Gell, William: The geography and antiquities of Ithaca (London, 1807)

22

that the house of Eumaeus was on the top of the precipice,
for Ulysses, in order to evince the truth of his story to the
swineherd, desires to be thrown from the summit if his nar-
ration does not prove correct.

Near the bottom of the precipice is a curious natural
gallery, about seven feet high, which is expressed in the
plate. It may be fairly presumed, from the very remark-
able coincidence between this place and the Homeric ac-
count, that this was the scene designated by the poet as
the fountain of Arethusa, and the residence of Eumasus ;
and perhaps it would be impossible to find another spot
which bears, at this day, so strong a resemblance to a poetic
description composed at a period so very remote. There is
no other fountain in this part of the island, nor any rock
which bears the slightest resemblance to the Korax of
Homer.

The stathmos of the good Eumaeus appears to have been
little different, either in use or construction, from thestagni
and kalybea of the present day.1 The poet expressly men-
tions that other herdsmen drove their flocks into the city

1 Od. 17, 170.