Ἠρίστησα μὲν ἰτρίου λέπτον ἀποκλὰς, Οἴνου δ᾽ ἐξέπιον κάδον. ----- Of beer, though, as we have elsewhere remarked, it was familiarly known to the Egyptians,[547] as well as to the inhabitants of Gaul, Spain, and Britain, who manufactured it from barley and service-berries, as the people of Dantzic now do from the hips of the wild roses,[548] we need say nothing, as the Greeks were so ignorant of its nature, that when the Ten Thousand met with a quantity in Armenia they diluted it with water as they were accustomed to do their wine, that is to say, entirely spoiled it.[549] The establishments of these vintners were almost of necessity most frequent in the neighbourhood of the agora,[550] where the rustics from the country congregated in crowds on market-days; where were held also, on many occasions, the public assemblies; and where newsmongers and loungers of every description most generally passed their leisure hours. ----- Footnote 547: Athen. x. 12. i. 61. Dioscor. ii. 110. Goguet. i. 231. Footnote 548: Voyages de la Comp. des Indes, i. 62. Footnote 549: Xenoph. Anab. iv. 5. Footnote 550: Cf. Plat. de Leg. t. viii. p. 114, seq. De Rep. t. vi. p. 176. Muret. ad Arist. Ethic. p. 415. ----- Making due allowance for difference of dimensions, and their greater or less magnificence, the same description will apply to the agoræ of all Grecian cities. But, as we are best acquainted with the features of that of Athens, if we can succeed in delineating a tolerably correct picture of it, some idea may, therefrom, be easily formed of all the others. We must imagine, therefore, a large circular open space,[551] about the centre of the city, surrounded on all sides by ranges of shops, temples, porticoes, and other public buildings.[552] It was traversed in various directions by avenues of plane-trees, planted shortly after the Persian war, which in summer constituted so many shady walks. About the middle stood the altars of Pity and the Twelve Gods, in a circle,[553] and near them were the statues of Harmodios and Aristogeiton,[554] the tyrannicides, whose memory was cherished by the republic with the most religious veneration. By far the greater part of the space, however, was covered by rows of sheds, booths, and tents, furnished with seats[555] (the construction of which formed a separate branch of industry),[556] where every article of use or luxury known to the ancient world was exhibited with the utmost attention to display. Here were the embroidered veils, and shawls, and mantles, and sandals, of the mercer’s quarter;[557] there the chains of gold, the armlets, the anklets, the jewelled circlets for the head, the golden grasshoppers, the seals, the rings, the agraffes, the brooches, the cameos, and every description of engraved gems which constituted the attractions of the jewellers’ quarter. Here were waggons piled with jars, and skins filled with wine;