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Updated: June 23, 2025
The pediment of the Parthenon, the oleanders of the Ilissus, the stream "that runs in rain-time," the naked peak of Parnassus, the green slopes of Helicon, the blue gulf of Argus, the pine forest beside Alpheus, where the ancients worshipped "Death the Gentle" all of them passed in recount upon his learned lips.
Chaos is a poetic legend, and the Trojan war was the squabble of a few marauding clans. 'Where are the records of the great Assyrian monarchy? Where are the books of the Medes and Persians? Where the learned annals of Pharaohs? 'Fortunate Jordan! Fortunate Ilissus! I have waded through the sacred waters; with difficulty I traced the scanty windings of the classic stream.
Modern travellers, in their eloquent lamentations over the now niggard waters of these immortal streams, appear to forget that Strabo expressly informs us that the Cephisus flowed in the manner of a torrent, and failed altogether in the summer. "Much the same," he adds, "was the Ilissus."
"From my lips?" asked Cleopatra. "There are none that can speak better, whether by the Nile or the Ilissus." "What do you want of me?" "I of you?" "Certainly, for you do not speak so prettily unless you want something." "But I have already told you! I want to hear you say something wise, something witty, something soul-stirring." "We cannot call up wit as we would a maid-servant.
Here an independent spirit still survived, while on the shores of the Ilissus there were none but servile souls who made a merchandise of learning, as the Alexandrians did of the products of Africa and the treasures of India.
When and whence did this defamation originate? Was it when the fierce champions for the trinity fled from Galilee to the groves of Academus, and invoked, but in vain, the assistance of Philosophy? When The trembling grove confessed its fright, The wood-nymphs started at the sight; Ilissus backward urg'd his course, And rush'd indignant to his source.
The 'Union Jack, the 'Sash and Marlin-spike' Military Clubs. 'The True Blue, the 'No Surrender, the 'Blue and Buff, the 'Guy Fawkes, and the 'Cato Street' Political Clubs. 'The Brummel' and the 'Regent' Dandy Clubs. The 'Acropolis, the 'Palladium, the 'Areopagus, the 'Pnyx' the 'Pentelicus, the 'Ilissus' and the 'Poluphloisboio Thalasses' Literary Clubs.
Half a mile or more to the south-east, on the banks of the Ilissus, stood a magnificent structure dedicated to Olympian Zeus one of the four largest temples of Greece, ranking with that of Demeter at Eleusis and that of Diana at Ephesus. Its foundations remain, and sixteen of the huge Corinthian columns belonging to its majestic triple colonnade. One of these is fallen.
"My forefathers' ashes," said she, "repose by the waters of Ilissus: my birth is of Neapolis; but my heart, as my lineage, is Athenian." "Let us, then," said I, "make our offerings together": and, as the priest now appeared, we stood side by side, while we followed the priest in his ceremonial prayer; together we touched the knees of the goddess together we laid our olive garlands on the altar.
A little way above, on the opposite bank of the Ilissus, is the site of the Panathenaic stadium, whose shape is perfectly preserved in the smooth grass-grown hollow with semicircular extremity which here lies at right angles to the stream, between parallel ridges partly artificial.
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