Note 123 — BOOK VI.

Leptis Magna. ‘The city appears to have been comprehended within little more than a square half-mile of ground. The actual remains are still sufficient to be somewhat imposing; but they are for the most part so deeply buried under the sand which ten centuries of neglect have allowed to accumulate over them, that plans of them could not be obtained without very extensive excavations. The style of the buildings is universally Roman.’ The walls and fortifications, probably restored by Justinian, were finally demolished by the Saracens. From that time the city appears to have been wholly abandoned and its remains employed in the construction of Modern Tripoli.—‘North Coast of Africa,’ by Beechey (4to., London, 1828), pp. 52, 54.

Lieut.-Col. Playfair, p. 283, describes the remains thus: ‘Libidah, the ancient town of Leptis Magna, three days’ journey from Tripoli where there are a great extent of ruins, but all in bad taste—chiefly done in the lime of Aurelian—indeed very bad. It is said that in the time of Louis XIV. seven monstrous columns of granite or marble were carried from this place into France.’ Bruce also states that he saw several statues of good taste which had been deprived of their heads. (L.)