("raidum Cretæ veniemus Oaxem," | rather more than 1 hour further, we Ecl. 166). On the hill adjoining, reach the gate of round which the road winds, are the remains of the walls of a middle-age MEGALO-KASTRON, or CANDIA, which fortress; and on the N. side may be has given its Italian name to the island. seen some fragments of polygonal There is a British Vice-Consul here. masonry, belonging, probably, to the This town, which occupies, probably, ancient Acropolis of Axos. Just above the site of the ancient Matium, is exthe modern village is a dilapidated clusively Turkish in its character, and church of St. John, whose sides and its bazaars are filled with articles of roof are covered with rude frescoes; Eastern luxury. A large building, the floor consists of remains of mosaic probably the cathedral church of the work. A few inscriptions are to be Latin archbishop, is, next to the masfound in the village; on one, dis- sive walls, the most considerable of covered by Mr. Pashley, was a decree the Venetian remains. It is now in a of the "Common Assembly of the very dilapidated state: it was dediCretans," an instance of the well-cated to St. Titus. In this church known Syncretism, as it was called. Axos was so called because it stands on broken, precipitous, ground, that word being used by the Cretans in the same sense that the other Greeks assigned to ayuós, a crag. A village called Eleutherna, 12 miles from Axos, stands probably on the site of the an-sidering St. Mark as the protector of cient Eleutherna. was preserved the head of St. Titus : according to the Christian legend, his body could never be found after the capture of Gortyna by the Saracens, and on the conquest of Crete by the Turks, the priests transported the head to Venice. The Greeks of Crete, con their foreign lords, used to raise the standard of St. Titus in their frequent rebellions against the Most Serene Republic. Among the mosques of Megalo-kastron is one called after St. Catherine, Haghia Katerina djame. In this city there is no apparent difference between the dresses of the Greek and of the Turkish ladies; both of them concealing their faces when they leave their houses. This custom was general among the ladies of ancient Greece, at least with the young, and was not borrowed from the Turks. The population of Megalo-kastron amounts to about 15,000, 10,000 of whom are Mahommedans. Near the old Jewish corner of the city is a Venetian fountain, with a Latin inscription, which records the name of the Proveditor by whose beneficence it was built. The massive fortifications are of Venetian construction. The traces of Venetian architecture in different parts of the town are very interesting; and the Gate of Mirabello, the Venetian Aqueduct, and the Church of St. Francis, and the vaults built for galleys, are worth examining. The port is protected by 2 moles, but is at pre sent so choked up with sand that a vessel drawing more than 8 feet water cannot enter. The small islet of Dia lies a few miles N. of this harbour. A few miles S. of Megalo-kastron is Makron Teikhos (μaкрòv тeixos), the site of Cnossos. All that now remains of the ancient metropolis of Crete are some rude masses of Roman brickwork, part of the so-called long wall, from which the modern name of the site is derived. Among the distinguished men of Cnossos were, Ctesiphon, and his son Metagenes, the architect of the temple of Diana of Ephesus; Enesidemus, the philosopher; and Ergoteles, whose victories in the Grecian games are celebrated by Pindar (Olymp. xii.). Cnossos was an early Dorian colony; and in later times, by its alliance with Gortyna, obtained the dominion over the whole island. Afterwards it became a Roman colony. Mr. Pashley has observed that the natural caverns and excavated sepulchres in the neighbourhood of Cnossos, recall the well-known legend of the Cretan labyrinth, whose locality is uniformly assigned to that city. It was described as a building erected by Dædalus for the Minotaur; there is, however, no sufficient reason to suppose that the Cretan labyrinth ever had a more real existence than its fabled occupant. Much as is said in the Homeric poems of Dædalus, Minos, Ariadne, and other Cretan worthies, it is in vain that we search to find in them any evidence of the material existence of the monument. [Greece.] EXCURSION 3. FROM MEGALO-KASTRON BY ARKHANES, KANI KASTELLI, SARKO, ETC., BACK TO MEGALO-KASTRON. Crossing the cultivated plain round the city, the road in less than 1 hr. begins to ascend the stony slopes of the E. side of Mount Júktas. At length, on a slightly rising ground, the village of Arkhúnes appears, surrounded by a few olives and cypresses. It requires an hour from the village to reach the summit of Mount Juktas, where are the massive foundations of a building. Within this space is an aperture in the ground which may once have led to a moderate-sized cave. These are the only remains of the supposed tomb of the "Father of Gods and men," which was an object of such deep religious veneration among the ancient Cretans. From this point is an extensive view over the plain of Kastron. On the E. side of the mountain, about 100 paces from its summit, are traces of ancient walls. Below the village of Arkhanes are remains of a Venetian aqueduct. The road from Arkhanes to Kani Kastelli (2 hrs.), after ascending for 2 miles, descends round the S. escarpment of Mt. Juktas, and comes in sight of the lofty mountains which bound the plain of Megalo-kastron to the W. The road now runs over low ranges of hills to Kani Kastelli, a ruined fortress of the middle-ages, on the summit of a very remarkable hill. The space contained within the walls is considerable, and includes two rocky summits a single line of wall runs between the two, and the highest summit, called Rhoka (from rocca), is defended by an inner wall. In ascending may be observed the remains of a church. This Rhoka is probably the Castello Temenos of the Venetians, to the village of Pyrgos, and in little founded in the year 961 by Nicephorus more than an hour afterwards crosses Phocas, the commander of the Byzantine army. The castle became celebrated in the history of the island, as the place of refuge of the Duke of Candia when Marko Sanudo, Duke of Naxos, rebelled against Venice, and obtained for a while possession of the principal cities of Crete. The ancient town of Thena was probably in this neighbourhood. 4 m. from Kani Kastelli, beyond the village of Karkadiotissa, surrounded by cypresses and palm-trees, is the monastery of St. George, Epáno Siphes. It suffered severely in the Revolution. 3 m. farther is the small village of Arkádi, not on the site of the ancient Arcadia, which stood on the sea-shore towards the E. extemity of the island. The road then winds round a chain of hills to the village of Galéne, 3 m. from Kani Kastelli. We now cross low ridges, and come to a river, whose left bank we follow, and reach Veneráto in 2 hrs. after having left Arkadi. Veneráto, before the Revolution, had a considerable population, but on that occasion parties of infuriated Moslems, issuing from Megalo-kastron, scoured the country, and a band reached Venerato: most of the Christians fled for refuge to the lofty mountains above, but 27 were found and massacred. hr. from Venerato the road passes through Siva, which, like most of the other villages hereabouts, is in ruins. A rapid descent of 7 minutes leads hence to a ford over a stream which flows through this valley. On the opposite side an equally steep ascent of hr. leads to the village of St. Myron, celebrated throughout the island for the excellence of its wine. This village is probably on the site of the ancient Rhaucos. It derives its present name from a native of this place, who is not only styled in the Greek Calendar, bishop, saint, and worker of miracles, but also holy martyr," though it is admitted that he died a natural death. 66 From St. Myron the road descends hr. a stream, probably the Triton of the ancients. An ascent of hr. leads to the summit of the ridge, and soon after, the village of Sarko, embowered in trees, appears. But the retirement of this beautiful spot could not save it from the horrors and devastation of war. The ruins of half its former houses show that it shared the fate of the other villages of the island. A cavern in the vicinity of Sarko, W. of the village, frequently served as a place of refuge and security to the Christians. It consists of a number of different chambers of various dimensions, connected by long and dark passages. In winter all these are flooded. In some places the cave is extremely lofty, and the whole is of great extent. The diameter of the entrance cavern is about 36 ft.; from thence there is an almost perpendicular ascent of 18 ft. to the inner recesses, which might be defended by a single man with a pike against any number of assailants. Quitting Sarko the road ascends, and comes in sight of the Cretan sea; it then passes the village of Kalesia, and leaving Kavro-khori to the right, in 2 hrs. reaches Armyro (the site of Apollonia), whence a path over the mountains leads to Rogdia, a very picturesque village.hr. hence are the ruins of a Venetian fortress, Paleokastron, situated near the sea-side W. of Rogdia. It appears to have been the site of an ancient city, probably Cytæum. Armyro is about 1 hr. from this Paleo-kastron, and an hr.'s ride thence brings us back to Megalokastron. EXCURSION 4. FROM MEGALO-KASTRON BY KHERSONESOS SPINALONGA, ETC., ΤΟ HIERAPETRA ON THE SOUTHERN COAST OF THE ISLAND. Leaving the city by its eastern gate, we pass over the plain, and wind among some low hills till we cross a deep river at a bridge half-way between the village of Kartero and the sea. This river is in all probability the Kaeratos. Three hundred paces W. of Kakon Oros is a little rocky hill where are vestiges of buildings, which do not appear to be of an earlier period than that of the Venetian conquest, but the site and position correspond with Heraclea, of which mention is made by Pliny, as the next city E. of Matium. From this point commences the ascent of Kakon Oros. The Venetian paved road still exists in many places; the ascent requires an hour. After leaving the mountain and crossing a stream, we pass on our right the village of Gúrnes, and arrive at Gures, chiefly inhabited by Christians. One mile from Guves is the river Aposelemi, which is crossed by a bridge. One hour hence is Khersónesos, once a bishopric. A mile farther on is the village of Episkopianó. On the sea-shore, about a mile off, are the ruins of a city called Paleopolis. Here was the port of Lyttos, which subsequently became an episcopal city. 8 or 10 m. S. of these villages, in the mountains, is Lytto, where ancient remains are found. From this point the eastern extremity of Crete has not hitherto been so acurately described as the other portions of the island, nor does it contain many objects of interest. From Episkopiano the traveller can proceed by several hamlets to Spinalonga, a strong and insulated Venetian fortress. Thence, turning southward, he may visit the slight ruins which probably mark the sites of Arsinoë, Arcadia, Minoa, and other towns. The plain of Mirabello in this quarter is fertile and well cultivated. Omitting the extreme eastern district of Setia, then cross from the N. to the S. coast of the island, at the point where it is narrowest, by the villages of Basilike and Episcope, and so reach Hierápetra. This place is on the site of Hieraptyna, a considerable town at the time of the Roman conquest, but of which very few relics exist. The modern village was defended by a now ruinous fort of the middle ages. The roadstead is much exposed to S. winds. In the centre of the district of Setia, some miles N.E. of Hierápetra, are some remains of the city of Prasos, the capital, according to Homer, of the Eteocretes. The lofty chain at this (E.) end of Crete is the range of the Dictaan mountains, celebrated in mythology. The road now passes through the Mahommedan village of Philippo, and subsequently through Rhotes, Mesokhorio, Pyrgo, Theodoraki, and Kháraka, where are the remains of a middle-age fortress, on a steep rock. Due S. from Kháraka is Mount Kophinos. The road proceeds through the villages of St. Photia and Tárres to that of the Ten Saints (“Ayıoi Aéκa), near which are the ruins of the ancient Gortyna, once the second city in Crete. It was 90 stadia from its harbour Leben, and 130 stadia from another harbour Metallon, of both which port-towns there are still remains on the S. coast. Midway between them is the harbour of the Fair Havens (Kaλol Aiμéves). (P. 396, Ex. 6). ridge, called the "Giant's Tomb" (Tou | over the plain of Mesara from this σаρаνтanhxoν Tò μvñμa, i. e. the tomb of spot. a man forty cubits high). This mythical personage recent tradition declares to have been one of the Saracenic conquerors in the 9th centy.; or he may have been one of the rebellious pagan giants. 1 m. W. of it is a fountain; 1 m. S. is the village of Sykológo. The road now passes by Lower Peúkos, surrounded with fine plane and olive trees, and reaches St. Basil 1 hr. from Sykologo. Hence we descend to the summit of a steep range of rocks only 1 m. distant from the sea-coast. The descent from this range to the little plain of Arví is by a zigzag path along the face of the hills, and occupies half an hour. To the 1. a river flows through the plain, passing through a narrow and very picturesque cleft in the rocks on the N. Near the shore, at Arvi, a sarcophagus was discovered some years ago.* The remains in this neighbourhood may possibly have belonged to a temple of Jupiter Arbios. Stephanus of Byzantium says that the Deity was worshipped in Crete under that title. Leaving the plain of Arví, the traveller follows the shore, where great masses of imbedded shells are seen in the rocks, and then crossing an uncultivated plain, and leaving KastelKeraton of the Venetians on the 1., arrives 2 hrs. from Arví, at the village of Biános, near which was probably the site of Biennos. From Biános we proceed over the mountains W. towards the great Gortynian plain, and in about 2 hrs. cross the Sudsuro by a bridge of 3 arches. 1 m. farther is the village of Lútra. The old Venetian fortress, Castel Belvedere, was on a hill a little to the N., and gives the name Kastelianá to Lutra, and two or three other hamlets. The castle is described as having been dismantled nearly 100 years before the Venetians lost the island. There is a beautiful view It was subsequently put together under the direction of Sir F. Chantrey and Mr. Pashley, and is now in the Fitzwilliam Museum at Cambridge. The village of Ampelússa is 2 or 3 m. from the Ten Saints. It evidently derives its name from its vines. Dibáki is 2 hrs. farther. Leaving the plain, we cross a river which flows under Klima, and, advancing along the S.E. slopes of Mount Ida, pass through the village of Sáhta, one of 8 in a district called Abadia, chiefly inhabited by Mahommedans. Apodúlo is 3 hrs. from Dibáki. We now leave Nithavri to the rt., on the site of Pselorites, or Ida, and then descend for 20 minutes, and, crossing a torrent, ascend on the opposite side, whence there is a view down the valley. The ascent continues hr. partly over the old Venetian road; we then find ourselves in view of the valley of Asomatos, with various villages scattered over it. After traversing the valley for some distance the traveller reaches the monastery of Asómatos, 6 hrs. from Rhithymnos. Soon after the commencement of the revolution, the Pasha of Rhithymnos invited the abbots, monks, &c., of several monasteries to go into the city to receive a written amnesty in favour of their co-religionists. Many priests trusted the Pasha, one of those who went to Rhithymnos being the then Hegúmenos, or superior, of this convent. Those who first arrived were |
