APPENDIX D. (2.)
From the Encyclopedia Britannica, Vol. II., 1880, Article,
"Helicon." (Extract.)
Helicon, a mountain, or more strictly a mountain range,Bœotia, in ancient Greece, celebrated in literature as the favorite haunt of the Muses, is situated between Lake Copais and the Gulf of Corinth. On the fertile eastern slopes stood a temple and grove sacred to the Muses, and adorned with beautiful statues, which, taken by Constantine to beautify his new city (Constantinople), were consumed there by fire in 404 A. D. Hard by sparkled the famous fountains of poetic inspiration, Aganippe and Hippocrene, the latter fabled to have gushed from the earth at the tread of the winged horse Pegasus, whose favorite browsing place was there. At the neighboring Ascra dwelt the ancient Hesiod, a fact which probably enhanced the poetic fame of the region. Pausanias, who describes Helicon in his ninth book, asserts that it was the most fertile mountain in Greece, and that neither poisonous plant nor serpent was to be found in it, while many of its herbs possessed a marvellous healing virtue. The highest summit, the present Paleovuni (old hill), rises to the height of about 5,000 feet. Modern travelers, aided by ancient remains and inscriptions, and guided by the local descriptions of Pausanias, have succeeded in identifying many of the ancient classical spots. For details of modern research, see Clarke's Travels in Various Countries, Leake's Northern Greece, etc.
