Literary cadet, and Saturday evening bulletin. [volume] (Providence, R.I.) 1826-1827, 1826-05-27
Z
sEIGE OF THE AcRoPoLIs OF ATHENS.

have elected an interesting feeling in favor of that
once distinguished and celebrated country and
believing that whatever relates to her history, her
wars, or her political destiny, will be acceptable to
our readers, we have thought proper to copy the
following account Of the serge Of the Acropolis OF
Athens, written by an eyewitness. For the arti-
Gle, we are indebted to an European publication
As the whole would occupy too much OF our col
umus, we have concluded to copy only this, the
most interesting part. The political fate of Greece
is probably decided, ere the arrival of this moment,
and she who once stood first in the rank Of nations,
now kisses the dust, with the servility of a prostra-
ted and degraded slave or, once more restored TO
her original standing, breasts the storms of The Otto
man horles, with a bravery which distingu shed her
sons at Thernlopyla and at Marathon and stands
firmly and erect, among the nations ofthe earth.
The SIEGE OF THE ACRoPoiIs OF ATHENS,
In the years lS2l-l822.-By an Eye-U illness.
arrived at Athens in the month Of March, Il few
| days before the commandment began. had ar.
rived in the night in the PirBus, aud rose with the
day break 10 20 up 70 Athens. The sun was just
rising behind the moCntaln Pertciicus, and threw
Il SlOWl ny IL nj on lc ll1IItcl ANY vi bit CIV
polls. The rays that were CHANGING On the Parthe-
non were seen dying away on the SUBMITS OF the
dark and irowniug hills of the Morea. Now ! ielt
treadlns upou holy ground, and, as II the gigantic
spirit OF antiquity wee lowering over me, pad,
with idola;rous Joy, dutiiul homage TO the iinmor-
tai goddess whose temple ! saw re-emerglng IRON
darkness, andl hai,ed the omen that was thus pre-
sented to ne. Walking up along the road where
remembers of The high walls are seen, built after
Il tho Iuttla NJ G.1oD,Ig and na.tlN lpStTnypI Inv ly-
sander, in rapturous recollection OF past ages, past
magn'fcence, and past glory, entered, after ha eing
lett tp' Isd me u little olive wood, the plain close
by Athens. The whole amphltheatre encoInpassed
by the Parnes, the Pentelicus, and tae Hynettus,
had by this time from darkness come .orth III the
charming beauty OF the day, and, after a few mo-
nen;s, the town OF Athens Itself was expanded be-
fore my eyes.
Butts this the gate of Dipylum? this the holy
| road, where the procession went along to Eieusis:
| Where are, Athens, thy temples, thy gods? Where
are the heroes to go forth with MIltiades TO Mara
thon, to fight with Themistocles at Salam,s: where
! the statesmen to sit with Pericles In council? where
the Philosophers to walk with Plato III the Acade-
nv?
Full of these ideas, | proceeded to the bazaar,
through dirty, narrow streets, janmed An by small,
! miserable houses, built mostly of clay or wood; AMI
passing along, | cav the people sitting IN the SHOPS
or along the benches before the numerous coffee
houses, smoking their pipes, with pistols IN Their
belts, and CHANGING from time to time up to the Ac-
| ropolis, where the Turkish flag was waving on the
walls. Heaps of ruins were seen IN every par oi
the town; whole streets forsaken and ABANDONED, es-
| peclally al, those adjoining the AcropoiIs. From
| time 10 time a musket shot was heard either from
! the citadel or in the town. Some captains with s!t-
yer inlaid pistols, a shaggy capote, brea't and neck
! open and sunburDt, paraied through the streets, fol-
lowed be a dozen soldiers.
hasteaed 10 recover from the gloomy impress
sions y Inch the sight Of 80 much dcsolation On the
| love.ie st spot ~ the world had left III my mind, by
"a pilgrimage TO lha magnificent remnants ofantiqui-
~ with which ,his city abuunls. He. ..s.. ire
! claste. but still sublime architecture ~ ie temple
| of Theseus; there the lofty and i~lxurors pillars Of
the temple of Olympic Jupiter; and 10 paltry
| houses are standing ucar to to displease the eye ald
TO diminish the effect. These remains are now
seen on the opposite sides of Athens, quite lonely
| and deserted, in solitary maguriiceuce; as if the mo-
| deru town of Athens had felt its degenercy, an! had
kept at a distance from the holy buildings in 'da
reverence. And yet every quarter Of The town has
its sacred inheritance from the ancient time; every
street contains something TO awaken great reco!-
lec.ions; the walls ofthc houses enclose ira n ents
of col mus, stones with inscriptions; and, ascending
the staircase in some OF tho more respectable houses,
| you tread upon Pentelio marble, that once decorated
a temple o, some other monument. But Ii not be-
ing the object OF this narration to enter upon any
SUBJECT that might satisfy the antiquarian, we pro-
ceed therefore with Tie account OF the seige.
The bombardment began on the I'D March
The mottsrs had been placed on the Pnyx, where
| a~nciertly the assemble of the people at Athens
had been held; how Singular, shat there the thur-
der should roll forth again against the foes OF
Greece. The Turks, who had seen the prepara-
ton, put their women and children in the case
ments: but the men were seen sitting on the walls,
smoking their pipes, or walking about the PROXY
| lgum, easy, seemingly, and unconccrned. Inc Sc
| cond shell having exploded in the citadel, the
Greeks raised a great cry, and at that very moment
a Turk appeared between the pillars oithe Propy-
| lnum, stretching out, IN a solemn attitude, the five
fingers of each hand; it seemed to me heard him
cry" You shall not enjoy five other unpropitious
seasons"
no harm, either to the Turks or TO the citadel,
beautiful remaius Of antiquity, which the Acropo-
lis contains.
shall only notice one SINCLAIR circumstance. The
| Turks met every evening at a certain hour for
their prayers in the Mosque, which they had erect
| ed in the middle of the ruins Of the Parthenon: the
| whole people was heard at times answering the
| Imam; il is impossible TO describe the sublime eff.
| feet which the deep echoing sound made on those
who heard il below the town. Now just this mo
ment was chosen to throw shells into the citadel,
in order to multiply death and destruction. A less
pious multitude would have changed the hour Of de-
votion or made their prayers silently; but they met
in spite ofthe shells, just as before, to say their pray
ers TO their God.
Seeing no probability Of a speedy surrender Of
the citadel as the bombardment had pa asset without