1936 On the Continent

Macedonians, it revolted and was almost completely destroyed in 336 B.C. by Alexander the Great.
    Excavations have fixed the site of the palace of Cadmus, the traditional founder of the city.
    Its museum, situated near a large Frankish tower, is worth visiting. It contains beautiful sculptures, three very remarkable funerary steles of black stone, and other important findings. In its courtyard are several inscriptions and the cast of the lion of Chaeronea.
    C HALKIS AND E RETRIA . By bus via Thebes (65 miles) or by railway from Larissa station to Chalkis in 2½ hours; thence by car to Eretria (14½ miles).
    Chalkis is a pretty town of 20,000 inhabitants, situated to the north of Athens, on the island of Euboea, at the narrowest point of the Channel of Euripos, which separates Euboea from Boeotia. A swing bridge joins the two banks of this channel, noted for its phenomenal tides, whose flow may attain a rate of 6 miles per hour.
    The “sights” of the town are an ancient mosque and the church of Aghia Paraskevi—an ancient Byzantine basilica transformed by the crusaders into a Gothic cathedral. A small museum contains the archaeological objects found in the region.
    Hotels, restaurants and cafés on the quay.
    E RETRIA to-day only a village of 1,600 inhabitants, used to be a town of considerable size. It was destroyed by the Persians in 490 B.C. The ruins of its buildings are scattered in the village and in the neighbourhood. Worthy of note are the ruins of the Temple of Apollo, and especially the theatre. The centre of the orchestra of the latter communicated with the stage by means of an arched passage serving for the appearance of personages from the infernal world.
Suggested Trips from Athens
    While the roads throughout Greece are not to be compared to the excellent English roads, there are some good automobile roads, while others are rapidly being improved and put into first-class condition.
    All points of interest mentioned in the following pages can be visited without undue hardships, and the natural scenery, ruins of the past, and the bracing air of Greece will be ample recompense.
    D ELPHI . Starting from Athens one may reach Delphi by bus (163 kilometres) or by train to Gravia station (5 hours), and thence by car (57 kilometres), or by unpretentious little steamers from Piraeus to Itea (7 hours’ night trip) and thence by car (19 kilometres).
    Delphi is an ancient sanctuary of Apollo lying on the south slopes of Mount Parnassus at an altitude of 2,000 feet, in a wonderful and austere setting that makes a deep impression on the visitor.
    Here was the oracle of the Pythia, whose prophecies were famous throughout the ancient world.
    Excavations have unearthed the ruins of many monuments, the temple of Apollo, the theatre, and rare masterpieces of sculpture that are housed in a museum.
    Good accommodation is to be had at the local hotels.
    O LYMPIA is located at the junction of the rivers Cladeus and Alpheus to the east of the town of Pyrgos, in Western Peloponnesus. It can be reached either by rail from Athens (13½ hours) or Patras (5¼ hours), or by car all the way from Athens (330 kilometres) through Corinth and Tripolis.
    Unlike Delphi, the landscape of Olympia is idyllic, and its serenity fills the soul of the visitor with a blissful happiness.Here in this ancient and honoured sanctuary the Olympic games, the best-known of all the ancient games, originated and were held once in every four years.
    Excavations have brought to light, in addition to the ruins of the temple of Zeus and of other interesting monuments, exquisite masterpieces of art, such as the statues of Hermes by Praxiteles, of Victory by Paeonius, and the pediments and metopes of the temple of Zeus, all of which are kept in the local museum.
    Visitors are accommodated at the railway hotel.
    A NCIENT C ORINTH . The ruins of that famous city of the ancient world are situated upon an elevated terrace to the west of modern Corinth, with which it is connected by a road 7 kilometres long. Modern Corinth may be reached from Athens by rail or car (86 kilometres).
    The chief points of interest are the temple of Apollo, the fountain of Peirene, the Agora with its main street, the Odeum, the theatre, and also the museum, which has recently been constructed.
    Excavations are still being conducted by the American School of Classical Studies at Athens. A climb to the summit of Acro-Corinth (altitude 1,885 feet) is well recommended.
    M YCENAE , in