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 clear atmosphere of the Troad seems close at hand, and a sandy promontory guarded by the crumbling old fortification of Kum Kaleh ("sand fortress"), the "strong-flowing" Hellespont (, 845;, 30) meets the sea. Near the entrance juts out Cape Sigeum, where to-day is the Christian village of Yeni Shehr, while about four miles to the east is the rocky shore of Rhoeteum (Rhoeteae orae, Verg. Aen., III, 108). Between these two points, not very far from Troy (for heralds go and return before sunrise), was drawn up the Greek fleet, "row behind row, filling up the shore's wide mouth, which lay betwixt the headlands" (, 33).

Along the Aegean Sea a low line of hills slopes somewhat abruptly toward the water's edge. The eastern range, stretching from the highest crest of Ida, after repeated interruptions, ends at Rhoeteum. Between these eastern and western ranges lies the deep-soiled valley of the Scamander, with here and there groves of oaks, while reed and tamarisk line the river bank, as in Trojan days. Another valley—this time of an insignificant swamp stream, called Dumbrek Su, and often identified with the Simoïs—cuts the eastern chain of hills at a little distance from the Hellespont.

Here at the southern point of meeting of the two valleys of the Scamander and the Dumbrek Su is the mound of Hissarlik, rising about sixty feet above the plain, and over three miles distant from the sea and from the Hellespont. The hillside is rather