t

were informed that the eminence before us had on it some remains of old buildings; that the place was called Eski-hissar, and distant about half an hour. We now expected to find Tralles and Nysa there. It stands on a root" of mount Messogis, running out into the plain and ending abruptly; once perhaps what it now resembles, a lofty promontory encompassed with smooth water.

In the morning we crossed the plain to the foot of the eminence, which we ascended *, going toward the body of mount Messogis. The road up it was stony, and carried over a deep but dry water-course by an arch. Then followed broken vaults of sepulchres, and distinct remnants of buildings, all stripped of their marble; standing on a flat covered with corn, trees, fences, and walls. This immediately appeared to me to be the site of Tralles, which had a river or torrent near it called Eudon ".

Leaving these ruins, the road, still on the eminence, carried us eastward, and then to the south. We passed by a few cottages, where I inquired for the Charonium, thinking we were at Characa. We soon came to other vaults of sepulchres and a ruins,

t and Nysa] or Nysa. R.

u It stands on a root] Revett has drawn his pen through these words, and written in the margin, "Nysa stands on the declivity." The remainder of the sentence from the word "once" to the end he has struck his pen through.

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* In the morning-we ascended] Revett reads,

ing we ascended from the plain."

y Probably the walls of Nysa. R.

"In the morn

marble;-Eudon.] For these words Revett has substituted,

"The site of Tralles was a flat on an eminence surrounded by a precipice on all sides, to which this has no resemblance."

66

a vaults of sepulchres and] Revett has erased these words.

plainly of Nysa; not on a flat b. Here we found a large theatre in the mountain-side, with many rows of seats, almost entire, of blue-veined marble, fronting westward. By the left wing is a wide and very deep water-course, the bed of the river once called Thebaites, making a vast gap into the plain, but concealed in the front of the theatre, where is a wide level area, with soil, supported by a bridge; beyond which, in the hollow, was the stadium, or, according to Strabo, the amphitheatred, with the seats resting on the two slopes. The bottom of this structure is destroyed, and only some masses of brickwork remain, with some marble fragments by the end next the theatre, where you have a view of the lofty and solid piers, with arches, sustaining the area. The eminence terminates on each side of the amphitheatree in a precipice. On one side is the ruin of the gymnasium, and on the other, of the senate-housef; by which is the area or vacant space of the market. The site of Nysa, as well as of Tralles, was covered with corn, and fences of piled stones. We had from it a delicious prospect of the plain and of the crooked Mæander. Our guide assured us we had now seen all the ruins near Sultan-hissar.

b of Nysa; not on a flat.] Revett has erased these words.

c Southward. R.

d by a bridge;-amphitheatre,] Instead of these words Revett has substituted, "by the end of a stadium situated in the hollow." e Stadium. R.

f gymnasium-senate-house-the area] Revett has written in the margin, "These buildings are in too ruinous a state to ascer"tain what they were; but neither of them appear to have been a gymnasium. The area, confined by the mountain and theatre

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on one side, the stadium and ruin on the other, is not the least applicable to the situation of an agora, which should be free of access in every part."

8 We have described Tralles and Nysa as having one approach from the plain, on the west side of the eminence, where the road dividing leads on the left to Tralles, and on the right to Nysa. This was the only avenue which required to be defended; and the Turks, it is likely, stormed Tralles after undermining the wall there, or beneath the amphitheatre of Nysa. The buildings at Tralles, as may be inferred from the remains, were originally composed mostly of stones or pebbles, with cement. Andronicus as it were destroyed the city by rebuilding it. The houses were hastily finished, and old Tralles in good measure demolished by the new settlement; of which the vestiges extant, after five hundred years, are few, besides loose stones and rubbish.

In the year 1403 we find Tamerlane at Sultanhissar which fortress was probably erected by the Turks to cut off the communication with the river, or to prevent the Romans from settling again on the mountain.

The ruins on the eminence, though separate, are at a very small distance from each other in a straight line. The distance of Tralles from Magnesia, in Strabo, is one hundred and forty stadia, or seventeen miles and a half; in Pliny, eighteen miles. i Neither of these authors has noted the distance of

g Revett has bracketted this and the following paragraph, ending with the words, "stones and rubbish," and written in the margin "Unintelligible."

h at a very small distance] So small, that most likely they are the remains of the walls of Nysa.

R.

i Neither of these-between it and Tralles.] Revett has altered this passage as follows: "Neither of these authors has "noted the distance of Nysa from Magnesia. They have also "omitted the distance between Tralles and Nysa. Nysa is here "ascertained by indubitable tokens."

Nysa from Magnesia; probably because included in that of Tralles. They have also omitted the distance between Tralles and Nysa, as inconsiderable. If the materials and masses of buildings were removed from Tralles, its site would be no longer distinguishable; but at Nysa the hill will always retain the concavity or figure of a theatre. Nysa is here ascertained by indubitable tokens; and its distance from Guzel-hissar or Magnesia is an argument for the proximity which has been supposed between it and Trallesi.

We set forward again about noon, and riding through Sultan-hissar, came to Nosli-bazar, or the market of Nosli, the town called Nosli-Boiuc, or Great Nosli, appearing with white minarees at a distance on our right hand toward the Mæander. This place is supposed to have been Antiochia. We pursued our journey eastward without stopping.

CHAP. LXIV.

OF ANTIOCHIA, COSCINIA, AND ORTHOSIA-PICENINI'S ROUTE TO NOSLI TO JENI-SHEIR-TO GEYRA-TO IPSILI-HISSAR -TO LAODICEA-REMARKS-POCOCKE'S ROUTE TO JENISHEIR AND GEYRA-ROADS, AND DISTANCES OF PLACES.

ANTIOCHIA, though a great thoroughfare, was but a middling city. It had a bridge over the Mæander, and was liable to earthquakes. Its territory, which

i The Tralles of Smith and Wheler is the real Nysa. See also Pococke, p. 67.

k Antiochia is situated on a mount distinguished by some ruins on the south side of the Mæander. Nosli is on the north side, R.

distant some miles from the former.

lay on each side of the river, was large and fruitful, and produced in plenty the figs, called Antiochene and three-leafed, the same, it is likely, which are now, as formerly, dried; and which we purchased in these parts, strung like beads, and found extremely good as well as cheap. In 1176 the town surrendered to the Turks; and in 1198 was in danger from the sultan of Iconium, but escaped by an accident. In 1206 it was besieged by the Turkish army, and relieved by Lascaris, emperor of Nice. This region had besides two places beyond the Mæander worthy of notice, Coscinia and Orthosia; the latter afterwards an episcopal see. A stream running from Coscinia toward Alabanda was remarkable for its windings.

Picenini and his companions left Guzel-hissar at five in the afternoon, and at nine came to a hut called Chiosek or Chiauskui. The next morning they set out at six, and at eight reached Sultan-hissar. Soon after they passed through a village called Homerkioi, in the way to the town of Nosli, where they arrived at eleven. They were pleased with the civility of the Turks, with the three mosques, the houses, and the neatness of the streets.

From Nosli these travellers went eastward through the plain; and after about four hours stopped on the banks of the Mæander, which river they crossed the next morning, and then in an hour saw an old castle, called Jeni-sheir, upon a hill, with arched caves or vaults at the foot. They ascended to it, having passed a rivulet named Gengere, and found, besides thick walls, built with small stones, a few fragments' of columns. From these ruins, returning eastward, they had a fine view of the Mæander in the plain