THE 



it afttnvartis t-iihurges itfclf between mora(rcs formed by the 

 waters of the lea and almoll inaceeflible rocks, which termi- 

 nate the chain of mountains known by the name of Oeta. 

 After leaving Alpenus, a ftone is difcovered on the left, 

 confecrated to Hercules Melanpygiis, and a path prefents 

 itfelf that leads to the fumniit of the mountain. Farther 

 on, the traveller crofils a current of hot water, which gives 

 this place in name of Thermopylx. Next to this ftream is 

 the town of Anthela ; and in the plain which furrounds it 

 arc a finall eminence and a temple of Ceres, in whicli the 

 Aniphidyonj annually held one of their afTemblies. On 

 coming out of the plain there is a road, or rather caufcway, 

 only about feven or eight feel wide. Here the Phocians 

 had formiTly built a wall, to proteft their country from the 

 inroads of the Theffahans. After pafling the Phoenix, which 

 at lail falls into the Afopus, a river that rifes in an adjacent 

 valley, we come to the laft defile, half a plethrum ( i J or i6 

 yards) in breadth. The road then widens as far as Trachinia, 

 which takes its name from the city of Trachis, that was 

 inhabited by the Malians. This country prefents to the 

 view of the traveller extcnfive plains watered by the Sper- 

 chius and other rivers. To the £. of Trachis ftood the city of 

 Heraclea, wliich did not exifl in the time of Xerxes. The 

 whole ilrait, from the defile before we arrive at Alpenus to 

 that which is beyond the Phoenix, may be about 48 ftadia 

 (about 2 leagues) in length. Its breadth varies almoft at 

 every Hep ; but through its whole extent it is (hut in on one 

 fide by fteep mountains, and on the other by the fea, or im- 

 penetrable moralTes. The road is often deftroyed by the 

 torrents, or by ftagnant waters. Lconidas polled his little 

 army near Anthela, rebuilt the wall of the Phocians, and 

 difpatched a few advanced troops to defend the approaches. 

 But it was not fufficient to guard the paffage at the foot of 

 the mountain ; on the mountain itfelf there was a path, which, 

 beginning at the plain of Trachis, terminated, after various 

 windings, near the town of Alpenus. Leonidas entrufted 

 the defence of this path to the thoufand Phocians he had 

 with liim, and who took poft on the heights of mount Oeta. 

 As foon as thefe arrangements were completed, the army of 

 Xerxes was difcovered, fpreading itfelf over Trachinia, and 

 covering the plain with its innumerable tents. The Greeks 

 deliberated on the meafures proper to be adopted ; moft of 

 the generals were for retiring to the ifthmus ; but Leonidas 

 rejcAed this counfel. A Perfian horfeman was deputed to 

 reconnoitre the advanced poll of the Greeks, which was 

 oompofed of Spartans ; and as the reft of the ai-my vpas 

 concealed from him by the wall, he only gave an account to 

 Xerxes of the 300 men he had fcen at the entrance of the 

 defile. After various meflfages from Xerxes to Leonidas, 

 and the firm and calm replies of the latter, the Perfian" king 

 was enraged, and gave ordere for an attack. The Medes 

 ruihed on with fur)-, and one rank fell after another, while 

 the Greeks, preffing clofe againfl each other, and covered 

 with large bucklers, prefentcd an impenetrable front of long 

 pikes, and a phalanx which frcdi troops fucceffively in vain 

 attempted to break. At length the Medes were feized with 

 a panic, and fled ; but they were fpeedily relieved by the 

 chofcn body of the 10,000 immortals, commanded by Hy- 

 darnes. The adion now became more bloody ; but the 

 Greeks had the advantage of fituation, and fuperiority of 

 arms. The Perfians loft many men ; and Xerxes, witneff- 

 ing their flight, leaped, as it is faid, more than once from 

 his chanot,and trembled for thcirTate. Next dav the attack 

 was renewed, but with fo little 'fuccefs, that Xerxes def- 

 patred of forcing the palFage. At length Epialtes, an in- 

 habitant of thofe diftrifts, difcovered to him the fatal path 

 by which he might turn the Grecians ; and ferved as a guide 

 10 



T H E 



to Hydarnes and his corps of immortals, under whofe co';- 

 duct they arrived near the fpot where Leonidas had poited .i 

 detachment of his army ; and prepared to attack it. When 

 this dreadful news reached the Greeks, their leaders aflem- 

 bled. Some were for retreating, and others for remaining ; 

 but Leonidas declared for himfelf and his companions, that 

 they werS not permitted to quit a poft which Sparta had 

 confided to their care. In the middle of the night, the 

 Greeks, with Leonidas at their head, ilTued out of the de- 

 file, advanced tlirough the plain, overthrew the advanced pofts, 

 and penetrated to the tent of Xerxes, who had already taken 

 flight. They fpread over the camp, and glutted themfelves 

 with carnage. The Perfians were terrified and confufed, and 

 many of them perifhed by the hands of one another. At 

 length, with the dawn of day they difcovered the inconfi- 

 derable number of their viftors, and rallying, attacked the 

 Greeks on all fides. Leonidas fell beneath a ftiower of 

 darts ; and a contcft for the honour of carrying off his 

 body, occalioned a terrible conflicl between his companions 

 and the moft expert and hardy warriors of the Perfian army. 

 The Greeks, however, prevailed, and carried off their ge- 

 neral ; and having regained the defile, pofted themfelves on 

 an eminence, and for fome time continued to defend them- 

 felves. When Xerxes oftered to Leonidas the empire of 

 Greece, if he fubmitted to his power, he replied, " I 

 rather choofe to die free than to enflave my country." When 

 the king commanded him to furrender his anns, he wrote 

 the laconic anfwer, " come and take them." " The Perfians 

 are near us," faid one of his foldiers to Leonidas : " rather 

 fay," he coolly replied, " that we are near the Perfians." 

 See Leonidas. ' 



It has been a fubjeft of difpute what was the number of 

 Grecian troops under the command of Leonidas at Ther- 

 mopylae. Herodotus ftates them at 5100, Paufanias at 

 11,200, and Diodorus at 7400. The abbe Barthelemy at- 

 tempts to reconcile thefe different ftatements, and concludes, 

 upon the whole, that Leonidas had with him about 7000 men. 

 If we may credit Diodorus, he had no more than 500 fol- 

 diers when he determined to attack the Perfian camp. 



On the eminence to which the companions of Leonidas 

 retired after the death of their commander, there were fe- 

 veral monuments erefted by order of the AmphyiSlionic 

 council, in honour of the 300 Spartans, and the other Gre- 

 cian troops engaged in the combat. On one of thefe cippi 

 is infcribed, " Here four thoufand Greeks of Peloponnefus 

 fought againft three millions of Periians." 



THERMOSCOPE, an inftrument ftewing the changes 

 happening in the air with refpeft to heat and cold. 



The word thermofcope is generally ufed indifferently with 

 that of thermometer. There is fome difference, however, 

 in the literal import of the two ; the firft fignifying an in- 

 ftrument that ftiews or exhibits the changes of heat, &c. to 

 the eye ; formed from Sicfiv,, heaf, and o-kottei', video, I fee ; 

 and the latter an inftrument that meafures thofe changes, 

 from St-pi, ieat, Tind jx-lftiv, to meafure, on which foundatio'n 

 the thermometer ftiould be a more accurate thermofcope, &c. 

 This difference the excellent Wolfius taking hold of, defcribes 

 all the thermometers in ufe as thermofcopes ; fliewing that 

 none of them properly meafure the changes of heat. Sec. 

 none of them do more thjn indicate the fame. Though their 

 different heights yefterday and to-day fliew a difference of 

 heat ; yet, fince they do not difcover the ratio of yefterday '3 

 heat to to-day's, they are not ftriftly thermometers. 



THERONDELS, in Geography, a town of France, in 

 the department of the Aveiron ; 3 miles N.E. of Mur. 



THEROUANNE, a town of France, in the depart- 

 ment of the Straits of Calais, on tjje Lys. It was anciently 



the 



