Plate 61. The Portico of the Gymnasium of Hadrian at Athens

This and the two following examples of the Corinthian order belong to a much later time than those heretofore considered. Their style is more Roman than Grecian and we consider them here in rotation only because they belong to the Hellenic territory and still have a slight resemblance to the Greek style.

The structure from which the order on our plate is taken is designated by the later explorers as a Portico or Stoa of Emperor Hadrian, and was found on the west side of a peribolos, which presumably once enclosed a pan-Hellenion in the northern part of the city, and did not belong to the Temple of Jupiter Olympius.

The capital, on account of the sharp points of its abacus, does not compose favorably, and only a material like the Pentelic marble, from which the entire structure was built, would be possible for such execution. In addition, the members of the abacus are not fortunate, so that its diagonal view is extremely unpleasing.

The cornice has, instead of dentils, modillions, modelled after beam heads, which on the examples heretofore considered, do not occur. Between these modillions on the underside of the corona are panels with rosettes, which are of Roman influence, as is the placing of the columns on a pedestal, on which the base projects far out over the dado, and finally also the manner in which the flutes of the columns are filled one-third their height with beads. The wall pilasters and antæ, which with the columns carry the entablature, have a like capital; but are not fluted.