Plate 17. The Choragic Monument of Thrasyllus and Thrasykles at Athens

This monument now only preserved by Stuart and Revett's work was built of Pentelic marble and ornamented the entrance to a grotto which was located on the south side of the hill of the Acropolis. Thrasyllus, in the year 1520 B. C., won a victory in a musical contest, and as a prize, a brass tripod, which he placed in this cave. According to Pausanias, sculptures were also found in this grotto which represented Apollo, Diana, and Niobiden. About five years after this victory of Thrasyllus his son Thrasykles, as the inscription states, also won tripods as prizes and had them placed on both attics at the side of the figure Dionysos on the summit. This sitting figure is preserved in London. It carried on its lap a small tripod, of which traces are found. We refer to the same at Plate 100.

Though no triglyphs, but wreaths, decorate the frieze of the monument, it is to be classed as the Doric style as expressed by the pillars with their capitals, the corona, the tænia, and the guttæ. The latter are here continuous, as on this monument the location of the triglyphs do not have to be expressed. As the mutules are missing the continuation of the regula is without motive but is carried along only to recall the original method. The corona has no cyma because the monument was without a roof. The attics are probably a later addition which the placing of the tripods required.

Fig. 3 is an elevation of the corner and Fig. 4 a section through the attic on the dotted line on Fig. 1.