and a half miles to the north of the large Turkish fortress of Seddul Bahr, which is situated close to the extreme point of the peninsula, and was built in the year 1070 of the Hegira, or 1658 A.D. The tumulus of Protesilaus lies near the further end of the small but beautiful valley of exuberant fertility, which extends between Seddul Bahr and Elaeus. This sepulchre, of which I give an engraving under No. 133, is not less than 126 mètres in diameter. It is now only 10 m. high, but as it is under cultivation, and has probably been tilled for thousands of years, it must originally have been much higher. In order to facilitate its cultivation, its west, south, and east sides have been transformed into three terraces, sustained by masonry, and planted with vines, almond-trees, and pomegranate-trees. The top and the northern slope are sown with barley, and also planted with vines, olive-trees, pomegranate-trees, and some beautiful elms, which last vividly called to my recollection the dialogue in Philostratus[1] between an ἀμπελουργός (vinedresser) and a Phoenician captain, in which the former speaks of the elm-trees planted round the tomb of Protesilaus by the Nymphs, of which he says that the branches turned towards Troy blossomed earlier, but that they also shed their leaves quickly and withered before the time.[2] It was also said that if the elms grew so high that they could see Troy, they withered away, but put forth fresh shoots from below.[3] Pliny certainly believed in this story, for he says,[4] "Sunt hodie ex adverso Iliensium urbis, juxta Hellespontum, in Protesilai sepulcro arbores, quae omnibus aevis, quum in tantum accrevere ut Ilium adspiciant, inarescunt, rursusque
- ↑ In Heroicis.
- ↑ Philostr. Heroica, ΙΙ. 1. Περὶ τῶν τοιούτων ἄκους, ξένε· κεῖται μὲν οὐκ ἐν Τροίᾳ ὁ Πρωτεσίλεως, ἀλλ᾽ ἐν Χεῤῥονήσῳ ταύτῃ, κολωνὸς δὲ αὐτὸν ἐπέχει μέγας οὑτοσὶ δήπου ὁ ἐν ἀριστερᾷ, πτελέας δὲ ταύτας αἱ νύμφαι περὶ τῷ κολωνῷ ἐφύτευσαν καὶ τοιόνδε ἐπὶ τοῖς δένδρεσι τούτοις ἔγραψαν που αὗται νόμον· τοὺς πρὸς τὸ Ἴλιον τετραμμένους τῶν ὄζων ἀνθεῖν μὲν πρωί, φυλλοῤῥεῖν δὲ αἰτίκα καὶ προαπόλλυσθαι τῆς ὥρας—
- ↑ Anthol. Pal. VII. 141, 385.
- ↑ Plin. H. N. XVI. 88.
