314 
STRAITS OF THERMOPYL^. 
CHAP. 
VIII. 
Of the 
Pyla; and 
2'hermcs, 
small narrow stone bridge, which marks the 
' most important point of the whole passage ; 
because it is still occupied by sentinels, as in 
antient times ; and is therefore, even now, con- 
sidered as the ITTAAI of the southern provinces. 
The ThermcEi or hot springs, whence this defile 
received the appellation of Thermopyl^, are 
at a short distance from this bridge, a little far- 
ther on, towards the north': the old paved 
causeway leads to those springs, immediately 
after passing the bridge. They issue princi- 
pally from two mouths at the foot of the lime- 
stone precipices of (Eta, upon the left of the 
causeway, which here passes close under the 
mountain, and on this part of it scarcely admits 
two horsemen abreast of each other; the morass 
upon the right, between the causeway and the 
sea, being so dangerous, that we were near 
being buried with our horses, by our impru- 
dence in venturing a few paces into it from the 
paved road. These springs, formerly sacred to 
Hercules-, are still called Therms. They are 
half way between Bodonitza and Zeitun. We 
(1) " In ipsis faucibus." Livius. 
(2) All liol springs and warm baths were sacred to Hercules ; but 
those of the Pass of Thermopijlce were especially consecrated to him j 
and all the surrpundin^ country was rendered illustrious by his history. 
This appears particularly from the Tracldnia of Sophocles j refe- 
rences to which have been already made. 
