Ruins of Orchomenos, Boeotia - Illustration from Edward Dodwell's Views of Greece

Ruins of Orchomenos, Boeotia is an illustration from the collection Views in Greece from Drawings published by Edward Dodwell in 1821.

The ruins of Orchomenos in Boeotia are a poignant testament to the former grandeur of this ancient city. The remains of its imposing structures, now overgrown, tell the story of a thriving civilization, once renowned for its wealth and influence.

The literal transcription of the notice accompanying this plate is reproduced below:

This famous city, whose wealth was proverbial from the earliest centuries, was founded, according to Pausanias, by Andreos the Thessalian, from whom it took the name Andreis. It was afterwards called Phlegyas, after a son of Mars, and later Orchomenos, after a grandson of Neptune, who was the son of Mimas. The ancient name of Orchomenos has been converted by the present inhabitants into that of Scripou. Its acropolis, which is represented in this plate, is situated on a steep and rugged mound, forming part of Mount Aeontius, which rises to the west of the lower town, and which has the Cephissua winding along its southern base. The walls of the acropolis, which extend from the plain to the summit of the hill, enclose an irregular triangle, the acute angle of which ends at the summit of the rock, which is crowned by a large square tower, built regularly, and which is reached by ninety-one steps cut into the rock.

In these walls we can distinguish the first three styles of military constructions of primitive times. The Tirynsian style is seen only in a few places. The polygonal style, famous for the beautiful junction of the stones, is the one that predominates. The walls of the acropolis appear to have suffered at least two great upheavals. We know, from the testimony of Diodorus Siculus, that the city was destroyed by Hercules, and that it suffered a similar catastrophe in the war against the Thebans, which took place about 364 years BC The rudeness of the Tirynsian style that we observe in these walls gives reason to believe that it predates the time of Hercules. The acropolis was reached by three gates, one of which was at its base on the east side, another on the north, and the third on the south. The latter still survives in its entirety, and two enormous blocks form its lintel. The most famous building at Orchomenos was the Treasury of Minyas, which Pausanias calls one of the wonders of Greece. It was made of white marble. The entrance, which is still intact, is covered with a lintel of a single block of marble, fifteen feet four inches long, six feet three inches high, and three feet three inches thick.

The present view represents the south side of the Acropolis. In the distance are Daulis, Panopeia, Chaeronea, and Mount Parnassus, covered in snow, which rises on the memorable plain where Greece made a last but futile effort for its freedom and independence. The pointed mountain on the left of Parnassus is Cirphis. The river is the Cephissus, which rises at Lilæ. The figures are those of Albanian Christians.