REMARKS ON PARTS OF GREECE. 34# 



anciently called by the Boeotians " The Heads," by the Athenians 

 « The Heads of the Oak." . 



Three miles westward of the pass over Cithaeron, are the vestiges 

 of the towers and walls of the ancient Plataea ; about half way between 

 the descent from Cithaeron, and the remains of the city, is a low ridge 

 of heights extending in a north direction from the mountain, and 

 bounding the plain of Plataea to the eastward ; from either side of 

 this ridge is a descent*, on one side towards the sea of Corinth, on the 

 other towards the Euripus ; according to the position of the country, 

 the Asopus having its rise in Cithaeron discharges itself into the sea 

 of Eubcea, while another river which it may be conjectured was the 

 iEroe, also flowing from Cithaeron, has its course through the plain 

 of Plataea, passes before the city, and then falls into the gulf of Co- 

 rinth, near Livadostro. Both these rivers have separate branches in 

 the mountain, and the latter precisely forms the same sort of island, 

 so minutely described by the historian, lib. ix. 50. though its streams, 

 as those of other Grecian rivers, are merely torrents in the winter ; 

 the Asopus, rather more considerable, has stagnant pools in different 

 parts of its channel, even throughout the summer; on the left of 

 the road leading from the Three Heads to Plataea is a copious foun- 

 tain, which, during the summer months, supplies the villages Gon- 

 dara and Velia with water. It is now called Vergentiani, and was 

 perhaps the Gargaphia in Herodotus. Erythrae may have been 

 on the site of the village Pigadhia, and Hysiae on that of Gondara 

 and Velia. On the left bank of the Asopus, consisting of perhaps 

 thirty hours, is Scamino, which is supposed to have succeeded Tana- 

 gra in its situation; here are two inscriptions, which relate to Oropus, 

 whereas Oropus was on the other side of the river : while at Oropo, 

 which from its situation and name may be pronounced to be the an- 

 cient Oropus, are three or four marbles on which Tanagra is mentioned. 



* Consult Mr. Stanhope's Memoir and Plan relating to the country round Platasa. 



