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APPENDIX L. 



' The ruins stand on a little hill, a mile or more from the 

 road. At the base of the hill runs a bright little mountain 

 stream. The ground for many acres is strewed and heaped 

 with squared stones, the debris of ancient buildings ; lines of 

 wall-foundations appear in every direction, and pillar bases in 

 rows or squares, arranged as though for the support of colonnades 

 surrounding courts or patios. The demolition is no doubt 

 largely due to spoliation, but it is also partly the result of the 

 unstable character of the mortar, which has to a great extent 

 weathered out from between the stones. In some of the walls 

 still standing the stones appear to retain their places by their 

 own weight rather than by the help of any cement that is left 

 to hold them together. Two perfect Eoman arches still remain, 

 and one or two nearly complete, but even these look as though 

 they might not long withstand the mountain winds. ' ' 



' In the present condition of the place it is impossible even to 

 guess what was the original ground-plan of the buildings. The 

 principal frontage appears to have had the west aspect, and there 

 is still the remnant of a sort of fagade. Amongst the fallen 

 stones of this front is part of an entablature which has borne 

 an inscription in four lines. We could only find 

 one stone of it ; and this bore the following letters, 

 about eight inches in height. There were the 

 shafts of many marble columns amongst the fallen 

 stones, and not a few capitals, some simple, others 

 more or less carved with volutes, Ionic fashion, and one at least 

 with the remnant of acanthus leaves, as though derived from a 

 Corinthian building. Some of the mouldings had the common 

 egg and arrow ornament, and there was a portion of a narrow 

 frieze on the western side with one of the common frets of 

 classic architecture formed of a double series of interlacing 



AXC 



PI A E 



BS I 



TI 



curved lines ; but beyond these there was but little decorative 

 sculpture. There is clearly a basement storey of very large 



' Tlie vigneUe is taken from a sketch by G, T. P.iddulpli, Ksq. 



