea; but he had been tempted
to leave it, by the promise of a larger salary and a more
healthy situation.  Fortunately for himself, he was absent at
the time of the inroad; but his wife, the papladia, was beaten




260             TIIEIINOPVL-E AND EUBE1A.
and ill-used, like the rest of the women. The priest estimated
his loss at three hundred and seventy-seven drachms, and that
of the entire village, according to the schedule which the chief
magistrate of the district had drawn up the day before our arrival, could not be less than twenty thousand drachms (about
$3350). When we rose to take leave, the papas begged us to
speak to his old parishioners about him, and let them know
of his misfortune.  We fulfilled the commission, a couple of
days after, at Xerochori.
Achladi, the little hamlet where we had arranged to spend
the night, was but twenty minutes' ride farther. Our packhorses preceded us, while we dismissed our escort of two gens('armes, whom Nicholas had insisted on our taking in the
morning from  Stylida, with a small remuneration that perfectly satisfied them for their long walk. The last we saw of
them, they were probably on the way for the nearest grogshop, to take a glass of raki before retracing their steps.  As
for ourselves, we felt rather more secure without than with
them, as two soldiers are little protection against a dozen
banditti, even setting aside the chance of their passing over to
the enemy, and coming in for a share of the spoils. Relieved
from solicitude on this score, we now turned our horses' heads
inland, and rode more rapidly toward Gardiki. The country
was wild and picturesque, and we found the hill above Gardiki a lovely spot.  Here were the ruins of Larissa Cremaste,
originally an old Pelasgic town, as its first name indicates:
the term  Cremaste, or " hanging," is in allusion to its steep
and lofty site. The summit must be five or six hundred feet
above the village, and a thousand above the sea. We made
the ascent by following the westernmost of the walls. These
are of great interest in a military point of view. Built of
large blocks of stone, laid in what approximates to regular
courses, they seem to date from the very earliest historic period.
The gates are peculiarly worthy of notice.  They are set
obliquely to the wall, and in such a manner as to follow that
invariable rule in Greek military works, that the enemy should
be compelled to expose his right side, which was unprotected
by the shield, to the arrows and other missiles of those who
occupied the walls. Having with me no plan of the fortifica



DETENTION BY A HEALTH OFFICER.           261
tions, I attempted to commit to paper some sketch of their
outline. This I soon gave up in despair; for to have traced
all the complications of walls, running in so many different directions, would have been the work of a day. Had it been
only for the superb view obtained from this remarkable spot,
we would have been amply repaid for our ride through the
sun, on a hot summer's day.
At Achladi we found half a dozen houses; the place is not
even laid down on the maps. Our arrival was signalized by
an outburst of wrath on the part of Nicholas, who looked in
vain up and down the coast for any sign of the caiques, which
were to have been here this morning. The poor agoyates came
in for a part of the obloquy that was poured indiscriminately
on every individual and object within reach. Even Janni,
our inoffensive Arab, was surprised with a volley of oaths; to
which, however, accustomed in a measure, he paid no more
attention than turning to learn the cause of the sudden squall.
Having vented all the expletives he could muster, our Greek
rested satisfied, and for the next twenty-four hours exerted
himself to prove that he was as proficient in the art of making
himself agreeable as in savage passion and abuse.
Fortunately for his temper and ours, too, when we stepped
to the window of our room early the next morning, we beheld the caiques leisurely coming up to the village.  While
the men were busy shipping the horses, and getting out the
necessary papers, we had ample time for a bath and for scouring the neighborhood in search of antiquities. Our guide sent
us on a fruitless excursion to the top of a hill, where we found
nothing to compensate for a hot walk.  On our return the
men were not ready to start. Every petty harbor has a healthofficer, or hygeionomos; and no craft is allowed to sail without
clearance papers from him. The health-inspector of Achladi
happened to be on a visit to Athens, and had left in his stead
a substitute, who could neither read nor write; and he was off
somewhere in the fields ploughing. His secretary was at Gardiki, and had to be sent for. When at length he arrived, he
demanded as his fee a drachm for each person and beast, instead of one for each boat, to which he was entitled.  Here
was an opportunity for another storm on the part of Nicholas:




262            THERMOPYLA& AND EUB(EA.
but on our announcing that we would certainly lodge a complaint at Athens, the extortionate official became more tractable, and allowed us to weigh anchor.
The wind was contrary.  From noon to night we were
tacking about from one side of the narrow strait to the other.
At one time we hove to near a favorable spot for Janni to
prepare our dinner; and we took advantage of the half hour
to row ashore, and using the solitary drum of a column for a
desk, we committed to paper some incidents of travel. The
shore was wild, wooded, and picturesque. Not a house was
to be seen, nor a trace of man's works, but in a ruined chapel
near the strand. We had expected to arrive at Oreos before
dark, in time to reach Xerochori, so as to have a quiet Sabbath at that place. But the head winds delayed us, and it
was early on the morrow when we landed at the former hamlet,
after a miserable night spent on the deck of one of our little
caiques, without room even to stretch ourselves out to sleep.
A sail of fifteen or twenty miles through the Straits of Artemisium had taken almost as many hours. The scene of the
great naval contest between the Greek and Persian fleets,
which took place at the very time that Leonidas was defending the Pass of Thermopyle on the main land, we did not
cross.  It lies farther down, and nearer the sea. We saw it
afterward very distinctly, on our way from  Xerochori to
Chalcis, when riding over the highlands.
Oreos is now a mere landing-place, though in ancient times
one of the most important towns of Euboea. Riding up to
Xerochori, we passed an eminence lying back of it, surrounded by a wall of ancient materials. In early times the name
of the town was Histiaea; but from the days of Demosthenes,
who frequently mentions it, it has borne that of Oreos. About
midway to Xerochori, we stopped a while, at the hamlet of
St. John's, to allow J. time to visit the estate of a cousin of
his, Mr. Mimon, who was absent. It is extensive, taking in
a number of villages.
At Xerochori-which occupies any thing but a dry situation, as its name would import-we found poor accommodations for the Sabbath. As usual, our Sunday was the noisiest
dav of the week. After attending church early in the morning




EUB(EAN ESTATES.                263
the followers of'the Greek persuasion give themselves up to
diversions or traffic. It was market-day, and the peasantry
of the district were assembled in great numbers. There was
a public notary, whose little office, to our great annoyance,
adjoined our rooms. He was busy all day reading and writing law documents, and his room was crowded until late in
the evening.
Early on Monday morning we resumed our journey toward
Chalcis. At first the ground was slightly undulating, but
soon we commenced ascending, and found ourselves among
those beautiful hills for which Eubcea is noted. It was preeminently a "rolling" country, with an alternation of roundtopped eminences and fertile vales, both overgrown with pinetrees of a large size for this quarter of the globe. The scenery
much resembles that of many regions in the United States.
But as yet there is comparatively little cultivation to be seen.
As we attained the highest portion of this end of the island,
we began to enjoy a very extensive prospect, especially toward
the north.  There lay the Straits of Artemisium.  Beyond
the Gulf of Volo, or Pegasus, opened the landscape over the
more distant plains of Thessaly. On their right, Mount Pelion raised its lofty peak; and far off in the distance could
be plainly distinguished the snowy form of Mount Olympus
itself, full eighty miles from us in a direct line. Toward the
east the islands of Scopelos and Sciathos appeared in the
-Egean.
At the close of a warm but pleasant day's journey, after
spending full eleven hours in the saddle, we reached Achmet
Aga, a pretty village situated in a hollow, about midway
down the island to Chalcis. We had scarcely settled ourselves fairly at the khan, before a servant came to invite us to
pass the night at the house of his master, Mr. Noel, who, in
conjunction with Mr. Miller, a Swiss gentleman, possesses a
large tract of country in the immediate vicinity. While we
declined his invitation, from unwillingness to trouble him
with the presence of so large a party, H. and I (notwithstanding that the state of our wardrobe, after an exposure to all
sorts of weather, was scarcely respectable) went over for an
hour or two. We found Mr. Noel, a well-informed and socia



264              THERMOPYLAE AND EUB(EA.
ble Englishman, living in comparative solitude, and devoting
himself to the management of his large farms. Of this independent life he appeared passionately fond, though far from
the society of friends and from his native country.* With our
circle at Athens he was, of course, well acquainted, especially
with Dr. King and Mr. Hill, whose kindness to him when sick
he gratefully acknowledged.  Mr. Noel gave us much useful
information respecting the island of Euboea, whose long an,!
slender outline, over against the coasts of Attica, Boeotia, and
Phocis, every school-boy remembers. Though its dimensions
are almost precisely those of Long Island, the population, according to Mr. N., is but seventy-five thousand.  So sparse a
population is insufficient to cultivate the island to any considerable extent with the agricultural implements now in use.
The fields are said not to yield much more than a third as
much grain as those of equal extent in England; and this,
although Euboea was once the granary of Athens!  All the
land is divided into two categories-one half being sown with
wheat, and the other lying fallow, according to the popular
notion-that is, cultivated with Indian corn or maize!
* I am not aware that Euboea has ever been considered peculiarly
unsafe as a residence for strangers. On the other hand, its natural
advantages of position and fertility of soil, as well as the salubrity of its
climate, have been lauded in England, as offering greater inducements
to colonists than the remote dependencies of Great Britain. Many foreigners, too, have resided there with perfect impunity for twenty years.
The sense of security thus engendered has lately received a fearful
shock in the murder of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Leeves at their residence
near Castaniotissa, not many miles south of Xerochori. The first accounts of this lamentable occurrence attributed it to the numerous banditti expelled from Thessaly by the Turkish troops in the spring of
1854. But I have since heard that it was effected by a band of peasants, headed by the son of the village priest, who had been befriended and
educated in part by the benevolence of the deceased. Not content with
murdering his benefactors for the sake of the property they had too imprudently brought with them, this fiend in human shape made use of the
most cruel tortures to wring from them a disclosure of the place where
they had secreted their valuables. When the neighbors entered the
house after the sad catastrophe, they found the rooms spotted with the
blood of the victims, and handfuls of their hair scattered over the floor.
(nly the infant son of Mr. Leeves escaped the malignity of the mur(-lerel's.




TRAVELING IN EUBCEA.               265
The room in which we slept at the khan seemed to be used
as a general repository. In one corner was a large heap of
husked cotton, grown last year in the neighborhood. We had
possession of the rest of the unfinished apartment. Our horses
were accommodated in the stable directly below, while Nicholas and the agoyates lay down and wrapped themselves up in
their huge capotas wherever they found space enough, whether
in the entry or on the porch.
Leaving Achmet-Aga the following day, we rode along the
little valley through fields of tall barley, until we soon began
to ascend a rather difficult defile, which, like many others in
Greece, goes by the Turkish name of "Derveni."  In many
places it was nothing but a continuous "scala," or staircase,
to which our horses, though poor in other respects, were so
well accustomed, that they mounted them with little apparent
difficulty, and rarely, if ever, stumbled. In a few hours we
gained the summit of the ridge, and then the full prospect
burst upon our eyes, presenting us with one of those extensive views of the country which are scarcely less attractive
than the sites of ruined cities, or the scenes of famous battles.
The central part of the island of Euboea lay before us. On
the right, beyond the channel, was the Boeotian coast, with
the summits of Cithaeron, Helicon, Parnes, and Pentelicus, in
the distance. At one place, along the border of the water,
we distinguished the outlet of the katavothra, through which
the Lake Copais discharges into the sea. We could discern
Chalcis, too, before us, and the narrow Euripus on the other
side. But the most striking object was the snow-capped head
of Mount Delphi, whose ridge forms the backbone of Euboea,
rising full five thousand five hundred feet above the sea, and
serving as a beacon to the country far and wide.
During the entire afternoon, we were crossing a sterile
plain in the direction of Chalcis. Here once more we joined
a road traveled by carts. As the road ran for a distance
along the shore, we noticed the sand wet for a foot or more
above the water, showing that it had fallen from the highwater mark.  This is the only part of the Mediterranean
where the phenomenon of the tides is perceptible, and it is
due to the narrowness of the channel between Euboea and the
M




266            THERMOPYLAE AND EUB(EA.
main land. We suffered much from the heat on the low,
sandy plain, and were really glad to reach the gates of Chalcis. This town is situated on a low, sandy promontory. Its
moat and wall have fallen into neglect, and only an embankment and a rude ditch now occupy their place. There is,
however, an interior fortress, or castro; and much of the city
used to be, and still is, inside of it. At a distance, Chalcis
presents a picturesque appearance, by reason of two large
domes of old Turkish mosques that have been suffered to remain.  The modern aqueduct winds across the plain, and
may readily be mistaken for the remains of some ancient
work. As we rode through the streets, we could not but notice how much better Chalcis is built than the towns we had
recently seen. The streets, bordered with shops and stands,
forming the agora or bazar, presented a scene of considerable
activity, and of much wrangling. Our ears were saluted by
a variety of discordant cries from the country merchants;
and we were obliged to jostle through the crowd, crying
" varda" (" take care") to the pedestrians. Now and then a
donkey, laden with a huge basket on either side, came brushing past us, compelling us to draw up our legs to prevent
their being crushed between the beasts.  Or, on turning a
corner, we came suddenly upon a train of the same patient
quadrupeds, down the narrow street in single file, each hidden beneath a towering mass of dry brush, like so many perambulating hay-stacks. Either a hasty retreat was necessary,
or we found a convenient refuge in some adjoining portal until the way was clear. The cause of all this activity was, that
Chalcis is the only important place on the island, the mart
for its products, and the capital of one of the nomes, or districts, of Greece.
A curious discovery was made, a few years since, at Chalcis.
A piece of the wall surrounding the citadel accidentally fell;
and behind it there was perceived to be an opening. This
being enlarged, proved to be a passage leading to a room,
where were found a pile of coarse bags containing an enormous
quantity of ancient armor. The articles were carefully transported to Athens by order of the king, and inspected by the
historian Buchon. He pronounced them to belong to the first




DISCOVERY OF ANCIENT ARMOR.             267
few years of the fourteenth century. He supposes that after
the bloody battle fought at Scripu-the ancient Orchomenus
in Boeotia-A.D. 1311, the defensive armor of those who had
been slain was gathered together, and laid in this receptacle,
from motives of reverence and curiosity.  There it lay for five
huridred and thirty years, until the casual falling of the wall
brought it to light. This hypothesis, so interesting from its
historical allusions, is fully confirmed by the variety noticeable
in the style of the helmets, about one hundred in number.
Some are of the kind worn by the Catalans; others resemble
those of the Turcopole troops; while the majority seem to
have belonged to the unfortunate Frank knights who fell in
the marshy plain, and were overpowered by their opponents.
All are rusty and battered, having evidently seen service; so
that it does not appear that they were placed in this hidden
chamber, as in an arsenal, for future use.*
* Buchon, La Grece Continentale et la Moree, p. 134.




THE ACROPOLIS OF CENOE.
CHAPTER XIX.
THEBES AND ELEUSIS.
CLEAN beds, a tight roof, and windows provided with panes
of glass-these were comforts not to be despised by a company
of travelers who had been suffering from a continuous exposure
to vermin, rain, and wind, in the rude huts of the peasants.
With such inducements to tarry, we were reluctant to leave
Chalcis when Nicholas came to inform us it was time to rise
and renew our journey. We carried with us a pleasant remembrance of the place to Athens itself. At length, when
the horses were once more laden, and all was ready, we sallied
forth. To reach the bridge from Euboea to Roumeli, it was
necessary to traverse most of the town. On entering the inclosure of the castro, we noticed, in more than one place, the
well-known winged lion of St. Mark, the emblem of the dominion of republican Venice. Within the fortifications there
are many scattered fragments of sarcophagi, and other ancient
works of art. We wished to see a large cannon that was said
to exist here, similar to the famous one of the Bosphorus; but
found, on inquiry, that it had been either broken up or melted
into coin. We saw, however, some of its enormous balls, two




ANCIENT GREEK ROAD.                269
feet or more in diameter, adorning the walls of the castle.
There is nothing of particular interest in the city of Chalcis,
which has a population of eight or ten thousand souls. The
most striking fact is its position at the narrowest part of the
long "sound," where communication between the main land
and Eubcea is easiest and most natural.
On reaching the bridge from Chalcis to the main land, our
first impression was of astonishment at the smallness of the
passage. Toward the upper end of the island, it is at least
seven or eight miles wide in some places; but here it contracts to a strait apparently not more than a hundred or a
hundred and fifty feet in breadth. Here stands the celebrated
bridge of the Euripus, a modern work, occupying the site of an
ancient structure. It is built of stone, and is divided into
two parts, by a fort standing in the midst of the passage.
Upon paying toll, we were allowed to cross, and were once
more in Bmeotia.  On this side of the strait there is a high
hill, surmounted by a fortress of Turkish construction, which
quite commands the city of Chalcis.
We took the ancient road, leading from Chalcis to Tanagra
and Thebes, while following the shore of the bay of the Euripus, south of the bridge. Meanwhile our baggage-horses, diverging to the right, took the direct road southwestward to
Thebes. The old Greek thoroughfares differed widely from
the splendid Roman roads-those vast arteries connecting the
whole body of the empire. Their construction was much
more simple, and the outlay comparatively small. The story
of CEdipus shows that frequently in the mountain passes-as
at that of Schiste-the road was merely wide enough for a
single chariot or wagon; and that when two chariots met, one
of them was obliged to turn out in order to allow the other
to pass. When the road ran over a ledge of rocks, as in the
present instance, there appears to have been nothing but a
mere track. The ruts of the wheels are still to be traced for
a long distance, cut deep into the rocks. It is much more
reasonable to suppose that they were purposely chiseled out,
than that they were worn by the continual passage of vehicles
over the hard limestone, according to the common notion.
Between the two ruts, the rock is about as rough as it was by




iT) (THEBES AND ELEUSIS.
nature, so that it is difficult for horses to travel over it at any
great speed.
The site of the town of Aulis is little more than half an
hour's ride from Chalcis. It was here that the Greek fleet
was gathered before the war of Troy, and was detained for
long months by calms and adverse winds.  To appease the
wrath of the gods, whose displeasure the unpropitious weather
was supposed to indicate, Agamemnon must slay his daughter;
and hence arises the plot of the " Iphigenia in Aulis" of Euripides, the most pathetic, perhaps, of the tragedies of that great
poet. Aulis is supposed to have stood on a rocky promontory
projecting into the Euripus, on the left of the road; but the
only trace of a city is that infallible one-the abundance of
fragments of vases and pottery. On either side of the promontory there is a harbor; that on the north being shallow,
and, as Strabo remarks, far too small to contain all Agamemnon's ships. The other is the true harbor, and still bears the
name of " Bathys," or the "Deep."  Upon the shore of this
quiet sheet, took place-unless we are to look upon the whole
Homeric story as a groundless fabrication-the bloody sacrifice of Iphigenia, a fitting representation of the surrender of
every thing most dear in life to the demon Ambition.
Whatever may be the truth of these classic associations, the
neighborhood of Aulis is now  condemned to a death-like
silence. Not a house is to be seen; and as we left the rocky
coast, and turned into the level plain that extends to the
Asopus, a similar desolation seemed to brood over that.
There was no path to follow. We struck boldly across the
uncultivated waste toward the point where we knew Tanagra
to be situated.  The ground was strewn with flowers, among
which the Larkspur (Delphinium) of our gardens, growing in
wild luxuriance, was the most striking object. Broom and
other showy shrubs gave variety to the scene.  Our ride of
three or four hours over this barren country was warm and
uninteresting, and we met not a single human being until
we reached the ruins of Tanagra.
These consist chiefly of walls surrounding a rising, and by
no means level site, a couple of miles in circumference. At
one place, near the spot where we entered Tanagra, there is




SITE OF TANAGRA.                 271
an old gate. We walked over a part of the area formerly occupied by the city, and discovered the ancient theatre and the
foundation of a temple. The position is not a very strong
one, but it commands a pleasant view southward over a wide
valley to Mount Parnes and Mount Cithoeron, the northern
boundaries of Attica. The Asopus runs near its walls, and
fertilizes its vicinity, the whole of which, at the time of our
visit, was covered with waving fields of wheat. We were
somewhat disappointed as to the extent of the remains of
Tanagra; for they are by no means commensurate with the
importance of a city whose circuit was so extensive, and
which claimed to have given birth to the great poet Corinna.
In its vicinity a bloody battle was fought in the time of Pericles, between the Athenians and Spartans.
Our horses were tired, and we ourselves were hungry.
Finding, however, no shady spot to halt at, we rode on to a
small village a mile or two distant, where we could rest and
obtain good water to drink.  It was at an Albanian house
that we stopped for half an hour. Between the Greeks and
Albanians, as a general thing, there is little love lost; for
the Greek can never forget the hostile purposes with which
the other race was encouraged by the Porte to settle within
the limits of Greece. It is said that all the Albanians at
present in the kingdom are Christians by profession; still,
there seems to lurk a root of bitterness between them and the
Greeks, and it is fostered by their difference of language and
manners.
On the west of Tanagra the prospect of the interior of
Bceotia is cut off by a mountainous ridge running parallel to
the Asopus, and behind this lies Thebes. We followed the
northern side during the whole afternoon, without seeing a
house or a rill of water.  We advanced at a rapid rate, not
being detained by our customary train of pack-horses. We
entered the valley of Thebes, and in a few minutes more
reached the modern town.
No one can visit Thebes without a feeling of disappointment. However much he may have been forewarned to expect few or no traces of ancient palaces and temples, when
the tourist comes to tread the streets, and is told that he




2 7 2             THEBES AND ELEUSIS.
must now fancy himself in the city of Epaminondas and Pelopidas, he instinctively casts his eye about for some vestiges
of their times. -But there is nothing to gratify curiosity.  If
we except a few scattered sarcophagi, and some fragments
of ancient walls, nothing remains but the ground on which
Thebes stood. The modern town spreads itself out in the
Cadmeum, the old citadel, and is unable to fill the inclosure.
Sallying out from our khan, we found the streets crowded
with promenaders. Their costume might have been sufficient
to indicate that we were approaching Athens and civilization.
In the rural districts all the ladies wear the native costume;
here probably one half have adopted the European, and ape
the newest French fashions. Among the men, however, there
is a pertinacious adherence to the native dress, which is certainly much the more picturesque of the two.
After a stroll through the main street, we reached a high
spot toward the southern end of the hill, where we sat down
and enjoyed, in the midst of a crowd of boys at their sports,
a prospect of the Theban plain, on the west separated by a
low ridge from Lake Copais, and from the part of Boeotia in
which we had been a couple of weeks previous. Southward,
the country becomes undulating; but beyond it the peaks of
Cithbaron, of Helicon, and, fartheu to the right, of Parnassus.itself, were glowing in the last rays of a gorgeous sunset.
The sun had scarcely risen when we emerged the next day
from the khan at Thebes, after strictly enjoining upon our
agoyates, who were to proceed by the direct road toward Eleusis, not to tarry by the way. As for ourselves, abandoning
the care of overseeing the lazy drivers-which had been one
of our chief occupations on previous days-we rode for over
two hours in a westerly direction to Thespiae. It is singular that the town occupied the very midst of a valley, without any hill to serve as citadel. The numerous fountains
were, doubtless, the chief.attraction that led the inhabitants
to choose a site so different from most of those we have seen.
Nicholas could show us little in the way of ruins; and, after
jumping over ditches, wading brooks, and exciting the astonishment of a bevy of girls, who, with skirts gathered kneehigh, were rubbing and pounding the clothes at one of the




SITE OF THESPIAE.               273
fountains, we satisfied ourselves that Thespiae has left us little more than a name. The shape of the city, however, is
quite distinctly marked; and the lines of stones running in
various directions would seem to be traces of the edifices of
the valiant town, whose greatest distinction was that, while
all the rest of Boeotia basely submitted to Xerxes, it stood by
the gallant Plataeans in refusing his messengers the customary homage of earth and water.
Ascending a hill north of the ancient town, we passed
through the village of Eremo Castro, or "the deserted fortress." In its little church we found the finest and best preserved bas-reliefs that we had seen since leaving Athens. As
we rode westward to the celebrated fountain of Aganippe, the
country became undulating, and covered, even to the tops of
the round hills, with flourishing vineyards. The fountain lies
at the head of a long and narrow ravine, at the base of Mount
Helicon. In size it is nothing more than a small spring of
cool and limpid water, close by a ruined chapel of St. Nicholas. Its identity has been proved solely by an inscription
found imbedded in the walls of the chapel.  The former
abode of the nymphs, to whom both the mountain and the
spring were dedicated, is said to have been in a shady grove,
where, amidst the gurgling of the stream, the warbling of the
birds, and the dark thickness of the laurel and myrtle foliage,
their votaries might fancy that the nymphs could assume a
bodily form. Only a few old olive-trees have escaped the
ravages of ruthless warriors and the improvidence of the
Greek peasantry.
Turning once more, we took a zigzag course, and soon came
to the vicinity of Leuctra, where, after passing an excavated
monument and some remains of a small temple, we began to
look about for some place for our mid-day halt. For this, a
spot was generally selected where shade and fresh water could
be obtained. Here a great willow, growing by the side of a
rivulet, offered its shelter, and we seated ourselves upon the
green grass to enjoy the lunch which Nicholas had provided,
without minding the clamor of some women of the neighboring
village of Parapungi, who were assembled near by. With these
poor creatures life seems to be one continual "wash-day."
MN 




274              THEBES AND ELEUSIS.
Nicholas tried to convince us that this was the plain of
Leuctra, the scene of that battle so fatal to the influence of
Sparta in the affairs of Greece. We asked him in vain for
the tumulus said to have been erected over the bones of the
fallen. He could show nothing of the kind, and fell back on
the argument that this was the site he had always pointed out
to travelers. If so, none of those who had heretofore employed him ever saw the field of Leuctra at all: those who
come after us may be more fortunate. J. was disposed to
give the battle-ground the go-by. H. and I were determined
not to advance until we had ascertained the veritable locality.
Suspecting that it lay beyond the northern ridge of the valley, we took our guide along nolens volens. Nor were we disappointed. In twenty minutes we had before us the tumulus,
occupying the summit of the ridge overlooking the supposed
scene of the battle.
The Lacedaemonians with their allies, in the spring of B.C.
371, occupied the part of the field on which we stood, toward
the south and Plataea; the Thebans were encamped on the
northern side, toward Thespiae. The former army amounted
to at least eleven thousand men; the latter could number little more than six or eight thousand. On the one side were
numbers, discipline, and the confidence inspired by an uninterrupted series of victories; the others were flushed with
hopes of success, and commanded by one who was the most
perfect master of tactics the world had ever known. The. result was one that could scarcely have been anticipated. For
the first time, a Spartan army was routed in a regular pitched
battle, and Epaminondas could claim by one blow to have destroyed the Lacedemonian ascendency. The tumulus was
reared by the vanquished over the bodies of a thousand of the
allies, who had died on that memorable day. There are remains of ancient terraces, of monuments, and, as it seemed to
us, of old walls, in the immediate vicinity.
There was one more site we had contemplated visiting before leaving the plains of Boeotia-Plataea, lying at the foot
of Mount Cithaeron, and somewhat out of our direct route.
In a straight line it is not more than seven miles from Thebes
or Thespiae; but by our circuitous route, we had ridden quite




BATTLE-GROUND OF PLAT.;A.             275
three times that distance. It looks out upon the broad expanse
of plain toward the north, abundantly dive'rsified with hill and
dale, and watered by streams, of which the nearest flows westward to the Corinthian Gulf, while the more distant Asopus
runs in the opposite direction, to empty itself in the channel
of Eubma. We approached the inclosure of the walls from
the west, where a copious fountain, still resorted to by the villagers of Kokla, springs forth close by the ancient cemetery.
Here a number of sarcophagi, hollowed out from pieces of solid
rock, stand tottering on the verge of the hill, or have fallen
below.  The city, whose circuit of wall remains almost entire, occupied a slight eminence of an oblong shape, stretching
north and south. As its length is nearly a mile, we limited
ourselves to inspecting the northern portion. Here the highest
part is separated by a wall from the remainder, and forms a
citadel; and another appears to have existed at the southern
end of the inclosure. With the exception of the ruined foundation of a supposed Temple of Juno, there are absolutely no
traces of any buildings.
With Leake's good map of Platea and its environs, we attempted to gain a clear conception of the famous battle which
took place here, the year after the battle of Salamis, in 479
B.C., when the Greeks completely discomfited the Persian army
of Mardonius. The field of action, stretching from the camp
of the Persians, and from the position of the Greeks before the
battle, to the city, was five miles in extent; and, since the
ground is undulating, with half a dozen ridges and intervening
ravines, it is naturally somewhat difficult to recognize each
detail. The engagement took place on the eastern side of the
city. The Greeks originally were posted at the foot of Cithaeron, some four or five miles distant, opposite the Persians,
whose camp was on the other side of the Asopus. Fearing
lest they might be circumvented, they retreated toward the
city, the Lacedaemonians being on the right, the Athenians on
the left wing, with the auxiliary troops in the centre. Before
the battle commenced, they retired still farther, and the auxiliaries actually got quite behind Platsea. So the conflict came
on. The Persians attacked the gallant Spartans; while the
traitorous Thebans, and the inhabitants of the different Greek




276               THEBES AND ELEUSIS.
cities who fought under barbarian colors, fell upon the Athenian line. It was the Persians who first turned their backs
and fled, and then the Thebans were repulsed and retreated
to their own city. This was the last time that the Greeks
were called upon to defend their country from that great power, whose numberless hosts seemed ready to destroy theni from
the face of the earth.
Plataea possesses much more interesting associations than
Leuctra. It witnessed a noble contest for liberty and independence of foreign aggression; whereas the battle at Leuctra
was only a strife of rival states for ascendency. The news of
the battle of Platoea sent a thrill of joy through every true
Greek heart; that of Leuctra shrouded the greater part of the
Hellenic race in weeds of mourning.  The name of Plataea
has come down to us associated only with the glorious scenes
of Grecian history; as the only state whose soldiers fought by
the side of Miltiades and his followers at Marathon; as the
steadfast opponent of Theban aggression and ambition; as the
equally constant friend and ally of Athens; and last, but not
least, as an active participant in the noble contest beneath its
very walls.
We had tarried too long at Plataea, and now began the ascent of Mount Cithaeron, fearing we should not reach our quarters for the night before dark. Gradually rising above the
plain, we obtained one of those extensive panoramic views
which are so useful in impressing the geographical positions
of towns, rivers, and mountain ranges, upon the memory. At
the top of the pass, whose ascent is easy, we fell in with the
great road from Thebes to Athens. It is rather narrow, and,
though Macadamized, is quite rough; but it pleased us as an
evidence of our approach to the capital. It was a prospect,
however, of mingled pleasure and regret: for it announced the
speedy termination of our delightful tour, and a separation of
those who had been close companions during a period, whose
impressions the hand of time and the influence of other scenes
will never efface. The road was sadly out of repair; bridges
had been left to crumble, and a carriage could no longer proceed the whole distance from the capital. Still we rode gayly
along, until the gray walls of an old Attic fortress, frowning




A TOWER AT CENOE.                 277
upon us from a height commanding the pass, gave us warnin,
of our approach to Casa, whither our agoyates had preceded us.
Committing our horses to the custody of our guide, we soon
found ourselves at the entrance of the citadel, long and generally known as Eleutherae, but conclusively shown by Leake
to be that of CEnoe. The neighboring mountaineers know
it now by the name of Gyphtocastro, or "the Gypsies' fortress," probably connecting it with some legend or story,
which I did not learn. Whatever its name may have been,
we found it the most perfect specimen of fortification we had
seen during the course of our travels in Greece. Nothing
seemed lacking to afford an accurate picture of a citadel, such
as might withstand for months the most vehement assaults.
On the northwestern side extends a long line of wall, looking
toward Boeotia, with twelve or fourteen courses of stone rising
one above the other. At regular intervals large square towers project from the walls, and furnish sufficient protection to
1'*'
INTERIOR OF A TOWER AT I:2NOE.
two or three postern gates built close by. It was through one
of these minor entrances that we gained admission to the inclosure, which was far too entire to admit of our climbing in
elsewhere. We looked into one or two of the towers in the
first place. There were three doors: one on the level of the
ground on the interior, which was perhaps the ordinary entrance; the other two were on the sides of the tower, even




278               THEBES AND ELEUSIS.
with the top of the wall. Thus the soldiers could make the
whole circuit of the walls behind an elevated breast-work, or
parapet, with which the top was crowned, and pass through
the second story of the towers. Here, too, were the embrasures, similar to those in the towers of Messene, through which
the bowmen aimed and poured forth murderous discharges
upon the assailants. Above these, again, were windows, intended, doubtless, for posts of observation.
This was the most exposed side of (Enoe; for on the other
sides the ascent was more difficult, and, as attack was less to
be apprehended, there was less need of defence. On the southern side, toward the khan, the walls descend lower, and are not
in an equal state of preservation. The two chief gates were
in the western wall.  They appeared to me either to have
been capped by a huge lintel, like the great gate of Messene,
or to have been arched over with approaching stones. Like
that gateway, each was double, and, between the two sets of
doors, contained a small court. In every city whose walls are
well preserved, the size of this open space varies, as well as its
shape. At Messene it was a large circular court; at Panopeus it was small; at Larissa Cremaste there was merely a
shallow recess on either side of the passage between the gates.
Here the space is somewhat larger.  In the centre ofthe inclosure of the walls is a small detached quadrangular structure,
of which only the lower part is standing-probably an interior
fort or watch-tower. It is chiefly remarkable for the mode
of its construction: the stones are large, but instead of being
rectangular, as in all the other walls, they are irregular polygons of various shapes, all closely fitted to each other.  It
seemed to me the most probable hypothesis, that this tower
was contemporaneous in its erection with the remainder of
CEnoe, and that the architect chose this style of building from
motives of taste. It was an imitation of the old Pelasgian
and Cyclopean works of Mycenae, which were even then venerable for their age.
The shadows were deepening in the ravines, and slowly
crept up the mountain sides. They warned us to bestir ourselves, and seek the khan, situated in the gorge far below us,
by the side of a noisy brook. Janni had been ambitious to




ACROPOLIS OF CENOE.              2 79
end off as well as he had commenced, and we sat down about
eight o'clock to our last dinner, on which even more than ordinary pains had been expended. Then came a refreshing
rest, which we relished after our ride of ten hours. Our attendants meanwhile stretched themselves on the ground outside the door wrapped in their impermeable capotas. Panagiotes came to me the next morning, complaining that he had
not been able to sleep all night. At fifty paces there stood a
guard-house for the protection of the pass, where a company
of soldiers, abandoning all military discipline, had been carousing until dawn, interspersing their potations with the
song and the Romaic dance.
We were all on our feet at an early hour. The conclusion
of the journey was drawing near; and, though now beginning
to regret the termination of the wandering life we had led for
so many weeks, the magic name of Athens sounded like that
of a familiar friend, and imparted spirit and energy to all.
Our first intention had been to return by Eleusis; but neither
of my comrades had visited the fortress of Phyle, and they
therefore wished to return by that way. On the other hand,
I preferred to go on with the agoyates to Eleusis. Accordingly, we separated for the day; but not until we had planned
an excursion together for the next week to the Cape of Sunium
and the Temple of Minerva.
This arrangement allowed me to visit a second time the
lofty acropolis, and to sketch its most striking points. The
interest of the locality, and the pure morning breeze sweeping
through the quiet gorges of the mountains, made me forget the
flight of time. When I regained the khan, I found that the
agoyates were gone; but after saddling my horse, I soon overtook them as they were emerging from the mountain pass into
a small valley, the whole of which was cultivated with wheat.
We were not long in reaching a lonely Greek tower, an additional defence to the pass and the old road, and the only
one of the kind I have seen. Only one corner is preserved in
nearly its full height, with no less than thirty-three courses
of stone. The ruin has thus assumed the form of a very acute
pyramid when seen from a distance.
The road was excellent compared with those over which




280               THEBES AND ELEUSIS.
we had been jogging; the agoyates were in the best of spirits
in view of their speedy return home, and I had no reason to
complain of a slow advance.  For some time we crossed a
monotonous succession of wooded hills, covered chiefly with
the common pine of the country.  Every tree had a notch
near the ground, on the side of the trunk that was uppermost,
to collect the resinous sap, which is principally used as an ingredient in the wine. At every important place my companions had commissioned Nicholas to obtain some of the " vins
du pays;" but they had as uniformly declared them to be a
beverage unfit for any but savages. The wines are in general
very sour, and their pitchy taste is very disagreeable to all
who are unaccustomed to it.  Few travelers think even the
far-famed Samian wine worthy of its world-wide reputation.
At the village of Mandra we entered upon the Eleusinian
or Thriasian -plain; and in an hour more we rode into the
scattered village of Lepsina, or Eleusis. After satisfying myself with a hearty lunch in a hut that answered the threefold purpose of khan, drinking room, and shop, I made the
rounds of the place. I had nothing to guide me but a plan
of the site; but there were plenty of boys who volunteered to
act the cicerone. The striking feature of Eleusis is its acropolis, a long, low hill, parallel to the sea, under the eastern
end of which stands the village. I found few ruins of its
wall, except at the foundation of a ruinous Turkish tower.
Before reaching the hill, I came to a large collection of ancient remains, drums and capitals of columns, five or six feet
in diameter. The use of one or two large masses of stone
was puzzling.  On one was carved a head of Minerva, with a
medallion, or Medusa's head, hanging down in front. These
were probably remains of the Propylaea.  The Temple of
Ceres, within whose inclosure the celebrated Eleusinian mysteries were celebrated, stood higher up on the rocky platform
of the hill. I clambered to a small chapel at present occupying the spot, and gained a fine view of the whole plain.
Toward the sea the prospect is cut off by the crags of the
island of Salamis, and in the bay thus inclosed the water
was of the deepest blue I had ever seen. Not even the Lake
of Geneva could surpass it in this respect. Inland, the eye




LEEJSIS.'281
could trace a long row of arches belonging to the aqueduct,
by which the Emperor Hadrian supplied the city with potable water.
From the citadel I walked down to the sea-shore, having
first rid myself of the troup of urchins who had pestered me
with their importunities for " backsheesh"-a cry well known
in the East, even among the Greeks. They brought coins and
other curiosities of doubtful antiquity; but I was incredulous,
and refused to purchase. A walk of five or ten minutes
brought me to the long semicircular pier, which was thrown
out by the Eleusinians to render their harbor safe from the
southern and eastern winds.  Like every other work of the
former inhabitants, it was built in the most solid fashion, although far from being on a large scale. A few boys were
running over the loose stones, and a fishing-smack was moored
to its end by a cable attached to one of the larger fragments.
A number of sail were to be seen lazily flapping in the distance, off Mount iEgaleos, in whose neighborhood much of the
fish for the Athenian market is caught. The air was sultry,
and, as it was the last day of spring, gave premonitions of the
approach of summer.
On my return to the village, I was glad to lie down in the
shade before following the rest of my company, who had taken
the road for Athens. A train of camels passing by, almost
led me to imagine myself in a tropical climate-this being, I
believe, the only place in Greece where that patient animal
is found. The road from Eleusis to Athens is one of the best
in the country. It follows an ancient highway, once lined
with monuments, of which only one or two can now be recognized. The Eleusinian Cephissus, and one or two other
streams, cross the road on their way to the bay, around which
we wound for a time. Just at the base of Mount Corydallus,
where the road enters the pass, we reached the two saltsprings called Rheiti, once dammed to turn some mills, but
now left open. They formed the ancient frontier between
Athens and Eleusis. The old thoroughfare is still evident,
from its track cut deep in the rock. I rode on alone, and entered the picturesque pass of Daphne. At one place a number of small niches in the rock indicate that a heathen temple,




'282             THEBES AND ELEUSIS.
probably of Venus, stood in the vicinity; and the inscripiO
relate to the votive offerings placed within them by thei'ty
of the devout worshippers. The foundations of the tiep.t
self stand near by.
Farther on, upon "the Sacred Way," as the route.-wa
called which the great procession took when the mysteri:8
were to be celebrated at Eleusis, I came to the Monastery:
Daphne. Tying my horse outside the walls, I entered, t*
courts, which were overgrown with grass, and seemed neaiy
deserted. The only living thing within was a dog whom l
roused too suddenly from his slumbers, and who retaliated byt
a show of his teeth. There were many ruins around. The
old Byzantine church, a curious specimen of architecture,
stands on the site of an extensive temple dedicated to Apollo.
M. Buchon, the indefatigable chronicler of the Frankish do:ai
ination of Greece in the Middle Ages, made an interesting
discovery here a few years ago. It appears that Daphne was
called Delphina in the Middle Ages, and that this church was
the burying-place of the Dukes of Athens. M. Buchon found'
their armorial bearings upon several of the tombstones on the
floor.
Remounting my horse, I pressed forward to the brow of the
hill, where the plain of Athens soon burst upon my eyes.
The glorious Acropolis, with its russet-tinged temple, looked
like the face of an old friend; and Athens itself wore a homelike air. Beyond it the long ridge of Hymettus, and the peak
of Pentelicus, on the left, were purple in the rays of the setting
sun. But I did not pause to contemplate the scene. In a
few minutes more I had gained the plain. Then I passed
through the olive-grove, that forms a wide belt of luxuriant
green on either side of the Cephissus; and, before the close of
day, was again threading the streets of Athens.




THE PLAIN OF AIARATHON.
CHAPTER XX.
RAMBLES IN ATTICA.
See there the olive grove of Academe,
Plato's retirement, where the Attic bird
Trills her thick-warbled notes the summer long;
There flowery hill Hymettus, with the sound
Of bees' industrious murmur, oft invites
To studious musing; there Ilissus rolls
His whispering stream.                    MILTON.
MARATHON.
THE plain of Marathon lies about twenty-two miles distant
from Athens, and, until lately, -two days at least were required
to visit it and return. Travelers from the West, however,
are generally so pressed for time, that they have induced the
guides, into whose hands they commit themselves, to devise a
plan by which, with slightly increased expenditure, they may
spare a day from the more numerous attractions of Athens,
without at all affecting their " six months' tour in Europe."
Finding that the visit to Marathon could now-thanks to
the exertions of those gentlemen-be accomplished as conveniently in one day as in two, I joined a couple of friends in
undertaking the trip. The ride being a long one, we were
obliged to rise early for departure. A guide came with a carriage to my lodgings before five o'clock in the morning. After




284               RAMBLES IN ATTICA.
rattling a while through the narrow and roughly paved streets
of the city, we came to a tolerable road, which led out into
the country by the great stuccoed palace of King Otho and
the more tasteful gardens in its rear. On our left was Mount
Lycabettus, a high hill overhanging Athens on the northeast, from whose summit I had many a time watched the
last beams of the sun falling over the golden waves of the
Saronic Gulf, as it set behind the mountains of Salamis.
Centuries ago, how many an anxious eye must have been
strained by those who, from the temple adorning that height,
gazed upon the hostile fleets as they advanced to the engagement in yonder narrow strait of Salamis. From the stony
plain at the base of the mountain, now just beginning to recover its verdure after a rainy spring, we took a northerly
course toward the little village of Cephisia, at the very foot
of Mount Pentelicus. The plain-at least the part that bordered the road-was barren, and seemed almost uncultivated.
But, as we approached the village, it became more fertile;
and now and then appeared a garden or vineyard, surrounded
by walls of sun-dried bricks, thatched with straw or wild
broom. Our carriage stopped at a small house, where we
found the horses that had been sent forward the previous day
awaiting us; for here, at the distance of nine or ten miles
from Athens, the carriage road ceases, and the traveler must
pursue his way over the mountains, upon the same rugged
paths by which the natives have been content for centuries to
keep up a communication with the neighboring villages.
The road wound about the northern side of Mount Pentelicus, into a valley which is a prolongation of the plain of
Athens.  The soil was still less fertile than before; not a
village or hamlet was visible. To the north, the lofty range
of Mount Parnes, which from Athens shuts off all prospect in
this direction, gradually sank as we advanced eastward; and
in one place displayed a narrow gap, one of the few openings
between Attica and Boeotia. This was Deceleia, a famous
pass in ancient times. It constituted the only communication
through Parnes, with the exception of Phyle, and was therefore esteemed a most important post for defence. It was
through this defile, which certainly does not appear to be a




PLAIN OF MARATHON.                285
very easy one, that Mardonius, with his army of Persians, retreated to Platsea, after the fight at Salamis. Sixty or seventy
years later, the Lacedaemonians, who seized it in the midst of
the civil wars, made it the centre of their predatory incursions
into Attica. And so strong is this position, that they could
not be dislodged from their post, though in full sight of Athens,
not twenty miles distant.
The valley we were in soon contracted into a narrow ravine
covered with various shrubs. A succession of ascents brought
us to the top of the pass, overlooking the village of Vrana.
Another picturesque and more thickly wooded gorge led us
down to the opening of the plain of Marathon, which was
spread out in beauty before us. The background of this
charming scene was filled up by the mountains of Euboea,
among which the rocky head of Zagoras overtopped the rest.
The recent rains had given it, like some other peaks, a heavy
cap of snow. Between the island and the main land was the
Euripus, which is here seven or eight miles wide, and, in going
northward, alternately contracts and expands, until, at Chalcis,
the shores approach so near one another, that a stone might
almost be thrown across the channel. The plain itself is perfectly level for five or six miles in length, and it can not be
less than three miles'to the nearest point of the beach. The
water beyond it is quiet and glassy; for a long, low, and narrow tongue of land breaks the force of the eastern winds, and
the bay thus formed is only exposed to the southern wind, or
Sirocco.  The ancients fancied a resemblance between this
peninsula and a dog's tail; and therefore called it Cynosura.
From the hillock on which we stood we could not see the
tumulus. It lay hidden by the projecting spur of the mountain to our right; but the wide and shallow river of Marathona
was visible if the distance, reaching the sea after a meandering course through the plain. A gap in the hills on our right
was just wide enough to disclose Mount Pentelicus, covered
with newly-fallen snow; and there was a ruined monastery
with a single tall cypress in its garden, to serve as a foreground.
Vrana was a convenient spot for our morning meal. The
sun was scarcely yet in the meridian, but a ride of several




286                RAMBLES IN ATrICA.
hours enabled us to do honor to the simple viands which our
guide, George, drew from a capacious basket.  The absence
of chairs, or of any substitute which could be procured from
the neighboring huts, compelled us to adopt the most common
Oriental posture; and as we sat cross-legged on the turf, all
the population of the hamlet collected at a short distance from
us to make observations on our costume and habits.  The
urchins, albeit scarce a week passes without their seeing some
of the "milordi," were vastly edified with our appearance.
As for the women, with the distaff in one hand, and twirling
the spindle with the other, they talked and spun, until it was
hard to determine whether tongue or hands were most busy.
THE MOUND AT MARATHON.
We reached the mound raised over the slain of the battle
of Marathon by pursuing an almost direct course across the
fields. The roads, if mere beaten paths may be dignified with
that name, are annually ploughed up in the spring; so that
without any offence we could leap ditches, and dash over the
fields of young wheat, as is, indeed, the universal practice in
Greece. The hillock, or funeral mound, under which the
hundred and ninety-two Athenians who perished in battle
are buried, is perhaps thirty feet high. If its shape was ever
angular, time has worn it down into a rounded form, except
where the sacrilegious travelers of this century, in searching




BATTLE-GROUND OF MARATHON.            287
for brass and flint arrow-heads, have scraped away some earth
from its sides. Unfortunately for these antiquarians, the latter
sort has been found in abundance at places where no battle
is known to have been fought with the Persians; for to those
barbarians these primitive wedge-like missiles have been attributed. Geologists pronounce them to be of nature's own
fashioning.
Standing upon the top of this monument of ancient glory, I
could easily distinguish the positions most probably occupied
by the belligerent parties twenty-three centuries ago. The
Medes and Persians under Datis landed from their boats along
the neighboring beach. The Athenians and Plataeans, under
Miltiades and his nine associates, had encamped the previous
night in the neighborhood, at Marathon, a village occupying
the site of the hamlet where we lunched. Thence they had
descended to meet the Persians, and stationed themselves in
such a manner as to have either wing protected by a high hill.
The centre of their line was weak, either purposely or from
necessity; while the extremities were made very strong.
When the engagement commenced, the Persians were successful in the centre. But the victorious Athenians from the
wings pouring in upon them, as it would appear, after a somewhat disputed combat, put to rout the whole multitude of the
barbarians. The greater part ran to the sea, and saved themselves in boats, which they had drawn up on the sand; but
many becoming entangled in the swamp, which was on their
right, were cut off by the Athenians, or drowned.
Modern writers pretend to correct the numbers of the Persian
host, as given by ancient historians. For they calculate that,
instead of the half a million or more warriors, that were attributed to Darius by the later Latins and Greeks, the ships
that brought them from Asia could not have contained two
hundred thousand men. Of these, it is conjectured that not
more than 30,000 were actually engaged in the battle, and
opposed to 11,000 Greeks.  So that, after all, the myriads of
the "Great King" dwindle down to what would now be considered rather an insignificant armament for conquering a
whole country. The glory of Miltiades would also be reduced
to the skill employed in making one of his soldiers more




288               RAMBLES IN ATTICA.
effective than three of his antagonists. Be this as it may,
Herodotus, the only historian who can claim the authority of
a contemporary, contents himself with stating the number of
the slain at nearly 200 on the side of the Athenians, and at
6400 on that of the Persians.
It was difficult for me to realize that the quiet plain I was
looking upon had ever been the scene of so dreadful a conflict,
and that here had been decided the fate not of Greece alone,
but of all Europe. The quiet fields were occupied only by a
few peasants engaged in ploughing. In the distance, to the
northwest, could plainly be distinguished the marsh so fatal
to the fugitives. It was not now so wet, however, as in the
autumn, which was the season of the year when the battle
took place.
From the mound we rode to the sea-shore, along which
pursuing our way a mile southward, we reached the remains
of a Temple of Minerva, which was surnamed Hellotis, just as
an Italian church in a similar situation would, at the present
day, be dedicated to "Our Lady of the Marsh."  All that
now remains of it is four or five plain, round columns, a foot in
diameter, standing in the midst of a mandra, or sheep-fold,
and an altar or pedestal in a neighboring field. An interesting circumstance connected with this temple was the discovery
of one of the most ancient authentic pieces of sculpture that
have, so far as I know, been found in Greece. It bears the
name of the artist, and is thereby known to have been executed in the sixth century before our era. So perfect is every
lineament of the face, and every fold of the drapery, that it
has been thought worth while to place this large bas-relief in
a glass case. It is now in the collection of antiques within
the walls of the old Temple of Theseus at Athens, and might
easily be mistaken at first sight for a fine slab from Nineveh
or Thebes.
The day was by this time far advanced; and having now
seen all that is most interesting at Marathon, we turned our
faces westward.  Instead of retracing our steps to Vrana, we
directed them to the present village of Marathona, imbosomed
in a small valley some distance to the north. From it a torrent issues and waters the plain. We reached it, after passing




GROTTO OF THE NYMPHS.               289
on our left the marble platform supposed to have been that
of a monument erected in honor of Miltiades. There was
no distinct road to the village; but our guide's knowledge
was reliable enough as to the depth of the stream; and we
avoided the bends by crossing alternately from one side of
the river to the other. We did not tarry at the few houses,
which, by a singular but not uncommon misnomer, have
assumed the name of Marathon (whereas that village, doubtless, stood on the site of Vrana), but hurried on, by a difficult
and rugged ascent, to reach the path by which we had come
that morning. George preceded us, and, on one occasion, had
advanced so far that he was hidden from us by a curve of the
little gorge. Suddenly there was heard a noise of men apparently wrangling, and then the discharge of a gun, after which
all was quiet again. It would have required no great stretch
of imagination to fancy an encounter with brigands; for the
northern part of Attica is from time to time infested with robbers, and our guide might have fallen a victim. The chances
of such a catastrophe, however, were small. Besides, upon
going forward, we were reassured by seeing George dismounted,
and engaged in peaceable conversation with a couple of peasants. The sole sufferer was a large vulture, which, being
gorged with food, could not fly off with the rest of the flock
to which it belonged. It must have measured five feet or
more from the tip of one wing to that of the other. The
peasant who killed it, after cutting off the two wings, for
the sake of the feathers, threw the rest away, and then accompanied our party most of the way to Cephisia.
Before we entered the carriage again on our return, we
went to see a pretty water-fall of the principal branch of the
famous Cephissus, where the shelving rocks, extending round
in crescent shape, form a sort of cave. In summer time this
" Grotto of the Nymphs" must be a delightful resort for the
Athenians. And Cephisia, the only country place in the
vicinity which abounds in water, was formerly a still more
favorite site for the villas of the rich than it is now. There
remained ample time for us, after seeing all the curiosities of
the place, to return to Athens by daylight.
N




290               RAMBLES IN ATTICA.
SUNIUM.
Sunium occupies the extreme southerly point of Attica, at
the distance of thirty or forty miles from Athens. It has been
customary to devote to the excursion the greater part of three
days. The construction of new roads, however, and better
arrangements have reduced the time required to a single day.
We rose before dawn on the last morning of spring, and left
Athens in a carriage, intending to ride as far as there existed
any respectable road, which, fortunately for us, was the case
for a longer distance than in any other direction from the
capital of Greece.
If the reader will but cast his eye over a good map of this
triangular peninsula of Attica, he will at once notice its singular conformation. A lofty ridge, bounding it on the north,
forms the base of the triangle, while the sea-shore describes
the other sides. From this central trunk, which bears in one
place the name of Cithaeron, and in another that of Parnes,
two lesser branches run down to the Saronic Gulf, dividing
Attica into three unequal plains.  Of these, the plain of
Athens is the largest, and is intermediate between that of
Eleusis on the west, and Mesogaea toward the southeast.
Mount Hymettus appears from Athens to cut off all communication with this small inland plain; but the road to Sunium
finds an entrance into it through a wide gap at its upper end.
The country until we reached the village of Keratia, where
the carriage road terminates, possessed little interest. Arid
and stony, it is incredible that under any circumstances the
soil should have supported a large population. Not a stream
of running water, at this season of the year, greets the traveler's
eye; scarcely a single tree throws its grateful shade upon the
road-side. The parsimony of nature has in some degree been
counterbalanced by the beneficence of man. Fountains have
been constructed, and wells dug, at short intervals along the
road. I asked a native how it happened that these wells
should have been made at so great expense in lonely tracts,
far from any human habitation.  "Why," replied the Greek,
"the erection of a fountain is regarded as a psychicon, or meritorious deed to aid in the salvation of one's soul. It is the same




SILVER MINES OF MOUNT LAUTRIUM.            291
feeling that induces men to found churches or chapels, in fulfillment of vows made in sickness or danger." I could not
but admire the benevolence thus displayed, notwithstanding
its erroneous motive. Beggars in the streets of Athens (who
are almost always either cripples or blind) are supported, on a
similar principle, by the contributions of the passers-by. It is
sometimes even ludicrous to see a representative, or some other
well-known politician, slip a lepton (not quite two mills) into
the hand of a poor man, and accompany it with the notice
that it is "for his soul's sake." One is almost tempted to
think that the coin is an indication of the value he sets upon
the object in question.
We reached Keratia in about four hours from the time of
leaving Athens, and waited in a large khan, which served at
once as a country inn and store, until our horses were made
ready.  The men of the village being mostly busy at their
work, we sat comparatively undisturbed by their impertinent
curiosity. The remainder of our ride was the more difficult
part.  At first, the path led over a tolerably level district;
but soon we came to the hills, which formerly went by the
name of Mount Laurium, and which reach the very margin
of the sea. The rock formerly abounded with veins of a lead
ore containing a large proportion of silver. But this commodity, which enriched the Athenian commonwealth in its
palmy days, had already grown scarce in later times.  The
ore was worked even a second time, in order to extract every
particle of the precious metal.  And now, it is said, not a
trace of the silver can be found. The activity of the miners
in days bygone is evinced by huge heaps of scoria, or dross,
that surround the old shafts, and are of such size as to excite
much surprise.*
We presently reached the sea-shore at a small bay, whence,
for more than an hour, our path led us over rocks bordering
* It is certainly an interesting fact that the silver drawn from these
mines was equally distributed among all the citizens, until Themistocles persuaded the people to apply this branch of their revenue to the
building of ships for the Persian war. The silver extracted from the
piece of stone you pick up on Mount Laurium may perchance have
been used in equipping the fleet that served at Salamis.




292               RAMBLES. IN ATTICA.
the water. The tracks worn by those who have from time to
time passed over them, follow all the contortions and fissures
of the strata. Our horses would occasionally come to a narrow ledge, which, with all our confidence in their sure-footedness, seemed rather perilous.  At length we beheld, on the crest
of a neighboring hill, the remains of the ancient Temple of
Minerva, which we had eome so far to visit.
The view from the summit well repaid us for the difficulty
of the ascent. We had reached the end of the Attic peninsula. The 2Egean Sea, unruffled, by a single breath of air,
presented a glassy appearance, which the ocean never exhibits. Beyond were the islands of the Archipelago, seemingly
but a few miles distant. But more impressive than all was
the unbroken silence that reigned around us. Not a living
thing had we encountered for nearly three hours. In fact, no
one permanently inhabits this vicinity. The temple is better
known by the seamen than by the natives; and the Italian
sailors have given the promontory its present designation of
Cape Colonna.  Only twelve out of twenty-four columns remain. The order is that most commonly employed in the
existing edifices of Greece-the simple and chaste Doric.
Yet, in some respects, the Temple of Sunium differs from all
other examples of this style. The flutings of the columns
are wider and less numerous than in the Parthenon; while
the shafts are so tall and slender as to present a marked contrast with those of the other temples, and especially with
those of the Peloponnesus. At a short distance they appear
to vie in lightness with pillars of the Ionic order. Sheltered
by its situation from depredations on the part of the peasantry for building purposes, the temple is exposed to the full
violence of every tempest that blows over it, and of every
earthquake that rocks its foundations. But the more insidious agency of the saline exhalations from the sea has corroded
its pillars, destroyed its sharp outlines, and obliterated every
trace of its marble sculptures. The platform upon which the
edifice stands is yet remaining entire. The walls of ancient
Sunium may be traced through their whole circuit. It was
evidently a place of some note as the chief town in the mining
district of Mount Laurium.




EXCURSION TO PIHYLE.              293.Returning to Keratia, we pursued a route less rocky, passing by Thoricus, the modern Therico. The only objects of
interest in this little hamlet are a gate of unusual construction, a ruined colonnade, and the remains of a small theatre.
An hour later we were in the carriage returning to Athens.
On our way we stopped for a few minutes in the vicinity of a
chapel dedicated to St. John, to examine a marble lion of
colossal size; but the execution was feeble, and the monument too much defaced to be worthy of notice.
PHYLE.
Professor B. was.my companion on a pleasant excursion
to the fortress of Phyle, situated in the very midst of Mount
Parnes, which played a prominent part in Grecian story.
Before we got under way, the sun was well up, and pouring
his almost insupportable rays upon us. We were provided
with books, maps, and provisions; and each carried, besides,
an umbrella, without whose protection scarce any one ventures out during the warm season. The weather soon, however, underwent a favorable change; and the sky being overVIW  OF PYL.
VIEW OF PHYLI:.




294               RAMBLES IN ATTICA.
cast, we were not long exposed to great heat. As we left
the thoroughfares of the city, we struck upon an ill-defined
road leading to the northwest; and, after making a slight descent, found ourselves approaching the little River Cephissus,
which, in its course of twenty miles from the mountains, scatters fertility and verdure around. Great was the contrast between its banks and the rest of the plain, which in the month
of October is dry, parched, and dusty. The whole valley, in
its width of six miles, had been stripped of nearly every vestige of vegetation; for not a drop of water had fallen during
the previous four or five months. The Cephissus, in truth,
makes but a poor show as to extent. At no time does it
equal a moderate creek. Its waters are drawn off by canals,
and let out by the government to the neighboring land-owners
in measured quantities, and at a fixed price. What is not absorbed by the ground, finds its way to the vicinity of the Bay
of Phalerum, where it loses itself in the midst of the fields;
and but little, after all, reaches the sea. The equally famous
Ilissus, on the eastern side of Athens, is still more unfortunate,
as, during the warm months, its bed becomes entirely dry.
The olive grove lining the banks of the Cephissus forms a
belt of verdure for half a mile or more on either side, and is
one of the most flourishing in all Greece. The trees are old,
and twisted into the most fantastic shapes imaginable. The
locality acquires additional interest from the fact that the
Academy was situated in this vicinity, that garden where Plato
was wont to teach his disciples, where the principles of a morality superior to that of the times were inculcated, and popular fallacies were refuted. But, alas for the reverence of the
antiquarian, the precise spot can scarcely be determined with
certainty. The two low hillocks of Colonos, a short distance
to the right, are more certainly known. Here was the birthplace of the great poet Sophocles, who, in his tragedies, has
represented CEdipus as on this spot lamenting his misfortunes.
On one hillock stands the simple monument of MIller the
Philhellene, who, after spending a lifetime in the study of
Grecian history, begged that he might be buried here in sight
of some of its most glorious monuments. Half an hour later
we saw the Queen's Tower, a sort of country house, to which




A SUMMER VILLAGE.                 295
the royal couple may frequently be seen riding. Queen Amelia
is passionately fond of equestrian exercises, and is esteemed
the best rider in the kingdom. What with riding and dancing, her time is pretty fully occupied, and she finds little leisure to attend to the concerns of her subjects. Her non-interference, probably, quite as much as her reputed gentleness and
beauty, has won the good-will of a people who certainly esteem themselves quite capable of managing their own affairs.
An hour or two more brought us opposite Mount Pentelicus and Cephisia, on the other side of the great plain of
Athens. Here we turned into a valley between the hills, and
began ascending to the village of Khassia.  More properly
the assemblage of houses we reached was merely the calyvia,
or summer residence, of the inhabitants of Khassia. The real
village lay out of sight. During the summer season the inhabitants abandon their villages, either because their position
is unhealthy, or because they possess lands in a more elevated
situation. These they must visit to plough and sow with
grain during the early spring, and to reap the crops in the
month of June, after the termination of harvest in the plains.
Let not the reader imagine here one of those smiling villages of New England, whose regular streets are shaded by
long rows of old elms, or adorned with lofty poplars; whose
neat white houses testify alike to the industry and the success
of the inhabitants. We found ourselves entering a confused
mass of huts, built of stone or mud, and huddled together
without regard to order or symmetry. The streets-often
not eight feet wide-were unpaved and dirty. There did not
seem to be a single tree or bush in the place. As we dismounted to rest our horses a while, some ragged boys in Albanian costume came to earn a few lepta by holding them;
while three or four grown men, who might have been profitably employed in the cultivation of their fields, sat under an adjoining shed smoking their pipes and watching our movements.
We walked a short distance through the neighboring lanes, but
discovered nothing worthy of notice. Here and there the eye
was met by the tottering wall of a cottage, whose tiled or
thatched roof had fallen in. It was the very picture of desolation. We were heartily rejoiced when our horses had been




296               RAMBLES IN ATTICA.
sufficiently refreshed to allow of our proceeding. A few rods
beyond the village there was a clear spring of water, where
we found all the women of the village engaged in washing.
This operation did not consist in rubbing the clothes with the
hand or upon a board. Instead of this, the articles were alternately dipped in water, and pounded between two boards
or two flat stones until they acquired the necessary degree
of whiteness. What seemed to give the washers most trouble,
I owever, was the fustanella, or white shirt, worn by the men,
which any one who has ever seen an Athenian in native costume can not fail to remember. A strip of linen, a yard or
three quarters of a yard wide, is wound in a loose manner,
sometimes a dozen or more times about the body, and fastened
by a long sash tightly drawn around the waist. This, too,
gives the pallecaris a wasp-like figure, on which they are wont
to pride themselves beyond measure. The white skirts, when
stretched upon the grass, cover a great space. The whole female population paused for a moment in their occupation to
reconnoitre us as we approached. Altogether they formed a
picturesque group. With a freedom that might have shocked
fastidious eyes, they had tucked up their dresses above the knee,
and stood ankle deep in water.
From Khassia to Phyle the winding bridle path more than
doubles the direct distance. We followed during much of the
time the sides of a narrow ravine. At the bottom the dry
bed of a torrent, which during the winter pours its waters
into the plain of Eleusis, left no room for a road. Accordingly, we were obliged to make frequent ascents and descents
before coming in sight of the fortress. The sides of the hills
were covered with pine-trees wherever the rocky nature of
the soil did not preclude their growth. The inhabitants put
them in requisition, not only to furnish the fuel they need,
but also to flavor their wines.
The fortress of Phyle at length came in sight. It occupies
the summit of a somewhat isolated hill, that stands in the
middle of the principal pass leading over Mount Parnes fiom
Attica into Boeotia. On two sides it is protected by almost
perpendicular rocks.  There no walls were necessary, and
none seem ever to have existed.  On the other sides it was




THRASYBUJLS AT PHYLE.               297
defended by strong fortifications, built of regular courses of
masonry, of which I counted in some places sixteen yet remaining. The stones composing them seemed to be in general
from three to six or eight feet in length, and about two feet
high. We entered the precincts of the fortress, clambering
over the rubbish formed by the fall of a portion of the wall,
about midway between a square and a circular tower. From
the platform, on which stood the barracks of the ancient garrison, no trace of antiquity could be descried. The only visible proof that the spot had been inhabited of old was the
abundance of small fragments of vases and other pottery,
which are found on antique sites when all other signs have
disappeared.
The view from this position, which was a favorite one with
Lord Byron, is almost unequaled. Not so panoramic as that
from the summit of Mount Pentelicus, it presents in a more
contracted space a picture of Athens and its vicinity. The
wide notch in the mountain allows you to distinguish the city,
and the Acropolis towering above it. Hymettus beyond constitutes a fine background-the plain, which is sunny and aniimated, in lively contrast with its sombre, deeply-furrowed
side. To the right of this are the waters of the Saronic Gulf.
If the day be clear, the faint outline of mountains in the Peloponnesus is perceptible to the eye.
But the attractions of the scenery do not equal the historic
interest of this famous spot. The name of Phyle is honored
as few others are, with an inscription upon the brightest page
only of Grecian story, finding no mention in the records of the
country's decline and fall. Its position under the old mode of
warfare was almost impregnable, and commanded the passage
between two rival states; but in modern days, the Acropolis
of Phyle being much less important, has never, I believe, been
occupied by a military force. The spot has been completely
abandoned by men.
Thrasybulus, an Athenian patriot during the reign of the
Thirty Tyrants, having escaped from Thebes, threw himself
into Phyle, and with a handful of his countrymen set himself
in opposition to the Spartans. It required but a short time
to put the fortress in complete order for defence, so strong
N2




298                RAMBLES IN ATTICA.
was its natural position, so perfect were the walls. From
Athens the tyrants viewed with anxiety this invasion, and
determined, by the help of their three thousand troops, to
crush the incipient rebellion. But their first rash attack was
repelled with ease; and the assailants were compelled to attempt the reduction of the place by cutting off supplies. This
plan was frustrated without the interference of the besieged.
A sudden fall of snow occurred, and the army decamped, as
one may imagine, rather crest-fallen. The tyrants could not,
however, suffer an enemy to remain intrenched so close upon
the city, and therefore the following day sent a body of troops
to encamp as a guard within a few furlongs of the fortress.
Here was a fair opportunity for the exercise of the generalship of Thrasybulus, who succeeded in surprising them one
morning about dawn.  A  second time he put the enemy to
rout with considerable loss of men and arms.*  But with
Thrasybulus and his noble exploits the short drama of Phyle
concluded, and its name even is scarcely heard again in history.t  The ivy-that faithful attendant of fallen greatnessclings to the now deserted walls; but while its branches hang
down in luxurious festoons in front, its roots are gradually
loosening the massive stones, and contributing to the work of
destruction. I plucked a leaf with greater reverence than from
that which creeps over the ruins of the Palace of the Caesars.
The return from Phyle was no less agreable than the ride
thither.  The heat was more moderate, and the sides of Hymettus and Pentelicus were bathed in a flood of golden light
as the sun sank behind Mount JEgaleos.
THE MARBLE QUARRIES OF PENTELICUS.
The quarries of Mount Pentelicus are celebrated throughout the world for the spotless material they have furnished to
ancient and modern art. The remaining edifices of antiquity
* Xenophon, Hell. ii., 4; 2-7.
t When it was supposed that Philip was about to invade Attica, a
decree was passed that all not on duty should remove to Athens; and
that all goods be brought in from the fields into Athens or Piraeus, unless they were more than 120 stadia distant from Athens; in which
case they were to be carried to Eleusis, Phyle, Aphidna, Rhamnus, and
Sunium. (Demosth. de Cor., 238.)




EXCURSION TO PENTELICUS.             299
at Athens are mostly constructed of Pentelic marble; and the
columns of the Parthenon, albeit time has not spared their immaculate whiteness, are all the more beautiful for the excellence of this far-famed stone. If there were, however, as great
a demand for it in Greece as there is at present in Italy, we
should probably see no less waste than in the quarries of Carrara. It is fortunate that these treasures are too remote fron)
the capital to become an object of spoliation to the Athenians
of our day; and the best wish we can make for posterity is
that the citizens may remain ignorant of their value, or indifferent to their beauty, until some new Phidias may arise to
make a proper use of them.
A winter's day is barely sufficient to go from Athens to
Pentelicus and return. The quarries, being all the time in
sight, serve as a goal to the traveler. I mistook them at
first for patches of snow. Starting from Athens in the early
part of December with a party of American travelers, we
followed for a time the road to Marathon. Presently turning to the right, we reached the hamlet of Calandri, pleasantly situated in an olive grove at the distance of six miles
from Athens. Not a house had we passed on our way.  Independent of the fact that the Greeks are, like the French, a
social people, the unsettled state of the country, until within
a few years, rendered it scarcely safe to inhabit a lonely spot,
even within gun-shot of the suburbs. The fields, which are
stony and sandy, are but poorly cultivated in comparison
with the more fertile parts of the country. A few miles beyond this insignificant village, we came to the foot of the
mountain, and found here a new and unfinished country seat
of the Duchess of Plaisance. This eccentric woman was a
Philadelphian by birth, and was married to a Frenchman.
But her oddities proving too much for the happiness of both
parties, it was agreed that they should live apart, though on
the most friendly terms. The amiable old lady now confined
her attention to her buildings, and to half a dozen dogs of
various kinds, which she took out on an airing every afternoon. She enjoyed among the inhabitants the reputation of
being a millionaire, from having an income of fifteen or twenty thousand dollars, which was lavishly expended.




300               RAMBLES IN ATTICA.
A few rods farther, we entered a grove of shady trees, with
a rill of cool water passing through it, and came to the Monastery of Pentele, or Mendele, for which, as usual, the monks
have selected the most lovely. spot in the neighborhood. Intending to stop here on our return, we commenced the ascent,
and were soon engaged in a steep and rocky ravine, through
which, at first, the path winds. Around us we saw many
of the shrubs of Greece; among them the oleander and the
heather, with its copious bunches of flesh-colored blossoms.
The arbutus, however, most attracted our attention.  The
branches were laden partly with clusters of bell-shaped flowers, and partly with the yellow or red fruit, which has somewhat the flavor of the strawberry.  One of our party, after
tasting sufficiently of the pleasant berries, was considerably
alarmed when he found that the color of all was not similar,
and that the leaves of some were remarkably like those of
the laurel. His companions, for his edification, cited the famous incident from Xenophon about the soldiers who were
poisoned by eating honey made from laurel flowers. Recourse
to the guide dispelled these fears, and banished all thoughts
of emetics. The suspected shrub turned out to be only a variety of the arbutus.
This ravine was evidently used in ancient times, for there
are several quarries of considerable extent on either side; and
in one place we found two large blocks of marble, hewn perhaps centuries ago, lying by the path. But the principal
quarries are farther up. In themselves, as might be expected, they are not very remarkable; it is rather the immense
quantity of the stone which has been removed at the cost of
so much trouble, that strikes you with astonishment. Here,
half way up a very steep and rugged mountain, at an elevation of fifteen hundred or two thousand feet above the plain,
whose houses appear like so many dots in the distance, the
industry of the extraordinary people that once occupied this
land obtained the materials to beautify their city with temn
ples and statuary. Directly in front of the quarries there are
remains of an ancient inclined plane, in some parts still paved
with stone, down which the huge blocks of marble were lowered to the base of the mountain. Thence they were labori



PROSPECT FROM MOUNT PENTELICUS.          801
ously carried to Athens, nearly ten miles distant. The marble, which is of a dazzling whiteness by nature, and, when
highly polished, resembles the purest wax, is here discolored
by the stains of time; and ivy thrives where the chisel and
hammer are no longer heard. The mass of rock that has
been removed must have been enormous; and yet there seems
to remain a boundless store to be worked.
Adjoining the quarries was a large cave, which we entered.
It was apparently about two or three hundred feet in depth;
but passages branching off from the end run probably far into
the interior of the mountain. It was just such a cave as the
ancients used to dedicate to the Muses, or to some rural deity.
The walls of the cavern were hung toward the entrance with
tufts of delicate ferns and mosses; and farther on there descended from the roof large stalactites, which in some places
had formed thick columns to support the vault.
Above the cave the mountain rises more than a thousand
feet. We ascended to enjoy the finest view I ever saw in
Attica. To reach the top was a somewhat wearisome undertaking.  Our horses fell repeatedly; and we found it altogether more agreeable to perform the rest of the journey on
foot. We left them a short distance below the summit, to
which we climbed over rocks, and through clumps of the
dwarf prickly oak, which abounds on these mountains. We
were favored with a day than which none could be clearer.
The eye ranged from Chalcis to the Peloponnesus, and to the
snow-capped top of Parnassus' But it was the distinctness
with which all Attica was laid out before our eyes that most
struck us. The plain of Marathon seemed actually spread out
at our feet on one side; and the city of Athens, ten miles distant in a direct line on the other, could have been seen distinctly but for the intervening hill, Lycabettus. There is a
considerable heap of stones upon the very summit of the
mountain. As the custom is, each traveler adds a new stone
to it before he leaves.
On our return, after a tedious descent, the greater part of
which we were compelled to accomplish on foot, we arrived
at the monastery, where, by the providence of our good guide,
Spiro, we found a lunch prepared, which we ate under the




302               RAMBLES IN ATTICA.
porch of the church. The monastery, which is evidently ancient, is surrounded by a wall, with numerous port-holes,
through which the spiritual inmates have, doubtless, been
enabled, in more troublous times, to defend themselves against
the Turk or the kleft. At such periods the inclosure became
a refuge for the peasants of the neighborhood. The dwellings
within contain nothing worthy of attention, being constructed
of wood or stone, very irregularly distributed around the open
court; but the church, into which we stepped for a moment,
is old and singular. The paintings on the walls are executed
in the ordinary Byzantine style which prevailed a few centuries back; but the faces of the apostles in some of them
have more than usual merit. The vestibule was covered with
small fresco designs, half obliterated by time, in which -the
Old Testament history, ancient myths, and modern legends,
are oddly jumbled together. Jonah, with a hideous sea monster, figures prominently in them. We saw no monks about;
but a company of peasants were propping up the dilapidated
trellises in the court. Leaving this interesting monastery,
after having bestowed a trifle for hospitality's sake, we were
soon coursing over the plain toward Athens.
HYMETTUS AND ITS BEES.
Hymettus is the nearest mountain to Athens, its base being
scarcely two or three miles distant to the southeast. One day
in January, I seized the opportunity of a fair sky to visit the
lower parts of the mountain; and after an hour's walk across
the plain, commenced the ascent. The dry season was scarcely
over, for the first winter rain had fallen in December, after
the annual drought of summer; but the fields already began
to look green, and the ground was covered with the common
anemones of every shade, from white and blue to red., An
olive grove was the first sign of our approach to the Monastery of Syriani, or Coesariani.  It contains several buildings
for the monks.  As usual in the cloisters of Greece, the entrance to the rooms is by means of half-decayed verandas and
staircases running up on the side of the building that faces
the court.. Here, also, is a church, over the door of which I
noticed a painting of the Presentation of the Virgin at the




A WARRIOR ABBOT.                 303
Temple, which was striking for its simplicity.  Anna sits
upon a step of the building representing the Temple of Jerusalem, toward whose entrance the child Mary advances;
while the angels who are placed around proclaim the event
to the universe. It is quite in contrast with Titian's grand
conception of the same subject at Venice.
The monastery has sadly fallen from its pristine glory.
The fraternity is represented by a single abbot, who lives here
quite alone. I afterward learned that he is a man of hospitable disposition and agreeable manners, and regretted that
I had not made his acquaintance.  His is a remarkable history, and yet one that has been often paralleled in Greece.
Previous to the Revolution he officiated as a parish priest;
but having drawn the sword at the time of the war, and
killed some Turks, the strict canons of his Church obliged
him to cease from his ministrations.  Under similar circumstances, many others of the clergy have become soldiers, lawyers, or politicians. This man, however, preferred a retired
life, and settled down here. He came near losing his life subsequently by an act of imprudence. A noted kleft-this occurred but a few years since-had been infesting Hymettus,
and levying contributions on the peasants even within sight
of Athens. The abbot gave notice to the government of his
lurking-place on the mountain; and the robber hearing of it,
vowed to take revenge on the informer. At the same time,
with that species of frankness which is not inconsistent in the
breast of the brigand with the greatest amount of cunning,
he sent a letter to his enemy apprising him of this intention.
Fortunately for the latter, the kleft himself was murdered by
an emissary of the government. A peasant was hired to join
the robbers, and put himself under the command of the criminal, whom, on the first favorable opportunity, he shot. It is
reported that this peasant, in his turn, became a kleft, and was
killed in an affray with the soldiery.
One part of the worthy abbot's duties seems to be to watch
over the miracle, which annually occurs on the festival of
some one of the saints, and which twenty thousand persons
congregate to witness. As the wonder consists in a sudden
rise of the water in a certain fountain to an unusual height,




304               RAMBLES IN ATTICA.
and as the pipe that feeds it comes from within the inclosure,
it must be allowed that his task can scarcely be considered
very difficult.
I climbed a ridge which lies directly back of Syriani, whence,
though it is not the actual summit of Hymettus, a view quite
as striking as from Pentelicus or Phyle may be obtained.
But it is not for its scenery alone that this mountain has
gained celebrity, for it has lost much in picturesque appearance by the wanton destruction of the forest trees. The honey of Hymettus is as well known and as highly appreciated
now as of yore. The delicate flavor it possesses is said to be
derived from the thyme that grows wild in the greatest profusion, both on the mountain and in the plain. It may be that
the bees gather the greater part of their honey on the former,
but the hives are certainly all to be found in the little villages
at its base.
I remember with pleasure a visit I made to the country
house of a friend at the little village of Cara (the whole of
which was attached to his grounds), and the pride with which
he showed me a yard covered with hives, from which the honey
had just been gathered. The hives were as rude as possible
in form. A deep and narrow basket set on end, with the
mouth covered over, is smeared with clay, rendering it perfectly tight.  A hole is then made near the bottom of the
basket, with which the bees seem quite content. Honey is
thus obtained in such abundance, that it is sold at one-third
of the price the most common kind commands in our markets.
THE STRAITS OF SALAMIS.
The country between Athens and the Straits of Salamis being very level, we determined to make a pedestrian excursion
to the scene of the naval conflict of Xerxes.  We started
about half past nine o'clock A.M., and took the road to Piraeus. Before reaching the town, at the distance of five miles
from Athens, we turned to the right, and entered on a path
leading westward, parallel to the upper end of the harbor.
We passed near the modern cemetery, and, continuing our
walk, traversed the sites of two ancient demi, which, from
Leake's map, seem to be those of Echele, near Piraeus, and




BATTLE OF SALAMIS.               3
Thymoeta, near the head of Port Phoron. The remains of
walls inclosing the latter are quite distinct in courses of large
stones. The harbor is small, but prettily situated. A caique
was taking on board some bread when we approached, and
soon after set sail in the direction of Salamis. It struck me
on the spot that this little bay is admirably adapted for smuggling; and so I find it was used in ancient times. This whole
district is deserted; and from the time we left the outskirts
of Piroeus, we found no house at all, and met no persons but
a few shepherds tending their flocks in solitude, and three or
four peasants driving their loaded mules to the ferry of Salamis.
We soon reached the scene of action between the Greek
and Persian squadrons. Not far from where we stood, the
Great King had caused his throne to be erected in a conspicuous situation. Seated upon this elevation, his eye could glance
over his fleet ranged in a triple line in front of him. Beyond
it were the high hills of the island of Salamis; and at the
bottom of a deep bay below them the town of the same name
could be plainly distinguished. Across the mouth of this
bay the Greek vessels were drawn up, between the easternmost promontory of Salamis and a small island that lies in
the strait. The single line of the Greeks was opposed to the
far more numerous vessels of Xerxes, which were arranged
along the shore of the main land as far as Piraeus. But few
of the barbarians came into the combat. Their numbers only
increased the confusion that arose, from the violence with
which the enemy rushed forward to meet them. The two
back lines of ships were more destructive to their own forces
than to those of the Greeks, in a strait barely a mile in breadth.
Fragments from the wreck of this proud armament are said
to have been strewn along the shore for miles southward of
Piraeus.  "The sea," says IEschylus, "was no longer to be
seen for the broken ships and the bodies of the slain, which
covered even the rocks and the shore. The remaining vessels
of the Persians had recourse to a disorderly flight. Those
disabled were surrounded by the Greeks; and the men, like a
shoal of tunnies or a netful of other fish, were beaten to death
with broken oars. Night alone put an end to the cries and




306                RAMBLES IN ATTICA.
groans that filled all the Pelasgian Sea; for never before was
such a multitude of men slain in a single day."* Meanwhile
the astonished and affrighted king, after witnessing the total
extinction of his fond hopes of conquest, and the destruction
of an expedition prepared at great pains, was happy to find
relief from anxiety and danger in a precipitate and inglorious
flight. This victory sealed the independence of Greece; and
the battle of Plataea in the succeeding year (B.C. 479) freed
her from all apprehension of fresh invasions.
As we sat on the sea-shore at the base of Mount 2Egaleos,
the modern Scaramanga, identifying the localities before us,
and impressing their outline upon our memory, the unruffled
strait wore that calm and placid aspect peculiar to the waters
of this inland sea. There was nothing to disturb the stillness
of the scene save the caique we had recently seen, and two or
three row-boats crossing at the ferry of Salamis. But for the
sure testimony of history, we should have doubted that nature,
here reposing so quietly, had ever been distracted by the din
of warlike conflict, and the tumult of deadly passion.
* This translation is that of Colonel Leake, Attica, p. 253, 254.




TEMPLE OF MINERVA AT SUNIUM.
CHAPTER XXI.
THE MODERN GREEK LANGUAGE.
Graiis dedit ore rotundo
Musa loqui.              (Hor. de arte poet.)
THE modern Greek holds an intermediate rank between the
classic languages and those that have arisen on their basis in
the other countries of Southern Europe. None of the latter
have retained so close a resemblance to the Latin as the former
bears to the ancient Greek. To this it is owing that scholars
are divided in opinion with reference to its intrinsic character:
some calling it an entirely new language, while others regard
it as simply a dialect or corruption of the ancient. Hence
the resemblance has hitherto proved rather an injury than an
advantage to its reputation.  Were the diversities of inflection
and syntax as marked as in the case of the French or Italian,
the modern Greek would claim to be judged exclusively upon
its own merits; but closely related as it is to the ancient,
there is room for invidious comparison. The superficial observer is apt to mistake the question, and is tempted to exclaim, " How far inferior to the tongue of Homer and Demosthenes!" instead of asking himself, "How does the language
compare in richness, flexibility, and harmony with the Italian
or Spanish?"




308          THE MODERN GREEK LANGUAGE.
Much of the depreciation of the modern Greek, which it
has become fashionable to indulge in, arises out of the difficulty experienced by foreign tourists, however well educated,
in understanding the language in its strange pronunciation.
The system introduced into Europe more than three centuries
ago, and sanctioned by the name of Erasmus, is so unlike that
which prevails in Greece, that the accomplished scholar, familiar with the writings of Plato and the tragic poets, can
neither understand the language as now spoken, nor even
those eminent authors themselves when read aloud by a native. It is natural enough, then, that he should regard the
modern tongue as barbarous, and those that speak it as degenerate scions of a noble stock. On more profound examination, such a scholar would find the difference less in the language employed than in the pronunciation given to the words,
and that this springs from two distinct sources. The more
palpable is the different sound given to letters and diphthongs; the other, the following of the written accents as the
sole guide in giving emphasis to syllables. In respect to both,
the usage of the modern Greeks is perfectly systematic, and
throughout consistent with itself. Each syllable is enunciated precisely as it is written, and every word emphasized
according to certain fixed rules-the same that apply to the
ancient text.
Most of the consonants have the same sounds as in our system of pronunciation. The letters B, A, and r are softened,
the first two being sounded like our V and soft th in that. 
is always pronounced like X, and: never like our Z, even at
the close of a syllable, except when it precedes the letter M. X has a sound quite different from K, and not unlike
the soft G of the Germans. It is, however, with the pronunciation of the vowels and diphthongs that most fault has been
found.  The Greeks will generally acknowledge that they
have lost the distinction between o and w, which are now
alike pronounced long. But not so with the rest. They insist that at should be pronounced ae, and av and ev, af or av,
etc. No less than three letters and as many diphthongs receive in common the sound of our e; viz., y, t, v, et, o, and
vt. It is urged by those who agree with Erasmus, that it




GRAMMATICAL CHANGES.               309
can not be conceived that the ancients should have employed
six different methods of expressing a single sound. In reply,
the modern Greeks, with the disciples of Reuchlin, assert that
the same inconsistency might be predicated with equal truth
of any other language. They deny that the harmony of their
language would be improved by the admission of such sounds
as those introduced by Erasmus; and they fortify their position by bringing instances of proper names of Greek origin
transferred into Latin in such a manner as to show that the
combinations in question could not have been pronounced as
Erasmus pretended.  The use of the accents is an equally
fruitful source of contention. Since, however, it is not my
purpose to enter into the discussion of this intricate subject,
which ever since the sixteenth century has divided the scholars of Europe into opposing parties, I shall only add that the
system of accentuation has been rigidly adhered tb; and,
whether originally intended for use in pronunciation or not,
has now become so thoroughly inwrought into the spirit of
the language as to be followed out with scrupulous exactness
in all its details.
Passing on to the acknowledged alterations of the language,
it will be necessary to specify a few of the more important
changes in the grammatical forms. In the declension of substantives, the most apparent one is the total loss of the dative
case. The accusative is mostly employed in its place, preceded by a preposition. The dual has entirely disappeared.
The verb has been greatly simplified by omitting in common
discourse, except in a few conventional phrases, the optative
mood, and the perfect, pluperfect, and future tenses. The auxiliary verb is introduced to express periphrastically the tenses
that have thus been lost. The infinitive itself has become
obsolete, and is clumsily replaced by the subjunctive with a
conjunction indicative of purpose.
When we consider the long period of time during which the
language has been exposed to the common vicissitudes of all
human inventions, it appears more remarkable that so many
words should have been retained with little or no alteration,
than that some should have disappeared and been superseded
by others of foreign origin. From the very nature of the case,




310          THE MODERN GREEK LANGUAGE.
in the continual intercourse, both peaceable and warlike, with
the surrounding nations, many terms have been imported from
Italy, Turkey, and Albania. But the most remarkable circumstance in respect to them is, that they have always, as far
as possible, been changed so as to agree with the analogy of
the Greek language.  One of the most remarkable and characteristic alterations in words of undoubted Greek origin is
the abundant use of diminutives-forms indicating, as has
been somewhere remarked, as great a degeneracy in the people who introduce them as in their language itself.
A similar revolution has taken place in the syntax. It
has become less involved, and more consonant with the spirit
of other modem languages.
In this enumeration of the chief alterations which the noble
tongue of the Greeks has undergone, I have described its condition at the commencement of this century rather than its
present state. The past fifty years have wrought changes as
wonderful, perhaps, as the world has ever witnessed in this
branch of knowledge. It would not be extravagant to assert
that there has been a greater improvement in the language
of the people and the education of the masses, than even in
the government and material prosperity of the country. This
progress, as it naturally stands connected with the literary labors of Coray and his less gifted competitors, it seems more
proper to associate with the consideration of the modern Greek
literature. But it may not be out of place to repeat a few of
its results, as they appear at the present day.
The emendation of the language has been begun by lopping
off all unnecessary branches. Every word for which a native origin was not to be found has been proscribed with ruthless severity. Some of the least offensive, it is true, have
been tolerated for a time, until suitable substitutes can be
found; but their fate is none the less certain. Not that this
reformation could be effected in a single day; for, as the departure of the language from its original purity has been gradual, so must the return be gradual. Yet it has been more
rapid than the most sanguine could reasonably have expected.
The press has been assiduous in its exertions for the improvement of the language. The university has wielded a potent




NEWSPAPERS AT ATHENS.               311
influence toward the samn end. The government has favored
the movement by a return to classic usage in the language of
its codes of law, and in its judicial terms, and even by restoring
the ancient names of all the townships throughout Greece,
where any such could be found. So great and so rapid has been
the change, that, as is elsewhere remarked, even the professors
in the University of Otho are compelled by it to remodel the
diction of their discourses every few years. The contagion
of this new epidemic has spread even to the common people
of Athens and the other large towns. They are no longer
content with speaking the same adulterated language as their
immediate ancestors; and have consequently introduced words
and phrases that are quite unintelligible to their less favored
fellow-citizens, the inhabitants of the villages and rural districts.
What limits so singular and so radical a movement will
reach, it is beyond the knowledge of any man living to foretell. The facility with which new words can still be introduced indicates that the language is yet in that plastic state
in which a master hand may mould it as he pleases. At the
same time, there is danger that the imitation of foreign, and
especially of French, authors, may exert a deleterious influence
on its purity and elegance, by the introduction of new and uncongenial idioms.  On the other hand, a growing acquaintance with those classic models of composition which they already possess, will counteract the inclination of the Greeks to
copy blindly from their foreign contemporaries.
The most serious inconvenience springing from the diversity of pronunciation that exists between the Greeks and the
scholars of the West, is the formidable obstacle it offers to
their intercourse with each other. The seven or eight millions that speak the modern Greek-a small portion within
the bounds of the Hellenic kingdom, but the greater part outside of it-are every year advancing in intelligence, wealth,
and influence. Their national literature is promising. The
city of Athens already sustains a larger number of journals,
for its size, than any other city in the world.* The language
* In 1852 there were fourteen political papers published at Athens;
none, however, appeared more frequently than twice or' three times a




312            THE MODERN GREEK LANGUAGE.
has even now reached such a point, that to acquire a reasonable degree of facility in speaking it would be the work of but
a few months, for one familiar with the ancient Greek, were
it not for the dissimilarity of pronunciation. As the Greek
people seems destined to exert an important influence among
the nations of the globe, it were really desirable that this barrier to free intercourse might be wholly removed.
week. Since that date one or two dailies have been established. Syra
had three newspapers, and Patras, Tripolitza, and Chalcis, each one.
There were also three literary periodicals printed at Athens, with a total
circulation of about 2000 copies. Now, as the population of Athens is
estimated at 26,000 or 28,000 inhabitants, it is evident that the list of
subscribers for each of these fourteen political journals must be very limited. We- were assured by a prominent publisher that of none were
there printed more than three or four hundred copies! Nor is the statement incredible, taking into consideration the cheapness of manual labor in the East, and the high subscription price demanded.  Most
Athenians read the papers at the lesche, or coffee-house.




I O1iTRFSS OF PHYLE.
CHAPTER XXII.
THE MODERN GREEK LITERATURE.
THE intellectual development of a nation is a subject of inquiry even more interesting than its advance in material prosperity. In both cases, the causes that have given impulse to
the activity of the people are often imperceptible in themselves,
or, in the lapse of a few hundred years, have been irrecoverably
lost sight of. Not unfrequently, after centuries of inaction,
which, had they not been succeeded by a more vivacious period, might be mistaken for entire cessation of life, the popular energies have, without any apparent cause, sprung into
new activity. Such was the fact respecting that nation, whose
very name is associated in our minds with all that is brightest
and most illustrious in remote antiquity. Its political course,
indeed, brilliant and extraordinary as it was, lasted but a short
time.  Three or four centuries were the limits of its ascendency; after which it receded to the rank assigned by its contracted territory in the vast Roman empire. But for ages
after its political importance, and even its independence, had
been lost, Greece yet held the first place in literature, science, and art.  Even this poor consolation, however, was at
length withdrawn.  The wave of barbarism  rolled over it,
and obliterated those marks of ancient greatness which had
been spared by civil subjugation and oppression. At last the
0




314         THE MODERN GREEK LITERATURE.
Greeks reached that point of debasement to which we find
them reduced at the time of the Turkish conquest. Every
spark of patriotism was extinguished; and the people passed,
without seeming to care for the change, from under the yoke
of the Franks to that of the Turks. Schools of learning were
nearly unknown. Their decline can be traced back to the age
of Justinian, upon whose reign, otherwise brilliant, rests the
reproach of having stopped the payment of the sums that for
a long time had been applied to the support of teachers in the
various cities of his empire. The means thus obtained were
spent partly, we are told, in the erection of a new and splendid
cathedral at Constantinople, to replace one destroyed by fire.*
Of a revival of learning in Greece, the first symptoms began to exhibit themselves in the last century. The very state
of subjection in which the nation lay, was the occasion of the
new impulse which both the material interests of the country
and its learning now received. The Greeks were cut off from
all hope of enriching themselves through the cultivation of the
soil, by the continua] presence and oppressions of the Turks,
who, living among the people, were ready at any time to seize
upon the avails of their industry. The fruits of years of hard
labor were liable to be plundered in a moment; and, more
than that, they were sure to involve the possessor in personal
danger. The inhabitants of the maritime towns and of the
islands possessed far greater advantages. The navy of their
masters was manned almost exclusively by them. They enjoyed the right of carrying on commerce under the flags of
several of the civilized nations of Europe; and they thus began to taste of various immunities, and of partial independence. They planted themselves in foreign cities, for the purpose of carrying on their trade to greater advantage; and
many of the commercial houses that originated thus became
wealthy. Meanwhile, though far from his native home, the
Greek merchant preserved all his affection for.his country,
and retained the hope of some day returning, and spending his
old age in comfort, with the wealth he had acquired abroad.
It was impossible that such constant and intimate intercourse
with the nations of Western Europe should be without profit
* Zonaras, iii., 52.




REMARKS OF LORD BYRON.               315
to a people who, whatever defects they possess, certainly show
an extraordinary love for improvement.
Schools now began to be established in different cities of
Greece and Asia Minor; and a high school was to be found
at Jannina, in Albania.
The chief teachers of these academies of learning were
drawn from Mount Athos, or the " Hagion Oros" of the natives, where some learning began to spread among the thousands of rich and idle monks who swarmed in the many monasteries. From schools such as these must have been, it was
not to be expected that there should arise men remarkable for
mental culture. Accordingly, among the authors who flourished up to the end of the last century, we find few or none,
if we except Meletius, the geographer, who enjoyed a European reputation. Their scanty literature, as Lord Byron truly
observed, was almost exclusively confined to works of a religious character. His remarks on the causes of this fact are
just and forcible: "'Ay, but,' say the generous advocates of
oppression, who, while they assert the ignorance of the Greeks,
wish to prevent them from dispelling it;'ay, but these are
mostly, if not all, religious tracts, and consequently good for
nothing.' Well, and pray what else can they write about?
It is pleasant enough to hear a Frank, particularly an Englishman, who may abuse the government of his own country, or a Frenchman, who may abuse every government except his own, and who may range at will over every philosophical, religious, scientific, skeptical, or moral subject, sneering at the Greek legends. A Greek must not write on politics, and can not touch on science for want of instruction; if
he doubts, he is excommunicated and damned; therefore his
countrymen are not poisoned with modern philosophy; and
as to morals, thanks to the Turks! there are no such things.
What, then, is left him if he has a turn for scribbling? Religion and holy biography: and it is natural enough that those
who have so little in this life should look to the next. It is
no wonder, then, that in a catalogue now before me of fiftyfive Greek writers, many of whom were lately living, not
above fifteen should have touched on any thing but religion."
* Lord Byron's remarks on the Romaic or Modern Greek Language.




8^16         TIlE MODERN GREEK LITERATURE.
The popular literature of the times, if that term may be so
applied, comprised little more than the poetic legends of the
saints, and a few paraphrases of Bible stories. Some of these
are not wholly destitute of merit; and the quaintness of the
style adds force to the narrative. We have seen a thick volume of such poems, containing sometimes as many as twelve
hundred lines, called the " Cathreptes Gynaicon," or Mirror
for Women. Though in extensive circulation toward the end
of the last century, it is probable that the authorship of most
of them dates farther back. To these' must be added a large
number of popular kleftic or banditti songs, as well as a
few heroic hymns, such as that of Rigas, which were rarely
committed to writing.
Commencing our retrospect with the beginning of the present century, our attention is naturally drawn first to Coray,
at once the father of modern Greek literature, and the most
distinguished writer it can yet boast of.
Adamantius Coray, or Coraes, was born at Smyrna, on the
27th of April, 1748.  His father, John Coray, was, however,
a native of Scio, and his son, in accordance with the notions
of the Orientals, always considered that island as his fatherland. The history of his early days has been preserved to us
in an autobiography, in which, within the compass of a few
pages, he has attempted to note the more important events of
his life. Like Franklin, he records mistakes and mishaps, as
well as successes.  He commences with the declaration that
"whoever would write his own memoirs must note both the
achievements and failures of his life with such accuracy as
neither to magnify the former nor underrate the latter. A
thing," he adds, "most difficult of accomplishment, on account
of the selfishness and vanity that are implanted in each one
of us." His father was a man of little education, but of great
natural acuteness. His maternal grandfather was the most
learned Greek philologist of his time, and had himself educated his four daughters, who were almost the only young
ladies in the large city of Smyrna able to read and write.
Adamantius was early sent to a school recently established
by a Sciote, which, he informs us, resembled all the other
schools in Greece at that time; that is, the master gave.very




.YOUTH OF CORAY.                 317
little instruction, accompanied with overmuch chastisement.
So severe, indeed, was the latter, that his younger brother
Andrew forsook his studies in disgust, contrary to his parents' advice. Besides the love of study and emulation, there
was another motive that induced Adamantius to persevere. I1
was the provision contained in his grandfather's will, that hi:
library should be adjudged to that one of his grandsons who
should first leave the school possessed of as much knowledge
as the teacher himself. This prize was the occasion of considerable rivalry between the grandchildren; but Adamantius
was the successful candidate. The number of books it contained was small, but sufficient to convince the young student
of the utter insignificance of the titles of "Most learned," and
"Most wise and learned," which at that time were lavished
upon all, without exception, who knew the declensions of
nouns and the conjugations of verbs. The limited extent of
his own acquirements, combined with the extreme difficulty
of making progress in study in the illiterate city of Smyrna,
instead of discouraging him, only roused him to more earnest
efforts. He finally succeeded in obtaining masters to instruct
him in Italian and French.  These languages he wished to
acquire, less for any direct advantage that he expected to
reap from them, than for the assistance they would furnish
him in the study of Latin.  His teachers, he tells us, were
superior in nothing to his former master, except that they imparted instruction without beating. But it was to his acquaintance with a Protestant clergyman that Coray used afterward to attribute, not only the progress he made in literature, but the moral principles that formed the basis of his excellent character. Bernard Keun, the chaplain of the Dutch
consul at Smyrna, took interest in the young man, and instructed him in Latin and other languages.  His name was
never mentioned by his scholar but with love. Two years
were subsequently spent by Coray in Holland, as an agent of
the commercial house with which his father was connected.
It was not until 1782, when more than thirty-four years
of age, that Coray succeeded in carrying out a long-cherished
plan of going to Montpellier, in France, to study medicine-a
profession best calculated to succeed among the Turks, who




318         THE MODERN GREEK LITERATURE.
were compelled to be respectful at least to their physicians.
For six years he remained at Montpellier, engaged principally
in his studies; and in 1787 he commenced his literary career
by the translation of the Catechism of the Russian monk Plato
into the modern Greek language, and of several medical treatises into the French.
A year later Coray removed to Paris, which thenceforth
became his permanent home. There almost all his works
were published, and there he imagined that he could write
with more freedom than in his native land, oppressed as it
then was by barbarians, the very sight of whom was intolerable to him. It was at Paris that Coray first acquired reputation as one of the most excellent Greek scholars of Europe.
The First Consul, Napoleon, desired that a translation of
Strabo's Geography should be made into French, with copious
annotations.  This work was intrusted to Coray, in connection with two Frenchmen.  The first volume was presented
to the Emperor Napoleon in 1805, and with such favor was
it received, that, besides the annual appropriation made to
each of the authors during the continuance of their labors, a
pension of 2000 francs was conferred upon them for life. At
the same time, the Emperor made to each of them a present
of a copy of the splendid and costly work on the Egyptian expedition published under his auspices. This translation, together with that of Hippocrates, which had been previously
made, established the reputation of our Greek as a scholar.
But Coray desired no such empty and unprofitable distinctions as are acquired by the mere accumulation of knowledge.
He longed to diffuse its beneficial influence, especially among
his own countrymen.  The difficulty, however, was to determine how their interests could be best promoted. The disastrous issue of successive attempts to liberate Greece, and more
especially the bloody scenes which had occurred but a few
years before, after the Russian invasion of the Morea, must
have convinced him of the impracticability, even had he not
been already persuaded of the inexpediency, of endeavors to
render his native land independent. He deplored the state of
ignorance, and intellectual and moral degradation into which
it had fallen, still more than its weakness and political subjec



PUBLICATIONS OF CORAY.              351 
tion. The fetters of the tyrant might by some unexpected
means be broken; but the chains of ignorance which centuries
had riveted could not be so easily cast off.
Coray's first enterprise was to furnish those of his countrymen who were desirous of learning-and he knew that there
were many included in this class-with the means of instructing themselves.  He therefore commenced in 1805 what he
had long contemplated-the publication of the principal Greek
authors, with copious notes.  The utility of such a series can
be estimated only by those who consider the rarity of books in
Greece, and the still greater scarcity of dictionaries, works on
classical antiquities, and annotated editions.  Few presses
were to be found in the country. All religious works were
printed at Venice or Vienna, as many of them are to the
present day. The zeal of Coray, however, would probably
have fallen short of the accomplishment of his object, had it
not been seconded by the liberality of the brothers Zosimades,
rich Greek merchants living in Northern Europe, who furnished him with the funds requisite for the publication of his volumes, until the malevolent intrigues of the superstitious party
induced them to withdraw their assistance.
The following works succeeded each other at short intervals: An edition of Isocrates was the first, and it raised yet
higher the reputation of Coray as a critic. Next appeared
Plutarch's Lives, Strabo's Geography, the Politics of Aristotle,
his Nicomachean Ethics, the Memorabilia of Xenophon, Plato's Gorgias, and the speech of Lycurgus against Leochares.
Then came the Strategics of Polyaenus and of Onesander,
iEsop, Xenocrates and Galen, Marcus Aurelius, Plutarch's
Politics, Epictetus, Arrian, and several others, making in all
thirty-nine volumes. In some respects the plan of these editions
is quite peculiar. Each volume is preceded by a preface, now,
at least, considered a most invaluable portion of the work.
These prolegomena are partly introductory to the study of
the author; and yet are made, at the same time, the vehicle
for conveying such thoughts as, in the present state of the nation, the editor thought most likely to prove salutary.  Often,
indeed, their connection with the subject of the text is very
slight; and, on the whole, the prolegomena must be viewed




320         THE MODERN GREEK LITERATURE.
rather in the light of distinct tracts. Many of the more important have been collected and published in separate form.
Among the most attractive of these prolegomena are the
series prefixed to the first four books of the Iliad. They are
devoted to the imaginary history of an illiterate parish priest,
a character of which, unfortunately, too many specimens are
yet to be found in Greece. He is represented as officiating in
his native village of Bolissos, on the island of Scio, which the
author supposes to be the birth-place of Homer. This priest
was surnamed Papa Trechas, from the rapidity with which
he was accustomed to run over the church service-a feat
upon which he prided himself exceedingly. He used to boast
of his sixty-four journeys, and hence esteemed himself another
Ulysses; from whom he differed only in this respect, that he
made these visits to the sixty-four hamlets of the island, instead of the distant seas and regions visited by the Homeric
wanderer. This furnishes a good opportunity for the exhibition of those errors in society which rendered the priesthood of
the Greek Church, in general, at once the most ignorant and
the most vicious portion of the community. For Papa Trechas had, in his youth, been so wild and unruly, that a council
of his relatives had been called to decide what should be done
with him. Various trades were proposed, but it was evident
that the lad would not learn any of them.  At length the
wisest of the conclave said, " You see before you an ignorant,
lazy, thriftless, and most vicious youth, and do you counsel
to bind him out to some mechanic, as though he were capable of learning any trade?  What else can you do with him
than make him a priest?"  The proposition was adopted by
acclamation, every body wondering that the idea had never
struck him before. And so the boy was set apart for the
priesthood. But Papa Trechas is a character in many respects far superior to his fellows. Under his rough exterior is
hidden a kindly nature; and his intellect needs only the first
taste, in order to thirst for learning. The awakening of his
conscience, and the regrets experienced in looking back on so
many years of his life worse than wasted, are portrayed in a
forcible manner. In short, Papa Trechas is a fair example
both of what the priesthood are, and of what they may become.




RELIGlOUS VIEWS OF COKAY.                321
His history exhibits, also, the influence they will exert when
religion and education have fitted them for their sacred work.
We have selected this instance from the Prolegomena of Coray, as illustrating the method he took to enlighten the minds
of his fellow Greeks on subjects which he thought to be of
vital importance to their advancement. In his religious opinions, Coray was far superior to most of those with whom he
was associated.  Philosophy had not disturbed his convictions; but, on the contrary, had strengthened them. When
the tares of a heathenish superstition were eradicated, the
pure grain was left to strike its roots unobstructed in a soil
well adapted for its growth. In his works the subject of religion is nowhere avoided, but is ever treated in an honest and
manly way.  After reading his treatises, no one can doubt
that on almost, if not quite every important doctrine, his belief coincided with that of the Reformed Churches. It was
with the object of opening the eyes of the Greeks to the fact
that their superstitious observances were not an integral part
of their religion, but a perversion which in the course of ages
had crept in, that in 1820 he published a translation of the
remarkable "Advice of Three Bishops to Pope Julius the
Third."   "The publication of such a work," he informs us,
"had for its object the improvement, and at the same time
the justification, of the Eastern Church. It was impossible
that long servitude, while it deprived the race of education,
should not corrupt the clergy, and confuse our religious belief.  Whatever, and however numerous, may have been the
sins of the Eastern Christians, they are not to be compared
with the frightful abuses of the Papal Court; they are but as
drops to the ocean. * * * For any one to condemn all the
Eastern priesthood on account of the luxury of a few Sardanapalus-like bishops at Constantinople, is as if one should
* This singular production, in the form of a letter of counsel written
to the pope in 1553, by the three bishops of Brescia, Capri, and Thessalonica, was rescued from oblivion by the diligence of the scholar Llorente, and first published in his Mlonumens historiques concernant les deux
pragmatiques-sanctions de France, etc., 1818. Llorente having been chief
secretary of the Spanish Inquisition, and having had the principal documents in his hands, possessed an admirable opportunity of discovering
the iniquities of the system with which he was connected.
02




322         THE MODERN GREEK LITERATURE.
liken all the laity to the Fanariots of Constantinople."* This
little work, containing so many thrusts against the Eastern
Church, under cover of the superstitions of the West, was, as
may be readily imagined, very obnoxious to the hierarchy.
Even the well-known fact that Coray was the author of the
notes (though it was issued anonymously), would scarcely
have saved it from the fulminations of the "Holy Synod,"
had not his friends managed to postpone the consideration of
it until too late to arrest its circulation.
How devoted to his country's prosperity Coray was, we
have already seen. Yet, strange as it may seem, no one was
more grieved than he to hear tidings of the commencement of
the Greek Revolution.  During its continuance, he places the
following words in the mouth of one of the persons in a dialogue: "They (the instigators of the Revolution) are scarcely
deserving of forgiveness; since, with the blood of many myriads of men, with the disgrace of unnumbered women, with
the conversion to Islam of multitudes of young men and maidens, with the destruction of whole cities, they have purchased
freedom (or rather an image of freedom), which, after twenty,
or, at most, thirty years, would have been surely and absolutely obtained, with incomparably fewer evils."t  About the
same time he thus writes to a friend:
" Contostavlos has brought me a sacred relic, a dry twig
of a plant from the tomb of the founder of American blessedness, Washington.  If our political revolution had been delayed but twenty years more, there would certainly have arisen
among us also, if not some Washington, at least some diminutive Washington.  But now, my friend, from the particulars
they write me from Greece, our government is in a deplorable state. Ambition, covetousness, strife for power, complete
infatuation, in a word, have taken possession of the heads of
some few, who would long since have ruined their country
had it not possessed Marathonian warriors, and an enemy to
fight against still more stupid than themselves."4
Coray lived to see his country freed from the domination of
* Bio'A. Kopan, aeX. 31-2.
t Ilporeyoueva ei riTf'ETrtK. Atarptpcf, I. 21.
t'EwrcTora~'A. Kopai. I. 92 (April 29, 1827).




NEOPHYTUS DOUKAS.               8325
the Turks.  He died at Paris, in April, 1833, at the advanced
age of eighty-five years.
Next, perhaps, to Coray, Neophytus Doukas (or, as the
name may be anglicized, Ducas) was the best philologist
among the Greeks. He was a younger man than the former,
whom he survived about twelve years. Their minds were
strikingly dissimilar. Both were enthusiastically bent on the
improvement and elevation of their unfortunate fatherland;
but they reasoned differently in respect to the means by which
this end was to be obtained. Doukas, being a member of the
clergy, had prejudices, which even liberal culture could not
wholly eradicate.  He perceived that the people had fallen
much below their ancestors in all that constitutes the wellbeing of a nation; but he did not trace this as clearly as did
Coray, to the perversion of the Church from its original character and mission. At the same time, Doukas was a blind
admirer of antiquity.
In nothing, perhaps, did the two scholars differ more widely
than in the views they adopted as to the direction that the
modern language should take. The singular position which
the Greek tongue occupied a half century ago, and occupies
still, is this. In the midst of all its corruptions, it had been
handed down from father to son, with so much resemblance
to the original, that one might hesitate whether to consider it
a modern language or a dialect of the ancient Greek. An immense number of words had been preserved almost unchanged.
The conjugation of verbs and the declensions of nouns were
identical, except in those forms which had been simplified or
omitted, or where the auxiliary verb had been introduced, after
the manner of the Western tongues. The pronunciation, too,
whatever doubts were to be entertained as to its conformity
with the ancient,-had adhered with singular fidelity to the system of accentuation: an adherence quite peculiar in such forms,
for example, as the passive aorists. But to this original element of the language, which was by far the predominating one,
there had been added a host of foreign words, particularly Latin,
Italian, and Turkish, with a smaller admixture from the Albanian and other dialects. Some insist that these words, having
existed for centuries in the language, have become an integral




324          THE MODERN) GREEK'LITER'AURE.
part of it, and ought not to be lightly rejected. These persons warn the innovators, lest, by casting off such terms of
foreign origin, they impoverish their mother tongue; while
they fail to supply their place with others equally expressive,
and more in accordance with analogy.  Besides, they urge,
and not without a show of reason, that in the course of twenty centuries elapsed since the commencement of the decline of
letters in Greece, new ideas have been introduced, and circumstances have so changed, as to require similar alterations in
the language of the people. It would, of course, be a useless
task to turn over the pages of a lexicon to find the proper Hellenic word for a railroad, a steamboat, or a daguerreotype.
Doukas insisted on a rigid adherence to the ancient language, and struck out every word of foreign origin, or irreducible to a pure root. A more serious fault was to attempt
the simultaneous re-introduction of a quantity of tenses, cases,
and, worse yet, constructions which had fallen into disuse.
The consequences of such a course are seen in the treatment
his works have received. Written in a style which is itself
entirely ancient, the paraphrases accompanying his editions
of various classical writers are themselves as obscure as the
original; and the modern Greek student, who refers to them
to elucidate some particular passage, finds so much difficulty
in interpreting them, that he at length prefers contenting himself with the meaning he can extract from the author.  His
notes are valued, but are not read. Yet it must be conceded
that Doukas was a scholar of merit, and of great learning in
his particular department. His industry and capacity appear
more surprising when the fact is recalled that he wrote without assistance from  any European editions; for it is said
that he was scarcely acquainted with the Latin, or with any
of the modern languages besides his own.*
* The works of Doukas with which we are acquainted-besides some
volumes devoted to rhetoric, logic, physics, and general literature-consist of annotated editions of Sophocles, Euripides, Homer,.JEschylus,
Theocritus, Pindar, Anacreon, and Aristophanes. These editions, making in all twenty-four volumes, lie before us. They were published
partly at Athens, and the earlier ones at Egina, where Doukas was engaged in the instruction of the young. Of these various works we are
told that about fifteen thousand copies were printed; a great part of




STYLE OF MODERN WRITERS.                 20
The views of the clear-sighted Coray, in respect to the direction which the development of the modern Greek language
should take, were directly opposite to those of Doukas. With
an ear as quick to the beauties of the classics, he united a better discernment of the difficulties to be encountered in restoring the common language to its original purity.
" As descendants of the Greeks, says the despiser of the
common language, we ought to revive our ancestral tongue.
That would be very well, assuredly, if we lived in those times
when the dead were raised, and the gift of tongues was imparted without labor. But miracles do not occur every day."*
The obstacles that prevent a modern writer from ever attaining a perfectly pure and easy style, if he attempt to write
like the ancients, seemed to Coray almost, if not quite, insurmountable.  And even this difficulty overcome, a still greater
discouragement presents itself, which we shall introduce in
the critic's own words:
"Whoever writes in ancient Greek, after a few years (and
frequently after a few days), will be forgotten, together with
his works.  And why should he be remembered?  Because
of the subjects on which he writes?  But these, in process
of time, will be more clearly and perfectly treated by our descendants.  On account of his classical phraseology?  And
who is so foolish, or has such an abundance of time, as to
leave the Homers, the Platos, the Xenophons, the Demosthenes, and so many other wonderful Greek writers, in order
to read this new Hellenist?  On the other hand, whoever
exercises himself in the common language, if his industry be
accompanied with judgment, it is possible that he may attain
the rank, I do not say of a classic writer, but of those authors
whom the coming generations will examine, in order to learn
from them the present condition of the language."t
His description of an author who is too strict an imitator
of the ancients is well drawn:
"Surrounded by lexicographers, by Atticists, by grammarians of every kind, he writes, erases, rewrites, and again
which were distributed gratuitously to the public schools and to poor
students.
* Kopai lIpoRey6oeva, p. 42.                 t Id., p. 43.




326         TIHE MODERN GREEK LITERATURE.
erases; he is in doubt at every phrase, perplexed at every
period.  Now he takes counsel of one friend; now of another.
At one time he throws away altogether the happy conceptions of his mind, because he knows not how to give theni
birth in an Attic shape; and at another he lops them, in order to make them correspond in length with some ancient
phrase, the recalling of which he considers a most fortunate
idea.'*
But while thus ridiculing the thought of writing in "a language which the writer forms, in the first place, from his lexicon, and so gleans from the words and phrases of at least fifteen centuries, that is to say, from fifteen languages," Coray
by no means advocated the retention of the imperfections and
corruptions of the language as it is now spoken. On the contrary, he thought that the time for better things had arrived.
" What I term a reformation of the language, includes not
only the alteration of different barbarously-formed words and
constructions, but also the preservation of many others, which
those who have not examined the nature of the language with
attention are desirous of banishing from it as barbarous.
Such a reformation was impossible in the time of Eustathius.
The period of downfall is not the suitable time for rebuilding.
The householder weeps when he beholds from afar the ruin
of his dwelling; and as soon as the tottering walls have fallen,.
and the dust has blown away, he approaches and collects as
many materials as he can from the ruins, in order to construct
a new house. The moment, so long desired, for rebuilding,
has at length arrived. * * * However much the language has
been corrupted, it still retains many Greek words, and meanings of words, that one would vainly seek for in the dictionaries; many derivatives, of which only the primitives are
found in the classics. In a word, it preserves many relics of
the ancient language-venerable relics, the neglect of which
has produced so many foolish grammatical rules, so many
ridiculous etymologies, so many miserable interpretations of
classical authors, so many ignorant teachers, and what is
worse, has rendered so irksome the study of the Greek language."t
* Kopar llpo~ey6oyeva, p. 45.        t Id., p. 36. et seq.




PANAGIOTES SOUTSOS.               327
Such were the two schools that arose: the one, headed by
Doukas, and more recently by CEconomus, desirous not only
of restoring the language at once to its pristine purity, by the
re-introduction of obsolete words, but also of employing the
involved construction of sentences, which it is quite impossible for a modern ear to follow; the other school proposing to
retain what is valuable in the modern language, yet gradually
to restore it to the nearest practicable resemblance to its ancient form. It must be admitted that Coray sometimes erred
in complying unnecessarily with popular errors-a defect the
more conspicuous from the rapid progress which the process
of purification has since made. Yet modern authors, especially those of the greatest reputation, have generally adhered
to the school of Coray.
In Greece there has happened the reverse of what usually
takes place in the progress of a nation toward a higher culture and civilization. While prose literature has prospered,
and great progress has been made in science, poetry, on the
other hand, has received little attention. Poems, it is true,
have not been wanting; but, thus far, modern Greece has produced no Homer or Hesiod.
Panagiotes Soutsos is by many considered the best contemporary poet. The first volume of his " Hapanta," or " Cornplete Works," which is all that has yet been published, contains
three tragedies, entitled " Blachabas," the "Traveler," and the
"Messiah."  The first treats of the resuscitation of the Greek
race; the second is rather of the nature of a romance, "melancholy love being its chief subject." The character of the
third is sufficiently indicated by its title. The style of these
three poems is purely Hellenic, though the author has avoided
the blunder of attempting to introduce the ancient syntax.
The greatest fault we have to find with Soutsos is the inordinate vanity that disfigures his preface. In speaking of the
various metres used in modern Greek, he employs quotations
firom his own poems as examples; and this may, perhaps, be
excused on account of the paucity of specimens. But we can
less easily pardon his egregious self-conceit, when he not only
compares a number of lines from his tragedy of the " Messiah" to some of the most famous passages in Homer, and to




328          THE MODERN GREEK LITERlATURE.
one of Tasso (which he himself tells us is yet the boast of
Italy), but even presumes to speak of them as "equally beautiful."*
The poems of Alexander Soutsos, brother of the author we
have just mentioned, are of an entirely different stamp. Of
his works that lie before us, one, entitled the " Periplanomeilos, or Wanderer," is a poem  in three parts, and contains
reminiscences of a journey in Western Europe.  Another,
Greece in conflict with the Turks,"t is descriptive, as its title implies, of various scenes in the history of the Revolution.
A third small collection of poems, " The Panorama of Greece,"
was published in 1833, and was intended as a sort of mirror
of the political state of the country, and the maladministration of the government during the Capodistrian period, as well
as the condition of society at that time. The fourth is a political poem on the Revolution of September, 1843, by which
the Athenians forced King Otho to grant them the constitution so long promised.  From the subjects of these poems, the
character of the composition in which the author delights
may easily be inferred. His style accommodates itself to the
matter.  Making occasional use of language that is strictly
Hellenic, he never sacrifices perspicuity to ornament, and willingly descends to the language of the market for the sake of
being sprightly and entertaining. His poems, being eminently
satirical, are read with avidity by all classes; and his songs
are well calculated for popularity. Alexander Soutsos is at
present as violently opposed to the government and ministry
of Otho, as formerly to that of Capo d'Istria. The political
tendencies of his various writings have rendered them extremely offensive to the government, and have on several occasioris brought upon him no little trouble. Three or four
years since, the police of Athens, having learned by some espionage that a political work of his was in the hands of the
printer, seized both the printed sheets and the manuscript.
This, of course, was done in utter defiance of that article of
the constitution which guarantees the freedom of the press;
for, even had the author been amenable to a charge of libel or
* T~ avTfrc (paLroT7roI 7rl are his words: nIp6toyoo ell rit "AAravra
II. ZovT7aov, p. 19.                t'H TovpKOfaXoc'Edra.




RAN GABES-C HIJISTOPO ULOS.          329
treason on the publication of his poem, yet the laws of Greece
provide no punishment for the writer until that moment, nor
do they sanction the confiscation of his work.
There are few Greek poets of so great reputation as A.
Rangabes, who is also well known as an elegant prose writer,
and as professor of archeology in the University of Athens.
We have read with considerable interest a dramatic poem of
his, entitled " Phrosyne," referring to incidents in the history
of Ali Pasha, of Epirus, at first the determined enemy of the
liberties of Greece, which he was afterward, though unwillingly, instrumental in advancing. This production, it is true,
is irregular in its composition, and extends to the immoderate
length of four or five thousand lines, occupying more than
half of a good-sized volume. But the "Phrosyne" is generally lively and interesting-the more so because the author
chose a subject that acquires a romantic charm, from its association with the recovery of Greek freedom; while it is recent enough to be within the memory of the present generation. How far the loving character attributed to Mouctares,
the Pasha's son, may be reconcilable with his subsequent
bloody career, is open to some question. The poetical works
of Rangabes have been collected in a couple of volumes, published at Athens in the years 1837 and 1840.
We have not space to say much of Salomos, whose poems
have been highly commended, or of some of the younger poets,
such as Coumanoudes, who have come more recently before
the public. We can not, however, forbear mentioning the
name of Athanasius Christopoulos, a more ancient author.
This writer may be styled with truth a new Anacreon. We
scarcely know whether his productions should be classed with
the literature of modern Greece; for they are found rather in
the mouths of the people, and in collections of popular songs,
than in books. Confining himself almost exclusively to lyrical
composition, he excelled immeasurably all his competitors.
There is no pompous affectation of learning in his poems, but,
written in language that all understand, and yet displeasing
to none, they exhibit a pleasing freshness and simplicity.
"His verses," to use the language of one of his fellow-poets,
~' inspired in the midst of flowery meads, and written by soft




330          THE MODERN GREEK LITERATURE.
murmuring rivulets, have the fragrance of the rose and the
myrtle, and glide naturally as streams of water."* Christopoulos has-avoided the mistake into which a poet in his circumstances would be most likely to fall-we mean a servile
imitation of the ancients, and a consequent degree of constraint.  In this respect we know  no other modern Greek
poet who compares with him.  His beautiful address to the
sun is as pleasing to us for its naivete, as almost any of the
odes of Anacreon, some of which it resembles. This poem,
and an ode to a nightingale, remind us of the song in Tennyson's "Princess," beginning with the words, "Oh, swallow, swallow, flying, flying south."
But we must leave the poets, and pay some attention to a
few of the principal contemporary prose writers. The first
place among these, in virtue of seniority, and a long sustained
reputation, we give to Neophytus Bambas, the late venerable
Professor of Rhetoric in the University of Athens. He was a
man some seventy years of age, of small stature, with a benevolent face, and exceedingly agreeable manners. A monk by profession, he had few of the prejudices which disgrace that class
in Greece; and received with cordiality every foreigner who
came recommended to him as a friend to truth or to letters.
His extensive learning, acquired partly in his native island of
Scio, but perfected at Paris, pointed him out as a suitable
person for undertaking the version of the Bible in modern
Greek; and this task was confided to him by the British and
Foreign Bible Society.  The translation, which he accomplished with the assistance of two fellow-laborers, is acknowledged to possess great merit, and has been scattered far and
wide over the country. Adhering, as it does, with fidelity, to
the Hebrew original, it varies in many places from the text
of the Septuagint-a circumstance which the clergy have not
failed, in many cases, to use as a handle for hindering the people from reading it. The style of the translation is very creditable, but the translators have not hesitated, where circum* Alexander Soutsos, in his poetical'ErttaroT  irpbc p/3acaZa "2Q0va,
1. 29, et seq. He informs us that Christopoulos was a Fanariote, a native of Constantinople, and consequently brought up in the midst of
Byzantine luxury and folly.




TRANSLATION OF THE BIBLE.                331
stances required it, to sacrifice elegance to perspicuity. Such,
however, have been the gigantic strides with which the language has advanced, during even the short space of ten or
twelve years, that a new translation has become necessary.
Considerable alterations have been made in the recent editions. This, indeed, is the case with all books of a popular
kind.*
It is a fact of no common importance, and one that will
be learned with pleasure by all well-wishers of Greece, that
within a few months the Bible translated into the vernacular
tongue has been made a text-book in all the public schools.
The ministerial order which makes provision for its introduction, also requires that all the teachers shall henceforth attend:it least one course of lectures of Professor Contogones of the
Theological School of the University, on the subject of Hermeneutics. Greece owes this decree to the enlightened statesmanship of Mr. Psyllas.
Among the Greeks, Bambas is better known as a professor
of distinguished talent, and as the author of several works on
the Elements of Philosophy, Ethics, and Rhetoric, and of several Greek grammars.  One of these contains a comparative
view of the ancient and modern forms, and seems written in
a truly philosophical manner. It would be very useful to any
scholar who wishes to study the similarities and differences
in the two languages.  One of the most important works of
Bambas is his volume of notes on several of the orations of
Demosthenes, which are of an exegetical and historical nature.
It is to be regretted that the learned professor of late years
attached himself more and more to the Russian or Napaean
party, which is hostile to the reformation of the Church, and
opposed to constitutional government, while it is willing to
* To instance but one out of many changes. Of all the variations
of the modern dialect from the ancient, probably the most singular is
the entire disuse of the infinitive mood, except in tenses formed by
means of the auxiliary verb. The anomaly arose from the introduction
of the subjunctive mood preceded by a conjunction, in places where the
infinitive was more proper. In most cases of this kind, the new editionof the Bible in modern Greek has restored the ancient forms, which
are assuredly well understood by Athenian readers, though less intelligible to the inhabitants of the provinces.




132' THE MODERN GREEK LITERATURE.
sacrifice every thing to the advancement of the national ambition. The weight of Bambas has thus been lost to the
cause which at present needs the advocacy of every patriotic
scholar. In the recent excitement at Athens among the students of the University, we understand that his pen was employed in inciting the people to the invasion of Turkish territory.
Professor Asopius, who occupies a chair of the Greek language in the University, is at present considered the best philologist at Athens. He is the author of several works on
Syntax and on Classical Antiquities. In the thoroughness
and variety of his acquirements, he resembles the lamented
Coray; and he has been instrumental in counteracting, to
some degree, the loose principles of morality which some professors, as well as the priesthood, have been engaged in propagating.
Among scholars, A. Radinos, now holding, we believe, a
professorship in the Gymnasium of Patras, is much esteemed
for his version of Herodotus, which stands high in public estimation, both for its accuracy and for the correctness of the
style. The explanatory notes, also, are valuable for their
clearness and ability.
To the department of antiquities, the investigation of the
numerous ruins with which the country is studded, and the
determination of ancient sites, the Greek mind has not yet
applied itself with vigor and success. Up to the present moment, the best-informed archaeologists and topographers have
been foreigners: among whom Colonel Leake, the Englishman, stands pre-eminent. Few can be found in the country who have any tolerable knowledge of a branch of study
which might be supposed to offer the greatest facilities for attaining distinction. At the same time, the government pretends to be most studiously careful of the ruins that remain,
and has enacted severe penal laws against the exportation of
ancient works of art; while the people manifest a patriotic
indignation toward Lord Elgin, the spoiler of the sculptures
of the Parthenon.  Something has been done in the study of
antiquities. Mr. Pittakes, who has devoted his life to this
subject, has published all the inscriptions to be found about




HISTORICAL WORKS.                 333
the capital, together with much antiquarian information, in a
book entitled  LL'Ancienne Athenes," and recently a more
extensive work on the same subject.  An Archaeological Society has been established, having the same objects in view,
and by its publications has contributed to enlarge our acquaintance with the ancient world. Its recent researches are
unusually interesting.  A  certain plot of ground, along the
base of the northern side of the Athenian Acropolis, was found
to contain some inscriptions, from the tenor of which it came
to be suspected that the senate-house, on whose walls the tables of laws were suspended, was situated there. Means were
found by the society to purchase the ground, and to prosecute
the excavations. The result has been the discovery of several
interesting inscriptions, of which the most entire is a copy of
a treaty of alliance, made in the year 378 B.C., between the
Athenians and several of the islands, against Sparta. It affords a striking confirmation of the historical accuracy of Diodorus, who mentions the circumstance and the conditions of
the treaty.* Similar investigations, if prosecuted with the
requisite energy, would undoubtedly disclose records even more
important.
To history greater attention has been paid than to archaeology. But historical taste and accuracy are of slow growth
in themselves, and require the possession of large and costly
libraries. The distinguished historians of our own continent
have been obliged to resort, for some of their most valuable
sources, to the public libraries and archives of England, Spain,
and Holland.  It is not remarkable, then, that Greek writers,
who, until within ten years, have had few opportunities of
consulting even the most indispensable works, have not accomplished much in historical literature. They have, in fact,
confined themselves to translating or compiling from the histories of their own ancestors, written by Goldsmith and Grote.t
To modern history, and especially to that of their own revolutionary struggle, they have made more considerable contributions; but these have taken the form of personal narratives,
* Diod. xv., 27.
t Goldsmith's history is the ordinary text-book in all the common
schools of the kingdom.




334          THE MODERN GREEK LITERATURE.
or contemporary chronicles, rather than of dignified history.
They are not the less important, however, on this account.
By their means, whoever will attempt to write a connected
history of the Greek Revolution, will be furnished with ample
materials. That event is yet too recent to be viewed with
impartiality by a native, still less by one who was himself an
actor in its scenes. Even a foreigner would need the utmost
discrimination to discern the good from the evil, and to decide
how far the Greek nation has disappointed any just expectations of progress in civilization and intelligence.
The "Memoirs of the Revolution," by Germanos, archbishop of Patras, are among the most authentic of the historical sketches that have yet appeared, but they embrace
merely the first three years of the war. This prelate was one
of the conspirators who met at the Monastery of Hagia Laura,
near Calavryta, and was the first to raise the standard of rebellion-,-a fact that invests his account of the earlier events
with considerable interest. He died in 1825, on his return
from the West, whither he had been sent on a political mission.
It was not until 1837 that the work of Germanos was published, under the editorial supervision of Kastorches, who assures us that it is given to the public precisely as it came
from the hands of the author.  Of the same class is the work
commenced by Speliades, of which one large volume was published four years ago. A  number of pamphlets have been
written on the " Heteria" of conspirators, to whose efforts the
outbreak of the Revolution was in part attributable.  Mr.
Tricoupes, the Greek minister at the court of St. James, has
recently published a work which will probably afford to foreign readers the most reliable account of the war.  We can
speak of its merits only from the general commendation with
which it has been received.*
There is another period, to which it seems remarkable that
the learned men of Greece have not paid more attention. The
age of Miltiades, Themistocles, and Cimon, was certainly the
most glorious epoch of Greek history.  It has long occupied
* All the constitutions and other official papers of Greece, from 1821
to 1832, have been collected in a few volumes by A. Z. Mamoukas, and
constitute the documentary history of the Revolution.




MEDILEVAL HISTORY.                  335
the attention, and engrossed the study, of distinguished men
throughout Europe; and nothing but merit of the highest
order can hope to win laurels among so many competitors.
Meanwhile, the history of medieval Greece, or, to speak more
accurately, of Greece from the time of its subjugation by the
Romans, has until the present time been deemed unworthy
of the merest epitome. And this neglect has, unfortunately,
been intentional, arising from the prejudice entertained against
the Middle Ages.  The Greeks of the present day are keenly
sensitive to the imputation of descent, not from Hellenus and
Cecrops, but from a horde of Sclavonian settlers, who, it is
said, took possession of their country during its ages of barbarism, precisely as the Albanians-a branch of the same
stock-seized upon whole villages, both in Northern Greece
and the Morea, within the last hundred and fifty years. They
repel the charge, and regard its supporters with mingled indignation and contempt. The first place in their resentment
-is undoubtedly held by the German professor, Fallmerayer,
who, not without display of learning and ability, endeavored
to prove that the modern Greeks are descended from  the
Goths and other barbarians, and that the ancient race has
entirely disappeared from the face of the earth. A theory so
startling, carrying with it so slight an air of probability, called
forth numerous "refutations" and "answers" from the Athenian press. Of course, no definite conclusion has been reached,
by the admission of both parties; but, while it were useless to
deny that an admixture of a Sclavonic element has been introduced by successive colonizations and wars, it is yet more absurd to suppose that the greater part of the nation is not of
Hellenic origin. Excepting the immediate investigation which
this discussion has elicited, no attention has been paid to this
interesting portion of their history by native writers. It has
been abandoned almost exclusively to the distinguished historians, Buchon and Finlay.*
* M. Buchon, besides republishing the chronicle of the Frank conquest of the Morea, is the author of the " Nouvelles Recherches sur la
Principaute Franqaise de Moree," and other writings on the same subject. " La Grece Continentale et la Moree," by the same author, is one
of the best books of travels in Greece that we have seen. Mr. Finlay's




)336        THE MODERN GREEK LITERATURE.
But while broad and inviting fields of investigation have
been neglected, the Greeks have not been wholly unmindful
of the glory to be acquired in some studies which have lately
become popular in Western Europe. We refer to the examination of the treasures of literature, so long locked up in
the Eastern languages. A young Athenian, who had already
distinguished himself by his acquirements, resolved, in the
year 1786, to leave the city of Constantinople for Calcutta,
whither he had been invited, in order to instruct the children
of some Greek merchants residing there. The opportunities
thus afforded were not lost upon the studious youth; and besides the English, he acquired a good knowledge of the Sanscrit, Persian, and Hindoostanee. In the course of a few years
more, Demetrius Galanos-such was his name-had obtained,
by his assiduous labors, a competency, enabling him to devote
himself entirely to the study of the Oriental languages. Having deposited his small fortune in the hands of some trustworthy merchants, he set off for the holy city of Benares.
There he clothed himself like a Brahmin, as his biographer
assures us, "and following their customs, and associating with
the most holy and learned of their wise men, in the space of
about forty years he not only acquired an extensive knowledge
of Indian philology, but also was initiated by the most approved teachers into their highest theology. He made such
attainments in their virtue and wisdom, as to be regarded by
the English colonists, and the other Europeans, as well as by
the most pious Brahmins and Indians generally, as a most
holy and learned man."  Whether by this language our biographer intends it to be understood that Galanos, while sojourning among the Brahmins, renounced Christianity, and
feigned adherence to their creed, does not appear. At all
events, during the time spent at Benares, he devoted himself
in part to translating some Brahminical works. At his death,
which occurred at that place in 1833, in the seventy-second
year of his age, he left nearly half his estate, or about six
well-known "Greece under the Romans," "Medieval Greece," etc.,
form a continuous history of the country, from the fall of Corinth to the
end of the last independent duchy, to be concluded by a history of the
subjugation by the Turks and of the late Revolution.




A GREEK BOOK IN ROMAN CHARACTERS.             337
thousand dollars, to the principal academy of learning at
Athens,* and also bequeathed to it all his manuscripts. The
funds were employed in erecting the building of the University
of Athens, where his manuscripts are preserved, the greater
part of them having been published under the editorial supervision of Mr. Typaldos, the librarian, in six octavo volumes.
They consist of translations of various poems, and collections
of wise and moral sayings, some of which, according to the
assertion of learned Europeans, were previously unknown in
Europe, and were published for the first time through the
Greek version.  The accuracy of these translations is, we believe, undoubted; and if the originals are new to the literary
world, the accomplishment of this work is an achievement
highly creditable to the philology of young Greece.  It is,
however, hardly to be expected that any but domestic subjects
should generally possess much interest for the Greeks, who
can find in the investigation of their own annals, and those of
their ancestors, and in the advancement of science and art in
their own country, a more appropriate work for the present.
The novel attempt was made in the last century, by some
members of the Society of Jesus, to introduce into the East
the use of Roman letters in place of the old Greek character.
The only book printed on this plan, so far as we know, is one
that appeared first in 1746, and was republished at Constantinople in 1843.  It is entitled " The Rest of the Heart in the
Holy Will of God, by Father Thomas Stanislas Velasti, of the
Society of Jesus; a treatise compiled from the works of Father
Rodriquez of the same Society." In this singular volume, otherwise offering little entertainment to the foreign reader, every
analogy of the language has been neglected; and one unaccustomed to the modern Greek pronunciation will frequently
be sadly perplexed in attempting to recognize under their
strange disguise even the more common words.  It is hardly
* Mad. la Comtesse de Gasparin, in her Voyage au Levant, i., p. 208,
speaks of Galanos as a priest, and as having died at Athens. Whereas
his biographer, Mr. Typaldos, expressly tells us that his uncle, then
member of the Holy Synod of Constantinople, having proposed that he
should enter the priesthood, he refused on account of his zeal for letters (p. 14). Galanos died at Benares, where there is a monument,
with an English inscription, standing over his grave (p. 30).
IP




:) 3 8      THE MODERN GREEK LITERATURE.
necessary to add, that so absurd an innovation has found little
favor with either the learned or the illiterate; and the book is
regarded, by those who are aware of its existence, merely as a
curiosity of literature.
The discussions arising from  the ecclesiastical state of
Greece, have been the occasion of the publication of a work
by Pharmakides, which possesses more than ordinary interest.
The circumstances that called it forth have been detailed on a
previous page. This fearless author does not confine himself
to a simple refutation of the dangerous principles contained in
the " Tome" of the Holy Synod of Constantinople. He boldly
attacks the whole system of prelacy, and declares the hierarchy
to be the gradual outgrowth of the ambition and servility
which early invaded the Church. "The mode of government," he says, " instituted in the Church by the holy apostles
was democratic, and sacred history so acknowledges it.  The
churches gradually tended to form a community of federal,
equal churches, independent of the secular power. * * After
the death of the democratic disciples of Christ, political equality
was for a while maintained between the numerous churches;
and notwithstanding that there were enrolled in this federal
league rich and populous cities, yet each formed, until the
fourth century, an equal church, and consequently the bishops
were all equal. But finally the episcopal hierarchy appeared,
and in due time Popes and Patriarchs.  From democracy, the
Church passed to aristocracy." Again he observes, speaking
of the primitive ages:
"At that time there existed no Archbishops, Exarchs,
Patriarchs, or Popes. Every church, whether under the pastoral care of a bishop and elder or elders, or of an elder or
elders only, was independent, and governed itself. The subjection of one church to another was unheard of. None had
power over another. But equality and fraternity are not
pleasing to human pride and ambition. Accordingly, the primitive democratic government was overthrown, and an aristocracy established in its stead."
The extracts we have given may suffice to indicate the general character of the work, which, in fact, does not relate so
much to the doctrines as to the government of the Church.




GROWING TASTE FOR LETTERS.             339
Its influence upon the public mind at the time was sudden
and powerful. The whole edition of two thousand copies was
exhausted in four or five weeks, and the strength of its arguments may be inferred no less from the violence of the opposite party, than from the satisfaction of the liberals.  The
" tome" has been abandoned, and nothing more is now heard
about the scheme of union.  The style of Pharmakides is
good, but, like that of many of the theological writers of the
present day, somewhat patristic.  His mind is vigorous, and
his mode of thinking original. With most of his countrymen,
he is much attached to his native land, and to the religion of
his forefathers; which he reveres, not only as a divine revelation, but as a bond of concord between the now dissevered
branches of the Greek race, and as the potent means of effecting their political union.
With reference to works of fiction, we do not know that
any thing worthy of mention has issued from the Athenian
press.  The public are, however, abundantly supplied with
translations of all the principal French novels, such as those
of Eugene Sue, Dumas, and others of the same class. Less
taste has been manifested for the classic works of Sir Walter
Scott; and we doubt if any of Cooper's tales have ever appeared in Greek dress.
Before closing this brief survey of the progress of modern
Greek literature, we can not forbear noting the marked influence which the judicial department, the bar, and the learned
professions generally, have exercised over the rising taste for
letters.  In the term learned professions it is not intended to
include the clergy.  Whatever progress has been made in
Greece has received but little assistance from them; though
it must be allowed that this circumstance has been owing to
their ignorance, rather than to any settled purpose of retarding the regeneration of their country. Some noble exceptions,
too, will be found even among those whom we have mentioned.  In jurisprudence, the greater part of the codes of
laws have been drawn from those of the French, and, as we
conceive, very unfortunately in some cases, as, for instance,
those treating of religious liberty and toleration. The law
terms have been borrowed, so far as practicable, from those




340            THE MODERN GREEK LITERATURE.
that were in use in the Athenian courts two thousand years
ago; and the legal nomenclature is quite intelligible to  a
classical scholar. The courts, rejecting technical words of foreign origin, have materially contributed to the restoration of
the ancient language. Talents of a high order have already
been exhibited at the bar of Athens. Indeed, the Greek mind
seems to be peculiarly suited to excel in the legal profession.
Acuteness, vivacity, and energy it possesses in a high degree;
and we would recommend to the curious the perusal of the
speeches of the counsel in the several trials of Dr. King, and
in that of the followers of Kaires, as favorable examples of
forensic eloquence.  We must not fail to allude more particularly to the defence made by Mr. Saripolos in the latter case,
valuable not less for its eloquence than for its classic purity;
and more interesting as containing a noble assertion of the
great doctrine of religious liberty, both in respect to faith and
worship.  The first verdict in favor of the points contended
for* was the result of this eloquent defence.
The University has, however, accomplished even more than
* Kaires, a native of Andros, and a well-known friend to education,
was, after a protracted struggle between his disciples and the fanatical
party, tried by the Criminal Court of Syra, upon the accusation of having publicly taught atheistic doctrines. He was found guilty, and, with
three of his followers, was thrown into prison, whence he made his appeal to the court of the Areopagus at Athens. Barely a week before the
trial of the appeal, Kaires died in his cell, of a disease contracted in the
loathsome building in which he was confined. The appeal was tried in
behalf of the three remaining appellants. We transcribe the first paragraph of the speech of Mr. Saripolos on this occasion, which may serve
the curious as a specimen of. the ordinary language used in the courts
at Athens:'O KatprS c7 aireave, Kat c d7ravev dOof.'Q2  Tpr'p   avrov Kaiarpy'yo 7)
6iK7c 6vvdUeLL TOV v6Otov.'AaZX' 6Troov uieya p(17)1a 6cK a rp Tat f Tr)V Etriyetov dKcatoaovvv avrT   o O eoc KaXE'af av)6rtov ToV civayaaprTjTOV 6tKaCrtpi ov TOV rTv Oe6OtXov Katplv!'0'TYtplro  oiovei tiocKKaXeaaC ev6tiov
tavTroV rfv 6iKTV dC TrpaOr TOV KaT7rYOpn706VTa t1ir atipecapXia OeotXiOV
Kaiprv, darreetSe rrpooavdf, rOTI ai rotavTac diKaL V7TieKreKEVyovat rjv apuo6i6OTra TnavrbT  ETtyeiov, vwavTrog ie vOpJro  avycpUT eV V poriT70 VOV dOlKaar7piov.
11(aa KaTa TOVY'TYiTrov  Tpoa3oOn Vtirb y6vov TOV'TYLCTrov ap/uo6itof iK6tKdTerat -      TOVO 6i, 6tioT y6vog o "TYtLTBro Edval j avTra 6iOea,? aTro6cKatoavvrl.  M6voc  "O T'TO   6 t IrTaiov votv Kai Kcapdiav, yiovor avT'rc 6 rvy
dcrj0etav adKpIfCSl yLvaoKIov, iyovoC avrbTc Xeyyw, edval aKai  Trt aar  Err TJ v
nrOK2elaTrlKSf &v6lalepovTrV atrbv  rTiTrusrov.




GREEK LEXICOGRAPHY.                341
the bench or the bar in advancing the cause of science. The
professors, being men of talents, many of whom have been
educated in Western Europe, exert a strong influence upon
the hundreds of students who daily congregate within their
lecture-rooms; and through their instrumentality, more than
through any other, the language has attained a degree of purity much higher than would have been deemed possible thirty
years since. So that now, even among the common people of
Athens, quite a different idiom is employed from that in use
elsewhere.
We conclude by mentioning the principal dictionaries to
be found in modern Greek: both to exhibit the point which
lexicography has reached, and to indicate the facilities afforded for the study of a language and literature just beginning to
attract, among western scholars, the attention which they
merit.  Among the lexicons for the study of the ancient
Greek, the foremost rank is held by that of the Archimandrite Gazes, republished at Vienna in 1835, with numerous
additions and emendations, drawn principally from the lexicons of Passow and others. It consists of three large quarto
volumes, and contains a copious supplement of proper names.
The various articles are exceedingly full; the meanings sufficiently numerous; and the examples cited abundant, and, in
general, well selected. It is a convenient work for one who
wishes to compare the variations of the modern language
from the ancient.  Smaller lexicons have been published by
Koumas, and lately by Scarlatus Byzantinus, which are less
fully illustrated by examples. We can do no more than enumerate a few of the dictionaries of the modern languages and
the modern Greek.  The Rev. Mr. Lowndes published many
years ago, at Malta, an English-Greek and also a Greek-English lexicon. But besides being antiquated, they are meagre
and defective; and when a word has many distinct significations, it is rare that all, or nearly all, are enumerated. Many
words, too, in both languages, are altogether omitted. For
the more common words of conversation, however, these works
will be found very useful. A very good English-Greek lexicon was published in 1854, by George Polymeres, at Hermopolis, on the island of Syra. Although written especially




342         THE MODERN GREEK LITERATURE,
to meet the wants of Greeks studying the English, it is a
valuable manual for the acquisition of the Greek language.
The Greek-French lexicon of Scarlatus Byzantinus is the
most complete, as far as relates to the higher Greek especially; and hence it supplies the deficiencies of that of Lowndes.
The French-Greek dictionary of Rangabes, Samourcases, and
Nicolaides Lebadeus, is constructed upon the basis of that of
the French Academy; it is, probably, the most satisfactory of
the whole series. But in order to learn many of the words
used by the people, and which rarely find their way into print,
except in the collections of proverbs or popular songs, one
must have recourse to more ancient works, such as the " Lexicon Triglosson," published some fifty or sixty years since.
Even with the aid of this, the meaning of a popular word or
phrase will often be sought in vain. This difficulty is enhanced by the differences of dialect prevailing in the several
districts. It can be overcome only by the assistance of the
oral explanations of a native.  But an Athenian can by no
means understand all the terms occurring in a Laconian lament or a Thessalian song. This, it will be remembered, is
only true of the popular ballads.
The brief and necessarily imperfect view that we have taken
of the present literature of Greece, may perhaps lead some to
a more just appreciation of the richness of its contents. Its
progress, we do not hesitate to say, has been unparalleled, if
the short period during which the nation has had a political
existence, and the difficulties, both moral and physical, attending every step of improvement, be taken into account.
Twenty-five years of repose, after a war almost of extermination-and these years, too, disquieted by intestine commotion
and foreign interference-are surely not a long period to allow
for the regeneration of Greece, after the degrading influence
of twenty centuries of subjection. An impartial mind will be
rather surprised at the extent of what has been done, than
disappointed at the failure of some perhaps too sanguine expectations.




TIE STRAITS OF SALAMIS.
CHAPTER XXIII.
BALLAD POETRY.
"Religious, Martial, or Civil ditties; which, if wise men and prophets
be not extremely out, have a great power over disposition and manners,
to smoothe and make them gentle from rustic harshness and distempered passions."                        MILTON on Education.
A FORCIBLE writer has somewhere characterized the rich
ballads of Spain as " Iliads without a Homer." The description is no less appropriate to those of modern Greece.  Nowhere have, warlike deeds been more frequent; nowhere have
they been better appreciated. Under a poetic disguise is conveyed a faithful transcript of the social history of its population. Here we are to look for traces of ancient customs, and
for superstitions half extinct. From the popular poetry of
any nation we can judge with certainty of the prevailing
tastes, and the grade of civilization. For in the ballad the
individuality of the author is merged in the mass of those who
appropriate not only his sentiments, but his expressions. The
poet is merely the spokesman of the people; and the popularity of his production is a proof that it is consonant with
their way of thinking.  But the songs of Greece possess an
additional claim to interest, in the fact that they contain the
only record of many incidents of her history for several centuries preceding the hour of her resuscitation. An oppressed
race naturally resorts to them to express without restraint the




344                  BALLAD POETRY.
story of its sufferings, and to recount the exploits of its brave
champions that foreshadow a coming deliverance.  Unfortunately the record is but fragile, rarely or never committed to
writing, and scarce outliving the generation that gave it birth.
Twenty or thirty years is the ordinary span of even the most
widely-known ballad.  The valorous deeds or the misfortunes
of a new hero engross the sympathies of all; and his no less
noted predecessor must give way before his rising renown.
Thus, doubtless, have a thousand fragments of historic lore
been forever lost to the world. A writer,' through whose instrumentality attention was first drawn to modern Greek ballads, supposes that of near one hundred and fifty specimens
contained in his collection, but one can be as old as the end
of the sixteenth century, and that has been preserved ever
since in writing. The others are handed down orally; and
the most ancient ascertained is about one hundred and fifty
years old. The majority relate to occurrences at the end of
the last and the commencement of the present century.
The popular songs of Greece may be arranged in several
distinct categories. The first comprises the large and varied
class of Heroic or Kleftic poems, in which the adventures of
the klefts are related at length, and wvith a general adherence
to strict accuracy of fact, except in certain portions, which
contain a conventional form of exaggeration. These pieces
are the most interesting in a merely historical point of view.
Next comes the class of Romantic poems, peculiar for the
most part to the islands, where the imagination has received
a different tinge, from contact with the Western European
mind. More curious than these are those songs composed for
special domestic events, forming in the minds of the people an
essential accompaniment to the celebration of the marriage
rite, or sung in mournful strains over the corpses of the dead.
The former are, for the most part, handed down from generation to generation, with little deviation from a stereotype form,
in each particular district. The latter have little in common,
and are the spontaneous offspring of a lively imagination, excited by the sad emotions of the occasion.
* C. Fauriel, Chants Populaires de la Grece Moderne (Paris, 1824),
p. 99.




PRINCIPLES OF GREEK POETRY.            345
Before entering upon a more particular notice of these
classes of poems, it is important to understand the principles
on which they are composed. It is admitted by all that the
rhythm of the Greek language has undergone a very considerable, if not a total, metamorphosis. The distinction between
long and short syllables, which was the basis of the ancient
poetry, having, with the lapse of ages, been completely lost
in the common pronunciation, a new principle of versification
was introduced, conforming to the highly scientific arrangement of the accents with which the language was provided.
Who was the first to adapt himself to the alteration, it is,
perhaps, too late to ascertain. In the middle of the twelfth
century almost all poetical works were so written, even though
their language might be completely ancient in character. The
verse in most common use is the heroic, composed of fifteen
syllables, and divided into two hemistichs, the former consisting of eight, and the latter of seven syllables. The fundamental foot is the iambus; and, consequently, the accent falls
generally upon the even syllables. Some variation from this,
however, is allowed; and trochees frequently appear, especially in the commencement of either half line. The principal
accents must fall on either the sixth or the eighth syllable of
the first, and on the sixth of the second hemistich. This is
the metre employed in almost all kleftic songs, and in many of
the lyrical productions. There are a variety of other metres
more or less commonly used.
To appreciate that extensive collection of ballads which relate to the warlike exploits of the klefts, it is indispensable
to have some acquaintance with their adventurous temperament and insecure mode of life.  As the name-changed, by
a mere aspiration, fro'm the classic word for robber-sufficiently indicates, the klefts were a class of freebooters, supporting themselves by forced contributions levied upon the villages
of the districts they infested. But their deeds of rapine did
not subject them to that weight of indignation which so lawless a course of life might naturally call forth, as they were
regarded in the light of a political party rather than as robbers and outlaws. Young men who could not endure the restrictions they suffered at home, and longed for freedom and
P2




346                  BALLAD POETRY.
repose; men in the prime of life, who through a succession of
years had been the victims of oppression, and whom some
outrageous act of arbitrary violence had rendered impatient
of the yoke they had been meekly bearing: such were the materials from which Colocotroni, Liakos, and others formed
their invincible bands. There were men of all ages, ranks, and
conditions; but one feeling animated them all, and that was
hatred to the Turks, and to those who patiently submitted to
their tyranny.  Retiring to the mountains, they led, under
the generalship of some experienced captain, a life of independen,ce, subject, nevertheless, to the greatest hardships and
privations. Safety, or an opportunity of plunder, frequently
necessitated the execution of marches of surprising length and
difficulty. At times the stock of provisions was almost exhausted, and the kleft was compelled to put up with the scantiest fare, and subsist on the roots of such wild plants as would
satisfy his hunger. But then, again, the elders of a village presented large sums, and furnished provisions to the band, to
secure immunity from plunder.  Occasionally, too, some rich
bashaw fell into their hands, and was not released until he
had paid a heavy ransom.  The Greeks were generally exempted from these levies, except when want pressed heavily.
The monks, however, were, from their indolence and wealth,
special objects of dislike; and the klefts were not slow in turning to their own use the accumulated stores of the monastery;
while the parish priest was rarely incommoded, farther than
being forced to read prayers, or say the last offices for their
dead.
At length, tired of the constant annoyance which a band of
resolute men could inflict upon their provinces, the Pashas
would send proposals of peace, and engage to employ the
lefts as a body of hired troops. With the change of occupation, their name was changed to Armatoloi, or militia-men.
An opportunity was now afforded the Turks of compassing
by treachery the destruction of their new and formidable allies.
It was rarely lost. Those who escaped the massacre of their
chiefs, joined by fresh recruits, were soon again wild klefts
upon the mountains, inflicting deeper wounds upon their enemies, and animated by hatred yet more deadly against the




SUBJECTS OF THE BALLAI)S.             347
Turks. This alternation from resistance to peace, and from
peace again to rapine and plunder, was of continual recurrence
in the western and northern portions of Greece, where the.
klefts were most numerous. The plains of Thessaly and Epirus
suffered most from their ravages.  Mount Olympus and Kissabos (the ancient Ossa) are frequently mentioned in the ballads as the head-quarters of these bands.
Such were the klefts, whose history might furnish matter
for a volume of romantic interest. Regarded less in the light
of robbers thin as brave opposers of Turkish tyranny and
champions of Greek independence, their praises were in the
mouths of those even who were too timid to imitate their
valor.  To confound the kefts of the period anterior to the
Revolution with the class that now infest some portions of
Greece, would be entirely to mistake their character, the principles for which they contended, and their importance in a
historical point of view.
The ballads rarely contain a reference to more than a single incident in the life of a brave.  It may be a signal victory gained over a vastly superior force of the enemy; or
some almost miraculous escape from their hands. More frequently the entire poem is a poetic lament over the disastrous
fate of the warrior-chief, who has fallen into the snare set for
him by a wily Pasha, or by the treacherous elders of some
village, who would court favor with the ruler by surrendering
into his hands the klefts that have taken refuge in their midst.
One relates the fortunes of a brave named Diakos, who has
seen all his men cut down about him, and, after losing both
gun and sword, has fallen alive into the enemy's hands. Although life and promotion are promised him, if he will but
apostatize, he chooses to be impaled, rather than deny his
faith and the religion of his forefathers.
From the great abundance of kleftic ballads, it is scarcely
possible to select any that will convey a correct notion of their
general character; and the difficulty is yet more sensibly felt,
when the attempt is made to render into foreign prose the
flowing verses of one of the most sonorous of modern languages.  The following poem I have chosen, to give an idea
of the generality, less for any peculiar merit than because.of




348                    BALLAD POETRY.
its brevity. It is the lament of a wounded chief, who feels
that his end is fast approaching:
"The Sun is setting, and Demetrius commands his men:' Go, my braves, to the water, that ye may eat bread this night;
And thou, Lamprakes, dear nephew, sit near me here.
Put on my arms, and see that thou do them honor.
And ye, my braves, take my poor sword;
Cut me green boughs, and spread them for my bed.
Bring me a priest to hear all my confession,
That I may tell him all my sins that I have done.
Thirty years an Armatolos, and five-and-twenty a Kleft;
And now Death has come to me, and I must die.
Make my tomb wide, and let it be high;
That I may stand erect to fight, and have room to load.
And on the right side do you leave a window;
That the swallows may come to bring the spring,
And the dear nightingales warble in the good month of May.' "*
The following is a record of the death of Theodore Metros:
"In the hall of Theodore, at the palace of Metros,
Much people is gathered; many are assembled together.' Is not a marriage taking place, or is it a festival?'
Neither is it a marriage nor a festival:
But Metros is ill, grievously, and like to die.
Physicians come and go; but of cure there is none.
His comrades weep for him, and weeps his sister;
His mother weeps for him, and his sad father too.'Dost thou wish for marriage, Metros, that I may give thee a wife?'I wish no marriage, mother. Stoop, that I may kiss thee.
Care for my children, my poor boys.
Bring me my dear sword, mother, that I may kiss it;
And bring my gun, that I may bid it farewell.
Charon has betrothed me, he has betrothed me:
He has given me the stone for a mother-in-law, the monument for
wife;
And the worms themselves for brothers and cousins.'"
A striking peculiarity of this species of poetry is the abundant employment of parallelisms; the second clause being frequently a counterpart of the first, though it may convey the
same idea in a somewhat varied dress.  No less remarkable
is the structure of the introduction to the ballad.   Sometimes'all Nature, by a forcible hyperbole, is represented as
plunged in mourning at the disaster that has befallen the
* In the collection of popular ballads by Zambelius, No 13, p. 607.




KLEFTIC SONGS.                     349
hero.  "Wherefore do the mountains grow  black, and the
meadows wither away?" exclaims the bard as he commences
his narration. Or else a bird may be represented as singing,
from the wall of some adjoining fortress, the funeral dirge of
the klefts. Often, as in the following piece, the auditor is supposed to break forth in an inquiry as to the cause of the fearful sound that is heard afar; in answering which the poet
gives an account of the battle, where the Greeks are fighting against fearful odds.  It is worthy of special note that
many such phrases are conventional expressions, appearing
in numerous songs, and designed to call the hearer's attention, and lead, in a natural manner, to the subject of the
ballad.
"' What can be the sound that is heard, and the great tumult!
Are not bullocks being slain, or is it beasts that roar?''Neither are bullocks being slain, nor is it beasts that roar:
Boucovallas is engaged in fight with fifteen hundred men,
In the midst of Kerasobos, and in Kenouria.
The balls fall like rain; they fall like hail.'
And a fair maiden cried from out the window:' Cease, John, from battle, cause the firing to stop,
That the dust may settle, that it may be clear,
That thy band may be numbered, to see how many are lacking.'
The Turks are numbered thrice, and there lack five hundred;
The kleft boys are numbered, and three braves are missing.
One went for water, and another to bring bread;
The third and best stands at his gun."*
The fact that these kleftic songs are not confined to one
locality, but disseminated far from the mountainous districts
that gave them  birth, is due to the "panegyris," public festivals and fairs, at which great multitudes from the surrounding country gather, not only for purposes of trade, but also for
recreation.  Dances abound on these occasions; and crowds
gather around the blind musicians, who sing the ballads they
have composed themselves, or learned from others. These perambulating musicians perform the part of the ancient rhapsodists, and, being possessed of extraordinary memories, the number of pieces which they can recite and sing is quite remarkable.  For each of these poems they compose a new  tune;
* Song of John Boucovallas, in the collection of Zambelius, No. 39,
p. 629.




350                  BALLAD POETRY.
and when it meets with a good reception, they are well rewarded for their pains. It is said that a minstrel, who was
likewise possessed of considerable talent as an improvisatore,
was in a few years enabled to lay by so large a sum as to settle down at his ease at Ampelakia, in Thessaly.  The only
accompaniment to the voice is a sort of lyre, with but two
or three strings.
The day of the true klefts has probably passed away forever. In the Revolution they contributed not a little to the
deliverance of their country. Those who had been the leaders
of a few desperadoes, became the captains of large detachments of troops capable of meeting and repulsing the Turkish
armies. Being thoroughly acquainted with the country, and
inured from long experience to all the labors and difficulties
of a guerrilla warfare, they were formidable opponents on a
soil so mountainous as that of Greece. Since the Revolution,
many of the more distinguished chiefs have risen to honorable posts under the government, while the rest have resumed
more peaceable occupations.  As the exploits of the klefts
have now ceased, it must necessarily follow that this branch
of the popular literature, which has been devoted to them,
will become extinct, or undergo at least very essential modifications. Even now, among the collections of kleftic poems,
there are to be found many that relate properly to revolutionary heroes, though framed upon the model of the more
ancient class of ballads.
Turning to the peaceful plains and villages, we find in their
songs a perceptible resemblance to those of former times.
Athenaeus and other ancient authors tell us that the return
of the swallow was hailed by the Greeks as the harbinger of
spring.  Special hymns were composed in its honor; and
those who sang them claimed a slight present from their auditors. A similar practice still obtains. On the first day of
March, troops of children may be seen tripping forth from the
village school-house in holiday attire, and carrying a branch
or rod, on which a rough wooden figure of a swallow is
perched. At every door the juvenile procession stops, to sing
a welcome to the swallow, whose coming they represent as
introducing joy into the household, and hastening the festiv



SONGS ON SPECIAL OCCASIONS.              351
ities of Easter. From the praises of the swallow, they next
turn to beg a present of money or eggs, some for themselves,
and the greater part for their master.*
On St. Basil's day, the first of the new year, similar parties
of children wander from house to house.  On this occasion
their songs are not unlike those of the first of March. They
consist chiefly of addresses to the family, each one of whom
receives the honor of a separate song; and they conclude with
an ode to St. Basil. In lyric pieces of this description but
slight literary merit may be expected.  Naturalness and a
striking similarity to the popular songs of the ancients, as far
as they have come down to us, are often combined with great
homeliness of diction.
How much poetry connects itself with the most ordinary
occurrences of life, is evident from the multitude of poems
framed for such occasions. When, for instance, a peasant intends to leave his native place, whether his departure be final,
or merely for a time, he invites his friends to partake with him
of a farewell meal. During the feast, or at its conclusion, his
departure is made the burden of song; some of the guests
describing in general terms the bitterness of separation, while
others enter with minuteness into the circumstances of the
present case. These regrets are generally thrown into poetic
shape on the spur of the occasion. Other farewell songs are
recited in mournful tones, as the traveler is accompanied by
his friends and neighbors to the limits of the town.
The nuptial customs, so complicated and yet so picturesque,
differing in every district, yet invariable there, furnish a copious subject for the rustic muse.  There are verses for the
maidens to sing when they sit grinding the flour for the wedding-cakes; others when they sift.it; and still others when
they knead and bake.  Snatches of poetry are sung by the
youths as they help to attire the groom, and by the maidens
* A specimen of these modern songs may be compared with one of
the ancient ones still extant; both are contained in a pamphlet entitled
"A Refutation of those that have thought, written, and published, that
none of those who now inhabit Greece are descended from the ancient
Greeks, by Anastasius G. Leucias."  Athens, 1843. (In Latin and
Greek, p. 110.)




352                   BALLAD POETRY.
that wait on the bride. Every part of the marriage ceremony
is thus viewed in a poetic light.t
It would be difficult to fifid a more curious class of lyric
poems than the m-rologia, or laments sung over the corpses
of the dead.  Unlike the verses repeated at nuptial festivities,
which are nearly always of a stereotype form, the moerologia are
the spontaneous product of the imagination in each particular
case.  The name seems to mean a lament over the fate of an
individual.  When the body of the deceased has been decently
laid out upon a bed, ready to be carried to its last restingplace, the relatives and friends assemble round the lifeless
remains, to take a last farewell of what they lately held so
dear.  Now they pour out their vain regrets.  But the mcerologia are not mere expressions of feeling; they are chiefly
made up of a history of the departed. If it be a woman, the
survivors relate her fortunes, and dwell upon her beauty, her
virtues, or her wealth. If a man, they celebrate his strength
and courage, and the stratagems or treachery of his enemy.
The wife not unfrequently reverts to the time of her betrothal,
and tells the story of her married life. In one, when a husband had been basely murdered by those whom he had entertained under his own roof, the indignant widow exclaims:
"Fire and poison may that bread and wine become which
they ate and drank; for instead of bread they gave him  a
ball, and the wine became like powder."
In this recital, the faults of the dead are not unfrequently
set forth as prominently as his excellences.  The speakers
are mostly of the female sex, while the men are passive spectators.  Some women have enjoyed a great reputation for
their wonderful facility in this sort of improvising. The
heartless practice of hiring mourners is, however, I believe,
confined to Asiatic Greece.  Yet it is no uncommon occurrence for a perfect stranger to step into the sad circle of
friends, and, addressing the corpse as if he could hear, beg
him to carry some message to departed friends.  The tidings
thus intrusted to the soul, which, it is imagined, has not yet
* In a pamphlet giving an account of the forms accompanying the
marriage rite, I find no less than twenty-six pieces of poetry, to be repeated at as many different stages of the ceremony.




PREVALENT SUPERSTITIONS.              X5) 3
commenced its journey to the nether world, relate to those
matters which here interested it most-to family events, or to
the success or reverses of domestic feuds. So important has
the recital of the maorologia come to be regarded, that in some
places, when a person has died in a foreign land, these songs
are addressed to a figure that personates him, extended on a
funeral bed.
Of a character entirely different are the religious poems, in
which the most striking historical passages of Holy Writ are
represented in dramatic form. The " Mirror for Women" is a
thick volume containing a large number of these pieces, wherein various Scriptural characters are held up as models for imitation, or as warnings to the female sex. More celebrated
than any of these is the " Sacrifice of Abraham"-a drama,
as has been truly remarked, " full of touches of most natural
pathos."  The style is easy, and the language makes no pretension to classic elegance. It is, indeed, just such a composition as the most illiterate can read with entertainment and
profit.  Although written no later, certainly, than the last
century, it has retained its hold on She people, and has been
reprinted within a few years.
In this brief description of some of the kinds of popular
poetry, allusion has been made to prevalent superstitions
whose existence they indicate. There are others equally curious.  Charon no longer appears as the ancient ferryman of
the Styx; but has usurped the place of Mercury, and figures
as conductor of the dead. Every object, both animate and inanimate, is supposed to be guarded by a spirit. The plague is
personified as a blind old woman, groping along the sides of
walls.  The small-pox, that fearful curse of the poor man's
hovel, is represented as a fury: but the same fear that led the
ancients to forbear uttering words of ill omen, lest they should
provoke the ire of evil spirits, induces the modern peasant to
call her " eulogia"-the blessing.
It is a noteworthy fact that, while the attention of the
modern Greeks has naturally been bestowed mainly on those
treasures of ancient lore which constitute their lawful patrimony, it has not been altogether withdrawn from their own
popular ballads, in which so much of recent history, and of




354                    BALLAD POETRY.
customs that are fast becoming extinct, is recorded.   Mr.
Fauriel's work, in  the French  language, was the first to
awaken general interest on the subject. His preliminary remarks upon the habits of the klefts, and the nature of the ballads relating to their exploits, are as yet unsurpassed.  Since
then there have been published numerous collections, and now
not a year passes without fresh additions to this interesting
department of literature.*
* Four collections of ballads are before me, published in Athens alone,
between 1835 and 1848; and there are doubtless many more. A young
writer, Mr. Lelekos, commenced in 1852 a serial containing a considerable number of interesting pieces connected with the manners and customs of the people. More recently, a native of Laconia, in a pamphlet
of 40 pages, published a metrical description of his country written at
the close of the 18th century, and ten interesting mncerologia, a species of
poetry which, from its ephemeral character, has until now seldom found
its way into print. Perhaps the best collection of kleftic songs is to be
found in the "Demotic Songs" of S. Zampelios of Corfu, who has prefixed six hundred pages of learned disquisition on the state of the Greek
race in the Middle Ages.




-is                          A vk/r
<iA' Ill   i  I  m._.l_/_"i
PIfrt                       ^___ -
HOUSE OF JONAS KING, D.D.
CHAPTER XXIV.
TIE TRIAL OF DR. KING.
FRIDAY, the 5th of March (New Style) 1852, was the day
set for the trial of Dr. King, before the Criminal Court of
Athens, on the charge of reviling the Greek Church.  The
incessant clamors of the newspaper AEon, the organ of the
Russian party, had finally induced the king's attorney to institute a prosecution against the foreign missionary: and the opponents of religious liberty already exulted in view of their
approaching triumph.  On the preceding day, a friend of Dr.
King had brought to him a small printed hand-bill, which, he
said, was being industriously circulated through the city, and
posted along the streets, with the evident purpose of inciting
the people to acts of violence toward Dr. King. It read as
follows:
"To-morrow, Friday, the 22d of February (Old Style), the
famous false apostle, Jonas King, will at last be tried before




356               TRIAL OF DR. KING.
the Criminal Court of Athens. Accordingly, as many Christloving people as desire to be present at this curious trial may
attend the said court at ten o'clock A.M., and hear the false
apostle convicted of the foolish babblings he has uttered against
the Mother of God, the Saints, the Images, and, in a word,
all the Sacraments, Doctrines, and Traditions of our Holy
Church."
In consequence of this notice, a demand was made of the
police for additional protection on the day of the trial. The
first token of the requisition was the appearance of a detachment of four police-officers at the gate of the Consulate early
on Friday morning.  They had come to attend and protect Dr.
King on his way to the court-room. After a short season of
prayer with his family, he expressed his readiness to go. I
walked with him, while his young son followed, under the
care of the faithful man-servant, old Barba Constantinos.
Two of the most prominent lawyers of Athens had been retained as counsel. We took the house of one of them on our
way. Mr. Pelicas was waiting to escort us. He was a small
man, with fine features and an intellectual countenance, esteemed to be one of the most upright members of the Athenian
bar, and at this time professor of law, and Prytanis (or President) of the University of Otho.
The king's attorney had proposed to Mr. Pelicas that Dr.
King should wait at his house until sent for; but the missionary determined to be present, at all events, at the appointed time. The Criminal Court held its sessions in an old
building at the corner of Athena Street and a small lane.
The lane, from which access was gained by a broad flight of
steps to the court-room, was already crowded with old and
young; but no disturbance occurred on our arrival.  The
chief of police, who was rather friendly to Dr. King, had detached a number of policemen, armed with musket and bayonet; and presently that individual came in person. The
more fanatical part of the assemblage had already found their
way into the court-room, and were impatiently awaiting the
process. The space allotted to the audience was crowded to
its utmost capacity, and here and there appeared the black
coat and cap of a priest.




THE COURT-ROOM.                  357
By the courtesy of some officials, I was permitted to take
a seat within the bar, in a position whence I could see and
hear every thing that was said and done. It was a curious
spectacle, that array of animated faces that crowded the
farther end of the room, all intent on hearing the trial of one
of the most interesting and important cases that had ever
come up for decision before a Grecian tribunal.
The judges chosen to try the accused appeared very punctually, entering the court-room from a small chamber in the
rear. As the accusation related not to a crime, but to an offence of secondary grade, the legislation of Greece, in imitation of the French practice, makes the bench sole judges both
of the law and of the fact. Trial by jury is only resorted to
in cases of murder, treason, and other felonious deeds. The
five judges, Messrs Nicolopoulus, Papaspirides, Kallisperes,
Boniseres, and CEconomides, took their seats on a platform
facing the audience: the first-named, as president, occupying
the middle seat. At opposite ends of the table before them,
and on the same platform, sat Mr. Typaldus, the attorney
general, and Mr. Matakides, the clerk.
The first duty of the clerk was to call over the names of
the witnesses. The prosecution had cited twelve witnesses, of
whom nine answered to their names; and the defence twenty-one, out of whom only ten ventured to appear-a striking
disparity, which tended to show how strong was the fear of
popular or priestly violence entertained by those who should
have borne testimony to the good character of the defendant.
Dr. King perceived that there was no ground for expecting
any more favorable occasion, and readily consented to the
proposal of the attorney general, that both sides should mutually abandon the absentees. The trial accordingly proceeded.
I have stated that the accusation against Dr. King was
that he had, in public discourse, during the years 1850 and
1851, reviled the Greek religion.  To this was originally
added the utterly gratuitous accusation of reviling religion in
general. But the Areopagus, on appeal, had judged the latter imputation too ridiculous to be sustained, and had ordered
its erasure. It was, therefore, to prove the former part of the
indictment alone that the witnesses were summoned.




358               TRIAL OF DR. KING.
It would be tedious to describe, or even enumerate, the various witnesses, as they were successively brought up to the
open space in front of the president, and sworn. They merely repeated what they had previously testified in the secret
inquest, which always precedes the finding of a bill of indictment.  In the main, the testimony seemed to be true; but a
Protestant would have found it difficult to imagine in what
respect the language attributed to Dr. King was objectionable, or tended in the least to constitute a reviling of the Greek
Church: unless, indeed, it be reviling to state personal opinions when they happen to be diametrically opposed to those
of an auditor. In short, the testimony proved only that Dr.
King held the doctrines generally received by the religious
communion to which he belonged in America.
The witnesses were nearly all young men. Some were
students in the medical school, and others candidates for the
priesthood. Besides the usual animation that characterizes
the Greek, they seemed moved by strong partisan feeling. I
remember, in particular, a youth called Kyriakoules, whose
expressions of enmity against the defendant were so strong,
that the presiding judge himself was obliged to interrupt him,
and exclaim, "You are here as a witness, not as an accuser!"
He held in his hand a paper, from which he attempted several times to read extracts; but desisted on being told that
his business was merely to answer the questions put to him.
Persons who stood near him when he was not testifying have
assured me that he was armed with a dagger, and that he incited the boys around him to hoot when any thing favorable
to Dr. King was elicited.
A lawyer would have noticed one striking peculiarity in
the testimony, as well as in the indictment. Although several of the witnesses pretended to have heard Dr. King use
language disrespectful to the Greek religion, they never mentioned the exact words, nor specified the time or occasion of
their utterance. Hence the defence was utterly unable to
bring proof that such language had never been made use of,
since no witness could depose any thing more than that no
abuse had been indulged in upon the occasions when he was
present. No testimony, however, was more flagrantly unfair




SPEECH OF TIE  IING'S ATTORNEY.        359
than that of a half-crazed old man, who was permitted to
give in his evidence against Dr. King, although, by his own
confession, he had not entered the missionary's house for seven
years. Yet the term stated in the indictment embraced only
the years 1850 and 1851!
In the examination of the witnesses, the president of the
court displayed the most obvious prepossession in favor of the
testimony adverse to Dr. King, and of those who so testified,
whether their evidence was pertinent or not. On the other
hand, he seemed determined to browbeat the numerous and
respectable witnesses for the defence-a course which, combined with the tumultuous applause, or the equally pronounced disapproval of the audience, to a great extent encouraged by the supineness of the court, disturbed not a little
the self-possession of the witnesses. The presiding judge even
went so far as to reprimand one of the criers of the court for
ordering some noisy priests to be silent, and deprived him for
that day of the badge of office.
The king's attorney now rose, and argued the case for an
hour and a half, or two hours. In order to prove that the
accused was guilty of reviling the Greek religion during the
two years mentioned in the indictment, he brought forward
some books written by Dr. King, and showed what his creed
was.  One of these, entitled "A  Defence," was published
many years since; and the other, " An Exposition of an Apostolic Church," was published in the United States. He did
not attempt to prove that these pamphlets were written
by Dr. King; but taking this for granted, he inferred, from
passages which the court permitted him  to read, that Dr.
King believed, and therefore taught, doctrines at variance
with the standards of the Orthodox Church. And this, he
maintained, constituted the crime of reviling the Greek religion, as contemplated in the law.
At the end of the lengthy theological discourse of the king's
attorney, Mr. Triantaphyllos, one of Dr. King's lawyers, began by alluding to the contrast presented by the scene now
witnessed with that beheld twenty-three years before, when
his client had come, intrusted by the liberality of the American people, with provisions to feed the famishing Greeks. He




360                TRIAL OF DR. KING.
then proceeded to answer the arguments of the king's attorney;
and said that that officer had wrongly sought to introduce a
religious discussion. (Here he was interrupted by the court,
and told to abstain from such language-as if the king's attorney were a privileged character.) If such a discussion were
to come off, Dr. King should have employed Protestant counsel to defend his religious tenets. In conclusion, he urged
that, by the constitution and laws of Greece, religious toleration and the right of discussion were guaranteed.
Mr. Pelicas followed, with a clear and logical speech, in
which he exhibited the inapplicability of the law to the case
of Dr. King. The mere expression of opinions adverse to
those of the Greek Church could not fairly be construed as a
reviling of, or even an indication of malevolence toward, that
Church; much less as an insult to religion in general-an accusation which the king's attorney had sought illegally to reintroduce into the indictment, and for which not a particle of
evidence had been shown.
When the king's attorney had made a brief rejoinder, Dr.
King arose, holding some documents in his hands, and wished
to say a few words in his own defence. The papers contained
proof that the prosecution was of the nature of a conspiracy
against him, and that some of the witnesses were principals
in the plot. The judges had already risen, and were about to
retire. Mr. Nicolopoulus said that opportunity had already
been given to the defendant to speak; but that he might, if
he chose, hand in the documents that he held, and the court
would take them into consideration. Dr. King stated some
facts in explanation of their contents; and then, seeing the
uselessness of attempting to convince an impatient court,
handed the papers to the president, and sat down.  The
judges, most of whom had remained standing, immediately
left the room, to confer as to their verdict.
About half an hour elapsed before the door opened, and the
judges resumed their seats.  Mr. Nicolopoulus proceeded to
pronounce a decision, which was afterward reduced to writing, with considerable alterations. In the court-room, it was
stated that the accused was found guilty of reviling the Greek
Church; in the recorded verdict, that his offence was the




SENTENCE PRONOUNCED.                 361
less heinous one of using malevolent expressions against it.
Only two such expressions are singled out from all the mass
of testimony, and from the articles of the indictment, as the
ground of the finding of the court. This is what the court
says: "The calling the Mother of God simply a woman,
and affirming that she bare also other children, and saying
that the Communion, that is, the body and blood of our Lord
Jesus Christ, is bread and wine, are incontestably malevolent
expressions."
The defendant being thus found guilty, the king's attorney
moved that he be sentenced to three months' imprisonment,
according to the law in this case provided; and that, on the
expiration of that term, he be banished from the country, in
accordance with another article, as a person convicted of a
crime, and "pre-eminently dangerous to the common safety
and to morals, by his manner of life, character, and conduct."
The defendant's counsel opposed the motion, averring that the
latter portion of the penalty was utterly unsuitable, since there
was nothing in the history of the defendant that rendered him
obnoxious to any of these charges.
The court now retired a second time, and shortly returned.
They sentenced "the said Jonas King, convicted as aforesaid,
to fifteen days' imprisonment, to the costs of the trial, and the
duty on the stamps, to be collected by the committal of his
person," and ordered " his exile from the territory of Greece,
after the execution of the sentence of imprisonment."*
Thus was concluded this judicial farce. Thb judges, who
had come instructed to convict Dr. King, withdrew, and the
audience, who had come to see him convicted, after expressing
their joy by prolonged applause, hastened down to the street
to see the missionary carried away to prison. The king's attorney, however, who, as it subsequently appeared, was in no
* One of the judges that sat on this trial, with whom I had some
slight acquaintance, was in the habit of saying that he wholly disapproved of the verdict and sentence, and that he had voted against their
adoption in the private deliberations of the court. Since, however, he
manifested no disapprobation of the extraordinary conduct of the presiding judge, and did not exercise his right of withholding his signature from the record, I am at a loss to know how much credit is due to
the assertion.
Q




362               TRIAL OF DR. KIN.G.
hurry to incarcerate Dr. King, at once acceded to the request
of his lawyers, that-he might be permitted to return to his
house, in order to make preparations for his imprisonment and
exile. A large mob had meanwhile collected around the building. The friendly officer, to whose interest in Dr. King the
detachment of so many policemen had been due, begged us to
tarry until the tumultuous crowd dispersed, lest it should undertake to commit some violence. Accordingly, we remained
a while in the deserted court-room; but the people below
showed no sign of retiring. Finally, it was thought best to
lead Dr. King by a private passage, and through an unoccupied
shop, to the front of the building, on Athena Street, where a
carriage was in waiting. The officer entered it with us; a
couple of armed policemen mounted the carriage-one taking
his seat on the box, and the other standing up behind. The
fanatical mob that lingered about the entrance on the lane,
seeing themselves thus outwitted, ran toward the carriage
with loud yells, but were driven back at the point of the bayonet by some soldiers stationed in the vicinity.
Saturday, Sunday, and Monday passed, but no order was
sent for Dr. King's arrest. The design of the king's attorney
then became evident. No one can appeal from the decision
of the Criminal Court unless his exceptions are filed within
five days after the rendering of the verdict, and unless the
prisoner is undergoing the infliction of his sentence. It was
the policy of the State to defer Dr. King's imprisonment until
the expiration of these five days, in order to preclude an appeal. Had he allowed himself to be thus beguiled, his negligence would have furnished a specious pretext for refusing redress. Strange as it may seem, the missionary was thus compelled to demand the partial execution of his own sentence.
After a confinement of a few hours in the loathsome Medrese,
of which I have elsewhere spoken, he was taken to the policeoffice, where he underwent imprisonment until he fell sick and
was carried home. The expulsion of Dr. King being the real
object of the prosecution, nobody cared for his incarceration,
and nothing would have been more pleasant to the government than to hear that he had escaped of his own accord.
Seventeen days elapsed before the appeal came up for dis



OPINIONS OF THE PRESS.              363
cussion in the Areopagus, the Supreme Court of Greece.
That tribunal can only review the points of law contained in'the record; and it was on these that exceptions were taken.
The highest court was called on to pronounce whether the
mere statement of opinions at variance with the doctrines of
the Greek Church constituted a malevolent expression against
that Church, and whether such an offence rendered a man dangerous to the common safety and to morals. The Areopagus,
in manifest violation of common sense and equity, replied that
the Criminal Court was competent to decide as to what were
malevolent expressions, and what rendered a man dangerous
to society. At the same time, it reversed all that part of the
verdict which found Dr. King guilty of reviling religion in general. It is difficult to perceive where the court drew the line
of demarcation between its own jurisdiction and that of the
Criminal Court. Instead of ordering a new trial, the Areopagus affirmed the sentence of the lower court, with the trivial
alteration of the term of confinement from fifteen to fourteen
days.
Dr. King was now at the mercy of the government. As a
last resource, he drew up, in his character of Consular Agent
of the United States, a protest " against the unjust decisions of
the Criminal Court of Athens and of the Areopagus, and
against any execution whatever of them."  This he forwarded at once to Mr. Paicos, Minister of Foreign Affairs. It was
probably this movement that arrested the hands of the Greek
government. The possible interest of the American nation
in the sufferings of its distant citizen had never entered the
heads of those who were so eager to drive the missionary away.
But whatever may have been the cause, Dr. King was allowed
to remain unmolested in his own house until the arrival of the
American vessels of war.
Meanwhile the public press of Athens was loud in its condemnation of the whole of this fanatical affair: stigmatizing it
as unjust and ill-timed; as a violation of the sacred right of
religious liberty guaranteed by the Constitution and the laws
of the realm. "The introduction of this case into court," said
one paper, " was, in our opinion, a foolish measure, for religious discussions can not be carried on in a tribunal of justice.




364               TRIAL OF DR. KING.
But when the matter is considered in its political aspect, that,
at the very moment when our government is endeavoring to
obtain the importation of the Greek currant into America free
of duty, the attorney general should bring Mr. King, who is
an agent of America, to trial, and that the court should order
his expulsion from Greece —all this seems to us, to say the
least, a political solecism."
"Mr. King," it added, "has been prosecuted and comdemned to expulsion, for teaching every Sunday, in his own
house, the tenets of the denomination to which he belongs.
Don Constantine, the parish priest of the Catholics, who preaches, not in his private house, but in the Catholic church, doctrines contrary to our holy religion, should, therefore, also be
prosecuted, if the king's attorney wishes to be consistent. Consequently, we must destroy the article in the Constitution respecting toleration, and proclaim that every religion, indeed,
is tolerated, and its rites may be celebrated without hinderance; but that the priests of the foreign religion will be prosecuted penally, unless they profess the doctrines of the Orthodox Church."
Nor did the conduct of the judges escape the animadversion
it richly deserved.  All intelligent men were shocked to find
that the most sacred provisions of law had been violated.
Even papers that could not be suspected of sympathy with
Dr. King or his work, joined in denouncing a trial in which
" the legal tribunals of Greece"-to use the forcible language
of Mr. Marsh-" had been guilty of an abuse of the principles of justice, and a perversion of the rules of law, as flagitious as any that ever disgraced the records of the Star
Chamber."
"We can not forbear to mark with reprobation," said the
Courier of Athens, "all that occurred in the court-room. The
evening before the trial of Mr. King, some pious individuals
had distributed a profusion of printed cards of invitation. On
the day of the discussion, a crowd of the lovers of scandal repaired to the rendezvous with a determination to exercise a
pressure on the court.  The lawyers were at every moment
interrupted by vociferations, while the remarks of the prosecuting attorney were greeted with loud applause. Could not




MISSION OF MR. MARSH.              365
a little more, we will not say severity, but impartiality, have
repressed such manifestations, so contrary to our manners, to
the dignity of justice, and to the spirit of toleration that characterizes and does honor to the Greek people? We are grieved
to be compelled to announce that the liberty of defence, and
the gravity which should preside at the deliberations of justice, have been greatly compromised. Especially are we pained
when we think of the long echo which this trial can not fail
to have through the United States-that country, so great in
its present, so immense in its future, and which showed itself
so sympathetic, so enthusiastic even, for the cause of our independence."
The subsequent history of Dr. King's case may be summed
up in few words. Besides the unjust trial to which he had
been subjected, there were other grievances of longer standing.
He was proprietor of a considerable plot of ground on the
outskirts of Athens, which he had originally bought of the
Turks for a mere pittance.  As the city increased, it became
exceedingly valuable.  But the government, in 1835, announced the intention of taking a part of it for a public square;
and though this plan was never put into execution, Dr. King
was debarred from building upon it himself, and, of course,
could find no purchaser. Thus the matter stood for seventeen years; the government neither taking, nor allowing him
to make use of the land.  The former American consul at
Athens had, of his own accord, laid the case before Mr. Webster, and sent on for the documents relative to it.
With characteristic promptitude, Mr. Webster, then Secretary of State, on the 29th of April-just one month and four
days after the publication of the decision of the Areopagusinstructed Mr. George P. Marsh, our minister resident at Constantinople, to proceed to Athens, and investigate the facts relating to the alleged grievances of Dr. King.  Mr. Marsh arrived at Athens August 1st, 1852, and, after completing his
inquiries, left on the 21st of the same month. His able reports, since published by the American government, exhibit
the injustice of the treatment Dr. King has received at the
hands of the Greeks in the clearest manner.  On the 5th of
February, 1853, Mr. Everett, who had succeeded to the Dee




366               TRIAL OF DR. KING.
partment of State, on the death of Mr. Webster, directed Mr.
Marsh to return to Athens, and demand of the Greek government an entire remission of the sentence passed upon Dr.
King, and a pecuniary indemnification for the land he had
been deprived of. The opinion entertained by the American
government may be inferred from the following passage: "The
whole character of the proceedings, as minutely detailed by
you, is such as to place the character of the Greek tribunals
and the administration of justice in an unfavorable light.
Either the sound and safe maxims of criminal jurisprudence,
which prevail in this country, are unknown to the jurisprudence of Greece, or her tribunals were presided over by persons who entertained very false notions of the judicial character, or there are prejudices against Dr. King which, in his
case, at least, corrupted the fountains of justice.  It is not in
the power of this government, at so great a distance, to form
a confident opinion to which of the above-mentioned causes
the result of Dr. King's trial is to be ascribed.  It may have
been in part produced by all three, and there is reason to suppose that such is the case. This state of things unavoidably
destroys all confidence in the Greek courts, so far as Dr. King
is concerned, and compels the president to regard their decision
in this case as unjust and oppressive."
The conduct of the Greek government in answer to the demands of Mr. Marsh was not such as the American government had a right to expect. The printed correspondence reveals a variety of subterfuges to avoid compliance with the
dictates of justice and an enlightened policy, an avoidance of
the points in issue, and other evasions such as cunning would
readily suggest to obstinacy, for the sake of gaining time.
Mr. Marsh left Athens without having succeeded in persuading the Greek cabinet. During the following winter the government, of its own accord, granted to Dr. King a full remission of the sentence of imprisonment and exile. At length
Mr. Pryor, specially commissioned by the president, in the
summer of 1855, to procure an indemnification from  the
Greek government, succeeded in obtaining precisely what had
been so obstinately refused two years previous-that is to
say, if I am rightly informed, the sum of $25,000 for the




RESULTS OF THE TRIAL.               367
land taken away from Dr. King by the opening of the public square.
Such have been the consequences of a trial unequaled in
importance by any that have come before a Greek tribunal
since the establishment of national independence. It was instituted by the fanaticism of the priestly party, with the purpose of crushing all religious discussion. It has resulted in
the firm  establishment of toleration as guaranteed to all
known religions by the first article of the Constitution. And
while convincing the Greek government that the United States
stands ready to espouse the cause of any of its citizens in distress, it has strengthened the hands of the American missionaries in Greece, by evidencing the interest which American
Christians feel in those who are battling for their holy faith
at distant points of the globe.




GATE OF THE NEW AGORA.
CHAPTER XXV.
DEPARTURE FROM ATHENS-SYRA-CORFU.
AFTER bidding adieu to the good friends whose kind offices
had contributed so much to render my stay at Athens both
agreeable and advantageous, I rode down to Piraeus on the
day before the steamer left, and spent some hoqrs in taking
leave of my acquaintances there. One of the number was
Madame Caratzas, daughter of the famous Marco Bozzaris,
and formerly one of the maids of honor to Queen Amelia. She
is a fine-looking woman; but scarcely impresses one with
the idea that she was ever so beautiful as she is said to have
been by those who saw her ten years ago. She has several
young children. The name of Marco Bozzaris, though never
mentioned but with profound gratitude by the Greeks, is not
so much in the mouths of the people as a stranger would expect. This is to be accounted for by the fact that, cut off in
the midst of his course, his influence upon the issue of the
Revolution was unimportant, save in a moral point of view,




THE MAID OF ATHENS.               369
as he afforded a glorious example to his countrymen. He is,
moreover, represented by many of the Greeks as an illiterate
man, little distinguished above most of the combatants, who
would probably never have emerged from an obscure sphere,
had not his magnanimous death been immortalized by the pen
of Halleck and of others, and by the enthusiasm of Christian
Europe.  I am loth, however, to give credit to any statement
that detracts from the traditional honor in which the name
of Marco Bozzaris is held.
The country seat of Mr. Contostaulos, to which I next repaired, lies out of Piraeus, and his house is surrounded by a
garden of ten acres reduced to profitable cultivation. Mr. C.,
who speaks English well, was one of the agents that came to
the United States during the late revolution to attend to the
construction of a frigate or two for the Greek navy. A1though, in the progress of the negotiations to secure this object, much money was, without doubt, squandered uselessly,
the character of Mr. Contostaulos has been triumphantly vindicated from all aspersion. In the neighborhood of this villa,
I entered an establishment lately erected by a Mr. Rallis for
the unwinding of silk from the cocoon. I was informed that
upward of forty operatives were employed, and that the daily
produce is one hundred and forty large hanks of silk, weighing more than twenty pounds. The investment is, probably,
a profitable one; for the wages of operatives vary from sixteen to twenty-five cents a day.
The famous " Maid of Athens," whose memory will endure
so long as Lord Byron is remembered, besides exchanging her
name of Theresa Macri for the more prosaic Mrs. Black, has
transferred her residence to Piraeus. That she was fascinating once, no one can doubt that has read the glowing descriptions not only of Byron, but also of other travelers. It
may be readily imagined, however, that forty-two years have
not passed since the poet saw her without producing considerable changes in her personal appearance.  Her children
have inherited a large share of her beauty. Travelers have
frequently remarked that they never beheld a more noble
frame than that of her eldest son, whose premature death
since my departure has thrown a gloom over a once happy
Q2




370     DEPARTURE FROM ATHENS-SYRA-CORFU.
family, and over a large circle of acquaintance. Mr. Black
is Professor of English in one of the two Athenian Gymnasia,
and holds at the same time the post of British Vice-consul.
Modern Piraeus covers only a small portion of the site of
the ancient town. The houses are mostly collected on the
eastern side of the largest of three harbors, all of which were
once used for commercial purposes.  Old Piraeus, which is
supposed to have equaled in size, or even surpassed Athens
itself, seems to have extended over the rocky peninsula of
Munychia, as well as the more populous districts of Piraeus
proper and Phalerum. A lofty wall, whose circuit can be
easily traced, ran around the entire town, constituting as
strong a defence from the sea-board as on the land side; and
the entrances to the harbors, which were rendered narrow by
strong piers projecting from the opposite sides, in time of danger were further guarded by heavy chains extended between
their abutments.
Very few traces of public and private edifices remain. Near
the port of Munychia, the principal bathing-place of the present inhabitants, there is the foundation of a temple dedicated
to Diana. Not far from the same spot a theatre seems to
have existed. Tradition points out, on the heights of Phalerum, the locality where St. Paul saw the altar dedicated to
the "Unknown God," of which he made such happy use in
his speech on Mars' Hill. The altar is a rude detached rock,
six or eight feet in height, one side of which has been cut into
a regular faqade, with a niche between two imperfect pilasters. The hypothesis that this was the altar referred to by
the Apostle, rests on the slender basis of a passage in Pausanias, which says that there were altars to unknown gods at
Phalerum, without specifying their precise locality. It is exceedingly doubtful whether the rock served as an altar at all.
On another part of the same hill, an opening in the ground
leads downward by a stairway to a great depth. Its use appears to be unknown, unless it may have been to gain access
to a secret well.
On the 28th of September, bidding farewell to Rev. Mr.
and Mrs. Buel, at whose hospitable mansion I had spent the
previous night, and to a number of my Athenian friends, who




HERMOPOLIS.                   371
had ridden down to see me leave, I went on board the small
Austrian steamer Archiduca Ludovico, bound for Syra. By a
singular and unforeseen coincidence, it was the anniversary of
my arrival at the same port.
Our steamer should have started at six o'clock P.M.; but it
was full an hour later before we got under way. A short
distance from us lay a government sloop at anchor. A stout
man dressed in gaudy costume, who stood on its deck, monopolized the attention of all the Greek passengers. This
was the public executioner. Such is the repugnance entertained by the modern Greeks for the infliction of capital punishment, that the greatest difficulty is experienced in obtaining any one willing to execute the sentence of the law. The
executioner is certain of falling a victim to the revenge of the
friends of the culprit, unless extraordinary measures are taken
for his protection. The individual that was on board the
sloop-of-war had been successively carried to Chalcis and other places, where executions took place.
It was already quite dark when we started; and in making
our way out of the harbor, we barely escaped sinking a small
pleasure-boat. We reached the island of Syra early the next
morning, and anchored off the city of Hermopolis.  A few
hours only were allowed the passengers to pass to the larger
steamers, that were to convey them, according to their destination, either to Trieste, or to Smyrna and Constantinople.
I improved the little time thus afforded me in looking about
the town.
A boatman whom I engaged to convey me to- the shore
promised to conduct me to the house of Rev. Mr. Hildner.
The city is entirely modern; for the old village of Syra before
the Revolution covered only the top of a lofty hill. Hermopolis extends over the lower portion of the same hill; and between the two towns there intervenes a considerable space of
open ground. Syra proper was constructed at a time when,
on account of the depredations of pirates, the most inaccessible spots were chosen for the sites of towns and villages. The
lower town is probably by far the most commercial place in
Greece, not even excepting Patras.* The population is about
* According to the statements of a Greel journal, it had in 1852




372     DEPARTURE FROM ATHENS —SYRA-CORFU.
eighteen thousand, of whom twenty-five hundred live in the
upper town. The inhabitants of this quarter are almost exclusively Roman Catholics, and the hill is crowned by a monastery belonging to that denomination. As we ascended the
hill to Mr. Hildner's house, we found the streets so steep that
I was not astonished that no carriages or conveyances of any
kind were to be seen. Indeed, I do not know that any are
employed.
Mr. Hildner received me very kindly, and insisted on my
going with him to see the schools under his charge, connected
with the " Church Missionary Society" of England. They contain at present about two hundred and fifty scholars; and
the number would undoubtedly be much larger, were it not
for the opposition of the government and clergy, excited by
the determination he has evinced not to introduce the Catechism of the prevailing church. The method of instruction is
partly Lancasterian.  A Greek gentleman, Mr. Evahgelides,
who was educated in the United States, has established a
flourishing academy in Syra. I had only time to call on him
for a few moments, as the steamer for Trieste left at noon.
Our new steamer, the Forward, sailed the whole afternoon
among the Cyclades. When I came on deck the next morning, we were off the southern coast of Messenia, near the
island of Sapienza.  Passing by the old Turkish town of
Modon, whose walls reach to the water's edge, we pursued
our way northward, keeping close to the shore. This gave us
an admirable opportunity for seeing the Bay of Navarino, so
famous both in ancient and modern times. It is of a semicircular shape, and the long and narrow island of Sphacteria,
or Sphagia, nearly incloses it, leaving a single narrow entrance
at the southern end. The old town of Navarino, or Neo-castro,
as it is universally called by the Greeks, occupies very nearly
the site of Pylus, the home of Nestor, mentioned in the first
six hundred and eighty-four vessels of all kinds, with a capacity of about
eighty-eight thousand tons, and manned by near five thousand sailors.
The greater part of these are, of course, small vessels; there were one
hundred and fifty-three of between three and four hundred tons, and
only nine between four and five hundred. The value of the whole shipping was estimated at $1,760,000.




SHRINE OF SAINT SPYRIDON.             373
books of the Odyssey. The island of Sphacteria is celebrated
for the defeat and capture of a Lacedaemonian detachment in
the seventh year of the Peloponnesian war; in which the
boast of the braggart Cleon met so unexpected a fulfillment.
The bay itself was signalized by the conflict between the
Allied and Turco-Egyptian fleets, on October 20th, 1827, an
action which arose from what would seem to have been a
casual occurrence, and ended in the total annihilation of the
Turkish fleet. In the course of three hours, two hundred and
fourteen ships were sunk, disabled, or captured; and from that
time the independence of Greece was established.
That afternoon about four o'clock we entered the harbor
of Zante. The city is situated at the foot of a high ridge, on
whose summit is a fort occupied by the British garrison. We
stopped merely to take in and land passengers. The next
morning at five we were entering the harbor of Corfu, the
ancient Corcyra, the chief island of the Ionian Confederacy,
and the residence of the English lord high commissioner.
Having a few hours to spend in this place, where several
days could be occupied to advantage, I landed with an Ionian
lawyer, whose acquaintance I made at Athens, and who was
returning from a visit to Zante. By special favor, we were
permitted to take our seats in the boat of the health-officer.
As it was yet early, I walked with my friend first of all to
the famous shrine of St. Spyridon, the patron saint of the
island.  His bones, which are reputed to be possessed of
miraculous properties, and which, doubtless, exhale that singular sweetness peculiar, according to the legendaries, to saintly
relics, are encased in a silver sarcophagus, and deposited in a
corner of the chancel. My companion told me that thousands
of the laboring classes visit the church every morning before
going about their daily work, in order to kiss the silver coffin,
and expect by this pious act to insure good success in all their
occupations.
A recent occurrence has tended to raise to a still higher
pitch the awe in which the relics are held. A lawyer, as the
story goes, not long since brought suit against a former client
for about one hundred dollars, due as a remuneration for his
services. The respondent averred that he had paid the money




374     DEPARTURE FROM ATHENS-SYRA —-CORFU.
some months previous; but confessed that, relying on his lawyer's honesty, he had taken no receipt. This the plaintiff
stoutly denied, and confirmed his denial by an oath taken on
the Gospel. The judges having long since perceived that the
people are more afraid of perjuring themselves when sworn on
the relics of St. Spyridon than when they merely kiss the
Scriptures, resorted to this expedient in order to extort the
truth. The lawyer, however, still persisted in his demand, and
invoked upon himself the vengeance of St. Spyridon if a word
of what he said was false. Thus he gained his suit. Not
long afterward, his right hand, with which he had touched
the silver sarcophagus, began to mortify; and the gangrene
spread so rapidly that it could only be checked by the amputation of his arm. The superstitious immediately inferred his
guilt, and attributed his misfortune to the efficiency of the
relics. The incident has very sensibly augmented the veneration of the common people; and this feeling is fostered by the
ecclesiastics, who profit by the increased amount of contributions to the funds of the church.
I called at Corfu on the Rev. Mr. Chartres, chaplain of one
of the Scotch regiments, and a missionary of the English
Presbyterian Church among the Jews, of whom there are
great numbers here. While walking with me to the summit
of the citadel, he gave me some account of his labors, and the
difficulties he had encountered in imparting instruction to the
Jews, and particularly in overcoming the prejudice entertained
by that people against the education of girls. From the citadel there was an excellent view not only of the city, but of
the surrounding country. The ancient Corcyra is supposed to
have stood considerably south of the present city, which is
crowded into a narrow space by two heights, each crowned
with fortifications. There are two mountains in sight, Monte
Decca on the south, and Monte San Salvadore on the north,
at a greater distance. There is a bay just in sight below
Mount Decca, at whose mouth is said to be situated the rock
called the " Sail of Ulysses." In the same direction are the
" Gardens of Alcinois," and the fountain where the poet tells
us Ulysses surprised Nausicaa and her maids.
The city of Corfu contains about twenty thousand inhabit



THE IONIAN CONFEDERATION.             375
ants, and is very compactly built, from the nature of its situation. The Jewish quarter is large, and the synagogues, though
with an unpretending exterior, are well furnished. As usual,
several congregations worship in different stories of the same
edifice. Two or three British regiments are stationed here,
and there are altogether five in the Ionian Confederation. The
English rule here more as masters than as protectors. From
the tone of public sentiment, as expressed in the Legislature
and by the press, there appears to be little sympathy felt by
the Ionians for the English. The attempt to cause the heterogeneous elements to coalesce, has thus far proved abortive.
The inhabitants of the " Seven Islands," claiming a common
origin with the Greeks, are already anxious to effect a union
with the kingdom of Otho. Italian has until lately been the
official language; but recently the Legislature has decreed that
all speeches must be made in Greek. The rule is very inconvenient for those who are accustomed to make use of the
Italian alone; but it will draw yet closer the bonds that unite
the Ionian Confederation to the Hellenic kingdom. The young
men will henceforth be obliged to complete their education at
the University of Athens, instead of resorting to the schools
of Pisa, Bologna, or Rome.
At eleven o'clock our steamer weighed anchor, and we
were once more under way for Trieste. We kept close to the
high coast of Albania, and before night had reached the Dalmatian frontier.








INDEX.
A.                      Buchon, M.; discoveries at Daphne, 282.
Abae, remains of, 248.                     Buel, Rev. Mr., missionary labors of, 126,
Achmet-Aga, 263.                              etc.
Acrocorinthus, great strength of, 157.     Byron, Lord; remarks on the Greek LitAcropolis of Athens, its walls of all ages, 31.   erature of 18th century, 315.
JEgaleos, Mount, 281.
2Egeus, 38.                                                    C..Agina, 164, etc.; ruins of temple of, 165.  Cadmeum of Thebes, 272.
Aganippe, fountain of, 273.                Calandri, 299.
Agora, or market-place of Modern Athens,  Calauria, now Poros, 140.
25.                                      Calavryta, 224.
Agora, gate of the new, 65.                Callidromus, Mount, 254.
Alaric, at Athens, tradition as to, 47.    Callirrhoe, fountain of, 53.
Albanians in Greece, 271.                  Capo d'Istria, murder of, 152.
Alpheus, river, 206.                       Caratzas, Madame, daughter of Marco
Amelia, Queen, personal appearance of,    Bozzaris, 368.
105.                                     Caryatides, portico of, 44.
Amphissa, 233.                             Castalia, fountain at Delphi, 235.
Andritzena, 205.                           Castaniotissa, murder at, 264, note.
Antiquities, exportation  of, prohibited, Castri, 234.
104; little attention paid to, 332.      Catalan Grand Company; their victory
Apollo Epicurius, temple of, 204.            and conquest of the duchy of Athens,
Arachova, village of, 238.                   247.
Archaeological Society of Athens, 332.     Catechism of Plato, 120, 121, note.
Areopagus, or Mars' Hill, 62; St. Paul  "Cathreptes Gynaicon," 316.
preaches there, 63.                      Cenchrea, 158.
Argolic plain, 143.                        Cephissus, Athenian river, 294.
Argos, ancient and modern, 151.            Cephissus, Boeotian, valley of, 242.
Armor, discovery of ancient, 266, 267.     Chaeronea, acropolis of, 240; battle of, 240,
Arnold, Rev. Mr., missionary labors of,   241; lion of, 242.
126.                                     Chalcis, 266; discovery of ancient armor
Artemisium, Straits of, 262, 263.            at, 266, 267.
Asopius, Professor, 78, 331.               Charon, has taken the place of Mercury,
Athens, entrance into, 19; mortality of,   353.
100, note.                               Chartres, Rev. Mr., labors of, among the
Athens, plain of, 17, 284.                   Jews, 374.
Athens, streets of, 21, 73; badly laid out Christopoulos, lyric poems of, 329, 330.
of old, 30, 31.                          Church, interior arrangements of, 134.
Athos, Mount, its monks the chief teach- Church, Sir Richard, 26, etc.
ers in 18th century, 315.                Cimon, builds a temple to Victory, 37.
Atreus, Treasury of, at Mycene,,147, 148. Cithaeron, Mount, 276.
Aulis, site of, 270.                       Cleonse, 156.
Clergy, condition of, 123.
B.                      Clitor, traces of, 212.
Bacchus, Theatre of, 57.                   Cnemis, Mount, 253.
Ballad Poetry, 343, etc.; classes of, 344; Colonos, hillock of, 294.
collections of, 354, note.               Constitution, how obtained, 108; its proBambas, Neophytus, 80; translates the    visions, 108, etc.
Bible, 330; works of, 331.               Consulate, disturbance at the American,
Baptism, 98; by trine immersion, 99.         23.
Basil, Saint, songs in honor of, 851.      Contostaulos, Mr., 869.
Bible, translated into Modern Greek, 331; Copais, Lake, 246, 272.
introduced into the public schools as a  Coray, or Coraes, Adamantius; life of, 316;
text-book, ib.                             his youth, 317; goes to France, ib.;
Blessing the Sea, 133.                       translates Strabo, 318; his classical seBoucovallas, John, song of, 349.             ries, 319; religious sentiments of, 321;
Bozzaris, Marco, 368, 369.                   translates the "Advice of Three BishBribery in the Greek Church, 124.            ops," ib.; considers the Revolution pre



378                                   INDEX.
mature, 322; views in respect to the  Greek Language, Modern; close resemlanguage, 325, 326.                        blance to the Ancient, 807; disadvantaCorfu (or Corcyra), island of, 373, 374, 375.   geous comparisons of, 80S; sounds of
Corinth, 157, 158; Gulf of, 232.             letters in, ib.; pronounced according to
Corycian Cave, on Mount Parnassus, his-    accent, 309; grammatical changes in,
tory of, 236.                              ib.; introduction of foreign words, 810;
Costumes, of the Athenians, 71; at Exar-   reaction in this century, ib.; supplants
cho, 249, 250.                             the Italian in the Ionian Legislature,
Cottage, interior of a, 189, etc.            375.
Coumanoudes, 329.                          Greek Literature, Modern, 313, etc.
Crissa, town of, 233.
Cynosura, promontory of, 285                                  -H.
Hadrian, Emperor, rebuilds Athens, 48.
D.                      Hadrian, Gate of, 49.
Daphne, Monastery of, 282; burial-place  Hadrian, Stoa of, 64.
of the dukes of Athens, ib.              Iair, long, in token of mourning and reDaulis, ruins of the acropolis of, 239.      venge, 72.
Deceleia, pass of, 285.                    Helicon, Mount, 273.
Declaration of Independence, 167.          Herea, 206.
Delphi (now Castri), necropolis of, 233; Hermopolis, 371.
vale and ruins of, 234.                  Herodes, Atticus, wealth of, 57; Odeum
Delphi, Mount, in Euboea, 265.               of, 58.
Demetrius, Saint, legend respecting, 68.   Hiero of 2Esculapius, 169, etc.; theatre at,
" Digging through" walls, 74.                170.
Doukas, Neophytus, 323; his views of the  Hildner, Rev. Mr., schools of, 372.
Modern Greek, 324; his works, ib.,  Hill, Rev., Dr., missionary labors of, 126,
note.                                      etc.
Drami Ali Pasha, rout of, 153.             Holy Week at Athens, 128, etc.
Honey of Mount Hymettus, 304.
E.                      Horologium of Cyrrhestes, 64.
Education, statistics of, 85, 86, 87.      Hyampolis, ruins of, 251.
Elatea, remains of, 251; taken by Philip  Hydra, island and town of, 14, 140.
of Macedon, ib.; consequent consterna-  Hymettus, Mount, 302.
tion at Athens, 252.                     Hypate, or Neo-Patras, 257.
Electioneering, 140.                       Hysiae (now Achladocampo), 176.
Eleusis, ruins of, 280; harbor of, 281.
Elgin, Lord, spoiler of Greece, 45.                            I.
Epidaurus, 166, etc.                       Ilissus, River, 52.
Erechtheum, 43.                            Imprecation against trespassers, 32.
Euboea, island, scenery of, 263, etc; fer- Inscriptions, discovery of, 333.
tility of, 264.                          Isthmus of Corinth, former canal through,
Euripus, 265, 269.                           159.
Exarcho, village of, 248; costume of the  Ithome, Mount, 196; its brave defence,
women at, 249, 250.                        197.
Executioner, hatred entertained against,                       J.
371.                                     Jupiter, temple of, at Olympia, 207.
Jupiter Olympius, temple of, at Athens,
F.                        50; history of, 51.
Fallmeraiyer, Professor, 335.              Jupiter Panhellenius, temple of, at Egina,
Fauriel, C.; on Greek popular songs, 344.    164, 165.
Finlay, George, the historian, 28, 29, 335, Justinian, Emperor, confiscates the funds
note.                                      of the schools, 314.'Fountain, miraculous, at Syriani, 803.
Fountains for travelers, 290.                                  K.
Fruit, various kinds produced in Greece, Kaires, Theophilus, 340, note.
26.                                      Kalamaki, 159.
Funeral processions, 100, 101.             Kariskakis, grave of, 18.
Katavothra, or subterraneous channels,
G.                       175, 214, 237, 246, 265.
Galanos, Demetrius, studies Oriental lan-  Keratia, 291.
guages, 336; translations by, 337.       Khassia, calyvia of, 295.
Galaxidi, down of, 233.                    Khelmos, Mount, 213.
Gazes, Archimandrite, lexicon of, 341.    King, Rev. Jonas; appearance of, 22;
Germanos, Bishop; his history of the    missionary labors of, 126; trial of, 355,
Greek Revolution, 333, 334.                etc.; sentenced to imprisonment and exGovernment, administration of, 11.           ile, 361; imprisonment of, 362; his senGrecian States, small extent of, 179.        tence affirmed by the Areopagus, 363;
Greek Ballads, 343, etc.                     his trial, how regarded by the Press,
Greek Church, 115, etc.; in Greece inde-    863, etc.; American Government interpendent of the Patriarch, 117; doctrines    feres in his behalf, 365; results of his
of, 120, etc.                              trial, 366, 367.




INDEX.                                   879
Kleft, Wounded, song of, 848.                                  N.
Klefts, description of, 345, etc.; incidents  Nauplia, or Napoli di Romania, 141, etc.,
in the life of, described in ballads, 347,   172.
348; sung atpanegyris, 349; change in, Navarino, battle of, 373.
350.                                     Nemea, ruins of the temple of, 154, 155.
L.                      Newspapers published in Greece, their
Lala, siege of, 209.                         number, 311, note.
Lamia, or Zeitun, 257.                     Nymphs, Grotto of the, at Cephisia, 289.
Lamps, simple construction of, 220.        Nymphs, Observatory on the Hill of the,
Larissa of Argos, 173.                       85.
Larissa Cremaste, ruins of, 252.
Laurium, Mount, silver mines of, 291.                          O.
Lebadea, or Livadia, ancient and modern, Observatory at Athens, 85.
243, 244.                                Odysseus, a revolutionary chief, reported
Leeves, Henry, murder of, 264, note.         vandalism of, 242.
Lernian marsh, 142, 174.                   (Edipus, at Schiste, 289; at Colonos, 294.
Leuctra, battle and battle-field of, 273, (Enoe, acropolis of, 276; interior of a tow274.                                       er of, 277; fortifications of, 278.
Lexicography, Greek, 341.                  Offerings to the dead, 101, 102.
Lions, Gate of, at Mycenee, 148, 149; de- Olonos, Mount, the ancient Erymanthus,
scription by Pausanias, 150.               210.
Long Walls of Athens, 18, 61.              Olympia, temple of Jupiter at, 207; heat
Lowndes, Rev. Mr., dictionaries of, 341.     of the valley of, 208.
Lycabettus, Mount, near Athens, 24, 284. Olympus, Mount, 263.
Lysicrates, choragic monument of, 54, etc.  Opisthodomus, or State treasury of Athens,
40.
M.                      Orchomenus, 245; Treasury of Minyas at,
"Maid of Athens," the, 369.                  ib.; acropolis of, ib.
Male sex, preference of, 75.               Oreos, or Histiaea, 262.
Mamoukas; his documentary history of  Otho, King of Greece, 107.
the Revolution, 334, note.               Othrys, Mount, 258.
Mantinea, 178, etc.
Marathon, plain of, 285; mound at, 286;                        P.
battle of, ib.; number of combatants at,  Palace garden, antiquities in, 70.
ib.                                      Palamede, the, at Nauplia, 141.
Marathona, village of, 288.                Pallantium, 180.
Marriage ceremony in Greece, 90, etc.      Panathenaic procession, 33.
Marriage, compulsory, 92.                  Panegyri, or fair, 180, 349.
Masonry, Greek, periods of, 250, note.     Panopeus, remains of the acropolis of, 239.
Mass, celebration of the, 135.             Papa Trechas, story of, 320.
Medrese, the common prison of Athens, 25. Pardon, plenary; offered by the Patriarch
Megalopolis (now Sinano), 193.               of Jerusalem, 124.
Megaspelion, Monastery of, 225, etc.       Parnassus, Mount, ascent of, 236, 238.
Mercantile Houses of Greeks abroad, 16, Parthenon, or temple of Minerva, at Athnote.                                      ens, situation of, 38, 39; becomes a
Messene, stadium  of, 199; great gate of,   Christian Church, 40; ruined by the
200.                                       Venetians, ib.; frieze of, 41; workshop
Messenian plain, 195.                        of, 42; recent discoveries respecting,
Metros, Theodore, dying song of, 348.        ib.
Miaulis, Admiral, tomb of, 138.            Parties, political, 112; ecclesiastical, 125.
Middle Ages, destruction of monuments  Pellana, 188.
belonging to, 36.                        Pentele (or Mendele), Monastery of, 299,
Minerva the Health-giver, altar or pedes-    301.
tal of, 45.                              Pentelicus, Mount, marble quarries of,
Minerva Hellotis, temple of, at Marathon,    300; prospect from, 301.
288.                                     Periodicals published at Athens, 311, note.
Minerva Parthenon, temple of, 38, etc.    Pharmakides, Professor, 118, 338.
Minerva Promachus, statue of, 46.          Pheneus (now Phonia), lake of, 215; its
Minerva, temple of, at Sunium, 292.          outlet, ib.; rising of its waters, 217;
Mints for counterfeit Turkish coin at Hy-    monastery of, 218.
dra, 141.                                Phigalea, 203; temple of (at Bassa), 204.
Minyas, Treasury of, at Orchomenus, 245. Philopappus, monument of, 59, 60.
Missionaries, American, in Greece, 126, Phoron, harbor of, 304.
127.                                     Phyle, fortress of, 296; Thrasybulus at,
Mistra, 184, 188.                            297; views of, 293, 313.
Moerologia, or Laments, 352, 353.          Pinacotheke of the Athenian Acropolis, 35.
Monembasia, strong situation of, 14.       Piraeus, the port of Athens, 3, 370.
Mortality of Athens, 100, note.            Pitch, wines of Greece flavored with, 280.
Miiller, death of, 235, note.              Pittakes, Mr., Inspector General of AnMuseum, hill, at Athens, 59.                 tiquities in Greece, 39, 332.
Mycenae, ruins of, 146, etc.               Plaisance, duchess of, 299.




380                                  INDEX.
Platsea, 275; battle of, ib.; history of, 276. Superstitions, remains of ancient, &53.
Pnyx, at Athens, 62.                       Swallow, song of the, 850.
Polymeres, lexicon of, 842.                Syra, island of, 871, 372.
Population of Greece, actual, 85; possible, Syriani, monastery of, 802.
243.
Pottery, ancient, singular remains of, 59.                     T.
Prayer, posture observed in, 135.          Tanagra, remains of, 271.
Presentation at Court, 105.                Taygetus, Mount, 184.
Profanity among the Greeks, 214.           Tegea, 181, 182.
Propylsea of the Athenian Acropolis, great Tenos, church of the Evangelista at; its
strength of, 34.                           votive offerings, 163.
Psophis (now Tripotamo), 211.              Themistocles, tomb of, 138.
Pundonitza, village of, 253.               Thermopylae, pass of, 254; alluvial changes
at, 255; hot springs at, 256.
R.                     Thespiae, site of, 272.
Rachi, village of, plundered by robbers, Thessaly Phthiotis, 257.
258, etc.                                Thrasybulus at Phyle, 297.
Radinos, translator of Herodotus, 332.     Three Hierarchs, feast of the, 134.
Rangabes, A., poems of, 329.               Tiryns, ruins of, 144; description by PauRevenue of Greece, 113.                      sanias, 145.
Revival of learning in the 18th century, Tombazi, Admiral, patriotic exclamation
its causes, 314.                           of, 141.
Revolution, Greek, histories of the, 333, Tome, the Synodical, 118.
334.                                     Tricoupes, history of the Greek Revolution
Rheiti, salt-springs of, 281.                by, 334.
Road, ancient Greek, 269.                  Tripods, street of the, at Athens, 56, 57.
Robberies in Northern Greece, 257, etc.    Tripolitza, 180; siege of, 181.
Romaic dance, 132, 133.                    Trcetus, pass of, 153.
Trophonius, cave of, at Lebadea, 243.
S.                     Turks, the first slain in the Revolution,
"Sacred Way," the, 282.                      220.
Saints have supplanted the heathen gods,
163.                                                         U.
Salamis, Straits of, 304; Battle of, 305.  University of Otho at Athens, 77, etc.; liSalomos, 329.                                brary of, 79; professors in, 81; four facSaripolos; his eloquent defence of Kaires,   ulties of, 83; number of students, 83, 84.
340, and note.                           Unknown God, altar of the, 370.
Scarlatus Byzantinus, lexicons of, 342.
Schiste, pass of, 239.                                         V.
Scripu (the ancient Orchomenus), monas- Velasti, work of, published in Greek, printtery of, 244.                              ed in Roman characters, 837.
Sellasia, battle-field of, 183.            Victory without wings (apteros), temple
Senate-house of Athens, discovery of sup-    of, 86, 87.
posed site of, 332.                      Virgin Mary, prayer to, 122, note.
Small-pox, euphemistic name of, 353.       Visits, Greek, 69.
Socrates, prison of, 61.                   Vostitza, 280.
Solos, 219.                                Vourlia, 185.
Soutsos, Alexander, 328.                   Vrana, 285.
Soutsos, Panagiotes, 327.                  Vurcano, monastery of, 198.
Sparta, 186, etc.
Speliades chronicles of, 334.                                 W.
Spezzia, 14, 141.                          Wedding in the upper circles, 88, etc.
Sphacteria, island of, 872.
Spyridon, Saint, church of, 373; miracle                       X.
performed by, 873, 374.                  Xenophon, equestrian statue of his sons,
Stadium of Athens, 53.                       47.
Stoa Pcecile, 66.                          Xerochori, 262.
Student-life in Athens, 82.
Stylida, 257.                                                  Y.
Stymphalus, Lake; supposed outlet of, 175. Ypsilanti, monument of, 152.
Styx, River, 221; mysterious properties attributed to its waters, 222.                                 Z.
Sunium, excursion to, 290; temple of Mi- Zagoras, Mount, 285.
nerva at, 292.                           Zante, island of, 373.
THE END.