14:8 TRAVELS in ASIA MINOR.
“ the Milefians, the firft fettled in Ionia, and the mother of
*.< many and great cities both in Porttus and Egypt, and in va-
“ rious other parts of the world.”— This lies among the bulhes
behind the theatre. Near the ferry is a large lion in a couchant
poflure, much injured j and in a Turkifh burying-ground another.
Thefe were placed on graves, or perhaps before a building
for ornament. Some fragments of ordinary churches are inter-
fperfed among the ruins; and traces remain of an old forttefs
ereiled upon the theatre, beneath which is a fquare inclofure de-
figned, it feems, as a ftation for an armed party to difpute or defend
the paffage of the river. Several piers of a mean aquadudl
are {landing. The fountain named from Biblis, with the fcene of
the llories concerning her paffion, was in the territory of Miletus.
A marble quarry, if I miftake not, is difcernible on the mountain,
which bounds the plain on the left hand, atadillancetoward thefea.
F rom the number o f forfaken mofques, it is evident, that
Mahometanifin has flourifhed in its turn at Miletus. All thefe
have been mean buildings and mere patch-work; but one, a noble
and beautiful ftrudlure of marble, is in ufe, and the dome, with
a tall palm-tree or two, towers amid the ruins and lome low flat-
roofed cottages, inhabited by a very few Turkifh families, the
prefent citizens of Miletus.
T he hiftory of this place, after the deelenfion o f the Greek
empire, is very imperfedt. The whole region has undergone
frequent ravages from the Turks, while poffeffed of the interior
country, and intent on extending their conquefts'weft ward to the
iliore. One Sultan in 1175 fent twenty thoufand men with
orders to lay wafte the Roman provinces, and bring him fea-
water, fand, and an oar. All the cities on the Maeander and on
the coaft were then ruined. Miletus was again deftroyed toward
the end of the thirteenth century by the conquering
Othman.
M il e t u s was once exceedingly powerful and illuftrious. Its
early navigators extended its commerce to remote regions. The
whole
T R A V E L S in A S I A M I N O R . 149
whole Euxine.fea, the Propontis, Egypt, and other countries,
were frequented by its Ihips, and fettled by its colonies. It
boafted a venerable band of memorable men, Hecatasus an early
hiftorian, and Thales the father of philofophy. It with flood Darius,
and refufed to admit Alexander. It has been filled the
metropolis and head of Ionia; the bullwark of Afia; chief in
war and peace; mighty by fea; the fertile mother, which had
poured forth her fbns to every quarter, counting not fewer than
feventy five cities defcended from her. It afterwards fell fo low
as to furnifh a proverbial faying, “ The Milefians were once
great” but if we compare its antient glory, and that its iubie-
quent humiliation, with its prefent ftate, we may juftly exclaim.
Miletus, how much lower art thou now fallen !.
C H A Pf XLIII.
fheAga of S'uH— To Ura— To Branchida— Port Panormm
A water — Ruin o f the temple of Apollo Didymeus Other
i Remains.
WHI L E we were employed on the theatre of Miletus, the
Aga of Suki, fon in law by marriage to Elez-Oglu, crofted the
plain towards us, attended by a confiderable train of domeftics
and officers, their veils and turbans of various and lively colours,
mounted on long-tailed horfes with fhowy ‘ rapping*,
and glittering furniture. He returned, after hawking, to Miletus
; and we went to vifit him, with a prefent of coffee and fu-
gar; but were told that two favourite birds had flown away, and
that he was vexed and tired. A couch was prepared for him beneath
a fhed made againft a cottage and covered with green
boughs to keep off the fun. He entered, as we were_ Handing
by, and fell down on it to lleep, without taking any notice of us..
We rambled over the ruins, until he awoke, when we were,
again admitted. He was fitting on a carpet, crofs-legge ^