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RESULTS OF EXCAVATIONS

CONDUCTED BY

THE AMERICAN

SCHOOL OF CLASSICAL STUDIES

AT ATHENS

VOLUME II

THE

THEATRE
BY

RICHARD STILLWELL

THE AMERI CAN SCHOOL OF CLASSICAL STUD I ES AT ATHENS

1952

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

PRINTED IN GERMANY AT 3. J. AUIGUSTIN, GLoCKSTADT

PREFACE
The theatre of Corinth, first located over a half century ago, has shared, in its final publication, the fate of numerous other monuments of antiquity, and has also in commonwith them the fact that it has not even yet been entirely cleared. Ever since it was my good fortune to work on that excavation as architecturalassistant to the late Dr. T. Leslie Shear, and to publish in 1929 a preliminary report of the architectural aspects of the building, it was my hope that I could at some time take up the task once more and prepare a fuller publication. Other obligations and interests deferred this for many years and it was with much pleasure that I was able to turn once more to its many problems through a special grant from the American School of Classical Studies which enabled me to return again to Corinthin 1948. At first it was planned to do no more than clean away the accumulation of over twenty years of washed-down earth, and funds were made available for this purpose. They were generously extended to allow a small amount of new digging in testing certain areas below the depth to which tlhey had formerly been cleared, but the limiting of new excavation by order of the Archaeologicalauthorities, as well as the need to observe economy, discouraged as much new exploration as might have been desired. If therefore, as will be evident in what follows, certain areas were not more fully tested, the reason is not far to seek. It is difficult to record the many persons to whom one is indebted for assistance and advice; the number adds up to a long roster of names, with the certainty that some will be omitted who should have been included. I Princeton University October 1951 must, however,acknowledgegratefullythe kind cooperation of Professor Louis E. Lord, chairman of the ManagingCommitteeof the School, who made the trip of 1948 possible. Professor Oscar Broneer, then Acting Director of the School, gave freely of his time in consulting on various problemsin which his long experience was most valuable. As ever, in things connected with Corinth, Dr. Bert Hodge Hill, Honorary Director of the School, was most helpful through his intimate knowledgeof Corinthand its problems. Dr. Saul Weinbergkindly took a number of photographsfor me, many of which appear hereafter and, as assistant to the Director in charge of Corinthduringthe spring of 1948, placed at my disposal our ever efficient foreman, Evangelos Lekkas, and a small group of experienced workmen. All these and many others are associated in my mind with the work on the theatre in which they had a share. Dr. F. J. DeWaele excavated there under Dr. Shear's supervision in 1928 and 1929, W. A. Campbell in 1930, and, at other times, Dr. Edward Capps, Jr. and Dr. Howard Comfort. To their work, collectively and individually, much of the material gathered in this publication is due. To others, who did not work on the theatre, but to whom I am indebted for suggestions and assistance, thanks also are due: Dr. Homer Thompson, of the Institute for Advanced Study, Professor E. Baldwin Smith and ProfessorA. M. Friend, of the Department of Art and Archaeology at Princeton University, and also that authority on theatres both Greekand Roman, Dr. MargareteBieber, who has kindly called a number of references and articles to my attention.
RICHARD STILLWELL

TABLE OF CONTENTS
PREFACE... ILLUSTRATIONS.. FIGURES IN THE TEXT PLATES.. CHAPTER .V... . ... V ix ix xi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ....

I. INTRODUCTION: HISTORY OF THE EXCAVATION

II. LOCATION AND III.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

DETAILED DESCRIPTION: THE GREEK PERIOD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ORCHESTRA

15
15

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

KOILON .............................. SKENE.. .


. . . . . . . . . . .

21

32
. . . . . . .

IV. DETAILED DESCRIPTION. THE ROMAN PERIOD .

41
41

ORCHESTRA......
CAVEA .45 PARODOI AND ADITI .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

49
58 775

SCAENAAND PERIBOLOS . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
PULPITUM

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

V. THE

THEATRE AS AN ARENA

84
99

VI. RESTORATION OF
VII.

SCAENAE FRONS .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

INVENTORY OF ARCHITECTURAL FRAGMENTS

. . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . 106

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131 VIII. SUMMARYAND CHRONOLOGY

FIGURES IN THE TEXT


Fig.

The theatre, looking north . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The orchestra, looking southeast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Upper part of Stair VI, Greek period . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Eastern part of orchestra showing the arena wall, Greek and late Roman gutters and drain connections.......................................9 5. View from the southwest showing the stage building, the peribolos and plaza . . . . . . . . 6. East end of scaena, and peribolos beyond . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7. The Hellenistic gutter . . 8. Sections of gutter and bridge, and end elevation of typical seats and stair stringers . . .. . . . 9. Mason's marks on gutter blocks, one fifth full size . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10. Western mast socket. Excavation sketch . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11. Sections showing placing of mast sockets east and west. At lower left, section along line of drain . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . froin East Parodos joining main drain . 12. Foundations and rock cuttings at southeast angle of proskenion . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . 13. Detail of Greek seat construction and masons' marks on seat foundations . . .. . . . . . . . 14. Blocks with mason's marks . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15. View across central part of koilon with Greek seat foundations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16. Greek seat foundations and, at back, below foundations of upper Roman diazoma, two seat blocks in place . . . . . . . . . . . ...... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .... . 17. Steps and stringers of Stair IX. At back, foundation for upper Roman diazoma . .. . . . . . 18. Restored section showing two periods . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19. Plan showing relation of earlier and later Greek periods . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . 20. Looking down Stair IX. In middle distance, at left, seat blocks of row 45 are still in place . . 21. Sections showing relation and details of Greek and Roman diazomata . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22. Foundation blocks for outer wall at head of Stair IX. . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23. Seat blocks in situ . .. . . 24. Post holes for early skene, in rock scarp immediately behind wall of Hellenistic skene . . 25. Area with rock cuttings in front of skene . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26. Section of skene and plan of central part . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . 27. Stamp on roof-tile of skene . 28. The east wall of the Hellenistic skene . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... . . . 29. East wall of Hellenistic skene, looking down . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30. Restored plan and elevation of stair. Detail of ramp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31. Cutting for stairway and inlaid blocks with setting lines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32. East end of stage building. At right, slanting socle for Hellenistic retaining wall and ramp . . . 33. Charonian stairs, east . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34. Charonian stairs, west . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35. East end of sparsiones basin, and later connection with main drain . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36. Channel connecting with main drain from the east . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37. Late gutter block with holes for connection to main drain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38. Dowel holes for securing parapet in connection with the late Roman gutter . . . . . . . . . . 39. Rib wall foundations for Roman cavea. At bottom left, one of the Greek stairways . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40. Outer wall and buttresses 41. Roman seats made from re-used Greek seat blocks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42. The east parodos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43. Sections in east parodos showing fountain..51 44. Sketch of east parodos.............. ...............52 45. Field sketch of filling in east end of aditus .......... ..............54 46. Isometricview of new entrance cUt in aditubs .......................54 47. Rock cuttings for inner end of east aditus, south wall........ . ...........55 1. 2. 3. 4.

6 7 9

11 12 16 17 17 19 19 20 22 23 23 23 24 25 26 29 29 29 31 32 32 34 35 36 37 38 37 39 39 40 42 42 44 45 46 48 49 50

x
Fig.

FIGURES IN THE TEXT 56 56 57 59 60 60 61 61 63 65 66 67 67 68 70 72 72 73 75 78 79 79 81 81 83 84 84 85 88 89 89 90 91 92 93 93 98 107 109 113 115 116 118 119 118 118 120 123 125

48. Analemma of west parodos showing reinforcing construction. The buttress at the extreme left belongs to the original series. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49. Inner end of west aditus, north side, showing re-used Greek seat blocks: a. north side; b. south side 50. Outer end of western parodos, and sill for gate. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51. View looking east along the west parodos and the pulpitum to the east parodos . . . . ... . . 52. Profile of bench in exedra . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53. Eastern part of scaena from northwest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54. Looking north over eastern part of scaena and adjacent areas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55. Foundations for central part of scaena . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56. View showing western part of scaena . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57. Section of north side of peribolos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58. East wall of scaena with lower course of shallow buttress (a), and poros step block . . . . . . 59. Fountain at centre of south side of peribolos at time of excavation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60. The fountain in 1928 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61. Isometric view of the east hospitalium . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62. Sections and plan at east end of scaena . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63. Connection of east wall of east hall and buttress for analemma. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64. West wall of the east hall, seen from within . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . ... . 65. East hall, details .... 66. Graffito from Byzantine reservoir in east hall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67. Restored section of pulpitum and aulaea . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68. Late Roman walls under pulpitum, showing re-used capping blocks from arena. Looking south . 69. Late Roman walls of the post arena period, a, b. The skene front wall appears at c . . . . . . 70. Socket for curtain windlass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71. Plan and section of windlass block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72. Revetment of pulpitum of the post arena period . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73. Section of southern refuge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74. Letters in block from arena wall capping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75. Half column re-used as a sill for north refuge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76. Arena frieze. The first group to east of southern refuge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77. Arena frieze. Charging lion and venator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78. Arena frieze. Venatores and cage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79. Arena frieze. Lion, charging to right toward cage. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80. Arena frieze. Venatores and charging bull . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81. Arena frieze. Venator pole-vaulting over a springing leopard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82. Arena frieze. Venator, to right (west) of southern refuge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83. Arena frieze. At left, a venator turning a handspring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84. Basin with protecting grille made in Hellenistic gutter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85. Architectural details. Poros stone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86. Architectural details. Poros stone and marble . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87. Architectural details. Marble cornices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88. Architectural details. Marble cornices and architrave-frieze . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89. Inscribed cornice block, No. 89 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90. Capital from portico of regia, No. 107 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91. Capital from portico of regia, No. 107, restored . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92. Capital, No. 113, found at high level near west parodos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93. Pilaster capital, No. 114 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94. Ionic capital, No. 119 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95. Architectural details. Various . . . .. . . .. .. .. .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96. Lower part of acanthus column, No. 189 . 97. Base, drum and fragments of acanthus columns, No?s.189, 190). .1.............125

full size .................7*Ii*** 98. Moldings,

****

ee127
128 .....129

99. Moldings ....128 100. Moldings: above, Nos. 203, 217;s below, No. 208 half size. .................128 101. Moldings.... 102. Moldings: A-A'-A", Profile of No. 60; B. typical column base; C-K, string courses. 103. Limestone block with notch, No. 223. .............. ...........130

PLATES
I II III IV Plan. Corinth, the Central Area Plan of Theatre in present state Plan of Hellenistic Theatre, restored Plan detail of Greek orchestra and rock cuttings b Section of holes for aulaea masts c Elevation of stage building, present state VIa Section showing east parodos b Schematic restoration of east parodos VIIa Restored plan of Roman theatre of the Second Century b Restored plan of the arena VIIIa Restoration of the Greek skene b Schematic restoration of the Roman scaenae frons

Va Schematic drawing of cuttings for aulaea and phlyakes stage

THE THEATRE

CHAPTER

INTRODUCTION: HISTORY OF THE EXCAVATION


When, in the spring of 1896, the American School of Classical Studies at Athens began to excavate on the site of Old Corinth, the location of the theatre was sought as a reference point with which to relate and possibly find a number of the other monuments of the city.1 Pausanias mentions the theatre in connection with several other buildings: the temple of Athena Chalinitis,the Odeion,the Gymnasium, Lerna, and the temple of Zeus.2 Aceordingly, the director of the School, Professor R. B. Richardson, rightly assumed that from the theatre as a starting point the topography of the city would gradually be revealed. It must be remembered that at the time nothing identifiable save the temple, later to be known as the Temple of Apollo, remained visible. A large number of trial trenches were sunk in various locations in and about the village of Old Corinth,but it was not until May 12, 1896, that a series of trials undertakenin a promising hollow about 250 metres to the northwest of the temple revealed the presence of a theatre of large dimensions. The account of the excavation was published by Dr. Richardson in the annual report of the Director for 1896, and a more detailed study followed in the American Journal of Archaeology.It was ascertained that the theatre was, originally,of the Greek period, and had been rebuilt in Roman times. Only some portions of the cavea were investigated; the orchestra and stage building were not found.3Had one of the trial trenches (XVIII) been carried a little farther to the north, and but a metre deeper, it would
I For a brief account of the activities of the early years of the Corinth Excavations see Corinth, I, i, Cambridge, Mass., 1932, Introduction, pp. 3-13. 2 Pausanias, II, 4, 5. 3 Frank Cole Babbitt, A. J. A., I, 1897, pp. 481-494.
1*

have touched the curved wall which bounded an arena contrived in the theatre in late imperial times, and, with this discovery, the program of excavating the building might well have been accelerated. Work ceased, however, early in June, and nothing further was done until the campaign of 1902, when, on May 8th, a new trench (XXXIV) was begun "with a view to finding out something about the stage building." One of the trenches of the first campaign had indeed located what later proved to be a colonnaded peribolosbehind the Roman stage building, but since the level of the remains could not be satisfaetorily related to the lowest preserved row of seats, they were left for some time unexplained. The new trench was laid out to cut across the centre of the stage, and when it had reached a sufficiently low level, it produced a great many fragments of sculpture, including a series of reliefs depicting a Gigantomachy, a combat between Greeks and Amazons, and the labors of Herakles.4 Marble architectural fragments also appeared and, at the close of the season, a small section of the front wall of the Greekskene. Not enough was known, however, about the various periods of the building to make some of the problems intelligible, and Dr. Samuel Bassett, who was in charge of the treneh, terminated his work May 27th. The following year, 1903, Dr. David M. Robinson, then a member of the School, dug for two weeks a trench parallel with the one just mentioned, and found more fragments of sculpture, including an additional quantity of
4 To be published by Edward Capps, Jr., in Corinth,IX, ii. The fragments found in the early excavations were studied by E. M. Gardiner and published in A.J.A., XIII, 1909, pp. 304-321.

CORINTH

fragments of the reliefs. An extension toward the west, at right angles to the trench along the stage front, reached a point well beyond the end of the Greek skene and actually uncovered a segment of the wall of the Roman arena, which, however, remained unexplained. Dr. Robinson also was in charge of extending one of the early trenches toward the south (XVIII B) and established the outer limit of the circle of the cavea. A further period of quiet descended on the building until 1909 when Dr. W. B. Dinsmoor, then a fellow of the School, began, on May 10, to clean up the trenichesof 1902 and 1903 and study as much of the architecturalremains as were available. The south end of trench XXXIV was extended and deepened and the Roman level of the orchestra established. A brief trial in June and July located, in the southeast sector of the cavea, parts of two rows of Greek seats (TrenchXVIII K).5 Following this valuable piece of work, the theatre once more lay neglected until 1925, when Professor T. Leslie Shear undertook the excavation of the site. The accounts of his successive campaigns in 1925, 1926, 1928 and 1929 are fully published by him in the American Journal of Archaeologyand need only be summarizedhere.6 The first season (March 9 to June 7, 1925) resulted in the discovery of the paintings on the wall of the arena. The following year the entire orchestra and the whole of the arena wall were uncovered, as well as parts of the two parodoi and the greater part of the front wall of the scene building. The presence of a deep gutter of Greek construction was established, and many more fragments of the reliefs and other sculpture came to light. The third
5 The author must acknowledge his indebtedness to the careful collation of material from the early notebooks made by William Bell Dinsmoor, as well as to many of his observations which have proved just and helpful in the further study of the building. 6 T. L. Shear, A.J.A., XXIX, 1925, pp. 381-388; XXX, 1926, pp. 444-463; XXXII, 1928, pp. 474-489; XXXIII, 1929, pp. 515-536; R. Stillwell, A.J.A., XXXIII, 1929, pp. 77-97.

season saw, consecutively, the clearing of the stage building, the completion of the excavation of the east parodos, and the opening up of the paved street and the plaza to the east and northeast of the theatre. The work of the fourth season was chiefly in the west parodos which was excavated for its entire length, but not completely cleared of a number of late walls belonging to Early Christian and mediaeval times, and the clearing of a large sector of the central portion of the cavea. As a fitting climax to the four campaigns in which Dr. Shear had borne the entire cost of this major excavation, an inscriptionappeared, in the pavement of the northeast plaza, which stated that a certain Erastus, in return for his aedileship, had laid the pavement at his own expense: ERASTUS PRO AEDILITATE S. P. STRAVIT.7 The coincidence of two personal benefactors of the theatre is striking. In his work on the theatre Dr. Shear was assisted at various times by several members of the school: Dr. F. J. DeWaele, Dr. C. A. Robinson, Jr., Dr. Howard Comfort, W. A. Campbell, and Richard Stillwell as architect. To Nora Jenkins Shear we owe the accurate color record of the paintings of the arena wall. The original frescoeshave long since crumbled. In 1929, and again in 1930, the author had occasion to make a few small trials in searchof additional data on the relative chronology of various parts of the complex and, in 1948, after a long lapse of years, was again enabled to test out a few unexcavated corners. Much remainsundug. Over one half of the area of the cavea is still covered. The peribolos north of the stage building is but partly cleared, and much more could be done on the problem of the approaches to the theatre. It is doubtful, however, whether the additional information would fully repay the heavy cost of excavation, but there can be no doubt that many items of interest would be found.
7To be published by John H. Kent, Corinth, VIII, iii; Shear, A.J.A., XXXIII, 1929, pp. 525-526, fig. 9.

CHAPTER

LOCATION AND GENERAL DESCRIPTION


(PLATE I)

The theatre lies about two hundred and fifty metres due northwest of the northwestern angle of the Roman market place. The site takes advantage of the natural slope of the terrain where it forms a step between the upper level on which the Agora is situated, and the lower terrace which extends almost on an even grade to the Asklepieion at the northern edge of the city, hard by the outer wall. Originally the natural difference in level between the highest and lowest grades at the location chosen for the theatre was from twelve to fourteen metres, and in order to obtain greater deptlh the floor of the original orchestra was sunk down about two metres into the disintegrated hardpan and soft, easily quarried rock beneath. As a result, the parodos entrances always sloped downwardtoward the orchestra. The Corinthianswere fortunate in being ahle to place their theatre in such a convenient location, near the centre of the city's activities and readily accessible to the extensive area which lay between the market place and the northern edge of the town, an area where in Greek times there were, apparently, many hiouses.One of these, with a rich pebble mosaic floor, was found by Dr. Shear not more than fifty metres east of the theatre.1 The geological situation also made it posto observethe precepts sible for the Corinthians later mentioned by Vitruvius, that theatres should not face south, nor be built in marshy places,2 and it was also possible for them to construct the koilon with a minimum amount of fill for the extremities of the horns of the
1 A.J.A.,
2

auditorium. The material of this fill, wherever trials were made, is a clayey earth ranging from a reddish to a pale yellowish color, mixed with sherds and an occasional loom-weight none of which appear to date later than the third quarterof the fifth century before Christ. The inferenceis, of course, that most probably the first construction of the theatre cannot follow at any great interval of time and is best placed in the last quarterof the fifth or, at very latest, in the beginning of the fourth century. This matter will be considered more fully in connection with the chronologyof the building periods.3 The orientation of the theatre is almost exactly true north and south, the stage occupying the north side of the plan. In order to facilitate an understandingof the building and to give the reader a comprehensive view of the cycle of periods through which it has passed, the following brief, general description is given. The theatre has suffered so many changes in the course of its history, and in some parts is so completely destroyed, that even at the risk of a certain amount of repetition it seems desirable to outline the principal features before going into detail. THE ORCHESTRA The most striking feature to be seen today is the deep limestone gutter crossed by nine bridges which correspond to the nine central klimakes of the koilon (Fig. 1, Pls. II, III).
3F. J. DeWaele, R.E., Suppl. VI, col. 191, states that the theatre referred to by Xenophon, Hell., IV, 4, 3, cannot be the one with which we are concerned. If, however, the conclusions based on excavational evidence are correct, there is no reason why the reference may not be to this theatre, since the events mentioned occurred about 392 B. C.

XXXIII, 1929, p. 526, fig. 10. Vitruvius, De Architectura,V, iii, 1 and 2.

_4

NW
... .......

41-

'77M

77,

77-

or
M
w

7L
OP on,

4r L
n, wo
7ijugn,

7-C.

NM
FIG.

S:
4 0

1. THE THEATRE,

LOOKING NORTH

LOCATION AND GENERAL DESCRIPTION

.c3

iNN _

II

'IN

FIG. 2.

THE

ORCHESTRA,

LOOKING

SOUTHEAST

Within the arc formned by the gutter, and


concentric with it, is a molding 0.05 m. high marking the foot of a now vanished curb course, which in turn bounded the full circle of the orchestra. This molding turns outward to either side when it reaches the first and ninth bridges, runs east and west for 2.30 m. from the angle thus formed, and then is returned nearly, but not quite, at a right angle to the ends of the proskenion (P1. III). The curb also followed the same lines and formed, in effect, shoulders at either side of the orchestra circle, a feature for which there is no exact parallel.4
4A somewhat similar effect is given by the way in which the wide, shallow gutter of the theatre at Epidauros terminates a little beyond the transverse axis of the orchestra circle, but in this case there is no trace of organic connection with the stage building., Cf. P. Kabbadias.
TTpaKT1Ka,1883,

pl. I; idem, Foujiles d'Epidaure, Athens, 1891, pl. II.

About 0.50 m. higher than the top of the deep gutter are the remains of a broad, shallow gutter made from large blocks of hard Acrocorinth limestone. The inner ends of the blocks were cut to receive a marble parapet, or barrier, which was dowelled into place. This construction belongs to the late period of the theatre, later than the construction of a very hard packed sand and clay floor which was laid over a fill of poros stone fragments and lime mortar (Fig. 2). This layer will be referred to hereafter as the sand strosis, and it is to be connected with a period when the theatre was used as an arena. One other feature should be mentioned at this time. Across the entire breadth of the orchestra of the Roman period, below the level

CORINTH

of the sand strosis, was a shallow water basin, 1.80 m. wide and over twenty metres long (Pls. II, IV). The upper part of the basin was cut off by the laying of the sand strosis which runs quite across it; its present depth, below the top of the sand strosis, is about 0.35 m. No trace remains to show how water was brought to the basin, but a small hole at the east gives drainage into the great channel that formerly served the deep gutter. At a period subsequent to its first construction a space 0.50 m. wide was walled off on the north side of the basin to make a water channel. Where the channel reached the ends of the basin the walls were cut through and the channel extended west to an undetermined distance, and east to the margin of the early drain. The orchestra floor of Greek and early Roman times has been entirely removed. The original fill was dug out and replaced by the foundation of rubble concrete which lies immediately below the sand strosis, and extends down to bed rock, nearly at the level of the bottom of the deep gutter. Only two levels remain above the sand strosis: one, a hard, lime-cement layer based on a miscellaneous fill of broken stone, tiles, pieces of marble revetment and sculpture fragments;5 the other, resting almost directly on this layer, a pavement of marble slabs, somewhat irregularly laid and probably replacing, or perhaps only repairing,a pavement which once rested on the cement bed. THE CAVEA The koilon of Greek times provided a great amount of material for the Roman rebuilding, but enough remains to establish most of the principal features. Originally there were fourteen sections with fifteen stairways.6Many of the foundation blocks for the Greek seats re5 Including a portrait head identified as that of the emperor Galba. A.J.A., XXX, 1926, p. 455, fig. 8. 6 The even number of kerkides, with a stair on the central axis, is unusual. Epidauros furnishes the closest parallel, and the relative proximity of Corinthsuggests that its theatre had some influence on the Polyclitan building.

main, but of the seats themselves, only a scattered few are preserved in place. They were of a very simple rectangularsection with earth packed between each row, similar to those at the theatre at Eretria, but lacking even the slight nosing which is found there. The string blocks which flanked the stairs are fairly well preserved in some places, and high up in Stairs VI and IX, a few step blocks are still in place (Fig. 3). Nothing remains below the originalninth row of Greekseats since that part was all quarriedaway by the construction of the arena with its high protecting wall. Not a single seat of the Roman theatre survives.7 The seat foundations can be seen in many places, in the form of rubble walls which radiate, more or less, from the centre of the theatre. The slope of the cavea was made steeper in Roman times, apparently when the theatre was first reconditioned, and for this purpose heavy rib walls, filled in between with earth and debris, were erected. In the lower rows, as now preserved, just above the arena wall, a number of Greek seat blocks were reused as foundations, turned at right angles to their originalorientation. The diazomata of the Roman theatre were carried on solid rubble concrete foundations, and it is in connection with these especially that those rows of Greek seats which were preserved are still to be seen. It is evident that the builders merely saved themselves trouble in laying out the curve by leaving a couple of rows of the Greek seats in place and building to them. Further down, between the arena wall and the orchestra, are a few poor foundations for Roman seats that were erected when the arena was abandoned and the theatre returned to its proper use. At the extreme west side of the curve are four steps of one of the stairs which belongedto this last phase of the theatre (Fig. 2).
7R. B. Richardson, "Report of the Director", Fifteenth Annual Report of the Managing Committeeof the American School of Classical Studies at Athens, 1896, p. 33 and F. C. Babbitt, A.J.A., I, 1897, p. 490, pl. XX; both mention two Roman seat blocks in situ in Trench XVIII. The blocks are no longer in evidence.

LOCATION AND GENERAL DESCRIPTION

Of the outer wall there are some traces. Along the street just east of the theatre a section is still preserved, and to the southwest, at the head of Stair IX, are a number of foundation blocks and one block of a higher course. The remains at both these points are most

rock for about half of its height (ca. 1.50 ni.) and continued upwards in masonry, liberally chinked with fragments of marble revetment. The entire surface was stuccoed and painted with scenes of venatores fighting with beasts, as will be describedelsewhere (Figs. 2, 4).8

-131

-:~

. ..,.,~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ..........D,

FIG.

3. UPPER

PART OF STAIR VI, GREEK

PERIOD

FIG. 4.

EASTERN GREEK

PART OF ORCHESTRA CONNECTIONS

SHOWING

THE ARENA

WALL,

AND LATE ROMAN GUTTERS

AND DRAIN

probably Roman. No sure trace of the Greek outer wall has been identified. Probably it lay a little inside the line occupied by the Roman and its material supplied its successor. There is good evidence to show that the Greekouter limit did not extend uniformly in a curve of constant radius from one analemma to the other, but that the last section on each wing contained fewer rows. In the arena period a tribune was built in the western quadrant of the cavea, and the first nine or ten rows of Roman seats were removed when the protecting wall bounding the arena was established. This was cut in the soft native

THE PARODOI

In the Roman reconstruction of the theatre almost all the blocks of the Greekparodoi were ripped out, but enough remains to make a restoration possible. Several foundation blocks of the western Greekanalemma are still visible. The eastern has vanished entirely, and is only suggested by some cuttings in the rock, which, however, are not sufficiently definite to verify exactly the location of the analemma on that side. On the north of the parodoi, flanking the skene, were stone ramps leading to the logeion and serving also as retaining walls for the
8

Belw,

--p

87f

f.

10

CORINTH

earth behind. Their remains still exist at either end of the Greek stage. The Roman parodoi may be divided into two parts: an outer portion, along the analemma of the theatre, and an inner, vaulted reached by an entrance from the north. adtitus, Both the east and west entrances were later blocked, and new, narrowerentrances made by cutting through the north wall of each aditus at a point just outside the ends of the scene building. The analemmata were strengthened by buttresses, 0.90 m. square, but after a time these proved insufficient and, having been thrown out of plumb, they were supplemented by larger piers, 1.20 m. square, built against the wall midway between the earlierbuttresses. Further reinforcement was provided by large piers opposite the new buttresses and about 2.50 m. away, with an arch, forming a kind of flying buttress, thrown across each gap. On the west, in addition to the flying buttresses, the base of the analemma wall was thickened. It is evident that the pressure of the earth fill behind the analemmata was too great for the original construction, and it is also most probable that the settlement was hastened by an earthquake. The vaults over the covered parts of the parodoi were of strong rubble concrete, several large fragments of which had to be broken up in the excavations in order to clear the aditi. THE STAGE BUILDING
GREEK

At present the Greek skene (Fig. 5, P1. Vc) consists of three courses of the front wall, a section of the rear wall, two courses high, and a short section of three courses that marks the northern extremity of the east end. All are bedded on rock or hardpan, which, along the back wall wherever the rock was sufficiently firm, was cut to form the inner face of the wall. The great span of ten metres from front to back is unusual, and must have

required the use of interior supports, but of these no trace has been distinguished. At the southeast corner of the skene is a deep cutting as though for the foundation of a stair tower. In it have been sunk, flush with the rock, three rows of blocks formingthe west, north and east sides of a chamber, whose interior dimensions are given by setting lines cut on the inset blocks. The floor of this cutting is at the level of the second course of the front wall, but the general rock level, and hence the main part of the floor of the hyposkenion, was 0.60 m. to 0.70 m. higher. Blocks projecting from the skene mark the ends of the proskenion and, on the east, a short section of the stereobate of the colonnade is preserved. The remainder of the line of the colonnade is well marked by a shallow rock cutting. A fainter rock cutting and a few blocks at the east indicate that the proskenion was deepened at some time. Subsequent to the originalconstruction,a central passage was inserted through the front wall of the skene, and carried forward to the front of the deeper proskenion. At either end of the skene are blocks with their joints normal to the lines of the parodoi. These are closely bonded with the remains of the front wall at its western end. On the east, the connection has been broken, but there are three blocks laid lengthwise on a downward slope toward the orchestra which give the grade of the approach.Thereis a raised nub on the easternmost block showing that a ramp up began at that point. On the west, foundations for the same construction may be seen. Cut into the rock in front of the skene are two sunken channels, roughly 0.50 m. wide and about one metre deep, which pass from within the proskenionto a point just a little beyond it to the south. Both were provided with shallow steps, best seen in the eastern one, where, at the same time, the under side of the stereobate of the colonnadewas cut away to form a corbel and give a little more headroom in the tunnel.

.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~4.w

FG 5 VI W R MT

SO H ET H WN T E T G

I DN

TH P RB

N P0

FIG.

5.

VIEW

FROM THE SOUTHWEST

SHOWING

THE STAGE

BUILDING,

THE PERIBOLOS

AND PLAZA

12

CORINTH

l~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~0
or

~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

i.6

ATEDOFSAN,ADPRBLSBYN

It is quite easy, by stooping, to go through the hospitalia gave access to slightly larger rooms passage and emerge in the orchestrain front of at the east and west extremities of the buildthe proskenion. There can be no question but ing (P1. VIJa). that these passages are Charonianstairs; the Less than half the length of the stage buildinteresting feature for the Corinth theatre is ing is preserved above the foundations, and that there are two sets. even this much has suffered severely from pillaging, especially on the side toward the ROMAN stage, so that any reconstruction of the plan is The ruins of the Roman stage building show to some extent conjectural. The outer, north that it was of the usual western type, with wall is preservedto a height of three courses at three exedras in which were the porta regia the northeast corner (Fig. 6). A portion of the and the two hospitalia. At either end of the socle and three courses of the eastern hospitalscene building were stairs opening from the ium remain, together wvith the entrance north, which gave access either to upper rooms through it to the stage, and about one third of or to the eavea itself. On the north side of the the circuit of the eastern of the two exedras building, facing on a court, two semicircular facing on the court. A small section of poros exedras with stone benches provided for the stone paving for the area in front of the regia comfort of people using the colonnade behind still lies on an isolated rubble foundation. Elsethe theatre. Small rooms behind each of the where, the chief remains are the masses of

LOCATIONAND GENERAL DESCRIPTION

13

rubble concrete which formed the foundations ing down at right angles to the parodoi. Originfor those areas where no direct superinmposed ally the walls which faced the stage building weight of consequence was to be carried. At were pierced by five openings, provided with all points where the solid parts of the plan wooden doors. The eastern hall also had a were to be carried up to the full height of the large opening which faced south and gave on building the foundations were of cut stone the outer portion of the parodos, almost oppomasonry. In general the concrete masses were site the entrance to the vaulted aditus. The not laid directly on hardpan, but on a levelling corresponding portion of the west hall is no course of cut stone, many of the blocks being longer preserved, but the arrangement was re-used from a building of the early Roman doubtless similar. Subsequent to the first conperiod. There can be little doubt that an earlier struction of the halls the small doorways were scaenae frons once occupied most of the space filled by blocks set in from the outer side. The covered by the present ruins, which must date east hall, in the latest period of the theatre, befrom the second century of our era. The exact came a large reservoir,waterproofedby heavy plan of the earlier form of the Roman scaena stucco with careful thickening at the angles, cannot be recovered, but from the character and paved with large bricks or tiles. The southof the architectural blocks built into the late ern opening was heavily blocked up, and a foundations, especially certain cornice blocks, large piece of marble tympanum with a square it would seem that the first building was of the hole cut through it was placed low down in the straight-fronted, Asia Minor variety, with original opening as a gate to a well built flume columns, or pairs of columns, "en ressault." designed to carry water to flood the orchestra when it was desired to use it for a naumnachia.9 A spillway was contrivedjust outside the openSTRUCTURES CONNECTED WITH THE ing, thereby blocking most of the parodos THEATRE approachfrom the east, and from the spillway A large colonnaded court extended the en- the flume was led down through the eastern tire length of the stage building along its north porta versura. Although the original height of side. Beyond this was a street runningapprox- the room or reservoiris no longer preserved, a imately east and west. Originallybuilt of poros depth of only a trifle more than three metres stone, the court was later revetted in marble; wouldgive sufficient capacity to fill the orchesa new stylobate of white limestone installed tra contained within the marble parapet to a above the earlier one, and marble paving laid depth of about one metre, or very nearly the between the colonnade and the wall. Presum- level of the parapet top. ably the colonnadeitself was rebuilt in marble. On the south, in the centre, three long marble APPROACHES TO THE THEATRE slabs were placed instead of the white limeFull information on the approaches and stone, and the spacing of the columns interrupted by some sort of entrance to the regia, access to the theatre is lacking and can only be or by a backgroundfor a small water basin and obtained by a large amount of further excavafountain at the middle of the south side. This tion. Some of the approaches, however, are basin is to be associated in its original form known. 9 A recent article by Gustavo Traversari, "Tetimimo e with the early period of the court, but was Dioniso, Boll. dell'Ist. Naz. del DrammaAntico, Colimbe'tra," retained in the remodelling. XIII, 1950, pp. 18-35 suggests that the supposed use of East and west of the stage building were two theatres for naumachia is erroneous, and that the orchestras were flooded to provide water spectacles or mimes. See below large halls, separated from it by a passage slop- p. 140.

14

CORINTH

On the east a paved street led down from the upper level. Near the southeast quadrant of the cavea a series of steps and short rampszigzagged down the slope where it was steepest, and the approachwas then continued, skirting the cavea wall past the end of the east parodos, to a large, paved plaza northeast of the stage building. From this plaza there was access to the court behind the stage, and also to the passage which led between the east hall and the end of the stage building to the east aditus. Theplazawas also accessiblefroma street which, coming from the east, presumably started at the Lechaion Road, and ran on past the north side of the theatre court. Excavations just outside the extreme limits

of the west parodos failed to discover any pavement, or any very conclusive signs of a street at this point, but the presence of a large sill at the entrance to the outer parodos, with cuttings for a gate, shows that there was definitely an entrance at this point and we must assume a street here, running in a generally northerly direction. To facilitate access to the upper parts of the cavea, vomitoria must have been provided. Traces of one may still be seen in the southeast sector, but the remains consist merely of a sill and foundations lying outside the circle of the cavea wall, which at this point has been entirely removed, and only the cuttings in hard pan remain to show where it once ran.

CHAPTER

II

DETAILED DESCRIPTION. THE GREEK PERIOD


ORCHESTRA
(PLATES II, III)

The original levels both of the earliest orchestra of the Greek theatre and of the orchestra of Hellenistic' times are no longer preserved, but they may be approximated very closely. The formerwould have been only a very little above the level to which the native rock was cut over an area that extends within the entire circle of the later, Hellenistic, gutter construction, as well as over that later occupied by the proskenion of the Hellenistic stage building. This level is from 0.80 m. to 1.10 m. below theatre datum level,2 and at least 0.80 m. below the lowest possible level for the Hellenistic orchestra floor. It is no longer practicable to recover accurately the radius of this early orchestra, but it would have measured about 10.80 m. to 11.00 m. from the lowest (now vanished) row of seats. Its existence may be assuredfrom a combination of facts, one being that otherwisethere would have been no logical reason to excavate the rock to such a depth over so large an area. The non-existence of any
1 The term Hellenistic as used here includes the latter part of the fourth century B. C. 2 Theatre datum level is taken on the marble and limestone edging course which formed the south side of a narrow channel between the late Roman orchestra cement floor and the pulpitum of the same period. It is established at 57.71 m. above mean sea level. The general Corinth datum for the publication of the buildings about the market place, in Corinth, I, i, was reckoned from the southwest angle of the stylobate of the Temple of Apollo, 84.85 m. above sea level, and hence 27.14 m. above theatre datum. Since it happens that this last correspondsvery closely with what was presumably the level of the Greekorchestra in the Hellenistic period, it has been thought preferable to retain it in the description rather than to express theatre levels in terms either of sea level or of the original Corinth datum, taken at the temple.

actual floor level is explained by the fact that the installation of a solid foundation for a later, marblepavement of the Roman period brought about a complete removal of whatever Greek or Hellenistic levels may have existed. The early orchestra is also indicated by the difficulty of reconciling the character of construction of the seats of the Greek theatre, which are of the simplest nature, with the high quality of workmanship and sophisticated technique of the Hellenistic gutter construction. The two simply cannot belong in the same period. East and west, a little to the north of a line bisecting the orchestra, are rock cuttings which have no relation to the Hellenistic orchestra, but which could well be connected with an earlier circle, although neither of the cuttings is preserved to a sufficient length to make sure that it follows a curved line. On the west, especially, a deep step of about 0.50 m. appears which may be the trace of an early water channel or gutter, in no way related to the later one which is preserved. It is impossible to recover more of this cutting without an extensive demolition of later work above it. There is no stone stage building to be associated with the early period, but two rows of holes for wooden uprights seem definitely earlier than the Hellenistic stage building, and probably indicate a wooden skene. These will be consideredbelow. The rock surface which underlay the early orchestra floor is only approximately smooth, and would have been covered by packed earth

16

CORINTH

and clay to a depth of a few centimetres. The existing rock levels show that this floor was pitched away from the stage. In digging under the floor of the long Roman water basin which runs across the orchestrafrom east to west, the fill between it and the rock was of a very clayey, yellowish soil and probably represents the original fill for the early floor. Unfortunately the only sherds found in this fill were of coarse fabric, but they appeared to be quite early. THE HELLENISTIC ORCHESTRA
(PLATES III, IV)

blocks that broke joints with the course above. They project unevenly toward the interior of the circle, and are set down a little into bed rock. The height of the bottom courses varies according to the pitch of the bottom of the gutter; their top surfaces are level.

__i _

.. ..

* .

.~~~~~~~~~~~~~...
. ...

This is by far the most impressive piece of construction now preserved and deserves careful description. As an example of the high development of stereotomy of the fourth and third centuries it ranks with the best contemporary work at Corinthand elsewhere. A deep gutter, 0.52 m. wide and from 0.63 m. deep at the west to 0.76 m. at the east, surrounds about half of the orchestra circle (Fig. 7). The bottom is paved with slabs of poros stone, with a joint every 0.60 m., set directly into the soft, native rock. The outer edges of the slabs were cut down 0.04 m. to form a rebate to receive the wall blocks of the gutter. These are in two courses save where the northeast sector was not open to view, and along the drain which connected with the gutter and, maintaining the same width, but increasing in depth, passed northeastward under the east parodos and carried the water away from the theatre (Fig. 8). The drain walls in these parts consist of orthostate slabs. The bottom course, on both sides of the open gutter, had joints exactly under the centre line of the several bridges which spanned the gutter, and also half way between. Thus the outer blocks measured 1.40 m. long, the inner slightly less. The width of these courses cannot be measured, but the one to the inside is backed by a series of wedge-shaped

.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~.. ..... .


.

FIG. 7. THE HELLENISTIC GUTTER

o 29 m. high. On either side, three blocks, very

The upper courses, inside and out, measure

evenly spaced, occupy each interval between bridges. Toward the centre of the orchestrathe blocks show a raised surface, separated from the lower portion of the block by a cyma reversa molding, and serving as a bed for the ring of blocks that formed the curb of the orchestra. No curb block remains, but setting lines and pry-holes show that it consisted of blocks about 0.40 m. wide and approximately 1.40 m. long. The joints came directly above those of the lowest gutter course, next below the one with the cyma molding. On the inner ends of the only two blocks of the second

DETAILED DESCRIPTION.THE GREEK PERIOD --~~~~~~~~~~~~r


~~~~~~~pI

1.7

III

o~~5

1.00

Al -

t+
.04

.15

.525

.57

.a0

.04 P1.

.57

FIG. 8.

SECTIONS

OF GUTTER

AND BRIDGE,

AND END ELEVATION

OF TYPICAL

SEATS AND STAIR STRINGERS

course which have been completely exposed are mason's marks: T and H (Fig. 9). The height of the curb may be approxiniated as follows. The top of the second course of the Hellenistic skene wall is, on the average,0.44 m.

FIG. 9. MASON'S MARKiS ON GUTTER BLOCKS, ONE FIFTII


FULL SIZE

above the top of the proskenion foundation, or, generally, 0.47 m. above the bed of the curb. The face of this second course of the skene has been cut down about 0.05 m. where it projects forward of the third course, and indicates the level of the floor of the proskenion, about 0.42 m. above the bedding of the curb. This, then, would be the maximum height for the curb if we suppose that the orchestra floor was at the exact level of the top of the stylobate of the proskenion colonnade, but it is reasonable to allow the stylobate to project a little above the orchestra and hence, if we allow ten centimetres, we may restore
2

the height of the curb at 0.32 m. or one foot.3 The beds of the bridge blocks are at the same level as those of the upper courses of the gutter, but their tops are about 0.01 m. higher, a device intended to compensate for wear. A raised band surrounds the lateral surfaces of each bridge and frames an arch-like hollowing of the stone, but the arch forms do not continue through the width of the bridge. Instead, they funnel downward so that under the middle line the stone is almost full thickness (Fig. 8). The width of the bridges is 0.79 m. On the inner end they show a joint just short of the eyma molding,whichis cut on anotherblock. Only the seven bridges nearest the central axis of the theatre spanned the open gutter. The next, east and west, were exposed to the south and carrieda return of the eyma molding and its curb to either side on a line parallel to the stage. This return extends outward for a distance of 2.30 m. and then turns north almost, but not quite, at right angles to the
3 At Epidauros the level of the stylobate of the proskenion is about 0.12 m. above that of the curb of the orchestra circle. W. Dorpfeld-E. Reisch, Das griechische Theater, Athens, 1896, p. 132.

18

CORINTH

stage. The angle of each is 92 degrees, with the two lines diverging toward the north. Beyond the line marked by this shoulder the gutter was covered, but it is clear that the circle of the orchestra was carried around the whole way, for its foundations still exist beyond the semicircle, and a rock cutting in front of the line of the Hellenistic proskenion fits this curve very exactly. The east and west edges of the shoulders, as has just been remarked,are not quite perpendicular to the front of the skene (P1.III). They ran, one to a point which may still be seen miarkedby an irregularity on the projecting end of the western stereobate of the proskenion, and the other to a line formed by two blocks which still extend from its eastern corner and served as foundation for the molded course, and the curb course above. The outer series of gutter blocks is uniformly 0.57 m. wide, measured on the radius of the orchestra, until the end bridges are reached. The outer end joints of the bridges follow the same curve. Outside of the outer range of gutter blocks, and set down flush into the rock, is a second series of blocks which bear a raised margin or lip cut on a curve concentric with the seats, and not with the orchestra. Their lengths, on the radius of the circle, vary, therefore, with the divergence of the two circles, from 0.75 m. at the centre axis to more than 1.60 m. at the angles of the shoulders, which, together with the raised lip for the passage in front of the lowest row of seats have been worked on single blocks. From this point northward there are again two series of blocks. The inner bears the eyma moldingand bed for the curb, as well as a lower surface which formed a very shallow depression or channel between the curb and the lip for the passage skirting the lowest row of seats. The outer range, beginning about 0.05 m. inside the lip, extends as far as was necessary to underlapthe step for the lowest row of seats, a distance of 0.75 m. to 0.80 m.

The inner, top course of the gutter is fastened with inverted U clamps, carefully leaded. No dowel holes appear to secure the curb, although one would expect it, since any pressure of trodden earth within would tend to displace the blocks outward, and it was for this purpose that the course below the curb was so carefully clamped together. Elsewhere there are no clamps or fastenings of any kind. The joints of the entire construction are radial to the orchestra centre as far as the last bridges; after that they radiate from the centre on which the seats are described. The adjoining surfaces of all the blocks of this gutter construction seem, if we may judge by the two or three places where a break makes inspection possible, to have been treated with a well cut anathyrosis with broad marginal areas, and appear very similar in all respects to the character of work on the South Stoa.4 For the stereotomy of the construction near the end bridges an examination of the plan (P1. IV) will be better than a verbal description. There are certain features, however, which should be pointed out. First, one end of the gutter never went further than just north of the western end bridge. Only the foundation for the orchestra circle is carried on, and consists of orthostates, well joined, but not brought to an even surface on the outer side. They are not curved, but set as the sides of a polygon. The straight course which carried the branch of the curb that ran back to the proskenion rests on a stereobate which is not aligned with the direction of the curb, but is set perpendicular to the stage. This in turn rests in a level rock cutting which is not quite parallel to the course for which it was cut. Obviously it was intended that final alignments should be made when the proper level was reached and not before. Some time after the gutter had been finished two massive blocks ca. 0.80 m. square were let
4 0. Broneer, A.J.A., XXXVII, 1933, pp. 554ff.; also Corinth, I, v (in preparation).

DETAILED DESCRIPTION. THE GREEK PERIOD

19

in to the east and west shoulders. Their tops are now very roughly hacked, as though they had been cut down at some time. Each has a bowl-shaped cutting about 0.45 m. in diameter centered in the top. The bowl in the west block is a little deeper (0.40 m.) than the other. The western block rests, in part, on a low, well cut slab which has been set into the rock, and the manner in which the projecting end of one of the blocks for the curb bed has been cut away is plainly seen (Figs. 10, 11). The large block, with the socket, was secured by a wedge-shaped block very carefully fitted be-

.. W

FIG.

10. WESTERN

MAST SOCKET.

EXCAVATION

SKETCH

tween it and the projecting end of the last bottom course block of the inner wall of the gutter. On the east face of the socket block is a cutting, 0.12 m. wide, which forms a channel in the side, and follows roughly the curve of the bowl within. What purpose this may have served is not clear unless it was a means of allowing water that accumulated in the area between the curb of the orchestra circle and the straight curb to reach the gutter. It may also have served in lowering the block into place, although one would expect a similar cutting on the opposite side. Thereis, however, none to be seen. The block in the eastern shoulderrests partly on the lower, outer course of the gutter and has been cut away in the form of a half arch so as to corbel out over it (Fig. 11). The half arch so formed could never have been visible, and this refinement may be merely to lighten the block on that side, where it lacked adequate support. It may also have been suggested by the rather curious fact that the block immediately north of the bridge block was also hollowed out slightly on the under side, though it in turn could never have been visible. There is no groove or channel in the east block, but on the south side, near one corner, is a series of pry-

SECTION,

EASr

5HOULDEP.

SECTION

ALONC;

CUTTEQ.

+0

_._

, _._,

_,

?0

SECTION

Ca. 5.00

FURTHER

NORTH 0

SECTION,

WEST

SHOULDER
_

FIG. 11. SECTIONS

SHOWING

PLACING

OF MAST SOCKETS

EAST AND WEST. JOINING

AT LOWER LEFT,

SECTION

ALONG LINE OF DRAIN

FROM

EAST PARODOS

MAIN DRAIN

2*

CORINTH

&~~~~~~~~~~~~~~&

FIG.

12.

FOUNDATIONS

AND

ROCK CUTTIGS

AT SOUTHEAST

ANGLE

OF PEOSKENIO

FIG. 12. FOUNDATIONS AND ROCK CUTTINGS AT SOUTHEAST ANGLE OF PROSKENION

holes that may have served the purpose of easing the block down onto its bed. The function of these blocks is uncertain, but a possible explanation is that they were intended to serve as sockets for masts to which a velum could have been attached. It is apparent also that they were used at a time when the Hellenistic gutter was still in operation, for if it had been abandoned it is unlikely that they would have been inserted with the same care, and quite unlikely that so much care should have been taken not to obstruct the eastern section of the gutter. The socket of the western block has a hole that goes clear through the bottom. The other has no outlet, and for this reason it is not probable that the sockets can be connected with fountains, or any similar device.5
5 There are two blocks in the theatre at Sikyon which lie in a position roughly analogous to those at Corinth, A.J.A.,

The orthostates which line the channel of the main drain beyond the last bridge are, in part, re-used blocks. Some of them bear a heavy coat of good, yellow, waterproof stucco such as is commonly employed in Corinth during the Greek period. Two blocks show a projecting, nearly rectangular taenia on one edge, but no other distinguishable characteristics. Possibly they are to be associated with the earlier orchestra gutter, if in fact there was one, or they may come from a water basin such
VIII, 1893, pp. 405-409, fig. 15. Bulle, Untersuchungenan griechischen Theatern, (Abh. Mun. Akad., XXXIII, 1928) p. 193, suggests that they were for a water driven mechanical device which, perhaps, a Sikyonian mechanic had dedicated and used to entertain the spectators during an intermission. Since the upper surfaces of the blocks at Corinth appear to have been hacked off we cannot say positively that there were no cuttings on them for a similar purpose, but it is most unlikely that so much trouble would have been taken to bed and secure the two massive stones unless they were intended to resist weight and stress beyond any that would be needed for such a display as suggested for Sikyon.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION. THE GREEK PERIOD

21

though an irregularity which may be noted in the rise of two successive rows of seats about two thirds of the way up the slope may be explained as a sort of embryonic attempt at a diazoma. Half way up the slope, the usual seat construction is varied by a course of stones placed, rather roughly, between two successive rows of seats, and somewhat further down there is evidence that a diazoma was later introducedby the simple processof eliminating two rows. Each of these levels will be discussed in detail below. It may also be established that the two outer kerkidesdid not run up as far as the remainder of the circuit of the koilon, but ended some ten or twelve rows short of the outer limit. This appears in connection with the western analemma of which a few blocks are still in situ. As far as it is preserved the thickness of the analemmawall was nearly 1.24 m., just enough to carry a normal flight of stairs 0.75 m. wide and leave a little less than 0.50 m. for a parapet. The cutting for this wall can be traced THE KOILON along a line marked by the existing blocks to a The koilon of the Greek theatre was divided point just beyond the entrance from the north into fourteen kerkides by thirteen flights of into the vaulted portion of the Roman parodos. stairs. Two additional flights along the ana- Some part of the end of this wall must have up still existed in Roman times, perhaps only the lemmata brought the number of klinmakes to fifteen. Contraryto the practicerecomnmend- lowest course, for a later wall, connected with ed by Vitruvius6 additional flights were not the Roman period, is built against its western intercalated above the diazoma as was the return. The later wall survived whereas the case, for example, at Epidauros or at Athens. earlier fell prey to stone plunderers. The last In fact, the theatre in its originalform may be two metres of the cutting do not quite follow said not to have had proper diazomata at all, the line of the remainderof the analemma but 6 Vitruvius, V, vi, 2; V, vii, 2. The Vitruvian convention make an obtuse angle with it, thus eliminating for the plan of the Greek theatre with three inscribed squares in the orchestra gives seven kerkides, and eight an acute angle at the extreme corner of the klimakes. In a theatre the size of Corinth or Epidauros this analemma (P1. II). On the east side nothing would produce a series of long arcs of seats along which spectators would have to thread their way in order to reach their remains, but a careful investigation has estabplaces. Apparently the Roman architect ignoredthe possibility lished that in this direction the analemma that additional stairs were sometimes interpolated below the diazomata, thereby raising the total to fifteen, as originally never ran any further than its counterpart at at Corinth. If the central stair were blocked, as well as each the west. alternate stair to either side, but the extensions of all the arrangeideal his left open, diazoma upper The inner ends of the analemmata, toward stairs above the ment would correspond exactly with the Corinth theatre as the orchestra, are not recoverable, but may modified late in the Hellenistic period. It is also possible that the modification might have been made in the very early reasonably be located with reference to the Roman period, before the Augustan reconstruction of the curve of the lowest seats of the koilon. cavea was undertaken.

as the one indicated by a channel at a low level in the east parodos of the Roman theatre. The straight curbs running north from the east and west shoulders of the orchestra were cut off about halfway between their southern ends and the proskenion by a long, shallow, Roman water basin that ran clear across the orchestra. There is no doubt, however, that they once extended to the angles of the proskenion, since there is a suitable rock cutting for the western one, and two foundation blocks of the eastern, as has been noted above, are still in situ (a, a, Fig. 12). On the west face of the northern of the two blocks is a mason's mark +. From the way in which the joints have been cut it appears that the curbs were laid after the foundation for the proskenion colonnade had been set. It is important to note this since, if the evidence is correctly interpreted, the construction of the proskenion,and hence the skene, cannot be later than the gutter.

22

CORINTH

The construction of the seats is of the simplest kind (Figs. 13, 15, 16). They consist of plain blocks of poros stone, 0.30 m. high, 0.37 m. wide on the top surface, and of varying lengths, usually about 1.40 m. The front face is slightly curved to the periphery of the circle to which they are set, and the backs usually show a roughly finished surface projecting two to four centimetres beyond a drafting at the top, rear edge of the block. Thus the beds of the blocks, which are also generally only roughed out save where they rested on foundation blocks, vary in width between 0.39 m. and 0.43 m. The ends of the blocks, save where they abutted on a stair, have anathyrosis.

The foundations for these simple seats, which are nothing more than a stone version of the old wooden TIpiaare individual, roughly rectangular blocks provided with a raised lip at the front so as to keep the seats from slipping forward. One of these occurs under each seat joint. Three blocks have mason's marks, A, , F respectively (Figs. 13, 14). Very occasionally a foundation will consist of two narrow blocks side by side. Pry-holes are often in evidence on the tops of the foundation stones, which were set in hardpan or, in the higher levels of the koilon, on a hard packed fill of earth, clayey and reddish in tone, but sometimes verging to a yellow color. The fill con-

"L.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~t

FIG.

13. DETAIL

OF GREEK

SEAT CONSTRUCTION

AND MASONS'

MARKS ON SEAT FOUNDATIONS

DETAILED DESCRIPTION. THE GREEK PERIOD

23

zG-_

>

6':.9.:.'#.'...,-|

.,:

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."

..... . .

..e? ......

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i e

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
w r i i 4 ... . e v.$i s . }E f

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St . ....... .. . .. ... . .. . . . .

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BLOCK FIG4

MACROSS CETA VIEW PARRKS

KO ION WITH GREEKSEATFOUNDATIONS AN,T

AK

#r~

~ ~ ~ IZOAAW
'41~

~~EO

~ ~ ~

FONDTIN OFUPRROA
SA BLCK I PAC

24

CORINTH

tains sherds and gives a means of determining the period before which the theatre could not have been constructed. Where it has been possible to test this fill no sherds have been found that need be dated later than the last quarter of the fifth century B.C. Such decorated sherds as were found included a few redfigured fragments as well as Geometric. Between the seats the space was filled with earth with its hard packed surface at the level of the bottom of the drafting on the rear edge of the blocks. At the ends of each row, where the last block was finished smooth, the projection behind was cut away so that the end of the seat presented a perfectly rectangular shape. This outer end rested on a thin, upright slab (Fig. 13), which made both a foundation for the seat and a dam for the earth fill behind it, and also defined the width of the stair. These successive stringers are well fitted and usually notch over the next one below. They are from 0.14 m. to 0.18 m. wide. The depth varies, but the bottoms are always level and set into hard pan or fill as are the seat foundations. Only toward the lower part of the koilon, for three or four metres above the line of the later Roman arena wall, are the foundations set in rock. The stairs were of three types, though the first to be described is probably the original. Opposite each interval between the rows of seats a plain block was inserted with its front edge extending 0.10 m. forward from the rear line of a given row of seats, while its rear edge was about 0.20 m. ahead of the face of the next row above (Fig. 3). Therewas a space of packed earth about 0.30 m. wide between the steps. Those recovered in Stair VI were all badly worn and it is difficult to tell whether they were originally laid with their tops level. Probably they were tilted forward slightly to form a compromise between a stair and a stepped ramp. In the central part of Stair IX each alternate block is missing, the upper surfaces are definitely inclined and a ramp paved

with cobblestones filled in the space between step blocks. The upper part of the stair is completely paved (Fig. 17). In the course of two centuries or more of service the steps must have been worn out and replaced more than once. The preserved blocks are all surprisingly tliin, not over 0.14 m. at most, without counting wear.

FIG. 17. STEPS AND STRINGERS


FOUNDATION FOR UPPER

OF STAIR IX. AT BACK, ROMAN DIAZOMA

As observed in the section on the orchestra (p. 15) it is impossible to reconcile this very simple, almost primitive construction with the gutter complex. The fact that the rock has been quarried down to a low level within the Hellenistic gutter, far beyond any reasonable depth were the later level the same as the original, forces us to conclude that there were originally more rows of seats than in Hellenistic times. A trial section shows that three more,rows could be,inserted, thep lowest, to be,

DETAILED DESCRIPTION. THE GREEK PERIOD

25

sure, not properly a seat, but a plinth for the first actual row. These were sacrificed when the theatre was remodelledand the new gutter put in. No trace remains of an early gutter, but this would, in any case, have been completely covered, or replaced, by the later construction, as will be seen by consulting the section (Fig. 18).

the three lower rows of seats would have been torn out, the gutter put in, with its centre located on the axial line of the theatre, and a new row or two of seats, now becoming the first and second rows, replaced the original fourth and fifth rows which must have been removed to make room for the reconstruction. For this theory one further piece of evidence

I-,

i ,

FI RST PERIOD S5ECOND PERIOD


ESR S N P

,
-

SECrON

AE

FIG. 18. RESTORED SECTION SHOWINGE TWO PERIODS

The extant remains of the Hellenistic stage building are almost surely contemporarywith the later period of the orchestra, for they all are part of the same reconstruction. An attempt to relate the plan of the Greektheatre to the ideal layout of Vitruvius results in an interesting coincidence. The Vitruvian scheme of a circle with an inscribed square giving the location of the front of the proskenion cannot be made to agree with the theatre in the Hellenisticperiod. If, however, we take the early koilon, add three lower rows of seats, and describe our circle at the face of Row A, the side of an inscribed square exactly marks the line of the proskenion (Fig. 19). We may assume that in the reconstruction the skene and proskenion were located first of all, and by the method prescribed,using the lowest row of the then existing seats.7 These elements having been located,
7This agrees with the observation that the orchestra circle and the straight curbs were put in after the foundations of the proskenion had been established. See above, p. 21.

exists. On the exact centre axis of the theatre, a little beyond the central bridge and the foundation blocks inserted in the rock to the south of it, is a neatly cut setting line on the surface of the rock. This, in such a place, would have had no significance, nor indeed been necessary if the present deep gutter had been contemporary with the rest of the koilon. But if we suppose that the lower, original rows of seats were ripped out and the rock below rows four and five brought to a new level to receive the altered construction, then a setting line to mark the exact axis of the theatre and assure that the new gutter was properly aligned would have been necessary. The lowest preserved seat foundation is in the ninth row of the later period of the koilon; everything below was removed when the theatre was converted to an arena. Many of the foundations and stair stringers further up are missing, but, from the ones preserved, certain conclusionsas to the slope of the koilon may be made. The most notable is that the

26

CORINTH

are not at all level for each row sinks toward the northeast as much as 0.14 m. in a distance of six or seven metres. The lowest string courses flanking the stairs provide the most reliable data, and from them we can set the slope at a ratio of 1 to 3.06. This is extraordinarily shallow and bespeaks an early date for the construction of the koilon.9 The restoration of the lowest rows is dependant on the restoration of the pitch. Using the figure given above, which from a repeated series of measurenments seems most reliable, we can restore a course some 0.18 m. high resting on the blocks set into the rock outside of the gutter course. This series is the one with the raised cutting (about 0.07 m.)10 concentric with the seats. Behind this cutting the surface of the stones is worn down and setting lines here and there give the location of the front of the next course, about 0.68 m. behind the concentric cutting. As the face of the lowest row of seats calculated from the nearest preserved row would have to come 1.20 m. from the cutting, the width of the plinth would have been about 0.52 m. On this the spectators would have set their feet. A more probable alternative is that instead of simple seats the lowest row took the form of prohedria. This would allow us to make the plinth course higher and hence require a step intermediate between its top and the level of the raised surface just outside the concentric cutting.11 Actually there is evidence for such a step, for opposite each flight of stairs the worn surFIG. 19. PLAN SHOWING RELATION OF EARLIER AND LATER face of the raised passage extends only about GREEK PERIODS 0.45 m. back from the cutting and the unworn Such a disposition would be most improbable. part has the width of the stair. At either side It is also noticeable that in the central sector, of where this step would have lain the worn and in the one next east, the pitch seems surface extends out to the line of the plinth. 9 The slope of the lower two-thirds of the koilon at Episteeper than near Stair IX. This may be due to dauros is 1 in 2.19. the slipping forward of the hardpan and fill 10This measurement is taken from the unworn surface at overlying the rock below. Also, in the south- the outer edge of the course where it formed a bed for the below the prohedria. At its inner edge, toward the east sector, the two preservedrows, 45 and 46, plinth centre of the orchestra, the cutting is worn down to a height distance from the front of one row to the front of the next is not uniform, but changes somewhere along the slope. The lower half of the koilon shows a run of about 0.81 m. to an average rise of 0.263 m. The upper part of the koilon reduces the run to about 0.77 m. with a slightly lower rise, thus tending to keep the same pitch. It is not possible to say, however, whether this was actually the case, or whether the upper zone was given a slightly steeper pitch as at Epidauros.8The only place where the slope of the upper section can be measured is along Stair IX, and in this sector settlement has apparently caused the upper part to sink down, so that actual measurement shows a lower pitch for the last ten preserved rows.
A. Defrasse and H. Lechat, Epidaure, Paris, 1895 pp. 201, 202.
8

of barely 0.05 m. '1 Presumably the top of the plinth would have been at the same level as the top of the orchestra curb.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION. THE GREEK PERIOD

27

Figure 18 showinlg the section of the lower rows of seats suggests the mannerin which this conclusionhas been reached. A number of inscribed Greek seat blocks12 were found re-used in the foundations of the steeper Roman cavea, and two more appeared in the lowest courses of the inner end walls of the western aditus (Fig. 49). By a curious chance all but one block lie in the westernpart of the cavea, although we should assume that originally they were distributed in one or more rows aroundthe circle. The inscriptionwas not continuous since the heights of the letters vary from one piece to another. Only two blocks in the aditus are preserved for more than half their original length, and even these have been shortened somewhat. There can be no doubt, however, that all were seat blocks, since they show the characteristicprofile with the rebate cut at the upper, rear edge of each block. Several are a trifle lower than the average (0.29 m. against 0.30 or 0.31 m.) and their lower surfaces, carefully levelled, show that they rested on a complete course of masonry rather than on isolated foundations. This would place them, most probably,in one of the lower rows of the koilon, in the space between the gutter and the arena wall. The difference in the heights equals the average upward projection of the raised lip on the forward edge of the isolated seat foundation blocks.
THE DIAZOMATA

The location of the diazomata is not clearly marked. Above the twentieth row of seats, for which a few foundation blocks remain, there is a gap of two rows for which there are no foundations whatever in situ. Opposite this gap, moreover, the string blocks of the stairs have been hacked down to approximately the level of the bed of row 20. This may be seen in Stair IX and Stair VII. It is probable that at one time a diazoma, which did not belong to the original construction, was made at this level.
12

Inv. Nos. 43-49, p. 110.

Moreover,there is no trace of a wall to the rear of the diazoma, though it must once have existed. Between rows 27 and 28 there are, in places, blocks which have been set in between the rows. Their tops are level with the footings of the higher row. What purpose these could have served is not clear, but possibly they were put in to provide a more solid footing than the usual packed earth, and thus form the pavement of a narrowpassage which could have served as a diazoma, without having the usual form. If the row below these blocks were not occupied by spectators the passage would have been 0.80 m. wide. To be sure, this is extremely narrow, but with fifteen flights of stairs the distance across each kerkis at this level was only about nine metres. This inadequate provision for a feature which later on became common may be quite in order if the early date of the Corinth theatre, in its stone form, is maintained. The third possibility for a diazoma is almost as peculiaras the first two. Rows 45 and 46 are preserved, with their seats, in three places: in the southeast quadrantin kerkis IV where two successive rows are visible for a length of about six metres, in kerkis VII, where again two rows can be seen for about four metres (Fig. 16), and in kerkis VIII, where row 45 is still preserved, but row 46 is missing (Figs. 20, 21). The preservationof so many seats at this level is due to the fact that here was established the foundation of the Roman diazoma just below the upper maeaniurn, and the later buildersleft the Greek seats in place for greater convenience in following out the curve. Being, for the most part, concealed under the heavy rubble foundation walls of the steeper Roman cavea they also escaped the attention of the stone plunderersof later times. The curious thing about these two rows is that they do not observe the regular rise. The differencein their levels is only 0.12 m. or one half the normal. This cannot be explained entirely by settlement although the pressure

28

CORINTH

of the heavy rubble wall above the upper row might be in part responsible, but it is improbable that in this case the differencewould have been so uniform, since it is almost preciselv the same in the seats in kerkis IV, and kerkis VII. Moreover, the two rows in kerkis IV both slope down to the north, as noted above, and do so evenly, the difference in elevation between them remaining constant. The upper of the two rows is heavily worn. How a diazoma should be restored at this point is hard to say. The Roman construction above and behinidrow 46 has destroyed any trace of seats or foundations for row 47. Figures 20 and 21 show the condition. Since the normal function of a diazoma was to give access at a given level to a flight of stairs which began at that level, and since there is no trace whatever in the section above rows 45 and 46 in kerkis IV of there having been such an intermediate flight, the importance of diazomata in the original period of the Corinth theatre is considerablylessened. They would have become merely minor conveniences for lateral circulation without being formal passagewaysto give access to additional stairs in the upper zone. There can be no doubt, however, about the lowest of the diazomata just described, that behind row 20. Two possible explanations may be advanced. In row 19, a large part of which is preserved, StairVIII is blocked by a stone seat (a, Fig. 15) carefully fitted in. Hence, at some time, this stair was interrupted, and it is possible to suggest that each alternate stair was also interrupted in the same manner, the lower portions of these stairs given over to seats, and the diazoma introduced to give access to the full number of staircases which remained above that level. Thus the disposition of stairs in the lowest third of the koilon would have come to agree with the Vitruvian precept. It is improbable that this alteration could have occurred at the time the HelleniStic gutter was built, since it provides a bridge

for every original stairway. Probably it was a change introduced later in the Hellenistic period, but, to judge from the wear on the inserted block, some time before the destruction of the theatre in the sack of Mummius. In excavating the koilon particular attention was paid to observing indications of the placing of the bronze sounding vessels, the vasa aerea of Vitruvius,13 especially referred to by him in connection with Corinth.No definite signs of their location were found. According to the theoretical placing of the jars in a large theatre, such as this was, there should have been three rows dividing the koilon into four (equal?) parts. If, in the Hellenistic period, the Corinththeatre contained 54 rows of seats, the vases would presumablyhave been arrangedin connection with rows 13-14, 26-27, and 4041. Of the three ranges only the middle one correspondswith any noticeable irregularityin the seating, the stone blocks inserted behind row 27, and as far as excavated this band has not revealed anything in the way of compartments (cellae) where vases could have been placed. With 57 or 58 rows, as seems to have been the case in the earliest period, the vases would have occurred in connection with rows 16-17, 28-29 and 43-44, counting from the lowest early row. The net result of this would be to place them again very nearly where they would have been located in the later period, and hence does not change the fact that only the middle band may provide a slight indication that there was anything unusual at that level.
THE OUTER WALL

Very little if anything remains of the outer wall of the Greek theatre. The line of the circuit appears near the east theatre street
13 Vitiruvus, V, v, 1 and V, v, 8. A. N. Caristie,Monuments antiques a Orange,Paris, 1856-7, p. 89, refers to an extract from The Theatresof Crete,by Belli, in 1582 and 1589, with notes by Edward Falkner, 1853, where, of the theatres of Hierapitna, Gortina, Littos and Chersoneso, Belli claims in three to have seen cells for vases and noted that the number, 13, is that given by Vitruvius.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION. THE GREEK PERIOD

29

.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~...
-k-J.. .......

.Jr

~ ~

~ ~ A

:F~~~~*

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~a A ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~t-J

..
4v,

..... ...

FIG. 22. FOUNDATION

BLOCKS FOR OUTER OF STAIR IX.

WALL AT HEAD

FIG.

20.

LOOKING

DOWN

STAIR IX.

IN MIDDLE

DISTANCE,

AT LEFT,

SEAT BLOCKS OF ROW 45 ARE STILL IN PLACE

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~F

OVTER
F I L L t > 5gt4

WALL

UPPER,

ROMAN

#W45 S ECOND R-OMAN DIAZOMA #4)

#2) IIq 0. SECOND AXPS ROMAN NEAR,

VLOWVER

j I

-DIAZOMA 7-778

r--45
... hM 1 . 0

CENTR-AL

RZOMAN 1 2 3 4

tDIAZOMA

FIG. 21.

SECTIONS

SHOWING

RELATION

AND DETAILS

OF GREEK AND ROMAN DIAZOMATA

30

CORINTH

where some ten or twelve metres of wall with buttresses may still be seen (Fig. 40, P1. II). About half of this length is preserved to a height of three courses above the pavement of the street and, from its construction and its similarity to the work on the parodoi of the Roman theatre, seems almost certain to belong to the early Roman period. Another section is representedby some cuttings in hardpan just northwest of a large buttress of Roman date in the southeast quadrant, and a third section shows in a trench at the head of Stair IX (Fig. 22). This consists of a course of large header blocks resting on a foundation of rubble which has been laid without mortar. The blocks project unevenly and some carry a cutting for the next course near their forward, or inner, ends. Behind this cutting, ca. 1.00 m. further out, is a well defined setting line. A single block, which suggests a buttress, is also preserved, and this has been further strengthened by an additional block still further out, resting on a fill of concrete. The rough, poros rubble foundation for the header course has been faced on its inner side by a wall of rubble which extends down to hardpan. On the inner end of one header is a mason's mark in the form of a square theta (Fig. 17, at upper right). The problem is whether some part of this construction may be Greek. The working is fairly rough but not more so than for the foundations of the western analemma. The inner ends of the headers were never intended to be visible and consequently must have been covered by the last seats of the Greek koilon. It would be normal to provide some sort of passage around the top of the koilon, and to give this any breadth at all the slope of the upper seats would have to be raised considerably above what it is at present. It is very doubtful if the necessary amount could be made up by allowing for the settlement that has undoubtedly taken place. At present the line of the forward, upper edges of the seats strikes just about the front upper edge of the

headers. The face of the last preserved seat foundation is 4.85 m. inside of the cutting for the wall course that rested on the header blocks, and there is a change in the construction of the stair at this point which suggests that it never went any higher, but that in the string course beside it we may see the bedding for the last row of seats. The importance of deciding between Greek and Roman lies in the resulting determination of the actual size of the Greek theatre. The arguments may be briefly stated as follows: A. For Roman: 1. The character of the workmanship of the header blocks and the rubble foundation below is not decisive, but favors the Roman period. The mason's mark is not conclusive, but a similar mark appears on the second Roman diazoma (Fig. 20). The rubble poros stone foundation resembles other foundations of the Roman period in Corinth, especially that of at the east side the so-called "goodhigh wall'"14 of the court in front of the Basilica by the Lechaion Road, and another wall in the early Roman period of Peirene.15 2. It is very difficult to reconcile the level of the blocks with the disposition at the head of

StairIX.
3. The final string course blocks of this stair suggest that there were never any higher up (Fig. 17). B. For Greek: The fill against the forward face of the header course seems, from the records,to have been wholly Greek, of various periods, down to late Hellenistic.16A terracotta mold for a
14

Corinth, I, i, p. 165. "I As yet unpublished.

16 The fill immediately south of the header course contained no sherds later than the end of the fourth century B. C., together with fragments of good Greek stucco. The blocks, however, could easily have been laid down into an undisturbed fill, and the fact that their upper parts were backfilled with poros stone chips tends to confirm this. A little further south, just beyond the line of the addition to the buttress block, were a few pieces of prehistoric pottery, close against virgin soil.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION. THE GREEK PERIOD

31

helmeted head of Athenal7 was found in 1910 "at a low level" a short way within the outer wall, but the exact level is not recorded. Presumably it belonged to the fill put in by the Romans when the cavea was altered. Cuttingsin hardpan in a trench in the southeast quadrant suggest a circuit wall within the line of the Roman one, although no trace of the wall itself remains. Most probably it was built of squared stone, and was entirely removed by the Roman builders to furnish material for the largercircuit. It is also probablethat the Greek wall was not thick enough to serve for the higher building, and hence advantage was taken of this fact to enlarge slightly the area of the cavea. If we assume, then, that the Greek theatre was slightly smaller than the Roman, and that the present head of Stair IX represents the full range of the seats of the koilon, we have a total of 58 rows of seats for the theatre in its original Greek form, without deducting any for diazomata. The radiusto the last row would have measured very nearly 55 metres, or almost as much as the theatre at Epidauros, measured to a correspondingpoint. One other matter remains to be considered in the plan of the theatre; the question as to whether there was a widening out of the curve of the koilon in the end sections. This feature, particularly mentioned by Vitruvius,18is to be observed at Epidauros where the koilon is described on three centres. To be sure, from D6rpfeld's plan,19it is not done according to Vitruvius' formula, but rather more subtly. Athens, Megalopolis, and in fact nearly every other large Greek theatre from the fourth century on observe this feature. Corinth does not. A portion of Stair II is still in place, and a
D. M. Robinson, A. J.A., XV, 1911, pp. 484-495, figs. 1-3. Vitruvius, V, vii, 1 and 2. 19Kabbadias, Fouilles d'Epidaure, pl. II; D6rpfeld-Reisch, op. cit., fig. 70, reproduced and discussed by 0. A. W. Dilke, "The Greek Theatre Cavea," B.S.A., XLIII, 1948, pp. 189-142, where he cites as examples of plans which are of the circular type Megalopolis, Sikyon, Argos, Ephesos, Dodona, and New Pleuron and states that this must have been common at first.
17 18

line sighted on its axis strikes the same point as do the axes of the other stairs. The west analemma, also, when restored on the basis of the preserved foundations, shows that it is parallel with a radius drawn from the common centre. Had the circle opened out this would not be the case. If, then, there is truth in the theory that the widening was caused by the increased use of the stage and area immediately in front of it, then the Corinth theatre should belong to a period when this was not the general practice and, save for a relatively temporary wooden skene, the orchestra was the locus of action according to the old tradition.
SEATING CAPACITY

On the upper surface of some of the seat blocks are grooved lines at right angles to the face of the seat, spaced uniformly 0.36 m. apart. Many of the preserved blocks are so worn that the lines no longer appear, but where they do there can be no doubt of their purpose, which was to mark off the spaces allotted to the spectators. Just west of Stair IX two seats of rows 31, 32 are still in situ. The upper shows the spacing lines very clearly and also bearson its face the words NIKA NIKA, roughly incised in the soft stone (Fig. 23). Unfortunately we have no blocks so marked from the lower levels of the koilon and cannot tell

FIG. 23. SE:AT BLOCKS in situ

32

CORINTH

4,s

'.\

>~,,

w>#Z^ uaw_

~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ . .. ........

FIG. 24.

POST

HOLES FOR EARLY BEHIND

IMMEDIATELY

SKENE, IN ROCK SCARP SKENE WALL OF HELLENISTIC

FIG. 25.

AREA

WITH ROCK CUTTINGS

IN FRONT

OF SKENE

whether, for more favored spectators greater space was provided. The narrowness is surprising, and would not be acceptable by modern standards, nor does it agree with the wider space, usually 0.50 in., allowed by most calculations. By actual experiment, however, four persons of average size can occupy as many of these adjacent spaces without discomfort. Clothing did not bulk so large, probably, i antiquity and the ancient Greekswere not generally a large people. Such being the case the seating space allowed would have been just adequate. The maximum seating capacity of the theatre as originally planned would, on the basis of this measurement, have been between fifteen and sixteen thousand. We shall not be far wrong if we keep to the lower lisit and say that it was approximately fifteen thousand.20 THIESKENE The stage building of the earliest period, contemporary with the simple stone seats of the koilon, is represented merely by a number of holes cut in hardpan or the underlying rock, and evidently intended to receive wooden uprights (Fig. 24, Pis. H, III). Three of these,
20 Defrasse and Lechat, Epidaure, p. 200, cite E. A. Gardner as figuring 17,000 spectators at Megalopolis on the basis of three per running metre of seating and comment that this is a bit close. They allow two metres for five persons at Epidauros, or 0.40 m. per person. The Corinthian allowance of 0.36 m. would appear to mark a very fair compromise.

measuring about 20 by 30 centimetres, occur immediately behind the preserved courses of the front wall of the later Greek skene. There are traces of a fourth at a point near the eastern end of the rock cutting for the same wall. Correspondingto these holes, about 4.00 m. to the south, is a second series approximately 0.50 m. deep, and roughly 0.50 m. by 0.60 m. large at the top (b on Figs. 12, 25, Pls. IV, Vc). The sides slope inwardtoward the bottom where a shallowsocket about 0.20 m. squareis provided to act as a step for a square wooden post. The size of the upper part of the cuttings is explained by the need of giving room for a workman to cut his way down to the bottom of the hole in the rock which is comparatively hard at that point. The northern series, just mentioned, were cut in hardpan of a friable nature and hence could presumably have been worked with an excavating tool for a considerable depth without it being necessary for the workman to have room to chisel away the rock as he went down. That the two series are earlier than the remains of the later Greekskene is proved by the fact that the eastermmostpit of the southern series is partly covered by one of the blocks that formed the foundations for the curb of the eastern shoulder of the orchestra of the second Greek period (P1. IV). The fill in the holes was disappointingly pure. The northern series yielded a few sherds of early fourth century

DETAILED DESCRIPTION. THE GREEK PERIOD

33

date, some of unglazed fabric which could be, in Corinth, of either the fourth or fifth centuries. The southernseriesgave even less, perhaps a half dozen sherds which corresponded in characterand date to those found in the northern row. The evidence afforded by these cuttings for a wooden skene in the first period of the theatre is gratifying, but a disturbing factor must first be explained before they can be accepted without question. The two series are not symmetrically disposed with reference to the north-south axis of the theatre, but centre to the east. The easternmost holes come very nearly at the east end of the later proskenion; the westernmost are several metres short of attaining the limits of the west end of the later stage, although there is a shallow, unfinished sinkage in the rock, in line with the southern row, and only a metre short of the west end of the later proskenion (c, Fig. 25). It has not been possible to trace the holes behind the western part of the later skene on account of the Roman overbuilding and fill of opus incertum. As matters stand we appear to have to do with a wooden building, probably of a removable nature, which measured about 14.00 m. by 4.00 m., and whose axis lay about 8.40m. east of the centre line of orchestra and koilon. This asymmetry is unusual, but may be explained in either one of two ways: a) the movable wooden skene, representing a building or palace, may easily have been placed to one side for a specific purpose,21 or, b) it may belong to a period even earlier than the construction of the first stone seats when there could have been a smaller orchestra at a higher level than
21 The convention mentioned by Pollux, Onomastikon, IV, 126, whereby the periaktoi showed, on the one hand what lay without the city, and on the other hand those things from the city, <a ?K TroAECOS, comes to mind in this connection. The eastern displacement of the early skene puts it on the city side of the Corinthian spectators as they sat in the koilon, while all the open country, clear to Sikyon, lay to their left. It is tempting to draw analogies from vase paintings which show, sometimes, asymmetrical scenes taken from the theatre, but the idiosyncracy of the artist and the abbreviated nature of the compositions render such an interpretation highly

the early one we know, Centeredfurther east. No traces, however, to suggest such an arrangement remain, and the hypothesis is too remote to be seriously considered. It should be noted here that there is positively no indication that the Corinth theatre ever was of the rectilinear or polygonal type.22 Another somewhat puzzling feature is that the bottoms of the northern series of holes do not reach as low a level as the southern. They are generally 1.10 m. higher than the sockets in the southern pits, and if the two series are associated, as it would appear they must be, the floor level of the wooden building would have been nearly 0.70 m. below the bottoms of the northern row of uprights. It may be suggested that since the rock and hardpan rose considerably at the north it was not thought necessary to sink the holes so deep, and in fact, they would have been more in the nature of slots cut into the rock scarp than holes dug down from the top. This also can explain the fact that the northern row is cut differently from the southern, since if they were actually worked as slots there would have been no need of quarrying down a working space to get to the level of the bottom of the socket. The differencebetween the rock level at the southern row of holes (- 0.85 m.) and the level of the early orchestra floor (- 1.00 m. to -1.10 m.) was probably made up to a certain extent by the earth and clay fill of the floor of the orchestra, and allowed also for a pitch away from the skene toward the koilon. There is no indication as to the treatment of the parodoiin this early period, but there must have been some terracing or searping of the rock to the north. The later Greek stage building, contemporary with the deep gutter and the well defined orchestracircle with its two shoulders,is better preserved, but leaves a number of questions unanswered.The total length is clearly defined
22 Cf. C. Anti, Teatri greci arcaici da Mlinossee Pericle, Padua, 1947.

problematical. 3

34

CORINTH

r-imHi

OCST LATE

ROMAN

ROA

NT FROF SECTION 150 WEST OF

WALL

PULPITUM

VMASONS

MARKS

CHARONIAN

STAIRS

STAIR5

RESTORED

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i

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I~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~'

DETAILED DESCRIPTION.THE GREEK PERIOD

35

at 22.20 m.; the depth, which is unusually great, was about 10.30 m. Along the entire front ran a narrowproskenion,which measured 2.50 m. from front to back and whose height nay by calculated at approximately 2.76 m. above the level of the orchestra. No traces of paraskeniahave been recognizednor have any of the foundations for the interior pillars to support the roof of the skene been found, although the length of the span from front to back would appear to have required them. The front wall of the skene is preserved in part to a height of three courses (Fig. 5 at left, Fig. 26, taken at a point whereonly two remain). The lowest rests in a well cut bed workedinto the rock, and, since the level of firm rock rose gently toward the east, the first course ends about four metres short of the end of the wall, and the second course rested directly on rock for the remaining distance. Some of the blocks of the bottom course carry mason's marks (Fig. 26). The surfaces are cut with a broad chisel and are not very smoothly finished since the course, being in the foundation and below the level of the floor of the proskenion colonnade, would not have been visible. Most of the face of the second course is now covered by a coat of red stucco, from the time of the Roman arena, but it appears to have had the same rough finish as the first course. The third course, 0.42 m. high, is set back 0.18 m. to 0.20 m. from the face of the one below and shows very careful jointing, with broad, rasp-. finished bands surroundingthe anathyrosis. It is fastened with inverted U clamps of iron. The workmanship is precisely of the same quality and kind as that on the deep gutter and orchestra circle, and the whole front wall bears a close resemblance to the work on the long South Stoa in the Corinthian market place.23 The rear, or north, wall of the skene, as well as the end walls, took advantage of the rise in the rock level so that toward the interior of the
23 Broneer, A.J.A., XXXVII, 1933, pp. 554ff. The definitive publication of this important monument is now in preparation.

building they were formed in part by the rock face, quarried out and stuccoed. Two built sections, however, may be noted. Near the centre, where there was a natural dip in the rock, is a short section of wall, two courses high. The blocks resemble in every way those of the front wall save that here the wall, in its so as to resist lower part at least, was thicker24 the pressure of the earth from the higher level behind. A general floor level was established at the foot of this wall on the inside, but, curiously, is not extended across the width of the building to the front wall. It seems that the intention was to have the floor at the level of the top of the third course of the front wall, or about 0.40 m. above the orchestra, but the idea was abandoned, and a strip only a metre

FIG.

27.

STAMP

ON ROOF-TILE

OF SKENE

and a half wide was worked along the north side. Into a portion of this trench was fitted, long afterward, the lowest foundation course of the back of the Roman scaenaefrons, and the space between it and the inner face of the Greek wall was filled in with great quantities of the roof tiles of the Hellenistic building.25
About 0.76 m. at the second course. The tiles are of the Laconian type with shallow, upturned lateral edges. They are finished on the upper side with a red slip, but the fabric appears to be Corinthian. Several pieces with stamps were found, both in the excavations of 1928, and (Fig. 27) in further cleaning in 1948. The name EVIEENOOAA appears on the upper surface. Unfortunately the original length of the tiles cannot be recovered, and the width may only be approximated on the theory that the stamp was placed near the middle of the tile. From the single example where a lateral edge was preserved together with a stamp the at a little more than 0.30 m. The width may be approximnated thickness runs from 0.02 m. at the centre of the tiles to as much as 0.033 m. at the lower edge. On the under side, toward the lower edge, a shallow groove has been scored, usually in the pattern of a curve ascending toward the sides of the tile to prevent water from working back along the under surface. Several fragments of a different series, and a poorer fabric than the first, also came to light. The slip is of a brownish color, often streaked with black, and the fabric is noticeably coarser. This series was not stamped, but had, on deeply the face of the lower edge, the name ETTIAEOATOC
24 25

3*

36
HATRD TRODDEN _
POR05
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CORINTH
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I
X

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I,1',,I,,,, -'- t.*

O~

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2 ~

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I

.-

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0
IfOLE
h

SKENE FIG. 28. THE EASTWALLOF THE HELLENISTIC

TO P

Vl?WE W

A short section of the east wall of the skene was found preserved to a height of three courses at the northeast cornerjust north of the rear face of the Roman foundations. The wall is 0.64 m. thick, and smooth on the inside, but the second course shows, between two blocks, a gap which was filled with smaller stones forming a ladder type of construction very like work of the fourth century in houses found in the Agora at Athens (Figs. 28, 29).26 The eastern face of the wall, as far up as it is preserved, was never intended to be seen: the groundlevel was high at this point. In the pocket left begrooved into the clay before firing. The width, again on the basis of centering the inscription, would have been from 0.42 m. to 0.53 m. The marble tile standard from the Athenian Agora, published by Gorham P. Stevens, Hesperia, XIX, 1950, pp. 174-188, shows a width of just under 0.50 m. This is very close to the second series of tiles from the theatre. A few fragments of semi-circular cover tiles were also found at Corinth with a radius of from 0.07 m. to 0.08 m. This corresponds very closely to a cover tile from the Agora published in figure 4 of Stevens' article. 26 R. S. Young, "An Industrial District of Athens," Hesperia, XX, 1951, p. 260, fig. 21,

hind the ladder-type filling stones of the second course were found sherds of fourth century date. The bottom course of the wall rests on rock at the intended floor level of the lower storey of the skene. The backwall, however, begins one course higher, and the rock below is finished off flush with the face of the wall. It was once stuccoed, and traces of the plaster remain on the wall blocks of the central section on the north. At the northwest corner no wall blocks remain, only the rock cuttings into and against which they fitted. It is quite certain that there were no extensions of the skene east or west to form paraskenia, unless their floor levels had been fully two metres higher than the floor of the main section.27 Trialsmade to the east, just be27 A shallow bedding is cut in the rock about five metres east of the end of the Greek stage and perpendicularto it. its north end abuts against the middle of one of the three blocks which mark the north side of the Greek parodos; the south end dies away at the rock scarp cut for the arena. In plan this might serve as an indication of a paraskenion of the

DETAILED DESCRIPTION. THE GREEK PERIOD

37

hind the Roman scaena failed to show any evidence for a continuation of the Greekbuilding. It also appears that there never was any complete lower storey to the skene, since the restoration of the height of the proskenion makes the level of the second floor of the skene too low to give headroombeneath it in the end portions of the area. In the central portion, however, where the rock has been cut lower, there may have been a usable space, and in order to gain access to the proskenion such an

front wall (Fig. 30, P1. II). In order to define the inside faces of the stair tower a series of blocks was sunli into the rock, flush with the floor of the cutting, and setting lines incised on their tops (Fig. 31). No steps are preserved, but the manner in which the rock surface is smoothed in some places makes it almost certain that the stair opened directly into the proskenion. From the awkward manner in which the tower is placed, with a portion jutting eastward from the end of the skene,

'Jr~

~~~~~~~

FiG. 29.

EAST

WALL OF HELLENISTIC DOWN

SKENE,

LOOKING

FIG.

31.

CUTTING

FOR STAIRWAY WITH SETTING

AND INLAID

BLOCKS

LINES

arranigementwould have been required since otherwvisethe only communication between the two would have been by means of the stair leading down from the upper level of the skene into the proskenionat the east end. The stair in question was placed at the southeast angle of the skene. All that remains is a trapezoidal cutting in hardpan, 2.50 m. from front to back, 3.70 m. wide at the north, and 4.20 m. at the south, just behind the line of the
Greek period, although the level of the cutting is about a metre higher than the orchestra, but this alone would not hinder its identification as a paraskenion since much the same disposition occurs at Syracuse, G. E. Rizzo, 11 Teatro grecodi Siracusa, Milan and Rome, 1923, pp. 70-71, fig. 29, pls. III, IV and at Sikyon, A.J.A., V, 1889, pl. 9. Such an interpretation, however, meets with two difficulties. First, if this were a paraskenion it would have intruded too far on the parodos; second, there is a clearly marked anathyrosis on the bedding course for the foundation of the Roman scaena directly in line with this cutting, just across the line of the foundation for the Greek ramp. It seems quite certain that the cutting must be assigned to the Roman period.

and its east wall at right angles to the heavy foundation of the ramp which led to the top of the proskenion,we should be inclined to think that it was an addition to the original plan, made perhaps at the time that it was decided not to establish a lower storey level over the entire area of the skene. Careful investigation failed to reveal any trace of a similar stair tower to the west, nor does the third course of the front wall, which is preserved in this half of the building, show any traces of an opening such as would have been required. It is quite certain that, save for a door in the centre, leading from the lower floor of the skene into the proskenion, and another door leading out from the base of the stair tower there were no other means of communication at ground level. All that now remains of the proskenionis the stereobate at the east and west ends and a

38

CORINTH

short return along the front at the east. A setting line for the stylobate gives the depth at 2.50 m. The entire line of the foundation, however, is shown by a shallow rock cutting, carefully levelled, and stepping down 0.05 m. partway along its course. No fragmentsof stylobate blocks have been recovered,and only one block

which may possibly belong to the colonnade. It is a short section of a poros stone pier, consisting of two plain half cylinders with a deep channel between, as though to receive a wooden frame (Inv. No. 38). No bases or capitals, and no entablature have been identified.

A1

P R E5E NT

5TATE
2

LOWE
0

R
;

LEVE L
3 4 OF STAIR. 5 M DETAIL

U PPE R LEVEL

FIG. 30.

RESTORED

PLAN AND ELEVATION

OF RAMP

DETAILED DESCRIPTION. THE GREEK PERIOD

39

'AW4iIt4L"

a.-~~~~~-

FIG.

32.

EAST

END

OF STAGE B UILDING. RETAINING

SOCLE FOR HELLENISTIC

AT RIGHT, SLANTING WALL AND RAMP

FIG.

33.

CHARONIAN

STAIRS,

EAST

The parodoi were bounded on the south by width for the ramps of 2.00 m. There are the analemmata, and on the north by terrace several similar blocks of this construction on walls, which also served as ramps leading to the west, with their outer ends cut away by the logeion. Because of the level established Roman rebuilding, and also the foundation for the orchestra the parodoi sloped down- blocks for the terrace wall and ramp socle. ward into the theatre, and the slope is clearly Two of the blocks of the socle itself were found marked on three blocks still in situ in the east near by, one of them used in Roman times as parodos (Fig. 32, PI. Vc). On the south sides a socket for the windlass which worked the of the blocks a continuous rebate, 0.05 m. deep, curtain. An additional block, this time from marks the pitch, and forms a socle for the wall the eastern ramp, was re-used in the founabove. The beds for the succeeding courses dations of the wall which prolonged the south were, however, level. The easternmost block side of the eastern Roman aditus in the period also has, at its end, a projectinignub, the top following the arena. of which slopes upward and gives the pitch of At either end of the proskenion, 1.50 m. the ramp leading to the top of the proskenion. within its extremities, are deep cuttings or The prolongation of this line reaches the end trenches 0.50 m. wide (P1. IV), which begin of the proskeniion 2.76 m. above the top of the just south of the face of the skene wall and, stereobate, or, if the orchestra level has been after passing under the stereobate, lead by a correctly restored, about 2.46 m. above the series of shallow steps into the orchestrain the orchestra. It is probable that a sloping cap area of the lateral shoulders. The eastern is the course about a foot high should be added to best preserved and, where the stylobate founthe ramp wall, which would make the full dation crosses the channel, its under side is height of the proskenion approximately 2.76 bevelled upward in the form of a corbel so as in.28 Within narrow limits this may be con- to give more headroom. It is quite easy to pass sidered correct. through the tunnel by stooping slightly (Figs. The facing wall of the ramp had a thickness 26, 33). On either side of the passages, both of 0.64 m. but it was backed by additional within and without the line of the stylobate, masonry, two blocks of which still remain near rebates have been cut to provide a means of the east end of the proskenion,and give a total securing stone slabs which would continue the walls of the channels up to the level of the 28 This is barely less than the ten feet of the Vitruvian earth floor, and retain the fill that formed it. minimum, De Architectura, V, vii, 2.

40

CORINTH

No steps are provided at the inner ends of the without giving the impression of actually aspassages and access from within must have cending a flight of stairs. The western passage (Fig. 34) has had its been by a ladder or wooden steps. The rock-cut steps entirely cut awvay, but enough traces remain on the rock to insure their restoration. The channel itself was extended, for some reason which is not apparent, past the later series of deep rock cuttings in which the posts of the aulaea were sunk, and on forward beneath the heavy foundation for the second century Roman pulpitum where it ends abruptly just after it reaches the southern edge of the foundation. The purpose of this extension is not clear. This double set of Charonian steps, the Xapcbvtot KAIIaKES of Pollux IV, 132, is uni_~~~~~~~~~~~~ There can be little doubt that they are (lue. contemporary with the construction of the proskenion since the corbelled block of the stereobate does not appear to have been hacked . .. ...... . ..... ... ... ..... .. .. ... out from below, but to have been trimmed before being laid. The location of the two passages helps determine the number of openings, or equally, the supports, in the proskenion front. With an odd number of openings, and assuming that the channels passed beneatlhthe stylobate somewhere within the limits of an intercolumniation, we find that thirteen openFIG 34. CARONIAN STAIRS, WLST ings seem best suited to the plan, and give a column spacing of about 1.67 m., thus approxsteps leading up to the orchestra have an imately centering the channels on an opening. average rise of barely 0.20 m. and are calcu- When the passages were not in use they must lated to allow an actor to emerge gradually have been covered by wooden panels.
.... . ___ ._ ___

CHAPTER

IV

DETAILED DESCRIPTION. THE ROMAN PERIOD


ORCHESTRA The chronological relation between the various Roman orchestra levels and the periodic remodelling of the remainder of the theatre is confusing to say the least. It may be supposed that various sub-periods and local modifications occurred between the major rebuildings, since the theatre, being in constant use over a space of some 400 years after the refounding of Corinth, might hardly be expected to remain long in one particular state. The first modification of the orchestra to be noted must have occurredearly in the Roman epoch. The circular curb of the orchestra was ripped out and a new level established just above the top surface of the course below. On the bedding for the curb, and again on the bedding for the course that lay above the outer edge of the outer ring of gutter blocks and their backers, was a thin (0.01 m.) layer of very hard tramped clay. This did not exist over the actual gutter rims, but was found in places on the top surfaceof the bridges. Broneerlsuggests that this is evidence for a wooden cover placed over the gutter. This is furtherborne out by the
B Broneer, "The 'Oxetos' in the Greek Theatre," Studies in Honor of Edward Ca)ps, Princeton, 1936, pp. 36, 37. I am unable to reconcile the seetion which Broneer gives for the Sikyonian gutter with the photograph and the plan published in AJA., V, 1889, plates VII and( IX. 'lThephotograph shows a stone course, on the outside of the gutter, on which the bridges rest just as in Corinth. This appears clearly in the plan, and the gutter proper scales about 0.90 m. wide, although the text, p. 276, gives the gutter a width of 1.25 m. This would appear to be an error. It would seem as though the upper, outer edge course of the gutter had been removed at some time. With it in place a more ample passage would have existed for circulation in front of the step on which the prohedria were placed. This does not invalidate Broneer's theory of the wooden covers that were later placed over the gutters, but it would seem to show that at Sikyon, as at Corinth, such covers were not a part of the original plan.

fact that cuttings, about 8 x 8 centimetres, were made in either edge of the gutter for beams that supported a moveable wooden covering. My earlier theory,2 that this floor is to be associated with the arena, is untenable, for it is now clear that the floor of the arena period was at a higher level. The lowering of the orchestralevel, taken in connection with the restored slope of the Roman Cavea, would provide a low conistra. The northern half of the orchestra, toward the stage, has beenturned overand over in succeeding periodsand even the line of the front of the pulpitum is uncertain save as indicated by the location of the Roman parodoi. The present heavy foundation belongs to the second century after Christ, and its early Roman predecessor, if it was of stone, would have been thinner, and run along the line of the forward edge of its successor. Then, too, there is the possibility that in the complex of rockcutholes along the north edge of the present preserved pulpitum foundation, we may include some which were cut for posts supporting the first pulpitum. These will be discussed again below in connection with the matter of the "curtain trench" and the holes associated with it. The next period of the orchestra for which there are clear indications is given by the long, shallow basin which extended across the entire orchestra a little distance in front of the pulpitum (Figs. 25, 35, P1. IV). That this served as a reservoirfor sparsiones, as mention2 Stillwell, "The Theatre at Corinth," A.J.A., XXXIII, 1929, pp. 86, 96.

42

CORINTH

'4z

4w
Ar

FIG.

35.

EAST

END

OF

sparsiones

BASIN,

AND

LATER

FIG. 36. CH-ANNEL

CONNECTING

WITH MAIN DRAIN

CONNECTION

WITH MAIN DRAIN

FROM THE EAST

ed in ancient writers3 and as preserved at Pompeii andelsewhere,may hardly be doubted. Now only some 0.30 m. deep, it must have been slightly more than that originally,for its upper lip has been cut away by later Roman work. The width is 1.80 m., the length 20.00 m. Bottom and sides are lined with heavy waterproof stucco. The bottom is from 0.08 m. to 0.10 m. thick, and lies directly on earth fill, in which are mingled a very few coarse sherds that seem to belong to the Hellenistic period and earlier. The sides are built of rough poros fragments, well cemented together, and the angles, bottom and cornershave a thick quarter-round of stucco to insure the tightness of
3 Lucretius, 11, 416; Pliny, H.N., XXI, 33; Martial, V, 25, 7; IX, 38, 5; Apuleius, Met., X, 35; Lucan, Pharsalia, IX, 808-810. The last reference "and just as the pressure of the Corycian saffron is wont to discharge itself from all the statues of the theatre" suggests a possible solution, or use, for the two base blocks at Sikyon referred to in note 5, page 20 above.

the reservoir. A small hole at the east end opens

into the main drain. There is no indication of


how water was brought to the basin. Obviously the flooring of the orchestra must

have been raised by at least 0.30 m. at this


time, and the upper lip of the basin been flush with it, or perhaps slightly higher It is not

strange, however, that nowhere do we find a trace of the floor level of this period, since later o on the entire orchestra was relaid The succeeding period is again established largely on the basis of this water basin, but on much else beside. In the second century, when a complete rebuilding of the scaenae frons occurred, the orchestrawas given a flooring of marble slabs. To provide a solid foundation for this, the entire area south of the basin, and within the inner linewofthe Greek gutter, was dug down to the rock surface and filled in with broken pieces of poros stone. No datable

DETAILED DESCRIPTION. THE ROMANPERIOD

43

fragments have thus far been found in this fill. Neither have any sherds or other objects appeared. The fill, which was also packed into the hitherto open Greek gutter, was consolidated to some extent by the addition of a good deal of pebble and lime mortar, thrown in more or less at random, since in some places the filling can be picked out fairly easily and in others has consolidated into an almost impenetrable mass. The fill was also placed in the sparsiones basin, but not for its whole width. A channel 0.50 m. wide was left all along the north side, and a wall for this channel was provided, built from the same material as the fill of the orchestra area and cemented on the side toward the channel. At the same time the end wall of the basin was broken through so that water could flow freely into the main drain (Fig. 35), and the line of the channel extended westward, curving gently to the south. The connection cannot be recovered without demolishing parts of the later structure that are better left in place, but it seems clear that the purpose was to dispose of water that would flow in rainy weather down the west parodos. A channel of similar width was hacked out through the Greek foundations to the east of the main drain and took care of water from the east parodos (Fig. 36). At the same time the connection between the main drain and the remainder of the curved Greek gutter was carefully blocked up with small poros pieces, roughly shaped and firmly cemented together. This plug was more than a metre thick, and effectively prevented water from backing up into the rubble-filled Greek gutter. The care taken to drain the orchestraat this period is explained by the fact that a marble flooring would be more or less impervious, as compared with an earlier earth floor through which water could seep away. Thereis evidence,perhaps,that the orchestra may have been enlarged slightly by pushing the conistra further from the centre. Some

workings on the rock, in the southeast quadrant, behind any likely line of Greek construction, and evidently rougher in character of workmanship,would serve as a bedding for the new conistra. Also a broad, rough basin in the rock, now partially beneath the heavy blocks of a still later limestone gutter, is connected with a small channel coming down from the east parodos. It may also have been arrangedto collect, and act as a settling basin for, water that drained around the outer edge of the orchestra at the foot of the conistra. The contemporaneity of this work with the remodelling of the Roman scaena is fairly sure, and will be recalled again at the proper place (p. 45). Returning to the channel made along the north side of the basin for sparsiones, it is noteworthy that the fill in this channel was mainly earth, mingledwith fragmentsof waterproof stucco from the upper part of the wall of the channel or basin, and a large amount of marble slab paving: cippolino, purpleBreecia, and Pentelic marble. This material must have come from the orchestra floor when it was ripped up to be replacedwith a sand and clay layer that formed the surface of the arena. The sand strosis4was carried across the line of the channel and outward in every direction to the limits of the arena proper. Its present level5 probably approximates that of the second century floor, but there is no direct evidence. It seems hardly probable, however, that the arena builders would have shaved off much of the rubble and cement fill that formed the foundation of the marble pavement. The orchestra of the post-arena period was paved with marble slabs, some of which sur4 5

Above, p. 7. The highest point, just north of the central bridge, is


-

at level

0.16 m.; the lowest, just north of the remains of

the marble revetment of the late pulpitum, about six metres east of the central axis, is - 0.31 m. The floor is rather uneven, but generally pitches away from the centre, with its lowest parts around the periphery, especially toward the north and east. The average level is about -0.28 m.

44

CORINTH

vive in those now to be seen toward the northwest angle. The level is from 5 to 10 cm. above theatre datum. In its construction a miscellaneous fill of broken stone, cobbles, and field stone, broken, coarse,late Roman pottery, and some broken sculpture,was laid over the arena floor6and then coveredwith a layer of mortar to form a bedding for the pavement slabs. An edging course for the concrete was placed in front of the line of the new pulpitum, about a foot away from the forward edge of its foundations, which themselves were laid on, or slightly bedded into, the sand strosis. The semicircle toward the audience was marked by a range of poros stone blocks placed end to end but not cut to the curve. Its function was, apparently, to retain the fill until the work of laying the broad, shallow gutter could be completed, for the mortar layer which covers the fill also runs across this range of blocks. The gutter (Figs. 1, 2, 4) is made of large blocks of hard, whiteish limestone, quarried probably from Acrocorinth. The channel is from 1.10 m. to 1.16 m. wide from the inner to the outer lip, and 0.14 m. deep. The blocks project nearly 0.30 m. beyond the outer lip, and their extremities gave a partial bed for the first course of the seats. Toward the centre of the orchestrathere was a surface some 0.05 m. to 0.08 m. wide after the rim of the lip, and then a slot cut down into the stone to receive the bottoms of a range of marble orthostates which formed a barrier between the orchestra floor and the gutter. The gutter blocks are only reasonably well laid, and some irregularities would make it possible to suppose that they were relaid on at least one occasion. Nearly half of the western are was preserved in situ, as well as a short section of parts of four blocks just east of the centre, and four more near the northeast portion. Close by the
6 The portrait head identified as that of the emperor Galba (above, p. 8, note 5) was found in a trial pit made in the centre of the orchestra. Elsewhere beneath the late floor were found two splinters from a cylindrical altar, probably the partially preserved one of a pair found in the theatre. See below, p. 126, Nos. 192, 193.

latter were found the two final blocks of the gutter.7 One of them has six holes drilled through it to allow water to escape into a small channel wlhichconnected with the main drain at a point behind the front of the pulpitum (Fig. 37).

-I~~~~~~~~~~C.

FIG.

37.

LATE

GUTTER

BLOCK WITH HOLES FOR CONNECTION TO MAIN DRAIN

The gutter was set on, or into, the arena floor, accordingto the v-aryingthickness of the blocks, and pitches down toward the northeast corner. The provision of such a large gutter must have been caused by the intention of using the orchestra, on occasions, for naumachta or aequatic performances, for which the area between the barrier and the pulpitum would have been flooded to a depth of about a metre. A goodly quantity of water would have splashed over the parapet, and hence means of carrying it away was required. It is not apparent how the entrances from the east and west adtit wereblocked,but heavy stone paving extends from the western end of the gutter all the way to the pulpitum. Just behind the line of the gutter blocks at the east is an irregular depression cut in the rock and connecting with a channel8 hacked
7 These have since been replaced.
8 This channel was widened to 0.70 m. along the line followed by the small drain that runs along the south side of

DETAILED DESCRIPTION. THE ROMANPERIOD

45

through Greek foundations and spilling into the main drain. This channel, about 0.47 m. wide at its end, ran below the smaller channel which served the late gutter in its present position. Therewere holes, roughly correspondr-

only a few fragments, one of which is a plinth block, obviously re-used. The slabs were about 0.15 m. thick and rounded at the top, where they were secured to each other by clamps. The bottoms were dowelled to the groove in
PTM WVE5T

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
4A

G LE

....,

....

I 0

am~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
X

!~~~~~~~~~..

0 PARAPET

a M WITH THE LATE ROMAN GUTTER

FIG. 38. DOWEL

HOLES FOR SECURING

IN CONNECTION

ing in spacing to the six cut in the block shown in l'igure 37, which suggested that at one time the gutter lay about a metre further out from the centre, but the height of the rock and the thickness of the block would have requiredthe level of the earlier arrangement to have been not more than 15 or 20 cm. lower than in the final period. This possible re-laying of the gutter may account for the irregularitiesnoted above in the present condition of the western are of gutter blocks, and may also explain the fact that in the four partially preservedblocks, just east of the centre line, one has been turned over and re-cut. There is no doubt that, if two periods of the naumachta are represented,they both post-date the arena, which, as we shall see further on, belongs most probably to the beginning of the third century after Christ. Above what appears to have been the arena level, near the eastern wall, between it and the late gutter, and in other places subsequently covered by contemporary construction, were many fragments of the colored stucco which once covered the arena wall. The barrierwhich stood in the groove at the inner lip of the broad gutter is representedby
the east adi,tus. As it passes beyond the line of the Greek seat foundations of the lowest rows it swings gently to the northwest, and narrows to 0.47 m. at the point where it discharged into the main drain just north of the built-in barrier with which the drain was plugged in the second century at the time the heavy rubble concrete orchestra floor foundation was installed.

which they stood, and the variety and irregularity of the dowel holes in the groove itself shows clearly that the parapet was reset more than once (Fig. 38). Even this re-setting was inadequate, for the side toward the spectators was reinforced later by a rubble and mortar wall nearly a foot thick.9 The remains of the late orchestrafloor show that it was repaired or relaid quite late in the history of the theatre, making use of whatever in the way of marble slabs could be found. The function of the small channel left between the edging course for the mortar floor bed below the paving and the late pulpitumi foundations remains to be commented upon. There is no proper bottom to the channel, which apparently went only as deep as the level of the arena floor. It must have served as a gutter to carryaway water which accumulated in the enclosed area when it was not actually flooded for it could never have survived the torrent when the area was drained after being filled to the top of the barrier. CAVEA As far as the cavea has been cleared,no seats of the Roman period now remain in sjtu,10 but either during or immediately after the reign of
9 As at Athens, Syracuse and Argos.
10 See above, p. 8, note 7.

46

CORINTH

Augustus a very complete reorganization of the cavea took place. The pitch was raised to a slope of about I to 2.08. Twointermediatediazomata, in addition to the diazoma which ran around the outer periphery of the cavea, were established, and a new outer wall and analemmata were constructed. Nearly all the Greek seat blocks were removed, and many were reemployed in the new construction. Only those lines of seats which happened to fall beneath the new diazomata were left, as a means of guiding the masons in following the required curve. The disposition of the lower ten rows of seats can no longer be recovered, since all trace of them was destroyed by the installation of the arena, but beyond the line of the arena wall a series of rib walls, generally about 0.75 m. thick, was put in, roughly radial to the centre, in order to support the seats (Fig. 39). These walls rested on the hard fill which existed beneath and between the rows of Greek seats, and, naturally, overlapped in many in-

ATBTO;ET,OEOH

GRE

STIRWY

stances the individual seat block foundations of the earlier building. The ribs, as far back as the lower diazoma, were composed mostly of Greek seat blocks, sometimes of full length, more often cut in two. It was among these that a number of the inscribed seat blocks were The lower diazomahad a width of discovered.11 and 2.50 m., was built of a combination of reused seat blocks and opus incertum, with a good deal of cement fill and poros debris. Above this line, the rib walls were mainly of broken poros fragments, most of which seem to have been quarry waste and not pieces of re-used blocks. Very little cement or mortar was used. The walls were laid up in sections, about as far as a man could work conveniently, and then filled in between with earth containing large quantities of sherds, all brought in from some other part of the city. In this fill, which is our best means of dating the reconstruction, were found a few coins, none later than Augustus, and mostly coins of Julius Caesar, with a few Hellenistic coins, and autonomous coins of Corinth,the pegasoi which pervade most of the excavations. The pottery ran from seventh century B. C. down through Samian and Pergamene wares to Arretine. No sherds could surely be dated later than the turn of the era.12 The lines of the stairways were established on the Greek, save that below the lower diazoma the number was certainly diminished by half.13Not enough has been cleared above the diazoma to be certain of the actual arrangement, but the number was probably doubled. It was almost certainly so in the upper maeanium. The second diazoma involved a very considerable amount of foundation work. In the
See above, p. 27 and Inv. Nos. 43-49, p. 110. All the evidence goes to show that this reconstruction of the theatre took place either late in the reign of Augustus or in the early years of Tiberius' rule. Cf. A.J.A., XXXIII, 1929, p. 518 where, from the foundations of the second Roman diazoma, Shear listed four coins of Augustus and one of Julius Caesar. 13 This gives the normal Vitruvian arrangement of seven cunei. See above, p. 21 note 6.
1'
12

FIG.

39.

RIB WALL FOUNDATIONS

FOR ROMAN CAVEA.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION.THE ROMANPERIOD

47

main it consisted of an inner and an outer wall, each some 0.95 m. thick. Between was the usual fill of earth and debris, and the two walls were bonded at intervals by cross construction, making a cellular arrangement.A heavy bed of opus tncertum was laid above the inner and outer walls and the fill between, and on this were laid the poros slabs that formed the flooring of the diazoma (Figs. 20, 21). A ring of orthostates ran around the outer edge in order to raise the level of the seats of the upper division to the same line as the remainder of the theatre seats. It is interesting to note that in the upper part of the foundation walls of the diazoma there was a tendency to build the sections along straight tangents, each as long as the space between stairs, although in the lower section of the same walls the line followed the curve of the Greek seats. This is easily explained, however, when we recall the fact that after a certain height had been reached earth fill was tamped in and hence the curve disappearedto a great extent and could not be as easily followed in referenceto the rubble foundation already laid. Theremight be, here, some possibility of postulating two periods for the rib-walls, but the uniformity of construction and of the fill between makes this improbable. The outer, or peripheral, diazoma was built in the same fashion as the one next lower, save that its outer edge rested on, and was bounded by, the great outer wall. This has already been mentionedfor one sector, behind stairway IX.14 The remains at this point appear in Figures 17 and 22. The large header blocks, which project unevenly inside and out, rested partly on rubble masonry and partly on the hardpan of the hillside. Immediately behind them, in the sector where a trial was made, a few neolithic sherds were found. Evidently here, at least, the prehistoric level had remained all through the history of the place.15
14 15

See above, p. 29, Fig. 21 and p. 30. See above, p. 30, note 6.

A deeply cut setting line, following the curve of the outer wall, can be seen on the header blocks. At the east side of the trench appearsa block of one of the usual buttresses that strengthened this wall, and behind, immediately to the south of it, is anotherblock 1.20 m. by 0.60 m. for further (and possibly later) support. It rests partly on the extension of one of the header series on which the first mentioned buttress block lies and in part on a small fill of rubble concrete. Inside of the header course was a rubble wall about 0.40 m. thick based on the hardpan about two metres below. This wall originally extended upward past the inner ends of the headers and was intended to help support the floor of the diazoma proper. The inner edge of the diazoma was also supported by a rubble wall, and the space between the two walls was filled, as in the case of the second diazoma, with debris of the Hellenistic and very early Roman periods. A cellular construction with strengthening cross walls was also used. The best preserved section of the outer wall lies a few metres south of the east parodos. It is composedof carefullyjointed blocks of poros stone, laid without clamps or mortar (Fig. 40). The courses are 0.45 m. high, headers and stretchers from 0.90 m. to 0.95 m. long, and about 0.70 m. wide. The horizontal joints are v-cut, but the vertical joints are bevelled at a sharp angle on only one edge of each block. The buttresses are spaced from 4.90 m. to 5.00 m. on centres, project 0.75 m. from the wall and have a width of 0.96 m. They are bonded with the wall as follows: first, a pair of header blocks which run back into the wall about 0.40 m., next a block which is the full size of the plan of the buttress and is not tied into the wall, and next a pair of angle blocks whose returns project outward into the area of the buttress for about ten or twelve centimetres, the remainderof the buttress for that course consisting of a single block. Three of the buttresses remain. One is

48

CORINTH

.....

....

.. ..

....

...

..

I.

jAW

. ....

'd,

_2~~~~_A
i l

v_v

Fp_> ,/:

.,
FIG.'-e.
. ;

AND

BUE

FIG.

40. OUTER

WALL AND BUTTRESSES

preservedfor a height of four coursesabove the pavement of the street which skirts the theatre on the east. Behind the preservedportion of the wall is a fill of broken stone, earth and debris similar to the fill between the rib walls. The portion of the wall which makes an angle with the east parodoshas been removed for the height of one course below the pavement level, and only the ashlar footing courses remain. The workmanship and finish of this section of wall is good and might even be taken for work of the Hellenistic period, but by comparison with other buildings in Corinth, especially a retaining wall in the Fountain of

Peirene which is assigned by B. H. Hill to the early Roman period, it is almost certainly Roman work of the early Empire. Midway between two buttresses is a well built opening some 0.50 m. wide and 0.80 m. high, giving access to a square shaft set diagonally with referenceto the line of the wall. This shaft, about 4 m. deep, leads down to a carefully stuccoed passage through which a man can walk upright and make his way northwestward to an opening in the parodos wall a dozen metres away. This feature will be considered presently. One would expect some trace of entrances along various parts of the outer wall, leading

DETAILED DESCRIPTION. THE ROMANPERIOD

49

to vomitoria which would serve the higher zones of the cavea. One such appears in the southeast quadrant (P1. II), but it has been very thoroughly plundered, and all that remains is a poros stone sill resting on a lower course, a fragment or two of white limestone paving, and a hard-packed poros chip foundation for the floor of the entrance, which had a width of ca. 3.00 m. The sill lies abouit2.50 m. from the line of the outer face of the wall, and the footing pack extends a little way within the body of the cavea. Flanking walls, entrance proper, and any further details which might serve forbetter reconstructionof this feature are all ripped out. Assuming a vomitorium on the central axis of the building, there would have been a total of five quite evenly spaced. Mention has been made above of the fact that no Roman seats remain in place. The excavations of 1896 record, however, two blocks which, from the photograph, seem to be reused Greek seats that rested transversely on

one of the rib walls and were recorded as seats of the Roman period (Fig. 41). These have long since disappeared, but it is entirely possible that that is what they were. It seems almost certain that in the succeeding Roman periods the seats were covered and faced with marble slabs, of which a great many fragments have turned up in the excavation, none, unfortunately, sufficiently large to give much information. A number of marble blocks 0.34 m. high, 0.12 m. to 0.15 m. thick, and, where preserved, 0.80 m. long have been found, which came from the sides of the Roman stairs, where the seats abutted (Inv. Nos. 185-188, p. 185). These have a lion's leg carved on one end, and it would appear that in the first marble period of the theatre, in the second century, the stairs of the lower zone at least were marble faced and treated with a good deal of enrichment. The upper diazoma was probably adorned, in the marble period at least, with a colonnade, according to the usual Roman custom, and some of the architectural fragments which have been found may be assigned to it. It will be more convenient to consider these later in dealing with the marble period of the scaenae frons.16 THE PARODOI
THE EAST PARODOS

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ |! _1
-------- ---

FiG. 41. RoMAN

SEATS MADE FROM RE-USED


i . BL O C l S

GREEK

SEAT

The p)arodoi are best considered in two sections, the outer, extending for a distance of ca. 20.00 m. from the angle, and the inner, vaulted passage, or adlttus,which occupies the remainder of the distance until the orchestra is reached (Figs. 42, 44, P1. VI). Four buttresses, similar to those on the east side of the outer wall, occupy the space between the angle and the entrance into the covered portion of the adttus. It is peculiar that their angles from the footing course upward are drafted only to a height of three or four courses; that is, nearly to the level of the present, and latest, approach. Their lower
16

See below, pp. 102, 136.

50

CORINTH

_k~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~7

_.0

_ae-)-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

U~

~~~~~~~FG

42_H

AS

AOO

courses, also, just as a great many of the adjacent and higher wall courses, are made of re-used blocks on the surfaces of some of which is a hard, yellowish pebble stucco. Presumably these came from some portion of the Greek theatre. The upper remaining courses tend to be more uniformly built of new blocks. There is little reason, however, to suppose that two distinct periods are represented. The probable explanation is that the Roman builders began by using up what old material was at hand before starting off with fresh material. All four of these buttresses were at some time thrown out of plumb and seriously cracked, and to insure the safety of the eastern analemma wall four additional buttresseswere built against it between the original ones. The newer supports do not bond into the wall, but were destined to carry the spring of four heavy arches which spanned the passage alongside

the analemma. The opposite spring of the arches was carried on a series of four great piers of the same width as the buttresses but measuringnearly 5 metres from north to south. In order to provide greater stability and to insure the courses against being displaced by the thrust, their beds are all sloped upward toward the north. Buttresses and piers were both given a simple rectilinearimpost molding to receive the spring of the arches. There are no clamps or dowels in the new buttresses in the eastern parodos. The outer ends of the piers are not finished vertically, but step inward with each course, and although the structure above the arches is no longer preserved it is reasonable to restore a step-like silhouette rakingupwardtowardthe analemma wall. The last buttress and pier toward the west show a shallow drafting which correspondsto a sinkage at the rear of the lowest of a flight of

DETAILED DESCRIPTION. THE ROMANPERIOD

51

four steps which occurs at this point, and indicates a gate or some means of closure. This secondary support system lacks the vcut joints of the original construction. The buttresses and piers are generally smooth finished or lightly picked, the masonry is still of excellent quality, and, if one may judge by analogy with other Corinthianwork, the date should be in the late first, or first half of the second century. A pit sunk through the packed floor of the passage alongside the analemma in order to explore the opening left in the wall where the water channel emerges showed that supplementary buttress No. 3, at least, had a foundation of rubble concrete below the footing course. The nature of the construction shows that the approach level had reached very nearly to the present level by the time the secondary system was installed (Fig. 43). As far

small amount of building, to alter their intention and arrangethe approachat a higher level rather than cut away a large amount of virgin soil. At the same time, probably, the drafting of the buttresses was discontinued. The four poros stone steps acrossthe passage betweensecondarybuttressNo. 1 and its corresponding pier are probably not contemporary with the strengthening of the wall, but somewhat later (Fig. 44). Thereis a white limestone step below the first poros step which seems to belong to the general period of the repairs to the east parodos. It also is provided with a sinkage to receive a wooden sill for a gate, correspondingto the cuttings for fastening the jambs to be seen in the pier and buttress. The spaces between the piers flanking the passage were walled up with small, roughly shaped poros stones and mortar in a manner similar to the screen built between the columns of the Northwest Stoa.Y A footing course of poros blocks was provided. Whether this construction is contemporary with the establishment of the auxiliary system is uncertain, but it is probablynot a great deal later, and it may be noted that nowhere else in the theatre does this technique appear. The waterbasin As stated above (p. 48), an opening in the outer wall of the cavea gave access from the street to a square manhole (0.55 m. by 0.62 m.) provided with toe-hold cuttings that lead down to a channel which runs diagonally to the general orientation of the theatre and emerges at an opening which was arrangedin the lower part of the analemma wall just west of secondary buttress No. 3. The northwestern part of the channel, from the manhole on, is roofedwith stone slabs and was thickly covered with a hard waterproofstucco. Where its walls
17 Corinth,I, ii, Cambridge,Mass., 1941, pp. 111ff., fig. 75, pl. XIV section c-c, dated probably just after the earthquake of A. D. 77. This would agree perfectly with the date assigned to the auxiliary buttresses of the theatre.

J'

FL

Fig.

43.SECTIONS

IN

EAST

PARODOS

SHOWINGFOUNTAIN..

the~~~~ 71tr

n,btfud

tdsrbe

fe

as has been ascertained, the lowest courses of the piers rest directly on hardpan, and the higher level at which it occurs, to the north of the passage, suggests why the drafting of the lower courses of the original buttresses did not reach all the way up. Probably the Roman builders had planned to lower the level of the
f eantirea appnrnoahby some twon
4*

metres- atf least0 at

CORINTHI

LII

G 4)

4,,grot ~

cm~

~~~~~
A :~~~~~~~~~~~~I D,

K~~~~77-

FiG. 44.

SKETCH

OF EAST PARODOS

meet the inner face of the analemma they have been hacked away. The width of the channel is 0.62 m., the mean height about 1.60 m. At the floor is a low sill which is carefully stuccoed uniformly with the floor of the passage (Fig. 43). A small drain hole has been cut through this sill, and above the sill a slab and a parapet block, together some 0.58 m. high, have been inserted, but not well waterproofed. On the outside is a small section of hard waterproofpavement, the outer limits of which have not been located. South of the manhole the passage narrows to ca. 0.50 m. and runs roughly south-southwest for a distance of ten metres or more where it is blocked by a heavy fall of debris. There is a southeasternextension of the channel,0.35 m. wide, which runs under the street for a few metres until it in turn is blocked. North of the east parodospassagethereis no sign of the channel, andit is improbablethat it everwent further.

The most suitable explanation for the arrangement seems to be that in Hellenistic times there was a channel here which ran under the northeast horn of the cavea and may have opened into a fountain at the foot of the Greek analemma. The Roman builders would have had some idea of conserving this feature when they planned the entrance at the low level, but abandoned it when it was decided to raise the level of the approach.Possibly, also, during the building of the outer wall, the channel caved in and became useless, thus giving a further reasonfor abandoningit. It is certain, however, that it was open and clear in the early Roman period, for at the foot of the shaft the excavators came on a deposit of pottery and lamps of the Augustan period.18
18 Shear, A.J.A., XXXII, 1928, p. 485. The deposit included two lamps of the so-called Ephesos type and an Arretine bowl with the signature of Rasinius, assigned to the Augustan period. H. B. Walters, History of Ancient Pottery, London, 1905, II, p. 485; Ihm in Bonn. Jahrbuch,CII, 1898, p. 119.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION. THE ROMAN PERIOD

53

It is possible as well that the channel provided a supply of water for the workmen and for the construction during the building of the first Roman theatre, for the parapet block in the lower half of the parodos opening is and must have been in use for somewhatworn19 a year or two at least. It will be noted on the plan that the channel reaches the analemma at a point about half way between the northeast angle of the cavea and the entrance to the vaulted aditus. It has been suggested above (p. 21) that in Greek times a portion of the last kerkis on either side was not the full depth of the remainderof the koilon but terminated (at least on the west) at a point only a little beyond the entrance to the aditus. If this were the case also on the east side it is probable that the Greek analemma, for about the outer third of its length, followed a line perpendicular to the central axis of the theatre, and that this line was subsequently followed by the Roman builders. The aqueduct, then, would have ended about where it does now; the sill, which carries the same stucco as the floor and sides of the channel, would also be Greek; but the entire analemma wall above sill level would be a Roman rebuilding, thus accounting for the break in the stucco at the higher level. The location of the "fountain," if we may call it that, recalls similar arrangementselsewhere, as, for example, at Segesta and Sikyon.20
19From actual experience in observing modern construction at Corinth, it takes only a very short time for a block of the soft local stone to attain a respectable degree of apparent antiquity. 20 Bulle, Untersuchungen, pp. 111, 112 speaks of a shrine of Pan at Segesta, but mentions also that water dripped from the rock. (Marconi,N.S., 1929, p. 297, states that there is no water in the grotto). A fountain may al3o be a shrine, but the fountain at Corinth was certainly no more than a fountain. The theatre at Sikyon was also provided with a fountain, but this is of the Roman period, Bulle, op. cit. p. 198; A.J.A., V, 1889, pl. IX. At Akrai, Bulle, op. cit. pl. 43, p. 202, discusses a chamber of the Roman period which uses, for the second time, a series of blocks which appear to have belonged once to a small water channel of a type very common at Corinth in Greek times, but he states that they could not have served this purpose as they are too small, and suggests that they formed a base in which to set the woodwork of a cupboardfor refreshments. It is an improbable theory, and the presence of what must certainly be water channelblocks in close proximity

liater in the history of the Corinthiantheatre a different fountain was established in the great peribolos north of the scaena. A large reservoirwas contrived in the east hall, for use in connection with the naurmachia;and in Christian times a smaller cistern was built in the northeast corner of the reservoir. That there was always a plentiful supply of water in this area is abundantly apparent, and it may be hoped that later excavations will establish the sources from which it was collected. About 20 metres from the northeasternangle of the cavea was the entrance to the vaulted aditus which opened ultimately into the orchestra. The doorway, 2.60 m. wide, was flanked by two buttresses of the originalseries, and was provided with a poros stone sill, behind which a block with a sinkage in the middle indicates a double door. The masonry is of the same style as in the outer part of the parodos, and includes at least one re-used block, a portion of an anta or a door or window opening. The stone courses are generally a little lower than in the outer portion, but they show the same v and half-v drafting. Over the area immediately within the entrance was a heavy groin vault of rubble concrete, and the remainder of the passage was covered by a sloping tunnel vault, of which large fragments were found blocking the passage and were cleared away only with great difficulty. The eastern end of the adttus for a distance of 4.00 m. was filled in, at the period when the scaena was rebuilt, by a construction of large rectangular blocks, including one voussoir block, placed on end and built roundabout with opus itncertutm (Fig. 45).21 A shallow recess,
to the parodos of the theatre suggests that once there was a fountain near by. 21 A coin of the late empire, of the type of Constantius II, which was found in excavating the rubble of the fill in the eastern end of the aditus is taken by Shear, A.J.A., XXXII, 1928, p. 478, as evidence that the filling-in is of the fourth century. The workmanship of the great blocks that were inserted in the aditus to form the western wall for this fill, and the way in which they were slipped in so as to form beautifully tight joints, makes such a late period very unlikely. The entire construction should be no later than the second century. The coin may easily have worked its way down in the destruction period or during the excavations.

54

CORINTH

barely a metre deep, was left opposite the original doorway, perhaps for a booth for an official connected with the control of admission. The new east wall of the aditus was formed of large, closely jointed blocks which were slipped in to fit snugly across the width of the passage. Just west of the line of this cross wall a new entrance, slightly narrower than the older one, was cut (Fig. 46). The

of 0.90 m. diminishing to 0.65 m. after passing the line of the porta versura. From its technique, it seems to be contemporary with the south wall, but shows some slight differences, such as might be explained by the fact that it was, in part, connected with the scaena and could have been built after the work on the cavea side of the parodos had advanced quite a little way. It is certainly a part of the same

IN EAST ENDOFaditus . 45. FIELDSKETCH OFFILLING FIG

CUTIN aditus OFNEWENTRANCE VIEW FIG.46. ISOMETRIC

original footing course of the north wall of the parodos remainedin place and betrays the fact that originally the wall was not pierced at this point, since the course is the full thickness of the wall and not narroweras was the sill in the original door further east. The newly cut doorway also left the blocks adjacent to the jambs with widths and jointings entirely improbable for an opening built ab initio. Just east of this new opening a supplementary buttress was inserted and secured to the original masonry by half-hook clamps and probably is contemporarywith the rebuildingof the scaena. Only the lowest block of the buttress remains, however, since its upper part was removedand replaced by other construction later on. The new openingfaces the end of a passagecorming in from the north along the east end of the stage building between it and the east hall.
The north wal 4of th h

building program, however, and there would seem to be no reason to complicate the chronological sequence of the building by attempting to disassociate it. Certain modifications were effected when the scaena itself was largely rebuilt. For one thing, the inner end of the parodos was extended 1.52 m. towardthe centre of the theatre. This extension in the east parodos shows in the two large, orthostatelike blocks that now form its termination, and the jog that was formed at the end of the original parodos wall where there was a shallow set-back toward the face of the pulpitum is answered on the south by a cutting in the rock for the footing course of the south wall which, at this point, has been entirely removed (Fig. 47). This same feature will be noted in the west parodos, with differences, and will be referred to again in connection with the discussion of the Roman stage.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION. THE ROMAN PERIOD

55

The west parodos corresponds very closely in its original form to its counterpart on the east. It shows the same re-use of blocks from an earlier building, the same location of buttresses, and the same v or half-v drafting. The inner ends of the aditus are, however, j preserved both north and south and exhibit a drafted edge at their angles. Most of the portion from the doorway into the aditus and along the south wall to a point halfway to the inner end has been entirely ripped out. A single block, however, remains to show that, 44 in the rebuilding, the western end of the aditus was blocked up and abandoned just as on the opposite side of the theatre (P1. II). The principal difference, however, is in the repairs after A. D. 77 when the supplementary buttresses and the piers facing them were added. The entire face of the analemma was built against with heavy quadrated masonry (Fig. 48). With the exception of the last pier to the east, which had sloping courses, the piers which carriedthe outer ends of the buttressing arches were laid with horizontal courses, and the blocks provided with cuttings for swallowtail clamps, in which, however, no trace of metal remains.22 As at the east, a small drain FIG. 47. RocK CUTTINGS FOR INNER END OF EAST aIditus, runs along the south side of the sloping passage SOUTH WALL and turns north to feed from the approach parodos, crosses the sill of the later doorway, from that direction along the west end of the and apparently served to take care of rain stage building. The inner connection of this water which might flood down the northern channel has not been cleared, since it swings approach between the east hall and the stage. slightly south, as does its counterpart, and is it is, then, to be dated in connection with the now covered by the late, limestone gutter and alteration to the parodosand the establishment 22 The parallel between this and a similar condition found of the east hall, and hence the entire remodel- in the Odeum may be noted. 0. Broneer, Corinth, X, Caming of the stage building proper. This in turn bridge, Mass., 1932, p. 14, mentions the use of wooden clamps indicated by the presence of black, carbonized matter in the would bring all this work into relationship large swallow-tail clamp cuttings. The visible clamp cuttings with the filling of the orchestra area with in the theatre buttresses did not appear to contain any traces of wood, but in all probability they were cut for wooden vrubble crvonrete teabadnenifth ai clamps.

A small, but important, feature related to the chronology of the parodos and the stage is a narrow water channel about 18 to 20 cm. wide, which runs along the foot of the south wall of the aditus and empties into the catch basin and ultimately into the main drain. This channel turns north at the foot of the cross wall that blocked off the eastern end of the

for spargiones, and the utilization of its northern edge as a channel running clear across the orchestra beneath the marble pavement. THEWESTPARODOS

56

CORINTH

.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~W

G~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_i
REINFORCING CONSTRUCTION. SERIES

FIG.

48. ANALEMMA

OF WEST PARODOS

SHOWING

THE. BUTTRESS

AT THE EXTREME

LEFT BELONGS

TO THE ORIGINAL

_~~~~~-_

FIG:

49.

INNER

END OF WEST aditus,

NORTH SIDE,

SHOWING

RE-USED

GREEK

SEAT BLOCKS

a. NORTH SIDE

b.

SOUTH

SIDE

the lower steps of the theatre of the last period. The inner end of the aditus is, however, of the greatest interest and raises one or two problems for which tentative solutions only may be made. As in the case at the east, the inner ends of the two walls were extended toward the centre of the theatre, but in this case by only 1.17 m. as against 1.52 m. This

extension uses blocks which once served for the seats of the Greek theatre (Fig. 49a and b). They have the proper section, with the characteristic sinkage at the rear of each block, and two of them are inscribed.23 The problemsinvolved are, first, how does it happen that these blocks were available at a period when most if not all the material of the
23

Above, p. 27, and Inv. Nos. 43, 44, p. 110.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION. THE ROMAN PERIOD

57

4~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_~~~~FG
4N, 7,FG

OUE

END

Z WETR OF

PAODS

.ANDSIL
N

FRAT ILFRGT

0OUERED

FWESENPRDS

Greek theatre had been used up by the first Roman builders; and, second, why was not the extension of the parodos walls on east and west made symmetrical? In answer to the first, it could be said that since these extensions may well have happened in connection with a rebuilding of the first Roman stage they had previously been re-used in that structure, and that their present position represents a second re-use. An attempt to answer the second question involves a considerationof the history of the pulpitum and will be discussed later (p. 78). In excavating the west end of the outer parodos, just by the northwest angle of the cavea, the course on which the analemma and its buttresses were bedded was found to extend nearly two metres beyond the normal periphery of the outer wall. It is difficult to tell

whether this signifies a widening of the original outer line, since the nearest check point is the remains at the head of Stair IX, or whether the explanation is that, in the reconstruction involving the additional supports to the analemma, the outer wall was given double thickness in this area. Since the outer rim of the cavea would have been very high, at least 15.00 m. above the foundations, it seems quite possible that to consolidate the angle of the cavea and keep it from shifting on the rather friable hardpanwhich underlies this area, such means were adopted to insure the safety of the structure. The western end of the outer passage, between the analemma and the secondary buttress piers, was paved solidly with one, and in some places two or more, layers of heavy, squaredporos blocks (Fig. 50). A curious treatment of the blocks, especially where the

58

CORINTH

presence of large pry-holes indicates that another course overlay them, is that the joints show a 45 degree bevel all the way around. There seems to be no good reason or analogy for this treatment, and it may be suggested that the blocks came originally from some earlier use where the bevel would have been a normal treatment for the face of a wall. A massive, white limestone sill at the extreme west end indicates the lowest of a short flight of steps connecting the level of the approach with that of the street beyond. The stratification to the west of this sill, though much disturbed by the activities of the mediaeval builders, indicates that a street led down along the west side of the building, but as far as the excavations have been carried it does not show any traces of the paving which distinguished the approach on the east. A roundedpit, some 0.80 m. in diameter and about 1.00 m. deep, was cut into the paving of the parodos approachand fitted with a sunken rim for the adjustment of a cover slab. It seems to have no purpose in connection with the theatre, and belongs most probably to the Early Byzantine period when the area was in use. Little need be said about the nature of the occupation in this post-Roman age, save that heavy walls were built from the piers across to the analemma (Fig. 51). In them the material is all from the ruins of the theatre, and includes several large voussoir blocks that presumably came from the arches which spanned the outer passage (Inv. Nos. 25-29).24

theatre's use, they will be clearerif we turn now to the scaena. Two main periods are indicated, and since most of the remains belong to the later of the two it will be better to consider that first, and note, as we go, any features which may be connected with the earlier. In both periods the length of the scaena was 60.00 m., or almost exactly equal to the radius of the cavea, and a little more than twice the diameter of the orchestra.25The depth, not including the pulpitum, was 8.00 m. From the architectural fragments built into the foundations of the second period it may be stated that the scaena originally was of the flat, Asia Minor type, with columns or pairs of columns en ress4ultacross its front. The exact plan cannot be recovered,however,for the scaena which replaced it was re-built practically from hardpan up. The arrangementappearsin Plate VII a and consisted of three exedras, the central one larger than the other two. They are separated by the usual straight sections, and at either extremity of the facade, beyond the smaller exedras, came another straight section which extended to the return of the versurae. East and west, at the extreme ends of the building, were flights of stairs entered from the north and leading to the tribunes over the aditi mnaximt or to chambers in the upper part of the scaena itself. Behind the straight sections separating the exedra of the porta regia from those of the hospitalia were two other exedras, facing north toward the peribolos behind the scaena and provided with low stone benches, 0.43 m. high, for the convenience of loiterers SCAENA (Fig. 52). Although several important modifications A doorway in the north wall led into a occurredin the cavea and orchestratoward the chamber behind the eastern hospitalium and, end of the second century or in the early third, by analogy, into the western one as well. as well as in the following history of the 25 Although the exact diameter of the second century
24

In mediaeval times this entire area appears to have served as a dump where vast quantities of bones of sheep and cattle were deposited. The layer is often a full metre thick and covered the area from the western part of the stage building to nearly half way along the parodos.

Roman orchestra can only be approximated, that of the period following the arena measures 27.40 m. Twice this figure gives 54.80 m. which is within 0.30 m. of the length of the stage measured between the versurae. Vitruvius, V, vi, 6 says Scaenae longitudo ad orchestraediametron duplex fieri debet.Surely this is following theory quite closely.

aA PR.
171b -b 7 ;t ~~~~~~~~ qlT me4s-@iweW:S54

A
> ae.L<=

fK

r~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~i

=EE

14 .

A-m,

tt~~~~~~~

_~~~~~~~F
G

VIE

LO

IN

EAS

ALON

TH P LI U TO PRDS T1WES HE AS PA OOAN

60

CORINTH

There must have been a central doorway into of the foundations remain at this point. In the the regia, and there may have been a narrow western half of the building the remains bevestibuile as well, but only the lower courses come even more scanty, although the general plan is clearly marked. A small chamber appears to have existed under the southward run of the eastern staircase and to have been entered from the reveal .460.. of the deep opening that formed the versura. It had no connection with the area just west .325 .3Q5 of it, although today that is the impression given. The hardpan cuttings for its west wall are clearly marked. The area just west of this, which now resembles a pavement, was merely part of the foundation course which was laid *o60 over the entire area and supported a solid mass of masonry (Figs. 53, 54).
FIG.

52.

PROFILE

OF BENCH

IN EXEDRA

9>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

FIG. 58. EASTERN

PART OF SCAENA

FROM NORTHWEST

DETAILED DESCRIPTION. THE ROMANPERIOD

61

_r

-~~~~~~~~ a<SsE r~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

FIG.

H, IIOSPITALIUM; CONSTRUCTION

54. LOOKING NORTH OVER EASTERN PART OF SCAENA AND ADJACENT P, PERIBOLOS; V, VERSURA; S, STAIR; E, EAST HALL;

AREAS

N, PASSAGE

OF FOUNDATIONS

No pains were spared to give a solid basis to the tall structure of the scaenae frons. Over the entire area the hardpan was levelled down, or was filled up with quadratedblocks where earlier building had left a sunken area. The filling of the Greekcentral passage is an example (Figs. 26, 55). Most of this new foundation was, as it were, paved with re-used blocks and new material to a depth of one to three courses,bringing the whole to a uniform level on which the plan of the structure above could be marked out. The areas which were to be covered, higher up, by walls or solid masses of quadratedmasonry reaching to the top of the structure were then built up with successive courses of squared blocks, including, still, much re-used material

FIG.

55. FOUNDATIONS

FOR CENTRAL

PART OF SCAENA

which must be connected with the earlier scaena. Between these walls, where a floor level was to occur at no great height, rubble concrete was filled in, generally in layers which cor-

62

CORINTH

respond in height to the courses that surrounded them. It is these masses of concrete fill toward the western part of the building that give the indication of where the lines of the walls ran (Fig. 56). The stone plunderers, as everyvhere throughout the middle ages, eagerly sought squared blocks and ripped them out, as though from trenches, between the surrounding concrete. The forward edge of the scaena is preserved in two places. Several blocks of a low course remain just west of the centre line, resting on course No. 3 of the front wall of the skene. At the east end, a row of blocks runs from near the end of the Greek east parodos wall to the versura. The first few of these blocks rest on a lower course which fills in the irregularities of the hardpan. The upper row, which bounds the pavementlike levelling course behind it, has a clearly inscribed setting line a little way behind its face to indicate where the succeeding course was to be laid. In one block, also, is a carefully drilled hole 0.01 m. in diameter, to give the exact centre from which the exedra of the eastern hospitalium was inscribed. The system of laying out the plan on a general foundation platform is very similar to that observed by Broneer in the Odeum.26 The footings of the end and rear walls of the scaena rest uniformly on hardpan, which rises slightly to the north, especially at either end of the building. In the centre, just south of where a section of the north wall of the Greek skene is still seen, the foundations arepreserved to a height of two courses. The blocks are generally 0.56 m. high and measure roughly 0.75 m. by 0.95 m. They are laid mostly as headers (Fig. 26). The lower of the two courses is almost certainly of the first Roman period. Some blocks, re-used, show a good anathyrosis at a visible end and may well be Hellenistic. Their beds have been sunk slightly below the level of the
26Corinth,X, p. 34, fig. 22.

"floor" which was carefully worked at the foot of the Greeknorth wall.27It is likely that if the lowest foundation course were later than the first Roman stage some few fragments of Roman pottery would have crept into the fill between it and the Greek wall to the north, but such was not the case. Also it may be noted that the fill containing the Hellenistic roof tiles is packed solidly against the north face of this foundation course. There is no sign of the fill having been cut into and disturbed for a width of a few centimetres north of the face of the foundation as we find in the second course, and in succeeding courses, where the foundation is preserved to its full height further east. W'herever tested, the fill above the last preserved course of the Greek wall and behind the line of the scaena contains nothing later than sherds which appear to date in the first century after Christ. This fill, however, was cut back slightly to accommodatethe removal of most of the coursesof the first Roman scaena and the re-laying of the foundation in the second period. The narrow gap has been refilled and contained a great quantity of working chips rather loosely packed. No pottery or coins, unfortunately, could be identified from this backfill. The second preserved foundation course, while very like the first in general appearance, contains some blocks which have all the appearance of having been re-used, but whose origin seems to lie in the first Roman period. The one thing which would be most gratifying to recover would be further indications of the exact plan of Scaena I, but this has been almost entirely obliterated. It may be said, however, with certainty, that in its overall dimensions the early scaena was identical with its successor. At the east end, along the passage leading down from the north toward the aditus, the two lowest coursesof the foundation resemble very closely the bottom course at the
27

Above, p. 35.

-i

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~L1

o,-

To

FIG.

56. VIEW

SHOWING

WESTERN

PART OF SCAENA

64

CORINflt

northcentreof the scaenaandweremost probabNo fragments exist showing any curves; ly built upon in the remodelling of the scaena. from this argnumentumex silentio, and also since the western type of Roman stage with its SUPERSTRUCTURE: FIRST PERIOD deep-niched exedras is found nowhere else in The architectural fragments, all of poros, Greece, and when it occurs elsewhere must which may be assigned to the scaena of the normally be dated in the second century or first period are found built into the foundations later, it is quite certain that a curved exedra of the later scaena (a, Fig. 55), and also appear did not occur in the face of the stage of the in the northwalls of the east andwest halls which first period.28 were first erected at the time the scaena was PERIBOLOS rebuilt in the second century. All across the back of the scaena lay a nearly As will be seen from the inventory, the cornices (Inv. Nos. 6-13, p. 106) show re- rectangular colonnaded court surrounded by entrant angles and moldings on opposite faces, a portico of columns. The total inside width at thus arguing for an en ressault arrangement. the east was 24.00 m. Since the north wall was They are of different scales, as would be natural not exactly parallel to the stage, but drew in the superposition of orders. The tooling is nearer to it as it progressed westward, the nearly all done with a toothed chisel, and a width at that end was only about 22.50 m. A thin layer of rather soft white stucco was used street, which has been located in two trial pits, to finish off the surfaces. An interesting feature ra,nnorth of the peribolos, aridaccounts for the which may be seen on some of the pieces is lack of exact parallelism. that they were periodically whitewashed with This peribolos is, in its original form, cona coat of lime, and on some fragments no less temnporary with the first Roman stage. The than six or seven layers may be made out. No outer wall on the east, north and west sides traces of color remain, although the effect of consisted of a socle resting on squared poros earth staining in places might also be interpret- stone foundations of varying depth, an orthoed as the remains of polychromy. Evidently state 0.76 m. high, and a capping course 0.34 during its existence the face of the monumen- m. high, and 0.52 m. thick (Fig. 57). Above tal stage building was periodically brightened this the wall was built of opus rettculatum,of which a small section is preserved in a treneh up for the benefit of the spectators. Several blocks (Inv. Nos. 16-18 p. 108) with cut in 1910 near the central axis of the complex. a torus base molding, which ran along the foot 'rhe colonnade had a stylobate of poros of a wall, and below a series of pilasters that stone, and one or two courses, depending on faced it, exist, most of them in the foundations the terrain, lay below it. No traces of paving of the later scaena, but two are built into the appear within the open part of the court, nor, east hall. No recognizable capitals have been according to the Vitruvian canon, should found. Neither are there any fragments of there, since the area was presumably planted shafts. A single epistyle block (Inv. No. 15, and arranged as a garden.29In the northeast p. 108) of an Ionic order,with three fascias and portion of the court was a cemented reservoir, a crown molding, lies re-used in a foundation 1.37 m. wide and, as preserved, 1.10 m. deep, at the entrance of the western versura. It is a very nearly parallel to the north wall. It may cornerpiece and suggests an intercolumniation 28 The origin of the so-called western type of scaena is not of ca. 2.33 m., but since the original end may earlier than the second half of the first century of our era, and have been cut short, it is unsafe to base any hence must postdate the first Roman period of the Corinth theatre. For further discussion see Chapter VIII, pp. 137ff. 29 Vitruvius, V, ix, 5. conclusions on it.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION. THE ROMANPERIOD

65

have served the uses of the gardeners who tended the peribolos. On the south side, in the exact centre, was a shallow pool with a fountain, a feature which was retained, with the addition of some adornment,in the second period. A wide opening, possibly featured by

.090

ted with dove-tail clamps, but only the cuttings survive. The unequal depth of the colonnaded porticus, in which that on the south is less by nearly a metre than the three others, seems to be a conscious recognition of the fact that for purposesof shade less account had to be taken of a section that was already heavily overshadowed by the high scaenae frons.
PERIBOLOS: SUPERSTRUCTURE

< _210-'P

MARBLE

AND FLOOR(fl________ LIME5TONE


ORIGINAL LEVEL;

I ,,..

II

FIG1.

57.

SECTION

OF NORTH SIDE

OF PERIBOLOS

an arch, gave access to the court at either end of the southern colonnade, and there may have been one also in the centre of the north side. This has, however, not been excavated. There appear to have been no other means of access, and it is probable that, with the exception of the east and west entrances, there were originally no others.30 The workmanship of the socle, orthostate and cap course is of excellent quality and resembles the best early Roman work elsewhere in Corinth. One edge and the bottom of each orthostate block is carefully drafted on the outer face at the re-entrant angles formed by the series of exterior buttresses which stiffened the wall.31The capping course was fit30 In the late period, when there was a considerable amount of rebuilding in the plaza to the northeast, two additional entrances were made at the northeast angle of the peribolos. The sills were at the level of the course above the orthostates, and steps led down from them. 31 The blocks are dressed with a broad chisel except for the drafting, which is worked with a toothed chisel having five teeth per centimetre. The beds and joints are worked with a coarser toothed chisel with three teeth per centimetre.

The colonnade which adorned the peribolos in this period was probably of the I)oric order and executed in poros stone. Without removing the later, white limestone stylobate blocks, it is not possible to trace the setting of the columns, but if we assume that the same column spacing was retained in the reconstruction we may supply six columns across the east end. An epistyle-frieze block, (Inv. No. 14), was found in the excavations in this area and may be associated with the colonnade. The metopes had a width of 0.51 m., the triglyphs, 0.34 m. Three times this dimension would give an intercolumniation of 2.55 m. on centres. Deducting 0.53 m. for the depth of the architrave from the total of five intercolumniations (12.75 m.) leaves 12.22 m. and the distance measured between the weather lines of the corner columns of the later period is ca. 12.26 m. It may be assumed, therefore, that the Doric epistyle-frieze in question is to be associated with the peribolos. A number of I)oric column drums (Inv. No. 51 a-d), much mutilated, have been built into a late construction in the northeast angle of the peribolos and may have come from the colonnade, but if they belong must have survived in some other use the ensuing marble period. They show that the columns were polygonal for a portion of their height and fluted thereafter. No capitals have been found which may be securely associated. The epistyle-frieze block has had its upper part cUt away, but the total height for the

66

CORINTH

two membersmay be restored at about 0.83 m. if the metopes are assumed to be square. The backs were divided into two parts in which the upper half projected two centimetres beyond the lower. Toothed chisel work (3 per 0.01 m.) shows on the block, as well as traces of a very hard white stucco with a slight admixture of brown grit. The quality of the stucco recalls very strongly the finish of the remaining epistyle-frieze block of the Temple of Asklepeios,as rebuilt in the Roman period.32 MlVany fragments of terracotta cyma of the Roman period were found scattered about this area. They are of the standard rinceau type with lions' heads. The upper edges often carry a rather poor form of egg and tongue. Most of them belong, presumably, to the later periods of the peribolos, but some, of rather more careful workmanship, may be associated with the earlier, poros period. The stylobate of the earlier period did not have a properstep below it, but the underlying course projected from 0.28 m. to 0.30 m. toward the interior of the court and was about 0.40 m. high. The upper, exposed surface is not worked perfectly smooth, and the level of the court itself probably came just above its top, or at least level with it. The foundation below is generally of opus incertumof varying depth, and along the south side, for a portion of the way, is an additional course of poros stone. In connection with the peribolos,it is proper to consider here a massive buttress (P1. II) with sloping courses, which resembles very closely the buttresses which were added to the eastern analemma and, from its character, can hardly be separated from them by any length of time. This construction takes up a length of about five metres near the centre of the east wall of the court, and the lie of the stones shows
32 F. J. DeWaele, "The Sanctuary of Asklepios and Hygieia at Corinth," A.J.A., XXXVII, 1933, p. 434; C. Roebuck, Corinth,XIV, Princeton, 1951, p. 39, pl. 106.

clearly that it was inserted after the peribolos had been built. Its original south end has been cut away by a deep well of the mediaeval period. The buttress has the same width as its companions of the east parodos, but it is peculiar in that the outer or eastern side does not align with the present east end of the stage building. A line prolonged on that face would fall some forty to fifty centimetres too far east. The best explanation is that this buttress once carriedan arch that spanned the entrance to the southern colonnade and abutted against the northeast corner of the first Roman stage building which had a shallow buttress projecting to the east at either corner of the east side. The block which provided the footing of one of these buttresses is clearly seen at the southeast corner in the corridor between it and the east hall, whereit bondswith one of the lower courses of the foundation, which here has every aspect of belonging to the first period (a, Fig. 58).

FIG. 58.

EAST

WALL OF SCAENA BUTTRESS

WITH- LOWER

COURSE

OF

SHALLOW

(a), AND

POROS STEP BLOCK

When the analemma was consolidated, between the first and second periods of the stage building, the large buttress was inserted in the east wall of the peribolos to help stiffen the northeast angle of the scaena, and, in order not to infringe on the peribolos colonnade, was offset to the east, and abutted in part against the angle buttress of the scaena. Surely not a very sound piece of construction, but apparently 4-: this_ wasjwha too place It sees lkel

DETAILED DESCRIPTION. THE ROMANPERIOD

67

that, when the scaena was rebuilt, the upper part of the large buttress was demolished, and its lower courses concealed by the marble revetment wvith which the entire peribolos was adorned, for the present narrow pier, only 0.60 m. wide, projecting from the northeast corner of the scaena, can have no relation to the massive buttress opposite to it. At a time which seems to correspond with the reconstruction,a pavement of thin marble slabs was laid within the colonnades. The stylobate was raised about 0.25 m. by a series of white limestone blocks laid over the old stylobate, andthe columnsre-erectedin marble. The order was probably Ionic; the bases had square plinths which have left their traces on the stylobate in worked surfaces and weather lines, and the colunm spacing was approximately 2.30 m. along the south side, 2.55 m. on the east, and about 2.30 m. on the north. At the same time, at least the lowerportion of the walls was revetted in marble. Three long marble slabs were substituted

for the limestone in the centre of the south colonnade, behind the small fountain which was revetted in marble (Figs. 59, 60). The traces of column spacing at this point are very uncertain. It would seem that some sort of ornamental parapet, or back, to the fountain, possibly with entrances on either side, was put in (P1. VIla). The water basin itself seems to belong to both periods, for there has been a good deal of accomodation and patching in its connection with the stylobates. It is possible that it may even have had a marble covering in the first period, and all around it runs a narrow strip of mosaic made of irregular fragments of marble, bordered on the outside with thin slabs set on edge. There is nothing to show how water was brought to the fountain, nor, after it had run out through a narrow channel cut in the north rim, what became of it. Most probably it was entirely dissipated in the planting of the court. Various cuttings and weather lines which cannot be associated with the colonnade point to the insertion here and there of statue bases.
SCAENA, SUPERSTRUCTURE: SECOND PERIOD

The activities of the Byzantine and Mediaeval stone quarriers have removed almost every trace of superstructurefrom about two thirds of the scaena of the second period, and we must
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FIG.

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68

CORINTH

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FIG. 61.

ISOMETRIC

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base our reconstructionon what remains, principally in the eastern part. The general disposition has already been described.33Beginning at the eastern of the two exedras which faced northward on the peribolos, the rear wall is preservedfrom one to three courses above pavement level (Fig. 6). It was built of long, very evenly coursedporos blocks; the joints are flush and not drafted in any way. No clamps or dowels were used. The north face of the wall shows holes for iron pins, or hooks, which fastened the marble revetment with which in this period the entire circuit of the peribolos was adorned. As far as can be made out this was treated with a series of orthostate slabs, probably with a base course and a capping band. Higher up, the traces are not well enough preserved to indicate the treatment, but probably the walls were stuccoed. The circular bench in the exedra facing the peribolosseems to have abutted at its northern ends against piers which carried an arch fram33

Above pp. 58, 60.

ing the exedra. Further to the east a doorway ca. 2.20 m. wide gave access to a chamber which lay directly behind the easternhospitalium. From this chamber another door led into a room at the northeast corner of the scaena, and there are indications in the concrete substructure that, from this chamber, there was a passage southward into the colonnade, along the straight portion of the scaenae frons which ran between the hospitalium and the end of the facade. The hospitaliumitself is fairly well preserved (Figs. 6, 61, 62). Three courses of the podium of the exedra rise on the east side above a low socle. The stairs that led down to stage level were flanked by pilasters, in front of which we should restore free-standing columns. The pilasters were secured to the structure behind by hook clamps, and the use of iron hook clamps, well leaded, is also to be seen in the masonry elsewhere in the forward part of the hospitalium, wherever, in fact, there was danger of the courses slipping forward and

DETAILED DESCRIPTION.THE ROMANPERIOD

69

becoming detached from the mass of masonry behind. Although the wall blocks of the curve of the hospitalium are laid with their vertical joints roughly radial, the curve of the socle itself is cut in blocks that run parallel to the line of the stage front. This suggests that these blocks may belong to the lower part of the scaena of the first period, but from the presence of other re-used blocks of that period near by, it is probable that the course was laid during the reconstructionand then cut to the required curve. A pavement of shallow poros slabs, 0.25 m. thick, covers the floor of the hospitalium exedra and rests on the euthynteria course below. Elsewhere, in the two chambersbehind the hospitalium, and in the east end of the scaenae frons, as well as in the north exedra, a similar pavement was used. These were covered with marble veneer, as is shown by traces of the mortar bed in which it was set. The face of the curved wall shows holes for the attachment of revetment, and at the foot of the wall, on the socle, is the stump of a piece of marble basemold (Fig. 61) similar to numerous fragments which have been found scattered about. It is probable that the entire face of the scaena of this period was, from the beginning, richly adorned with marble facing. There have been some adjustments and alterations to the steps leading down from the doorway of the hospitalium, as, indeed, one would expect had it continued in use, as it most certainly did, for a considerable period. Probably these are to be associated with the repairs and minor alterations to the theatre carried out in the third and fourth centuries. The stairway at the east end of the scaena, between walls, retains its lowest step of Acrocorinth limestone, and from traces in the concrete filling beneath, the ramp of the stairs was a gradual one, rising 0.20 m. for a tread of about 0.65 m. The disposition of a return of the stair, giving access to upper chambers in the scaenae frons, must remain con-

jectural, but if the northeast chamber were vaulted it would be entirely possible to work in such a return over the eastern part of the room below. The chief purpose of the stair, however, was to give ready access from the peribolos to the tribunalia over either parodos entrance, and also to the lower diazoma. The plan of the eastern porta versura is fairly well preserved, and shows at leasttwo periods. Bonding into the north wall of the covered portion of the parodos is a powerful abutment which once served as the southern jamb of the entrance (Figs. 53, 54, 62). In the second period this was faced by a series of blocks set on edge and carefully clamped together and to the core behind. Facing the stage, on either side of the entrance, was a pilaster pedestal of poros stone faced with marble, a piece of which still remains. A basemold similar to the fragment in the east hospitalium still remains in place on either side of the entrance, and below the moldings is a dark, bluish marble socle. The arrangement, thus, is the same as in the hospitalium with the exception that in the latter the socle was of poros stone faced with marble, rather than a solid marble block. The greater use of the versura, and the more exposed position of the socle, would be sufficient reason for a more durable form of construction. Some of the lower courses at the north side of the versura may belong to the earlierperiod, and the lowest course shows a shallow buttress projecting eastward north of the entrance.The significance of this in connection with the chronology of the theatre has been noted above.34 It is most unfortunate that the spoliation of the building ruined so completely the evidence for the porta regia. Curved cornice pieces of greater radius than could fit the hospitalia still exist, but their cutting is not sufficiently regular to permit of more than an approximation of their radius,
34

Above,p. 66.

70

CORINTH

which may be restored at between 4.90 m. and 5.20 m. Depending on the restoration of the exedra of the porta regia we may supply a shallow vestibule behind the regia, or eliminate it entirely. The nature of the foundations, which shows an area of opus incertum between the

bringing the floor up to stage level were of opus incertum, but even here it had a sufficiency of poros blocks beneath it. The usual thin poros pavement course overlies a portion of this opus incertum. In the area where the foundationswould, in part, support the weight of the two great columns of the portico, the

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rear wall and the heavy poros stone foundations to the south, suggests a vestibule of some sort. The second century builders, as well as their predecessors,gave much attention to filling solidly the area around about the old, late Hellenistic central passage. Most of the filling is of large, well fitted poros blocks. Toward the centre front of the exedra, where no weight was to be carried, part of the foundations

general level to which the hardpan has been cut is about 0.80 m. lower than elsewhere. Probably this entire section had already been lower in the Hellenistic period.35
35 In any case the late Hellenistic central passage might have caused a crumbling of the hardpan in this area, and thus made a deeper foundation necessary. A little to the west of the centre is a foundation of blocks projecting southward at a low level. It is nearly symmetrical with a step cutting to the east, but its purpose and period are not clearly defined. In

DETAILED DESCRIPTION. THE ROMANPERIOD

71

The remainderof the scaena is soon disposed of. All but a dozen wall foundation blocks have been removed, leaving only the concrete filling between them. This is composed, as is all the opus incertum of this period, of broken poros stone with a strong lime mortar containing a good admixture of small beach pebbles and sand. Part of the foundations of the west versura remain, including a re-used epistyle block (possibly early Roman) laid as a sort of sill across the inner opening of the entrance and resting on a portion of the foundation of the Greek analemma.36 A single course of blocks, 0.31 m. thick, rests on the still preserved third course of the front of the Greek skene, a little west of the centre line. Their upper surfacesare level with the hardpanbehind, and the fill behind them is rubble and mortar. One other detail may be noted here. At the northeast angle the narrow pier, 0.60 m. wide, which projects northward and forms one side of an entrance into the colonnade flanking the rear of the scaena does not connect with the poros stone sill andits foundations,immediately to the north, which indicates that the latter is to be associated with the earlier period, and that when the floor of the colonnadewas raised a new sill was provided which has since disappeared. Brief mention should be made here of several later, mediaeval constructions in the scaena. On the west side, where lay the western limit of the exedra facing the peribolos, a deep rectangularwell was sunk between the masses
part it is built of re-used blocks, but they bear no identifiable cuttings, and the foundation is not very carefully laid. Whether to associate it with the Roman scaena, in the first or second period or to see here a division of the hyposkenion of the Greek building is problematical. The latter would be welcome, and in spite of the fact that the course tapers off at the south in a small, narrow block and now makes no connection with the front wall, it is more probable that it must be connected with a division of the hyposkenion, especially since the area to the west of the partition was not cut down low enough to be of use. There is a cutting in hardpan roughly symmetrical with the foundation to the east of the axis, and this may represent the eastern wall of the central part of the hyposkenion. 36 Above, p. 64 and Inv. No. 15, p. 108.

of concrete on either side. This was built up above the concrete level mith marble architectural fragments from the decoration of the scaena and blocks taken from the late limestone gutter. A similar well, circularin its lower part and then rectangular,was sunk at the present south end of the great buttress which once reinforced the northeast angle of the scaena of the first Roman period. The fill from both wells was of the Byzantine period. The doorway to the room behind the eastern hospitalium was roughly blocked up, a cistern with reddish, waterproof cement was built in an angle of the northeast room, and a small bothros, or cistern, was sunk in the floor of the chamber behind the hospitalium. Also at this time, most probably, a brick-lined reservoir about 3 metres square was built in the northeast angle of the peribolos. It made use of the poros stone column drums which have been noted in connectionwith the peribolos.
EAST AND WEST HALLS

At either end of the scaena, separated from which slopedgently downward it by approaches from the north to the entrances cut into the covered portions of the parodoi,were two large The eastern measured8.00 m. rooms,or halls.37 by 14.00m. and has been completely excavated (Fig. 54, E). Its counterpart on the west, somewhat less well preserved, is only half exposed, but presumablywas of the same size. The east hall was built of evenly coursed blocks, many of them, especially in the north wall, re-used and coming probably from the scaena of the first period. The foundations for narrow buttresses can be seen on the east and north sides, but since they are nowhere preserved above the contemporary ground level
37 These halls are commonly found in Roman theatres of the second and third centuries, as e. g. Arles, Orange, Timgad, Dugga, Sabratha, Merida. Cf. plans in M. Bieber, The History of the Greek and Roman Theater, Princeton, 1939, figs. 466, 467, 473, 477, 479. All the above save Timgad are theatres of the western Roman type. Possibly this feature was introduced to offset the loss of space in the body of the scaena caused by the deep exedras.

72

CORINTH

it is impossible to say how they were treated higher up. The east wall terminates against the massive buttress of the series facing the eastern analemma, and must certainly be later than it (Fig. 63). The south wall, ending against the west face of the same buttress, was originally provided with a large opening opposite the original entrance to the eastern Roman aditus and could suggest that when the hall was built this entrance was still in use. Since, however, it is very clear that the establishment of the passage along the east end of the scaena is to be associated with the cutting of a new entrance into the covered parodos, and with the consequent filling up of its eastern end, it may be suggested that when the hall was built the blocking of the original entrance to the parodos had not yet occurred, but was carried out during the same building program when it became apparent that the new entrance would be sufficient. The opening in the south wall of the hall would also serve to give ready access to that room to anyone coming down along the parodos, beneath the arched buttresses which spanned it, and its location would have been determined rather by architectural symmetry in relation to the niche left where was once the original entrance to the parodos. The west wall of the hall (Figs. 64, 65), facing the end of the scaena, was provided with

a series of five openings, spaced from 2.30 m. to 2.50 m. on centres, and 1.25 m. wide. In either side of each opening was a groove for the reception of a wooden jamb, indicating that there were originally doors so that the hall could be closed. The original sills of these doors are no longer visible, and it is clear that the remodellers met with some difficulty at that point since the rising level of the passage immediately to the west of the wall had to be taken into account. It almost seems as though the intention had been to lower the level of the passage and give access to its north end by a flight of steps, but that in the course of work the plan was altered, the idea of the five openings given up, and the openings themselves closed by large blocks of stone, slipped into place from the west. This alteration, in course of operations, would go with the blocking of the end of the covered parodos, the establishment of the new opening a little further west, and the cutting of the narrow water channel which runs along the foot of the later east end wall of the covered parodos, turns at right angles along the southern side, and opens into a wider channel that finally connects with the main drain. It should be noted that the northernmost section of the west wall of the hall, adjacent to the last opening, is somewhat irregularly bonded with the north wall. There is no good

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FROM WITHIN. RIGHT

UPPER

DETAILED DESCRIPTION. THE ROMANPERIOD

73

reason, however, to separate them in date, especially when the footings and lowest course are examined. The blocks are secured to the north wall, which has itself a slight projection westward, by pairs of strong hooked clamps, well leaded in (Fig. 65). The south end of the west wall projects in a spur which responds to a block set on the bottom course of the buttress added just alongside of the new entrance cut into the wall of the adittus.This buttress may be contemporary with the series of flying buttresses further east, but it apparently never had a corresponding pier and arch. It might also suggest that the east (and west) halls were earlier than the rebuilding of the scaena in the second century but for the fact that the halls make use of material re-used from the earlier Roman stage. Probably the buttress was installed along with the arched series, but was a plain pier, without respond, and was given less projection so as to align with the southern jamb of the earlier, and wider, versura. The presence of the clamps would also tend to show that it had no pier to the north and hence needed to be attached to the wall. The west hall shows the same use of older blocks in the lower part of the north wall where it lay against the higher level beyond. The openings in the east wall were treated like

those of the east hall, with grooves in the jambs, and it may be significant that one of these grooves, where the later filling blocks no longer conceal it, seems not to have been cut down to its logical bottom level. This would bear out the suggestion made in connection with the east hall, namely, that there was a change of plan during this particular building program. Unliappily a precise chronological date for the halls is not forthcomingfrom excavational evidence. In the hard packed fill beneath the floor level of the east hall was found some heavy, rather coarse, pottery of the Roman period, which from its fabric may be dated in the first century, but not, probably, later. The fill behind the north walls of the two halls is not much more revealing, but excavation in both places shows that the space for the halls had been cut down through a series of levels of deposit which run from Hellenistic up through early Roman, and that the narrow space left between the cut and the newly built walls was then backfilled with much of the same material, with the addition of a good deal of stonecutter's waste, fragments of poros stone moldings, chips from re-used blocks, and the like. The subsequent history of the east hall should be followed at this point in order to

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FIG.65. EAST

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ABOVE,

NORTH-SOUTH

SECTION;

BELOW,

WEST WALL FROM OUTSIDE

74

CORINTH

complete the story. When the theatre was free access from the east along the analemma, provided with the apparatus of a naumdachia though it would still be possible to get around this chamber was turned into a reservoirfrom it (Fig. 44), or, if the level were raised, to pass whichthe orchestralareamight be rapidlyfilled. over it. No reliable trace of a higher level for A floor of square tiles was laid on a thin bed the passage was recorded in the excavations, of mortar which overlay the hard, trampled however, so that the actual disposition must earth floor of the original hall. The walls were remain in doubt. There is no evidence for the height of the heavily coated with tough waterproof stucco, in which was a considerablequantity of ground east hall. Its roof must have been of wood, up brick and reddish grit. The angles were since the walls are not sufficiently heavy to finishedwith the conventionalmassive quarter- carry a vault, and the buttresses at intervals round, with a radius of about 0.08 m. to on the east and north suggest wooden trusses. 0.10 m. There remains the question as to how deeply In the southern opening was set a large this reservoir could have been filled. Its marble block which came originally from a weakest side is the western one. The stucco small pediment (only the back of this is is preserved highest in the southeast angle, visible now), and above that the opening was where it reaches to a height of ca. 1.80 m. built up with large, long, poros blocks, doubled above the floor. A depth of a little less than for part of the way by an additional thickness three metres would provide a capacity of 300 of blocks. cU. m., which would be sufficient to fill the A rectangularbasin, 2.30 m. by 1.60 m. was naumachta area within the circle of the late contrived just south of the gate formed by limestone gutter to a depth of about one metre, the re-used marble tympanum which shows on and this seems, from the remainsof the marble its interior face a rebate cut all arounid to slabs with which it was surrounded,to be the receive a heavy wooden closure. From the extreme depth to which the orchestra could basin, a flume, 0.80 m. wide and 0.60 m. deep, have been filled. leads down under the versura and beneath the The west hall was never used as a reservoir, eastern end of the stage to a point just in front and its status in the later period of the theatre of the eastern hospitalium, where it has been cannot be determined. broken off by the later pillaging of the stones One other feature should be mentioned here. of which it was formed. The flume must have In the Byzantine period a deep, vaulted cistern opened through the front of the late pulpitum 7.00 m. by 3.10 m. was built in and across the somewhere within the area fenced off for the northeast angle of the reservoir. Composedof naumachia,but of this all trace is lost. Although strongly cemented rubble masonry and coated the execution of this arrangementis technical- with thick waterproof stucco, it seems likely ly rather rough, great care was taken to make that this new water-containermade use of the it solid. The sides of the flume are generally of same general system of water supply as had blocks set on edge or cut in an L-shaped its Roman predecessor.What this was does not section (Fig. 62). Along their tops is a capping appear, but the excavations of 1928 in this course, and above that are one or two slabs of area uncovered a great many fragmentary the original cover in the line of the passage walls of the late period, many tile water coming from the north along the east end of conduits, and general evidence of a considerthe scaena, showing that this passage was still able establishment. On the walls of the reservoir are graffiti in use. The basin south of the east hall must have blocked, to all intents and purposes, any representing ships (Fig. 66).

DETAILED DESCRIPTION. THE ROMANPERIOD

75

PULPITUM
ROCK CUTTINGS (PLATES IV, VA, VB)

There is a bewilderingarray of rock cuttings extending all across the width of the theatre from the location of the arches which spanned the two ad'tti.They lie just north of the heavy foundation which served for the pulpitum wall of the second century and occupy, for the most

IN EASTHALL RESERVOIR BYZANTINE FROM FIG. 66. GRAFFITO

part, the area between it and the cutting for the proskenion of the Greek period. Most of the cuttings are sunk in the rock to varying depths, which served to give room to a worker to chisel his way down into the relatively soft stone to a point where he could cut a square or round socket into which a wooden upright could be stepped.38Several of these shafts have more than one socket at the bottom; hardly ever are they on precisely the same level. It is also quite apparent that some of the shafts have been enlarged, so as to provide a socket further to one side or the other. One large but narrow shaft, No. 40 (P1. IV), shows that it served two or three different sets of uprights at various times, each time being cut deeper and extending further west. Only one socket can now be seen at the bottom, and yet it is reasonably certain that other sockets existed
38 The same technique is used here as inmthe holes cut for the early Greek wooden skene (above, p. 32) but the latter are better worked and the sockets well squared.

at higher levels and were cut away as the deepening process went on. The present spacing of the sockets is now entirely irregular. Sometimes they almost overlap; sometimes they may be as much as 2.50m. apart with no intervening cutting. How then are they to be disentangled? Three criteria may be applied. First, the actual line followed by the series, that is, its distance north or south of a given foundation. Second, the mean depth of the sockets below datum. Third, the character of the cuttings themselves which may be seen quite clearly in some cases, but less so, or not at all, in others. A fourth consideration is whether the termini of a given series bear any relation to the symmetry of the theatre, or to other features of the building. It is also possible to check whether one series is earlier or later than another; usually one or two sockets of any one set will reveal this. There are also some cuttings which indicate walls or foundations, especially one in the eastern part of the stage, roughly 2.50 m. from the parodos end; a second shallow, but clearly defined, cutting running E.-W. parallel to the stage, and prolonging the line given by some foundation blocks just south of the eastern angle of the proskenion foundation; and a few blocks toward the western end of the pulpitum. If we apply the criterion of depth and alignment we find at once a set of holes, Series B: 5, 14, 19, 25, 27, 36, 32 and 41 which range in depth from 1.45 m. to 1.57 m. and follow a line 70 to 80 em. north of the edge of the heavy poros foundation of the later pulpitum. The holes are not quite perfectly aligned, nor is the spacing exactly regular. From east to west the intervals are 3.40 m., 2.60 m. (a gap of 8.30 m. unexcavated, equalling3 times 2.43 m.), 2.75m., 3.40 m., 2.70 m., 2.90 m. The mid-distance between the extremities of this series falls about 0.65 m. east of the centre line of the Greek theatre. Before considering the purpose of the cuttings, it will be best to consider the other series.

76

CORINTH

Series C extends along the rear (north edge) of the second century pulpitum foundation, and to it have been assigned the holes with sockets Nos. 3, 8?, 16, 21, 26, 31, and 40. The depths of all save the end sockets range from 2.15 m. to 2.27 m.; the end sockets are deeper, 2.44 m. and 2.41 m., and to put them into the series, the criterionof alignment plays a part. It should be noted, also, that this series cannot have been used after the poros foundation was laid, since it overhangs at least two sockets. Possibly 23, although its depth is but 1.95 m., should be considered. The ends of the series are almost exactly 13 m. from the centre axis. Whether there were other holes, further east and west, is uncertain. It has not been thought advisable to tear up the existing foundations west of No. 3 as far as the end of the parodos. On the east, No. 43 with a depth of 2.13 m. may belong. The spacing of SeriesCis also irregular,ranging from 2.60 m. to 3.40 m. Series D appears in holes 2, 10, 17, 23, 28, 31, 40 (area of), 43, with depths ranging from 2.13 to 2.28 m. Five of the holes are quite uniform, varying from 2.25 to 2.28 m. The spacings vary from 3.50 m. to 3.20 m. No. 17 can hardly have been used after the poros foundation was laid, as its edge overhangs a good half of the socket. No. 10, likewise, would now be overhungif the block which originally filled the indentation in the foundation were still in place. There is no sure sign of sockets for this series between holes 28 and 43. The distance, ca. 16.35 m., if divided by 5, would give an average of 3.27 m., a little more than the minimum. With respect to symmetry, taking hole 28 as the centre (and it lies just west of the true axis of the theatre), hole 10is about 10.15im. away. The same distance to the east is the large shaft 31, which, although it does not have, for some reason, any sockets in the bottom, would give room for a post equidistant from 28. A post could have been placed in the area of 40,

almost symmetrically with hole 2, but no sure socket remains, and the only socket in 40 may equally well be assigned to Series C. SeriesE appearseasier to isolate, chiefly on the basis of alignment. All the sockets assigned to it, viz. Nos. 6, 15, 20,24, 28 or 30 ?, 31, 40 ?, 42, 44, 45 ?, run clear of the north edge of the foundation, being closest at the center (28) and diverging from it as one goes east or west. The successive depths may be tabulated thus: 6; 1.70 m. 15; 1.73 m. 20; 1.78 m. 24; 1.98 m. 28; 2.28 m. (perhaps deeper due to reusing a hole of the D series) No. 42; 1.71 m. No. 44; 1.33 m. These last, mnuch shallower No. 45; 1.53 m. than the rest, are a problem, but it is even harder to reconcile them with the earlier series, save Series B with which they absolutely cannot be aligned. The following observations are quoted from field notes taken on the spot as bearing on the relative chronology of the sockets and their shafts. No. 2 (Series D). "Must have been cut after No. 3, for it has no shaft of its own, and as large a shaft as now accomodates No. 3 (Series C) would have no purpose."The workingof the rock also indicates an extension of the shaft for No. 3 so as to cut No. 2. No. 6 (Series E). "Upper part of south side (of shaft) hacked back 0.05 m. with stone of foundation above it. Originalface of stone, further west, and shaft agree." The inference is that the foundation was in place before the shaft for No. 6 was sunk, and that Series E and the heavy pulpitum foundation may be contemporary. No. No. No. No. No.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION. THE ROMANPERIOD

77

No. 14 (Series B). "This is prior to the No. 8- low datum, and, if we have any indication of No. 13 complex." For it would not have been the level of the Roman orchestrain the earliest necessary to cut a shaft had the large shaft to colonial times, it may have been very close to the south already existed. the level of the second Greek orchestra, or perhaps a bit lower. At most it could not have No. 16. "Was cut before poros foundation was lain more than - 0.45 m. With a minimum laid." pulpitum height of 1.50 m. we have a height No. 20 (Series E). "Although south face (of for the aulaea poles of about 2.50 m. before shaft) agrees with poros foundation, there is a they reached stage level. Using telescoping groove 0.25 wide and 0.09 deep reaching down sections the curtains could be raised 2.00 m. 0.85 m. below bed of foundation and overhung by a single extension, or 3.50 m. by a double, by it in such a way that it would be hard to cut allowing approximately one fifth the length of with the pulpitum foundation in place." How- each section for secure overlap. The orchestra ever, if we accept the contemporaneity of was, we know, raised in succeeding periods. Series E and the foundation, this feature is The holes of series C and D were deeper. The level of the stage may be seen clearly marked readily explained. out east and west by the trace of its ends No. 21 (Series C). "This hole must have pre- against the parodoi, and it reached a level of ceded pulpitum foundation and could not have about +1.34 m. Adding this to the depth of served once foundation was laid." Series C we have a height from the sockets of No. 23 (Series D). "Couldhave served with the the poles to the floor of the stage of 1.34+ 2.15 foundation in place, is later than No. 22, and (minimum) or 3.49 m., so that with a single hoist the curtain could have had an effective perhaps earlier than No. 24." height of nearly three and a half metres. No. 22. Depth 2.06 m. "This could belong to Series D lowered the sockets a bit more, by Series D, save that 23 is so clearly a part of the about 5 cm. The stage height of the second series. There seems to have been some shifting century may be restored more accurately. It in the bottom of the shaft and it is possible may be placed at 1.30 m. above datum, which, that No. 22 was found too far south and hence when we add the depth of Series E, gives a not used, or abandoned in favor of No. 23." clear height for the poles of 3.00 m. A single No. 40. (Series E ?). "Can be later or earlier hoist would allow a curtain height of about than poros foundation, but chances favor later. 2.50 m., or a double hoist of nearly five metres. A hoist of 4.50 m. would screen the full depth Socket quite irregular." We may now, before going further, raise the of the stage from a spectator seated on the top question as to the purpose of all these cuttings. row near the centre. 2.50 m. would serve for Without any doubt the majority are intended spectators about half way up the cavea for the extensible poles which supported the (Fig. 67).39 aulaea, and enabled it to be raised or lowered 39 The angle of visibility from the horns of the cavea would at will. The several series, C, D and E, can be such that the aulaea would not have screened the stage scarcely have had any other use, for it would from spectators seated in those sections. Apuleius, Met. X, 29, says, "But when the concluding blasts of the trumpet not have been necessary to sink posts intended brought... their movements to a close, the aulaea fell to support a wooden stage to such a depth in away, the siparia were drawnback, and the stage was arrayed before our eyes." This might indicate that the siparia were the rock. Series B is shallower than the rest used, in part at least, to complete the screening of the stage. and could quite possibly have served such a Certainly if the tribunalia over the aditi were occupied by important personages this would have been desirable. It is purpose. Its shallowest socket lies 1.45 m. be- interesting to note that the disgraceful episode in the adven-

78

CORINTH

tS

.~~~~~~FG

67 R\ESTRE SETO FPLITMADale


RESTORED SECTION F L AN

FIG. 67.

There should be indications of a curtain trench behind the pulpitum, bounded by a wall toward the scaenaefrons. The arenaperiod has demolishednearly all of this, however, but it seems as though it followed the line of the
tures of Lucius, the ass, which Apuleius describes in connection with the passage quoted above, was made to take place in the theatre of Corinth, whence Lucius escaped to run six miles to Kenchreai. The writer was well informed geographically since this is almost exactly the true distance involved. On the aulaea cf. Daremberg-Saglio, s. v. aulaeu'm;0. Navarre, Dionysos, Paris, 1895, pp. 125-130, says that the aulaeumwas a Roman invention although certain Greek plays would appear to require some form of curtain. J. Formige, "Remarques Diverses sur les Theatres Romains d'Arles et par diverssavants a I'Acadeimie d'Orange,"Memoirespresente's des Inscriptions et Belles Lettres, XIII, 1914, pp. 40ff. goes into the mechanism of collapsible poles and hoisting apparatus very thoroughly, but one observation should be made here. He suggests (p. 38) that the curtain was rolled on a cylinder or cylinders hidden below the stage at about the orchestra level. A single cylinder, some forty metres long, would be an impossibility unless supported by numerousbearingswhich would entail the curtain being divided into separate panels. It is reasonable to suppose, of course, that the curtain was made in panels, but it would also be likely that the panels were then laced together. A series of cylinders, each as long as a panel was wide would be possible, but also cumbersome and difficult to control. In all probability the curtain fell into a rack as it was lowered and controlled by ropes figged as downhauls and brails. We may assume the width of the panels to be about the same as the spacing of the aulaea poles. This appears to be fairly consistent. At Corinth, the intervals run from 2.60 m. to 3.40 m. At Arles, Formig6's plan, pl. I (given without graphic scale) shows that the poles were about 3.00 m. or ten feet apart.

deepenedproskenionfront of Hellenistic times. This is indicated by rock cuttings at the east end, and to the west, by two overlapping sets of foundations, beyond the arena area. One block, just west of the axis of the theatre, lies almost, but not quite, in the shallow cutting for the late Hellenistic proskenion.It is, moreover, separated from the rock by a shallow layer of earth about 0.05 m. thick. The width of this curtain trench was about 1.00 m. Whether the area behind it was entirely filled in or left partly hollow for stage devices is not apparent. The various rough foundations which lay in that area were all, apparently, of post-arena date (Figs. 68, 69).40 Before going farther, we must return once again to Series B, which is the oldest of the four just considered (Pls. IV, Va). It should be noted that the extremities of the row appear to be marked by Nos. 5 and 41. It is quite certain that the row was not extended further east, for there is no cutting on the line of prolongation until we reach 45, some 6.50 m. further away, and although the depth of 45 (1.53 m.) is right for the series, its characteris
40

Below,p. 88.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION. THE ROMANPERIOD

79

FIG. 68.
RE-USED

LATE

ROMAN WALLS BLOCKS

UNDER

PULPITUM,

SHOWING SOUTH

FIG.

CAPPING

FROM ARENA.

LOOKING

69. LATE ROMAN a, b. THE SKENE

WALLS OF THE POST ARENA FRONT WALL APPEARS

PERIOD,

AT C

very different from the sharp squarenessof the other cuttings. The axis of the B series lies about 0.67 m. east of the median line of the theatre. This is not quite as much as the midpoint of the distance between the extendedend of the west aditus, made by using old seat blocks of the Greek koilon, and the original end of the east aditus, whose extension, of a very different character from the western one, suggests a later date. The presence of the re-used seat blocks suggests that it was done quite early in the Roman period, possibly almost as soon as the aditi had been first built. The tendency to throw Series B and the parodos ends off centre to the east suggests that they may be associated in time. It has been stated above that Series B could represent the sockets of the aulaea, but then it must have concealed only the central portion of the stage. Furthermore, Series B is set so far north that we must postulate a pulpitum front wall lying over the area of the later cuttings and

entirely removed when they came to be cut. There is, also, no room in the curtain channel behind Series B, unless we suppose it to have been further north than the wall of the later curtain channel, and it seems unreasonable to suppose that this would have been altered, nor is there any indication of such a wall further back. Can any other function, then, be suggested for the cuttings of the B series? Their early date, perhaps when the theatre was first being rehabilitated by the Corinthian colonists not long after 54 B.C., would make it possible to see here cuttings for a temporarywooden stage, perhaps for phlyakes performances, destined to give entertainment even before the theatre was completed, even perhaps before the old Hellenistic skene was entirely demolished. It will be rememberedthat the stair tower at the east end projected a little way beyond the end of the building proper, roughly about 0.70 m. Cutting No. 41 lies 0.70 m. further east of the central axis than cutting 5 lies west; in other

80

CORINTH

words the ends of the B Series would have lain equally far east and west of the apparentfront of the skene, especially in its lower part. Here, then, is a possible reason for the asymmetry: the Romans who provided the phlyakes stage miadetheir cuttings on the basis of the ruins of the skene, as was most natural. Meanwhile the proper builders of the new theatre laid out their parodoi quite evenly with respect to the central axis of the koilon, erring only less than 0.10 m. to the west. Unlikely as it may seem, it may be suggested that the phlyakes performances continued long enough to influence the builders to extend the west, but not the east, aditus so as to balance things up. Unfortunately we have not sufficient evidence to say whether the first Roman scaenae frons was off centre (ca. 0.20 m.) to the east. It may also be noted that cutting No. 5 apparently was enlarged when the curtain mechanism was installed, and served a different purpose (see below, p. 81), and hence there may well have been no curtain windlass in existence at the time of the B cuttings. A further observation which tends to strengthen the wooden stage theory may be made in the vicinity of hole 36. There are five post hole cuttings, 34, 35, 37, 38, 39, all within a metre of 36. The deepest is only 1.38 m., and they seemingly cannot be associated with any curtain. A shallow channel-like cutting runs across 37 and 36 and then turns east for about one metre. The channel is earlier than 37 and may antedate 36, but this is by no means certain. All that can be said at present is that they suggest the presence of a wooden structure, probably removable, which could be erected at will in connection with the performances of the mimes on the wooden stage. Although incompletely excavated in the western section due to the presence of foundations of later Roman periods, the cuttings of Series C, D, E are without question for the aullaea.Their spacing is slightly irregular but

averages about 10 Roman feet, and since the curtain was presumably of panels of cloth laced together, there was no necessity of stepping the masts at perfectly regular intervals. Series D and E appear to have shared the same mast step, No. 28, just west of the true axis of the theatre, and it seems most probable that Series D may have been installed at the time the theatre was repairedtoward the end of the first century. It would be reasonable also to place the inward extension of the eastern parodos at this time. The mast holes for Series D do not, however, appear to extend beyond No. 43, unless we accept 44 with a depth of only 1.33 against 2.13 m. But we do not know precisely how the curtainwas handled at the ends. It may well have been lower. Thereis also cutting No. 45 to consider. It is much closer than normal to No. 44 and it shows, instead of a small socket, a cutting 0.40 x 0.50 m. at the bottom. Furthermore,it lies slightly north of the line of C and D, and even of E. Actually it appears to follow what would have been the termination of the curtaintrench and it was quite possibly intended for a powerful timber to which pulley attachments for the curtains were fixed. In it were found a piece of a well finished arm of a marble statue, and two coins, both illegible. One, however, was identified, with reservation, as a coin of Hadrian. If this attribution is correct, the cutting was in use at least as late as the reign of that emperor. Probably cutting 45 was abandoned at the time the scaenae frons was rebuilt and the new, wide pulpitum foundation put in, together with the aulaea mast cuttings of Series E. Hole 44 may have continued to serve the same purpose, as a step for a timber to which the purchases for the aulaea were attached during the latter part of the second century. A suggested reconstruction of the sequence runs as follows: 1. Period of Roman colonization: Greek skene in ruins; theatre used in essentially form, with new parodoi being built and Glreek

DETAILED DESCRIPTION. THE ROMANPERIOD

81

a wooden stage, for phlyakes, improvised and centered on ruins of skene (Series B). 2. Rebuilding of scaenae frons and cavea under Augustus. Parodoi established with proper reference to cavea centre but asymmetry of temporary wooden stage influences an inward extension of west aditus, using available Greek seat blocks.

imately opposite the inner end of the western aditus, between it and the location of the scaenae frons. Near its western end there was, firmly sunk in the rock, a large block (Figs. 70, 71) taken from the north wall of the Greek parodos. The cuttings in its top show that it was intended to receive the bearing blocks and axle of a powerful capstan. A shallow cutting in the rock, like a narrow trough, points from the block eastward toward the area beneath

_~

~ ~~~1
.50 PLAN

1 0 OF WINDLASS

I
.SO BLOCK

I
1 rV

FIG. 70. SOCKET FOR CURTAIN WINDLASS

FiG. 71.

AND SECTION

3. Turn of the era B.C.-A.D.: Scaenae frons the stage. Probably it served as an indication finished. Proper Roman stage erected with for the correct placing of the axle. That concurtain mast holes Series C and chamber for siderable strain was experienced is shown by the fact that the heavy block is cracked, in 4. End of first century: Repairs to theatre spite of the care with which it had been set following earthquake. Inward extension of east into a deep cutting carefully calculated to parodos., Hole 45 serves for attachment of receive it. curtain pulleys. There may have been another East of the windlass chamber, the floor level cutting still further east but this is completely drops down nearly 0.50 m. to a continuation of built over (Series D). the room, bounded on its north side by the 5. First half of second century: Scaenae foundations of the Greek parodos. Along its frons rebuilt. New pulpitum foundation estab- eastern limit, where the rock again rises, is a lished. Curtain mast holes Series E cut and shallowcutting nearly 0.50 m. wide, and extendhole 45 filled, its place being taken by hole 44. ing from the line of the parodos wall to a point about 3 m. south. The southern end of the THE "MACHINE" cutting widens out and shows one of the with other Roman theatres,41 sockets of the B series of holes. This much of Conformning such as Arles, Syracuse, and Timgad, the loca- the cutting would seem to antedate the "sill tion for the windlass which controlled the cutting" and the placing of the capstan. movement of the curtain was near the end of In the face of the parodos foundation is a the stage at the spectators'left. A large cutting, vertical continuation of the "sill cutting," and about 6.00 m. by 2.50 m. is to be seen a-pprox- it is probable that the two were made to re41 ceive a sturdy wooden frame through which Formig6, op. cit. p. 38.
6

82

CORINTH

the lines reaching to the various aulaea poles were led. It may be noted here that all this sunken area was filled in and covered by the constructionof the arena,and that it was never reopenedfor use. The frame may also have served to carry the drum on which the various lines leading to the aulaea poles were wound, an arrangementsuch as suggested by Formige in the theatres of Arles and Timgad.42The massiveness of the timbers suggested by the cuttings would support this theory. There is a difference, however, between the arrangementat Corinthand that at Arles, for instance, in that the drum is placed not outside, or beyond the end of the curtained section of the stage, but a good five metresin from the west end. Therewould be no difficulty, however, in leading the ropes from the poles west of the drum eastward, and the more central placing would have the advantage of shortening somewhat the lines which reached the poles toward the eastern part of the stage, thus eliminating to some degree the bad effect of stretching ropes.43 The period in which the theatre was converted to an arena destroyed the entire pulpitum of the second century with the exception of the first course of the foundation and a portion of the ends nearest the aditi which lay outside of the area of the arena proper. All of the aulaea cuttings were filled, and the space between the pulpitum front and the scaena, marked by the three lower courses of the old Hellenistic skene front, covered with a layer of earth, poros chips, and sand. This stratification was apparently never reopened, save per42

Formig6, op. cit. pp. 39-44.

The p11Xav1mentioned by Pollux, IV, 128 as being toward the left parodos is not the curtain winch, but the device used in the Greek theatre for flying figures or gods. If, as is the case in a number of Roman theatres, such as Syracuse, Arles, Timgad, Orange and Corinth, the curtain winch is at the spectator's left, Pollux, writing in the second century, may have assumed parallelism and so placed the Greek pTlXavii. If the stairway in the Hellenistic skene of Corinthextended to the roof, as seems most likely, and was connected with a 'machine' it would have been to the spectator's right. At Priene the shaft introduced into the skene is to the right of the centre of the skene as the audience saw it.
43

haps in one or two places, until mediaeval and modern times. When the Roman stage was re-established, a new pulpitum foundation, 1.35 m. thick, was laid over and partly into the sand layer, with its front edge about 0.90 m. north of the front of the earlier pulpitum. A portion of the upper courses of the new front survives at the east end. It is roughly built of re-used blocks and rubble mortar filling. A portion of a slab of Acrocorinth limestone remains, which may establish the level of the new stage at + 1.50 m. On the west, there are also several blocks which must be connected vith this new construction, but they are preserved only to a height of 1.15 m., a difference equal to the height of the limestone slab, plus a poros stone capping course on the wall at the east. The face of the new pulpitum wall was heavily coated with mortar against which a marble revetment was fixed. A poros stone socle for the revetment was laid all across the length of the stage, leaving a channel 0.30 m. wide between it and the edging course for the orchestra floor. A small portion of the revetment remainsin the eastern part of the theatre, with base moldings and the stumps of bases for small pilasters which divided the pulpitum front into panels (Fig. 72). It is uncertain whether there were niches in this later pulpitum, as there must have been in the earlier, but from the depths of the foundations of the two it is likely that this was the case. It is clear that no provision was made for aulaeain the late construction, for there are no mast holes anywhere that can be connected with 44and the cutting for the curtainwindlass lay buried and forgotten under the former arena level. In fact, a portion of the arena wall
44The theatre at Khamissa, dated by Gsell in the third century, did not have any provision for aulaea, S. Gsell, Khamissa, Paris, 1914, p. 107. It may be that their use was discontinued in late Imperial times, although the tradition of siparta appears to continue. They are referred to in an inscription from Dugga which mentions scaena cum siparis, Poinssot, NouvellesArchivesdes Missions, XIII, 1906, No. 73, pp. 195f.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION. THE ROMANPERIOD

83

ran across the fill which had been placed in this cutting, and was found by the excavators. There may have been some kind of trench about halfway between the pulpitum front and the scaena proper,for in the excavations of the trench of 1910 two rough, parallel walls were

deep sockets, or indentations, about 0.30 m. by 0.30 m. cut in one end (Inv. No. 223). They are only reasonably well squared, and not too well finished.45 Theirprovenanceis not easily determined, nor is their original use. Possibly they are to be connected with the arena and were

ELEVATION

.50

1.00

L A

FIG. 72.

REVETMENT OF PULPITUM OF THE POST ARENA PERIOD

recordedand then partially ripped out as mediaeval (Figs. 68, 69). Theircontinuationswestward were also found in 1926 and removed after being plotted. In one of them were a number of the cavetto cornice blocks of the arena wall, and it seems most probable that it must have dated from the period of the late reconstruction of the theatre. Along the line once occupied by the Hellenistic proskenion, the northern of the two walls also contained a series of large blocks of hard limestonewith

used as brackets for affixing wooden uprights connected with the displays. Mediaeval Byzantine remains were also found deep in this general level, and the upper part of one of the walls had been roughly heightened by broken portions of the marbledecorationof the scaenae frons,so that the history of much of this section seems to belong to times when the theatre had been abandoned and was being spoiled of its materials.
45

See below, Iv. No. 223, p. 130.

6*

CHAPTER

THE THEATRE AS AN ARENA


(PLATE VII B)

The transformation of the theatre into an arena, or hunting theatre,1involved a number of drastic alterations, some of the effects of which have been noted above. The marblefloor of the orchestra of the second century was ripped up, exposing the rubble concrete fill which had been put into the area within the circle of the Hellenistic gutter, and which had also been thrown into the gutter itself. The first ten rows of seats were removed, and the rock quarried back to a scarp which had an

first row of seats left in place behind the scarp (Fig. 73).2 The doors to these refuges were presumablyof wood, and cuttings for the insertion of wooden sills and jambs may still be traced. Where the rock became friable toward the west, the lower part of the arena wall was built of blocks, made level by an occasional fragment of marble slab, presumably taken from the former orchestra pavement. The upper part of the arena wall was built up in squared blocks and capped by a cavetto

21.00

FIG.

74. LETTERS

IN BLOCK FROM ARENA

WALL CAPPING

PA-MAI~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
73.

FIG.

SECTION

OF SOUTHERN

REFUGE

average height of 1.60 m. In this scarp, three small caverns, or refuges, were contrived, the one on the south side, on the central axis, being aid having a steep stair cut in slightly larger the rock leading upward to the level of the
1 Dio Cassius, LXXVIII, 9, 7, OE'aTpov KIvnyETIKov.

2 B. Saria,Arch. Anz. LIII, 1938, pp. 81ff., gives considerable attention to a refuge which he calls DerZwingerin the theatre at Stobi. Accordingto him this is not properlya theatre but a half-amphitheatre, fitted for venationesabout A. D. 300. It is not known whether there were more than one such refuge. a Salone, II, Copenhagen,1933, p. 107, E. Dyggve, Recherches note 1, gives a long list of references to similar refuges and suggests also the possibility of a stair connecting with the magistrate's loge. This finds a direct parallel in Corinth. A refuge was inserted in the Odeum at Corinth, Broneer, Corinth,X, p. 54 and note 1, when it was transformedinto a hunting theatre. Two rooms in the versurae, ibid., p. 50, pl. III, are called cages for animals. This may have been the case, but they may equally well have served as refuges.

THE THEATRE AS AN ARENA

85

~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~A J5

FIG 75

HALF

COLUMN

RE-USED

ASASILLFOR

FIG.

75. HALF

COLUMN

RE-USED

AS A SILL FOR NORTH REFUGE

cornice shaped from roughly cubical blocks, fastened by small, dove-tailed clamps. Between twenty and thirty of these blocks have survived. They were found in different parts of the arena, under the area which was covered again when tlle lower maeaniurn was replaced, and in various walls and substructures immnediately in front of the scaena, all dating from a period after the arena had been abandoned and the theatre restored. One cavetto block has, on its upper surface, the letters LI (Fig. 74). On the side towards the scaena the pulpitum was demolished, leaving only the lowest course of its foundations in place. Beginning at the

second Greek course, which had projected about 0.18 m. beyond the face of the course above, and the upper edge of the second course was cut down slightly in the process. The orthostates,were secured to the third course by swallow-tail clamps, and the upper surface of the third Greek course shows some shallow workings that may be associated with this late construction. The accommodation wall, which joined the north side of the west parodos, was built of roughly laid, re-used blocks, running over various earlier walls and foundations which were connected with the now destroyed pulpitum. In places they rest on fill which was intersection of the arena wall with the east and thrown into the deep cutting made for the use west parodos rough arcs were described, in a of the manipulators of the curtains. sort of flattened curve, which swung tangent In excavating this area a coin was found to the front of the foundations of the scaena, underneaththe foundations of the accommodaformed in this area by the three lowest courses tion wall, and, although illegible, was identiof the old front wall of the Hellenistic skene. fied as most probably one of Domitian.3 This, In order to obtain a smooth surface for the together with the impossibility of making an arena wall on this north side, a series of thin orderly arrangement of the various periods of orthostates was set on the upper edge of the 3A.J.A., XXXIII, 1929, p. 528.

86

CORINTH

the Roman orchestraunless the arena is dated later than formerly thought, definitely removes it from the early first century. On the east side the lower part of the accommodationwallwas cut partly out of the native rock, which here had always risen to a greater height than on the west and had never had to be quarrieddown to accommodatecurtain machinery. The actual junctures with the front wall of the old skene were carriedout partly in stone and partly in rubble concrete. At the eastern juncture a fragment of marble paving slab, presumably from the torn-up orchestra, found a place as a means of levelling up one of the blocks of the course above. In the very centre of the stage, facing the southern retreat, was a fourth recess, this time provided with a marble sill made from a half column, backed against a panel which projected slightly on either side (Fig. 75). This was chinked up at one end with a marble paving slab fragment. The recess was cut, somewhat irregularly, out of the blocks with which the earlier passage through the middle of the skene had been filled at the time of the construction of the first, or possibly the second, Roman theatre. A patch was necessary on the east of the doorway, and the block which made the patch was held in place by a hooked clamp driven back into a horizontal joint of the wall behind. That the marble sill was actually used as such is shown by the wear on its upper surface. Where the parodoipassed through the arena wall, they were provided in part with marble sills. One block of these is preserved at either entrance, where the sill bridged over the small drain channels which ran down along the walls of the vaulted part of the parodoi. A bedding block of poros for the continuation of the sill is still in place in the east opening. It is difficult to explain just why it was the part of the sill over the channel that was preserved, since the channels seem to have been filled when the arena was built. Had they remained open, there was no way in which water from them

could be disposed of. Possibly there was some idea of making use of them once more after the arena had been suppressed,and in the final reorganization of the theatre the levels were eventually worked out so as to make the use of the small channels impractical. From the way in which the plaster surface which was placed on the arena wall to receive the paintings is finished off at the bottom, it appears that the arena floor was filled out to all sides from the area where the earlier opus incertumfoundationsfor the orchestrafloor existed. Earth and gravel, and some debris, were used in this outer perimeter, and the level crowned down all around to the foot of the wall. The plaster was then applied, and then the final arena floor of clay and sand laid. What provisions were made for draining off water do not appearsave that the generalpitch is from the center to the edges, and along the edges runs downwardfrom west to east, where the main drain could have been used to carry off any very large amount of water.4 Only a very heavy rain would have had much effect, if we may judge by present conditions, where most rain water is rapidly absorbed in the rubble fill and in the porous native rock beneath. It may also be indicative of the haste with which the arena was apparently constructed that more adequate provisions for drainagewere not adopted. Since the old tribunalia above the aditi would have set back two to three metres from the perimeter of the arena wall they were judged inadequate, and a new tribune, 4.90 m. by 2.50 m., was constructed of opus incertum, a little to the south of the western parodos. A portion of the back and sides of this tribune are preserved. No traces of a similar structure appear on the east, but the cavea has been so thoroughly despoiled in that area that it is impossible to say whether one existed or not. The inner faces of the western tribune were stuccoed and decorated with plant or vine
4 Above, p. 68 and Note 5.

THE THEATRE AS AN ARENA

87

patterns, of which a very few traces were visible when first it was excavated. The stucco and the manner of painting are exactly similar to some of the decoration which can be observed on blocks of the cavetto cornice. The height of the arena wall may be restored at approximately three and a half metres, depending on how the seats immediately behind it were arranged. In any case it could not have been much higher without cutting off the view of a large portion of the arena from spectators in the upper rows of seats. On the side toward the stage, the top of the wall would not have reached the level of the top of the podium on which stood the first range of columns. Two irregularlv shaped sectors where temporary seats could be erected were left at either end of what had once been the pulpitum. The most interesting feature of the arena wall is, of course, the scenes with which it was decorated.5 When first excavated, the colors were generally fresh and well preserved, although the plaster had scaled off the face of the scarp in many places and in the section that lay under the old trench of 1896 the moisture had destroyed nearly all the color. The subject matter was a representation of a venatio, men against beasts: lions, a bull, a leopard. Two of the contestants are engaged in acrobatic performances by which they evade -their feline opponents, in one case by turning a handspring, in the other by vaulting over a springing animal by means of a pole, or kontomonobolion.Conspicuous among the venatores,who are clad in costumes suitable to the
5 The description of the paintings is made on the basis of the report published by T. L. Shear, A.J.A., XXX, 1926, pp. 451-453, and the watercolor reproductions made at the time of discovery by Nora Jenkins Shear. We owe to her devoted efforts, under most unfavorable conditions of heat and dust, the preservation of the record of the frieze. It was not possible in 1926 to arrange for the removal of the paintings, nor was there at the time a practicable way in which to protect them. A cement gutter was built around the top of the rock scarp to prevent water washing down over the face of the wall, but no possible means could be devised to prevent seepage through the porosities of the rock behind. It was not long before practically all the plaster fell away, and now only a few small patches of color remain.

sport, and paralleledin other monuments, is a figure wearing bright red boots and a tunic or garment that falls a little below the knee. The hem is marked by a wide purple balnd,which turns up at the front in a narrower band, finished about the middle of the thigh by a trefoil rosette. Unfortunately all but two of the figures are destroyed from a little below the waist upward. The exceptions are one venator who crouches to resist a charging bull, and is consequently preserved save for the top of his head; and a man performing a handspring, where it is the upper part of the body which is preserved - the legs are gone. Men aind animals appear against a plain blue-gray background, in which there is no scenery of any kind save what may be called a "property"in the forin of a cage built of broad, wooden bars. All stand on a yellow band representing the floor of an arena. There is no over-lapping of the figures save in the group of the bull charging the crouching venator, whose companion backs him up closely, with his left leg passing behind the right leg of the crouchinghunter.Thefiguresarewidely spaced, the drawingis firm and hard, and there is little or nothing of an impressionisticstyle to be seen. The frieze is raised up above the actual level of the arena floor by a red dado, some 0.60 m. high. A narrow, blue band, separated from the red by a fine line of white, runs along the bottom of the yellow floor on which the figures stand. Where the frieze is broken by the doorways to the refuges the red dado is turned up in a band some 0.12 m. wide. Nothing remains to tell how the frieze was finished at the top beneath the cavetto cornice. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES Beginning at the east side of the central refuge, from right to left: Lower part of a figure lunging vigorously to the left, with his back turned toward the spec-

88

CORINTH

FIG. 76.

ARENA

FRIEZE.

TEE FIRST GROUP

TO EAST OF SOUTHERN

REFUGE

tator (Fig. 76). He weearscrimson boots on which no lacings are apparent. They show thin soles picked out, in the case of the right foot, by a thin line of lighter, yellowish tone. Both feet are drawn so as to indicate that the figure is balancing on the toes; the heels appear raised from the ground, and a notable vigor is given to the drawingby the high arching of the insteps. The left foot is seen in profile, the right in rear three-quarters view. The figure wears a long tunic reaching down to about the middle of the calf of the leg. It appears tightly stretched over the left knee, but is not preserved further back where it should cross the right leg. The color is a whitish gray, but was presumably intended originally to represent white. On the lower edge is a broad, purple band which turns up at the front and narrows slightly until it ends in a trefoil rosette just by the knee joint. The white of the tunic appears forward at the point of the knee and dies out partway down toward the lower hem, indicating probably that the turned up part of the purple hem was repeated to the right of the centre of the garment. A little in front of the figure is an area of white shaded off on the right, and sloping backward toward the leg. This may represent the end of a cloak thrown over the left arm. Charging toward the figure is a tawny to

dark brown lion. Both forepaws are raised from the ground, but the hind paws, poorly preserved, seem to rest on the painted representation of the arena floor (Fig. 77). The paws are drawnin profile and show only three of the five claws. Throughoutthe whole extent of the frieze the ground level is represented by a broad yellowish-greenish band, without modelling or accidental irregularities. No indication of cast shadows is recorded, but the character of the drawingis such that the figures all appear to rest very definitely on the ground when they are meant to do so. Close behind the lion is the figure of a venator, facing (Fig. 77). His feet are wide apart, and he leans backward slightly to the spectator's left. The right foot is firmly planted, the left foot is shown with only the toes and ball of the foot on the ground. Both legs are vigorously shaped and bare, save for a white band below the right knee and white bands above the ankles and across the instep. On the left foot is a narrow red line below the ankle band and another at right angles to it down across the instep toward the toes, but a break in the plaster makes a fuller interpretation of the footgear uncertain. A tunic, girt high and swinging down across the left thigh, shows irregular,red blotches against a white ground, suggesting a skin.

THE THEATRE AS AN ARENA

89

At

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ s.._ .,.wb

77. ARENA FRIEZE. CHARGING LION AND venator FICAT

Following this figure are the legs of another venator, facing, with left knee sharply bent and the left foot in profile (Fig. 78). The right leg is braced stiffly, sloping downward to the spectator's left. The tunic is not preserved although the legs can be followed nearly to the fork. A white band is seen below the right knee and above both ankles. The left foot is entirely bare; the right is too badly damaged to reveal anything.

The next figure is moving rapidly to the left. The right knee is flexed sharply, the other less so. A high girt tunic, falling between the thighs in a deep loop, shows a broad white hem, and the body of the fabric appears to be of a purple tone. There are no knee bands, only across the ankles and the right instep. The band on the left instep is shown as running down toward the toes instead of across. The figure just described is moving toward a cage built of heavy

AC&~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

0,-g.t_

r-o-.X-^-_=.-.

. ;^!w<* ... .... _~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

FIG.

78.

ARENA

FRIEZE.

VenatoreS AND

CAGE

90

CORINTH

k-A

FIG. 79. ARENA FRIEZE.LION, CHARGING TO RIGHTTOWARD CAGE

wooden uprights on a horizontal sill. The color is generally yellow, with green and brown streaks probably intended to indicate wood. The interstices between the uprights are nearly equal to them in width and are colored blue, like the general background, so that the cage appears empty. At the left end (Fig. 79) the sequence is broken, and a space where a bar should appear is colored blue-green. The adjoining spaces, instead of being blue, are plaster color, with a streak of blue at the bottoms only. Possibly the intent was to represent a partly open,double-leaved doornearthe end of the cage. At the left of the cage nearly all color had gone from the painting at the time it was excavated, probably on account of the fact that just in this area was the lower end of the first theatre trench dug by Richardsonin 1896, and the many years of moisture which accumulated in that spot succeeded in ruining the color. There still could be seen the outlines of the lower sides of the paws and belly of a lion charging to the right (Fig. 79). Ilere the first section of the paintings ends,

to resume after the entrance to the southeast refuge. Just north of the doorway is a group showing a bull charging, left, against two venatores(Fig. 80). The animal, almost completely preservedsave for the back and the top of the head and a portion of the hind quarters, is richly caparisonedwith a broad, white girth on which are irregular green splotches that suggest a floral garland. At least two reddish purple circles appear, one on the lower part of the flank, behind the girth, the other on the left shoulder. A small fragment of red color on the hind quarter may also have been a similar spot. One of the spots shows a rosette made up of five small circles, arranged in quincunx. They may once have been gilded. The other spot shows a more elaborate rosette of four small pink circles alternating with four green ones, all around a central pink circle. The animal'spink tongue protrudesfromits mouth, and blood flows from the wound in its shoulder where it has impaled itself on the spear of the foremost venator. All four feet are shown as though off the ground.

THE THEATRE AS AN ARENA

91

NVO~~~~~~~~~

FIG.

80.

ARENA

FRIEZE.

VenatoreS AND

CHARGING

BULL

Meeting the shock of the charging animal is a figure crouching with the left knee bent and the right leg stiffly extended. A spear is held firmly in both hands, which appear between the legs of the man, and the butt end of the spear rests on the ground and is pressed into it by the right foot. The head is preserved to just above the line of the mouth, and the face is seen frontally. A red patch to the left of the head may represent hair, or a cloth head-dress of some kind. The face is clean shaven. A white band is shown below the right knee (the other is uncertain), and around the ankles. There is also a band over the left instep. The most interesting thing about this figure is, however, the tunic. This is close fitting, white in color, and has long, tight sleeves. It is it is cut upwardin a V at the right thigh, Nvhere edged with a narrow strip of purple. On either shoulder are round patches of the same color, and the sleeves below the elbows are also purple with a narrow white band about the middle of the forearm. Over either shoulder is a purpleclavus, or strap with white decoration,

which extends downward nearly to the waist. The strap over the figure's right shoulder terminates in a trefoil similar to that on the booted figure. The other is shorter and either had no trefoil ornament or that feature is no longer preserved. There are traces of a narrow belt. The venatoris powerfully built, as he must have been, to withstand the shock of the charge. The delineation is vigorous, and there is a strong foreshortening of the right leg which is braced slightly forward. Behind this stalwart, a second figure stands facing front and right. His white tunic, apparently ungirt, falls in a V between the legs and shows a single reddish clavus, to the left of the median line of the body and extending to the bottom of the garment. The remaining half of this sector of the arena wall, between the southeast refuge and the parodos, is occupied by a second group of three figures (Fig. 81). First, a venatorwith his back to the spectator, moving right. The left leg is almost straight, the heel raised; the right

92

CORINTH

...

_rv

...

F 81..

...

ARE

FIG. 81. ARENA FRIEZE. Venator POLE-VAULTING OVER A SPRINGING LEOPARD

knee is bent. Little remains of the white tunic, which falls in a V behind the figure. Two small slashes of purple appearjust at the hem, above the left tlhigh.Thereare ankle and instep bands; the knee bands are not preserved. To the left of the figure is a leopard, springingto the right with all four feet in the air. The hide is tawny green, with brown rings and splashes instead of the usual leopard spots. The animal's tail flies out behind as he leaps. Just ahead of the forepaws is the butt end of a pole, shod with an iron spike, and leaning or falling awNay from the beast. Immediately behind the animal are the feet and legs of a venator who has just apparentlv executed a pole vault, and is coming to earth, feet held close together with the toes pointing downwardand the knees slightly bent. There are the usual white knee and ankle b)ands,but the garment worn on the body does not appear, unless a small patch of cerulean blue just to the right of the figure may be interpreted as a part of the flying tunic. This group terminates the decoration of the arena as far as it is preserved on the east. Just

beyond the vaulting figure the parodos breaks through the wall, and the accommodation wall on the northeast is preserved only to a height of a few centimetres. The base, however, shows the same red dado which runs beneath the entire frieze. To the west of the centre line the frieze has suffered severely, and parts of only three figures, two human and one animal, may be made out. Immediately to the west of the central refuge is a venatorstriding to the left (Fig. 82). His tunic hangs in a heavy V fold between the thighs; there are white knee and ankle bands on both legs and a band over the right instep, at least, picked out along the edges in red. The following figure is another athlete rather than a hunter (Fig. 83). He is represented with both hands squarely on the ground and the head turned up and out toward the spectator. The round mass of brownish red hair and one eye are all that is left. The left arm is clothed in a tight fitting, dark red sleeve which reaches down to the wrist. Some distance to the right of this figure, who is

THE THEATRE

AS AN ARENA

9~

~~~~7

FIG.~~ 82

ARN:::E

~ ~

eaor

ORGT(ET

OTENRFG

presumably turning a handspring to avoid the beast, is the figure of a lion springing to the left. Only one forepaw and a brownish stain representing the other are preserved. Further on, the wall is badly broken, and no further

figures could be made out with sufficient accuracy to record. Shortly past the entrance to the southwest refuge the wall breaks down to its lowest part, and only the red dado is preserved. The technique does not appear to be true

FIG. 83. ARENA

FRIEZE. AT LEFT, A venator

TURNING A HANDSP RING

94

CORINTH
follows:
AEOr[v]Toa vayvo's AEiXEI acATHpa
T]V

fresco, for otherwise the colors would be more evenly preserved. In many places it is apparent that the principal outlines of the figures were sketched out in black or blue, forming a sort of contour line within which the figure would be filled out and to which the background would be brought. This was almost surely a uniform blue or blue gray, but there has been much discolorationresulting in varying shades of blue, green, and greenish tan. In places the original ground color of the plaster is all that remains. Whether this variation of color is purely the result of time, or whether originally there was some variation to avoid too great monotony is problematical. The figures, in their drapery and flesh parts, show a considerable degree of careful modelling, but there are no deep shadows, nor are there very strong highlights. The drawing is hard, but competent, and if it were possible to restore the frieze as a whole, the spacing and arrangement of the figures and groups would give a fine rhythmic composition. As far as can be told from what little is left, there is a corporeality to the forms that suggests they are still far from the flatness of the later centuries. GRAFFITI Several graffiti, scratched on the frieze some time after its completion, have been recorded. Just above, and in front of, the knee of the booted figure, at the upper edge of the plaster as it was preserved when found, were the letters I N H. Below them the artist has recorded traces of other letters which cannot be made out and of which no record exists. Between the lion and the booted figure is a bird pecking at a blossom or a fruit, and, above the tail of the bird, the head of a second. On the body of the charging lion is a small bird and below it the word 0pEaiTpo(qos). In the western sector of the frieze Professor Shear noted an inscription which he read as

JTrO TrOCJpOV.6

DATE The considerationsfor dating the establishment of the arena may be summarized as follows: 1) The clay and sand floor runs across, and over, the canal left at the north side of the basin for spargiones, and in this canal were found many fragments of marble paving slabs which came presumably from the orchestra floor of the second century theatre. 2) The floor, further, runs acrossthe remainingcourse of the foundation for the pulpitum, which may be dated also in the second century. This foundationcontains at least one re-usedblock exactly similar to some which appear in the foundation of the great scaenae frons, with which it is most probably contemporary.Both may be dated from the reign of Hadrian, or afterward, through a coin of that emperor found in a rock-cutting which apparently served in connection with the aulaeum in a period prior to the installation of the heavy pulpitum foundation. 3) The floor runs up to the base of the front foundation of the scaenae frons, actually the lower courses of the front wall of the Greek skene. 4) Fragments of marble paving slabs also appear in the wall construction of the arena. No marble appears anywhere in the foundations of the Roman scaena, and such re-used material as there is, is exclusively of poros stone, much of which may be associated with the earlier Roman scaena. 5) The work seems to have been executed hastily, without great care, and the poros cavetto cornice for the arena wall would suggest that the rapidity with which it could be worked accounted for its use. Plaster and paint were to be the means
6 A.J.A., XXX, 1926, p. 453; XXXII, 1928, p. 476. The interpretation suggested by Dr. Shear connecting Apion with an event in the Corinth theatre in the first century is invalidated by the fact that the arena period is about a century and a half later.

THE THEATRE AS AN ARENA

95

of adorningthe arena. 6) The marble sill blocks used where the parodoi open into the arena seem to be re-used pieces, and one is almost certainly a piece from a low parapet wall surroundingthe conistra. The top edge is rounded. 7) A coin of Domitian (?) from under the accommodationwall indicates merely that the arena must be later than that reign. 8) Evidence of style of the paintings. A similar kind of scene appears on the wall of the Little Baths at Leptis, and is dated by Pesee7not far from the time of Diocletian. But he points out that there is a great deal of similarity between the Leptis paintings and the mosaics of the House of Dionysus or the House of the Drinking Contest at Seleucia Pieria, both of which are dated by Doro Levi8 to the early part of the third century. In the Leptis figures the precise contours, the full and corporeal quality of the forms, the absence of any illusionism, and the rather hard character, as though the figures were reproductions not of flesh and blood, but of wood or metal, is cited by Pesce, and these observations agree very materially with the character of the Corinth paintings. Epigraphical forms in the painted names at Leptis are said to tend more to the third than to the fourth centuries. A comparison of Corinth and Leptis suggests that, stylistically, the former may be a bit earlierthan the latter. On a sarcophagusin the Villa Borghese9 with the labors of Hercules, there is a band with hunting scenes below the larger panels. Here the venatoreswear almost identically the same costume as appears in Corinth,with a deep V-fold falling between the thighs. This is dated by Robert in the second half of the second century, but Mrs. Strong'0 calls attention to certain pronounced resemb7 G. Pesce, "La Decorazione del frigidario delle piccole terme di Leptis", Boll. d'Arte, Ser. IV, 1949, No. 1, plate, fig. 1, p. 49. 8 Doro Levi, Antioch Mosatc Pavements, Princeton, 1947, p. 543. 9 C. Robert, Antike Sarcophaqreliefs, Berlin, 1890XXXVIII, p. 147. 10Eugenie Strong, La Scultura Romana, Florence, 1923 1925, p. 300, pl. LIX.

lances to third century work. The mosaics with athletes and pugilists from the baths of Caracalla display much the same firm, hard quality of limb, but there is a really brutal quality to them which cannot be claimed for Corinth, although the claim is admittedly ill substantiated by the fact that onlv two rather fragmentary heads can be seen. These floors have been dated by Helbig and Huelsen in the fourth century, a date rejected by Doro Levi, who would make them earlier.Finally, a series of frescoes from Tor Marancia, published by Nogarall recall, in the contour of the limbs and outline technique, something of the style of the Corinth hunters, and these are dated by Nogara to the early third, or possibly to the second half, of the second century. On the basis of external evidence there is nothing to preclude the Corinthianarena from being assigned tentatively to this period. This suggests, then, that we may inquire into the personality of the figure in the red boots. Obviously a personage of importance, he cannot be identified by his physiognomy. Possibly the figure may stand merely for a high magistrate who is participating in the hunt, but the fact that at this period two emperorswere especially addicted to participating in person in the slaughter of wild animals suggests that we may try to associate one or the other of them with the figure on the arena frieze. Commodus was especially devoted to this sort of occupation, and Dio Cassiusgives a clear description of the garments which that emperor was wont to use on such occasions. Neither the white silk sleeved chiton shot with gold, which the emperorwore when he greeted his friends before entering the arena, nor the solid purple, gold embroideredrobe which he appeared in later quite agree with our painting. In actually killing animals, Dio also mentions a chiton in the Greek fashion, but expressly says that the Emperor did not wear
'J B. Nogara, Le Nozze Aldobrandini, Milan, 1907, pls. XXXIII-XXXVII, p. 60.

96

CORINTH

shoot his arrows at closer range. Hence the distinction made by Dio in referring to a hunting theatre for venationes of a personal, imperial kind. Such an arena as that at Corinth, or in other theatres similarly transformed, would be admirably suited to this kind of sport wbere the emperor could display his individual prowess. The small stair leading down to the southern refuge would fit in with Dio's phrase, KacTcoEs To
TOG K1JKXOv S8ayoS KaTapaiVOV.

according to Balduin Saria,'6about this time so as to serve more effectively as a place for such activities. The theatre at Philippi was also converted to an arena, in the third century.17 In Cyprus, at Kourion, the theatre underwent a similaralteration,l8and we have the example of Corinthalreadv considered.We do not know definitely whether Caracallaever went through Stobi, though it lay on his presumableroute to Asia Minor, and it is uncertain whether he visited Philippi, admirerthough he was of the exploits of Alexander. It is, on the other harid, quite certain that he did not visit Greece or Cyprus. But both of the last named places are on a very logical route which he might have taken had he been minded to return suddenly to Rome, and the disquieting presence of the mad emperor in Syria may well have occasioned some anxiety and forethought on the part of the Corinthiansso that in the event he should appear it would be easy to offer the imperial guest a suitable form of entertainment. The hasty constructionof the Corinthian arena is entirely consistent with such a theory, and altlhough it cannot be proved, it is entirely likely that the arena was not of long duration. The marble sill of the northern retreat, in the which centre of the scaena, does not show any great the hunting theatres, GNc-pa KmVqyETnKa, were erected wherever the emperor spent the amount of wear, nor do the two remaining sill winter or intended to winter.'5 The theatre at blocks at the parodos entrances. The painted Stobi, in southern Jugoslavia, was modified, wall revealed, when excavated, no signs of repair, and very little weathering except for 12 Dio Cassius, LXXIII,17, 4. Cf. also Daremberg-Saglio, that caused by the actual destruction of the s. v. venatio, p. 705. 13 R. E., s. v. Aurelius, No. 89, col. 2479. wall, and the later damage caused in the years 14 R. L. Scranton, Corinth,I, iii, Princeton, 1951, pp. 50-51. when the theatre served as a convenient quarry ... 15 Dio, LXXVIII, 9,7. rpoaE?Ti Kad eEaTpa KVVnYETiKa 1TaVTaXOU 1`\Trlce XEl?aaEiv for building materials in the middle ages. This OlTOUVT1Ep Kat EXElpaCEV j Kai In comparison KaTaaKEVJaaCqIEV PT18EV Trap'aITou capo4v3OT?s. to the Colosseum at Rome, the area of the Corinth arena would agree, then, with Dio's remark'9that would have been less than one fourth the area of the Flavian many of the buildings erected to please the amphitheatre. It is interesting to note that Commodus is said to have had two fences, with a gallery, built at right emperor were torn down without his ever angles to each other, Dio, LXXIII, 18, 1, so as to be able to having seen them.
Saria, op. cit., pp. 81-148. Collart,Philippes, VilledeAace'doine,Paris,1937,p.386. 1i I am indebted for this information to Mr. Fales, working with Mr. George McFadden in the excavations of Kourion under the auspices of the Museum of the University of Pennsylvania.
16 17P.

If we are to equate our figure with footgear.12 Commodus,some other costume was placed on his figure by the painter of the arena wall. It is, moreover,certain that Commodusnever traveled to Greece, and in fact scarcely stirred outside of the capital.13A painting of him, then, would be merely a compliment intended to be reported, and the erection of two small temples dedicated to him in the western part of the Agora at Corinth14 might be in some way associated with a buildingprogramin his reign that included the remodellingof the theatre. There is another alternative, however, which appears more attractive and in which a number of coincidental factors seem to point to the possibility of more definite recognition. In the year A.D. 214 Marcus Aurelius Severus Antoninus, better known as Caracalla, left Rome, not long after the murder of Geta, and proceeded on a campaign against the Dacians, at the conclusion of which he made his way via Thraceand the Troadto Pergamon. Later he proceededto Syria where he spent the greater part of his time until his murder in A.D. 217. We learn again from Dio of his particular love of slaying animals in the arena, and the historian mentions specifically

19 Above, note 15.

THE THEATRE AS AN ARENA

97

If this theory is correct, then, it must follow that the figure with the red boots is intended to representthe emperorin person. No one else would have risked being portrayed in such a prominent role. We cannot equate the costume seen in the painting with any literary description of the emperor'sdress, but it is interesting to note that Dio mentions a sleeved tunic which he was accustomed to wear in the hot Syrian weather, which was in the fashion of a cuirass. It suggests the garment worn by the venatorwho crouches to receive the bull on the point of his spear, for the clavi falling over his shouldersterminatein trefoil points much in the manner of the shoulderstraps of a cuirass.20 Shortly before Caracalla was slain a seer prophesyinghis death was thrown to the lions. Dio records that upon stretching his hand out to the beast, the lion turned aside and did not attack him, whereupon he was put to death some other way. It may be pure coincidence, of course, that the graffito read by Shear, and referring to Aelian's story, appeared on the arena wall, but the similarity of idea is striking, and the story, reaching Corinth,may have suggested the graffito scratched on before the suppression of the arena had taken place. A final coincidental touch remains to be noticed. In the excavations of the Hellenistic Stoa northwest of the temple of Apollo, there was found a head identified as that of Caracalla, together with a number of coins of that emperor.21Scarcely any other imperial portraitof the second or third centuries has thus far been found in the excavations, and the preservation of this may be due to its having been discarded in Roman times. The point in itself cannot be cited in evidence, but in connection with all the other indications it may be added to the general mass of argument. The 'hunting theatre' period of the Corinth theatre provides us with some interesting pa20 Dio LXXIX, 3, 2. Cf. a relief showing a venatordescribed by Collart, op. cit., p. 282, note 2, "Vetu d'un corselet collant maintenu A la hauteur des aisselles par un bourrelet." 21 Askew, A. J. A., XXXV, 1931, pp. 442-447, fig. 1.

rallels to the scenes depicted on Consular diptychs. The four refuges are frequently met with, as in the diptych of Flavius Areobindus at Leningrad, or that of M. Julius Philippus in the Liverpool Museum.22 The venatores are seen peeping out from behind the doors of these refuges, which are frequently, as in the last named example, furnishedwith small grilles in the centre of the door through which the occupant of the cell might look. One of the doors in this example also shows the incised figure of a venator,clad in a sleeved tunic, girt high on either side. The figure apparently wears an undertunic,whose sleeves reach down to the wrist, and an overtunic with sleeves is reaching only to the elbow. This apparenitly the same as in the Corinth figure of the man opposing the bull. The diptych of Areobindus also depicts the cochlea,or revolving doors set to tantalize their wild up to allow the venatores opponents by eluding them, and also the pair of swinging baskets suspended from a pole in which other acrobats could ride, and again evade their attackers. The excavations of the arena floor, whlich has only been partially cleared of the later level, have revealed at least two blocks of poros stone, level with the arena floor, in which sockets indicate heavy wooden uprights of some sort (Fig. 1, P1. II). One is placed very nearly on the axis of the theatre, the other toward the west. Doubtless they served as sockets for cochleaor similar devices.
22 R. Delbrueck, Die Consulardiptychen, Berlin, 1929, pls. 12, 58. The first shows various devices used in these entertainments: the pole vault, KOVTOILOVOPOXiOV,which corresponds to one of the figures in the Corinthpaintings; the swinging baskets and the cochlea or revolving doors or barriers about which the venatorcould dodge. The Liverpool diptych shows small grilles in the doors, through which one could peep, and one door in the lower left corner seems to have a picture of a venator painted on it recalling the scenes on the wall at Corinth. On the same diptych is a spearman with a long-sleeved undertunic and a short-sleeved tunic over it. This recalls the costume of the figure depicted as turning a handspring over a charging animal on the frieze. Similar scenes appear on numerous other diptychs illustrated by Delbrueck: at Zurich, pl. 9; Cluny Museum, Paris, pl. 11; Victoria and Albert Museum, p]. 20. Also one in the Cabinet des Medailles, H. Pierce and R. Tyler, L'Art Byzantin, Paris, 1934, II, pI. 38.

98

CORINTH

On a marblereliefin Sophia23 showinga hunting scene, there appears the figure of a crocodile amiongthe other beasts depicted. It is not clear whether a scene from a hunting theatre is intended, or a more general depiction of hunting. We may note, however, that a basin

I,

en

FIG.

84.

BASIN

WITH PROTECTING HELLENISTIC

GRILLE MADE IN

GUTTER

was contrived in the old Hellenistic gutter, where, between two of the bridges, the space was widened by cutting back into the outer wall of the gutter, and the passages under the
23

Pierce and Tyler, op. cit., I, pl. 13.

two bridges carefully cemented up so as to hold water (Fig. 84). This operation must have taken place quite independently of the filling of the gutter and area within it as foundation for the marble orchestra pavement. It could, possibly, have taken place before that time, but, unfortunately for the record, it does not appear what actually was found to be the nature of the fill of the basin at the time of the excavations. Since, however, there seems from the photographs to have been no well defined level over it when first discovered, it may be reasonable to assume that the arena floor did not cover this basin, but abutted against a band of planking which in turn was supported against the wooden posts sunk into the stonework, and formed a sort of cage in which the monster could be kept until released. A series of shallow sockets for wooden posts runs parallel with the scaena, about one metre away from the wall in front of the north refuge. Presumably they were to secure a wooden barrier behind which a venatorcould escape, a via venatorum as in the modern bullring (P1.IV).

CHAPTER

VI

RESTORATION OF SCAENAE FRONS


(PLATES VII A, VIII B)

Whereas the general plan of the Roman scaenae frons of the second century is easy to distinguish, the details present a number of problems whose solution depends on probability and analogy rather than upon direct evidence. The normal arrangement of the Western Roman type seen in those theatres which are either sufficiently well preserved or have been rebuilt calls for a podium behind the stage, carrying free-standing colonnades, which normally follow the retreating curves of the hemicycles, and, between the recesses and to the outer sides of the hospitalia, run straight. Porticoes, or tabernacle-like canopies, project from the middle of regia and hospitalia, often of an order slightly larger than that of the colonnades. In some cases the regia has a portico four columns wide arranged in pairs.' In only one case, Sabratha, do we have clear indication of the treatment of the second and third storeys over the porticoes.2 The regia of the Corinththeatre has been so completely plundered that no definite outline of the plan remains, but fragments of curved cornice and moldings have been found which show clearly that it was semi-circular. The radius, however, cannot be calculated with accuracy for two reasons. The measurable architectural fragments are so short that a very minor variation in regularity gives a fairly large differencein radial dimension, and
I E. g. Arles and Orange, Bieber, History of the Greekand Roman Theater, figs. 466, 467, or E. Fiechter, Die bauEntwicklungdes antiken Theaters,Munich, 1914, geschichtliche figs. 77 (from Caristie), 78a. 2 G. Guidi, "II Teatro Romano di Sabratha," pl. I, Africa Italiana, V, 1930.

the single remaining piece of angle cornice is measurable only at its extreme outer end where a calculation based on the small fascia below the eyma differs, when allowance is made for projection, by 0.55 m. in radius from the calculation taken from the dentil course. There is, too, the problem of how the curve of the nose of the eyma was treated at a point forwardof the east-west, 1800 line through the centre on which the semi-circle was described.3 A piece of architrave-friezeblock 98, from the regia, shows a radius of approximately 5.12 m., which agrees fairly well with the radius of the cornice measured at the top of the dentil course (5.056 m.). Closer than this it is impossible to be definite, and we may leave the radius of the regia, for the moment, at just over five metres. The next problem is the restoration of the spacing of the colonnades along the straight sectors of the scaena. Here there is only one piece of evidenee, but a fairly reliable one: an architrave-frieze block, 103, which must be associated with an upper order of the stage front and has a complete length of 1.815 m. It is one of a series which stood free and whose backs are worked smooth with a bevelled nosing at the top edge. Unless the series to which
3 If the nose of the cyma of the cornice is concentric with the lowest fascia of the architrave and forms a complete half circle in plan, then the architrave, because of its lesser projection, must swing through less than the half circle and hence form a blunt angle where it joins the straight return parallel to the stage front. If, on the other hand, the generating centre aligns with the straight return of the architrave the outer portion of the cornice must be brought forward on a tangent to the circle after the 180 line is passed. The adjustment to this problem is the cause of the differing radii of the nose of the cyma.

7*

100

CORINTH

this belongs is to be entirely disassociatedfrom the scaenae frons, we have, then, an indication for column spacing. Starting from the eastern angle of the eastern hospitalium, this columnar interval calls for three intervals reaching the wall in which the versura is located, and places the last column hard against this wall; in fact, it makes a three-quartercolumn of it, which agrees well with a three-quarter column base, 163, found near by. Movingin the other direction, from the western angle of the hospitalium, three intervals would place the eastern angle of the regia at a point where the radius would have to be about eight metres, entirely inconsistent with the dimensions of the curved entablature fragments, and, furthermore, quite impossible to reconcile in plan with the known location of the exedra facing north on the peribolos behind the stage. Yet, three intervals, with four columns, seems to be the general rule in all theatres of this type. A plan showing five intervals, with six columns, throws the angle of the regia impossibly near the axis of the facade, and is equally irreconcilable with the existing architectural remains. A third solution, admittedly unorthodox, may be offered. It is to have four intervals, with five columns, placing a columnn on the axis of the straight section. This still makes the total width of the regia greater than twice the indicated radius, but the difficulty can be resolved by describingthe regia on two centres, leaving a straight section at the doorway.4 This scheme has the further advantage of making it possibleto accommodatethe largepilaster base, 174, whose sides project unequally to the shape thus formed. On a plan calling for a truly semicircular regia, this base, if its irregularplan is regarded,
4There are examples of this in the late scaenae frons of Pompeii, Bieber, op. cit., fig. 440; Palmyra, ibid., fig. 481; Bosra, ibid., fig. 482.

must be placed so near the axis as to produce a ridiculouslynarrow doorway and portico for this principalfeature of the stage front. There remains the question of the unorthodox five columns in the sections between regia and hospitalia. Aesthetically, since the regia itself is the principal axial focus, and the adjoining colonnades are symmetrical flanking units, there seems to be no good reason for barringthe solution, save precedent. In connection with this restoration,however, one more thing should be said. It is possible to restore the plan with a perfectly balanced arrangement in the relation between the southern and northern semicircles, and use the conventional four columns between the regia and hospitalia, with three at the wings between hospitalia and versura wall. Only, in this case, the radius of the architecturalmembers of the regia must be whittled down to about 4.80 m., and a larger order and wider column spacing used in the colonnades than that which would appear to belong to them. The trapezoidal shaped, large pilaster base becomes very hard to fit in. But we cannot preclude the possibility, just suggested, that, aside from the fact that the existing marble fragments do not seem to show the evidence of being re-cut, or re-used, such an ideal arrangementcould have existed. This suggests further speculation. If there had been in fact a stage front, richly done in marble, which came between the early, straight one of the first century and the one of western type of which we have been, in the main, speaking, did it have three semi-circular reentrants, or was it of the earlier type with one semi-circular between two rectangular exedras? Two observations may point the latter way: first, an awkward relation between the northeastcornerroomof the scaenaand the area to the south of it; second, the fact that the poros stone socle of the east hospitalium does not have its joints radial to the curve, as does the wall above, but the joints are all perpendicular or parallel to the stage front. The curve of

RESTORATIONOF SCAENAEFRONS

101

the socle was cut out in blocks which had already been laid. The case for an intermediate period, however, rests on such slender evidence that it is better to disregardit for the present. The restoration of the elevation of the scaenae frons depends on a relatively few fragments of the blocks which once comprised it (P1. VIII B).5 Those most certain of association are, of course, the curved members of architrave-frieze and cornice. Four pieces of architrave-friezemust first be considered, 96, 98, 105, 106. Leaving96 aside for the moment, since we cannot recoverits full height, 98 is the best preserved. Its height is 0.575 m., and the depth of soffit 0.38 m. It comes from next to a corner and its radius, ca. 5.12 m., would place it in the curve of the regia. The frieze portion of the block has a height of 0.235 m. Block 96 has been recut in Byzantine times to form a dosseret, and only the upper portion is preserved. If we can assume that the present bed represents the lower edge of the frieze, that height measured 0.25 m., against 0.235 m. for block 98. The full depth of the upper surface, 0.64 m., is preserved and the nosing on the back shows that the piece came from a freestanding colonnade. On the analogy of the proportions of other, smaller, pieces from the theatre, the depth of the soffit must have been around 0.50 m., or 0.12 m. greater than that of 98. Hence the upper diameter of the order on which it stood should have been in the same ratio. We have, then, curved epistylia of two different orders. Nos. 105 and 106 are fragments,but indicate
5 With twenty-eight columns on one storey, exclusive of those of the porticoes of regia and hospitalia, there would have been 27 architrave-frieze blocks and approximately twice as many cornice blocks required. With bases, shafts and capitals the totalnumber for one storey would be 165 without counting subsidiary blocks such as plinths, pilaster responds, ete. For a two-storey scheme the total rises to 330, and if there was a third order, for which there is good evidence, we would have 495. This does not include pediments and various other elements. All the inventoried pieces of the above mentioned categories, including a number which belong to the regia or hospitalia porticoes, or may be assigned elsewhere, amount to a little more than a hundred. It is clear that there is room for a fairly wide variety of tentative reconstructions.

a thiirdorder with curved epistylia. From the first we may deduce the height of the architrave, at ca. 0.25 m., and from the second, that of the frieze, 0.198 m., giving a joint result of 0.448 m. or, say, 0.45 m. This agrees with the series of blocks100-104where the total heights are ca. 0.455 m. The first four of these pieces listed stood free with smooth backs, topped by a bevelled nosing, and had a depth of soffit of 0.312 to 0.33 m. One, 101, shows a bearing surface 0.19 m. wide from the end of the block, where it rested on a column capital. Another, 103, has its complete length of 1.815 m. preserved, giving the intercolumniation. This group, then, forms a third order, in which the curves of regia and hospitalia appear, so that it is fair to assume a three-storey scaenae frons, similar to the restoration of Sabratha. Turningnow to the columns themselves, we are again faced with the fragmentarycondition of the remains.No completeshaft exists, so that the heights cannot be restored. It is safe to assume a proportion of from 7.5 to 9.5 diameters, depending on whether the Corinthian or Ionie orderis favored. No. 124, a portionof fluted shaft, with a lower diameter of 0.57 m., may tentatively be assigned to the lowest order. The upper diameter, if reducedby one-sixth, would work out at 0.475 m., but the diminution of the next smaller series of plain columns, 127, 128a-j, averages one-ninth, or from 0.45 m. to 0.40 m. Applying this to 124 we would have an upper diameter of 0.57 m. less 0.063, or 0.507 m. Tlhis agrees quite closely with the assumed depth of soffit of 96 and also is right for the diameters of four Corinthiancapitals 108-111 which still exist and measure 0.50 m.+. The colonnadefor the second storey must be found in 127, 128. The average upper diameter of these plain shafts, 0.40 m., is a trifle more than the depth of soffit of 98 (0.38 m.), but the lowest fascia of the architravehas been slanted back excessively and there is no difficulty in associating the pieces.

102

CORINTH

The third order is found, probably, in 129135, all plain shafts of Hymettos marble or purple Breecia. The lower diameters are 0.35 m., the upper, 0.315 m., or again a diminution of between one-ninth and one-tenth. To rest above the capitals of these, the third series of epistylia, 100-106 with a depth of from0.315m. to 0.33 m., would appear to be safely associated. Apart from 107, which is assigned to the portico of the regia, there are six capitals of the Corinthian order extant. Four of these, 108-111, match, and have a lower diameter of ca. 0.50 m. Theirheights, 0.59 m., 0.575 in. and 0.57 m. (the fourth is broken), though unequal, do not appear to have sufficient difference to disassociate them. The material, a white, micaceous marble, probably Pentelic, is the same as that of column shaft 124, assigned to the lowest order, to whose assumed upper diameter they would fit suitably. A fifth capital, 112, has palm fronds with a bunch of dates carved on one side. Its slender proportions, diameter 0.46 m., height 0.68 m., make it an unlikely candidate for the orders of the scaena and probably associate it with the fragments of a palm column or acanthus column found in the theatre. No. 113 has a lowerdiameterof about 0.50 m., but is only 0.53 m. high. Unless it was used in a repair, it probably was not part of the scaena. There is a possibility that the order of the seaena could have been Ionic, for several such capitals have been found. The diameters of the beds, below the echinus, range from ca. 0.50 m. (116) to 0.47 m., 0.45 m., 0.37 m., 0.36 m., and 0.33 m. Some of these would fit on the plain columns assigned to the second and third storeys, but it would be most startling to have Ionic superimposed on Corinthian,and unless we make all three storeys of the scaena Ionic, and use the set of four preserved Corinthian capitals for the porticoes of the hospitalia, it is preferable to assign the Ionic orders to the

peribolos behind the theatre and to the colonnade which probably ran above the upper diazoma. The coincidence of all four of the only Corinthian capitals of their size in the scaena, over the hospitalia porticoes,being preserved seems a little too remote to be seriously considered. The cornice blocks and fragments are more difficult to deal with. The first to be considered is a curved piece from an angle with a straight return, 59. This has the usual dentils, bedmold, corona, crown mold and cyma, in ascending sequence. Its radius, 5.056 m. at the top of the dentil course, places it in the hemicycle of the regia. Its plan shows that it came from the right (west) side. A slight roughening of the upper surface, which extends back 0.16 m. from the nose of the eyma, bespeaks a plinth or socle above. Another curved piece, 60, has essentially the same profile, and the top is weathered from 0.13 m. to 0.15 m. back from the nose of the eyma. Its height, 0.33 m., is almost identical with that of 59 (0.325 m.) and the two pieces obviously belong in the same course. The radius, however, which is 4.03 m. at the dentil course. places it in one of the hospitalia, and the plan shows that it, too, came from the western angle of the exedra. It was found in front of the stage, well east of the central axis, so that it was presumably from the eastern exedra. A third piece, 61, also shows a curve, but is too short to make a measurement of the radius reliable. It appears to be about 4.20 m. on the face of the dentils, which would again put it in one of the hospitalia. The height is only 0.32 m., near enough the other two to belong, and the heights of the various moldings (parts) correspond.The projection of the cyma is much more pronounced, however, since its nose lies 0.19 m. forward of the face of the corona as against 0.10 m. for the first two blocks. The marble is different, too, and hence the piece may be assigned to a repair. To what order do these three pieces belong?

RESTORATIONOF SCAENAEFRONS

103

Two pieces, 62 and 63, have similar profiles, but are about 0.04 m. lower, with a height of 0.27-0.28 m. Presumably these belong to an orderabove the first three, or, let us say, to the second storey. It will be recalled that architrave-frieze blocks of the second range were about 0.04 m. lower than those assigned to the first storey. The cornices to be assigned to the upper storey are all distinguishedby a peculiar treatment. The blocks have been sawn down to a point about level with the bottom of the cyma, and this part remains projectingupward at the forwardedge of the block, with a slanting surface behind. On account of the weakness caused by the angle at the back, most of the cymatia have been broken off, and save for one block, 55, the pieces are extremely shattered. Cornice55 is 0.367 m. high, andif its proportions alone are consideredit should be assigned to the lowest order. The cutting down of the upper surface, behind the eymatium, renders this improbable. The short return is badly broken, but as far as it is preservedit shows a right angle which would, at first glance, forbid placing the block at the angle of one of the exedras and the straight front sections. We must recall, however, that the adjustment of a projecting cornice to an angle formed by a straight line and a curve is a delicate matter, since if the curve of the exedra is based on the nosing of the eyma the plan of the exedra will be less than a semi-circle. Conversely, if the plan of the exedra is a full semi-circle, the cornice will project beyond the diameter line, and hence will have to be brought out at a tangent, or else curve in upon itself. The latter solution is inadmissable, and hence we should expect to find a short, straight section before the cornicetakes up the curve of the hemicycle. There is no objection, then, to assigning the piece to an angle of the regia or hospitalia. As for the greater height, this is made up entirely by the cyma, for the height from the bed to the top of the corona is somewhat less

than is the case in cornice 59. We must also remember that in the diminishing scale of the superimposed orders the crowning element of the upper must dwindle into insignificance if it were reduced in the same proportion as the columns, and hence would make a very weak top to the entire composition. At the angle of the block, just behind the return of the cyma, is a shallow cutting, about 0.33 m. wide and reaching the whole depth to the back of the block. The cutting is only 0.05 m. deep and its bottom is roughly tooled. One of the clamps was set deeper than the other so as to allow for it. This sinkage could have held an acroterion, although its shape is not such as to make this likely. It is too narrow and extends back too far, so that it would have held a long, narrow ornamentwith the narrow side towards the spectator. The sinkage looks more as though intended to secure a wooden beam or plate to which some stru4ture above the upper order might be attached.6 The scale of the block is too small to allow placing it above the regia portico, for wvhich, actually, there is a far better candidate, cornice 53. The porticoes of the hospitalia might also be considered, but the peculiar and distinctive character of the piece, and the pains taken to reduce its weight argue for a position on the topmost order. The fragments just discussed cannot belong to a raking cornice.6The difficulty is not in the
6 There is the possibility that these could be associated with a wooden half dome or conch thrown across the central exedra. The sinkages would be connected with the timbering of the construction. Such a restoration, admittedly highly radical, deserves careful consideration, and will be referred to later in connection with the history and development of the theatre in Chapter VIII, pp. 138, 139 below. Caristie, Orange, considered it, but rejected the idea as impracticable, largely on the basis of his restored plan which does not include a series of free-standing columns in the curve of the regia, and hence a half dome would have had a span of about nineteen metres. Fiechter's restoration, Bau. Entw., fig. 78 b, by changing the arrangement reduces the span, and hence the height, but this reduction alone is not quite sufficient to accommodate a half dome beneath the sloping roof. An intersection of the two would be very awkward, but by using a segmental, curved canopy of wood instead of a half dome, an accommodationcould have been made. In plate XXXVI of Caristie it is clear that in the upper

104

CORINTH

fact that the dentils are perpendicularto the bed of the block, but that the face of the corona on 56 is perpendicular to the bed. Furthermore, we have two blocks, 64, 65, which are actually parts of raking cornices. Only one retains its full height which measures 0.31 m. from top of cyma to bottom of dentils, so that in any case it must go with a different course from 55. A small fragment of an apex, 67, has also been found, but it appearsslightly smaller in scale. A massive block, 82, shows the meeting of the lower parts of two pediments, at right angles to each other. It was found near the west end of the stage. These pediments could have adorned either the tops of the projecting, straight sections of the scaena, or the hospitalia, but we do not have sufficient evidence to make more than a hypothetical and rather subjective assignment. It may seem surprising that the cornice blocks with sawn backs are not weathered on top as they would have been if exposed, but it must be recalled that all this architecture was well back under the roof of the stage, and that the higher members, nearer the roof, would have been the least exposed. Each of the three orders would have rested on a podium of one of which there are in situ, a stump of basemoldin the east hospitaliumand two fragments adjoining the east versura. The
part of the back wall of the scaena the great slots which took the cantilevers for the roof show, to either side of the central one, next but one away, that they are larger than the rest, and, if one may judge from the indication of the masonry, appear to have been widened after the series was first made. This alteration may have occurredwhen the scaenae frons was remodelled in the second century and a significant change in the design effected. A study and restoration of the theatre at Dugga by H. F. Pfeiffer, Memoirs of the American Academy in Rome, IX, 1931, pp. 145ff., pls. II, III and Frontispiece, suggests a stone half dome. In support of this he cites the discovery of fragments of pilasters used as wall decoration above the colonnade. These, however, are said to be in such low relief that they could only have served as surface decoration and cannot be associated with a free standing order superimposed on the lower order. It is very questionable, however, that a stone structure as massive as the proposed dome could have been placed on a row of columns below, but again, if wood had been used there would be no structural objection.

height of the first storey podium should be, according to Vitruvius,7 one twelfth the diameter of the orchestra, or, for Corinth, a trifle more than 2.30 m. Three courses of the curve of the hospitalium podium are in situ, the upperbeing about 1.50 m. above the stage floor. A block of a fourth course has been displaced slightly, but is almost in its proper place, adding another 0.50 m., and if we add to this a capping course of 0.25 m., equal in height to the base molding, we would reach very closely the Vitruvian figure. The heights of the succeeding podia would have been proportionalto their orders, or if we follow Vitruvius, one half the lower pedestal.8 The association of the fragments of the porticoes of the regia and hospitalia must now be considered. The most characteristic blocks belonging to the porticoes of regia and hospitalia are the two pilaster bases, 174, 175, mentioned above in connection with the restoration of the plan. The nose of the upper torus of the larger has a width of 0.815 m., which would give the pilaster itself a width at the base, above the apophyge, of about 0.72 m. There is the upper part of a pilaster, 146, for a similar base with an upper width of 0.605 m. which may be associated with the counterpart of the preserved base and also a central section, 147. The fragment 146, just under a metre high, increases in width as it goes down, and shows a slight entasis. If we take the rate of increase, one cm. in 0.44 m., we may approximate the height of the pilaster, and hence the order, as followns: Lower diameter 0.72 less Upper diameter 0.605 0.115 x 44 5.06 Height of capital .725 .40 Height of base Height of column 6.185
7De Arch., V, vi, 6.
8 Ibid., V, vi, 6. Note however that in V, vi, 7, Vitruvius say3 "it is not in all theatres that the dimensions can answer to all the effects proposed" (Loeb translation).

RESTORATIONOF SCAENAEFRONS

105

This is less, however, than nine times the trave-frieze blocks to be associated are 90 and lower diameter (6.48 m.), and the entasis 91. Using these two last pieces, the combined would cause the pilaster to increase in width height of frieze and architrave may be calculmore slowly as the base was approached, so ated at 0.883 m. The depth of the soffit is that we are reduced to using an arbitrary given by weather lines on capital 107 as 0.64m. figure, which may be put at about 91/.2 dia- The large cornicehas a height of 0.615 m. and a meters, or say 6.84 m. depth of bed of 0.745m. If we allow8 or 10centiIt is interesting to note that the big capital, metres for the projection of the crown mold of 107, has a height almost exactly equal to the the frieze, there would seem to be no room to hypothetical lower diameterof the order.There insert a separate dentil cornice - unless the is no base to go with the capital 107, but it would cornice were set forward so that the back, behave had the same profile and height as the low the nosing, lay forward of the back of the frieze, which seems unlikely, for the shelf cut pilaster base. The entablature of the order is represented on the back of the cornicewas intended to hold by a, large block of cornice, with nmodillions, the slabs of a coffered ceiling, three pieces of 53, and a modillion fragment, 54. The archi- which remain, 181-183.

CHAPTER

VII

INVENTORY OF ARCHITECTURAL FRAGMENTS


POROS ARCHITECTURE
CORNICES

1. Doric Geison, poros (Fig. 85). Ht. to top of fillet of crownmold 0.215 m.; d. of bed 0.32 m., mutules 0.23 m. wide, via 0.07 m. Finish of stone shows that it was originally stuccoed, but no traces remain. The relief depth of mutules and guttae is only 0.005 m. in each case. Crownmold, in the form of a cyma reversa surmounted by a fillet, and bedmold of same type indicate Roman work. 2. Large cornice probably crowning a wall, poros (Fig. 85). Consists of a broad fascia, cyma reversa, and eymation of cyma recta profile, pierced by a hole which originally led to a spout, possible a lion's head, of which nothing is preserved. Total ht. 0.43 m., d. of bed ca. 0.85 in., pres. max. 1. 0.95 m. The left end is preserved and shows a rough anathyrosis. The slope of the roof of the building is given by the upper surface of the stone, behind the cymation, showing an increment of 0.17 m. in 0.76 m. or approximately 121/2 degrees. 3. Similar to 2 above; upper part of cymation broken away. Pres. 1. 0.82 m. Both 2 and 3 were found near the back of the scaenae frons, in the peribolos, and probably come from the roof of the scaenae frons. The execution, with proper allowance for weathering, is good. 4. Fragment of same series as 2 and 3. Pres. ht. at face 0.38 m.; pres. 1. 0.43. Found lying in the ruins of the scaenae frons. 5. Angle cornice, with lower end of a raking cornice carved on same block, poros (Fig. 85). Shows successive layers of thin, poor stucco, or whitewash. Found in high level beyond west end of peribolos. The piece may be associated with the stage front of the first Roman period, but the absence of any similar pieces or other members with which it may be associated makes this hypothetical. 6. Dentilled cornice. Poros. Overhanging portion broken and worked roughly off. Ht. 0.295 m.; d. of bed 0.49 m., dentils 0.08 m. high, spaced 0.073 m. Found in area of proskenion, built into a late wall(?). Rt. end preserved, 1. ca. 0.80 m. 7. Dentilled cornice. Angle piece, poros. From same series as 6. The projecting portion has been worked

off, and the block used in the foundation of the Roman pulpitum face associated with the second century reconstruction. Two rectangular dowel holes in top. 8. Dentilled cornice, poros (Fig. 85). The piece faced both ways, and one face shows that it had a re-entrant angle. Ht. ca. 0.29 m. or a little more, since the upper surface appears to have been worked off slightly. D. of bed ca. 0.75 m.; from face of dentils to the same on the opposite side, 0.83 m. The visible end shows anathyrosis, and the contact faces are worked with a toothed chisel. The re-entrant angle occurs 0.78 m. from the joint which can be seen. This block still retains traces of successive layers of lime wash. Built into the euthynteria course of the foundations of the second Roman scaenae frons, the block is probably to be associated with the scaenae frons of the first period. 9. Dentilled cornice, poros (Fig. 85). Ht. 0.31 m.; left end preserved; pres. 1. 0.70 m. Successive coats of whitewash preserved. D. of bed 0.48 m. with offset adding 0.04 m. Built into east hall. 10. Dentilled cornice, poros, with plinth course worked above level of crownmold (Fig. 85). Total ht. 0.41 m.; ht. to top of corona, restored, 0.24 m. (Corresponding with ht. of No. 9, as does ht. of dentil course, 0.08 m.). Fine-toothed chisel work combined with flat chisel. Traces of Roman stucco. The block broken at left end; other end shows trace of a re-entrant angle. Pres. max. 1. 1.15 m. Built into north wall of west hall. 11. Dentilled cornice, return at either end showing it came from an order "en ressault," poros (Fig. 85). Plinth worked above overhang. Ht. to top of plinth 0.345 m.; to top of crownmold, 0.205 m. W. of face, on bed, 0.71 m.; d. of bed not measurable. Built into north wall of east hall. 12. Cornice, fragment showing corona and crownmold, poros (Fig. 85). Combined ht. of both elements, 0.10 m. The piece does not actually join 11, but is from the same series, and shows five or six coats of lime wash. 13. Cornice, dentilled, poros (Fig. 85). Ht. 0.23 m.; d. of bed, restored, 0.45 m. Coarse-toothed chisel work. The small scale would suit it to the Hellenistic proskenion, but the workmanship appears Roman.

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FIG.

85.

ARCHITECTURAL

DETAILS.

POROS STONE

[1071

108
EPISTYLIA

CORINTH

21. Wall block, poros (Fig. 85). Pres. ht. 0.57 m.; 14. Epistyle-frieze, Doric,poros;top workedoff (Fig. 1. 1.02 m.; both ends preserved, with cuttings for 85). Pres. ht. 0.66 m. Ht. of architraveplus taenia H clamps,one in eitherend. Pry-holenear centre. 0.32 m. W. of metope 0.51 m.; of triglyph 0.34 m. 22. Pres. ht. 0.58 m.; bottom of block seems to have D. of bed 0.53 m. The backis in two planes,the upper been trimmed off. Full length not preserved. Th. setting forward 0.02 m. from the lower which is 0.46 m.; clamp cutting on one end. 0.41 m. high. Right end preserved;pres. 1.ca. 1.00 m. 23. Wall block, poros. Bottom workedoff, top and Toothedchisel work 3 teeth per cm. Tracesof hard, ends not visible; th. 0.46 m. white stuccowith slightadmixtureofbrowngrit. Now 24. Wallblockwith part of an anta, or possiblyjamb molding (Fig. 85). Poros. Pres. ht. 0.64 m.; pres. 1. in modernretainingwall in peribolos. 15. Epistyle block, poros (Fig. 85). Cornerpiece, 1. 1.13 m.; th. 0.50 m. Shows traces of hard, white 2.33 m., but may have been longeras the butt end is stucco. Built into east end wall of covered part of rough and appears to have been worked off. Ht. easternRoman parodos. 0.295 m.; d. of bed 0.54 m. Anathyrosison mitered 25. Voussoir, poros. Ht. of archivolt face 0.68 m.; end. Toothedchisel work; no remainsof stucco, but w. on intrados 0.39 m.; on extrados 0.57 m.; 1. ca. voussoirs finish of surface indicates it was once so covered. 1.03 m. Theedgesadjoiningthe neighboring Used as a sill, or sill foundation, for the western are bevelled. This and the four next numbers are built into late walls which block the outer part of Romanversura. the westernRomanparodos. 26. Voussoir, poros. Ht. of archivolt face 0.67 m.; BASE COURSESOR BLOCKS 16. Base, poros, with plinth, torus, fillet and apophyge (Fig. 85). Ht. 0.40 m.; ht. of plinth 0.16 m. Miteredat left for re-entrantangle; rebatedon right for a distance of 0.15 m. to depth of 0.08 rn. L. on plinth from rebate to miter 0.64 m. Toothed-chisel work 3 teeth per cm. Built into north wall of east hall. 17. Base, poros. The plinth, 0.32 m. high, and a portion of the torus are preserved. Total pres. ht. 0.39 m. Right end showsanathyrosis,but it is upside downwith referenceto the use of the block as a base, so that this workingis probablylaterthan the original use. Pres. 1. on plinth 0.65 m. Built into north wall of east hall. 18. Base, poros, with plinth, torus, fillet and apow. on intrados 0.39 m.; on extrados 0.48 m.; 1. 1.20 m.

Edges bevelled. 27. Voussoir,poros. Ht. of archivolt0.90 m.; w. on


intrados 0.39 m.; on extrados 0.47 m.; 1. ca. 1.20 m.

Edges bevelled. 28. Voussoir,poros.L. 1.20 m. Otherdimensionsnot obtainableas the blockis built into a late wall on the north side of the parodos. 29. Voussoir, poros. Ht. of archivolt face 0.92 m.;
w. on intrados 0.40 m.; on extrados 0.55 m.; 1. 1.18 m.

Edges bevelledat both ends. 30. Voussoir,poros, L. ca. 1.67 m.; ht. of archivolt
0.62 m.; w. on intrados 0.56 m.; on extrados 0.62 m.

Built into concretefill at end of eastern aditus. 31. Block, poros. This, and the succeedingnumbers, 32-35, are built into the north wall of the west hall. phyge (Fig. 85). Ht. 0.41 m.; of plinth, 0.16 m.; pres. Access to most of these is extremely awkward, 1. on face of plinth 0.55 m. Toothedchisel work; the without demolishing the wall, so that their full curve of the apophygehas not been finishedoff, but dimensionsare not always obtainable.They all have is merelyblockedout. Built into foundationofRoman the peculiarcharacteristicof what appearsto be a scaenaefrons just east of easternhospitalium. lift hole cut in to oppositesides, which are generally 19. Base, poros (Fig. 85). Similar to above. Ht. coatedwith hardwhitestucco.Ht. 0.24m.; 1.0.855m.; 0.46 m.; of plinth, 0.20 m. There is a re-entrant set- widthnot measurable. visibleon one end. Anathyrosis back of 0.07 m. at right end. Pres. 1. on forwardface 32. Ht. 0.25-0.27 m.; w. 0.80 m.; pres. 1. 0.66 m. One at least 0.40 m. (The block extends into the later face was once stuccoed, and the opposing face, or Roman foundation and cannot be accurately mea- back, worked smooth. A lift hole is visible on the sured.)Extreme d. ca. 0.68 m. workedface. 33. Ht. 0.24 m. to 0.255 m.; 1. 0.885 m. Lift hole in WALL BLOCKS AND MISCELLANEOUS one face about at centre. Bottom has deep relieving 20. Wall block, poros. Ht. 0.66 m.; th. 0.46 m.; pres. working. 1. 0.89 m. Cutting for H clamp visible in one end. 34-35. Ht. 0.28 m., length and thickness not preBroad, rasped anathyrosis,similar to work on late served or measurable. Greekgutter and stage front. Fine white stucco on 36. Wall crown, poros (Fig. 85). Ht. 0.66 m.; max. one face. Built into outer section of Roman eastern d. 0.93 m.; pres. 1. 0.90 m.; d. of bed ca. 0.63 m. analeinma.This and the three next numbers may Possiblyfromthe northside of the scaenaefrons.Now be assignedto the Greekstage building. in bank at west end of peribolos.

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FIG.

86.

ARCHITECTURAL

DETAILS.

POROS STONE AND MARBLE

[109]

110

CORINTH

37. Bracket, poros (Fig. 86). Ht. 0.83 m.; th. 0.27 m.; at top back. Inscribed K FO N. Letters 0.125 m. high, d. of bed 0.73 m.; molded console projects 0.30 m. 0.075 m. below top of stone which is worn. Re-used in and is 0.42 m. high. Sides, bottom, and molded face kerkis XI. worked with toothed chisel of 4 teeth per cm.; back, 47. Seat block (Fig. 86). Max. pres. 1. 0.65 m.; right top, and upper surface rather roughly finished with end preserved with anathyrosis; ht. 0.295 m.; w. of flat chisel. This block may possibly be associated top 0.37 m., of bottom 0.415 m.; rebate at top back 0.095 m. deep. Inscribed EAE. Letters 0.10 m. high, with one of the thyromata of the Hellenistic stage. 38. Shaft, two half columns back to back with 0.06 m. below top of stone. Re-used in kerkis XI. rectangular grooves between them (Fig. 85). Diam. 48. Seat block (Fig. 86). Max. pres. 1. 0.50 m.; left 0.258 m.; grooves 0.095 m. wide by 0.02 m. deep. end preserved with anathyrosis; joint is not normal Pres. ht. 0.45 m. There is a slight trace of an apophyge to face of stone but forms an obtuse angle of 92 on one of the half columns. The piece is much worn; degrees with it; ht. 0.30 m.; w. of top 0.37 m., of the original bed and upper surface, if it was a drum, bottom 0.385 m.; rebate at top back 0.08 m. deep. no longer are discernible. Unfluted. Inscribed r in centre of preserved portion of block, The piece may be associated with the Hellenistic and hence the letter would have stood alone and not formed part of a word. The letter is 0.12 m. high proskenion. Diam. and 0.06 below top of stone. 0.455 drum with bracket 39. Shaft, (Fig. 86). a bracket maximum 49. ht. 0.64 m. The projects Seat block. Max. pres. 1. 0.62 m.; w. of bottom m.; pres. and a below 0.42 fillet, m. has top wide, of 0.23 m., is 0.34 m.; w. of top not measurable, but has charactera in it three reversa cyma on sides istic rebate. away which falls Inscribed rAPEIL7;letters 0.105m. high. at the in bottom. a fillet small, set-back Re-used kerkis There is curve. II, now upside down. a for 86). A (Fig. pivot 50. Doric cutting 40. Block with capital, fragment, poros (Fig. 86). Ht. 0.31 0.56 m. 0.50 m. diam. at neck ca. 0.205 m. Not fluted. ca. by by rectangular poros block m.; in 0.22 m. diameter has m. thick. hole, 0.32 A round 51. Column drums, poros, Doric. In late reservoir in been sunk in the top and at 0.11 m. from the top of northeast angle of peribolos: the block is the upper surface of a marble slab with, a. Diam. 0.52 m.; pres. 1. 0.64 m. Lower end hacked in its centre, a small pivot hole 0.04 m. in diameter, off. Fluted down for 0.52m. from upper surface which 0.03 m. deep. shows a centre pin hole and cross lines for cutting. 41. Greek seat block. W. 0.38 m.; ht. 0.36 m.; 1. over Toothed-chisel work, 2 teeth per cm. 1.30 m. to where it runs under a mass of opus incertum b. Diam. 0.52 m.; pres. 1. 0.79 m.; one end preserved. in centre of Roman stage. The lower part of the forFluted. ward edge has been cut back in re-use. Anathyrosis at c. Diam. 0.54 m.; pres. 1. 0.50 m.; unfluted, from right end. 42. Greek seat block, not in situ, but loose, just east lower part of column. of centre of Roman stage. Shows "place lines" in top, d. Diam. not measurable, pres. 1. 0.56 m., unfluted. 52. Cavetto cornice of arena (Fig. 86). 0.36 m. apart. No itemized inventory of these distinctive blocks 43. Seat block (Fig. 86). Max. pres. 1. 1.42 m.; ht. 0.30 m.; max. w. at bottom 0.395 m. Left end has been made. The ht. is 0.53 m.; depth of bed preserved (?). Inscribed 1XTIAIITO?N. Letters 0.125 0.37 m. The overhang of the cavetto is ca. 0.20 m., m. high, 0.05 m. below top of stone. The block was and the upper, rear portion is rounded off beginning built into the lowest course of the east end of the about 0.30 m. above the bed, curving forward to the north wall of the Roman adttus, upside down. lip of the cavetto which is not flat but curves inward, 44. Seat block (Fig. 86). Max. pres. 1. 1.16 m.; ht. giving a kind of cyma reversa profile to the entire 0.295 m.; w. at top 0.37 m., at bottom 0.42 m. Rebate face. No anathyrosis on the blocks, which were at top back 0.09 m. deep. Inscribed I KOPFA N. Letters secured to each other by swallow-tail clamps 0.11 m. 0.09 m. high, 0.035 m. below top of stone. Built into long, spreading 0.07 m. at the ends. The lengths of lowest course of east end of south wall of Roman the blocks vary from 0.65 m. to 0.35 m. Most average 0.50 m. aditus, upside down. One block has the letters L I in a square-grooved cut 45. Seat block (Fig. 86). Max. pres. 1. 0.70 m.; on face 0.61 m.; left end joint preserved with anathy- on the back. They show patches of stucco coating rosis; ht. 0.27 m.; w. at top 0.37 m. Inscribed O Y KAI about two centimetres thick. Some twenty-three or four of these now lie loose Re-used in Roman seat foundations in kerkis XI. 46. Seat block (Fig. 86). Max. pres. 1. 0.75 m.; right in the orchestra. One is built into the foundations for end preserved with anathyrosis; ht. 0.28 m.; w. of the latest Roman seats in the eastern sector of the top 0.37 m., of bottom 0.41 m.; rebate 0.09 m. deep cavea.

INVENTORY OF ARCHITECTURAL FRAGMENTS


ARCHITECTURAL FRAGMENTS FROM THE SCAENAE FRONS OF THE MARBLE PERIOD. The restoration of the scaenae frons of the second century and the succeeding periods must be largely tentative, for the fragments of its decoration represent only a very small proportion of the original number. The unevenness of finish bespeaks one or more restorations, and varies from good, second century, to rather careless work of the third or fourth century. It is not to be expected, of course, that, once built, the scaenae frons would have remained intact until the final destruction of the theatre. Neither is it possible to state on the basis of available evidence what alterations to the architecture were made.

111

58. Cornice, fragment, same series as above. Both ends broken. Pres. 1. 0.75 m. D. of block from face of corona to back 0.765 m. There are a number of other fragments which appear to come from this series, but they do not add any information. 59. Cornice, curved, with straight return (Fig. 87). Has cymation and dentils. Ht. 0.325 m. Max. pres. 1., measured on curve at edge of bed, ca. 1.25 m. Top rough-picked, with weathering showing a course above, set back 0.15 m. from nose of cyma. The measurement of the radius of the curve leaves much to be desired by way of accuracy, since the workmanship is not of the most careful. W. B. Dinsmoor measured the piece several times when it was found in the old excavations; his figures are given below: Radius 1) Top fillet, crownmold of geison 5.436 m. 2) Near bottom of fascia of geison 5.594 m. 5.056 m. 3) At top of dentil course

CORNICES

53. Cornice with modillions (Fig. 86). White marble. lit. 0.615 m.; pres. 1. 1.08 m. Spacing of modillions In remeasuring the block I was unable to make any 0.489 m. on centres. This is the only nearly complete noticeable improvement on these figures, and the fragment of this type which is preserved, and its fact is that several measurements taken on the same scale is larger than that of any other fragments of part of the profile all tend to give slightly different cornice from the theatre. Assuming that it is to be results. Obviously the radius of the dentil course associated with the building, its place of finding, near should be greater than that of the top fillet of the the centre of the stage and a little to the front of the geison, and of the two it seems more probable that actual line of the scaenae frons, suggests that it is the curve of the dentils, depending as it would on the to be associated with the distyle portico which formed curve of the epistyle below, would be the better the usual feature of the porta regia. fitted. This agrees fairly well with the curve of 54. Cornice, fragment of a modillion, almost com- architrave-frieze 98 which has a radius, on the upper plete (Fig. 86). Same material and scale as 53. fascia of the architrave, of 5.08 m. The upper members 55. Cornice, with cymation and dentils. Angle piece of the cornice miay have very well been flared out a (Fig. 86). Blueish-white marble. Ht. 0.367 m.; 1. ]ittle, eitherthrough carelessness, or to accomrsmodate 1.82 m., restored 1.975 m.; d. 0.82 m. them to the adjustment of their plan to that of The block was sawn down behind the cymation to the hemicycle (see above, p. 99, note 3). very nearly the level of the corona, so as to leave the Dinsmoor also mentions in his notebook for July 9, cyma standing, as it were, above the general level of 1909, several small fragments, in which the top fascia the top of the block. Roughly made cutting in the end of the geison has a radius of 5.159 m.; and the top nearest the angle, measuring 0.33 m. by 0.60 m. and fillet of the crownmold of the geison a radius of 0.05 m. deep, as though to receive a block like an 5.419 m. acroterion or some other feature. Clamps for adjacent Calculation for the radius based on the angle of the block. joint at the left end of the block works out with a With this fragment we may associate the next radius of 2.675 m., which is useless for our purposes three: and only shows that the joints were not necessarily radial. 56. Cornice, with cymation and dentils. Angle piece The place of finding of the piece was a late wall, (Fig. 87). Blueish-white marble. Ht. not preserved as a metre and a half in front of the front wall of about the eyma is broken away. Pres. 1. 1.00 m.; pres. d. the Greek skene, just west of the centre line of the 0.55 m. There is the same rectangular depression, can be little doubt that the piece comes There theatre. hacked down to a depth of 0.04 m. below the general the of the exedra for the porta regia. from curve level of the top. The return on this piece is preserved far enough to make sure that it was not curved. 60. Cornice, curved, with straight return (Fig. 87). Has cymation and dentils; same profile essentially as 59. as above. Same same 57. Cornice, fragment, profile treatment of top. Pres. 1., on face of corona 0.76 m.; Blueish-white marble. Ht. 0.33 m. Radius on fascia on return ca. 0.23 m. It seems to be from a right-angle of geison (corona) 3.74 m. Top rough picked; has been return but the shorter measurement is too small to dressed with a smooth chisel to a distance of 0.13 in. to 0.15 m. back from the nose of the cymnation.A preclude the possibility of a curve.

112

CORINTH

The best reason for assigningthis to the series of raking cornicesis the close agreementof the height and projectionof the moldings.A slight curvemay be detected on the corona, but the measurementgives a radiusof morethan nine metres,whichwouldbe an for the theatre,fromwhichthis impossibledimension piece certainly comes. Probably the appearanceof curveis no morethan an errorin carving. 67. Raking cornice, apex of a pediment (Fig. 87). Total pres. ht. ca. 0.17 m. A portion of the cyma remains,together with the crownmoldof the corona and the coronaitself. Thepieceis brokenat both ends and at the level of the soffit of the corona. The back pres. 1. 0.68 m., max. pres. d. 0.72 m., back broken is sawn down at a slant. Along the upperedge of the off. Radius on face of dentils between 4.20 m. and coronais a smoothedband 0.015 m. wide. The slope 5.04 m., but the available chord is too short to be of the pediment, as far as it can be calculatedfrom reliable. an unreliablyshort measurement is about 1 in 5. It shouldbe possibleto placethis piecein the series with 59 and 60 on the basisof heightand curve,which Otherfragmentsof cornicewith the upperpart of is probablythat of the regia. Thereis one difficulty, the backsawndownarenoted below. It is not possible however, and that is in the pronouncedforward to state that they come definitely from a raking projectionof the cymation which is nearly 0.19 m. cornice,andin manyinstancesonly partialdimensions fromthe face of the corona,or nearlytwicethe normal can be obtained,as they are all fragmentary. for the precedingblocks. The overhangof the corona 68. Cornice,back sawn down (Fig. 87). Ht. 0.27 m.; itself compares favorably,0.15 m. with 0.145 m. from pres. 1. ca. 0.95 m. the face of the dentils. The material,whichis not the 69. Cornice,back sawn down. Ht. 0.29 m.; pres. 1. same as for the other blocks,suggeststhat this piece, m. end preserved. on which the workmanshipappears rather late in 0.57 Right 70. Cornice, fragmentof cymationonly (Fig. 87). Ht. character,may be from a repair. from of corona to top of cymation 0.145 m. The top Two pieces with cymation, and a profilevery like a shows slight curve in plan. the above, were found. The chief difficulty with piece putting them in this series is that their heights are 71. Cornice,fragment of cymation only (Fig. 87). Ht. fromtop of coronato top of cyma 0.17 m. Blueish at least 0.04 m. less. marble. This may be associatedwith raking cornice with cymation and dentils (Fig. 87). Ht. 62. Cornice 66 on the basis of similarmeasurements of cyma and 0.28 m.; pres. 1. 0.70 m., left end of block preserved. corona. and Ends back broken. Dentil band missing. D. of top 0.59 m. 72. Cornice, 1. Pres. 0.65 m. fragment(Fig. 87). with cymation and dentils (Fig. 87). Ht. 63. Cornice all but dentilsbrokenoff, but showssawn 0.27 m.; 1.0.75 m. Cuttingfor hook clampin each end 73. Cornice, top. Depth of bed, 0.55 m.; both ends broken;pres. of top. D. of top 0.765 m. 1. 0.88 m. The relative heights of cymation and drip of the 74. Cornice,cyma broken off. Left end preserved; corona of 62 and 63 do not agree with the curved serieslisted above. Possibly they may be assignedto pres. 1. 0.54 m. a band acrossthe versuraat either end of the stage. 75. Cornice,cyma broken off. Right end preserved. Has two clampcuttings. Pres. 1.0.90 m. Belongs cer64. Raking cornice,with cyma and dentils (Fig. 87). tainly with 74. Sawndownon top behindcymation.Ht. frombottom of dentilsto top of cyma nose 0.31 m. A smallportion Three fragmentsof a heavy cornice,0.41 m. high, of the tympanumis cut on the lower, left end of the (76-78) with cymation and dentils have been listed. block, and gives the angleof the pediment.Max.pres. One is of a white crystallinemarbleand two of the 1. 0.50 m. usualblueish-white marble,and very differentin type 65. Raking cornice; fragment on which dentils, a and proportions of profilefromthe serieslisted above. portionof the bed mold for the corona,and a part of The piecesall camefromthe late well whichhad been the tympanumare preserved(Fig. 87). Joint at left constructedin the westernpart of the stage building, of blockpreserved.Slopeof pedimentca. 1 in 4.2. and may possiblybe associatedwith the hospitalium, 66. Raking (2) cornice (Fig. 87). Cymation and thoughthis is by no meanscertain.Oneis quite rough dentils. fit. 0.31 m. Short section, ca. 0.50 i.; both in execution,and may belongto a repair,if it is to be ends and back broken.Max. d. of bed 0.18 m. associatedat all with the structure. slight weatheringalso appears,and indicates that a plinth courseonce stood above the block. The radius would agree with the curve of the hospitaliumexedra,and the placeof finding, in front of the stage and to the east of the centre line, would suggestthat it is a piecefromthe easternhospitalium. The profileand height put it in the same level as 59. Radius calculated for the dentil course is 4.03. Deducting0.25 m. for the projectionof the cyma we get a radiusof 3.78 m. or only 0.04 m. morethan the calculationfor the nose of the cyma. 61. Cornice,curved,with cymation and dentils (Fig. 87). White marble, semi-crystallized.Ht. 0.32 m.,

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CORINTH
clamps. Pres. 1. 0.93 m. Top and back rough finished; + on bed. 88. Cornice returning against wall (Fig. 88). Ht. 0.19 m.; d. of bed, as preserved, 0.74 m.; max. pres. 1. of block 0.80 m. The overhang is slightly less than in the other pieces but it probably belongs in the series. 89. Cornice (Figs. 88, 89). Ht. 0.225 m.; 1. 1.965 m.; d. of bed 0.51 m. Two clamp cuttings in right end and dowel hole near left. At the back, on top, a rough sinkage 0.07 m. deep. On the face of the corona, partially erased, is an inscription reading: TRAIANO AVG GERMANICO ET COLONIAE LAVD IVL The significance of the piece is discussed on p. 136.
ARCHITRAVES AND FRIEZES

76. Cornice with cymation and dentils (Fig. 87). Only a short length is preserved,and the piece has been badly shattered.Ht. 0.41 m. 77. Cornice,same type as above, but much poorer work (Fig. 87). Blue-whitemarble.Ht. 0.41 m.; pres. 1. 1.50 m. Right end is preservedand has cutting for hook clamp. Lewis hole in top of block. 78. Cornice,fragment (Fig. 87). Blue marble. Full height not preserved,bottom and top broken. Left end preserved;pres. 1. ca. 0.61 m. 79. Cornice,fragment (Fig. 87). Upper part broken off. May go with previous numbers,but the dentils are spaced less widely, 0.13 m. on centres as against 0.155 m. It is morelikely that this piece goes with the seriesnext following,whichapparentlyhad no cymation, but merely a crownmold to the corona. without cymation (Fig. 87). Ht. 0.385 m. 80. Cornice Top roughhewn. A slight angularbreakat the lower left end suggests that it might be part of a raking cornice,but there areno otherindicationsto bearthis out. 81. Cornicefragment (Fig. 87). Crownmold and corona, including part of bedmold. Angle piece, 1. on each returnca. 0.29 m. Oneinterioranglecornicewas foundin the western part of the stage area. It has the meeting of two pediments, and as such could come from the angle between the scaenaefrons and the versura. 82. Cornice,angle of two pediments (Fig. 88). The block measures1.00 m. by 0.87 m. A cutting for a hook clampshowsin one side of the top; oppositethis is a deep sinkage for a beam (?) with a shallow cutting as though for a dowel in the bottom. The piece is discussedfurtheron p. 136, note 18. Yet anotherseriesof cornicesis representedin the following,which have a mean height of ca. 0.20 m. and consist of dentil band, bedmold, corona and crownmold. 83. Cornice(Fig. 88). Ht. 0.195 m.; d. of bed 0.465 m.; 1. 1.39 m. Both ends preserved.Two cuttings for hook clampsin left end, one in right. Dowel near one end, in top, and pry-hole near back of block. Top sawn smooth,back roughlyhacked.
84. Cornice. Ht. 0.205 m.; d. of bed 0.78 m.; max.

pres. 1. 1.10 m. but only 0.56 m. on face.


85. Cornice (Fig. 88). Ht. 0.195 m.; d. of bed 0.66 m.;

1. 1.875 m. Both ends preserved. Two hook clamp cuttings in either end. Forward 20 cm. of top is slightly raised and rough finished. Two narrow cuttings like dowelholesjust behindraisedportion.They aretoo closeto the roughsurfaceto serveas regulation dowels. 86. Cornice. Ht. 0.185 m.; d. of bed 0.35 m.; pres. 1. 0.58 m. Back rough.No clampsor dowels.Poorwork. 87. Cornice(Fig. 88). fit. 0.19 in.; d. of bed 0.58 m. Left end preserved, with cuttings for two hook

In descending order of size the fragments of epistylia fall into four groups. Those of the largest scale are inscribed on the architrave, which, in the one case where enough is preserved, had the edges of the fascias worked down to present a more even surface for the lettering which was higher than one of the bands. 90. Architrave-frieze, fragment (Fig. 88). Pres. ht. ca. 0.48 m.; pres. 1. ca. 0.70 m. The entire back of the block is split off, leaving only a max. pres. th. of about 0.12 m. The second and third fascias have been merged by working off a new surface to connect them. On this appear the letters CAESAR, the C being supplied by a small fragment that joins. Height of letters 0.157 m.; spacing about 0.10 m. on centres. Crownmold of architrave is broken away. Pentelic marble. Lower edge of block preserved. 91. Architrave-frieze, fragment (Fig. 88). Top preserved, bottom broken away. Max. pres. 1. 0.58 m.; pres. th. 0.315 m., but originally greater. Back of block hacked away. The tops of the letters A R I are preserved with a spacing analogous to 90. The crownmold of the architrave has been largely chipped off, the frieze shows a very shallow S-shaped profile, preserved to a height of 20 cm. above crownmold of architrave. Pentelic marble. 92. Architrave-frieze, fragment (Fig. 88). Thickness from face of upper fascia to back, below a projecting bevel and fillet, 0.52 m. On the upper fascia of the architrave are the letters M E T R 0, similar in style and scale to those of the two pieces above. Pentelic marble. Although the letters on all three blocks seem to be of the same size, 92 differs from the others in two respects: a) the tops of the letters come closer to the lower edge of the crownmold of the architrave and b) the distance from the lower edge of the crownmold

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FIG. 88. ARCHITECTURAL

DETAILS.

MARBLE

CORNICES

AND ARCHITRAVE-FRIEZE

No. 94[115]

116

CORINTH

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CORNICE BLOCK, NO. 89; ARCHITRAVE-FRIEZE, NO.

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104

to the top of the block is less, 0.355 m. against 0.473 m. (91). Hence we may assign 91 to the order of the portico of the regia, and 92 to that of the hospitalia. It is not certain to which category 90 belongs, but we may use it to approximate the heights of the entablatures as follows: Block 90, height of letters 0.157 m. 91, top of block to top of letter 0.548 m. 90, bottom of letters to soffit 0.183 m. Total height 0.883 m. for regia architrave-frieze Total height architrave-frieze of hospitalia would be 0.118 less or 0.765 m. 93. Architrave-frieze (Fig. 88). Fragment of back with portion of bevel and fillet molding, slightly longer than that on 92 and is to be associated rather with 91. The top surface is preserved for a distance of 0.38 m. forward from the lip of the fillet. One end of block mitred with anathyrosis. Pentelic marble, micaceous. The next series is represented by only three pieces, all very much curtailed.

94. Architrave-frieze (Fig. 88). Total ht. 0.615 m.; ht. of architrave 0.36 m.; d. of soffit 0.52 m.; of top surface 0.63 m.; pres. 1. 0.35 m. The right end is mitered for an interior angle, with anathyrosis. Back is rough picked. Good quality work. Blue-white marble. 95. Architrave-frieze. Same heights and profile as 94. Left end is rough-picked with very slight attempt at anathyrosis. Max. pres. 1. 0.38 m. Clamp cutting in top. The two fragments 94 and 95 show a smoothed band along the lower edges of the fascias. 96. Frieze, fragment, curved (Fig. 88). D. of top 0.64 m. Ht. from top to lowest part of preserved frieze 0.25 m. This may mark the original height of the frieze, and if so would put the piece in the series headed by 94. The back shows at the top a bevel-fillet molding 0.13 m. high. The curve is too short to give a reliable measurement for radius, which appears to be about 4.00 m. Re-used and cut into a dossert for a Byzantine capital. On the face has been cut a quatrefoil within a circle. There is a dowel hole at the left end. Slightly smaller than the preceding series is one with a mean height of about 0.58 m. One piece, 97,

INVENTORY OF ARCHITECTURAL FRAGMENTS


might belong to the preceding series (for it is onlv 0.02 m. lower) save for the depth of the soffit, which is nearly 0.12 m. less. 97. Architrave-frieze (Fig. 88). Total ht. 0.595 m.; ht. of architrave 0.337 m.; d. of soffit 0.405 m. Bottom and back smooth, the latter with bevel-fillet molding above a reed at top. Right end is cut for an exterior angle, and shows clamp cutting and pry-hole. Max. pres. 1. 0.95 m. 98. Architrave-frieze, curved (Fig. 88). Total ht. 0.575 m.; ht. of architrave 0.34 m.; d. of soffit 0.38 m. A panel, slightly pulvinated, is carved on the soffit. Right end preserved and cut as though adjoining an angle. Back rough picked, but even. Radius of curve very difficult to reconcile with measurements taken at different levels; i. e., lower edge of lowest fascia, 3.82 m.; upper edge of middle fascia 4.71 m.; face of upper fascia, 5.08 m. The shortest radius is probably the most unreliable since the surface is quite uneven. Perhaps of the three, the upper fascia may give the best results, and suggest a radius, adding 0.04 m. for the offset of the upper over the lower fascia, of 5.1 2 m. This would place the block in the curved exedra of the porta regia. 99. Architrave-frieze (Fig. 88). Total ht. 0.57 m.; ht. of architrave 0.33 m.; d. of soffit 0.51 m. Clamp cutting in right end, left end broken off; max. pres. 1. 1.42 m. The back is very rough and suggests that the block was set partially into a wall. The final series is, on the average, 0.45 m. high and contains both straight and curved pieces. 100. Architrave-frieze (Fig. 88). Total ht. 0.455 m.; ht. of architrave 0.25 m.; d. of soffit 0.32 m.; of top 0.465 m. Back smooth with bevel-fillet molding, 0.08 high, at top. Both ends broken; max. pres. 1. 0.80 m. Pentelic marble, micaceous. 101. Architrave-frieze (Fig. 88). Total ht. 0.452 m.; ht. of architrave 0.25 m.; d. of soffit 0.312 m. Back smooth with bevel-fillet molding 0.08 m. high at top. Right end preserved. The soffit is smooth-picked, with a rougher bed at the end 0.19 m. wide. This end also has a dowel cutting at the lower edge. Pres. 1. 1.02 m. Pentelic marble, micaceous. 102. Architrave-frieze (Fig. 88). Total ht. 0.455 m.; ht. of architrave 0.255 m.; d. of soffit 0.325 m. Soffit picked smooth. Back smooth with bevel-fillet (?) molding at top broken off. Pres. l. 0.50 m.; both ends broken. Pentelic marble. 103. Architrave-frieze (Fig. 88). Total ht. 0.46 m.; ht. of architrave 0.255 m.; d. of soffit 0.33 m., worked smooth, as is the back, from which the upper part, with any molding, is broken away. L. 1.815 m., with clamp in top at either end. 104. Architrave-frieze (Figs. 89, 95). Total ht. 0.455 m.; ht. of architrave 0.26 in.; d. of bed 0.41 m. Back rough, as though set into wall. Lifting hole in centre

117

of top. Left end bevelled for interior angle, with anathyrosis. Hook clamp with iron still preserved in left end. Length on face of bottom of architrave 1.30 m.; overall, 1.62 m. Lifting boss, not worked off, on architrave. This block, although it has the same height and profile as the preceding, apparently did not stand free on a colonnade but was either set into a wall for most of its depth or was partly carried on applied columns or pilasters. 105. Architrave-(frieze), curved, fragment (Fig. 88). Ht. from soffit to beginning of crownmold of architrave 0.19 m., which compares favorably with a height of 0.185 m. in 102. Radius of curve 5.14 m. Bottom dressed with toothed chisel. Right end preserved, rough picked. Max. pres. 1. 0.55 m. Small lifting boss, not worked off, at end of bottom fascia. Pentelic marble. 106. Architrave-frieze, curved, fragment (Fig. 88). Ht. of frieze 0.198 m. which corresponds closely with 100-102; d. of top 0.32 m.; back even, but rough picked. Both ends broken. Max. pres. 1. 0.62 m. Radius, on fillet beneath ovolo of crownmold of frieze, 4.05 m. The architrave is broken away below its crownmold. Pentelic marble. The two last pieces would appear, from their radii, to come from the regia, and one of the hospitalia. Other small splinters of curved entablature have been noted, but none are sufficiently preserved to give reliable indications. They are, therefore, not listed.

CORINTHIAN CAPITALS

107. Capital, Corinthian (Figs. 90, 91). Lower diam. on bed, 0.625 m., flaring out to 0.675 m. half way up the lower row of acanthus leaves. Ht. 0.725 m. The top has two square dowel holes with pour-channels. Their position, on adjacent sides, shows that the capital was a corner one, and this is borne out by the weathering and setting lines and the fact that the only unbroken volute is that of the outer corner where it would not have been broken off by the collapse of the architraves. Pentelic marble; good workmanship. This, the largest capital found in the theatre, may be assigned to the portico of the regia, along with the inscribed epistyle fragments, and the modillion cornice. The soffit of the architraves would have measured 0.64 m. so that the modillion cornice, with a depth of bed of some 10 centimetres more, would fit satisfactorily, allowing for a crownmold and possibly a dentil course between it and the frieze. The stvle is discussed below on p. 137. From the fact that the calyces on one side have a twisted corolla (Fig. 91) which is lacking on the face shown in Figure 90, it may be argued that the capital was placed over the southwest corner column of the portico.

118

CORINTH

FIG.

90.

CAPITAL

FROM PORTICO OF REGIA,

NO. 107

108. Capital, Corinthian. Lower diam. 0.50 m.; ht. 0.59 m. White micaceous marble. Badly chipped all around, especially the upper part. Dowels in top and bed. 109. Capital, Corinthian. Lower diam. 0.50 m.; ht. 0.575 m. Oblong dowel in top. White micaceous marble. Volutes broken off, and generally badly battered. 110. Capital, Corinthian. Lower diam. 0.50 m.; ht. not preserved. Badly broken. 111. Capital, Corinthian. Lower diam. ca 0.49 m.; ht. 0.57 m. All angles broken. This and the three preceeding examples are similar in style to 107 and may be assigned to the lower colonnade. 112. Capital, Corinthian. Lower diam. ca. 0.46 m.; ht. 0.68. Lewis hole in top. The leaves are very attenuated and give an effect rather like palm fronds. There is a bunch of dates carved on one side. The unusually slender proportions and the general character suggest that this is from one of the acanthus columns of which several fragments were found in the theatre, and that it is not to be connected with the structural members of the decoration of that building. 113. Capital, Corinthian (Fig. 92). Diam. not measurable, but was about 0.50 m.; ht. 0.53 m. The work is good, showing much use of the drill, and although the dimensions are roughly analogous, the character of the piece is quite different from 107-111. Found at high level, north of west parodos, and may not belong to the theatre.
PILASTERCAPITALS

FIG.

92. CAPITAL,

NO. 113, FOUND


WEST PARODOS

AT HIGH LEVEL NEAR

the capital may be associated with the curve of the hospitalia, as is the pilaster base 175. Deducting 2 x 0.025 m. for the curve of the torus of the base, and 2 x 0.02 m. for the apophyge of the pilaster, we would have a width for the pilaster at the base of about 0.55 in., which is close enough to permit the association of this base with the pilaster capital.
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FIG. 93.

PILASTER

CAPITAL,

NO.

114

114. Capital, pilaster, Corinthian (Fig. 93). W. on face 0.53 m.; d. of return, right side, 0.30 m.; left side, 0.19 m. Pres. ht. on face ca. 0.32 m.; upper half missing. There is a hole for an attachment clamp on right side. White micaceous marble. The unequal depth of the two sides suggests that

115. Capital, pilaster, Corinthian. One half of upper part only. Extreme width of abacus, restored, ca. 1.02 in.; pres. ht. ca. 0.35 in.; ht. of abacus 0.06 m. White marble. Securely built in to the late flume leading from the east hall to the orchestra, just at the entrance to the eastern versura. If the restoration of the width of the piece is correct, it is difficult to associate with any other architectural fragments from the theatre save the large pilaster base, 174, which suggests a pilaster of about 0.70 i. in width. This agrees fairly well with the apparent width of the cap in the region below the spirals, and with an assumed lower diameter for the great columns of the regia of approximately 0.70 m. The inference is that at the time of the naumachia the porch of the regia, at least, had been damaged and was rebuilt. The finding of the two great dies from the thecollum capital s, prh, pedestalsof thisbae

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120

CORINTH
120. Capital, Ionic. Diam. of bed ca. 0.45i m.; ht. 0.165 m. Rather flat carving of echinus' egg and tongue. Bolster shows band of scale pattern in centre, with acanthus springing toward ends. 121. Capital, Ionic. Diam. of bed 0.33 m.; ht. 0.11 m. Late, crude work. In two fragments which join. 122. Capital, Ionic. Diam. 0.36 m. 123. Capital, Aeolic, attached. Diam. 0.31 m.; ht. 0.25 m. Round dowel in bottom, rectangular dowel and pour-channel in top. Clamp cutting in roughpicked extension at back for attachment to wall or pier. The abacus is square, not hollowed at sides, and a row of eight acanthus leaves rises nearly to the top of the water leaves which surround the bell. Late, poor work. Probably not to be connected with the theatre, or in any case not until its final period.
COLUMN SHAFTS.

and some of the entablature indicates that this feature was retained, and suggests that the piece 115 was discarded in the course of repairs.
IONIC CAPITALS

116. Capital, Ionic. Diam. of bed ca. 0.50 m.; ht., bed to top, 0.155 m. One corner only preserved. Face of volute is plain, and there is a clamp cutting in top as though for an attached column. Bolster shows acanthus and water leaf. White marble, fair quality workmanship. 117. Capital, Ionic. Diam. of bed ca. 0.37 m.; ht., bed to top, 0.14 m. Dowel in centre of bottom, lead still preserved. Top rough picked. Bolster plain with three bands. 118. Capital, Ionic. Diam. of bed 0.47 m.; ht. to top 0.165 m. Square dowel in bottom; two square dowels in top. Bolster shows scale pattern in band in centre with acanthus leaves springing away toward ends. 119. Capital, Ionic (Fig. 94). Diam. of bed 0.47 m. to 0.49 m.; ht., bed to top, 0.162 m. Two fragments and a piece of a volute of this or a similar capital are preserved. Very fine work.

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Although all available fragments of column shafts have been examined, save such splinters as would not be reliably measurable, it is not useful to include a detailed list. Generally they will be divided into groups, in which a limited number of pieces will be noted. 124. Fluted shaft. Pentelic marble. Lower end. Diam. (0.20 m. above bed) 0.57 m. Apophyge flares out to a total diameter of ca. 0.63 m. Pres. 1.2.10 m. The bottom shows two pairs of rectangular dowel holes, in one set of which one hole has been cut in so faintly as to indicate this pair was never used. The holes which served are spaced 0.30 m. on centres. Three fragments of fluting at this scale have been noted. One shows fluting only in part. Possibly it came from the "back" of a shaft rather than from one where the fluting was begun only part way up. 125. Fluted shaft, fragment. Pentelic. Flutes average 0.09 m. on centre; giving a diameter of about 0.69 m. The calculation can only be approximate, due to a slight unevenness of the flutes, but it is sufficient to show that the piece may be associated with the large capital 107. A number of other fragments of fluting at this scale have been noted. 126. Shaft, upper part, fragment. Giallo Antiquo. Upper diam. ca. 0.45 m., well cut, plain astragal, diam. 0.502 m. To this series may be assigned two other fragments, one of Naxian, the other of Hymettos marble. Upper diameters are respectively 0.46 m. and 0.45 m. The astragals project about 0.02 m. and are plain. No dowels appear in the fragments, but they are insufficiently preserved to show conclusively that there could not have been the usual, central dowel cutting. 127. Shaft, plain, lower part. Hymettos marble. Lower diam. 0.445 in.; pres. 1. 1.60 m. Apophyge,

FIG.

94.

IONIC

CAPITAL,

NO. 119

INVENTORY OF ARCHITECTURAL FRAGMENTS


diam. of fillet 0.50 m. Outer edge is worked away on bottom for relieving surface, as is central area for diam. of 0.165 m. Two square dowelholes 0.285 m. on centres. A number of pieces of similar shaft have been noted as follows: 128. a. Lower part. Hymettos marble. Diam. 0.45 m. near bottom diminishing to 0.44 m. at a height of 1.50 m.; pres. 1. 2.07 m. Two square dowel holes 0.21 m. on centres. Apophyge and outer relieving bands, no central sinkage. Centre of bed marked by a small hole. b. Fragment. Purple Breccia, broken both ends. Diam. 0.445 m.; pres. 1. 0.60 m. c. Upper part. Granite. Diam. 0.395 m.; astragal diam. 0.44 m. Pres. 1. 0.59 m. No dowel. d. Fragment. Granite, broken both ends. Diam. 0.432 m. to 0.415 m.; pres. 1. 0.86 m. e. Lower part. Hymettos marble. Diam. 0.448 m.; pres. 1. 1.02 m. Relieving band at outer edge of bed. Apophyge diam. 0.50 m. Two dowel holes 0.29 m. on centres. Centre pin point. f. Top of shaft. Hiymettos marble. Diam. 0.408 m., increasing to 0.425 at break at lower end.; pres. 1. 1.10 m.; diam. of astragal 0.448 m. No dowel in top. g. Fragment. Breccia. Diam. 0.445 m.; pres. 1.0.75. m. h. Fragment. Breccia. Diam. 0.44 m.; pres. 1. 0.65 m. i. Fragment. Hymettos marble. Diam. 0.435 m.425 m.; pres. 1. 0.87 m. j. Fragment. Hymettos miarble.Diam. 0.45 m.; pres. 1. 0.40 m. We have here, consequently, a series of columns of similar dimensions, and materials including granite, dark blue marble, and purple Breccia, with a mean lower diameter of just under 0.45 m., and mean upper diameter of approximately 0.40 m. No shaft is preserved complete, so that the height may only be approximated at scarcely less than 3.30 m., nor more than 3.70 m. They appear generally to have had two dowels to affix them to their bases, and in the only top pieces preserved, no dowel appears. The next smaller series is as follows: 129. Shaft, plain, lower part. Dark blue marble. Lower diam. 0.35 m.; of apophyge fillet 0.378 m.; pres. 1. 0.93 m. Round dowel hole in centre of bed. 130. Shaft, plain, lower part. Dark blue marble. Diam. 0.34 m. diminishing to 0.325 m.; pres. 1. 1.80 m. Dowel in bed. 131. Shaft, plain, top. Purple Breccia. Diam. 0.315 m.; of astragal 0.351 m. Split in two parts. Dowel hole, if any, not preserved. 132. Shaft, plain, top. Purple Breccia. Diam.0.315m., of astragal 0.35 m. Round dowel hole and pourchannel. Pres. 1. 0.93 m. 133. Shaft, top. Dark, blue-gray marble. Diam.0.30 m. -0.325 in. at break; pres. 1. 1.16 m. Round dowel and pour-channel. Diain. of astragal 0.34 m.

121

134. Shaft, top. Breccia. Diam. 0.314 m.-0.318 m.; of astragal 0.35 m.; pres. 1. 0.55 m. Dowel and pourchannel. 135 a. Top. Dark blue marble. Diam. 0.33 m.-0.335 m. lower down; pres. 1. 0.73 m. Circular dowel hole, but top is badly broken and pour-channel is not preserved. b. c. d. e. Fragments of shafts. Dark blue marble, with diam. from 0.325 m. to 0.35 m. One shows a diminution of 0.02 m. in a distance of 0.93 m. Pres. 1. from 0.72 m. to 0.93 m. f.-n. Fragments of shaft. Purple Breccia, with diam. 0.32 m. to 0.34 m. Pres. 1. ranging from 0.24 m. to 1.00 m. Fragments of a still smaller order have been noted. 136. Fragment of shaft, split lengthwise. Blue gray marble. Diam. 0.25 m.; pres. 1. 0.78 m. 137. Fragment of shaft. Grayish white marble. Diam. 0.27 m.; pres. 1. 0.76 m. 138. Shaft, top part. Blue gray marble. Diam. 0.295 m.; pres. 1. 0.80 m. Crudely cut astragal. Dowel hole. 139. Bottom fragment. Dark blue marble. Diam. 0.33 m.; pres. 1. 0.97 m. Dowel hole. Apophyge broken away all round. 140. Fragment of top. Blue-white marble. Diam. 0.27 m.-0.28 m.; of astragal 0.30 m. Pin point marks centre. No dowel. East of the theatre are two shafts of a white, grained marble which probably are not associated with the stage, but come from a colonnade by a street, or possibly from the Peribolos. 141. Shaft, complete. Pentelic. Lower diam. 0.40 m.; upper diam. 0.345 m.; 1. 2.93 m.; diam. of apophyge and astragal respectively 0.45 m., and 0.395 m. Dowel hole in bottom, none on top. 142. Shaft. Pentelic. Lower diam. 0.41 m.; length not measurable as only the foot of the shaft projects from under the edge of the great dump to the east of the Theatre Plaza. Two fragments of Naxian, and one of a blue gray, marble have been noted, all badly battered, and looking as though they had travelled a long way. Probably they are not connected with the theatre, but it seems well to list them. 143. Shaft, with joint. Naxian marble. Diam. 0.64 m. Square dowel on one end. Pres. 1. 0.68 m. At the broken end the diameter increases to 0.645 m., but the thinner end can hardly be the top of a drum as there is clearly no pour-channel. 144. Shaft, top fragment. Diam. ca. 0.52 m. Crude astragal, lacking fillet below it. A hole has been cut from near edge of top (?) surface, to a point a little below the astragal. Pres. 1. 0.68 m. Less than one

122

CORINTH

third of circumference remains. Just below astragal Otherfragmentsof this series: is a mark C cut into the marble. b. Fragment. W. 0.432 m.; projection 0.28 m.; pres. 145. Fragment of shaft. Blue gray marble. Diam. 1. 0.40 m.
0.52 m.; pres. 1. 0.80 m. PILASTERS c. Fragment. W. 0.42 m.; projection 0.30 m.; pres. 1.

1.10 m. PurpleBreccia. d. Fragment.W. 0.423 m. projection0.29 m.; pres. 1. 0.97 m. Breccia. Back rough.
156. Pilaster, top. W. 0.28 m.; projection 0.27 m.;

146. Pilaster, upperpart (Fig. 95). W. ca. 0.63 m. at bed diminishingto 0.60 m. just below astragal; ht.
0.989 m.; d. of right side, 0.275 m., of left side 0.165m.

dowelholes, a lifting hole, Top showstwo rectangular and three cuttings for attaching clamps. Broken in two joiningpieces. White marble. This piece must be associatedwith the counterpart of the pilaster base, 174, and both with the porta
regia.

147. Pilaster, section, fragment.W. ca. 0.62 m. Two near front of top, squaredowelswith pour-channels liftinghole, andone cuttingforattachment,nearright side at back. D. of right side 0.32 m.; of left 0.16 m. This may well go immediatelybelow 146, but since the lowerpart of 146 is so badly shattered,no dowel holes are preservedwhich would verify the joining of the two. 148. Pilaster, section, broken at both ends. W. of
face, 0.498 m.; d. of left side 0.263 m., of right 0.159

in top. pres.1.0.70 m. Clamp,doweland pour-channel Astragalroughlyfinished.Blue Hymettosmarble. 157. Pilaster, top. W. 0.29 m.-0.30 m.; projection 0.21 m.; pres. 1. 1.09 m. (two piecesthat join). Clamp in top, whichhas slightly raisedrelievingsurfaceand well cut astragal.PurpleBreccia. 158. Pilaster,top. W. 0.29 m. Back brokenoff. Dowel in top and astragal.One side quite roughlyfinished. PurpleBreccia.
159. Pilaster, bottom. W. 0.28 m.; projection 0.22 m.;

pres. 1. 0.45 m. Bottom has apophyge,and a dowel hole. Breccia.


160. Pilaster, fragment. W. 0.305 m.; projection 0.22 m.; pres. 1. 0.40 m. Breccia.

m. The angle of the back shows that it belongs on a hemicycle, and the smaller size either associates it with a second storey order or, more probably,with the hospitaliaand pilasterbase 175, fairly well up on the pilaster. Blue Hymettos marble. 149. Pilaster, fragment. W. 0.51 m.; d. of one side
0.26 m.; of other 0.15 m.; pres. 1. 0.75 m. Blue marble.

We find, accordingly,that the pilaster fragments fall into the followingclasses: 1. Pilasters of unequal projection at the sides, with a curve,as of the comingfroman accommodation hemicycleof the regiaor hospitalia.Thesein turn are of two sizes. a. Larger,with a width at the top of ca. 0.60 m., and showing diminution:146, 147. The material is Pentelic marble. b. Smaller, with a width on the face of about
0.50 m., or, in the various ones preserved, from

150. Pilaster, fragment. D. of one side 0.25 m.; W. not preserved. Back not parallelto face. Blue marble. 151. Pilaster,fragment.W. ca. 0.50 m.; projectionof
one side 0.27 m., of other 0.16 m.; pres. 1. 0.60 m.

Blue Hymettos marble. 152. Pilaster, lower part. W. 0.53 m.; just above apophyge diminishingto 0.51 m. at 1.30 m. above bed.; d. ca. 0.27 m. The face was vertical. Bed shows rectangulardowel hole. In either side, a squarehole 0.16 m. back from face, as for attachment. White micaceousmarble. 153. Pilaster, upper part. W. 0.41 m. to max. of 0.415 m. Pres. 1. of 0.82 m.; projection0.275. Top, whichis finishedwith a simplefasciaandbevel below, in lieu of astragal,has lewis hole, one square dowel andpour-channel, and one clampchannelwhich runs into the lewis hole. Back roughhacked.Blue Hymettos marble. 154. Pilaster, bottom part. W. 0.445 m.-0.435 m.; projection0.295 m.; pres. 1. 0.84 m. Apophygeand fillet at bottom. 155. a. Pilaster,two joining fragments.W. 0.42 m.; projection 0.28 m. Smooth on all four sides. MaJx. pres. 1. 1.07 m. IDark blue Hymettos marble.

0.498 m. to 0.51 m. No tops or bottoms are preserved and it is not possible to be sure whetherthey showeddiminutionor not: 148, 149,150, 151. Thematerialis a very darkbluegray marble, probablyHymettos. 2. Pilastersof equal projectionat either side, to be placedagainsta flat wall. Thesefall into the following main sizes. a. Largest, with a bottom width of 0.53 m., in relationto height: 152. Pentelic diminishing marble. Only one preserved. b. Smaller,with upper width of about 0.41 m. and a bottom width of about 0.445 m. The severalfragmentswould all appearto belong to this series, which consequentlyhad diminution. Theirwidthsall fall betweenthe upper and lower dimensions.The material is either Hymettos marble or the purpleBreccia:153, 154, 155 a, b,,c, d. c. Smallest,with a max. top width of 0.29 m. or 0.28 m. To this series may also belong a bottom fragment,(?) 159, with a width of only 0.28 in., and 160, a fragment 0.305 m. as aJ top, despitethe wide. If 159 is interpreted

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FIG. 95. ARCHITECTURAL DETAILS. VARIOUS

[123]

124

CORINTH
lack of astragal which appears on the other top fragments, and the lack of pour-channel for the dowel, the series would also seem to have had diminution. The material is either Hymettos marble or Breccia. 168. Base. Diam. 0.405 m., of setting line ca. 0.385 m.;

ht. 0.145 m*,of plinth 0.09 m. Round dowelhole with in top, centre. pour-channel 169. Base. Diam. 0.408 m., at top of upper torus ca.
0.38 m.; ht. 0.152 m., of plinth 0.078 m.; w. of plinth

BASES,

COLUMN.

0.48 m. Dowel and pour-channel in top with lead still preserved. 170. Base. Coarsewhite marble. Diam. ca. 0.58 m.0.60 m.; ht. 0.21 m. No plinth. Broken so that less

Practically every base found in the theatre, and presumably belonging to it, is of the standard Attic Ionic variety, with the fillet above the scotia projecting evenly with the upper torus. None have any decoration, but all save one are provided with plinths carved from the same block as the rest of the base. Slight variations of height in base and plinth occur in pieces which from their diameters belong to the same series. The diameters are given in terms of the extreme dimensions of the upper torus, and only in cases where there is a clear indication is the diameter of the fillet of the apophyge of the column shaft indicated. The material, save where noted, is a white, Pentelic marble, frequently showing micaceous striations. 161. Base (Fig. 95). Diam. 0.68 m., diam. to setting line 0.625 m.; ht. 0.20 m., of plinth 0.165 m.; w. of plinth 0.79 m. Two square dowel holes, 0.35 m. on centres in top. 162. Base. Diam. 0.682 m., diameter to setting line 0.63 m.; ht. 0.19 m., of plinth 0.17 m.; w. of plinth 0.772 m. Two square dowel holes 0.40 m. on centres in top with pour-channels. Plinth has triangular lifting bosses on three sides. 163. Base. Diam. ca. 0.68 m.; ht. 0.19 m., of plinth 0.17 m. At a distance of ca. 0.60 m. from face of the plinth the base has been roughly picked off as though for a three quarter column. One square dowel hole in top, with pour-channel. A roughly circular area about 0.18 m. in diameter has been picked down in centre of top. Base is broken about in half. Part of lower torus, near cut, is unworked. 164. Base. Diam. 0.68 m.; ht. 0.19 m., of plinth 0.16 m.; w. of plinth 0.774 m. Two round dowel holes, 0.29 m. on centres, in top with pour-channels. 165. Base. Diam. ca. 0.67 m. +; ht. 0.198 m., ht. of plinth not measurable as lower part is broken off; w. of plinth 0.77 m. One dowel hole still visible at one side of top, but it was never completed, being sunk only about 0.01 m. Central relieving circle slightly picked down. 166. Base. Diam. 0.55 m.; at top of curve of torus 0.51 m.; ht. 0.195 m., of plinth 0.10 m.; w. of plinth 0.66 m. Top shows two square dowel holes, 0.25 m. on centres with pour-channels. 167. Base. Diam. 0.55 m.; at top of curve of torus 0.51 m.; ht. 0.195 m., of plinth 0.11 m. Lower torus badly hacked away. Two square dowel holes in top, with pour-channels.

than half of circleis preserved. 171. Base, similarto 170 but does not join. 172. Base. Pentelic marble, micaceous. Diam. 0.41
m.; ht. 0.16 m., of plinth 0.12 m.; w. of plinth 0.462

m. Circulardowel with pour-channelin top. Poorly finished. 173. Base. Blue-white marble. Diam. 0.475 m.; ht. includingcircularplinth which is tangent to the nose of the lower torus 0.24 m.; diam. of plinth 0.56 m. Round dowel and pour-channel in top centre. If lower torus had been completelyworked,the height of the plinth, assumingnormal proportionsfor the base, would have been about 0.057 m. The piece is crudelycut and can only belongto a late repairto the theatre, if it belongs at all.
BASES, PILASTER.

Two pilaster bases, of the small number preserved, are of particular interest as they are cut away at the back in such a way as to fit against the curve of a hemicycle. They can only come, one from the portico of the porta regia, the other from that of one of the hospitalia. The material would seem to be a poor grade of Pentelic marble. 174. Base, pilaster (Fig. 95). W. measured on nose of upper torus, ca. 0.815 m. The torus is entirely broken at either end so that the above dimension is approximated. Ht. of base 0.231 m., of plinth.0.161 m.; w. of plinth on face 0.937 m. Two square dowels, probably with pour-channels, in top. The left side of the base measures about 0.461 m. on the plinth, and has, near the back, a cutting, as though for the insertion of a revetment slab, possibly the facing of a step. The right end measures only 0.228 m., from front to back; an unworked protecting surface covers part of the plinth. The back of the block is roughly hacked, but the working seems to be original. On bottom, two small dowel holes, 0.035 m. deep by 0.04 m. square.

175. Base, pilaster (Fig. 95). W. on face, on nose of


upper torus, 0.642 m.; ht. 0.24 m., of plinth 0.16 m.; w. of plinth on face, 0.735 m. Right end of plinth measures 0.41 in., left end, which is cut at an angle as though for a radial joint, measures 0.21 m. on surface of joint, or ca. 0.23 m. straight back from the

angle to back of block. Two squaredowelswith pour channels in top. Back of block roughly worked, or
split off before setting.

INVENTORY OF ARCHITECTURALFRAGMENTS
176. Base, pilaster; fragment of corner. Ht. of plinth 0.17 m., upper part of base broken off but dimensions of lower torus make it certain that the piece belongs in the series with the two just above. 177. Base, pilaster; Attic Ionic profile including part of shaft. Top is 0.50 m. wide by 0.46 m. deep. Total ht. 0.39 m., ht. of base proper 0.242 m. No plinth. Two rectangular dowels in top but no pour-channels. Back sawn smooth. 178. Base, pilaster; Attic Ionic profile, including part of shaft. Top had width of ca. 0.48 m., depth not measurable as front is broken away. Two dowels in top, and two in bottom. Total ht. 0.39 m., ht. of base proper 0.235 m. To be associated with 177.
MISCELLANEOUS PIECES.

125

179. Die of pedestal. Blueish-white marble. 1.00 m. by 0.99 m. by 0.825 m. high. Two square dowel holes with pour-channels in top, into which a round basin has been cut later. Smoothly finished. 180. Die of pedestal, similar to above, 0.99 m. square, 0.79 m. high. One side somewhat broken. These two massive blocks were found, one in the area in front of the scaenae frons, the other (with the basin) in the peribolos behind. They would most probably come from the pedestals which carried the large columns of the porta regia. 181. Coffered ceiling block, fragment (Fig. 95). Ht. from soffit to top of coffer, 0.213 m.; total th. 0.375 m. 182. Coffered ceiling block, fragment. Ht. from soffit to top of coffer, 0.213 m.; total th. 0.365 m. The length of one side of a coffer is measurable and gives a spacing for the coffers of ca. 0.69 m. on centres. A shallow rounded panel runs along the soffits of the beams, and along the side, next to the bedding which rested on the block below. W. of bedding 0.12 m. 183. Coffered ceiling block, fragment. Same series. Bed at one side 0.07 m. wide, next to the soffit of the beam which has a width of 0.21 m. 184 a, b. Two fragments of archivolt from an arched recess. Taken together they show an arch with radius of 1.56 m. The archivolt is in three fascias plus a

crown molding. Across the top of the arch was a horizontal architrave molding, of which only the two lower and the beginning of the upper fascias are preserved. At the side is a plain, raised vertical band, possibly a shallow pilaster. The right hand joint is smooth picked, the soffit also; back rough; thickness ca. 0.45 m. from spandrel. Pentelic marble. Good workmanship. The soffit does not run clear through but shows the stump of a panel at the back. Soffit 0.32 m. deep. Fascias have smooth bands on lower edge. 185. Seat, or bench, support, carved with a lion's leg and claws (Fig. 95). Ht. 0.34 m.; w. 0.145 m.; pres. d. (1.) 0.25 m. Good quality work. Pentelic marble. 186, 187. Seat supports, with lion's legs (Fig. 95). These have a height of 0.325 m., and total lengths from 0.78 m., and 0.92 m. The front and one side of each block are finished, the other sides are left rough and worked in such a way as to show that a facing slab for the front of the seat adjoined the blocks on one side. 188 a-c. There are three other such blocks almost wholly preserved, plus numerous fragments. Their execution varies from fair to poor, and the material is generally blueish-white marble. There can be little doubt that they came from the ends of the rows of cavea seats, where they flanked the stairs. 189 a, b. Foot of a shaft, surrounded with acanthus leaves (Figs. 96, 97). Square plinth 0.55 m. wide; pres. d. 0.30 m. (broken); total ht. 0.38 m. 190. Drum of shaft surrounded by acanthus leaves (Fig. 97). Diam. 0.43 m.; ht. 0.31 m. A few fragments of fluting with the arris v-shaped in plan have been noted, and belong to this column, or columns. 191. Pedestal, square with circular Ionic base carved integrally at the top (Fig. 95). Ht. of pedestal 0.465 m., of base 0.085 m. Pedestal 0.24 m. square; diam. upper torus of base 0.26 m.; presumable diam. of shaft above, 0.22 m. Centre part of upper surface of base

_~~~~CLMS

NOe19

FIG. 96. LOWER

PART OF ACANTHUS

COLUMN,

NO. 189

FIG.

97.

BASE,

DRUM

AND FRAGMENTS

OF AICANTHUS

126

CORINTH

has been sunk down about two centimetres,and a hole 0.04 m. in diameterhas been bored down from the top to a point one third of the way down the pedestal, widening there to a diameter of 0.11 m., which is continued through to the bottom. White marble.Fair workmanship. 192. Altar, circular (Fig. 95). Ht. 0.98 m.; diam. 0.52 m. Upperpart wornand chippedall around.The foot consists of a plain torus surmountedby a cyma recta, with Lesbian leaf. The shaft carries, in high relief, four boukraniaand swags or garlands. 193. Altar, circular,fragment.The lower part of an altar similar to 192. Diam. 0.54 m. Preserved to somewhatless than half its height, or about 0.45 m. 194. Pedestal base (Fig. 95). Fragments of three corners.Pentelic marble. Ht. 0.34 m. a. Preserved dimensions 0.40 m. by 0.85 m. Shows pour-channel. b. Preserved dimensions 0.60 m. by 0.57 m. Shows pour-channels. c. Preserved dimensions 0.97 m. by 0.34 m. Shows cuttings for repair clamps and a dowel hole. Moldingat one side merely a plain sloping surface. Probably rear side of base. Although the pieces do not make actual contact, the grain of the marble runs so that they can be arrangedto form a base of propersize to take one of the large cubical dies which carriedthe columns of the regia. They were found built into the mediaeval well just west of the centralpart of the scaenaefrons. 195. Pedestal base (Fig. 95). White limestone. Ht.

200. Plinth course block. Blue gray marble. Ht. 0.17 m.; 1. 0.935 m.; d. 0.615 m. Top medium roughpicked. Face sawn smooth. 201. Parapet slab from late barrier for naumachia. Ht. 0.83 m.; w. 0.81 m., th. ca. 0.15 m. Top roughly rounded with cuttings for hook clamps in top. Cut from a plinth block which had a raised lip at front and two circular dowels with pour-channels in top. 202. Parapet slab. Ht. 1.10 m.; w. 0.54 m.; th. 0.12m. Top roughly picked, rounded. No clamps. Lower end broken or roughly hacked. Has had later use as a door sill. 203. Parapet slab. Ht. 0.46 m.; w. 0.56 m.; th. 0.135 m. Top rounded, with hooked clamps. 204. Parapet slab, broken into two joining pieces. Ht. 0.46 m.; pres. w. 0.36 m.; th. 0.12 m. Clamp cutting in rounded top, dowel hole in bottom, which has anathyrosis. 205. Parapet slab. Ht. 0.46 m.; pres. w. 0.82 m.; th. 0.13 m. Top rounded, with clamp cutting. Dowel holes in bottom 0.15 m. from either end, ca. 0.66 m. apart. If symmetrical, the original width of slab would have been about 0.96 m. Built into edging course of late orchestra, naumachia floor. At least two other pieces of this series are built into the edging course, and another has been re-used in the sill of the western entrance to the arena. Hence we appear to have a low (0.46 m.) parapet, a barrier connected with the second century theatre. It can have nothing to do in its original form with the naumachia, but probably comes from a conistra of the 0.245 m. ; w. on bottom fascia 0.74 m.; on top surface period preceding the amphitheatre, and somehow sur(fordie)0.584m.; d. on bottom 0.67 m. A rounddowel vived to find place in the final reconstruction of the cutting is off centre in the bottom,anda smallsquare theatre.
MOLDINGS, STRING COURSES, ETC.

hole appearsnear one cornerof top. 196. Cap for statue pedestal including part of die (Fig. 95). White limestone. Ht. 0.33 m.; w. of die,
0.36 m.; of top of cap, 0.58 m.; pres. d. 0.54 m. Back

broken.Two roundholes are sunk to one side of the sizes were found. Most of these are in very fragmentary centre of the top surface. condition, and not all pieces will be listed. The 197. Pedestal cap (Fig. 95). Top (?) fragment.White repertory of profiles, however, is fully represented.
marble. Ht. 0.315 m.; pres. on face 0.40 m.; on side 0.50 m.; which is less well finished. No dowels.

A large number of moldings of various profiles and

206. Cyma (Fig. 95). Blue gray marble. Ht. 0.375 m.; projection 0.27 m. Dowel in right end, clamp on top. 198. Pedestal cap (Fig. 95). White marble.Ht. 0.266 Bed and back sawn; molded surface worked with a m. to top edge of fascia crowningcyma; w. of bottom point. Pres. 1. 0.78 m. 207. Crownmold (Figs. 98, 99). Blue-white marble, (die) 0.41 m.; of top 0.58 m.; d. not preserved. 199. Plinth block. Ht. 0.175 m., right end and back similar to cornice 59 with same finish. Ht. 0.15 m.; broken off. Parts of two square dowel holes, set pres. 1.ca. 0.97 m. Angle piece, the top surface is worn 0.28 m. apart (0.35 m. on centres) are preserved,on smooth. Two clamp cuttings for attachment. This is either side of a setting, or centeringline which runs the largest and best preserved example from among forwardto, and downthe front of, the block. The left a number of fragments of the same series. The backs forwardcorner is indented; left side picked with a are all sawn; tops either sawn or rough picked. smoothed edge. Front, and sides of the corner in- 208. Crownmold(Fig. 100). Fine grained white marble. dentation smoothly polished. Top looks as though it Ht. 0.17m.; two pieces that join with a combined had been planed down slightly before inscribing pres. 1. of 0.87 m. Top and back sawn smooth; top setting line, bottom is picked. worn. Clamp for attachment to wall behind.

OF ARCHITECTURAL FRAGMENTS INVENTORY

127

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No. 217

No. 212 No.2

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No. 213

No. 218
No.220

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No.21
No 216

No. 210

No. 219

No. 221

No. 207

No. 215

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98

MOIGS

FUL

SIZ

128

CORINTH
212. Crownmold (2) angle piece (Figs. 98, 101). White marble, sawn top and back. Fine finish. Ht. 0.07 m.; d. of top 0.084 m. Above the cyma recta is a narrow fillet and then a reed. 213. Crownmold, several pieces, fine white marble (Figs. 98, 99). Ht. 0.10 m. Sawn top and back. The cyma has a narrow fillet sbove it, surmounted by a broader one which slopes backward. One piece ran back to a wall and shows cut for re-entrant angle. 214. Crownmold or string course, several fragments (Figs. 98, 99). White marble, well finished. Ht. 0.07 m. Back sawn. 215. Crownmold or string course (Fig. 98). One piece. White marble, very good finish. lit. 0.06 m.; max. d. 0.05 m. Clamp in top for attachment. 216. Crownmold, curved (Fig. 98). Ht. 0.11 in.; d. of top 0.08 m. Clamp in top. The piece is too small to give a reliable measurement for the radius of the curve. 217. Base mold, four fragments (Figs. 98, 99, 100). Blue-white marble. Beds sawn, backs rough picked. Ht. 0.14 m.; d. of bed 0.19 m. The moldings from bottom up are torus, cyma recta, inverted cavetto. There is a shallow sinkage behind the horizontal top to accommodate a revetment slab. This group must be associated with 207.

209. A similar piece, which has the right end preserved, and a present length of 0.48 m. The back is rough. Top is worn along front edge, the rearmost two to seven centimetres is picked. 210. Crownmold, four fragments (Figs. 98, 99). Bluewhite marble. Ht. 0.115 m. to 0.12 m.; d. of top 0.12 m. Tops and backs sawn or rough picked. Clamps for attachment. Faces finished with toothed chisel. One fragment has an unworked surface at right end. 211. Crownmold, eight fragments (Fig. 98). White marble. Ht. 0.095 to 0.10 m. Backs and tops sawn, but top of one is rough picked.

~~~~~~~I-E

FIG. 99. MOLDINGS, Nos. 210, 207, 214, 213, 217-220

r~~

~HL

SIZE

MOLDINGS,NS21,2724,1327-0 ~~~~FIG. 101.

. ..
_ L.

...
w ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~A

FIG. 100. MOLDINGS:

ABOVE

Nos.

208, 217,

BELOW

No.

208

..

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,I.
,jl~~~~?

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~.I?~:"~.:'D .

-.~. ? "E. '.:'~

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~i.

'"'::i!ii: '.ii.:.::.:.., '?i.:~:,...:: ??~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~:: :. C~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~:,.~:


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'i:

i:

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I)???

'~~~~~~~~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~oo
FiG~~~.10.MLIG'AA-"PRIL,oN. r? I? _, ?'; r B,TPCA

,-..,-,....'.-.,.;',:
, .o.

OUMNBS;CK ORE 6; SRN

?rl~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~12

130

CORINTH G. 11 Inner end. Joint 0.18 m. from inner lip. L. 0.43 m.; w. at lip 0.60 m.; at joint 0.63 m. Dowels and pour-channels. 223. Hard limestone blocks with rectangular notches or indentations in one end. These came from a late wall built parallel with the stage above the line of the Hellenistic proskenion. N. 1 L. 1.30 m.; w. 0.70 m.; th. 0.58-0.60 m. One rear corner hacked at about a 450 angle. Socket or channel cut through one end, 0.36 m. by 0.30 m. deep (Fig. 103). One broad surface is rough picked, the opposite one finished with a toothed chisel.

218. Base mold, twelve fragments, white marble (Figs. 98, 99). Beds sawn, backs rough picked, clamps in top. Same elements as 217. Ht. 0.113 m., d. of bed 0.09 m. To be associated with 210. 219. Base mold, two fragments including one righthand corner (Figs. 98, 99). Gray-white marble. Ht. 0.075 m., d. of bed 0.10 m. The sequence of parts is torus, fillet, inverted cavetto. Torus element finished with toothed chisel. 220. Base mold, curved (Figs. 98, 99). Ht. 0.11 m. Same sequence of parts as 218 but not precisely same profile. Back sawn, bed picked. 221. Base mold (Fig. 98). A selection of other moldings, from string courses, is given in Figure 102, C to J. Some are illustrated in Figure 101. 222. Blocks from the late limestone gutter, not in situ or replaced cf. Fig. 37. G. 1 Complete block. L. 1.78 in.; w. at outer lip 0.84 m., at inner lip 0.84 m. Both raised lips hacked off. Average th. at centre 0.27 m. Dowels in inner end. From mediaeval well in scaena. G. 2 Complete block. L. 1.68 m.; w. at outer lip 0.84 m.; at inner 0.85 m. Both raised lips hacked off. Th. 0.28-0.30 m. Dowels in inner end. From well in scaena. G. 3 Outer part. Pres. 1. 0.99 m.; w. at outer lip 0.84 m. Rim preserved. W. from lip to outer end 0.29 m.; th. at centre 0.26 m. The block was wedge-shaped, tapering 0.07 m. in 0.30 m. From well in scaena. G. 4 Outer end, with joint between it and inner end. Pres. 1. 1.05 m.; w. at lip 1.03, at centre joint 0.94 m. Outer rim hacked off. From well in scaena. G. 5 Outer end, broken at centre. Pres. 1. 0.86 m.; w. at lip 0.64 m.; tapers 0.01 in 0.30 m.; th. 0.25 m. From well in scaena. G. 6 Outer end, joint at centre. L. 1.02 m., w. at lip 0.59 m., at joint 0.59 m.; th. 0.30. From well in scaena. G. 7 Outer end, possible joint at centre. Pres. 1. 0.60 m.; w. at lip 0.62 m.; tapers 0.01 in 0.30 m. G. 8 Outer end. L. from lip to possible joint in centre, 0.45 m.; w. at lip 0.53 m.; outer part of lip (rear of block) hacked away; th. 0.21 m. G. 9 Outer end, broken very near lip. Now upside down in front of central preserved section of gutter. W. 0.80 m. On the bottom are two dowel holes to range with those cut in the inner ends of the blocks in situ, thus showing a repair to, or a possible re-laying of, the entire gutter. G. 10 Inner end. Joint 0.17 from inner lip. L. 0.46 in.; w. at lip 0.50 m. Dowels in groove.

/o

,210

.300

,57Q .700

FIG.

103. LIMESTONE

BLOCK WITH NOTCH,

NO.

223

N. 2 L. 1.22 m.; w. 0.66 m. on one bed, which is tooth chiselled, 0.72 m. on other which is rough picked; th. 0.60 m. Notch 0.35 m. wide; 0.27 m. deep. N. 3 L. 0.90 m.; w. 0.73-0.70 m.; th. 0.55 m. Notch 0.32 m. wide; 0.36-0.30 m. deep. The top (2) is worn along one edge. N. 4 L. 1.36 m.; w. 0.70-0.68 m.; th. 0.62 m. at back, 0.56 m. at front by notch, which is 0.32 m. wide, 0.38-0.40 m. deep. The notch is now filled with hard rubble cement. One lateral side seems to have been in part covered with a cement stucco. Onebroad surface (top ?) rough hacked, the opposite tooth chiselled. N. 5 L. 74 m.; w. 0.70-0.66 m.; th. 0.59-0.56 m. Notch 0.32 m. by 0.26 m. deep. One face of the notch was cut with a saw. This is the only case where this occurs. The varying thicknesses of the blocks, ranging from 0.60 m. to 0.55 m., and, in one block, varying from one end to the other by 0.03 m., together with the fact that they show both rough and well chiselled surfaces below and above suggests that they never could have formed part of a uniform course in the upper part of the building, where they might have served as guides for velum poles. It is altogether more likely that they were used on or below ground level in connection with barriers or various arrangements set up in the arena.

CHAPTER

VIII

SUMMARY AND CHRONOLOGY


GREEK
DATING

The theatre in its original form seenmsto date from the last part of the fifth century, probably about 415 B.C. Of this building there remain the seats, and traces or indications of the early, lowest orchestra level, the analemmata, and a wooden stage building, placed off centre to the east. This dating is supported by the excavational evidence from the soundings made between and below the rows of seats and their foundations. None of the pottery found contained any sherds later than the fifth century.1 The extremely simple form of the seats, and their low pitch, indicate an early date; for there is a great development from the plain, rectangular section observed at Corinth to the far more sophisticated seats in the koilon of Epidauros. Although it is not possible to say how much earlier,the gentle rise and the effect given of a translation from wooden timbers of the early theatre tradition to their stone equivalents should make the Corinththeatre antedate 350 B.C. by a considerableperiod of time. Anotherconsideration,admittedly more subjective, is the possible effect of the building of the first stone theatre at Athens, which, accordingto Dinsmoor,must now be dated in the late fifth century, most probably in the intermission during the Peloponnesian wars, from 425-413 B.C.2If we may imagine that the idea of emulating or bettering a rival entered into the Corinthianpsychology, this period, with a
J. A., XXXII, 1928, pp. 482-3. Dinsmoor, The Architectureof Ancient Greece,ed. 1950, pp. 208, 209.
2

prospect of an enduring peace, would provide a likely time for the establishment of the Corinth theatre. Although Xenophon's reference3 to the theatre in the events of the year 392 B.C. is no proof that the building he refers to is the one in which we are interested, it may be said, on the negative side, that in over half a century's excavation on the site no other theatre has been located, nor has any plausible situation for one been noted. Thus far no traces of a predecessor of the building wvithwhich this study is concerned have been observed on the same site. A final consideration, which, however, does not throw conclusive light on the problem, is the inscribed seats blocks. Professor John Kent, who has examined the various blocks with their lettering, concluded at first that they should be dated, for the most part, about the middle of the fifth century. Subsequently, in view of the improbability of dating the first stone theatre so early, he has revised his opinion to bring the lettering well down toward the end of the century.4The plain fact is that thus far we do not have sufficient knowledge of Corinthianepigraphy to be positive. The date of the second Greek period, with the construction of the new orchestra, the skene, and proskenion, is even more elusive. There is no excavational evidence of a satisfactory nature. The period between 338 B.C. and about 250 B.C., correspondingto the Antigonid rule, seems to have been marked by a great deal of new building at Corinth, and the
3 Hell., IV, 4, 3. 4 The inscriptions from the theatre are to be published in Corinth,VIII, iii.

1 A.

9*

132

CORINTH

renovation of the theatre would seem to fall within this time. Possibly the work may have been begun soon after the revival of the CorinthianLeague in 302 B.C. The hooked clamps in the gutter and in the foundations of the skene point to a date in the third century, but it will be rememberedthat in the Roman analemmata several wall blocks appeared, re-used, which had H clamps, and in their finish and anathyrosis resembled strongly the masonry of the gutter and skene.5 There is no positive proof that the blocks came from the ruins of the Hellenistic building, but they would serve admirably for the skene, and for hardly any other place. The ready proximity of the material to the new Roman analemmata would strengthen such a possibility. If they do belong, we have a combination of hook and H clamps used in the same structure, and this would suggest a date toward the end of the fourth century.6 The little cyma reversa molding at the foot of the gutter curbis not a very sound criterion, as it is relatively easy to find the same profile used over a fairly wide range of time. It does, however, resemble very closely a base molding from the Asklepieion at Corinth, dated to the second half of the fourth century.7 There are close analogies in technique between the theatre and the great South Stoa, which current study of the building would date in the third quarter of the fourth century B.C. Comparisons with certain features of the theatre at Sikyon, dated by Bulle, agreeing with Frickenhaus, in the first half of the third century, are suggestive.8 Especially so is the form of the gutter, which is deep, rather than
5 Above, p. 108, Nos. 20-24. 6 The use of hook above H clamps would be paralleled by the third temple of Apollo Patroos in the Athenian Agora, H. A. Thompson, Hesperia VI, 1937, pp. 102-104, for which a date between 338 and 326 B. C. is suggested. Reference is made also to a similar disposition in the stoa of Philip II at Megalopolis, J. H. S., Supplementary Papers I: Excavations at Megalopolis, London, 1892, pp. 59ff. 7 L. T. Shoe, Profiles of Greek Mouldings, Cambridge, Mass., 1936, pl. XXXVIII, 8. 8 Bulle, op. cit., p. 199.

shallow, as at Epidauros, and follows on a smaller scale the type of the Lykurgan gutter at Athens. There is also a similarity in the fact that the entire area of the lower floor of the skene (hyposkenion) is not made available. Dinsmoor9 comments on the neglect of the lower level of the Corinthian skene, but it seems quite certain that at least the central third of the area was usable. The outer thirds do not appear to have had sufficient headroom to make them useful. This definitely bespeaks an upper storey, or episkenion, which may at first have been of wood, though there is no direct evidence. to the captureof AcroPlutarch's reference?1 corinth by Antigonos Gonatas on the occasion of the entertainment given in the theatre for Queen Nikaia may allow the speculation that some time before this occasion the theatre had been newly remodelled, and if so, the work would have been done before 247 B.C. Such evidence as we have tends to place the remodelling either late in the fourth century, or surely not later than the second quarter of the third. The next step in the development of the theatre was the erection of a stairway at the southeast angle of the skene and, in all probability, a rebuilding of the upper part of the skene in stone. We do not know whether the first proskenionhad stone columns, or whether they may have been of wood, and moveable, with only a stone stylobate,1 but stone columns may have been introduced when the stairway was built. There are, save for one double column fragment, no recognizable elements of such a colonnade. It is highly improbable that the proskenion was widened at the time the stair was introduced, since the extraordinary care with which the stair tower was laid out does not accordwith the more slipshod work of the later proskenionfoundation, or the
9 Op. cit., p. 300 and note 1. 10Plutarch, Aratos, 17, 4. 11Cf. Dinsmoor, op. cit., p. 301.

SUMMARYAND CHRONOLOGY

133

passage way leading out from the hyposkenion to the face of this newer logeion. The greater projection given to this feature, with its consequent curtailing of the older, fully circularorchestra,bespeaks an increasing use of the top of the proskenion as a logeion and, actually, a stage. We have no indication of its height, but it probably was the same as that of its narrowerpredecessor.
FIRST PERIOD

Several matters of interest, then, appear in the theatre of the first Greek period. First, the seats, to which the nearest parallel is to be found at Eretria, where, however, they areprovided with a slightnosing. Dilke12places this sort of seating in a special category adducing as parallels Megalopolis, Argos and the stadium at Olympia. But none of these is surely as early as Corinth, and hence we conclude that, if there was any connection, Corinth influenced Eretria. The Corinthian solution suggests a tradition of rectangular balks of timber, costly, but certainly more stable than a plank and prop construction from which the Argos type of seating is said to be derived. The absence of any skene save a wooden one is no longer a matter of surprise, but the fact that the cuttings assigned to the structure show that it was definitely off centre should be remembered. It may be purely coincidental, but if there is any foundation for Pollux' statement13that the parodoi were thought of as leading, one from the country, the other from the town, this off-centred Corinthian skene lies definitely on the side of the actual city centre of Corinth (cf. P1. I). We should also note that this temporary, removeable skene lies within the circle of the orchestra as measured from the lowest row of the original seats, and actually is tangent to
"The Greek Theatre Cavea," B. S. A., XLIII, 1948 p. 158. 13 Onomastikon, IV, 126, ed. Bethe, Leipzig, 1890.
12

that circle at the rear of the building. This suggests that the structure was thought of primarily as an integral part of the play, included in the orchestra where the early acting took place. If the post holes are to be considered not as intended for a roofed building, but merely to support a stage or platform, then we should look for some traces of a back wall on the analogy of Athens in the late fifth century. Of this, however, there is no evidence and, if there ever was one, the constructions of the Hellenistic period and subsequently the Roman epoch have entirely obliterated it. There must, from the nature of the terrain,have been some sort of scarp or terrace, but probably nothing more. The plan of the orchestra, as far as can be reconstituted from the scanty remains of the stairs, especially flights II and XIV, and the direction of the analemmata, must have been a simple 210 degrees of a circle, without the opening out provided by the Vitruvian or the Epidaureanscheme of three centres. Hence the plan is of the sort where all attention was focussed on the orchestra. It is only when the skene becomes a backdropto the play that the tendency to widen the curve at the ends is justified.
SECOND PERIOD

In the second, or Hellenistic, period the chief features of interest are the unusual plan of the orchestra with wings, the double set of Charonian stairs, and the great depth of the comments on the similarity skene. Dinsmoor14 of the arrangement of the orchestra to the "presumable trapezoidal orchestra in the daughter city of Syracuse." The time, however, separating the two forms would appear too great for there to be any connection between them. By the time the Hellenistic orchestra at Corinthwas laid out the Syracusan theatre had assumedthe normalcircularshape. It would be better to see in this arrangementa
14

Op. cit., p. 314.

134

CORINTH

deliberate effort to create a certain degree of unity between the stage, orchestra and koilon, and the trapezoidal shape given the 'wings' was carefully worked out so as to give very nearly the same intervalbetween their southern angles and the raised edge of the passage below the prohedria as occurred between the inner ends of the analemmata and the straight return of the curb (Fig. 19, P1. III). The adjustment was a delicate one and it is not the least of the achievements of the Corinthian planners. The actual orchestra circle has a diameter of only 17.16 metres, as against 23.40 m. for the circle defined by the prohedria step. Similardimensionstaken from Eretria, Athens, Epidauros and Ephesos, large theatres of the class of Corinth, are, for the orchestra circle proper, respectively about 20.00 m., 19.40 m., 20.00 m. and 24.00 m. It may be that additional area was thus defined for an orchestra which was felt to be too small. The attention given to the orchestralayout, with the tradition of the circularform, and the indicates that provisionof extra lateral space,15 in the early years of the Hellenistic period the theatre had to serve for representations not alone of the new comedy but of the older plays which continued to be revived. Flexibility is perhaps the best term to use. The double Charonian stairs, of which Corinth furnishes the sole example, also point to the same desire for ready adjustability, and if we may assume, as Dinsmoorsuggests, that the earlierproskenion was of wood, and hence removeable, one more factor is added to the arguments that the final relegation of the action of the plays to a logeion did not occur until well along in the Hellenistic period. It is with this development that the forward extension of the Corinthian proskenionmust be related.
15 If a slight indulgence in fancy is permissible, we may recall Aratos, worn with the action of the previous night on Acrocorinth, posting his guards in the entrances to the theatre, and most probably also on the wings, and leaning on his spear after advancing Eis ,Eoov before he addressed the citizens of Corinth (Plutarch, Aratos, 23, 2-3).

Dinsmoor16 has pointed out that in certain theatres, where the level was sunk below the general level of the plain and the lower part of the skene not completely excavated, the proskenion,in orderto mask the actors, must have been planned from the first. It is quite certain that the Corinthian proskenion is contemporary with the skene. It is also reasonably certain that the two ramps are a part of the same program. Although the eastern one has lost its connection, the foundations of the western ramp seem to show a good bond with the skene and proskenion,and the characterof the masonry confirms a contemporarydate. If the first proskenion, for which a good stone foundation was provided,was actually of wood and removeable on occasion, the ends of the ramps would have formed something in the nature of jutting paraskenia, and the function of the proskenion as a means of allowing the actors to pass back and forth across the width of the skene without being seen would have been lost. It seems more plausible to postulate a stone proskenionfrom the first. It is clear that there was an intention of clearing out the whole lower level of the skene, but of this only the narrow corridor against the back wall, and the central third of the skene proper was ever effected. It is obvious however, that the corridormust have remained open or else been dug out by the early Romans to allow the deposit of roof tiles from the Hellenistic building to accumulate. Whetherwhat is called the back wall is really that, or whether it served as the foundation of a colonnade along the back of the skene is not definite, but the complete absence of any evidence for the true back wall, somewhat further south, seems to indicate that we are not dealing with a colonnade foundation. It is hard to imagine, at this time, a sort of blind cryptoporticusbeneath the colonnade. It could have served no useful purpose. The stairway at the southeast angle is un16

Op. cit., pp. 290-300.

SUMMARYAND CHRONOLOGY

135

usual, and in restoring a stairway to the roof, extension without crawling, for the clear so that heavenly characters might appear as height beneath the orchestra floor could have on a platform, or in connectionwith a machine, been barely more than a metre. it may be admitted that there is no precedent. The stairway at Priene leads only to the ROMAN and the as to use authorities differ episkenion,
of the small shaft connected with it.17 It was,
FIRST PERIOD

however, a later addition to the theatre and, as such, suggests an analogy with Corinth. It occurs, however, in the space between the second and third thyromata, instead of at the end. Either solution is awkward, and the Corinthianansweris made even more so by the curious disorientation of the east wall of the stair tower, bringing it out at right angles to the line of the ramp, with a consequent slight nose projecting from the angle of the skene. The care with which the foundation cuttings were made and provision by setting lines arrangedso that the inner face of the walls should be placed "just so," shows that it was no haphazard addition, but something carefully planned. If the stairway and the door opening into the proskenion have been correctly restored,it wouldappearthat some carewas taken to avoid the pit down which an actor went to reach the Charoniansteps. The greater width of the cutting toward the east may be interpreted as the foundation of a small stair leading up from behind, as at Priene, or it may be that the entire tower was carried up to the roof on this trapezoidal plan, and the machine by which gods could appear to fly based on it. It would also be practicable to restore a shaft adjacent to the stair, as at Priene. When the proskenion was moved forward, some time after the stair was built, the eastern Charonian steps were made useless. Possibly the extension of the cutting for the western Charonianstairs was made at this time, since they could have still been in use, but the levels are such that it is hard to see how an actor could have reached the orchestra through this
17 Dorpfeld interprets it as a well for a crane, rather than an elevator by which an actor could be raised up.

The rehabilitation of the theatre in the Roman period may be dated within narrow limits between the end of the reign of Augustus and early in the period of Tiberius. It will be remembered that none of the coins found in the fill between the rib walls of the Roman cavea was later than the reign of Augustus. We cannot say how soon after the reoccupation of Corinththere was any attempt to make use of the theatre, but it is probable that even in a partly ruined condition it saw some activity. The Hellenistic skene had lost its roof and probably most of its superstructure,but there is a strong possibility that, for a few years at least, a temporary stage of the Phlyakes type was installed in front of the ruins of the skene, and the old koilon, even if partly demolished, would have sufficed to accommodate the relatively scanty number of the first Roman colonists. By the end of Augustus' reign, however, work on the new cavea was initiated, and within a short space of time a new scaenae frons of the Asiatic-Hellenistic straight type begun. From the successive coats of stuccowhitewash noted on a few of the remaining architecturalblocks of this period, it is certain that this structure served for some time. During this first period, presumably about A.D. 77, the theatre was severely damaged by an earthquake, and supplementary reinforcements to the analemmata and scaena were provided. To this period belong the long water basin for sparsiones, a stone pulpitum wall, now almost entirely gone, and behind it two series of holes for the aulaea. The duplication of these indicates again a fairly extended period of use.

The name of Vespasianoccurson a small

136

CORINTH

block of Hymettos marble and, if it belongs with the theatre, may be connected with this period of repair, although the earthquake would seem to have occurredvery near the end of the reign. The cornice inscribed with the name of Trajan, (Inv. 89), giving him his title of Germanicus, but not adding any of the later titles, seems to date from no later than A.D. 101. It is hard, in the face of the probability that the general reconstructionof the great scaenae frons is to be dated in Hadrian's time, to account for this fragment, but it seems certain, from the number of similar cornices found, that it belongs with the theatre. From the fact that the pieces of this series seem all to have been unearthed toward either end of the stage building, and even in the east parodos, we may suggest that Trajan's work may have been restricted to the entrances to the and possibly also to the wings of the versurae,18
No exterior angles, or fragments of the same, for this series have been noted, and this would tend to preclude restoring them on the scaenae frons, which, whatever its type, would have called for numerous blocks of this sort. Six, Nos. 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, and 88 vary from 0.205 to 0.185 m. in height. The inscribed block, No. 89 is 0.225 m. No. 83 shows a dowel and pry-hole and hence had a stone course above it. No. 85 has two small dowel holes barely 0.02 m. from a rough surface at the upper forward edge so that they scarcely seem possible for an overlying course of stone. In addition there is a very long narrow dowel cutting only 0.03 m. from the same line. Moreover, the upper surface of the block slopes very slightly forward. It would be permissible to use these as the upper member of a single order, such as the colonnade around the top of the theatre, or about the peribolos. No. 88 shows the cornice ending and returned against a flat wall. This might be from the connection of the upper diazoma colonnade with the forward projection of the versura. The inscribed block, No. 89, has no dowels in the top, but shows a shallow cutting as for a wooden beam at the back, near one end. Although slightly higher than the others it may also belong to one of the colonnades with which they were associated. The large block showing the meeting, on an interior angle, of two pediments shows that the horizontal elements correspond in dimensions to this series and further complicates the problem. The angle between the versura and the scaenae frons seems to be the only possible place to put this, and, if so, we must restore pediments above the straight sections of the scaenae frons and thus assign the other, horizontal cornices to the upper order of this structure. This conflicts with the type of cornice already associated with this order, and hence, by mutual exclusion we are compelled to discard one or the other. As a last resort, the pediments could be placed in the reentrant angle where the outer end of the scaena meets the
18

colonnade above the upper Roman diazoma, or even to the peribolos.


SECOND OR MARBLE PERIOD

This phase of the theatre begins in the second century and extends to the early years of the third. It is difficult, on the basis of the scanty remains, to say what minor repairs or adjustments were effected in the course of this period, and it is also difficult to be precise as to the date when the general rebuilding took place. Some work, as has just been suggested, seems to belong to the period of Trajan, but the presence of a coin of Hadrian in the easternmost of the aulaea post holes, of the latest series, E, suggests that the earliest date should be at least in the later part of the reign. The character of the architectural pieces bespeaks a Hadrianic, or very early Antonine, period of building. The cornice profiles resemble very strongly those from the theatre at Stobi, dated by Saria in the Hadrianic period.19The resemblance of the revetment moldings to those of Temple E at Corinth is also notable,20and while the capitals of the temple are more elaborate, due to larger scale and more serious purpose, they resemble in proportion and design those of the theatre.21Temple E has not been dated with precision, but the fragments of its pedimental sculpture, as hiasbeen pointed out by Miss Elizabeth Freeman,22bear a strong resemblance to some of the Parthenon figures, and hence suggest a date in the period when the copying and revival of fifth century Hellenism was the fashion. Hence, if we place
analemma and thus provide an ornamental motif over the closely adjacent doorways to the versura, and to the aditus maximus. The Trajan block, as has been noted, is higher than any of the others. It may not belong, of course, to the theatre at all, or it may equally well have come from a) the peribolos, or b) the colonnade above the upper diazoma. Both would have suffered severely in A. D. 77 and may well have been rebuilt in the period of Trajan, when the scaena itself was only repaired and consolidated. 19 Arch. Anz., LIII, 1938, pp. 81ff. 20 Corinth I, ii, fig. 150. 21 lbid., fig. 120. 22 Ibid., p. 225.

SUMMARYAND CHRONOLOGY

137

the beginning of the marble period of the theatre in the second quarter of the second century, we shall probably be near the truth. Although in some respects the execution of the large Corinthian capital from the porta regia is lacking in fineness, the plastic quality of the acanthus is well marked and the tendency toward a more summary and even a coloristic treatment as noted for instance in the capitals fromithe Facade of the ColossalFigures is not present.23The latter building is to be dated in the Antonine period, about the middle of the century. Our capital cannot be compared, of course, with those from the Odeion in the Agora at Athens,24but it has much the same plasticity, and the treatment of the eyes of the acanthus, while not so deep, is very similar. The theatre capital is more compact, and the technique inferior, but the resemblance is fairly close and bespeaks an attempt to return to an earlier classicism. On the other hand, the capitals from the Library of Hadrian at Athens are quite different, as is the work on the Arch of Hadrian. It must be assumed that in the case of Corinth, both in the theatre and in Temple E, we have either a local school of the first half of the second century, or examples of a deliberate archaizing. Since the Hellenic period offered few prototypes the next most natural thing would be to return to the Augustan. The proposedHadrianicdating agrees,moreover, with the sculptured friezes which were found in the theatre. Edward Capps, Jr., who is studying these and will publish them separately, has concluded that two of the friezes, the Gigantomachy and the battle of Greeks and Amazons, are definitely Hadrianic. The series with the labors of Herakles he tends to date somewhat earlier, and if this is correct, that series may belong with a partial redecoration of the theatre under Trajan, a possibility which has been just considered.
23 24

The question naturally arises as to where the friezes are to be located. We may exclude the pulpitum, since it was entirely destroyed to make way for the arena, and it is unlikely that the friezes would have been saved. From the way the fragments were scattered at a low level over the ruins of the third century pulpitum and the orchestra, it is necessary to assign them to the scaena. If so, there is only one reasonableway to use them, and that is to place them on the podia of the various storeys of the colonnades of the scaenae frons. The actual arrangement is problematical, and we do not know whether they were arrangedonly on the straight sections, or also swung back into the curved exedras. None of the pieces appearsto show any concavity for a curve, but we do not have any very long sections, and such an arrangement is not precluded. It seems, however, somewhat improbable, and for want of definite evidence we may assume that they adorned only the straight parts between the exedras. It is, however, the introduction into Greece at this time of the "Western Roman" plan of scaena and its significance which is of the greatest interest. The type raises a problem which has not been fully explained and can only be outlined in this study, pending more Theproblem,and the thoroughconsideration.25 theory to be developed, hinge primarily on when the type was first developed. In the ruins of the latest scaenae frons of the large theatre at Pompeii we have at least one example which must be dated before A.D. 79. Is it possible to find a terminus ante quem? Maiuri26 attributes the entire present scaenae frons of the large theatre to the period following the earthquake of A.D. 63. He notes the departure from the rectilinear rhythm of the
25 E. Weigand, Jahrb., XXIX, 1914, pp. 37ff. and Weiner Jb. f. Kunstgeschichte,V, 1928, pp. 71ff. raises the question

of eastern or western theatres on a sprachgrenzlinie. He also

Cf. ibid., figs. 42, 52. Hesperia, XIX, 1950, pls. 31, 32.

identifies the large capital from Stobi as Hadrianic of the eastern type (Saria, op. cit., p. 000). 26 L'Ultima Fase Edilizia di Pompeii, (Instituto di Studi Romani, Sezione Campana),1942, XX, pp. 77-80.

138

CORINTH

Augustan period toward a more "baroque" style of the Neronian and early Flavian times and the close connection between the new type and the theatre-derived decorations of the Pompeian fourth style. G. von Cube27 has elaborated this connection and attempted to turn painted plaster into three dimensional stone construction. The analogy has been pointed out so often that it is scarcely necessary to labor the point. Maiuri'slatest dating is tlhoroughlywelcome, for it now becomes possible to associate the first appearance of the exedral type of regia with the reign of Nero. The Augustan dating28would give no good reason for the introduction of such a radically new feature into the stage front, but if we recall the recent studies of Alfoldi, E. B. Smith and Lehmann29 we may readily suggest a solution: The introduction of the semi-circularexedra for the regia is to be directly connected with the self-identification of Nero as the incarnation of the sun-god,30 his passion for appearing in the theatre in person, and his likening himself to Apollo as a musician. A powerful argument in favor of this point would be provided if it were possible to prove that the apsidal regia was covered by a canopy in the shape of a half or a segmental half dome.31The latter shape appears, much later, in the fifth or sixth century mosaics in the church of St. Georgeat and althoughseveral centuriesinterSalonica,32
27 "Die Romische 'Scaenae Frons' in dem Pompejanischen Wandbildern4 Stils, " Beitrdgezur Bauu ssenschaft,Wasmuth, Berlin, 1906. 28 Fiechter, op. cit., p. 78 states that the umbau took place in the Augustan period. Mau-Overbach,Pompeii, p. 156, the same. Bieber, op. cit., p. 337, says that the final form was "at the earliest" in the age of Augustus. 29 Alf6ldi, "Insignien und Tracht der Romischen Kaiser," Rom. Mitt., L, 1935, p. 107; E.B. Smith, The Dome, Princeton University Press, 1950; Karl Lehmann, "The Dome of Heaven," The Art Bulletin, XXVII, 1945, pp. 1-27. 30 Alfoldi, loc. cit.; Dio Cassius, LXIII, 6, 2. 31 Caristie's consideration of such a possibility at Orange has been noted above, p. 206, Note 6, as well as a tentative restoration of a half dome over the regia at Dougga by H. F. Pfeiffer. 32 F. Boissonas, Salonique, Geneva, 1919, pls. 20, 22. Alfoldi, op. cit., p. 131, fig. 14, reproducesthe first of these and comments on the "stage architecture." It should be noted

vene between this monument and Corinth,the survivals of stage decoration and motifs in Christianart has long since been made apparent.33The only Roman theatre which has been almost completely restored in the stone rather than on paper is that at Sabratha where the three exedras now stand to the full height of three superimposedstoreys. The restoration34 shows no room for any sort of canopy between the exedras and the half roof jutting forward over the stage, but it is not clear from the publication how full the evidence is for the restoration of the third order. Another monument must also be noted in this discussion, namely the relief, many times reproduced,in the TermeMuseum.35 This has been variously dated, and D6rpfeld uses it to establish the type of Hellenistic stage front; but the technique of the carving, with elaborate drill work on the small capitals, would seem to point to the Flavian period at the earliest. The important element, of course, is the presence behind the porta regia of a shallow, but well defined, exedra with a half dome. As has been pointed out, the piece is in a sense a compromise between the Hellenistic and the western Roman type of stage front, and for this reason if for no other, would fit into the Flavian period very neatly. At Orangethere remains a deep, archedniche over the portico of the regia which, Caristie suggested, once contained the statue of the emperor. A similar niche, but this time below the canopy of the portico, appears at Palmyra, and we learn that Trajan set up, over the four columns of the "nymphaeum" of the theatre at Antioch, a statue of the Tyche of that city.36
that in the mosaics at Salonika we see also the twisted or spiral columns mentioned for the theatre at Sabratha by Guidi, Africa Italiana, 1935, p. 46. 33 A. M. Friend, "Portraits of the Evangelists in Greek and Latin Manuscripts,"Art Studies, 1929, pp. 9ff. 34 G. Guidi, op. cit., figs. 2, 3. 35 Bieber, op. cit., fig. 458; Benndorf in Jahresh., 1902, pp. 185ff., figs. 53-55; Fiechter, op. cit., p. 102, fig. 99; Dorpfeld-Reisch, p. 333, fig. 84. 36 Malalas, Chronographia, ed. Dindorf, 1831, p. 276. See Bieber, op. cit., p. 380, note 32, where the fact that the Greeks

SUMMARYAND CHRONOLOGY

139

Alfoldi37has pointed out the relation of the pediment, as well as the arched niche, to kingly or divine persons, and states that even if we cannot cite examples that antedate the fifth century, it is certain that the practice is remarks on the royal earlier.Even VTitruvius38 character of the tragic stage, and although the type with an exedra must have been unknown to him, the change in the theatre front from a royal palace, pure and simple, to a palace with both royal and divine connotations is entirely in accord with the trend that produced Nero's golden house with its cosmic dome.39 To trace the spread of the western type, once established, is no part of this publication, but inasmuch as Corinthfigures in it we must call attention to certain factors. It is well known that the western type is most prevalent in Italy, Provence, Upper Dalmatia (Trieste) and North Africa. It extended also to Syria, as at Antioch, Palmyra, Bosra and other places.40In Asia Minor it scarcely appears at all, although at Aizani41there is an obvious attempt to introduce the idea of a niche in the stage front, and even Termessos and Sagalassos show a sort of compromise.42 At Athens, the Neronian reconstructionof the theatre of Dionysos takes no account of the new type, but this is entirely natural since it would appear, from a recent study by von Gerkan, that it must be dated between A.D. 54/55 and 60/61,4 and hence antedates the prototype of the western theatre, Pompeii. The Odeum of Herodes Atticus, being a special type of building, would not be expected
evidently had no term for the deep hemicycle of the regia is noted. Since this feature now can be shown to be definitely of the latter half of the first century of our era, Malalas'term, nymphaeum, is obviously derived from a fancied parallel. 37 Op. Cit., pp. 132, 133. 38 V, 6, 9, "quod tragicae defamantur columnis, et fastigiis, et signis reliquisque regalibus rebus."
40

to follow the new theatre fashion, which appears in Greece for the first and only time in Corinth, to the west of Athens and in business relations very much closer to Rome. The great fountain of Herodes at Olympia,44with its colossal exedra, and the triconch court of Peirene at Corinth45seem to reflect, a little later, the new trend, although neither is a theatre. The tetranymphon of Hadrian over comes into the pool of Siloam at Jerusalem46 mind as does the Hadrianicfour-lobedvestibule of the 'Piazza d'Oro'at Tivoli.47E.B. Smith48 calls attention to the fact that the cella trichoria originated in Roman architecture and had presumably a cosmic and celestial symbolism for an imperial audience hall while the triapsidal nymphaea and other monuments must have had comparabledivine connotations. Another example, this time from the period of Trajan, is the Philopappos monument at Athens,49with its incurving facade which recalls to some extent a scenic front, in the midst of which the retired ruler sits enthroned in semi-heroicnudity in an arched niche. Corinth, as the principalcity of Greece during the second century, located on an important shipping and trade centre, and having a population increasingly cosmopolitan, naturally derived her architecturalideas both from east and west. The Facade of the Colossal Figures has a distinctly eastern aspect. The comparisonwith workat Miletoshas been noted elsewhere.50The "western" type of scaenae frons,whose ideology comes originallyfrom the east, is not surprising, and the fact that
Olympia, II, pp. 134ff. G. P. Stevens, "The Fountain of Peirene in the Time of Herodes Atticus," A.J.A., XXXVIII, 1934, pp. 55-58, pls. VI, VII. 46 E. B. Smith, op. cit., p. 115 and note; E. Weigand, "Das Theodosius Kloster," Byz. Zeitschr., XXIII, 1914-1919, p. 179. 47 P. Gusman, La Villa limperidlede Tibur, Paris, 1904, fig. 151. 48 Op. cit., p. 120. 49 Recently studied by Maria Santangelo, "II Monumento di C. Julius Antiochos Philopappos in Atene," Annuario, III-V, 1941-1943, pp. 1-101. 50 Stillwell, CorinthI, ii, p. 87.
44
45

39 Lehmann, op. cit., pp. 21, 22. Cf. Bieber, op. cit., pp. 379, 380.

Ibid., figs. 488, 489. Ibid., figs. 490-493. Although the front wall of the scaena is straight, the niche motif is recalled by the incurving entablature over the porta regia. 43 A. von Gerkan, "Die Neronische Scaenae Frons des Dionysus-theaters in Athen," Jahrb., LVI, 1941, p. 177.
41 42

140

CORINTH

Pausanias speaks especially of Hadrian's beniand an ficence to the city in the form of baths51 aqueduct bringing water from Stymphalos, shows that in that emperor's reign there was much building activity in the city.
ARENA

The first quarter of the third century, probably between the years A.D. 211 and 217, saw the remodellinginto an arena or hunting theatre, for which the evidence and motivation have been considered above ;52namely, the imminent prospect of a visit on short notice by Caracalla at the time he was in Syria and might be expected at any moment to return hastily to Rome, by sea. Although the date of the great amphitheatre toward the northeastern part of the town still remains unknown, it is hardly likely to be as late as this. From an inspection of the scanty remains of construction appearing above ground it appears that the well quadrated masonry must be earlier, and it seems, moreover, unlikely that Roman Corinth would have done without an amphitheatrefor fully two centuriesand more. We cannot, therefore, say, as Dinsmoor suggests,53 that the building of the amphitheatre once again released the theatre to its properuse; but, more likely, that the need of a specific hunting theatre having passed, the return was made later in the third century. If the rapidity with which the paintings disintegrated in the few years between 1926 and 1939 is any criterion, it is improbable that they were exposed in antiquity for more than a generation or two at most.
FINAL PERIOD

The final period lasts from the second half of the third to the end of the fourth centuries. The most significant change was the establishment of the naumachia with its enclosing
51 Pausanias, II, 3, 1. 52 Pp. 94-97.
53

parapet, repaired and reinforced at various times. Although the term naumachiahas been generally used, especially when we find in other theatres a similar arrangement of parapet slabs, reinforced and made waterproof by a masonry backing, an interesting and most plausible suggestion has been made by Dr. Guido Traversari.54 This is to the effect that these vast water-basins were in fact intended not for sham naval battles, but for aquatic performances, and he equates them with the employed by St. John Chryterm Ko?vp\Uepa sostom. In further support of this theory, insofar as Corinthis concerned,it seems that if the generation which remodelled the arena had contemplated actual naval battles, they would hardly have sacrificed the space available in the arena, and instead reduced the area by nearly a half in introducing the new, broad gutter, and restoring the lower rows of seats. The last phase saw from time to time a number of minor changes. The great gutter seems clearly to have been relaid once during the period, although with no essential change of plan. The marble parapet was patched and reset, and at the last a strong opus incertum backing built against it. Some amount of repair evidently took place on the stage front, but essentially it remained as it had been first erected in the second century. To all appearances the theatre went out of use at the end of the fourth century, perhaps after the invasion of Alaric in A.D. 396. The confirmatory evidence for this lies in the coins found in the excavation of the main drain where it left the orchestra, and hence must have served to the end. Here were found two coins of Constantine II (337-361) and one each of Valentinianus II (375-392) and Theodosius (379-395).55 We do not know how long the theatre stood after this until it began to be used as a quarry
54 "Tetimimo 6 Colimbetra," Dioniso, XIII, Nuova Serie, 1950, pp. 18-32. 55 Shear, A.J.A., XXXII, 1928, pp. 476, 479.

Op.

cit., p. 315.

SUMMARY AND CHRONOLOGY and a place of residence (?) in Byzantine times, but it would seem that most of the marble architecture was removed before it had fallen down. Otherwise there should be a far greater number of splinters and fragments than actually were found. The dearth of capitals and columns from the orders of the scaena is notable; they were most probably removed to adorn churches of the Byzantine golden age. Some of the material may well have travelled as far as the imperial city itself. The sculptured friezes were, of course, of no use save for the limekiln, but the great number of pieces buried close to the level of the orchestra and in the ruins of the pulpitum suggest that when the theatre was dismantled, miaterialfor the limekiln was not the principal interest. As the middle ages wore on, buildings of various sorts appeared at a low level above the orchestra floor, on the ruins of the scaena, and in the area to the east and west. During this time the cavea as well was stripped of nearly all useable blocks.
* * * * * *

141

It is regrettable that the area between the theatre and the Odeum has not as yet been explored, for the relation of the two buildings was very close. Broneer dates the first construction of the Odeum toward the end of the first century56and ascribes a thorough reconstruction to Herodes Atticus, possibly around
56

Corinth,X, pp. 144-148.

A.D. 175. It is not unlikely that this embellishment was motivated by the renovation of the theatre some time before. The Odeum was destroyed by fire and restored, we are told, about A.D. 225, when it was arranged as an arena. Broneer suggests that it may have been about this time that the theatre was changed back from an arena to a normal theatre and the large new amphitheatre east of the town and the arena in the Odeum built to take its place. If Broneer'sdate for the arena period of the Odeum is correct it would agree with the observationthat the similarform of the theatre was of short duration. In any event, it would seem logical to establish the sequence as follows: Theatre rebuilt in first half of second century, probably under Hadrian; Odeum elaborately redecorated by Herodes Atticus, ca. A.D. 175; theatre converted to hunting theatre soon after A.D. 211; Odeum burnt some time afterward, and, when repaired, equipped as a small arena, the theatre being too large save as an especial project for a particular event which never transpired. At this time, then, the theatre was reconverted, and equipped for aquatic spectacles as well as, presumably, for such forms of more legitimate drama as still found favor with the citizens of Corinth. Future excavation of the area between the two buildings and an exploration of the amphitheatre should help to prove, or amend, this suggested relative chronology.

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PLATE VIII

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a Restoration of the Greek skene

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b Schematic restoration of the Roman scaenae frons

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