STRAITS OF THERMOPYL.'E. 317 
with all the attention due to the most solemn 
truths. And, at this distance of time, a new in- 
terest is given to the most beautiful productions of 
the Grecian drama, when we know that the Poet, 
in his descriptions, did not merely delineate an 
ideal picture, but that he adapted the mytholo- 
gical tales of his country to the actual features 
of its geography, and to its existing characte- 
ristical phsenomena. We have before shewn that 
the antiquities oiMycence were made subservient 
to his plan of the Electra ; and perhaps it will 
hereafter appear, as Greece becomes better 
known, that the observations we have now 
made, respecting the Trachinice, may be ex- 
tended to all the other productions of his Muse. 
The nature of this narrow pass at THERMOpyL^E Mature of 
the Pass of 
has been sufficiently explained : it is owing Thermo- 
entirely to the marshy plain which lies at the 
foot of a precipitous part oi Mount (Eta, between 
the base of the mountain and the sea. This 
marsh never having been drained, is, for the 
most part, one entire bog; and there is no possi- 
bility of obtaining a passage by land along the 
shore, from south to north, or rather from south- 
east to north-west, excepting over the paved cause- 
wai) here described. The most critical part of 
the Fass is at the hot springs, or at the bridge 
