St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1875-05-21

y
way the rock was worn away, good
many other Nandals like ourselves had
done the same.
A cave in the rock near by is called
the Prison of Socrates, but it is not
well authenticated.
must not omit to mention the tenn
pie of Olympan Zeus, though compare
lively little is left of an editice that
was once the wonder of the world.
Just ON the outskirts of the city, on a
level plain are standing fifteen gigantic
pillars of Corinthian architecture. They
are all that remain of an immense tenn
pie commenced by Peisistratus in the
middle of the sixth century before
Christ, but not completed until the time
of Hadriau, $50 years after. There
were l24 of these marble pillars, each
to feet high and 9 feet iu diameter.
The temple itself was 359 feet in leugth.
by l73 feet in width. Not IL trace of it
now remains except these fifteen pillars,
the fallen pillar we made our measure
ments, and could examine the beautiful
sculptnring of the capital. The pillars
were erected in separate sections. or
drums, of which there were | believe,
fourteeH in each pillar. Mr.. Tucker
man, late L. ). minister ut Athens. en-
t,l, nstII ,nt.
probable cost of re-erecting the fallen
pillar, and he placed it at $4,000. If
this estimate for re-erecting single
column when the drums were all carved
and prepared was at all within bounds,
what must have been the expense of
the whole temple, when the unhcwn
marble must he brought from Mt. Pen
telicuS, fifteen miles away
During our stay ut Athens we made
two excursions that were of great in
tercSt to lis, but which | can barely
mention in this letter. They were to
Eleusis and Marathon.
At Eleusis were celebrated for $500
years, the Eleusinian mysteries, i'll
which all the citizens of Athens took a
part. 1t lies on the Bay of SalamiS,
twelve miles from Athens. in sight of
the place where the famous naval battle
MAS fought between the fleets of NeIXes
and the Athrnian>. We found there
the remains of Il temple once dedicated
~ Ceres. but nothing else of interest
except Il sqnald Greek hamlet, filled
with tnrl"rn looking people and heggar
children. Evidently Ceres has forgotten
t" prov Idle for the wants of her modern
l"la,i,>. though an old windmill that
WAS grinding heat near 10y the ruins.
w:i- Il Ccicau temple of Il more practi
cal nature.
The trip Ia Marathon took IL whole
daN. II l. - miles from Athens. and
until within Il few years the road has
been notorious foI hrigands. 1t did not
do to lie towards. however. when one
was going t" Marathon. and 81 We babe
defiance /" the possible gentlemen of
the highway. do not suppose that
characters maxim" their appearance.
though we PASSED the spot where only
three OF -four year ago Il party of En-
gliSh gentlemen were stopped 10y the
biigaud>. detained for an enormous
ransom. and at last killed. Our WAY
WAS through a wild extcut of country
between Mr>. II ymcttus and Pentelicus.
with little oi interest until we reached
the plain where WAS fought the urmoI:I-
BILE battle 2;}OO wears ago. Here. oven.
there il nothing /" he seen except the
place. the crescent shaped plain with
Swamls on either end. six miles apart.
the SEA on one side. and on the other
two miles back. the mountains where
lay encamped the little Athenian army.
hctwecn the invaders and their homes
and. III the center of the plain. the
mound which WAS erected over the
bodies of the l92 Athenians who fell
on that glorious day. We spent an
hour upon the mound. We recalled
the details of the battle. and our i'm
aginati"n> easily pictured the gallant
charge, aud the flight of the Persian
army. 1t seemed real to us us we stood
upon the spot. and we were fired with
new admiration for the gallant men
who fought So we'll that day, and saved
the Liberties of Greece. G.. 4. :.
Robert College. tonstantinople.
April %. $50