22 PLAIN OF MARATHON. 
accounts, appears to have been of wood': but 
there are confused relations concerning it; 
and the tradition of its fall from heaven refers 
rather to its meteoric origin, as an Aerolite, or 
atmospheric stone. It was worshipped by the 
antient inhabitants of TauricaCliersonesus, under 
the name of Orsiloche ; and was called 
by the Greeks, the Dcpmon Virgin, or Diana^. 
When Iphigenia fled from Taurica Chersonesus, 
the Athenians maintained that this image was 
brought by her to Brauron. Here it remained 
until Xerxes conveyed it to Susa; whence it was 
again removed by Seleucus, and given to the 
Laodiceans o^ Syria; in whose possession it con- 
tinued so late as the second century of the 
Christian sera'. 
Antiquities Leaviuo- Bruuron, we beojan our search after 
mtheP/am p / ® 
of Mara- tlic Tcmaius of auticut monuments, tombs, and 
thon. 
(1) To ^ouMov oi ixiHio nvai kiyttKrin, o "Xdti xai 'Ofiffrr,; xa.) 'i(pi'yiviici ix Tri; 
"Xaufixri; IxxX'frrouiriv. Poiisanics Lacofiica, c. xvi. p. 248. Lips. 1696. 
(2) See Vol. I. of these Travels, p. 217, Note 2, Octavo Edit. There 
weremany instances of a similar reverence being; entertained (or Meteoric 
Stones among the Antients. We find them described as " Images 
that fell from Jupiter." There was an " image" of this description 
in the Temple at Ephesus. (See Jets xix. 35.) Another was 
preserved at ^gos Potamos, where it originally fell: and, accordiii'' 
to some authors, the Palladium of antient Ilium was of this nature, 
although by others described as a wooden image. 
(3) Vid. Paiwan. ubi supra. ^Axt.Kuhnii. Lips. 1696. 
