Date: April 21, 2005
Partners for the day: (text) Nkosi Harvey (images) Laura Sides
Site(s): Bassae, Megalopolis, Lykosura
Museum(s): Archeological Museum of Olympia, Museum of the History of the Olympics
Principal Buildings/Monuments: Temple of Apollo Epikourios, Fountain house and Cistern of Lykosura, and Theater of Megalopolis
Time Spent on Each Site: from ca. 8:30 a.m. to ca. 5:30 p.m. [ 9 hours]
Weather: Cool, 65 degrees, partly cloudy
Before we left Olympia for another day of grand adventures we made a quick stop at the Archeological Museum of Olympia (our second visit there) and at the Museum of the History of the Ancient Olympic Games. In the archaeological museum we had a heated discussion about a few of the metopes from the temple of Zeus and some of the other museum displays. The twelve metopes depict the labors of Herakles, but Athena appears in many of the scenes commemorated in the sculptural scenes. Athena appears to be far more complicated a god than we once thought. Later at the Olympic History museum we tripped over a few gold signet rings from Crete that were on loan from the Heraklion Museum. We were all very surprised, none more so than Prof. Rutter, to find them on the mainland.
After an hour-long bus ride we found ourselves at what looked to be a large circus tent, which we soon learned was in fact the Temple of Apollo Epikourios at Bassae. The highlight of the day, however, was our trip to Ancient Lykosura, where we were unable to view the site because of the excessive amounts of security. The Greek Archaeological Service seems to be cracking down on archeology students who contemplate jumping fences. The final stop for the day was ancient Megalopolis. Formed in 371 BC to contain Sparta, it is also home to the largest theater of the ancient world. According to Pausanias it could seat up to 21,000. We were not convinced.
Our first encounter to Bassae on this trip was at the British museum, where we were able to see the frieze sculpture associated with the temple. Today we were able to visit the building itself and gain a better understanding of the site as a whole. In class as well as in my guide book, Bassae is mentioned as a lovely temple situated in a beautiful area on top of a hill. However, in both descriptions I felt more time was devoted to criticizing the large tent covering the temple than to analyzing the architecture itself. On our trip we have learned that it is rare to see a temple in such an amazing state of preservation. The columns at Bassae have never fallen and only the interior walls and ceiling had collapsed when it was first excavated. Compared to the relative lack of conservation some other sites have received, the tent at Bassae should be welcomed as an attempt to preserve Greece’s national heritage.
The Temple of Apollo Epikourios is an impressive structure made of local limestone. It also features carved limestone coffers, which vary according to their locations inside the building, and a marble roof. The temple has a peristyle colonnade of 6 x 15, and is the last building built after the Parthenon to retain such dimensions. Oddly, the building is slightly trapezoidal, with short sides of different lengths. It is also unique in its orientation, which is North-South instead of the canonical East-West. Also ncluded in the temple plan was a doorway on the East wall to let in light.
The Temple, built by Arcadian mercenaries, served as a shrine for a military cult. Fittingly, the site rests atop a mountain with a clear view towards those whom they were attempting to help, the Messenians. Construction began in 450 B.C. and ended around 425 B.C. The only sculpture on the building was on the interior as part of the cella Frieze. Sections of the frieze sculpture were removed by the British in 1811 and eventually sold to the British Museum. We had the pleasure of viewing these pieces while we were in London. (If you would like to see some of this sculpture it should be under the journal entry for the 24th of March). The frieze shows the Greeks against the Amazons and the Lapiths against Centaurs.
Interestingly, the Temple of Apollo at Bassae might have been home to the first Corinthian column. The construction of the building also shows exceptional craftsmanship; the jointing of the column drums is said to be more precise than those on the Parthenon. All in all it is not a bad piece of architecture. The tent is purportedly only ‘temporary’ (erected in 1987) and though some people believe it is an eyesore, it does not prevent one from studying the temple in person. Though I usually enjoy the sun shining down on me while I visit sites, it was a welcome change to view an archaeological area without the North Wind threatening to blow some of the smaller members of our group away.