Page:Travels & discoveries in the Levant (1865) Vol. 1.djvu/96

68 benefactor, and second founder; and the third name is that of Potamon, followed by the same titles as those bestowed on Pompey. Theophanes was the intimate friend of Pompey, and wrote a history of his expeditions; and it was through his influence that the great Eoman was induced to restore their liberties to the MytHenseans. In gratitude for these services they put his head on their copper coins with the inscription, "The Divine Theophanes." The taste for hero-worship under the Roman empire "was not peculiar to the Mytilenajans. Rome was full of Greeks like Potamon and Theophanes, who made it their business to cultivate the friendship of the reigning emperor and so to advance their own interests and those of their native country. Such men in the dedications made to them by a grateful country are styled or friends of Cæsar.$34$

In modern days every pasha residing in the provinces employs an agent at Constantinople to look after his interests with the Porte, and many of the Greeks resident at Rome during the Empire were probably in like manner retained by their respective states to plead in their behalf in all cases where the maintenance or extension of their privileges was concerned.

Yesterday I went to the Greek school to attend the first day of the annual examination of the boys, which takes place in the presence of the Archbishop. The school is a large, well-ventilated building, with an excellent head master, who gives me a lesson in modern Greek every day. The masters at Mytilene have been of late years rather distinguished