Εικόνες σελίδας
PDF
Ηλεκτρ. έκδοση

These marbles are about midway between the principal ruin and the beach. A Venetian officer afterwards informed us, that he had removed one of them on board his ship, then in the gulf of Smyrna, by order of the captain, while they lay at anchor near Tenedos, waiting for the bailow, whose time of residence at Constantinople was expired. We made diligent search for inscriptions, but discovered, besides the abovementioned, only a small fragment of a pedestal, on which the name of Hadrian occurs.

An aqueduct begins behind the city, not far from the sepulchres, and is seen descending and crossing the country on the side next the Hellespont, extending several miles. The piers, which we measured, are five feet nine inches wide; three feet and two inches thick: the void between them, twelve feet and four inches. The arches are all broken.

4

The history of this noble and once useful structure affords an illustrious instance of imperial and private munificence. An Athenian, Tiberius Claudius Atticus Herodes, presided over the free cities of Asia. Seeing Troas destitute of commodious baths, and of water, except such as was procured from muddy wells or reservoirs made to receive rain, he wrote to the emperor Hadrian not to suffer an ancient and maritime city to be destroyed by drought, but to bestow on it three hundred myriads of drachms for water, especially as he had given far greater sums even to villages. Hadrian readily complied, and appointed him overseer of the building. The expense exceeded seven hundred myriads", and it was repre

s Five hundred myriads amount to 161,458l. 6s. 8d. English.

sented to the emperor as a grievance, that the tribute from five hundred cities had been lavished on one in an aqueduct. Herodes, in reply, begged him not to be displeased, that, having gone beyond his estimate, he had presented the overplus of the sum to his son, and he to the city.

66

[ocr errors]

We shall have occasion to mention Atticus Herodes again, and his name will occur often in the account of our travels in Greece. His grandfather, Hipparchus, had been accused of tyranny, his estate confiscated, and his son Julius Atticus reduced to poverty. Julius discovered a treasure in one of the houses, which belonged to him, by the theatre at Athens. The quantity was so great, that his apprehension exceeded his joy, and he wrote to Nerva the emperor, desiring to know his pleasure concerning it. Nerva replied, "Use what you have found;" and, on a fresh application, " Abuse, if you will, what Mercury has given you." Julius, thus possessed of unexpected affluence, married a wife with a vast dowry. His riches were inherited by their son Atticus Herodes, who was born at Marathon, carefully educated under the most eminent masters, and became so famous for learning and extemporary elòquence, that perhaps no sophist ever surpassed him in brilliancy of reputation. He was raised to the first dignities of Athens, and to the consulate, with Torquatus, at Rome, in the year of our Lord one hundred and forty-three. His generosity equalled his wealth, and was as extensive as noble. Many temples were enriched by his magnificent offerings. His costly buildings adorned Asia, Greece, and Italy. Statues were erected to him, and the cities vied with

each other in extolling their common benefactor. Several of them still retain monuments of his splendour and records of his liberality.

The Christian religion was planted early at Troas. In the beginning of the fifth century, the bishop, Silvanus, was required to deliver a vessel from a demon, which was believed to detain it, as it could not be launched. It was intended for transporting large columns, and was of great size. Going down to the beach, he prayed, and taking hold of a rope, called on the multitude to assist, when the ship readily obeyed him, and hurried into the seat. But the churches have been so long demolished, that the traces of them are uncertain.

The desolation of this place was begun, and probably completed, before the extinction of the Greek empire. Many houses and public structures at Constantinople have since been raised with its materials. We found only a few inconsiderable remnants of white marble by the principal ruin, where formerly was a vast heap. Some pieces in the water by the port, and two large granite columns, were perhaps removed to the shore to be ready for embarkation. The magazine is yet far from being exhausted. The name Troas was not become obsolete in the year 1389.

t See Sozomen, vii. 37. Socrates, l. i.

CHAP. X.

AN ACCIDENT-AT THE VINEYARD-IN WANT OF PROVISIONS -ARE JOINED BY THE OWNER OF THE VINEYARD-IN FEAR OF BANDITTI.

WE were employed at Troas chiefly in taking a plan and two views of the principal ruin. We dined under a spreading tree before the arcade; and on the second day had just resumed our labour, when we were almost reduced to fly with precipitation. One of the Turks, coming to us, emptied the ashes from his pipe, and a spark of fire fell unobserved in the grass, which was long, parched by the sun, and inflammable like tinder. A brisk wind soon kindled a blaze, which withered in an instant the leaves of the bushes and trees in its way, seized the branches and roots, and devoured all before it with prodigious crackling and noise, and with a thick smoke, leaving the ground black, and the stones hot. We were much alarmed, as a general conflagration of the country seemed likely to ensue. The Turks with their sabres cut down boughs, and we all begun buffetting the flames, which were at length subdued; the ruins somewhat retarding their progress, and enabling us to combat them more effectually. The struggle lasted about an hour, and a considerable tract of ground was laid waste. Close by was an area with dry matted grass, where no exertion could have delayed the fire, but in a moment it would have acquired the mastery, and must have ravaged uncontrolled, until repelled by the wind. The janizary signalized his prowess in this engagement. The

sun shone exceedingly hot, and we were all covered with smoke and smut.

In the evening we returned to the vineyard, and found our cook, with two or three of the Turks, busy in a hovel, roasting a kid on a wooden spit or stake. We sate down with our Jew and janizary, and the flesh proved excellent. Our table was a mat on the ground, beneath a spreading vine. Our men formed a like group at a little distance from us. Soon after we fell asleep, and the starry heaven was our canopy.

Early in the morning the ass was loaded again. We passed the day at the ruins, with some discontent from keen appetites not duly gratified. The wine and provisions, which we expected from Tenedos, did not arrive in time; and the peasant, whom we had sent to a village named Chemali, could procure only a couple of fowls, with some eggs, which he broke in bringing. This accident compelled our Jews to fast, their law not permitting them to eat of what we had, and which supplied us with a very scanty meal.

After completing our survey as well as the prudent caution of our Jew and Turks would permit, we returned to the vineyard, where we now found the owner, a man with a venerable beard. We con versed with him, our Jew serving us as an interpreter. He was a stone-cutter, and shewed us a pestle and mortar as specimens of his abilities; with a mutilated head of a female statue; a piece of load-stone, and a parcel of ordinary copper coins, among which was a small medal of the emperor Trajan, with a horse feeding on the reverse, the legend COL. AVG.

« ΠροηγούμενηΣυνέχεια »