ANTIOCH THE GLORIOUS 93 



and a greater number from the west, fine plateau, at a point where beautiful 



bringing the waters of Daphne to the streams of clear, cold water break forth 



gardens, fountains, and baths of the city, from the rocks. These fall in a series of 



Antioch was everywhere beautified cascades into the gorge below, where 



with statues in marble and bronze. It they unite into a torrent rushing away 



was the delight of the great who visited to the Orontes. 



the place to erect a statue, to dedicate a In the floor of this valley are numerous 



shrine, to build an aqueduct, or present little wooded islands, with green and 



a bath. It is said that there were so grassy shores. High banks of moss and 



many public buildings in the city that the ferns, with the streams of water spread 



poorer people had to live outside the out in lace-like falls, give to the place a 



walls or in one of the suburbs. deliriously cool and refreshing aspect. 



The size of the city was 30 by 36 stadia, I n former days the mountain sides 



equal to y/ 2 by 4 miles. St. Chrysostom were covered with forests, the plateau 



gives the population as 200,000, which was adorned with groves of cypress, and 



number did not include boys, girls, or the narrow valley was green with clumps 



slaves. It is, therefore, safe to say that of laurel. 



Antioch, with its immediate suburbs, was The Valley of Daphne is beautiful to- 



a city of half a million people. day in its abundance of water and its 



u wild tangle of moss and fern and over- 



THE MOST DELIGHTFUL PLACE OF THE ■ r> 1 t<Li 1 



wwnrr *apttt» running vines. But "the pleasantest cor- 



WHOLE LAK1H • ., ., ,, . , , . , 



ner in the earth it must have been when 



Passing through the city gate at the it was all in the order of a great wild 



western end of the great street, one fol- garden, graced with beautiful temples, 



lows the road through the suburb of peopled with nymphs and dryads, and 



Heraclea. This road follows the turn- veiled in the poetic mystery of Greek re- 



ings of the foothills. High on the left ligious fancy. 



rise the rugged mountains. Sloping away There has been some dispute as to the 

 on the right are green fields, beyond location of Daphne ; but to one who has 

 which winds the Orontes. This road was visited the place there can be no doubt, 

 once lined with beautiful gardens sur- The beauties of the valley itself are un- 

 rounding splendid villas, and kept fresh rivaled, and the ruins on every . hand 

 and flowering by abundant streams of would seem to mark the place beyond 

 water from the neighboring hills. At fre- question. 



quent intervals there were bubbling foun- At the very fountain head are the ruins 



tains, inviting the thirsty to refresh them- of some great building, perhaps the tem- 



selves, and wayside shrines, where the pie of Apollo. From this point a number 



weary could rest and the devout could of aqueducts lead away in the direction 



pay their devotions. of Antioch. 



Heraclea itself must have been a beau- The whole plateau is strewn with 



tiful suburb, located on rising ground, broken pieces of marble richly carved ; 



well supplied with water, and possessing granite columns are everywhere, project- 



a splendid view of the river valley and ing from the fields or built into the gar- 



the surrounding mountains. One did not den walls. The peasants' houses are 



stop at Heraclea long, however, but has- adorned with marble scrolls, ancient kev- 



tened on through rich gardens, past fine stones, or broken bits of decoration from 



houses and villas, to the wonderful Val- ancient palaces. One cannot but specu- 



ley of Daphne. late as to what lies buried a few feet 



This valley is about six miles from under the soil. But the heathen temple? 



Antioch. Ancient writers, praising its were destroyed with fire in Christian 



beauty, called it "the most delightful times; and terrible earthquakes long ago 



place of the whole earth," "the pleasant- reduced the magnificent buildings to heaps 



est corner in the earth," and "the garden of ruins. 



of Venus and the graces." A narrow What a show-place Daphne must have 



valley, descending between two high, been in its prime ! Apollo was the brother 



rocky mountains, broadens out into a of Diana, the goddess of the chase, who 



