To Leuctra from the ruins of Platea | and above the upper town, in a most is 2 hrs., across the hills which se- picturesque situation, is a Monastery parate the plains of these names, of of the Panaghia. Zagora probably which the former is celebrated for the occupies the site of Ascra, the resivictory obtained here by the Thebans dence of Hesiod, and is a corruption under Epaminondas over a very su- of that name. A conspicuous Hellenic perior force of the Spartans, 371 tower also marks the spot. B.C. The site is marked by a large tumulus.

To Lebadea there are two roads from Leuctra, the lower 6 hrs., the upper 10 hrs. The lower road passes by the hamlet of Erimokastro, the site of Thespia, of which there are remains, and then falls in with the high road between Thebes and Lebadea, along the edge of the Copaic lake and under the jagged ridge of Helicon. The more picturesque route is the upper one, over the ridges of Helicon.

On leaving Zagora the road ascends to a high point of Helicon, whence the eye ranges over the plains of Charonea, Lebadea, and Orchomenus, and continues over magnificent scenery to Parnassus.

This part of the plain of Boeotia supported of old a number of flourishing towns, of which four were eminent. They stood in a semi-circular curve, at nearly equal intervals from each other, on rising grounds which skirt the plain. The first, at the N.E. verge of the plain, is Orchomenus; to the W. of it, at the distance of 5 m., separated from it by the river Kephissus, and placed upon a steep rock of gray granite, is the fortress of Charonea. To the S. of Charonea, at a similar distance, on the northern declivity of Helicon, and on the left bank of the Hercyna, is the citadel of Lebadea, rising from a precipitous cliff, at the eastern foot of which lies the modern town. Passing from this to the S.E. for the same number of miles, and along the roots of Helicon, we arrive at the base of the crested summit of Coronea.

Having enjoyed this extended prospect, the traveller will descend from the higher ridges of Helicon till he

The road lies along the N.E. side of the mountain, and in about 2 hrs. from the site of Leuctra reaches the suppressed monastery of St. Nicholas. It is surrounded on all sides by the mountain ridges, one small opening alone presenting a view of a tower upon an eminence in front. An inscription on a column found in a church near this spot gives interest to the place, by proving it to have been the Fountain of Aganippe, and the famous Hieron, or Sanctuary of the Muses. From the grove of the Muses the road descends, and crosses a rivulet, and then ascends to the higher parts of Helicon. A narrow rugged path leads to the heights above Zagora, or Sacra, whence the mountain has received its modern appellation. Here is seen a part of the Kutomula, a village 2 hrs. distant ancient causeway, leading from Thes-from Zagora, and in beautiful scenery. pice to Lebadea; the spot commands Hence we descend towards the plain a fine panoramic view. E. by N. is by the ruins of Coronea, on an insuthe highest mountain of Euboea; S.E. lated hill, at the entrance of a valley by E., Mount Parnes; S.E., Mount of the Helicon range. Here are reKitharon; the W. and S. parts are mains of a theatre, of a temple of Hera, concealed by Helicon. The plain of and of an agora. There is a fine view Lebadea appears through two gaps. from this hill over the Boeotian plain. Hence again descending, and passing two bridges over small streams, Lebadea soon appears in view, and having crossed the base of Helicon, which extends into the plain, we, in 4 hrs. from Kutomula, reach

Zagora is in a deep valley 2 hrs. distant from the grove of the Muses. A steep descent leads to the village, which is divided into two parts by a river. The lower part is in the plain,

reaches

Lebadea.-The ancient city stood on | 5 mouths. On the right hand of the

an isolated hill, at the point where the
valley of the Herkyna opens into the
plain of the Copaic Lake. This town,
before the revolution, was the most
flourishing of Northern Greece, and is
said to have contained 1500 houses;
it is situated on the bank of the Herk-mains of a small temple.
yna, a fine mountain-stream. Higher
up the valley, occupying the site of
the ancient Hieron, or sanctuary of
Trophonius, the river rushes with
great force from the rocks, which here
contract the valley into a narrow gorge,
with scenery of the same character as
that of Delphi. It is difficult to ascer-
tain exactly the 2 springs of Muemé
and Lethé; there are either too few
or too many to answer exactly the
description of ancient writers. Im-
mediately on the right of the gorge,
the rock is full of vestiges of the
oracle of Trophonius, of which the
most remarkable are a basin, now
overgrown with weeds (like that at
Delphi, commonly called the Pythia's
bath), into which flows a small spring,
several small niches in the face of
the rock, a large niche 4 feet high,
and 2 feet deep, and a small natural
aperture scarcely of sufficient depth
to answer the description in Pau-
sanias of the oracular cave. This,
according to the most reasonable con-
jecture, is yet to be discovered within
the walls of the modern castle on the
top of the hill, where it may exist
choked up with rubbish. The whole
of the gorge is very striking, and con-
tains several natural caverns of some
size.

aqueduct, near the theatre, is a sub-
terranean passage, appearing to go
under the theatre. The entrance is
like that of a well, and is 12 feet deep.
The passage was probably an aque-
duct. Near the fountain are some re-

Charonea was famous as the birthplace of Plutarch, who here spent the later years of his life. Pausanias mentions that the principal object of veneration in his time was the sceptre of Zeus, once borne by Agamemnon, and which was considered to be the undoubted work of the god Hephaestus, or Vulcan. Chæronea is not mentioned by Homer, but it is supposed by some writers to be one with the Boeotian Arne, which has been identified by others with Coronea. The town itself does not appear to have been ever of great importance; but it has obtained great celebrity from the battles fought in its neighbourhood. The position of the town, commanding as it does the entrance from Phokis into Boeotia, naturally made it the scene of military operations. In B.C. 447, an important battle, usually called after Coronea, was fought in the plain between that place and Charonea, by the Athenians and Boeotians, when the former were defeated, losing the supremacy which they had previously exercised over Boeotia. A second and more memorable battle was fought at Charonea (August 7, B.C. 338), when Philip of Macedon, by defeating the united Athenians and Boeotians, crushed the liberties of Greece. The lion described below is a monument of this battle. The third great battle here fought was that in which Sulla defeated the generals of Mithridates, (B.c. 86), of which engagement there is a long account in Plutarch.

Charonea. The ruins of Charonea are about 6 m. (2 hrs.) N. from Lebadea. On their site stands the village of Kaprena. The theatre of Charonea was one of the most ancient in Greece. The coilon is excavated in the rock; "In the village below (Charonea) there is no trace of the marble cover- the little church of the Panaghia is ing of the seats. The Acropolis is still entire, with its white marble above the theatre, and covers the top throne described by Dodwell, called by of a lofty precipice. Its remains pre- the learned of Capurna the throne of sent the usual mixture of Archaic and Plutarch. The dedicatory inscriptions, more recent Hellenic masonry. Near illustrative of the Egypto-Roman worthe theatre is an aqueduct, which sup-ship of Osiris, which have been replied a beautiful antique fountain with peatedly published, are also still in

has no equivalent in our language; | but it describes very happily the expression which the artist, with an accurate perception of the affecting speciality of the case, has given to the countenance of the animal, and of which, for the reasons Pausanias assigns, the monument was to be the emblem rather than the record; that mixture, namely, of fierceness and of humiliation, of rage, sorrow, and shame, which would agitate the breasts of proud Hellenic freemen, on being constrained, after a determined struggle on a field bathed with the blood of their best citizens, to yield up their independence to the overwhelming power of a foreign and semi-barbarous enemy."-Col. Mure's Tour in Greece,' 1842, vol. i. p. 218.

At a short distance W. of Kapurna, on the road to Davlia, are some remains of the ancient city of Panopeus (Aghios Vlasius).

|

the E. over the rich plains of Lebadea and Thebes; at the top of the pass the road lies across a small plain, whence the descent commences to the village of Arachova.

Two hours' ride across the plain, and near the Copaic lake, will bring the traveller, following an eastern direction, from Kaprena to Scripu, that is, from the site of Charonea to the site of the Baotian Orchomenus. The well and fountain mentioned by Pausanias exist in a monastery here, which occupies the site of the Hieron of the Graces, who chose Orchomenus for their residence in consequence of this Sanctuary. Here games were celebrated in their honour. The treasury of Minyas is a ruin close to the monastery, similar to that at Mykenæ. A tumulus to the E. is probably the tomb of Minyas. There are many considerable and curious remains of the Acropolis of Orchomenus, of which Col. Leake gives a plan and description. The traveller who goes to Orchomenus ought not to omit the much more interesting rains of Abæ, only about 5 English miles N. of Orchomenus. It is described in the next Route. to Orchomenus, the river Melas or Mavronero, deriving its name from the colour of its waters, issues from 2 katabóthra, and flows into the Copaic lake.

From Charonea, the traveller may proceed to Davlia, the ancient Daulis, a village at the E. foot of Parnassus, beautifully situated among groves of pomegranate. On a hill above it are considerable remains of the walls and towers of the ancient Acropolis, of polygonal masonry, with mortar in the interior of the wall, which is the case with many of these ancient works, where it does not appear between the large stones of the external facing. Daulis is celebrated in Mythology as the scene of those impious acts, in consequence of which Philomela was changed into a nightingale. The thickets round the modern village still abound with this "Daulian bird." From Davlia a road proceeds along the foot of Parnassus to Arachova and Delphi; but in summer the former place may be reached by a very fine mountain pass. Commencing the ascent of Parnassus at Davlia, the traveller in about 2 hrs. enters a fine forest of spruce firs, and passing the beautifully situated convent of Jerusalem, the road continues for some way through the wild and picturesque forest, and afterwards between lofty and snow-clad cliff's commanding a splendid view to | Rte.)

Close

Travellers who wish to go direct from Lebadea to Thermopylæ, and return hence to Delphi, &c., will also derive assistance from the next Rte. They will proceed from Lebadea by Charonea, or by Orchomenus to Abæ, about 5 hrs. either way: thence by the small village of Vogdáno (Hyampolis)

hour beyond Abæ, to Drachmáno (Elatea), 6 hrs. from Abæ. Thence, crossing Mt. Cnemis, immediately beyond Drachmáno, the view of Parnassus is remarkably fine, particularly to the traveller who reverses this route, and comes upon it first from the northward. About 7 or 8 hrs. from Drachmáno is Molo, and Thermopyla is 1 or 2 hrs. beyond it. (See next