Peloponnesus; Notes of Study and Travel

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1858 Excerpt: ...of Sparta, like the Colyttus at Athens and the Craneum at Corinth; and Pindar describes Pitane as being at the ford of the Eurotas. These authorities seem to indicate that the Pitanatae inhabited all the part of Sparta adjacent to the Agora, and extended to the river about the centre of its course in front of Sparta, for here was probably in all times its most frequented passage.1 1 There is a passage in the Helena of Euripides (205--209) in which allusion seems to be made both to the Hippodrome and to the Platanistas. Kuatopos tf rvyy6vov tf hiSvpoytvis ilyapa natplSos acpavts acjavfs lmrdKpota XfAocrf Sdwf&a yvpvdo-id rf SovaKoivros Evpara, vfavlav wovov. If, indeed, there were any other evidence for the proximity of the Dromos to the river, we might suppose that, as there were two gymnasia included within it (Paus. iii. 14, 6), the words yvpviuria Evpitra referred to the Dromos; but, taking into consideration the concluding words, the former hypothesis seems the more probable. But, as I have before said, we must not look for topographical, or other minutiae in any ancient poet. Castor and Pollux were the especial patrons of athletic sports: their statues, according to Pausanias, stood at the entrance to the Dromos, where they were known under the title dtpfrrjpioi, ' the starters, ' hence it is possible that the word Syapa may be used significantly by the poet. With regard to this point Colonel Leake's map is at variance with his text, for it represents Pitane as separated from the river hy Limnae and the Messoatac. City Walls.--It was the pride and boast of the ancient Spartans that their city needed no bulwarks. What the Irish poet fondly dreams of his O'Briens and O'Donoghoos might be said with sober truth of the kings of Sparta: --O for the kings o...