246 FIRST VIEW OF ATHENS. 66 one accord that Venus herself was rising from her native element, and Apelles transferred the glowing picture to his immortal canvass. In about two hours from Eleusis we arrived at the Defile, or Mystic Gap," between mounts Icarus and Corydallus; once adorned by the magnificent mausoleum of Pythionice, and an ancient Ionic temple of Venus: here we burst suddenly upon the view of Athens. The heart of him who indites these pages even now thrills with sensations of delight as he recalls that view to memory. The repose of evening was spread over the landscape, and the last rays of the sun, sinking behind the Epidaurian mountains, cast their mellow tints over the ruins of the acropolis*: the deep colours, glowing on the stately columns of the parthenon, harmonized with the scene and with the best feelings of the human heart: it is under the setting sun alone that the first view of Athens can properly be enjoyed; its meridian blaze seems to mock the decaying splendour, the magnificent desolation of a city, which like that orb itself has run a race of glory, nor parted with its radiance even in its fall. To view this scene had ever been among the most ardent of my wishes-it lay now before me surrounded with its own elegance of decoration, and connected with the most interesting classical associations-every danger, every trouble, every fatigue which had occurred in the way, was forgotten in the satisfaction of the moment. In this view nothing appeared to me more remarkable than the * Slow sinks, more lovely ere his race be run, Not as in northern climes obscurely bright; O'er the hush'd deep the yellow beam he throws, The god of gladness sheds his parting smile: Corsair, Cant. iii. 1. 1. charming disposition of its parts; it seemed as if nature had in this instance conformed to the most accurate rules of art, and that a Claude himself could not have desired any alteration to form the most perfect landscape. A wood of ancient olives covered the spacious plain that was stretched below us: beyond this rose the temple-crowned Acropolis encircled with the habitations of the lower city; whilst Hymettus formed a magnificent back ground to the picture, flanked on one side by the fine outline of Pentelicus, and on the other by those isles which "crown the Egean deep :" as we advance a little, the Saronic gulf comes into view on the right, with Ægina, Piræus, the ever-glorious straits of Salamis, and the Argolic mountains: on the left is seen Parnes, the heights of Deceléa, and the interesting little eminences of Colonos, the birth-place of the Attic Bee, and the scene of his most pathetic tragedy *. It was so long before I could tear myself away from this enchanting prospect, that the rest of our party had nearly advanced without me to the walls of Athens. I was roused from contemplation by the report of the tatar's pistol, and caught them near the city gates. We there met an English traveller on his road to Piræus for the purpose of embarkation: he was accompanied by a very handsome young Greek, mounted upon a fine spirited horse richly caparisoned. Having passed through a gate which answers to the ancient Dipylon †, the eye of the delighted stranger rests upon that most perfect model of art the Theséum he quits the spot to enter with disgust into the narrow filthy streets of modern Athens. We met with comparatively good accommodations in the house of Signore Vitali; and in the course of the evening received congratulatory visits from many of the inhabitants: amongst others appeared the young Greek whom we had met at the *There is only one point of view in the Attic plain which can come into competition with the one here described; I mean that which is afforded by the heights of Parnes: but there the chief objects of interest are too much diminished by distance and the noble back ground of Hymettus is lost. + The origin of this name has been much canvassed: Livy seems to think it was so called from its superior magnitude, saying that it was "Major aliquanto patentiorque quam cæteræ." Lib. xxxi. 248 VISITS OF CEREMONY FROM THE INHABITANTS. city gates. This gentleman's name was Alecco, youngest son of the Archon Logotheti a personage well known to those who have visited Athens his knowledge in the politics and statistics of the country, his insinuating manner, his discrimination of character, and the arts with which he usually turned it to his own advantage, procured him sometimes the appellation of the modern Pericles-a comparison however which is not very complimentary to the great original *. Alecco was one of the most ingenuous and accomplished Greeks we met with; his kind offices and disinterested friendship have left on our minds an impression not easily to be effaced. These visits of ceremony being ended, we retired to rest. Sleep scarcely could be expected, surrounded as we were with such objects and agitated by the tumultuous sensations they inspire. *He certainly contrived to hold great sway in Athens in spite of the Turkish governor, and of the Athenian archbishop and council; but he had nothing of the Olympian Pericles about him; no thunder and lightning in his eloquence, no taste for the fine arts, no sublimity of soul. Walk in Athens-Pnyx-Adventure there-Athenian AcquaintanceMr. Cockerell-Temple of Theseus-Tweddell-Archon LogothetiTrait in the Character of the modern Athenians-Athenian GirlsManners and Customs-Visit to the Vaivode-Dispatch a Messenger to Constantinople-Visit the Acropolis accompanied by Signore LusieriEnglish Frigate entering the Piraus-Disdar Agà-ParthenonErecthéum-Colossal Statue of Minerva-Spoliation by Lord Elgin, &c.-Character of the ancient Athenians, and Traits of the modernAthenian Ball-Manners of the Turkish Women-Curious Adventure of the Author-Lusieri's Collection of Antiquities-Fauvel's-Walks round Athens-Ancient Platforms, Seats, Sepulchres, &c.-Prison of Socrates. EARLY in the morning I set out, with Signore Vitali for my guide, and before breakfast had not only rapidly explored the Theseum, the Areopagus, the Pnyx, and almost all the antiquities in this quarter of 250 ATHENIAN ACQUAINTANCE. the city *, but had actually recited the first Philippic oration upon the very Bema of Demosthenes †. A considerable number of inhabitants, who were enjoying their early walk, according to custom, in the cool of the morning, assembled on this ancient resort of democratic majesty they listened for some time with profound attention but total ignorance of the language, until the sharp ears of one Athenian caught a few words in which our pronunciation and accent coincide with those established by Romaic rules: he observed significantly to Signore Vitali that there must be an extraordinary similarity between the English and the Hellenic. After breakfast we delivered our letters of introduction and formed acquaintance with several gentlemen from whose talents and information we received as much instruction as pleasure from their social qualities. Amongst others was Monsieur Roque, a French merchant long settled in Athens, whose daughter is the most accomplished girl of that city; Signore Marmaraturi the translator of Anacharsis into Romaic; and Monsieur Fauvel the celebrated French consul if we did not experience from this last gentleman all that cordiality which many travellers have been proud to acknowledge, it must be ascribed solely to that irritation of mind which the disasters of his country were at this time calculated to produce in a patriotic Frenchman: but the kind attentions and communicative disposition of that excellent man and inimitable artist Don Tita Lusieri left us nothing to regret: we brought a letter of introduction to him from Dr. Clarke, and that name is sure to excite his best exertions. We found our future friend and fellow-traveller Mr. Cockerell, whom we had long traced by fame, just recovering from the effects of one of those terrible fevers to which all persons, and particularly foreigners, are liable in * It does not enter into the author's plan to dwell upon the edifices of Athens which have been so often and so well described: he had prepared some materials for the illustration of its topography, but the publication of these would now be superfluous. +See the vignette. |