328 FROM THE STRAITS OF THERMOPYLAE 
now presented itself; and at almost an equal 
depth below us, to that before mentioned. It 
was the Plain of Pharsalia, so renowned 
for the great battle between the armies of 
Julius Ccesar and Pompey, when twenty-four 
thousand soldiers of Pompeys army were made 
prisoners of war. It was fought on the twelfth 
of May, forty-eight years b. c. The pleasure 
of beholding this magnificent prospect was 
greatly diminished by our want of knowledge 
of other objects. The eye roamed over distant 
summits, as if it surveyed a world of moun- 
tains : but our guides were so ignorant, that 
they could not tell us one of their names ; and 
we might have attempted in vain to form con- 
jectures of them by the wretched maps which 
exist of all this country. Soon afterwards it 
became dark ; and the rest of our journey this 
day proved so fatiguing, that it was with much 
ado we could sit upon our horses to reach the 
end of it. A long, laborious, and difficult 
descent was to be got over. After many an 
anxious inquiry of our guides concerning the 
distance yet remaining to our place of rest, 
about two hours after darkness began, the 
Pharsa. iHumiuated minarets of Pharsalus ', now called 
(1) oapSAAGS, ffcAff QnnrccXia;, X. T. X. Stephanus De Urhihus, 
-p. G9I. ed. Cronoiii. 
