DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.5541#0056
28
PATRAS.
[Chap. ii.
after which he retired with the captain to the boat, when a
crowd of hungry porters rushed upon our goods like harpies,
and carried them off to the Locanda. We felt that we were
now in Greece, the die was really cast, and we could not
return to the civilization of Europe without undergoing the
ordeal of quarantine.
The town of Patras was entirely destroyed during the war;
and the neighbouring plains, which produced much w
passa, were completely devastated; but the town was now
rapidly recovering. Long lines of streets were marked out,
crossing each other at right angles, and many a well-filled
shop offered its wares for sale. Yet good houses were scarce,
and there were many hovels built of mud, or of bricks baked
in the sun. The town is commanded by a castle, erected by
the Venetians upon the ruins of some Roman buildings, in
which the Turks were besieged for several years. Near it
is a small Venetian church, which had been converted into
a mosque, and subsequently by the Greeks into a block-
house. A cross fire was kept up from these two places
for a long time, and the church is still in ruins. The view
from the terrace of the English consul's house, overlooking
the town, the sea, and the mountains of Acarnania and
Albania, was very beautiful. On the sea-shore is the
church of St. Andreas, said to be built upon the site of a
temple of Ceres, remarkable for a well of fresh water close
to the sea. This well appears to be in the same state
as when described by Pausanias.* The heat was still ex-
cessive for the time of year; in our room, with all the shut-
ters closed, the thermometer stood at 81° Fahr. at half-past
1 P.M.
Later in the day we visited the remains of a handsome
Roman aqueduct, raised on two rows of arches in the hills,
by which water was conveyed along a distance of four miles.
Other Roman ruins were pointed out to us in the more im-
mediate neighbourhood of the town, but in such a dilapidated
* Acli. lil). vii. c. 21.
PATRAS.
[Chap. ii.
after which he retired with the captain to the boat, when a
crowd of hungry porters rushed upon our goods like harpies,
and carried them off to the Locanda. We felt that we were
now in Greece, the die was really cast, and we could not
return to the civilization of Europe without undergoing the
ordeal of quarantine.
The town of Patras was entirely destroyed during the war;
and the neighbouring plains, which produced much w
passa, were completely devastated; but the town was now
rapidly recovering. Long lines of streets were marked out,
crossing each other at right angles, and many a well-filled
shop offered its wares for sale. Yet good houses were scarce,
and there were many hovels built of mud, or of bricks baked
in the sun. The town is commanded by a castle, erected by
the Venetians upon the ruins of some Roman buildings, in
which the Turks were besieged for several years. Near it
is a small Venetian church, which had been converted into
a mosque, and subsequently by the Greeks into a block-
house. A cross fire was kept up from these two places
for a long time, and the church is still in ruins. The view
from the terrace of the English consul's house, overlooking
the town, the sea, and the mountains of Acarnania and
Albania, was very beautiful. On the sea-shore is the
church of St. Andreas, said to be built upon the site of a
temple of Ceres, remarkable for a well of fresh water close
to the sea. This well appears to be in the same state
as when described by Pausanias.* The heat was still ex-
cessive for the time of year; in our room, with all the shut-
ters closed, the thermometer stood at 81° Fahr. at half-past
1 P.M.
Later in the day we visited the remains of a handsome
Roman aqueduct, raised on two rows of arches in the hills,
by which water was conveyed along a distance of four miles.
Other Roman ruins were pointed out to us in the more im-
mediate neighbourhood of the town, but in such a dilapidated
* Acli. lil). vii. c. 21.