Page:The Six Voyages of John Baptista Tavernier.djvu/155
Milo affords nothing but Millstones to grind Wheat, which are carry'd to Constantinople.
Paros where there is no Trade neither, has nothing remarkable in it but one Greek Church, very well built all of Marble, call'd Our Lady's Church.
As for the Islands of Sifante and Miconoa, in regard there is nothing of Trade in either but only with the Pirates, who sometimes touch there, if there be any Consuls that live there, it is only to buy their stol'n Goods.
Of the city of Athens, Corinth, Patras, Coron, and Modon.
The City of Athens is about four miles distant from the Sea, and contains two and twenty thousand Inhabitants, twenty five thousand Greeks, five or six thousand Latins, and a thousand Turks. Among all the Antiquities that yet remain those in the Castle are the best preserv'd. The Castle stands upon a Hill, upon the North descent whereof some part of the City stands. It encloses a very fair and spacious Temple, built all of white Marble from the top to the bottom, supported by stately Pillars of black Marble and Porphiry. In the front are great Figures of Armed Knights ready to encounter one another. Round about the Temple, except upon the Roof, which is all of flat Marble Stones well order'd, are to be Teen all the famous Acts of the Greeks in small carving, every Figure being about two foot and a half high. Round about the Temple runs a fair Gallery, where four persons may walk a-brest. It is supported by sixteen Pillars of white Marble upon each of the sides, and by six at each end, being also pav'd and cover'd with the same Stone. Close to the Temple stands a fair Palace of white Marble, which now falls to decay. Below the Castle, and at the point of the City toward the East, stand seventeen Pillars, the remainder of three hundred, where anciently, they say, stood the Palace of Theseus first King of the Athenians. These Pillars are of a prodigious bigness, every one eighteen foot about. They are proportionable in height, but not all of a piece, being thwarted most of them by Stones of white Marble ' one end whereof rests upon one Pillar, and the other upon that which follows it; which was the support of the whole building. Upon the Gate, which is yet entire, are to be seen these words upon the front without.
Αἵδε Αθῆναι Θησέως ἦ πόριν πόλις.
The City of Athens was assuredly the City of Theseus.
Within-side of the same City these other words are Engrav'd.
Αἵδε Αθήναι Ἀδριανοῦ καὶ οὐχὶ Θητέως πόλις.
The City of Athens is the City of Adrian, and not of Theseus.
There are in Athens several other pieces of Antiquity which are well worthy to be seen.
Corinth, which formerly made such a noise in the world, is now a Village of some five or six and twenty houses, but all of them the Habitations of rich Greeks. The Town lies at the foot of the Castle, which is seated upon an inaccessible Rock guarded by the Greeks, commanded by an Aga. Corinth Exports great quantities of Currants.
Patras does the same, which is all the Trade of those two places.
Coron and Modon drive a Trade in Sallet-Oyl, which is so good and so plentiful, that several English, Dutch, and other Ships are load'n away with it from thence every year.
There are Consuls in Athens, Patras, Coron, Modon, and Napoli of Romania.
The