DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.749#0029
34
INVESTIGATIONS AT ASSOS
upper story only a portion of the rear wall remained in
situ. The double “half-columns” of upper story were of
white marble. No capital was found. The epistyle shows
the cuts for the wooden roof-beams (Page 47). The
shield blocks of the gables were of white marble, while the
neighboring tympanon blocks and the rest of the building
were of the dark Acropolis stone, showing that the entire
structure was probably once coated with white stucco, although
no trace of this was found. On the north front, where the
street rose above the level of the cornice, the sima was omit-
ted, A to A (Page 35, Fig. 2).
SCALE
Fig. 6. East Elevations of Stoa
The reservoir in front of the Stoa was excavated in ledge
rock. It was filled with earth, fragments of columns, and
blocks from Stoa. The bottom was paved with Hat stones,
with cemented joints. The outlet at the western end was a
passage about a metre broad, cut through the solid rock,
roofed with stone slabs, through which a pipe conducted the
water to the Baths below.
The Stoa formed a shelter from the rain and sun, and,
being in the public square, was the general place of resort for
the merchants and business men of the city, as well as for
others. An interesting passage in Strabo1 illustrates this use
of the Stoa in the life of the Greeks, and also the fact that all
jokes are old. In speaking of Cyme, a city fifty miles south
of Assos, he says:
“ And another story is that they borrowed the money to build
their Stoa, and, not paying up on the appointed day, were shut
out from the building. But, when it rained, the money-lenders, for
very shame, sent out the crier to bid them come under; and, as
the crier made proclamation ‘ Come under the Stoa] the story got
abroad that the Cymaeans did not know enough to go in when it
rained, unless they were notified by the herald ! ”
THE BOULEUTERION
PAGES 53, 55, 57, 59
This building has been so named on account of its position
and of the many fragments of inscriptions, decrees, etc., found
near it. No inscription was found that could be connected
with the building itself. The rough pillars and lintels between
columns were a later addition. The spaces between columns
were originally closed by a metal grille. The columns were
monoliths. No capitals were found. The Doric cornice,
with triglyph frieze, was probably only on the west and south
fronts. It had small flat mutules without drops.
The Ionic cornice, with plain epistyle, was probably on the
north and east fronts, sides which were of less importance.
Projections for fastening the roof tiles were cut on the
cornice blocks.
A subterranean passage (Fig. 4), at the south, led to some
rooms on the lower terrace, which may have been a prison,
but they were too much ruined for restoration. An interest-
ing cistern, with well-built walls of polygonal masonry, was
discovered in one of the chambers. This was half full of
debris, and the earth and stones were removed through the
narrow orifice by means of baskets and ropes, and carefully
sifted in the open air. Within this subterranean vault were
found the marble head of a heroic statue (Fig. 7) and
several additional fragments of the inscribed stele (Fig. 18).
The accumulated earth was full of fragments of water vessels
of the Byzantine period and with the bones of domestic
animals.
Fig. 7. Marble Head Found in Cistern below Agora
1 Strabo XIII-622.
INVESTIGATIONS AT ASSOS
upper story only a portion of the rear wall remained in
situ. The double “half-columns” of upper story were of
white marble. No capital was found. The epistyle shows
the cuts for the wooden roof-beams (Page 47). The
shield blocks of the gables were of white marble, while the
neighboring tympanon blocks and the rest of the building
were of the dark Acropolis stone, showing that the entire
structure was probably once coated with white stucco, although
no trace of this was found. On the north front, where the
street rose above the level of the cornice, the sima was omit-
ted, A to A (Page 35, Fig. 2).
SCALE
Fig. 6. East Elevations of Stoa
The reservoir in front of the Stoa was excavated in ledge
rock. It was filled with earth, fragments of columns, and
blocks from Stoa. The bottom was paved with Hat stones,
with cemented joints. The outlet at the western end was a
passage about a metre broad, cut through the solid rock,
roofed with stone slabs, through which a pipe conducted the
water to the Baths below.
The Stoa formed a shelter from the rain and sun, and,
being in the public square, was the general place of resort for
the merchants and business men of the city, as well as for
others. An interesting passage in Strabo1 illustrates this use
of the Stoa in the life of the Greeks, and also the fact that all
jokes are old. In speaking of Cyme, a city fifty miles south
of Assos, he says:
“ And another story is that they borrowed the money to build
their Stoa, and, not paying up on the appointed day, were shut
out from the building. But, when it rained, the money-lenders, for
very shame, sent out the crier to bid them come under; and, as
the crier made proclamation ‘ Come under the Stoa] the story got
abroad that the Cymaeans did not know enough to go in when it
rained, unless they were notified by the herald ! ”
THE BOULEUTERION
PAGES 53, 55, 57, 59
This building has been so named on account of its position
and of the many fragments of inscriptions, decrees, etc., found
near it. No inscription was found that could be connected
with the building itself. The rough pillars and lintels between
columns were a later addition. The spaces between columns
were originally closed by a metal grille. The columns were
monoliths. No capitals were found. The Doric cornice,
with triglyph frieze, was probably only on the west and south
fronts. It had small flat mutules without drops.
The Ionic cornice, with plain epistyle, was probably on the
north and east fronts, sides which were of less importance.
Projections for fastening the roof tiles were cut on the
cornice blocks.
A subterranean passage (Fig. 4), at the south, led to some
rooms on the lower terrace, which may have been a prison,
but they were too much ruined for restoration. An interest-
ing cistern, with well-built walls of polygonal masonry, was
discovered in one of the chambers. This was half full of
debris, and the earth and stones were removed through the
narrow orifice by means of baskets and ropes, and carefully
sifted in the open air. Within this subterranean vault were
found the marble head of a heroic statue (Fig. 7) and
several additional fragments of the inscribed stele (Fig. 18).
The accumulated earth was full of fragments of water vessels
of the Byzantine period and with the bones of domestic
animals.
Fig. 7. Marble Head Found in Cistern below Agora
1 Strabo XIII-622.