The Temple of Zeus at Lebadea. The architecture and the semantics of a colossus

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
pp. 363-400
Author(s):  
Chrysanthos Kanellopoulos ◽  
Elena Partida
Keyword(s):  
Focal Point ◽  
Ancient Greek ◽  
Architectural Elements ◽  
Lower Column ◽  
History Of ◽  
Visual Impact ◽  
The Aesthetic ◽  
Military Victory ◽  
The Temple

The Temple of Zeus Basileus at Lebadea rests almost unknown. Its physical remains and date (not systematically explored so far) pose a riddle, as regards not only the circumstances which entailed its presumed incompletion but also the historic context in which the commencement of construction can be embedded. The dimensions of the krepis alone render this edifice highly interesting in the history of temple-building. The in situ preserved architectural elements suggest that here was begun the erection of what was at the time the largest peristasis in Mainland Greece. The temple stylobate measures 200 feet/podes in length, with a lower column diameter equal to just over two metres, and the longest interaxial spacings and corresponding architraves of its time. By increasing the length and height of the structure, the architects achieved its qualification as colossal. This qualification is revealed from the uniquefor-the-Classical-period length of 14 columns along the peristasis, with visible euthynteria and hypeuthynteria courses. As shown in this paper, this colossal structure abided by the rules of Doric design. Ascribing the unfinished state of the temple probably to financial shortcoming and/or military adventures, Pausanias did comment on its ambitious, gigantic size. The level of construction eventually reached is another focal point of our investigation. The study of the Temple of Zeus Basileus brings out the multifaceted notion of the term “monumentality”, tightly related to visual impact. One of the aims of its commissioners would have been to establish a landmark on the summit where Zeus was probably co-worshipped with Trophonios, the Boeotian hero-prophet. Since the temple in question, as we propose, most probably commemorated both a grandiose military victory in the 3rd century BC and the contemporary political situation, its imposing volume, along with the aesthetic effect of bichromy, were meant to perpetuate the overtone of these events within the ambience of the sacred Lebadea. Another facet of monumentality involves the respective building programme, and it derives from epigraphical sources, namely a contract specifying construction details, with particular instructions already at the orthostate level, denoting that accuracy in execution safeguarded the high quality of ancient Greek architecture.

Five tombs at Knossos

1963 ◽  
Vol 58 ◽  
pp. 30-43 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. N. Coldstream
Keyword(s):  
Good Condition ◽  
Good Deal ◽  
Lower Edge ◽  
Water Pipe ◽  
The West ◽  
Light In August ◽  
South West ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Temple

On the east slope of Lower Gypsades hill, about 100 metres west of the Temple Tomb, a chamber tomb came to light in August 1958, when a cutting for a new water pipe was driven through the area (A in Plate 9 a). In the course of this operation, part of a plain larnax (iii) was sliced off, and much earth removed from the west end of the collapsed chamber: at no point, however, had the municipal workmen penetrated to the tomb floor.The chamber was approached by a sloping dromos (Plate 9 a: length 2·80 metres; max. width 1 metre), roughly cut into the natural kouskouras rock: its walls were approximately perpendicular. Although the gradient varied a good deal, there was no suggestion of a stairway.The blocking wall was found in good condition. Of especial interest were the numerous fragments of larnakes that had been built into its fabric: some of them could be recognized as belonging to each of the three fragmentary larnakes (i, ii, v) whose scattered pieces were found below and around the two undisturbed burials in the chamber (iii, iv). We may thus distinguish two periods in the history of the tomb: larnakes i, ii, and v were evidently smashed up in order to make room for iv and iii, which must have been deposited in that order. The debris of v was found under iv, with a few adult bones in its wreckage. Part of i lay on the floor near the south-west corner, where two plain vases (2, 3) were found in situ, hence, also, came most of the fragments of the fine L.M. IIIA 2 stirrup vase (1), although its other pieces were scattered all over the floor of the tomb. This small group of offerings may belong to the disturbed adult skeleton, whose skull lay up against the lower edge of iii. Curiously, some fragments of i and ii were also found above the broken lid of iv (Plate 9 b): perhaps the lid of the later larnax was accidentally smashed at the time of the funeral, in which case the debris from earlier burials could have been piled up above it, as a rough and ready means of protection.

Francis Vernon, the Early Royal Society and the First English Encounter with Ancient Greek Architecture

2013 ◽  
Vol 56 ◽  
pp. 29-61 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew Walker
Keyword(s):  
Royal Society ◽  
English Language ◽  
Early Years ◽  
Ancient Greek ◽  
Initial Exposure ◽  
History Of ◽  
British Architecture ◽  
European Publication ◽  
The City ◽  
The Temple

Francis Vernon (c. 1637-77) is not a particularly well-known figure in the history of British architecture, but perhaps he should be. In 1675 he became one of the first English people to have set foot in Athens and, the following year, published what was undisputedly the first account in the English language of the city and its architecture. Vernon was a member of the recently founded Royal Society and one of a group of English and French travellers who journeyed through central Greece and Turkey in the 1670s. He was murdered in Isfahan in early 1677. Vernon's account of the time he spent in Athens was published in the Society's journal, thePhilosophical Transactions, in 1676, and it included brief but illuminating descriptions of the Erechtheion, the Temple of Hephaestus and the Parthenon, the latter written over ten years before the bombing of the temple by a Venetian army in 1687. TheTransactionsoften contained both travel writing and antiquarian material and, in this respect, Vernon's account was typical of the journal's somewhat eclectic content in its early years. Significantly, Vernon's publication predated more famous accounts of Greece from the period, such as those written by his travelling companions Jacob Spon (who released hisVoyage d'ltalie, de Dalamatie, de Grèce et du Levantin France in 1678) and George Wheler, whoseA journey into Greecewas published in 1682. Unlike Vernon, both Spon and Wheler survived their journeys. The only European publication on Athens that preceded Vernon's was a French text of 1675 that would prove to be a fabrication. As this article will demonstrate, Vernon's initial exposure of this fabrication was one of the reasons why his account of the city became so important in English intellectual culture at the time.

‘How Dare they Leave all this Unexcavated!’: Continuing to Discover Roman Bath

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Davenport
Keyword(s):  
Functional Analysis ◽  
The West ◽  
The North ◽  
International Reputation ◽  
History Of ◽  
Roman Baths ◽  
The City ◽  
The Temple ◽  
The Town

The frustrated cry of the young Barry Cunliffe has an odd echo in these days of preservation in situ. Sitting in the Roman Baths on his first visit as a schoolboy in 1955, he was astonished at how much was unknown about the Baths, despite their international reputation: large areas ‘surrounded by big question marks . . . all around . . . the word ‘‘unexcavated’’ ’ (Cunliffe 1984: xiii; figure 1). His later understanding of the realities and constraints of excavation only sharpened his desire to know more. Now, fifty years on and more, due in large part to that drive to know, his curiosity, we can claim to have made as much progress in our understanding of the baths and the city around them as had occurred in all the years before his visit, a history of archaeological enquiry stretching back over 400 years. In 1955 the baths were much as they had been discovered in the 1880s and 1890s. They were not well understood. The town, or city, or whatever surrounded it, were almost completely unknown, or at best, misunderstood. It was still possible in that year to argue that the temple of Sulis Minerva was on the north of the King’s Bath, not, as records of earlier discoveries made clear, on the west (Richmond and Toynbee 1955). Yet as the young Cunliffe sat and mused, the archaeological world was beginning to take note and a modern excavation campaign was beginning; indeed had begun: Professor Ian Richmond, in a short eight years to become a colleague, had started ‘his patient and elegant exploration of the East Baths’ the summer before (Cunliffe 1969: v). Richmond initiated a small number of very limited investigations into the East Baths, elucidating a tangle of remains that, while clearly the result of a succession of alterations and archaeological phases, had never been adequately analysed. Richmond’s main aim was to understand the developmental history of the baths, and this approach, combined with a thoughtful and thorough study of the rest of the remains, led to a still broadly accepted phasing and functional analysis (Cunliffe 1969).

Book reviews: In love with light

1993 ◽  
Vol 47 (1) ◽  
pp. 147-149
Keyword(s):  
New Haven ◽  
Yale University ◽  
History Of Photography ◽  
John Herschel ◽  
History Of ◽  
Visual Impact ◽  
The Aesthetic ◽  
William Henry Fox Talbot ◽  
The Relationship

Larry J. Schaaf, Out of the Shadows. Herschel, Talbot and the Invention of Photography . New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 1992. Pp. xii + 188, £26.50. ISBN 0-300-05705-9 In keeping with its subject, great care has been lavished on the aesthetic qualities of this volume. Not only are the printing and layout pleasing to the eye but over a hundred superbly reproduced figures are included, mostly calotypes and photogenic negatives by William Henry Fox Talbot and his contemporaries. Our familiarity with the incisive colours and clear contours of modem photography does not diminish our pleasure in these remarkable early photographs and our appreciation of the excitement and frustration of those who first saw them emerge ‘out of the shadows’. Apart from its obvious visual impact this book is also a serious contribution to the history of photography. While Schaaf engages the familiar story of Talbot’s innovations and the conflicting claims made by Louis Daguerre, his account is rich and historically nuanced, his narrative focusing on the relationship between two Fellows of the Royal Society, Talbot and John Herschel. If Herschel’s signal contributions to photography have sometimes been undervalued or distorted, Schaaf provides a welcome corrective.

Cyrenaica, Pompey and Cn. Cornelius Lentulus Marcellinus

1962 ◽  
Vol 52 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 97-103 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joyce Reynolds
Keyword(s):  
British Museum ◽  
Early History ◽  
The Other ◽  
History Of ◽  
Roman Province ◽  
The Temple

The eight inscriptions transcribed and discussed below concern, in the first instance, the early history of Cyrenaica as a Roman province; but since most of them certainly and all of them perhaps involve Pompey and Cn. Cornelius Lentulus Marcellinus, one of his legates in 67 B.C., they have a much wider significance in illustrating Pompey's policy and position in that year.1 and 2. Two rectangular marble bases, each inscribed on one face with identical texts. Found at Cyrene, one in 1860, within the Temple of Apollo (now in the British Museum), the other in 1927, in front of the same Temple (left in situ).

scholarly journals EXAMINING THE PARTHIAN ART AND ARCHITECTURE AND THE IMPACT OF GREEK ART AND ARCHITECTURE

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Soha Nabaei ◽  
Elham Alipanahi
Keyword(s):  
Ancient Greek ◽  
Architectural Style ◽  
Greek Culture ◽  
Architectural Elements ◽  
Iranian Art ◽  
History Of ◽  
New Material ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Circular Design ◽  
Art And Architecture

In this article, a brief look at the history of ancient Iranian art before Islam, its characteristics during the Parthian rule, and the study of the monuments left over from that period, especially the palaces and the influence of ancient Greek architecture on them. Parthian period, due to the succession of the Seleucids, the Greek and Iranian domination over the Greek culture and architecture were widespread in Iran, one of the most important periods of the history of Iran. The Parthian era culture is a culture that tries to dominate the remains of Greek civilization and culture to bring Iran to re-establish. Parthian win this battle and inspiring inventions and innovations of the Sassanid civilization and Islamic culture of Iran. Overall, what is interesting is the dramatic Parthian architecture are among the Porticoes wide open courtyard surrounded by columns attached to the wall. Plaster Vonda colored object of interesting architectural elements farthest era of special features. The use of materials and the use of adobe bricks with mortar gained sharply. Perhaps one of the advantages of this new material, creating massive arch of the dome is first and then create a new architectural style were the architects of the Sassanid indebted. City maps with Hypoderm been carried out in some cities. But the main feature of the Parthian city circular design in cities such as Marv, Ctesiphon and Hart seen.

scholarly journals The Palatine sanctuary of Apollo: the site and its development, 6th to 1st c. B.C.

2015 ◽  
Vol 28 ◽  
pp. 358-370
Author(s):  
Stephan Zink
Keyword(s):  
Focal Point ◽  
Architectural History ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Kind Permission ◽  
History Of ◽  
Architectural Survey ◽  
Field Report ◽  
The Temple ◽  
Architectural Documentation

Dedicated in 28 B.C., Octavian’s Palatine sanctuary of Apollo remained one of the most important religious sites throughout the empire. Textual sources suggest that its site, at least partly, was sacred ground beforehand, as it accommodated one or several earlier cult places, but the pre-Augustan construction phases, as well as the archaeology of its cultic prehistory, remain largely unknown. One of the main reasons is a lack of a comprehensive architectural documentation ever since G. Carettoni’s excavations between 1956 and 1984. In this preliminary field report I present the new architectural documentation of an area that is located in front (southwest) of the temple of Apollo, the sanctuary’s focal point (figs. 1–2). This documentation was produced during fieldwork campaigns conducted in 2009–13 by kind permission of the Soprintendenza Archeologica di Roma. My architectural survey revealed the fragmentary remains of a previously-excavated but never-identified site of the Archaic period. I will first discuss the discovery of the Archaic site through on-site documentation and a possible reconstruction of its plan as a small shrine. Next, I analyze the long-term development and the spatial complexity of the site’s architectural context in a series of evidence-based digital models. In contrast to previous contentions, my analysis suggests that the assemblage of structural remains in this area was intentionally preserved on this spot over the course of centuries. Thus the evidence presented here sheds new light on the architectural history of the site of the Palatine sanctuary of Apollo.

The Cult Complex of Bel at Porolissum. Historical and Architectural Perspective

2021 ◽  
Vol 30 ◽  
pp. 101-136
Author(s):  
Coriolan Horațiu Opreanu ◽  
Flaminiu Taloș
Keyword(s):  
Archaeological Data ◽  
Architectural Elements ◽  
Cultural Roots ◽  
History Of Research ◽  
Long Time ◽  
Religious Cult ◽  
History Of ◽  
Architectural Principles ◽  
Architectural Perspective ◽  
The Temple

The authors are reopening the file of a monument at Porolissum long time ago archaeologically investigated. After the history of research, they are discussing the chronology and the construction phases of the temple, They reject the initial existence of the temple of Liber Pater under the temple of Bel, as no evidence for such a situation exists. At the same time is not accepted the hypothesis of a Christian basilica built over the temple sometimes in the 4th century. There are analyzed two architectural elements (a Corinthian capital with human protome and an ornamented merlon) which offered the occasion to the authors to introspect the deep cultural roots of the monument and of the religious cult performend by the Palmyrene community to whom the temple and the banqueting hall from the vicinity belonged. The analyze of the two stone elements shows that their origins are to be found in the Oriental civilizations, as well as their symbolic meaning. Mentioning also some votive altars at Porolissum ornamented with the crowsteps motif, of Oriental origin, is proposed the activity at Porolissum of a carving workshop whose masters were Orientals who saw the original monuments in Palmyra and worked for the local Palmyrene community. The final part of the paper propose a 3D reconstruction of the cult complex, based on all available historical and archaeological data and using the ancient architectural principles.

The original arrangement of the Upper Courtyard of the Temple of Hatshepsut in the light of recent archaeological results

2018 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 17-32
Author(s):  
Sergio Alarcón Robledo
Keyword(s):  
16Th Century ◽  
Primary Research ◽  
Architectural Elements ◽  
12Th Century ◽  
Archaeological Work ◽  
The 19Th Century ◽  
The Temple ◽  
Original Configuration ◽  
Different Parts

The Temple of Hatshepsut was in use, and frequently modified, between the 16th century BC and the 12th century AD. From the beginning of the archaeological work at the site in the 19th century, one of the primary research goals has been to understand the modifications made to the building since its initial construction. The present paper provides an overview of the different arguments and ideas proposed for the original configuration of the Upper Courtyard, confronted with evidence from recent excavations between 2014 and 2016 in different parts of the court. In 2000, architect Andrzej Kwaśnica argued for an unprecedented arrangement of the architectural elements of the Upper Courtyard. However, recent archaeological discoveries suggest that the issue should be revisited. The examination of the foundations of the Ptolemaic Portico columns has shown that the six bases may have been in situ since the reign of Hatshepsut.

scholarly journals Vulgar Sociologism: The History of the Concept

2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 286-308
Author(s):  
Vladimir Bystrov ◽  
Vladimir Kamnev
Keyword(s):  
Literary Criticism ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Ancient Greek ◽  
Aesthetic Value ◽  
Work Of Art ◽  
Sociological Approach ◽  
Aesthetic Pleasure ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Aesthetic ◽  
The Moment

This article can be considered as the history of the concept of vulgar sociologism, including both the moment of the emergence of this concept and its subsequent history. In the 20th century, new approaches were formed in the natural sciences about society and man which assumed to consider all of the ideas from the point of view of class psycho-ideology. This approach manifested itself somewhat in the history of philosophical and scientific knowledge, but chiefly in literary criticism (Friche, Pereverzev). As a result, any work of art turns into a ciphered message behind which the interest of a certain class or group hides. The critic has to solve this code and define its sociological equivalent. In the discussions against vulgar sociology, M. Lifshitz and his adherents insisted on a limitation of the vulgar-sociological approach, qualifying it as a bourgeois perversion of Marxism. They saw the principle of the criticism of vulgar sociology in the well-known statement by K. Marx about the aesthetic value of the Ancient Greek epos. The task of the critic does not only reduce to the establishment of social genetics of the work of art because he also needs to explain why this work causes aesthetic pleasure during other historical eras. In the article, it is shown that later attempts to reduce the complete spectrum of modern western philosophy and aesthetics into a paradigm of vulgar sociology of the 1920s is an unreasonable exaggeration. At the same time, in discussions in the 1930s, the question of the need of the differentiation of the vulgar-sociological approach and a sociological method in general was raised. As for sociology, this question remains relevant even today.

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