DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.959#0129
•87I-]
VIEW OF THE.PLAIN OF TROY.
69
the latter, on the promontory itself, is the village of Ye-
nishehr. The Plain, which is about two hours' journey in
breadth, is thence bounded on the west by the shores of
the yEgean, which are, on an average, about 131 feet high,
and upon which we see first the sepulchral mound of
Festus, the confidential friend of Caracalla, whom the
Emperor (according to Herodian, IV.) caused to be poisoned
on his visit to Ilium, that he might be able to imitate the
funeral rites which Achilles celebrated in honour of his
friend Patroclus, as described by Homer {Iliad, XXIII.).
Then upon the same coast there is another sepulchral
mound, called Udjek-TtpS, rather more than 78^ feet in
height, which most archaeologists consider to be that of the
old man iEsyetes, from which Polites, trusting to the swift-
ness of his feet, watched to see when the Greek army would
set forth from the ships.* The distance of this mound
from the Greek camp on the Hellespont is, however, fully
3 i hours, whereas at a distance of a quarter of an hour a
man cannot be seen. Polites, moreover, would not have
required to have been very swift-footed to have escaped at
a distance of 3^ hours. In short, from the passage in the
hiad this tomb cannot possibly be identified with that of
^syetes, whether the site of ancient Troy be assigned to
the heights of Bunarbashi or to Ilium, where I am digging,
between the last-named mounds we see projecting above
Ae high shores of the iEgean Sea the island of Tenedos.
Homer, Iliad, II. 790-794 :—
'Ayxov 8' ltTTan*v7) irpo&cipTi v6Sas qjkco 'Ipis'
EftraTo 8€ <j>9oyyT)t/ vVi llptdfioio T1o\Itt},
Os Tpwuy (Tkoit6s T£e, jroSw/eeijjo"! weTroiS&s,
Tvpficf) eir' aKpordrtp AtVu^Tao yepovros,
Ac-y^yos 6mr6T( vavtyiv a<pop/4Tid&v 'Ax^tot—
' Swift Iris stood amidst them, and the voice
Assuming of Polites, Priam's son,
The Trojan scout, who, trusting to his speed,
Was posted on the summit of the mound
Of ancient vEsyetes, there to watch
Till from their ships the Grecian troops should march—"
VIEW OF THE.PLAIN OF TROY.
69
the latter, on the promontory itself, is the village of Ye-
nishehr. The Plain, which is about two hours' journey in
breadth, is thence bounded on the west by the shores of
the yEgean, which are, on an average, about 131 feet high,
and upon which we see first the sepulchral mound of
Festus, the confidential friend of Caracalla, whom the
Emperor (according to Herodian, IV.) caused to be poisoned
on his visit to Ilium, that he might be able to imitate the
funeral rites which Achilles celebrated in honour of his
friend Patroclus, as described by Homer {Iliad, XXIII.).
Then upon the same coast there is another sepulchral
mound, called Udjek-TtpS, rather more than 78^ feet in
height, which most archaeologists consider to be that of the
old man iEsyetes, from which Polites, trusting to the swift-
ness of his feet, watched to see when the Greek army would
set forth from the ships.* The distance of this mound
from the Greek camp on the Hellespont is, however, fully
3 i hours, whereas at a distance of a quarter of an hour a
man cannot be seen. Polites, moreover, would not have
required to have been very swift-footed to have escaped at
a distance of 3^ hours. In short, from the passage in the
hiad this tomb cannot possibly be identified with that of
^syetes, whether the site of ancient Troy be assigned to
the heights of Bunarbashi or to Ilium, where I am digging,
between the last-named mounds we see projecting above
Ae high shores of the iEgean Sea the island of Tenedos.
Homer, Iliad, II. 790-794 :—
'Ayxov 8' ltTTan*v7) irpo&cipTi v6Sas qjkco 'Ipis'
EftraTo 8€ <j>9oyyT)t/ vVi llptdfioio T1o\Itt},
Os Tpwuy (Tkoit6s T£e, jroSw/eeijjo"! weTroiS&s,
Tvpficf) eir' aKpordrtp AtVu^Tao yepovros,
Ac-y^yos 6mr6T( vavtyiv a<pop/4Tid&v 'Ax^tot—
' Swift Iris stood amidst them, and the voice
Assuming of Polites, Priam's son,
The Trojan scout, who, trusting to his speed,
Was posted on the summit of the mound
Of ancient vEsyetes, there to watch
Till from their ships the Grecian troops should march—"