REMARKS ON PARTS OF GREECE. 



341 



forming immediately a square reservoir, which connects also with 

 the Hercyna. 



Scripoo*, the ancient Orchomenus, is placed immediately on 

 the Lake Copais, at the foot of a mountain about seven miles east 

 of Livadea ; it may contain from three to four hundred in- 

 habitants. In the church and court of the convent of Scripoo 

 are many long and valuable inscriptions. Immediately at the 

 lower part of the rocky height above Scripoo, is a large block 

 of marble, supported by two upright walls, apparently the en- 

 trance of a building, f A perfect structure on a similar design now 

 exists at Mycenae, so that from a comparison of the two, it may be 

 fairly concluded, that one was the treasury of Atreus, the other of 

 Minyas; at Mycenae the building is of stone, at Orchomenus of 

 marble. In consequence of the excavations made by Lord Elgin, the 

 treasury of Atreus is a recent discovery ; previously to this, Mr. 

 Tweddell, who died at Athens in the midst of his researches^:, had 

 ingeniously conjectured, that the large stone at Scripoo, had once 

 formed part of the celebrated treasury of Minyas, and his opinion 

 has been since confirmed by the examination of that at Mycenae. 

 On the height above the village, are vestiges of the ancient walls of 

 Orchomenus, with a sort of citadel .on the summit of the mountain ; 

 the plan of it may be very accurately traced ; on the east side of the 



* " I rode up the hill, with difficulty, to the acropolis of Orchomenus, ascending a 

 slope which probably was the scene of Sylla's battle. The walls of the citadel are well 

 built, in the best style of masonry and without cement. The citadel is long and narrow, 

 adapted to the shape of the ridge ; a long flight of steps hewn in the rock leads to the 

 town, which extended in a triangular form down the lower part of the slope to the plain 

 below. The lake seems to have gained considerably on the land : on the eastern side it 

 came up to the foot of the mountain, and left but a small space in front." — From 

 Mr. Raikes. 



f The measures of the door-way and the great stone above it, were sent to the Editor, 

 by Mr. Hawkins. They are given in another part of this volume. 



X In medio flore interceptus, fructus quos ex doctrina ejus nobis certissimos spondeba- 

 mus, maturare et emittere non potuit. — Salmasius Praef. ad Tab. Cebetis. 



