ALBANIAN COTTAGE AT KASSIA. 317 acropolis, but the shades of evening had already cast a dim veil over the outline of this impressive landscape: I galloped through the olive plain after my companion, escaped the dangers of the brazen way and the fury of the Eumenides, passed Colonos, and saw the city of Mi nerva no more. We took up our lodging for the night at Kassià, a little village of Albanians, within a rocky recess of Mount Parnes, supposed to occupy the site of an ancient demos or borough called Aphidna, where Theseus, when he was engaged in an Epirotic expedition like ourselves, deposited the fair Helen, whom he had carried off from Lacedæmon: she was discovered to her brothers the Tyndarida by the people of Deceléa, whose lofty heights at no great distance from this spot would give them a command over the adjacent territory. At this place I purchased from a peasant a great curiosity in the shape of an Athenian medal, which bears the strongest evidence of its being an ancient forgery. It is a tetradrachm of a most Archaic appearance, extremely well executed, but the metal is a base alloy. The rain, which had begun during our ride, descended violently before Messrs. Parker and Cockerell arrived: the roof however under which we lodged fortunately kept out its unwelcome intrusion, a good fire that we had prepared soon dried our companions, a cold turkey and a bowl of hot punch put them into spirits, and in spite of the neighing of our cattle who lodged with us at one end of the apartment, and the occasional squalling of Albanian brats at the other, we slept soundly within the precincts of Parnethian Jupiter*. * All the mountains of Attica seem to have been dedicated to the gods and decorated with their sta tues and altars. ̓Αθηναίοις δὲ τὰ ὄρη και ἀγάλματα ἔχει. . Πεντέλησι μὲν ̓Αθηνᾶς, ἐν Ὑμεττῷ δὲ ἄγαλμα ἔτιν Ὑμεττίω Διός βωμὸς δὲ και ομβρίω Διὸς και Απόλλωνός εισι Προοψία και ἐν Πάρνηθι Παρνήθιος ΖΕΥΣ χαλχῶς ἐτι . . . . και ̓Αγχεσμὸς ὄρος ἐτὶν ἢ μέγα και Διὸς ἄγαλμα 'Αγχεσμία Pausan. Attia. c. xxxii. 2. CHAPTER XI. Passage over the Parnes-Phyle-Approach to Thebes-Its SiteIsmenus Arx Cadméa-Excursion round the City-Theban Damsel at a Fountain-Sites of various ancient Monuments—Purchase of Antiquities-Author attacked by Ague-Departure from Thebes to Livadia-Expected Attack from Robbers—Arrival at Livadia—Author confined by Ague-Cephalonian Doctor-Plain of Topolias-Inconveniences of travelling in Greece-Departure of General Davies— Author's Recovery-Pays a Visit to the Archon Logotheti-An Albanian Soldier undergoes the Punishment of Bastinado—Account of the Cave of Trophonius-Lake Copais-Excursion to Charonéa-Reflections on its Plain—Description of its Site and Antiquities-Rustic Inscription near the Theatre-Curious Inscription in a Greek Church— Remarks on the same-Albanian Cottagers-Return to Livadia—Produce of its Soil. NEXT morning the rain continued, and the heights of Parnes were enveloped in masses of dark clouds which came rolling obliquely down its huge sides, in the manner described by the Attic poet*: we were thus disappointed in viewing the beautiful rural scenery contained in the recesses of this mountain, which afford pasture to numerous flocks of sheep or goats, and the most picturesque sites to several convents of Caloyers: we lost also that superb prospect of Athens and its plain which is displayed from the summit, though the clouds kindly cleared away, as if to afford us one transient view of the * Χωρῦσ ̓ ἆνται πάνυ πολλὰι διὰ τῶν κόιλων και τῶν δασέων ἆνται πλάγιαι. Aristoph. Nub. 323. APPROACH TO THEBES. 319 massive ruins of Phyle, upon whose brow the spirit of Desolation seems now to sit instead of Freedom. Having spent about five hours in passing this northern barrier of Attica, we found ourselves upon the Boeotian plains. The sky resumed its wonted brilliancy as the evening approached, and just before sunset a narrow pass between some low eminences gave us the first view of Thebes, a city, which, though noted for the general stupidity of its inhabitants, produced the most complete hero and the most sublime poet of ancient Greece in an Epaminondas and a Pindar. For beauty of situation it yields to very few cities, standing upon a fine hill, in a rich and fertile plain, watered by an abundance of rivulets and fountains, and surrounded by stately mountains which feed those immense flocks of sheep for which Boeotia is still celebrated. The aspect of the country, the nature of its soil, and the quality of its productions, differ totally from those of Attica, but that distinction which once existed between the genius and character of the nations, exists no more. We entered the city by a road which passes near a deep transparent fountain, probably the source of Ismenus, which flows directly into a picturesque ravine on the right, and turns a succession of overshot mills. This fountain is near the enclosure of the ancient walls, and in its vicinity the rivals Eteocles and Polynices fell by each other's fratricidal hands in that celebrated battle which the Epic Muse of Statius has so charmingly illustrated. The unfavourable state of the weather during our journey, having added to the fatigues of it, made me apprehend a renewal of the fever which I had experienced in Athens: I therefore retired soon to rest, and not feeling sufficiently strong to proceed next morning, the party halted for the day. Messrs. Parker and Cockerell made an excursion to the ruins of Platea, whilst the General and myself procured horses and a suradgee, to survey the environs of Thebes. The modern * Pausan. Boot. c. ix. 1. 320 THEBAN DAMSEL AT A FOUNTAIN. city scarcely contains a vestige of its pristine state: it occupies only a part of the ancient Cadméan acropolis, as it did even in the time of Pausanias (Boot. c. vii. 4.). If therefore the Thebans restored a greater part of their city under Cassander, it must have suffered this diminution by the ferocity of its Roman conquerors. A minute portion of Cyclopéan masonry on the N. side of the citadel, and a few marble fragments in some churches, were the only faint traces we could discover of Theban grandeur: some travellers mention the remains of the famous seven gates as still existing; the locality of these however must be very apocryphal since they are placed in the circuit of the modern town, whilst the ancient boundaries are so utterly destroyed and overgrown, as to throw insuperable difficulties in the way of the topographer. The gardens around Thebes are very luxuriant and productive, the soil being rich and deep with every facility of irrigation afforded by the abundance of its fountains: in one of these, near the road leading to Livadia, we recognised, or thought we recognised the celebrated Dirce at almost all of them we observed groups of women and girls, employed as in ancient times, in washing the linen of the family. Amongst them we remarked several examples of Theban beauty which most travellers have noticed. In a party thus occupied at Dodecacrunos, a fountain of twelve pipes by which the stream is conducted into a large stone reservoir on the NW. side of the city, we saw a damsel of extraordinary beauty, who appeared by her dress to be superior in rank to her companions. Her figure and countenance reminded us of the finest specimens of antique sculpture, nor could sculpture portray a form more beautiful: the contour of her face coincided accurately with that peculiarly termed Grecian, and exhibited a much higher degree of expression, than it is usually allowed to possess: the elegance of her person was wonderfully set off by the grace and antique simplicity of her Albanian costume, which SITES OF VARIOUS ANCIENT MONUMENTS. 321 consisted in a flowing vest of white stuff, fringed with a purple border, tied round the waist with a silken sash, and a light open jacket of the same materials adorned with tassels, and embroidered with worsted of various colours: her dark tresses were partly braided over a forehead of polished ivory, and part hung down her back in long plaits. Her person, occupation and attire brought strongly to mind, and illustrated that fine Homeric description of Nausicaa, though some circumstances in her history corresponded better with the Spartan Helen ; for our guide informed us that the alliance of this virgin was sought by at least twenty suitors, every one of whom was ready to take her without a portion: the father was in great perplexity, for in making one son-in-law he was about to create an host of enemies, and it was supposed that he would have recourse to some expedient like that of Tyndarus. The fountain where this fair nymph appeared, seems to flow from that anciently called Edipodia, at which Edipus was purified after the murder of his father. It was near the gate called Protides, through which a road led towards Chalcis. In its vicinity was the theatre adjoining to the temple of Bacchus, the house of Lycus and the sepulchre of Semele, the temple of Diana surnamed Euclea, with a tumulus which covered the bones of Zethus and Amphion, near a heap of stones which had once been animated by the sound of Amphion's Lyre! Outside this gate was the tomb of Menelippus and of Tydeus ; (Τυδέος ὃν Θήβησι χυτὴ κατὰ γῆια καλύπτω. Π. Ξ. 114.) near also were the sepulchres of Eteocles and Polynices, at which, when the Thebans offered expiatory sacrifices, the flame of the incense was seen to divide itself into two parts, in token of fraternal hatred unappeased by death. Above the fountain itself was the tomb of the Trojan Hector, whose bones were transported hither from Asia at the instigation of an oracle which Pausanias has preserved. The sites of these and many other interesting monuments may be traced, though not * Such as the stadium, the gymnasium of Iolaus, and the hippodrome in which was the tomb of Pindar. TT VOL. I. * |