34 
CLARKE'S TRAVELS* 
combatants appear with their bodies oiled, having no other 
clothing than a tight pair of greasy leathern breeches. So 
much has been already written upon these subjects, that any 
further detail would be superfluous. Belon, in his interesting 
work, composed near three centuries ago, appropriated an en¬ 
tire chapter to a description of the Turkish wrestling matches.* 
The same observation is not applicable to t he hippodrome ; 
now called atmeidan , which also signifies the horse-course; 
because many erroneous statements have appeared with regard 
to the antiquities it contains, particularly the absurd story, 
generally propagated, concerning the blow given by Mahomet, 
with his battle ax, to the famous delphic pillar of three brazen 
serpents ; which, it is said, smote off the heads of one of them. 
This place preserves nearly the state in which it was left by 
the Greeks; and as no accurate view of it had been engraved, 
I accompanied an artist to the spot, that a faithful representa¬ 
tion might be here given. The mosque in front, near the obe¬ 
lisk, is that of Sultan Achmed; and the more distant one that 
of St. Sophia. Not a single object has been either added or 
removed, to interfere with the fidelity of the delineation :. 
every thing is represented exactly as it appeared to us at the 
time; although we were under some apprehension from the 
Turks, who will suffer nothing of this kind to be taken, with 
their consent. 
A representation of the hippodrome is given in bas-relief 
upon the base of the obelisk : by this it appears, there w r ere 
originally two obelisks, one at each extremity of the course. 
That which remains is about fifty feet in height, according to 
Tournefort,t of one entire block of Egyptian granite. The 
manner in which this immense mass was raised, and placed 
upon its pedestal, by the emperor Theodosius, is represented 
also, io a series of bas-reliefs upon its base. The workmen 
appear employed w ith a number of windlasses, all brought, by 
means of ropes and pulleys, to act at once upon the stone. 
and Xenophon calls this, {jTfoypatp'h. (DeCpri Inst.) The corn is now trod¬ 
den out by oxen or horses, in an open area, as in the time of Homer; (//. X. v. 495..)- 
and a passage of that poet, relating to fishing, would have been understood, if the com¬ 
mentators had known, that the Greeks, in fishing, let the line with the lead at the end 
run over a piece of horn fixed on the side of the boat; this is the meaning of xar’ 
d ypabKoio (3ooj xePccs kpfiifiauict. - (II. O- v. 81.) The flesh of the camel, which hears 
in taste a resemblance to veal, is now eaten by the Turks, a&also by the Arabians, on. 
days of festivity, as it was by the Persians in the time of Herodotus.(Clio.) 
Walpole's MS. Journal. 
* Be la Luicte de Turquie, chap, xxxviii. liv. iii. des Singular, observees par Belon , 
p. 201. Par. 1555. 
| Tournefort, lett. 12. According to Bondelmont, its height is fifty-eight feet; 
and this nearly coincides with the statement of Mr. liaBaway, who makes it equal to 
sixty. See Ball Constant, p. 67 
