The excavation is made on that side which fronts the approach, in the form of an oblong or square chamber containing niches for the reception of cinerary vases, lamps, &c.; having its sides coated with a fine cement painted generally a bright vermilion in the little area abovementioned is often seen a seat, a flight of steps, or a cistern: probably libations, offerings, and religious rites were performed here to the manes of the departed: at one end of the Museum turned towards the port Phalerum, is a noble sepulchre, commonly called the Cenotaph of Euripides: the interior is cut into the shape of a temple and lined with a beautiful composition, black and shining as the most polished ebony; out of the principal apartment, which is very large, are entrances to two others. The following is a delineation of its ground plan. But the most curious of all the excavations which this hill contains, is that of which a representation may be seen in the vignette at the head of the next chapter. Tradition, or it may be only modern conjecture, has denominated this the prison of the Areopagus, in which Socrates surrounded by his agonized friends drank that cup of hemlock of which he would not have allowed even his accuser to partake*: their appearance and situation on the other side the valley, nearly opposite to the hill of Mars, has in all probability occasioned the present appellation-but even so vague and floating an idea, the very possibility of this having been the scene of that pathetic tragedy †, gives them no small degree of interest, and we feel for the moment a more exalted opinion of human nature, as we stand in imagination on the spot where that wonderful man crowned the most glorious of lives by the most magnanimous of deaths. How watched thy better sons the farewell ray Not yet, not yet. Sol pauses on the hill, The soul of him who scorned to fear or fly, Who liv'd and died, as none can live or die!-Corsair, l. 1182. The topographical site of these caverns has excited much attention and discussion-this must be my apology for introducing a few casual * "Accusatori nollet dare."-Juv. + Quid dicam de Socrate? (says Cicero) cujus morti illachrymare soleo Platonem legens.-De nat. Deor. 1. viii. OBSERVATIONS ON ITS SITE. 275 observations upon the subject, which the reader will find in the marginal note subjoined *. * Their position is at no great distance from the spot where Chandler, in his plan of Athens, as well as many other travellers have placed the Ceramicus, one of the most ornamented and distinguished quarters of ancient Athens, upon the proper determination of whose site depends in great measure the relative topography of this noble city. The supposed site alluded to, is that valley or plain which is extended between the south side of the Acropolis and the north end of the Museum, reaching nearly from the defile between this hill and the Pnyx up to the Ilissus and the magnificent Corinthian columns of Jupiter Olympius. No one has argued so ingeniously and learnedly in the support of this position as Mr. Hawkins (see Mr. Walpole's Memoirs, p. 475.) and as I am convinced that the establishment of truth, and not a theory is the object of that intelligent traveller, I feel no reluctance in advancing the few remarks which have occurred to me on the perusal of his treatise, and which either his learning or that of some other scholar may possibly obviate. Without dwelling upon the assumption of two Agora, one within the Ceramicus and the other without it, which I think scarcely proved, and the difficulty respecting the Ceramic gate (pp. 509, 510.) which is hardly got over, there is one passage cited by Mr. H. in proof of his theory which, as it appears to me, tends strongly to contradict it. I allude to the passage of Plutarch (cited p. 484.) respecting the natural sagacity of animals, where it is stated that an old mule unfit for work, was accustomed to meet the animals that were bringing stone for the construction of the Parthenon, going down for that purpose into the Ceramicus, &c. from thence Mr. H. concludes the Ceramicus to have been situated on the south side of the citadel, because the road on the north is more steep and therefore unfit for the heavy carriage of the materials-now if my memory does not greatly deceive me I should say the road on the north side is quite as practicable as that on the south: indeed the ascent to the Propylæa is at this day on the north side, and there is no road up to the citadel on the south at all: supposing that there were two roads in ancient times, still as the marble for the Parthenon was brought from Pentelicus, to have gone round the acropolis to the south side would have lengthened the journey more than half a mile. But further, and what is more to the point-Plutarch who is considered tolerably accurate in his geographical details, states in a passage quoted by Mr. H. (p. 482.) that when the city was sacked by Sylla, "the blood of the slaughtered citizens overflowed the Agora, and covered the Ceramicus as far as Dipylon!" Now we know exactly the site of the gate Dipylon which lay to the N. N. W. of the Acropolis leading towards the academy: as therefore, if this passage were correct, it would be the most arrant hyperbole in the world to place the Ceramicus to the south of the Acropolis, Mr. H. is obliged, without the least authority of MSS. to alter the reading in Plutarch; upon whose sole authority, as it is stated (p. 482.) Barthelemy in his plan of Athens places the Ceramicus on the north side. This assertion is unfortunate; for another author, of no inconsiderable credit, establishes the very reading of Plutarch. That author is Lucian. The Athenian Ceramicus as we learn from Pausanias was decorated with beautiful stoæ or porticoes, a common resort for courtesans, like the Piazza in Covent-garden. It was a custom in Athens for jealous or malicious persons wishing to detach two lovers from their union, to write upon these columns some slanderous sentence respecting one of them which might reach the eyes or ears of the other. (This was called karasnλrevεy" to chalk upon a pillar," as we should say: vid. Lucian. Dial. Meretr. iv. p. 287. x. p. 308. Edit. Hemsterh.) In Lucian's fourth Dialogue between Melissa and Bacchis, the former complains bitterly to her friend of the neglect of her lover Charinus, who had treated her contemptuously ever since he had seen her thus placarded in the Ceramicus. She adds also that she had sent her servant Acis to see if the fact were true, who had discovered the following sentences, "Melissa loves Hermotimus" and "Captain Hermotimus loves Melissa," at the very entrance of the Ceramicus, at the GATE DIPYLON, GióvTwv énì tà dežià πpos Tÿ Acúλy. Vol. iii. P. 287. This passage therefore seems to establish the fact that the gate Dipylon led into the Ceramicus. It is also equally certain that the Piraean Gate led into that quarter*, and some persons have even gone so 66 * This is shewn very satisfactorily by Mr. H. To his authorities we may add another from Lucian, in his Dialogue called the Scythian: who when Anacharsis is coming up from the Piræus, miserable 276 far as to say that the Piræean Gate and Dipylon were one and the same *. The fact too deserves some investigation; for it seems to be favoured by a passage in Polybius, where he says that Attalus coming up from the Piræus with a great multitude of attendants, entered the city by the gate Dipylon, (hel karà tò Aíπuλov). Polyb. lib. xvi. c. 25. I should rather suppose however that the Piraean Gate was near to that of Dipylon, so that the Romans and the Athenian magistrates who accompanied Attalus from Piræus to the Piraean Gate, being close to Dipylon, chose that the pomp should proceed through the largest and most convenient entrance to the city. This very supposition is suggested by one of Mr. Hawkins himself, who, in that passage of Plutarch + where it is said that Sylla threw down and levelled the Athenian wall from the Piraean to the Sacred Gate, imagines that the Sacred Gate is another name for Dipylon: now it will never be supposed that in battering the mighty walls of Athens which at this very place, where I measured them, are thirteen feet in thickness, Sylla would have made such a breach as should have extended from Dipylon to the Museum-an extent of more than a mile, when twenty yards would have been sufficient. The great object therefore in future researches will be to trace more accurately the direction of the long walls, especially the northern one, and by that means to ascertain, if possible, the site of the Piraean Gate: for on this point depends the situation of the Ceramicus and in great measure the topography of Athens. After these few hints I leave the subject to those who are more capable and willing to investigate it, but I cannot do so without professing the most unbounded respect for the learning and talents of that gentleman whose opinions I have thus freely canvassed. from his ignorance of the people and language, and debating with himself upon the expediency of an immediate return, introduces his countryman Toxaris opportunely meeting him (non év Tử kepaμɛikų) in the (very) Ceramicus, i. e. the first place at which he would arrive. *This Gate Dipylon was called according to Plutarch (in vit. Periclis) "The Thriasian Gate" IIúλaι Θριασίαι. † Αυτὸς δὲ Σύλλας τὸ μεταξὺ τῆς πειραϊκῆς πύλης και τῆς ἱερὰς ΚΑΤΑΣΚΑΨΑΣ και ΣΥΝΟΜΑΛΥΝΑΣ, &c. Capture of Baron Stackelberg by Robbers in the Gulf of Volo-Measures taken for his Release and their success-Manners of these Robbers-Extracts from Mr. Cockerell's Account of his Discoveries at Egina-Excursion to the Piraus, Munichia, and Phalerum-Excursion upon the Borders of the Ilissus Stadium-Altar of the Fates-Curious Anathema—Excursion to the Site of the Academy-Gardens of the Cephissus-Plato-Colonos-Timon's Tower-Grecian Damsel returning from the Fountain-Mount Anchesmus-Inscriptions decyphered— Statue of Anchesmian Jupiter-Author attends the School of Athens to hear Homer expounded-Greek Composition as now taught-Literary Society established at Athens-Ascent up Mount Hymettus-Excursion to the great fortified Pass between the Thriasian and Acharnensian Plains-Tour through Part of Attica-Arrival of Tatars from Ioannina and Constantinople-Vaivode's Government renewed, &c. -Intended Tour in the Morea prevented-Robbery by our Ser |