350 LARISSA TO TEMPE. 
CHAR Excepting that the defile is rather wider, and 
J expands more into the form of a valley at its 
IX 
the lofty niountains there, uses these words : ' Monies ita zitrinque 
ahscissi, ut vix despici sine vertigine quadam simul oculorum animique 
possint.' Pliny's words are not quite so strong: ' Ultra visum hominis 
ite attollere dtxtva Ictvaque leniter convexajuga.' 
" On the top of the mountains overhanging the narrow parts of the 
defile, on the side where Ossa rises, are the remains of antient forts. 
Here might be the spot where Livy says, * ten armed men could defend 
the Pass with ease.' Dec. v. lib.'w. In this part also is to be seen the 
inscription, first observed hy Dr. Clarke, cut in the rock; stating, 
that ' L. CAssius LONGiNUS FORTIFIED TEMPE.' In Searching different 
■writers, to see whether any mention is made of this person, I have 
been fortunate enough to find the following words in Julius Caesar 
(lib. iii. De Bella CiviliJ : ' L.Oissium Longinum in Thessaliam misit 
Ccesar.' There can be no doubt that this is the person alluded to: 
we are therefore in possession of another interesting fact, — the very 
age of the inscription. 
" The word Tempe, says Vossius (in Melam), from being applied 
to the Thessalian defile, was afterwards used when the Greeks spoke 4 
of narrow passes : thus, in Theophanes, the Passes of Taurus are called 
Ytfi-^fn TTii Kikix'ias- Anna Coinnena calls Tempe, Kkuiraij^ai ; a word 
employed by the Greeks now as meaning a defile. Another Byzantine 
liistorian, Georgius Acropolita, speaking of a Pass through which the 
Strymon flows, says, ' The common people call such places, KXiKrei^ai.' 
" Respecting the situation of the other part of Tempe, called the 
Valley, Pococke speaks in a very undecided manner. He doubts 
.whether it lies at the south-west entrace of the defile, near Baba; or 
at the north-east extremity. As I passed through Tempe in December, 
at a time when it was impossible to judge correctly of the natural 
beauties of the country, I shall not speak, from my own observations, 
more positively concerning this celebrated valley; but shall subjoin a 
valuable Note from the Journal of my friend Professor Palmer, who 
saw it in the spring of the year 1806, the most favourable season, as 
he was travelling southward from Salonica. From his statement, there 
can be little doubt that the valley was situated towards the north-eastern 
entrance of the Defile of Tempe- 
* May 
