of the Grceco-Roman Era in certain ancient Sites of Asia Minor. 131 



The light breeze stirs the foliage in the rear ; 

 The clash of weapons bursts on Leo's ear! 

 Affright performs the dreaded javelin's part, 

 And deals the blow which rives his dastard heart : 

 To vain affright he yields his parting breath, 

 Unconscious of a wound, and sinks in death !" 



The author of the inscription has, as I conceive, availed himself of the inci- 

 dent of the discomfited army's betaking itself to the marsh, to represent its leader 

 as desirous of visiting the water-nymphs of the district, whom he appears to 

 have addressed in a mock style of supplication on behalf of this Ajax of the 

 East.* Nor should I omit to observe, that a very unusual epithet occurs in the 

 last verse but one, the nearest approximation I have found to which is the epithet 

 of the hare, in a poemt of Nicander, BepKevvrjs, so beautifully descriptive of the 

 particular habit it expresses. 



AepK€OKprj8efivoi is that to which I now allude, and which I beg permission to 

 translate, ogling through your veils ; for I regard it as applied to the nymphs, and 

 as intended to express a not unusual attribute of the sex, in which the classical 

 mythics have been pleased to rank these offsprings of their fancy. If this con- 

 jecture be well-founded, the restoration I have ventured to offer may, perhaps, 

 not be regarded as very far from the sense of the original composition. But 

 however this may be, there can be no question of the felicity of the epithet under 

 consideration. 



The inscribed monuments of Sardes, which was the next site I visited, are 

 not more numerous than those of Philadelphia. I am confident, however, that 

 excavations in the vicinity of that once splendid structure, usually called the 

 temple of Cybele, but of which only two columns have been left standing, would 

 bring to light much curious and interesting information ; I may add also, near 

 the Gerusia,J or Old Man's Asylum, in the ancient city. I must, however, 

 here remark, that I apply this name to the ruin to which I at present allude, 

 rather in accordance with the presumptions of most of those who have preceded 

 me in this route, than with my own belief. Mr. Arundell very naturally puts 



* Vid. Gibbon, ubi supr. Claudian. in Eutrop. ii. 386. Tunc Ajax erat Eutropii, S^c. 

 f Alexipharm. v. 67. J Vitruv. de Architect, ii. 8, p. 64. 



