DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.9840#0086
IV.] A THEATRE, COLUMNS, AND ANCIENT WALLS. 3*J
edifice are noticed : and a little to the eastward similar
fragments of columns indicate the sites of three or four
other buildings. Not far from these remains I found,
on a subsequent visit to the spot, a theatre, which, not
having been cut out of the living rock, as most of
the Greek theatres are, had lost, as it seemed to me,
about two-thirds of its original size, by the degrada-
tion of the soil above and around it: sufficient how-
ever remained to shew plainly that it was the theatre
of the ancient city. To the north of the monastery,
and at some little distance from it, near the edge of
the descent towards the gulf, are several pieces of co-
lumns, one of marble, and two fragments of a bas-
relief. Of the outer walls, on the southern and western
sides of the city, I saw something last night. From an
ancient entrance, which I then passed, on my way to
the monastery, they extend about 600 paces towards the
gulf, to the north-western point of the city : and, since
they are on the brow of the hill, all the ground within
their circuit is tolerably level. From the same en-
trance I also follow the wall in the eastern direction,
in which I find that it runs about 240 paces, accom-
modating its course to the nature of the ground, and
changing it so as to remain always close on the brow of
the descent. This part was the best preserved: a piece
of it was sketched, and is seen on the opposite page.
After these 240 paces the ground is rocky, and the
declivity of the hill becomes an escarpment, so that, per-
haps, the wall was never continued any further. From
the style of the remains I should suppose the construc-
tion of these walls to have taken place before the Roman
conquest of the island. Returning now to the north-
westerly point of the city, which is more than a mile
further up the gulf than the islet of Sudha, I find the
wall is continued, though but slight remains of it exist,
right along in a direction parallel to the shore, and ex-
tending, I should think, near three quarters of a mile.
Other traces of walls are also seen on the site, although
edifice are noticed : and a little to the eastward similar
fragments of columns indicate the sites of three or four
other buildings. Not far from these remains I found,
on a subsequent visit to the spot, a theatre, which, not
having been cut out of the living rock, as most of
the Greek theatres are, had lost, as it seemed to me,
about two-thirds of its original size, by the degrada-
tion of the soil above and around it: sufficient how-
ever remained to shew plainly that it was the theatre
of the ancient city. To the north of the monastery,
and at some little distance from it, near the edge of
the descent towards the gulf, are several pieces of co-
lumns, one of marble, and two fragments of a bas-
relief. Of the outer walls, on the southern and western
sides of the city, I saw something last night. From an
ancient entrance, which I then passed, on my way to
the monastery, they extend about 600 paces towards the
gulf, to the north-western point of the city : and, since
they are on the brow of the hill, all the ground within
their circuit is tolerably level. From the same en-
trance I also follow the wall in the eastern direction,
in which I find that it runs about 240 paces, accom-
modating its course to the nature of the ground, and
changing it so as to remain always close on the brow of
the descent. This part was the best preserved: a piece
of it was sketched, and is seen on the opposite page.
After these 240 paces the ground is rocky, and the
declivity of the hill becomes an escarpment, so that, per-
haps, the wall was never continued any further. From
the style of the remains I should suppose the construc-
tion of these walls to have taken place before the Roman
conquest of the island. Returning now to the north-
westerly point of the city, which is more than a mile
further up the gulf than the islet of Sudha, I find the
wall is continued, though but slight remains of it exist,
right along in a direction parallel to the shore, and ex-
tending, I should think, near three quarters of a mile.
Other traces of walls are also seen on the site, although