W hen the conquering Turk had gained complete pofleffion
o f the Greek empire, and peace was reftored, commerce revived
and again fettled at Smyrna. The inhabitants, delivered from
their apprehenfions of danger, by degrees abandoned the caftle,
and the town Aid as it were down the Dope toward the fea;
leaving behind it a naked (pace, where they now dig for old materials,
and alfo fome ordinary ruins below the caftle, which
overlooks the buildings and the bay, at a diftance.
T he reader of the foregoing detail will not be furprifed if
few traces of the antient city yet remain. Prom a furvey of the
caftle, which is extenfive, we colled, that after being re-edified
by John Angelus Comnenus, its condition, though lefs ruinous
than before, was far more mean and ignoble. The old wall, of
which many remnants may be difcovered, is of a folid maflive
confirmation, worthy of Alexander and his captains. All the
repairs are mere patch-work. Near the weftern gate-way, at
which you enter from the town, was once a fountain, now dry;
by which is a marble coloflal head of Apollo, or, as fome have
fuppofed of the Amazon Smyrna; the face much injured. Within,
js a deferted mofque and rubbifh of buildings; with a large
refervoir for water, the roof arched, and fupported by piers. On
the arch o f the gate-way fronting the north, which is of marble,
is infcribed a copy of verfes, giving an elegant and poetical de-
fcription of the extreme mifery, from which the emperor before
mentioned had raifed the city; and concluding with an
addrefs to the omnipotent Ruler of heaven and earth, that he
would grant him and his queen, whofe beauty it celebrates, a
reign of many years. On each fide is an eagle rudely cut. The
river Hermus may be feen from this eminence, which alfo affords
a view of a fine champaign country round about, covered
With vines.
G oing down from the weftern gate of the caftle toward the
fea, at fome diftance is the ground-plat of the ftadium, ftripped
of
of its marble feats and decorations. One fide was on the Hope of
the mountain; the oppofite, or that next to the town, was raifed
on a vaulted fubftrudtion, which remains. It appears as a long
dWe, femicircular or rounded at the top. The area, when we firil
faw it, had been reaped; and, another time, fome men were bufy
ploughing in it. Going from the northern gate, over which is
the infcription, you come to veftiges of a theatre, in the fide of
the hill, near the brow, and fronting the bay. Below the theatre
is part of a flight wall, which, with a foffe round the hill, was
begun about the year 1736 to proteil the town from Soley Bey
Ogle, a famous rebel, by whom it had been much diftrefied '.
T he port which fhut up reached once to the foot of the caftle-
hill, but is now dry, except after heavy rains, when it receives
water from the Hopes. It forms a fpacious recefs within the pre-
fent town, and has houfes along the margin. Tamerlane, by
depriving the fea of its free ingrefs, contributed to this change,
and the mud walhed from above has gradually completed it.
Like fome of the Italian havens, it required perhaps to be cleanf-
ed and deepened by machines contrived for that purpofe. It is
mentioned as the galley port at the beginning of this century.
A. fmall mean caftle ftill in ufe, on the north fide of the entrance,
is fuppofed to. occupy the fite of fort St. Peter.
T he city-wall, which defcending from the caftle included the
ftadium on one hand, and the theatre on the other, has been long
fince demoliihed; and even its ruins are removed. A fmall remnant
of it, on the hill above the ftadium, confifts of hard cement
and rubble; but has been faced with better materials.
This fpecies of antient mafonry was called Pfeudifodomum,- as
having externally the fame appearance as the Ifodomum, which
was wholly of ftone, or marble, the pieces regularly difpofed.
This fide comprehended a large portion of the burying-grounds
without the prefent town. The fide next the theatre may be
* Pocock.
traced