Ruins of Ancient Cities (Vol. 1 of 2): With General and Particular Accounts of Their Rise, Fall, and Present ConditionBucke, Charles
History
Ruins of Ancient Cities (Vol. 1 of 2): With General and Particular Accounts of Their Rise, Fall, and Present Condition
Bucke, Charles
Cities and towns, Ancient
Pococke says, "There are no remains of the ancient city, all being
destroyed, and the ground occupied by gardens and vineyards." "We
visited the site of Chalcedon," says Dr. Clarke, "of which city scarcely
a trace remains; landing also upon the remarkable rock, where the
light-house is situate, called the tower of Leander. The Turks call it
the 'Maiden's Castle;' possibly it may have been formerly used as a
retreat for nuns, but they relate one of their romantic traditions
concerning a princess, who secluded herself upon this rock, because it
had been foretold she should die by the bite of a serpent, adding, that
she ultimately here encountered the death she sought to avoid[190]."
NO. XXVI.--CHÆRONEA.
A city in Boeotia, greatly celebrated on account of a battle fought near
it between Philip of Macedon and the Athenians.
The two armies encamped near Chæronea. Philip gave the command of his
left wing to his son Alexander, who was then but sixteen. He took the
right wing upon himself. In the opposite army the Thebans formed the
right wing, and the Athenians the left. At sunrise the signal was given
on both sides. The battle was bloody, and the victory a long time
dubious; both sides exerting themselves with astonishing valour. At
length Philip broke the sacred band of the Thebans[191], which was the
flower of their army. The rest of the troops being raw, Alexander,
encouraged by his example, entirely routed.
The conduct of the victor after this victory shows that it is much
easier to overcome an enemy than to conquer one's self. Upon his coming
from a grand entertainment which he had given his officers, being
equally transported with joy and wine, he hurried to the spot where the
battle had been fought, and there, insulting the dead bodies with which
the field was covered, he turned into a song the beginning of the
decree, which Demosthenes had prepared to excite the Greeks to war, and
sang thus, himself beating time; "Demosthenes the Peanian, son of
Demosthenes, has said." Everybody was shocked to see the king dishonour
himself by this behaviour; but no one opened his lips. Demades, the
orator, whose soul was free, though his body was a prisoner, was the
only person who ventured to make him sensible of the indecency of this
conduct, telling him--"Ah, sir, since fortune has given you the part of
Agamemnon, are you not ashamed to act the part of Thersites?" These
words, spoken with so generous a liberty, opened his eyes, and made him
turn inward; and so far from being displeased with Demades, he esteemed
him the more for them, treated him with the utmost respect, and
conferred upon him all possible honours.
The bones of those slain at Chæronea were carried to Athens; and
Demosthenes was charged with composing a eulogium, for a monument
erected to their memory:--
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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