Note 306 — ANTIENT HEROES.
Reading edition
Μακρα πεδιον. Εν τουτῳ δε Ποσειδωνιος ἱστορει τον Δρακοντα πεπτωκοτα ὁραθηναι νεκρον, μηκος σχεδον τι και πλεθριαιον, παχος δε, ὡσθ' ἱππεας ἑκατερωθεν παρασταντας αλληλους μη καθορᾳν· χασμα δε, ὡστ' εφιππον δεξασθαι, της δε φολιδος λεπιδα ἑκαστην ὑπεραιρουσαν θυρεου. Strabo. l. 16. p. 1095. The epithet πεπτωκως could not properly be given to a serpent: but to a building decayed, and in ruins nothing is more applicable. A serpent creeps upon its belly, and is even with the ground, which he goes over, and cannot fall lower. The moderns indeed delineate dragons with legs: but I do not know that this was customary among the antients.