their arrival in the harbor.

A bridal wreath, composed of a hoop of gold wound round with scented
violets, was presented to Nitetis by a troop of young girls in holiday
dresses, the act of presentation being performed by Sappho, as the most
beautiful among the maidens of Naukratis.

On accepting the gift Nitetis kissed her forehead in token of gratitude.
The triremes were already waiting; she went on board, the rowers took
their oars and began the Keleusma.

[The measure of the Keleusma was generally given by a flute-player,
the Trieraules. AEschylus, Persians 403. Laert. Diog. IV. 22. In
the Frogs of Aristophanes the inhabitants of the marshes are made to
sing the Keleusma, v. 205. The melody, to the measure of which the
Greek boatmen usually timed their strokes.]

Ailinos rang across the water from a thousand voices. Bartja stood
on the deck, and waved a last loving farewell to his betrothed; while
Sappho prayed in silence to Aphrodite Euploia, the protectress of those
who go down to the sea in ships. A tear rolled down her cheek, but
around her lips played a smile of love and hope, though her old slave
Melitta, who accompanied her to carry her parasol, was weeping as if
her heart would break. On seeing, however, a few leaves fall from
her darling's wreath, she forgot her tears for a moment and whispered
softly: "Yes, dear heart, it is easy to see that you are in love; when
the leaves fall from a maiden's wreath, 'tis a sure sign that her heart
has been touched by Eros.

CHAPTER XII.

Seven weeks after Nitetis had quitted her native country, a long train
of equipages and horsemen was to be seen on the king's highway from
the west to Babylon, moving steadily towards that gigantic city, whose
towers might already be descried in the far distance.

[The great road called the "king's road," of which we shall have
more to say, was made by Cyrus and carefully kept up by Darius.]

The principal object in this caravan was a richly-gilded, four-wheeled
carriage, closed in at the sides by curtains, and above by a roof
supported on wooden pillars. In this vehicle, called the Harmamaxa,
resting on rich cushions of gold brocade, sat our Egyptian Princess.

[Harmamaxa--An Asiatic travelling carriage. The first mention of
these is in Xenophon's Anabasis, where we find a queen travelling in
such a vehicle. They were later adopted by the Romans and used for
the same object.]

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