REMARKS ON PARTS OF (iREECK. 343 



anciently called by the Boeotians " The Heads," by the Athenians 

 " The lieads of the Oak." 



Three miles wcstwartl oi" the pass over Citha^ron, arc the vestiges 

 of the towers and walls of the ancient Platsea ; about half way between 

 the descent from Cithoeron, and the remains of the city, is a low ridge 

 of heights extending in a north direction from the mountain, and 

 bounding the plain of Plataea to the eastward ; from either side of 

 this ridge is a descent*, on one side towards the sea of Corinth, on the 

 other towards the Euripus ; according to the position of the country, 

 the Asopus having its rise in Cithseron discharges itself into the sea 

 of Euboea, while another river which it may be conjectured was the 

 JEroe, also flowing from Cithceron, has its course through the plain 

 of Plateea, passes before the city, and then falls into the gulf of Co- 

 rinth, near Livadostro. Both these rivers have separate branches in 

 the mountain, and the latter precisely forms the same sort of island, 

 so minutely described by the historian, lib. ix. 50. though its streams, 

 as those of other Grecian rivers, are merely torrents in the winter ; 

 the Asopus, rather more considerable, has stagnant pools in different 

 parts of its channel, even throughout the summer ; on the left of 

 the road leading from the Three Heads to Platoea is a copious foun- 

 tain, which, during the summer months, supplies the villages Gon- 

 dara and Velia with water. It is now called Vergentiani, and was 

 perhaps the Gargaphia in Herodotus. Erythree may have been 

 on the site of the village Pigadhia, and Hysiae on that of Gondara 

 and Velia. On the left bank of the Asopus, consisting of perhaps 

 thirty hours, is Scamino, which is supposed to have succeeded Tana- 

 gra in its situation ; here are two inscriptions, which relate to Oropus, 

 whereas Oropus was on the other side of the river : while at Oropo, 

 which from its situation and name may be pronounced to be the an- 

 cient Oropus, are three or four marbles on which Tanagra is mentioned. 



Consult Mr. Stanhope's Memoir and Plan relating to the country round Plata\i. 



