Plate 17a. The Tholos near Epidauros

The remains of this excellent Rotunda were discovered by the Grecian Archaeological Company. Not so much its size and historical worth, as its prominent artistic arrangement makes the Rotunda one of the most magnificent monuments which have come to us from the Grecian times. Pausanias, in his description, attributes it to Polycleitos the younger, and dates it from the end of the fourth or the beginning of the third century B. C.

Externally this building is of the Doric order, and internally is of one of the earliest examples of Corinthian. Only the foundation of the structure remains, for the very peculiar labyrinthic arrangement of which, no satisfactory explanation has been given (Fig. 14). Only single limestone slabs of the floor of the outer walk or portico remain in place. From these the spacing and number of columns were determined. The discovery of the columns and entablature as also the wall stones, whose arrangement was ascertained from their curved form, made it possible to restore the outer structure as shown at Fig. 15. The material of the portico or at least of the columns and entablature was of limestone. The cella was surrounded by a peristyle of 26 Doric columns. On the interior were placed 14 Corinthian columns in such a way as to form an aisle between them and the wall. The radius of the outer peristyle measured to the column centers is 9.55 meters; the diameter of the cella was about 13 meters in the clear.

The outer columns Figs. 1 and 2 have an entablature which from its character indicates the later Doric style. The architrave is considerably smaller than the frieze; the corona has a Lesbian cymatium under the mutules.

The metopes present, in the large rosettes of strong relief and detail, a certain plastic effect. The marble cyma is boldly executed in acanthus leafwork, indicating later Grecian times. Some parts of the foliage are worked entirely free from the background.

Figs. 1 and 2 show the detail of the columns and the entablature of the Doric portico. The ceiling of this portico forms coffers, the section of which as well as the inner side of the Doric entablature is shown in Fig. 4 and by dotted lines at Fig. 5; Fig. 6 shows the plan of this ceiling. Each of the coffers is surrounded by a pearl bead; the mouldings are plain but were probably decorated by painting.

At Figs. 7 and 8 are shown the marble entablature and capital of the Corinthian order. The entablature consists of an architrave of three facias, a frieze of the form of an f, and on top of same a cornice which at the same time forms a support for the ceiling. The interior face of the entablature shows rich ornament while the outer face is smooth but was probably decorated with painting. The profile at Fig. 8 indicates the stone coffered ceiling of the aisle of the cella, and Fig. 10 the plan. Of the interior capitals only one complete example has been found, the balance are only in pieces. The broken pieces show in the modeling of the leaf-work not unimportant differences from the example. This capital is therefore, from its somewhat unspirited execution, to be considered as a model or a copy of the real capitals. In the elastic swing of the frieze is expressed the Corinthian style.

The rich ornamental treatment of this monument will for all times be admired, and it is only equalled in richness and execution by the Erectheum at Athens.

Fig. 1. Column and entablature of the Doric Portico. 2. Lower drum of the Column. 3. Upper part of the Triglyph. 4. Inner side of the Doric Entablature. 5. (Dotted Lines) Coffers of the Portico Ceiling. 6. Plan of the Coffers. 7. 8. Elevation and Section of the Inner Entablature. 9. Base of the Corinthian Column. 10. Coffers of the Interior Aisle. 11. Wave ornament on the inner side of 10. 12. Wedge piece between Coffers. 13. Plan of the Rotunda. 14. Plan of Labyrinths or Foundation. 15. Section. 16. Leaf-wave from the outer side of Cella Wall. 17. Leaf-wave from the inner Entablature. 18. Profile of base Exterior and Interior of Cella Wall. 19. Profile of leaf-wave 16 and Top Moulding of Cella Wall. 20. Profile of the Corinthian Column Base.