CHAPTER IX.
Superstition of the Greeks about saints’ days—Further engineering works—Narrow escape of six men—Ancient building on the western terrace—The ruins under this house—Old Trojan mode of building—Continued marks of higher civilization—Terra-cottas engraved with Aryan symbols: antelopes, a man in the attitude of prayer, flaming altars, hares—The symbol of the moon—Solar emblems and rotating wheels—Remarks on former supposed inscriptions—Stone moulds for casting weapons and implements—Absence of cellars, and use of colossal jars in their stead—The quarry used for the Trojan buildings—“Un Médecin malgré lui.”—Blood-letting priest-doctors—Efficacy of sea-baths—Ingratitude of the peasants cured—Increasing heat.
On the Hill of Hissarlik, May 23rd, 1872.
SINCE my report of the 11th instant there have again been, including to-day, three great and two lesser Greek church festivals, so that out of these twelve days I have in reality only had seven days of work. Poor as the people are, and gladly as they would like to work, it is impossible to persuade them to do so on feast days, even if it be the day of some most unimportant saint. Μᾶς δέρνει ὁ ἅγιος ("the saint will strike us”) is ever their reply, when I try to persuade the poor creatures to set their superstition aside for higher wages.
In order to hasten the works, I have now had terraces made at from 16 to 19 feet above the great platform on its east and west ends; and I have also had two walls made of large blocks of stone—the intermediate spaces being filled with earth—for the purpose of removing the débris. The smaller wall did not seem to me to be strong enough, and I kept the workmen from it; in fact, it did not bear the pressure, and it fell down when it was scarcely finished. Great trouble was taken with the larger and higher wall: it was built entirely of large stones, for the most part hewn, and all of us, even Georgios Photidas, thought it might last for centuries. But nevertheless on the following morning I thought it best to have a buttress of large stones erected, so as to render it impossible for the wall to fall; and six men were busy with this work when the wall suddenly fell in with a thundering crash. My fright was terrible and indescribable, for I quite believed that the six men must have been crushed by the mass of stones; to my extreme joy, however, I heard that they had all escaped directly, as if by a miracle.
In spite of every precaution, excavations in which men have to work under earthen walls of above 50 feet in perpendicular depth are always very dangerous. The call of “guarda, guarda” is not always of avail, for these words are continually heard in different places. Many stones roll down the steep walls without the workmen noticing them, and when I see the fearful danger to which we are all day exposed, I cannot but fervently thank God, on returning home in the evening, for the great blessing that another day has passed without an accident. I still think with horror of what would have become of the discovery of Ilium and of myself, had the six men been crushed by the wall which gave way; no money and no promises could have saved me; the poor widows would have torn me to pieces in their despair—for the Trojan women have this in common with all Greeks of their sex, that the husband, be he old or young, rich or poor, is everything to them; heaven and earth have but a secondary interest.