Puleo-Castro.

Crocius-Alos-Plain of Pharsalia-Pharsa-Turkish Khan-
Tartar Couriers.

CHAP. VIII. AFTER leaving Velitza, we again crossed the Cachales, and
descended into the plain towards Turco-Chorio, where
Wheler separated from his companion Spon'. In our way,
we visited the Paleo-Castro, so often mentioned to us under.
the name of THEBES (Thiva). There is nothing to be seen
upon the spot, save only the traces of some walls, almost
indiscernible; every other vestige having been long ago
erased, to make way for the plough. It is situated on the
s. s. w. side of the CEPHISSUs, at an hour's distance from
Turco-Chorio, which is here in view, standing a little
elevated, towards the east, upon the other side of this river.
The distance to Tithorea is nearly the same; and the
tradition of the Tithoreans, that this was Thebes, and that it
was destroyed by an inundation from their torrent Cachales,
is silly enough; as the inundation, if it ever proved
destructive of a city here, must have proceeded from the
CEPHISSUS. This river, flowing to Screpú (Orchomenus), is
here denominated, by the natives, Sindaliú. Possibly the

ruins

(1) Thursday the ninth of March (167), being thus separated from my companion, I left Turco-Chorio, bending my course eastwards, to go to Thalanda. The first thing that diverted me, in that solitary condition, was, that I soon found myself on a long streight way, fortified with a deep ditch on each side, leading to certain hills, which I saw a good way off before me. This I took as a good omen, portending success to my undertakings; it seeming to admonish me that I should not fail to be guarded by God's good providence, so long as I travelled in the streight way of virtue and true piety, to my heavenly country, which is on high."-Journey into Greece, p. 463. Lond. 1682.

ruins here may have been those of LEDON, a city abandoned
in the time of Pausanias; who says that the people to
whom it belonged did not reside among the ruins of their
city, but near to them. It has been usual to suppose that
Turco-Chorio stands upon the site of ELATEA'; to which
there seems to be no objection, for it stood in the plain
watered by the Cephissus, and it was near to AMPHICLÉA,
where Dadi now stands. The gentle rise of the plain, from
the river towards the walls of the city, is moreover distinctly
mentioned by Pausanias', and it is a characteristical feature
of the topography of Turco-Chorio. Elatéa was, next to
Delphi, the largest city in all Phocis.
city in all Phocis. There was another
town of this name in Thessaly, near to Gonnus. It stood
within the defile leading to the Valley of Tempe.
degree of certainty with regard to the position of the two
cities, ELATÉA and LEDON, must be afforded by others, better
provided with facts for ascertaining their real situation;
particularly with inscriptions found upon the spot. Here we
observed the mercury in our thermometer, which at noon
indicated 52° of Fahrenheit. As the spacious and open plain
of Palæo-Castro offered a favourable point of observation for
determining the situation of many principal objects, and
especially of TITHOREA, whose relative position respecting

Every

those

CHAP. VIII.

Ledon.

Elatéa.

(2) Lib. x. c. 33. p. 881. ed. Kuhnii.

(3) See D'Anville, "Antient Geography," vol. I. p. 212. Lond. 1791, &c. (4) Καὶ αὖθις οὐκ ἐπὶ πολὺ ἀνάντης ἡ ἐγγυτάτω τοῦ Ἐλατειέων ἄστεως. Pausaniæ Phocica, cap. 34. p. 885. ed. Kuhnii.

CHAP. VIII.

Observations

by the Magnetic Needle.

those objects it is necessary to ascertain, we noted their bearings by a small pocket compass. Its distance from Tithorea and from Turco-Chorio has been already given.

TITHOREA-South-west and by south; situated at the

feet of precipices, and upon the south-south-east side of a chasm of Parnassus, whence rushes the torrent Cachales. Upon the other side of this chasm, there is a way up to the summit of the mountain; being in all probability the road from Delphi as mentioned by Pausanias. The highest peak of Parnassus towers into the clouds above the chasm close to which Tithorea is placed; and exactly in a line with it; so as to appear immediately over it.

Turco-Chorio, formerly ELATEA, due east, upon the other side of the Cephissus, in full view.

THE

RIVER CEPHISSUS-flowing from north-west to south-east.

THE CACHALES-falling into the Cephissus, from south

south-east towards north-north-west.

HIGHEST PEAK OF PARNASSUS-south-west and by south.
MOUNT ETA-north-north-east.

Road over MOUNT ETA, to the STRAITS OF THERMOPYLÆ,
north-west and by west.

The wall of the Paleo-Castro extends from west-north

west to east-south-east; that is to say, from the left to the right of a person who is standing with his back towards Tithorea and Parnassus.

From

From the Paleo-Castro we turned towards the north-west and by north, passing the Cachales by a bridge, and leaving a small village called Vourna, of course written Bûrna, on our right hand. Here Parnassus projects into the plain; so that we crossed over this foot of the mountain, and, descending, passed a river called Karafpotami, or Madam's River, by a bridge. Soon afterwards we entered the town of Dadi. Here we found ruins almost as much worth notice as those of Tithorea. Upon a hill beyond the town, where there now stands a small church, antient walls may be observed, similar in their architecture to what we have already described at the latter place. They extend all around the hill; and one of the mural turrets is yet standing. We know not the antient city whereto these ruins belong. It must have been a place of great consideration; probably it was the AMPHICÆA of Herodotus', called AMPHICLÉA by Pausanias. It was denominated OPHITEA by the Amphictyons, when a decree was passed for the destruction of the towns of PHOCIS. Its inhabitants referred this last appellation, signifying the City of the Serpent, to one of those popular tales that were common in Greece. They related, that a wealthy citizen, wishing to conceal his infant heir from the fury of his enemies, hid him within a vase'; where a wolf, attempting to devour the child, was repulsed by a

serpent

(1) Kai 'Aμpíkaιav, K. T. λ. Herodoti Hist. lib. viii. cap. 33. p. 469. ed. Gronov.

L. Bat. 1716.-See also Stephanus de Urbibus, p. 78. Amst. 1678.

(2) Pausan. lib. x. c. 33. p. 884. ed. Kuhn.

(3) Ες ἀγγεῖον. Ibid.

CHAP. VIII.

Amphicléa.

CHAP. VIII.

serpent which had coiled itself around the vessel, and guarded the infant. The father coming in search of his child, and perceiving the serpent, hastily threw his dart at it, and killed both the serpent and his son. Overwhelmed with affliction for his loss, which was aggravated upon hearing from some shepherds of the serpent's guardianship of the infant, he caused their two bodies to be consumed upon one pile, and consigned their ashes to the same sepulchre ';-and from that time the city was called OPHITEA. It was near to the Cephissus, and to MOUNT ETA: corresponding therefore, as to its situation, with the position of Dadi, pronounced Thathi. There was

at AMPHICLEA a Temple of Bacchus, wherein persons afflicted with sickness were received, to pass the night, as in the Temples of Esculapius; and where the God communicated to the patients, in a dream, the remedies proper for their respective maladies'. Dadi is now a very considerable town for this part of Greece. It is built, like Delphi, in the form of a theatre; upon a series of terraces rising one above the other, facing the plain traversed by the Cephissus, towards the north, or north-east. It contains seven hundred houses, and some good shops; but the people are not so industrious, nor are their houses so cleanly, as those of ATTICA. We did not remain with them more than an hour; but continued our journey towards Bodonitza,

(1) Pausan. lib. x. c. 33. p. 884. ed. Kuhn.

(2) Пapa rv Knpioσov Tоraμóv. Herodoti Hist. loco supradicto. ed. Gronov. (3) Pausan. ibid. loco supradicto.