tinguifhed, except by its lively eyes- It was fmall, and in
lhape like a toad; the belly of an .ugly pale, fpeckled, the
hinder legs long. The toes, which are clammy, enable it to
raife or let down its body, as it .occafionally does, fometimes
hanging by one foot,, and t o . travel without danger over the
bending foliage. It.was unwieldy and inadive. On our fhak-
ing thg bough to put it in ,motion, it fell to the ground, tired
perbgps with a former exertion j and lay as dead. ; Its. chirping
or fllence are fai$ to be among the prognoflics of changes-in the
weather. The Greeks p a llit Spordaca. The fpecies is mentioned
by Pliny.
In two hours we came to a village named Pyrgo, from a houfe
in it with a tower.' Upon a mount on |the right hand was a
caftte, called Katacoli, near which veffels.of burthen are laden,;j
at thejiort, it is likely, mehloned as fifteen miles from Olynipia.
The whole plain from Elis.affords but fcanfy fhade.’ Sheds,
covered with boughs, are the fhekerdpf j&;*cattleuat-.a»qon!
T % | p e a ^ s ; wgre. .hufy at: their harYeft-work, T h e - whfiat-
fh^yea.- were coileded about. ,th* floors * and y*or%, running
abreaft round a flake, were treading out the grain. The habitations
were very mean, chiefly low .mud-built huts,.many.*of
ai1 QYHl .afence, before them. - We Raided . at Pytgp’
_in a.gard^n, whilejoqr men procuired.bread/and .Other neqeflaries,
fl h^iflg (that our next., Qpuac, ^ refljng-plaqe would be
deft^.ute of every thing.,
\Vhen[ the heat.pf nopn wa^.oyer, we crQfleti a hHlycquntty,
and, bad fregu^t^iew;? pifJhe. Eophia or Alphas» at*, diftauce,
to diflinguifh it %pqj thatjamrer Efis, which, w^sia the jplain,^
The track by the tjank o f the river, was deep-worn in a ridge of
the mountain. From it we tprned to the left. up> a «alley,
which there becomes more con traded 5 and in'about four hours
wpye near a p in . V& fet, and,we pitched our tent
in a field, which had been fown with corn.
Here
Here gnats fwarmed around us innumerable, infefting us,
ifipoffible, more terribly,.- than-ever- before. We endeavoured
tQs fleep, in vain. Our Greeks too called on their Panagia,
but were not relieved« It is 'related, Jupiter qn a like petition
from Hercules, whom they molefted while facrificing at Olympia,
drove them all beyond the river; from which exploit he
acquired .the title df Apomuius or the iFIy^expeUer : and the
Eleans, at the feafon of the Games, invoked him,- facrificing a
bulk^ when, it is faid, the gnats all perifhed; or, which is
recorded as extraordinary, no infed being lefs docile and intelligent,
retired in clouds out o f the Olympic territory.
C H A P . LX XV .
O f Pifa— iO f Olympia d O f the temple o f Ju p iter-— Hie fiatue
-■ st 5fthe great alttir— Other, altars y^Riebes o f Olympia—
Solemnity , Jthe gamesr— Herodes a bentfabpor*,—■ Ruin o f
Olympia.
O L Y M P I A was in a region named Pifatis from a city
which had been fubdued by .the Eleans. The fite of Pifa was
on an eminence between two mountains called'Ofla and Olym-
'p u s ; but in the time o f Paufanias no wall or building remained,
and it was planted with vines. This place had been rendered
exceffively illuftrious by the power and reputation o f its antient
princes/ among whom were CEnomaus and Pelops; by the
Oracle and temple P f the Olympian Jupiter f by the celebrity
o f the grand Panegytis or general aflembly held at i t ; and by
the renown o f the Agon -or Games, in which to be vidorious
was deemed the very fummit of human felicity.
T he glory o f Olympia was not diminifhed by the ruin of"
Pifa. The Altis or Sacred Grove was furrounded with a Wall.
P p Within