Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1813-04-26
LACEDEMoN-RUINS OF SPAR.
T From Chateaubriand ]

! Having made these arrangements, on
the 18th, half an hour before daylight, /
mounted my horse with the janissary,
and set off at full gallop for LaceGamon
I'VE had proceeded at tina, pace for an
hour along road running direct south.
west, when at break of day, I perceived
some ruins and long wall of antique
construction: my heart began TO palpi-
tate. The jsnissary turning towards me
pointed with his whip to whitish cot.
tage on the right, and exclaimed. with a
look Of satisfaction, I" PaIaochori! % /
made up towards the principal ruin
which / perceived upon an eminence.
On turning this eminence by the north.
west for the purpose of ascending it, l
was suddenly struck with the sight of a
vast ruin of semicircular form which !
instantly recognised as an ancient thea
ire. | am not able to describe the con-
fused feelings which sverpowered me.
The hill at the foot Of which / stood, was
consequently the hill of the citadel Of
Sparta, since the theatre was contigu-
Gus to the citadel; the ruin which / be-
held upon that hill was of course the
temple Of Minerva Cbalciecos. a
lighted, and ran all the way up the hill
OF the citadel.
Just as l reached the top, the sun was
rising behind the hills of Manelaien.--
What magnificent spectacle but how
melancholy! The solitary stream OF the
Earotas running beneath the remains OF
the bridge Babyx; ruins on every side,
and not creature to be seen among
them. Istood motionless, in kind OF
stupor, attic contemplation of this scene.
A mixture Of admiration Sc grief check
ed the current of my thoughts and fixed
meto the spot profound silence reign
ed around me. Determined, at least, to
make echo speak in a spot where the
human voice is no longer heard. l shout
cd with all my might, " Leonidas Leo
midas !" No ruin repeated this great
name, and Sparta herself seemed to have
forgotten her hero.
If ruins to which brilliant recollections
are attached, demonstrates the vanity OF
all terrestrial things, it must however be
admitted that names which survive en-
pires and im lnortalize ages and places,
are not AN empty sound After all, glo.
ry shonld not be too much slighted; for
what is fairer unless it be virtue The
highes, degree of felicity would be to
unite them both in this life, and such
was the purport of the only prayer which
the Spartans addressed to the gods ut
tutchro 6onis adherent
1.-THE reader will place himself with
me upon the hill of the citadel, he will
then have view of the following objects
around him To the east, that is, to-
wards the Eurotas, hill OF an oblong
form and levelled at the top, as if for
the purpose Of race course or hippo
drome. Two ether hills, one on each
side Of that just mentioned form with it
two holIows, in which you perceive the
ruins Of the bridge Babyx, and the cur
rent Of the Eurotas. Beyond the river
the view is bounded by chain of red
dish hills which compose Mount Meme
laion Beyond these bills the high moan
tains which border the gulf OF Argos
tower alolt in the distance.
In this space seen to the eastward, be-
tween the citadel and the Enrotas, look
ing north and south by east in parallel
direction to the course OF the river, we
must place the quarter of the Inmates,
the temple OF Lycurgus, the palace OF
king Demaratus, the quarters OF the
Egides and the Messoa.es, one of the
Leschi, the monument of Cadmus, the
temples Of Hercules and Helen, and the
Platapisat. In this extensive space |
counted seven ruins standing and above
ground, but absolutely shapeless and
dilspidated. As was at liberty to
choose l gave to one of these ruins tie
name Of Heien's Temple, and another l
called the Tomb of Aleman. In two
others iancied I beheid the heroic
monuments of Egeus and Cadmus l
thus determined in favor of fable, and
assigned nothing to history but the tenn
pie of Lycurgus.
Now looking towards INC hoTth' do
YOU still stand on the site of the citadel,
you see a hill of considerable height
commanding even that on which the CT
tadel was erected, though this contra
diets the text Of Pausaniss. The val
ley formed by these TWO hills must have
been the site of the public place and the
..r,c,u,eS that edorn il, as the build.
inss appropriated tie the meetings OF the
Gerontes and Ephori, the portico OF the
persice ard other edi6ces. On this
side there are 10 ruins. To the north
west extended the quarter Of the Cyno-
surf, by which had entered Sparta,
and where observed the long wall and
some other remains.
Let us now turn 10 the west, ana we
l. 10. fln