The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1872-05-04
Ancient Troy.


mission in Turkey, found time to pay
visit to the supposed site of Troy, and he
describes this visit in his recently published
book: II directed my footsteps (he says
towards spot to which are attached the
Oldest of historical souvenirs, but where
time has probably blotted out all traces of
to say, one still has pointed out to one
with great appearances of probability the
theatre of events which were related CEN
turtles ago by blind poet, and which oc-
Cured centuries again before his day.
Nature has remained the same. Here are
the two streams where the women of Troy
washed their shining robes,' there the
Simois descends from Mount Ida and
confounds its turbulent waters with
the calm flood of the Seaman
der. The waves still roar around
Cape Sigeum and the island Of Imbros.
The white peak of Mount Ida, from
whence Jupiter contemplated the doings of
gods and Of men, is visible from every
point in the plain, and Posseidon, who
made the earth tremble,' could not indeed
have found more splendid seat than the
loftiest point of verdant Samothrace, from
the height of which he witnessed the strife
and its issue.' In the 'lliad' it is necessary
to make distinction between the truth Of
of the events which occurred and that of
the poem itself. That all the princes of
whom Homer speaks combated beneath
the walls of Pergamos may be as doubtful
as the genealogy of his demi-gods but
one thing is certain--Iiomer made his
story fit in with the locality which he must
have known most thoroughly. The site of
the city is determined by the fact that the
Scamander's source was just beneath it, and
that the waters Of the Simois washed its
walls. When it is necessary to fix it moro
exactly, the opinions of the savants vary
considerably /, who am not an authority
in science, was merely guided by military
instinct towards the spot which one would
choose for the erection of an impregnable
fort. If, after leaving the Turkish fortress
of Rumkalih, att the southern issue of the
Dardanelles, you sail up the Simos for
three hours, you will find that the plan
leads to a chain of hills at the foot of which
is situated the village of Bunarbaschi. 1t
received its present name from the source
of the Scamander which here springs from
out of the Blackstone. Let us now ascend
the slight incline, and we shall reach the
spot where most travellers place Troy.
Farther on-about q thousand yards
off--there iss.a deep gorge, and beyond
still higher plateau about five
hundred feet long, whichs undoubtedly
the position of Pcrga1na. "a, small mound
is held to be the tomb Of Hector. And
now, starting from this supposed tomb,
take eight hundred steps forward in the
same direction toward the mass of stones
which is perhaps the fallen tower of the
Scsean gate, whence Priam watched the
combatants and whence the son of Andro-
mache started back in terror before the
plumed helmet of his sire. You then see
before you a piece of ground about five
hundred feet each way, and behind you
some heights which served for the citadel of
Priam, with its six hundred apartments.
These heights are bounded on three sides
by inaccessible cliffs; the fourth side is
practicable, and it is there that must have
been situated the Scsean gate--the only
one, indeed, that is mentioned as existing.
From thence the view embraces the source
of the Scamander and the plains where the
battles took place, the windings fthe Simos,
the tombs of Achilles and of Ajax, the
position occupied by the fleet near the
sandy shore, Mount Ida and the verdant
Samothrace. Nor is this all. Along these
heights discovered foundations Of walls
cutting each other at right angles, and built
of stones of various kinds without cement.
| will not argue that these are the walls of
the houses of Troy but it is we'll known
that temples have been raised and towns
christened in memory of that city. 1t
may be that some such monument has
sprung from the ruins of ancient Troy, and
that they have furnished the numerous
capitals and sculptured columns which
cover the whole cemetery Of the wretched
village of Bunarbaschi. Among the most
remarkable objects in this very interesting
country are the tombs-that of Achilles IS
especially easy of recognition by the de-
scription given of it in Homer"