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REMARKS 



ON 



PARTS OF THE CONTINENT OF GREECE. 



[FROM THE PAPERS OF THE LATE COLONEL SQUIRE.] 



The chief communications between Athens and the neighbouring 

 districts, were across Cithaeron into Boeotia; by Decelea, through 

 Tanagra to Euboea ; into the Peloponnesus by Eleusis and Megara. 



In the first route, one traverses the plain of Athens, through the 

 olive grounds, to the foot of Parnes, a distance of about seven miles from 

 the city. After an hour's gentle ascent over a rugged road in the moun- 

 tain, on an abrupt isolated rock, a short distance to the left, the strong- 

 hold*, Phyle, often mentioned in the history of Athens, is observed. 

 Having crossed Parnes, you reach a small plain, in which are the ruins 

 of Eleutherae-, then the road ascends Cithaeron, through a narrow 

 rock and winding gorge, on which are the remains of an ancient 

 fortress in a very commanding situation. From the summit of 

 Cithaeron, by the road called the Three-heads, is the descent into the 

 plain of Boeotia, a distance of seven hours from Athens, in a north 

 west direction. 



The Athenians derived a great part of their supplies from Euboea ; 

 the route was to the north of Athens, between Pentelicus and 

 Parnes : and here was the strong fort Decelea. -j- From Attica, there 



* ippovpiov o^vpo'v. Stephanus ; see Corsini F. A. Diss. v. 



f "Decelea, according to Thucydides, was about 120 stadia from Athens; that is, 

 20 stadia further fiom Athens than Phyle (Diodorus, torn. i. 667- Wesseling), and in a 

 different direction, being on the other side of Parnes, for it was on the road to Oropus, 

 and interrupted the communication by land between Athens and Eubcea. There is some 



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