I.—Excavations at Sparta, 1909: §6.—The Menelaion

A. J. B. Wace; M. S. Thompson; J. P. Droop

doi:10.1017/S0068245400017573

I.—Excavations at Sparta, 1909: §6.—The Menelaion

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 18 October 2013

A. J. B. Wace ,

M. S. Thompson and

J. P. Droop

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A little to the south of Sparta and opposite the hamlet of Psychiko, at the point where the Magoula river runs into the Eurotas, the hills on the left or eastern bank of the latter approach quite close to the river. These hills, which stand high above the plain, have long been identified with those on which, according to Polybius, the Menelaion stood, and as the site of Therapnai. In fact the statements of this author and of Livy make it practically certain that these are the hills in question. They were first explored by Ross in 1833, and he claimed as the shrine of Helen and Menelaos the building that he began to excavate on the principal peak close to the modern chapel of Hagios Elias, and directly above the Eurotas. No other Greek building has yet been found on these heights, so that we may for the present assume with considerable probability that this one, discovered by Ross, is the shrine of Helen and Menelaos mentioned by Herodotus and Pausanias.

Type: Laconia
Information: Annual of the British School at Athens , Volume 15 , November 1909 , pp. 108 - 157

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0068245400017573 [Opens in a new window]
Copyright: Copyright © The Council, British School at Athens 1909

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^{page 108 note 1} Herodotus, vi, 61; Isokrates, x, 63; Polybius, v, 18, 21 ff.; Livy, xxxiv, 28; Leake, Morea, ii, p. 138, cf. Pl. II; Pelop. p. 161; Boblaye, Recherches, pp. 81 ff.; Aldenhoven, Itinéraire, p. 333; Expéd. de Morée, ii, Pl. XLV; Curtius, , Peloponnesos, ii, pp. 239, 245Google Scholar; Bursian, , Geogr. Griechenlands, ii, p. 129Google Scholar; Vischer, Erinnerungen, p. 380; Ross, . Arch. Aufsaetze, ii, pp. 243 ff.Google Scholar; Jochmus, , Geogr. Journal, 1857, p. 11Google Scholar with map, cf. B.S.A. xiii, Pl. I; Kastriotis, Πρακτικὰ 1900, pp. 74 ff.; for other literature see Frazer, , Pausanias, iii, p. 360Google Scholar; Wide, Lak. Kulte, pp. 340 ff.

^{page 108 note 2} iii 15. 3.

^{page 109 note 1} Hesychius, s. vv. ῾Ελένεια and Κάνναθρα Athenagoras, Suppl. 14.

^{page 109 note 2} Cf. S.M.C. pp. 116 ff.

^{page 109 note 3} Wide, Lak. Kulte, pp. 340 ff.

^{page 109 note 4} S.M.C., Nos. 201–203, 318, 362; we may compare also the legend that Helen founded a shrine of Eileithyia at Argos, Pausanias, ii, 22. 6.

^{page 109 note 5} Pausanias, viii, 23. 4.

^{page 110 note 1} ᾿Εφ.᾿Αρχ 1889, p. 130.

^{page 110 note 2} Ross, op. cit., p. 343; we found a second block like that mentioned by Kastriotis, op. cit. p. 82.

^{page 112 note 1} Cf.the terrace wall at Corinth crowned by a triglyph frieze, Am. Journ. Arch. 1902, pp. 306 ff., Pls. VI, VII.

^{page 112 note 2} Thucydides, i, 101–103; Diodorus, xi, 63; Pausanias, iv, 24. 6; Plutarch, Kimon, 16.

^{page 112 note 3} v. pp. 87 foll.

^{page 113 note 1} B.S.A. xiii, p. 29, type 13.

^{page 113 note 2} Furtwaengler, Aegina, p. 50.

^{page 113 note 3} B.S.A. xiii, p. 36, type 42.

^{page 113 note 4} B.S.A. xiii, p. 31.

^{page 113 note 5} See the plans and sections on Plate V.

^{page 114 note 1} The terracottas, bronzes, and lead figurines from this stratum are described below in their respective sections under the heading A.

^{page 114 note 2} v. p. 150, Fig. 15.

^{page 114 note 3} v. B.S.A. xiii, pp. 128 ff.

^{page 114 note 4} B.S.A. xiv, pp. 45 ff.

^{page 114 note 5} These finds are described below in their respective sections under the heading B.

^{page 114 note 6} v. p. 157.

^{page 114 note 7} B.S.A. xi, pp. 83, Figs. 2–4, 6; xiii, p. 129; cf. S.M.C. p. 225.

^{page 114 note 8} Cf. those from the Chalkioikos site, B.S.A. xiii, pp. 152 ff.

^{page 114 note 9} Cf. Wiegand-Schrader, Priene, pp. 394 ff.

^{page 115 note 1} S.M. C. 553 B 10; for signs of disturbance in this stratum see below pp. 117 note 1; 129, 149.

^{page 115 note 2} These are described below under the heading A in their respective sections.

^{page 115 note 3} These are described below under the heading B in their respective sections.

^{page 115 note 4} v. pp. 150 foll., Figs. 15–18.

^{page 116 note 1} v. p. 86.

^{page 116 note 2} For the periods of Laconian pottery, cf. B.S.A. xiv, pp. 46 ff.

^{page 116 note 3} Cf. p. 115.

^{page 116 note 4} B.S.A. xiv, pp. 48 ff.

^{page 117 note 1} Found above the upper poros floor by N.E. corner in a stratum there is reason to suspect, cf. p. 115.

^{page 117 note 2} Not. Scavi, 1895, p. 384, Fig. 3.

^{page 117 note 3} Mon. Antich. 1906, p. 715, Fig. 547.

^{page 117 note 4} Thera, ii, p. 28, Fig. 71.

^{page 117 note 5} Ath. Mitt. 1895, p. 322, Fig. 38.

^{page 117 note 6} B.C.H. 1895, p. 171, Fig. 6.

^{page 117 note 7} B.S.A. xiii, p. 78, Fig. 17 c; others exist as yet unpublished.

^{page 119 note 1} Ann. d. I. 1883, pp. 194 ff.

^{page 119 note 2} One example from above the upper poros floor, cf. p. 114, note 5.

^{page 121 note 1} Rev. Arch. 1908, Pl. X; cf. B.S.A. xiii, p. 80, Fig. 18 a.

^{page 121 note 2} Perhaps the locks of hair are grasped in either hand, as in a bone statuette from the Orthia site, B.S.A. xiii, p. 94, Fig. 27 c.

^{page 123 note 1} Cf. Farrell, op. cit., p. 52.

^{page 124 note 1} B.S.A. xiv, p. 53, Fig. 2 a, b, c; Jahreshefte, 1901, p. 38, Fig. 26 for similar examples from Lusoi.

^{page 124 note 2} Cf. p. 109.

^{page 126 note 1} Farrell, op. cit., pp. 70 ff., Fig. 7.

^{page 126 note 2} Hdt. v, 87.

^{page 127 note 1} B.S.A. xii, Pl. III, p. 61, Fig. 9.

^{page 127 note 2} B.S.A. xiv, p. 30.

^{page 127 note 3} B.S.A. xiv, pp. 18, 22 ff., 32 ff.

^{page 127 note 4} B.S.A. xiv, pp. 35 ff., Pl. lI.

^{page 127 note 5} B.S.A. xiv, pp. 9 ff., Fig. 4; 40 ff., Pl. I.

^{page 129 note 1} B.S.A. xiv, p. 11, Fig. 4.

^{page 129 note 2} S.M.C., pp, 228 ff.

^{page 129 note 3} B.M.Cat. Terracottas, Pl. XIV.

^{page 129 note 4} B.S.A. xii, p. 323, Fig. 3b.

^{page 130 note 1} J.H.S. 1909, pp. 293 ff., Figs. 10, 11.

^{page 130 note 2} J.H.S. 1909, p. 293, Fig. 9.

^{page 130 note 3} B.S.A. ix, p. 386; B.S.A. xii, p. 324; but see S.M.C. p. 230.

^{page 130 note 4} Cf. e.g. Studniczka, , Jahrbuch, 1886, p. 24.Google Scholar

^{page 130 note 5} e.g. ᾿Εφ.᾿Αρχ 1885, Pl. VII.

^{page 132 note 1} Cf. the cocks on vases, Laconian, B.S.A. xiv, pp. 37 ff.Google Scholar

^{page 132 note 2} This type occurs amongst the figurines found by Kastriotis (S.M. C. p. 226, Fig. 80). As most of his figurines must have come from above the upper floor at the north end, it might be thought that this type belonged to Lead III–IV as well, but at the Orthia site it has not yet appeared later than Lead II.

^{page 132 note 3} Greek Votive Offerings, p. 15, note 8.

^{page 132 note 4} Arch. Anz. 1904, p. 41; Salzmann, Camirus, Pl. I.

^{page 132 note 5} Schliemann, Ilios, Figs. 836, 838; Schuchhardt, Schliemann' s Excavations, Fig. 175.

^{page 133 note 1} Arch. Zeit. 1884, Pl. IX, 6, 8; Hogarth, Ephesus, Pls. VIII, XX; Cesnola, Cyprus, Pl. XXVI; B.S.A. xiii, p. 116, Fig. 6 f; Furtwaengler, Aegina, Pls. CXIII, CXIV; Jahreshefte, 1901, p. 57, Fig. 106.

^{page 133 note 2} Athens, Nat. Mus. 7258.

^{page 133 note 3} Perrot-Chipiez, iii, Fig. 600.

^{page 133 note 4} Cesnola, Cyprus, 312.

^{page 133 note 5} B.M. Cat. Terracottas, Pl. XIV.

^{page 133 note 6} Cesnola, Cyprus, Pl. I.

^{page 133 note 7} Arch. Zeit. 1884, Pl. IX, 2; Hogarth, Ephesus, Pl. III, 9; Salzmann, Camirus, Pl. I; Arch. Zeit. 1884, Pl. IX, 11, 12; Daremberg-Saglio, i, Fig. 934.

^{page 133 note 8} Arch. Zeit. 1884, Pl. VIII, 10; Hogarth, op. cit. Pl. XXXV, 21.

^{page 133 note 9} Arch. Zeit. 1884, Pl. IX, 4, 5; Hogarth, op. cit. Pl. IX.

^{page 133 note 10} Olympia, iv, Pl. XXV; Thiersch apud Furtwaengler, Aegina, pp. 404 ff., Pl. CXV; Waldstein, Argive Heraeum, H, Pls. LXXX ff.; B.S.A. xiii, pp. 109 ff., Fig. I.

^{page 135 note 1} Hadaczek, , Jahreshefte, 1902, p. 212Google Scholar; cf. Thiersch, op. cit.

^{page 135 note 2} Cf. Waldstein, , op. cit. ii, Pls. XLII ff.Google Scholar

^{page 135 note 3} Waldstein, , op. cit. ii, Pl. LXXXIXGoogle Scholar; B.M.Cat. Rings, Pl. VII ff., p. xxxviii.

^{page 135 note 4} Hogarth, op. cit., Pl. XX, 10.

^{page 135 note 5} Olympia, iv, Pl. XXV; Furtwaengler, op. cit., Pl. CXVII, 3.

^{page 135 note 6} S.M.C. pp. 228 ff.

^{page 135 note 7} Walters, , Hist. of Pottery, i, p. 342Google Scholar, Fig. 92.

^{page 135 note 8} Cf. B.S.A. xiv, p. 24, Fig. 9.

^{page 137 note 1} E.g. Cocks, Furtwaengler-Reichhold, Pl. XXII; Gorgon, ibid., Pl. XXII; Lion, ibid., Pls. XXXIV, LXI, LXXIV, LXXXV; Scorpion, ibid., Pls. LXII, CXI; Ball, ibid., Pls. LXXXV, CXIII; Boar, ibid., Pl. LXXXIV; Bird, ibid., Pl. LXII.

^{page 139 note 1} J.H.S. 1909, p. 290, Figs. 5–7.

^{page 139 note 2} e.g. Arch. Anz. 1904, p. 41; Cesnola, Cyprus, Pl. XXII.

^{page 139 note 3} B.S.A. xiv, p. 47.

^{page 139 note 4} B.S.A. xiv, p. 73, Fig. 6; xiii, p. 98, Fig. 30 d.

^{page 139 note 5} B.S.A. xii, p. 323, Fig. 3b; J.H.S. 1909, p. 294, Fig. 10, this lead plaque is obviously, from the traces ot the pin behind it, an imitation of the ivory plaque fibulae so common at the Orthia site, B.S.A. xiii, pp. 78, 85, Figs. 17, 21.

^{page 139 note 6} B.S.A. xiv, p. 10, Fig. 3.

^{page 139 note 7} Cf. B.M. Cat. Rings, Pl. XL, 20.

^{page 142 note 1} Schliemann, Ilios, p. 429, No. 551.

^{page 142 note 2} Hogarth, op. cit., Pl. XLV, 7–9, 12–14, 18.

^{page 142 note 3} Furtwaengler, Aegina, Pl. CXVIII, 1–3.

^{page 144 note 1} B.S.A. xiii, pp. 109 ff.; Thiersch apud Furtwaengler, Aegina, pp. 412 ff.

^{page 144 note 2} Cf. B.S.A. xiii, p. 117, Fig. 6 b.

^{page 144 note 3} v. above p. 133, note 1.

^{page 144 note 4} De Ridder, De Ectypis Aeneis; Furtwaengler, Aegina, p. 394.

^{page 144 note 5} Cf. Olympia, iv, Pls. XVIII ff.; Waldstein, Argive Heraeum, ii, Pl. CII.

^{page 146 note 1} Furtwaengler, Aegina, Pl. CXVIII, 16.

^{page 146 note 2} B.S.A. xiii, p. III, Fig. 2; Waldstein, , op. cit. ii, Pl. LXXVIIGoogle Scholar; Olympia, iv. Pl. XIII.

^{page 146 note 3} Furtwaengler, op. cit. Pl. CXIV; Waldstein, , op. cit. ii, Pl. CXXI.Google Scholar

^{page 146 note 4} Jahreshefte, 1901, p. 34, Fig. 20.

^{page 146 note 5} v. Thiersch apud Furtwaengler, Aegina, pp. 404 ff.

^{page 146 note 6} Cf. Olympia, iv, Pl. XXIII.

^{page 146 note 7} B.S.A. xiii, p. 115, Fig. 5 d; cf. xiv, p. 26.

^{page 147 note 1} v. above p. 142.

^{page 147 note 2} B.S.A. xiii, p. 116, Fig. 6 e; B.S.A. vi, p. 109, Fig. 40; Jahreshefte, 1901, p. 49; cf.the ivory examples, B.S.A. xiii, p. 101, Fig. 31 f; and v. above p. 143.

^{page 147 note 3} Olympia, iv, Pl. LVII, 966; Waldstein, , Argive Heraeum, ii, Pl. LXXXVIIIGoogle Scholar; B.S.A. xiii, p. 114, Fig. 4 b.

^{page 147 note 4} B.M. Cat. Terracottas, Pl. XIV, 1.

^{page 147 note 5} Cf. B.S.A. xiii, p. 115, Fig. 5 a; v. also above p. 133.

^{page 147 note 6} Olympia, iv, Pls. XV, 235, XVII, 279.

^{page 148 note 1} Cf. B.S.A. xiii, pp. 50 ff.

^{page 148 note 2} See above p. 133.

^{page 148 note 3} De Ridder, De Ectypis Aeneis; Furtwaengler, Aegina, p. 394.

^{page 148 note 4} Olympia, iv, Pl. XLI, 722.

^{page 148 note 5} Olympia, iv, Pls. XXXVI, 691, XLI, 689.

^{page 148 note 6} B.S.A. xiii, pp. 150, 153.

^{page 148 note 7} B.S.A. xii, pp. 384 ff.

^{page 149 note 1} See above pp. 115.

^{page 150 note 1} Olympia, iv, Pl. X, 99, 100; B.S.A. xiii, p. 116, Fig. 6 a.

^{page 150 note 2} It is noteworthy that here several specimens of Corinthian pottery were found, besides a good quantity of Proto-Corinthian ware. The small amount of Mycenaean pottery that was found here and near by is late, poor in quality, and chiefly interesting because it is Mycenaean.

^{page 150 note 3} B.S.A. xiii, p. 124.

^{page 150 note 4} B.S.A. xiii, pp. 126, 130.

^{page 150 note 5} B.S.A. xiv, p. 33.

^{page 152 note 1} B.S.A. xiv, p. 33, Fig 3 c, d.

^{page 152 note 2} B.S.A. xiv, p. 33, Fig. 3 a, g.

^{page 154 note 1} It is possible in view of the new evidence that the sherd shown B.S.A. xiv, p. 36, Fig. 4b, should be placed with Laconian II, through the square and dot pattern. At any rate it is very early Laconian III.

^{page 155 note 1} Böhlau, Aus ion. u. ital. Nekrop. p. 131.

^{page 155 note 2} In Laconian III, the following and the broken frieze are occasionally found on the same vase, but it is safe to say that the following frieze is never found alone, and is a clear survival.

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I.—Excavations at Sparta, 1909: §6.—The Menelaion

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