ustration: STRENGTH AND SIMPLICITY RATHER THAN BEAUTY.]

In preparation for a visit to these historic shores we had filled our
minds with tales of heroism and visions of the beautiful; now the sight
of this bare-footed throng, so different from the pictures we had formed
in our minds, was a severe shock to our imagination.

"These vagabonds do not represent the Greek race," responded another who
had traveled in that country before; "they are merely the dregs of the
people, a class that may be found in any large city and especially in
the seaports."

The distance from Piraeus to the city of Athens is but five miles. From
the windows of the little cars we could see that the valley through
which we passed was a succession of well cultivated fields, vineyards,
and gardens. A white road, almost parallel to the railroad, traversed
the valley. Gray-green trees in the distance indicated a district of
olive orchards.

At a station on the outskirts of the city we left the train and followed
an old guide to visit the Theseum, or Temple of Theseus, a large edifice
built in simple Doric style. The plain columns and unadorned pediments
express strength and simplicity rather than beauty. Notwithstanding the
fact that twenty-four centuries have passed since its erection, this
temple is noted as being the best preserved of all the ancient buildings
of Greece. A short time, however, sufficed for a view of the plain
exterior and an entrance into the gloomy interior.

[Illustration: I. OVER THE RUINS OF THE ANCIENT CITY.]

[Illustration: II. "THIS IS MARS HILL," SAID THE GUIDE.]

Then proceeding along a fine modern road, built over the ruins of the
ancient city, traces of which were seen in adjacent excavations, we
passed, on our right, an open plateau on the rocks where an audience of
eight or ten thousand might assemble. This was the Pynx of ancient
times, a gathering place of the people. A flight of steps hewn in the
stone at one side of this plateau leads up to a platform cut in the
rock. From this rock, named the Platform of Demosthenes, great orators
addressed the multitude, stirring their countrymen to deeds of valor.
Beyond the Pynx, a cave with gates of rusty grated iron was pointed out
as the prison in which the noble Socrates was incarcerated before being
condemned to drink the fatal hemlock.

[Illustration: ONCE THE MAGNIFICENT MARBLE STAIRCASE.]

Farther up the slope the guide pointed to a small rock elevation on our