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A Suggested Restoration of the Great Hall in the Palace of Tiryns

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 December 2013

Extract

In his very minute and accurate description of the Tirynthian Palace, Dr. Dörpfeld has almost wholly confined himself to the discussion of what actually exists or can with certainty be inferred from existing evidence, and has not committed himself to a conjectural restoration of any part of this most interesting building.

I venture therefore to offer to the Hellenic Society a proposed restoration of the Great Hall—the Homeric Megaron as Dr. Dörpfeld and other able archaeologists hold it to be.

This restoration is based partly on the evidence of the existing remains, partly on what may be called structural necessity, and partly on the analogy of other buildings or ancient sculptured reliefs.

Fig. 1 shows the front of the Hall, the αἴθουσα δόμου opening from the Great Court. The conjectural parts are the exact heights of the structure, including the pillars, antae and doors, and the form of the roof. The clearest proofs exist of the diameters of the antae and pillars, the width of the doorways with their double doors on revolving pivots. The steps are in perfect preservation, and so is part of the very carefully formed concrete floor with its incised and coloured pattern in red squares separated by blue bands.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for the Promotion of Hellenic Studies 1886

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References

page 161 note 1 No complete description of the structure is attempted in this paper, which is only intended to be a brief supplement to Dr. Dörpfeld's valuable work.

page 163 note 1 My own measurements make the column about 1¼ inches wider at the top than at the bottom, but the work is too rough for any minute exactness of measurement.

page 166 note 1 Some very interesting examples of bronze plates with figures beaten in relief, which were once attached to wooden planks, have been found at Olympia, dating apparently from the early part of the sixth century, or even earlier.

page 167 note 1 This scene is figured by the present writer in Encyclopœdia Britannica, Art. ‘Pottery,’ p. 614, fig. 31, as an example of painted vases used to hold flowers in a Greek room.

page 167 note 2 Agelaus uses the word ἀναβαίνειν of the approach to the ὀρσοθύρη, suggesting a climb up.

page 167 note 3 See Prof.Gardner, 's interesting article on the Homeric Palace, in the Hellenic Journal, iii. p. 276.Google Scholar

page 167 note 4 Another communication between the two parts of the palace seems to me to have existed at the N.E. angle of the great αὐλὴ, or court of the men.

page 168 note 1 This lantern survived as an ornamental appendage long after fire-places with flues were constructed, and it had ceased to have any special use. The very graceful lantern over the Hall of Trinity College, Cambridge, and many other halls, are simply survivals of the primitive place of escape for the smoke.