318 STRAITS OF THERMOPYLAE. 
CHAP, where the Turkish dervtne is placed. At the 
viir. ^ 
V , / former, the traveller has the mountain close to 
him on one side, and a deep bog on the other. 
A handful of brave troops might therefore 
intercept the passage of the mightiest army that 
the Persian or any other Eastern empire ever 
mustered : and this we find they did ; until a 
Path over p^ith was poiutcd out for the troops of Xerxes, 
(Eta. which conducted his soldiers, by a circuitous 
route over the mountain, to the rear of the Gre- 
cian camp. The same path was also pointed out 
to us ' : it is beyond the hot springs, towards the 
north ; and it is still used by the inhabitants of 
the country, in their journeys to Salona, the 
antient j4mphissa. After following this path to a 
certain distance, another road branches from it 
towards the south-east, according to the route 
pursued by the Persians upon that occasion. 
The dejile, or strait, continues to a certain 
distance beyond the hot springs ; and then the 
road bears off, all at once, across the plain 
towards Zeitim. It is still paved in many places ; 
(1) "The Persians, says Procopius, found only one path over the 
mountains : now there are many and lar^e enouj^h to admit a cart 
or chariot ; — af^alirav irx'^ov ti olruv. ( I)e CE(tip. lib. iv.;" Jfalvole's 
MS. Journal. 
