DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4098#0201
174 FOUNT KASSOTIS.
vegetable, which they did not know was palatable or wholesome,
was a circumstance of some importance to them.
The next spot which I was impatient to visit was the temple of
Apollo, at least the site of it; for the remains of this celebrated
edifice have vanished like a dream, leaving not a trace behind.
It was in the upper part of the town,1 and near a magnificent
theatre, which indeed was within its peribolos. The Grecian the-
atres are generally hewn out of the solid rock, and are therefore the
most indestructible of ancient monuments; I had reason to hope I
should find it, and that it would lead to the discovery of the temple :
but I was disappointed; as I could not discover any positive traces
of either one or the other. It appears that the far-famed temple of
Apollo must be sought for under the humble cottages of Kastri, as
the whole village probably stands within its ancient peribolos.
Pausanias says, that the temple contains a very large space, where
several roads meet; and that a fountain, called Kassotis, passes under
ground in a secret part of it; I therefore directed my steps towards
the rocks of Parnassos, in search of the fountain, and soon came
to a small stream, running towards the village. I was not re^
miss in exploring its source, which is situated near a large mass of
rock, and several vestiges of antiquity are scattered around. At
this spot the Turks have constructed a fountain, with a cistern, for
the purpose of collecting the waters, to which the washerwomen of
Kastri habitually resort. The adjacent ground exhibits some scat-
tered blocks of considerable magnitude, which render it probable
that the fountain was once sumptuously adorned. It is at present
called Kerna. A little above it are some ancient foundations, per-
haps the Lesche, which contained the paintings of Polygnotos.
The stream which issues from the spring, runs towards the middle
of the village ; Avhere it loses itself, imperceptibly, near the Agha's
house. There are several remains about this spot; and in the lower
part of this and some adjoining houses, are some fluted marble
frusta, of the Doric order, and of large dimensions.
1 Pausan. b. 10. c. 32.
vegetable, which they did not know was palatable or wholesome,
was a circumstance of some importance to them.
The next spot which I was impatient to visit was the temple of
Apollo, at least the site of it; for the remains of this celebrated
edifice have vanished like a dream, leaving not a trace behind.
It was in the upper part of the town,1 and near a magnificent
theatre, which indeed was within its peribolos. The Grecian the-
atres are generally hewn out of the solid rock, and are therefore the
most indestructible of ancient monuments; I had reason to hope I
should find it, and that it would lead to the discovery of the temple :
but I was disappointed; as I could not discover any positive traces
of either one or the other. It appears that the far-famed temple of
Apollo must be sought for under the humble cottages of Kastri, as
the whole village probably stands within its ancient peribolos.
Pausanias says, that the temple contains a very large space, where
several roads meet; and that a fountain, called Kassotis, passes under
ground in a secret part of it; I therefore directed my steps towards
the rocks of Parnassos, in search of the fountain, and soon came
to a small stream, running towards the village. I was not re^
miss in exploring its source, which is situated near a large mass of
rock, and several vestiges of antiquity are scattered around. At
this spot the Turks have constructed a fountain, with a cistern, for
the purpose of collecting the waters, to which the washerwomen of
Kastri habitually resort. The adjacent ground exhibits some scat-
tered blocks of considerable magnitude, which render it probable
that the fountain was once sumptuously adorned. It is at present
called Kerna. A little above it are some ancient foundations, per-
haps the Lesche, which contained the paintings of Polygnotos.
The stream which issues from the spring, runs towards the middle
of the village ; Avhere it loses itself, imperceptibly, near the Agha's
house. There are several remains about this spot; and in the lower
part of this and some adjoining houses, are some fluted marble
frusta, of the Doric order, and of large dimensions.
1 Pausan. b. 10. c. 32.