DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.803#0024
18 THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
tainous, barren, and ill provided with water, but one
•of some importance to the Athenians, for the silver
mines which at one period in the history of the
republic were extensively worked, and probably are
not yet exhausted. We may reasonably suppose that
a large part of the extant silver coinage of Athens is
made of the precious metal procured from the mines
of Laurion. On the southern extremity of this pro-
jecting piece of land we find the remains of an old
Athenian fort; and included within the outer wall,
and on the very margin of the sea the ruins of a
temple of Athena. Fourteen columns still remain of
a dazzling whiteness, and hence the Italians have
given to the promontory the name of Capo Colonna.
The elevation on which the temple stands is about
three hundred feet above the level of the sea. It is
of the Doric order, hexastyle, and appears to be nearly
of the same date with the Parthenon.
The eastern boundary of the plain of the Cephisus
is, as we have stated, the range of Pentelicus and its
continuation Hymettus. The western limit is formed
by another offset from the range of Parnes running
south-west nearly parallel to the opposite range, and
terminating in the high land opposite to the island of
Salamis, which is here separated from the main land
by a very narrow channel. This range is traversed
by several passes, which lead from the plain of Athens
to that of Eleusis, commonly called the Thriasian
plain. The road from Athens to Eleusis, called the
Holy Way, ran over this ridge ; the part to the south
of the way was named iEgaleos, and is known in
Grecian story as the eminence under which Xerxes
sat to view the sea fight of Salamis. This offset from
Parnes, of which JEgaleos is the southern termination,
not only forms a natural boundary between the plains
of Athens and Eleusis, but shows also traces of an
old wall, once no doubt intended as a still further
tainous, barren, and ill provided with water, but one
•of some importance to the Athenians, for the silver
mines which at one period in the history of the
republic were extensively worked, and probably are
not yet exhausted. We may reasonably suppose that
a large part of the extant silver coinage of Athens is
made of the precious metal procured from the mines
of Laurion. On the southern extremity of this pro-
jecting piece of land we find the remains of an old
Athenian fort; and included within the outer wall,
and on the very margin of the sea the ruins of a
temple of Athena. Fourteen columns still remain of
a dazzling whiteness, and hence the Italians have
given to the promontory the name of Capo Colonna.
The elevation on which the temple stands is about
three hundred feet above the level of the sea. It is
of the Doric order, hexastyle, and appears to be nearly
of the same date with the Parthenon.
The eastern boundary of the plain of the Cephisus
is, as we have stated, the range of Pentelicus and its
continuation Hymettus. The western limit is formed
by another offset from the range of Parnes running
south-west nearly parallel to the opposite range, and
terminating in the high land opposite to the island of
Salamis, which is here separated from the main land
by a very narrow channel. This range is traversed
by several passes, which lead from the plain of Athens
to that of Eleusis, commonly called the Thriasian
plain. The road from Athens to Eleusis, called the
Holy Way, ran over this ridge ; the part to the south
of the way was named iEgaleos, and is known in
Grecian story as the eminence under which Xerxes
sat to view the sea fight of Salamis. This offset from
Parnes, of which JEgaleos is the southern termination,
not only forms a natural boundary between the plains
of Athens and Eleusis, but shows also traces of an
old wall, once no doubt intended as a still further