. The rulers of the Mediterranean. lue and the greenfields and the bunches of cactus and groves ofdark olive-trees below are un-spoiled by modern innova-tions, and the hills are stilldotted with sheep and shep-herds, as they were in thedays of Sappho. Overhead is the blue sky,with the ivory columns be-tween , far below you is thesteep naked rock, or, on theother hand, the two semicir-cles of marble seats cushionedwith velvet moss and carpetedwith daisies and violets, andbeyond the limits of the yel-low town and its red roofs anddark green gardens stretchesthe green plain until it touch-es the
. The rulers of the Mediterranean. lue and the greenfields and the bunches of cactus and groves ofdark olive-trees below are un-spoiled by modern innova-tions, and the hills are stilldotted with sheep and shep-herds, as they were in thedays of Sappho. Overhead is the blue sky,with the ivory columns be-tween , far below you is thesteep naked rock, or, on theother hand, the two semicir-cles of marble seats cushionedwith velvet moss and carpetedwith daisies and violets, andbeyond the limits of the yel-low town and its red roofs anddark green gardens stretchesthe green plain until it touch-es the sea, or is blocked byMount Hymettus or MountPentelicus, beyond which lat-ter lies the field of on the edge of the rock, you can imaginethe actors strutting out into the theatre below,and the acquiescent chorus chanting its surpriseor horror, and almost see the bent shoulders andheads of the people filling the half-circle andleaning forward to catch each word of the playas it comes to them through the actors AN OLD ATHKNIAN OFTHE PRESENT DAY MODERN ATHENS 195 Sounds, no matter how far afield, drift to youdrowsily, like the voice of one reading aloud ona summers day—the bleating of the sheep in thevalley where Plato argued, and the jangling of agoats bell, or the laughter of children flying kiteson the Pnyx, a quarter of a mile away. And be-yond the reach of sound is the ^gean Sea wel-tering in the sun, with littlethree-cornered sails, like tops,or a great vessel drawing achalk-line after it through thestill surface of the water. Allthings are possible at sucha time in this place. Youcan almost hear the bees onMount Hymettus, and youwould receive the advance ofa Centaur as calmly as Alicenoted the approach of theWhite Rabbit. You believein nymphs and satyrs. Theyhave their homes there inthose caves, and in the thickgreen, almost black, woods atthe base of the Parnes range,and you love the bravery ofSt. Paul, who dared to doubtsuch things when he stood o
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, bookpublisherharper, bookyear189
