The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1901-07-31
On 10 Athens.

How they endure II in the hot weather is
mystery. Only lew years ago travelling
without an escort through this section
was dangerous. The mountains were
infested by bands of brigands and out
laws who would swoop down on the un-
protected traveller and rob him and olten-
times take his life. Recently they have
been hunted down or driven further
back into the mountains of the interior.
These valleys are fairly well titled
-Four wheeled wagons were seen and
plows like those used in our own coun-
try were in use here. Unlike anything
We had seen so far they used horses for
plowing and general work instead of
cows, donkeys, mules. &c. An entrench-
ed habit is hard to break. The old style of
plow had only one handle and the pow
man would guide the plow withb hand,
walking along the side oft. When they
get our plows they do the same thing.
Instead of holding both handles and
walking in the furrow they hold one
Landle and walk on the solid ground.
Our train reached Smyrna on time and
by quick transit we were soon on board
our vessel to which our baggage had been
transferred during our absence. The
anchor was hoisted, the whistle blew and
we were on our way across the historic
Aegean Sea to the shores OF classic Greece
Night soon came on aud when the morn
ing light appeared we were sailing along
the shores OF that land which has given
birth to some of the greatest men the
world tas ever seen.
The one special object, to catch sight
OF which We were straining our eyes, was
Athens, tie seat of the highest culture
and refinement of the pro-christian age.
AT last we saw two peaks rising sharply
above the plain which we were told were
the Lycabettas and Acropolis of Athens.
Upon the later could be seen outlined
against the distant hills the far famed
Parthenon.
Athens is an inland city situated some
six miles from the sea. The sea port is
Piraeus, so closely associated with
Athens in classic history as to be almost
equal to it in point of interest. In an
cient times two long walls rea hing from
Athens to the sea were built enclosing
the Piraeus and Phaleron another port
close by, These walla were intended as
protection against an enemy on land and
-
at the same time give the Athenians safe
access to the sea. Only slight remains of
these walls are now to be seen.
just outside of the harbor, and north of
it, is the famous Salamis, where the fleet
of the Greeks of 800 vessel put to utter
destruction that of the Persians number
ing 1000 vessels. This occurred in 4SO B. C.
So certain was XerXes, the Persian king,
OF victory that he had throne chair with
silver feet placed on a high hill COM
manding full view of the coming battle
where he might witness the destruction
of the Greeks. But the great Nerxes had
found foeman worthy of his steel and
only with difficulty succeeded in making
his escape. This famous victory of the
Greeks was celebrated in verse by Aes-
chylus, and in Az B. land was played in
the theatre OF Dionysos in Athens.
Piraeus has good enclosed harbor,
But here again we had to face the quar-
antne question and for more than two
hours we lay out in the bay while our Of
ficers were trying to convince the health
boar thai the passengers were all well
and that the ship had not touched at any
infected port now under the ban Of quar-
antine. When the order to disembark
was given we were not long in getting
ashore AMI entering the carriages for the
drive to Athens.
Praeus is quite an active town with
a population OF IS, 900. 1t is entirely mod
ern, coincident with the new Athens,
though like the latter, it is built on the
old site. The location of the old Piraeus
seems to have been entirely forgotten un-
I'll the question of the site for the modern
Athens came up in 1884, when Greece
again became an Independent kingdom.
1t was decided to rebuild old Athens,
then a mere village of 200 houses, and
make it again the seat of government.
OF course there must be a seaport and
modern Piraeus is the result.
The drive to Athens, over a very good
mecadam road, was uninteresting. The
valley lying between two low hills would
have been beautiful had it not been for
the drought which has been quite gener-
al throughout the east this year. The
grain, principally oats that l saw, and
which was being harvested in the old
style with hand sickles, was very poor.
Earlier grains may have been better. II
not somebody would surely 90 hungry.
The streets of old Athens are very mar
row and crooked, but modern Athens is
one Of the most handsome and regularly
built cities of the Levant, having been
/ planned by a German architect. The
royal palace is situated on a slight eleva-
tion facing Constitution Square and is not
a very imposing structure, at least it did
not impress me as such. 1t is rectangular
in form and painfully regular. lis num-
erous windows give it more the appear
ance of well kept barracks. The flat
roof is thickly studded over with chin.
neys and air tunnels that at first glance
look like soldiers on guard. The nome
of the Crown Prince, less prominently
situated, is much more pleasing struc.
ture. As rule the Greeks are a good
looking people although did not see the
great beauties 1 had been led TO expect
They may have been there but l die
not BEE them. OF fairly handsome mer
and women, however, there were plenty
On Constitution Square, just in front o
our hotel, a concert was given every eve.