M O R 



714 



M O R 



More*. Latin at Basil, in 1563, and at Louvain, in 1566. A 

 N - P "V / life of Sir Thomas More, by his son-in-law, Mr. Roper 

 of "VVellhall, in Kent, was published by Mr. Hearne, 

 at Oxford, in 1716. (z) 



MORE A, a peninsula of a very irregular form, 

 sometimes compared to the shape of a mulberry-leaf, 

 and joined to the Continent by a narrow neck of land, 

 called the Isthmus of Corinth, is situated between 36 

 29" and 38 30' North Latitude, and between 21 3ff, 

 Extent and and 24>0 f East Longitude from Greenwich. Its great- 

 subdivi- est extent, from the Gulf of Lepanto to Cape Matapan, 

 sions. is about 120 miles, and its greatest breadth 110; but 

 its coast is deeply indented by numerous gulfs, inlets, 

 and bays. It is divided into four provinces, namely, 

 Chiarenza, Belvidere, Tzakonia, and Romania Major. 

 In Chiarenza, which includes all Achaia Propria, the 

 principal places are Saraoalle, Triti, and Caminitza, 

 which are only inconsiderable villages. In Belvidere, 

 which contains Elis and Messenia, there are Larissa, 

 on a river of the same name; Chiarenza, (Cyllene, ) 

 at the bottom of a gulf of that name ; Tornese, a vil- 

 lage with a castle on an eminence near a cape of the 

 same name ; Gastouni, a considerable town south from 

 the river Peneus ; Callivi (supposed to be the ancient 

 Elis;) Belvidere, a considerable town in a delightful 

 situation; Rofeo, near the site of the ancient Olympia; 

 Arcadia, on the bay of the same name ; Navarim, with 

 a large commodious fort in its vicinity; Modon, a small 

 fortified trading town, with a good harbour ; Coron, a 

 little town, well defended, near a gulf of the same 

 name ; Messene, once the capital of Messenia., now a 

 small hamlet called Mavra-Matea, near Mount Vul- 

 cano ; and Calamatia, an open town on the river Stro- 

 mio. In Tzakonia, which includes Arcadia and La- 

 conia, are Misitra, near the ruins of ancient Sparta, 

 defended by a castle containing several public edifi- 

 ces ; Cyparissi, (Tyros,) on the Gulf of Napoli; Malva- 

 sis-Vecchia, a little town under a strong citadel, on a 

 small island connected with the Continent by a bridge, 

 from the neighbourhood of which place comes an ex- 

 cellent wine called Malvoisia or Malmsey ; Colokythia, 

 (Gythium, ) a small town on the west coast of a gulf so 

 named; Maina, a town and district on the north of Cape 

 Matapan, inhabited by an independent and warlike 

 tribe, called Mainotti or Mainottes, supposed by some 

 to be descendants of the Spartans, but who are more 

 probably sprung from some Sclavonian horde. Leon- 

 dari, a village on Mount Taygetus ; Trapolissa, which 

 may be regarded the modern capital of the Morea, 

 near the site of Tegda; Orchomenus, Phonia, and 

 Gardena. In Romania Major, which comprehends 

 Corinth, Sicyon, and Argos, are Corito, (Corinth) on 

 the high ground which looks down upon the gulf of 

 Lepanto ; Vasilica (Sicyon) containing a few mean 

 dwelling houses ; Staphlica ( Phlius) an inconsiderable 

 village at the foot of mount Gromo ; Vostitza ( jEgi- 

 um) a small place on the border of the gulf; Drepano, 

 a village with a harbour near the promontory of the 

 same name ; Patras, a trading town containing about 

 4000 inhabitants, to the westward of Lepanto ; Argo- 

 lis, a town of considerable extent, but without any 

 vestige of its ancient edifices; Agios, Adrianos, or 

 Charia, (Mycene) now a small hamlet; Nemea, where 

 there are some ruins of the ancient city of that name ; 

 Napoli di Romania, ( Nauplia) a trading town,"strongly 

 fortified with a spacious and secure harbour ; Pidavra 

 (Epidaurus) a little town in the recess of the gulf of 

 Argos, naturally strong; provided with a tolerable 

 port ; Damala, Castri, and Hydra, places of little note, 



except that the inhabitants of the last mentioned are More*, 

 remarked as excellent sailers. ^"Y'"'""' 



The present appearance of the Morea, as f;ir as re- 

 spects the natural features of the surf, -.PR, corresponds 

 very exactly with the description given of it in the 

 Itinerary of Pausanias ; but the country appears re- 

 markably diminutive, when contracted with the great 

 events in Grecian history. The -mountains of Greece Mountains, 

 are uniformly composed of limestone; and of that kind 

 of formation which is supposed to be peculiarly liable 

 to the phenomena of earthquakes. The valleys are vast 

 basons surrounded by circles of these mountains, and 

 the country is thus divided into a number of distinct 

 craters, each of which contains a spacious level area, 

 naturally fitted for a separate community. Its sur- 

 face is compared by Dr. Clarke to a number of saucers 

 with broken lips, placed together on a table. Except- Rivers, 

 ing the Pamesus, Cephisus, and Eurotas, the rivers of 

 the Morea are exhausted; and are nothing more than 

 little streams, with almost dry channels in summer, but 

 rapid torrents in winter. 



There are no Greek or Roman roads perceivable in Roads. 

 the Morea ; but only Turkish causeways about two 

 feet and a half in breadth, leading over the low marshy 

 spots; and these are sufficient for the horses of the 

 soldiery, or the asses of the peasantry, who rarely make 

 use of any wheel carriages. 



The climate, and the whole aspect of nature in th ^ limate 

 Morea, presents a harmonious uniformity, softness, and ant j ^-^ 

 repose, and the scenery is often beautiful. The soil in 

 the valleys is fruitful, and susceptible of every species 

 of culture ; and the mountains are covered with pas- 

 ture and medicinal herbs; but only a few of them, 

 particularly Helicon, are adorned with luxuriant shrubs, 

 and covered with thriving flocks. Rose-laurels, and 

 the Agnus Castus, with its long, pale, narrow leaf, and 

 purple woolly flower, are met with all over the coun- 

 try ; and are almost the only decorations of its now 

 solitary wastes. 



It would be a vain attempt to describe the remains jj u j nS) 

 of ancient arts and architecture in modern Greece; 

 where every species of destruction follows anether so 

 rapidly, that frequently one traveller can discover no 

 trace of the monuments, which another had admired, 

 but a few months before. 



The population of the Morea has been estimated by 

 some at 300,000, but the following is one of the most 

 recent computations, namely, 

 400,000 Greeks. 

 15,000 Turks. 

 4,000 Jews. 

 4,000 Mainottes. 





423,000. 



The history of this country from the dissolution of History 

 the Achaian league, B. C. 146, is connected with that Modern 

 of Rome ; and, after the fall of that empire, is to be Greece, 

 sought in that of Venice and Turkey. We notice at 

 present, only a few of the leading events in its state 

 and history, from the conclusion of its ancient annals, 

 given under the article GREECE, in this work. In the 

 civil wars of Rome, the Athenians espoused the cause 

 of Pompey, which they considered as that of liberty ; 

 while the Spartans adhered to the interests of Ca-sar, 

 and fought against Brutus at Philippi. Vespasian re- 

 duced Achaia to a Roman province, A. D. 79- The 

 laws of Lycurgus were still in force at Lacedsemon in 

 the reign of Domitian, A. D. 91. Adrian, A. D. 134, 

 rebuilt the fallen monuments of Athens, erected a new 



ot 



