A tour in Greece, 1880 . an-cut as though it had been erected yester-day. Along this side are five towers in a state of goodpreservation, and clear remains of three others, admirablyillustrating Greek military architecture. In each case theline of the wall turns outwards at right angles, resumes itsoriginal direction, and then turns inwards, so that three sidesof a square jut out, and assailants are exposed to a flankingfire at any point which they may select for attack. Theexcellence and practical indestructibility of Hellenic buildingsare well illustrated by the present state of this old bor
A tour in Greece, 1880 . an-cut as though it had been erected yester-day. Along this side are five towers in a state of goodpreservation, and clear remains of three others, admirablyillustrating Greek military architecture. In each case theline of the wall turns outwards at right angles, resumes itsoriginal direction, and then turns inwards, so that three sidesof a square jut out, and assailants are exposed to a flankingfire at any point which they may select for attack. Theexcellence and practical indestructibility of Hellenic buildingsare well illustrated by the present state of this old borderfortress, which appears scarcely to have altered since Iau-sanias visited it. He speaks of the alliance of Eleutherae withAthens as the result not of conquest, but of a desire on thepart of the Eleutherians for the Athenian citizenship, and oftheir enmity towards the Thebans, and then describes theremains as follows : Part of the city wall was still standing,and there were some ruins of houses. ^ > Pans. i. .3S, liiiiiHiiimimi DRIVING TOUR: THEBES AND CHALGIS. 85 Towards sunset we depart up the pass, winding betweenprecipices at almost incredible gradients, with endless efforton the part of the four steeds. The snow lies deep in places,and the stillness is complete, except for the brawling of theinfant Cephissus leaping down from its source high up themountain-side. ISTo wonder that this region became the sceneof so many legendary events—such as the exposure and bring-ing up of OEdipus, or the abandonment of Zethus and Amphion,the twin children of Antiope, with their equally marvellouspreservation from death. When the summit is reached there is just light enough todistinguish the wide Bceotian plain below, with its distantbackground of towering mountains—a land cut off by naturesstrongest barriers from that just left behind, and presentingdifferences in climate, population, and physical conformation,so strongly emphasised by the writers of antiquity. An evensteepe
Size: 1276px × 1958px
Photo credit: © The Reading Room / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, bookpublisheredinb, bookyear1882
