Papers of the American School of Classical Studies at Athens (6.1890-1897 (1897))

220 EXCAVATIONS AT SPARTA.

building in the construction of which a hillock or large
mound has been used. The relation of the building to this
hillock seemed to me so peculiar that I believed it might be
some ancient tumulus or grave, or might at least bear some
reference to a prehistoric or heroic place of interment. The
Laconian custom (especially the instance of the neighboring
Amyclse with its temple of Apollo built upon the grave of
Hyacinthus) and the numerous heroic graves in Sparta
itself lent strong support to such a supposition. It is not
impossible that this may still turn out to be the case.

The lower structure of this circular building with the
orthostatai acted as a supporting wall, while the building con-
sisted of at least three concentric circles. It appears prob-
able that the round hole cut in the block occupying the cen-
tre of the circumference was meant to hold the mastlike post
which supported an umbrella-shaped roof.

Our monument must thus be classed among the round build-
ings which are of so much interest in the history of Greek
architecture. The Prytaneum, the Tholos, the temple of
Hestia, perhaps even the Skias4 were all in origin intimately
related to one another. The Prytaneum, or "City-hall," of
ancient Atliens stood on the high ground at the foot of the
northern declivity of the Acropolis. In the time of Pausan-
ias the Prytanes sacrificed and dined in the Tholos, a circular
building in a different part of the city, which building thus
took over some of the functions of the older Prytaneum.'
As Mr. Prazer well puts it (p. 152), "The Prytaneum, a
round building with a pointed, umbrella-shaped roof,
was originally the house of the king, chief, or headman
(prytanis) of an independent village or town, and it con-
tained a lire which was kept constantly burning. It is only
necessary to add that, when a colony was sent out, the fire

4 Etym. Magnum, s. v. 'S.Kiaq. Were it not for the definite irpbc Si ry "ZiuaSi o'iko-
do/j.i)/j.d iari irepupepec; ... in the passage in Pausanias referring to the Spartan
building one might doubt whether the Spartan Skias was not identical with this
circular building.

6 Cuirnus, Attisehe Studien. ii. p. 63, seq. For Q6\oq cf. Hesychius, Harpocration,
Suidas, Timceus, Lex. Plat., s. v. QoKoq. See also I. G. Fkazer on the Prytaneum,
the Temple of Vesta, etc., in Journal of Philology, London, 1885, vol. xiv. p. 145,
seq., an article which throws considerable light on the history of these early
buildings.