with much difficulty, and applied to the building a new mosque in the bazar, or market-place. This violence was avenged by the bashaw of Negropont, who made it a pretext for extorting from the vaiwode, or governor, fifteen purses; the pillar being, he alleged, the property of their master, the grand signior. It was an angular column, and of consequence in determining the dimensions of the fabric. We regretted that the fall of this mighty mass had not been postponed until we came, as it would have afforded an opportunity of inspecting and measuring some members, which we found far too lofty to be attempted. On a piece of the architrave, supported by a couple of columns, are two parallel walls, of modern masonry, arched about the middle, and again near the top. You are told it has been the habitation of a hermit, doubtless of a Stylites; but of whatever building it has been part, and for whatever purpose designed, it must have been erected thus high in air, while the immense ruin of this huge structure was yet scarcely diminished, and the heap inclined so as to render it accessible. It was remarked that two stones of a step in the front had coalesced at the extremity, so that no juncture could be perceived; and the like was discovered also in a step of the Parthenon. In both instances it may be attributed to a concretory fluid, which pervades the marble in the quarry. Some portion remaining in the pieces, when taken green as it were, and placed in mutual contact, it exsuded and united them by a

h an angular column] the fourth column from the N. W. angle in the W. front. R.

i dimensions] length. R.

process similar to that in a bone of an animal when broken and properly set.

The water anciently conveyed in channels to the city and to the Piræus, coming from sources in the mountains, which abound with ore, was hard, and had a scum swimming on the surface, such as may be still seen at the public cisterns, was unfit to drink, and applicable solely to other uses. The wells afforded a more wholesome fluid, but were the occasion of many quarrels. Solon enacted that all who lived within four stadia, or half a mile, of a public well, should have the privilege of drawing from it; that those who were more remote should provide their own water, but should be allowed a certain quantity daily from the next well, if they found none on digging ten fathom deep. The transgressors were fined by the epistates, or prefect of the waters. The city now abounds in wells, some houses having three or four, in consequence of these early and wise regulations.

New Athens was supplied with water by the munificence of Hadrian from remote sources, at a vast expense. He founded a very extensive aqueduct, of which many piers are yet standing in the tract beneath Cephisia, or Cevrisha, as that village is now called. It was finished by his adopted son and successor, Antoninus Pius, in his third consulate. The water was partly conveyed by a duct running along the side of the adjacent hill, and distributed to the town from a reservoir or cistern cut in the rock, and fronted with an arcade of marble, of the Ionic order. One half of this remains, consisting of two columns, and the spring of the arch. The soil is risen some feet round about the shafts. Over the columns is CHANDLER, GREECE.

H

half the inscription *, which was copied entire by Spon from a manuscript, then two hundred years old, and was as follows:

The part remaining,

IMP. CAESART. AELIVS

AVG. PIVS COS. III TRIB. POT. II. P. P. AQVA EDVCTVM IN NOVIS CONSVMMAVIT

The part supplied,

HADRIANVS ANTONINVS

ATHENIS COEPTVM ADIVO HADRIANO PATRESVO

DEDICAVITQ.

The state of this ruin was the same in 1676 as now. It stands beneath the mountain of St. George, anciently, it is supposed, Anchesmus; and is about a mile from the gate of Hadrian. The space between, where once was New Athens, is now ploughed and sowed.

On the left hand, returning from the aqueduct, is the bed of the Ilissus; and, higher up, the junction of it and of the Eridanus. The water of this river was so bad, that the cattle would scarcely drink of it. The Ilissus is now, as it ever was, an occasional torrent. In summer it is quite dry. During our residence at Athens, I several times visited the bed, after snow had fallen on the mountains, or heavy rain, hoping to see it filled to the margin, and rushing along with majestic violence; but never found

* In the Modern Universal History it is made to refer to New Athens in Delos. See volume of Chronology, p. 1031.

even the surface covered; the water lodging in the rocky cavities, and trickling from one to another.

And here it may be remarked, that the poets who celebrate the Ilissus as a stream laving the fields, cool, lucid, and the like, have both conceived and conveyed a false idea of this renowned water-course. They may bestow a willow fringe on its naked banks, amber waves on the muddy Mæander, and hanging woods on the bare steep of Delphi, if they please, but the foundation in nature will be wanting; nor indeed is it easy for a descriptive writer, when he exceeds the sphere of his own observation, to avoid falling into local absurdities and untruths.

Going on by the bed of the Ilissus, as before, toward the town, you come to a ruinous bridge of three arches, the stones massive, and without cement. A piece of ordinary wall, standing on it, is part of a monastery, which was abandoned after the Turks took Athens. The ingenious Frenchman 1, who, in a view of this spot, has exhibited the bridge standing in a full stream, may justly plead, that the same liberties have been indulged to the painter as to the poet.

1 See Le Roy.

CHAP. XVI.

THE STADIUM-REBUILT BY ATTICUS HERODES-PRESENT STATE A TEMPLE BY THE ILISSUS-ONCE THE ELEUSINIUM THE LESSER MYSTERIES-TEMPLE OF DIANA THE HUNTRESS-THE FOUNTAIN CALLIRHOE OR ENNEACRUNUS -SCENE OF A DIALOGUE OF PLATO-CHANGED.

THE bridge over the bed of the Ilissus, mentioned in the preceding chapter, is opposite to the stadium called the Panathenæan, from a solemn festival of all the Athenians, at which the games were held there. By uniting the two banks it made the crossing easy, and prevented any inconvenience if a flood happened. The rewards of victory in the gymnic exercises performed in the stadium were a crown of olive, and a jar of most precious oil, the produce of holy trees called Moriæ. These were twelve in number, immediate descendants from the original olive of Minerva Polias, planted in the Academy, and on account of their sanctity untouched by the Lacedæmonians, when they invaded Attica. In it private merit was emblazoned by public gratitude, the herald proclaiming the honorary decrees of the people, with the names of the persons presented with statues and golden crowns; and it was regarded as a glorious recompense, to be distinguished and applauded in this assembly. The emperor Hadrian presided, when at Athens, and furnished a thousand wild beasts to be hunted for their diversion. The stadium was one of the works of Lycurgus, and the ground-plat a torrent-bed, which he smoothed.

The stadium of Lycurgus was much decayed, when Atticus Herodes, pleased with a crown, which