DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4324#0114
SAM OS. 61
the favourite haunt of the goddess, flows at the distance of seven hundred yards to the west of the
temple. Its banks are, as in ancient times, beautifully fringed with broom, oleander, and agnus
castus, the plant dedicated to Juno which, here and at Chora, is rather a tree than a shrub. On
the mountain Vorliotes, west of the plain, and ending in the Cape Eis Ampelo, or Sampoulo, the
ancient Ampelos, is the village of Baionda, containing about three hundred houses. Beyond is a
plain, in which is a village, Marathro Campo, where ruins are said to exist. Above this is the lofty
mountain Kerke, the ancient Cercelius, or Kerketeus of Strabo. Above the plain of Chora is the
large and hospitable monastery of Stauro, or the Holy Cross. The Imbrasus could scarcely be
called a running stream at its mouth in the month of June, though one branch from the village of
Pyrgo is perennial. At no great distance from the shore, and below the village of Baionda, pro-
nounced Vaionda, is a source of the Imbrasus, called Nerro Trouvio, or the Water Hole. Nothing
can exceed the beauty of the spot, or of the surrounding country; but the water is said to fail in
July, August and September. The inhabitants have nevertheless an idea that the temple was
supplied from this source. Near it, but upon a higher level, is an arcade, which the natives call
an aqueduct, but which has more the appearance of a ruined church. On the mountain of
Baionda is seen the monastery of the Agios Taxiarchos. Not far distant is that of the Megale
Panagia.
The site of the Heraeum, or temple of Juno, was probably in ancient times a swamp, and was
approached by a causeway, such spots being often selected in Ionia, either from the real or ima-
ginary security which they afforded against earthquakes. The temples of Diana at Ephesus, and
Minerva-Leucophryne at Magnesia ad Masandrum, are examples of this choice. Vitruvius speaks
of the foundations of such edifices ; but if we might judge of the real effect of the marsh upon the
durability of the edifices, from the comparison of those ruins which remain, with others founded
upon rocks, we might perhaps find that the only difference consists in the circumstance, that the
temples situated in swamps seem to have been overthrown by a simultaneous motion like a wave,
in consequence of which the columns have been thrown down in parallel lines in the direction of
the shock, while the others have tottered and fallen nearly on the spot, as at the temple of Minerva-
Polias at Priene. The temple of Juno was raised upon a platform, to which there was an ascent
of several steps. The columns still existing are so widely separated, and their diameters of such
different magnitudes, as lead us to conjecture that the pure ancient temple was surrounded by a
portico of later date. Herodotus mentions three magnificent works of the Samians ; the temple,
however, excelling the others in magnificence and extent. Rhoecus, the son of Phileus, was the
architect of this celebrated structure. There was in all probability a propylaeum to the Heraeum,
of which the Doric fragments are yet visible. The statue of Juno, which ornamented the temple
ofSamos, was of bronze, and existed till about the year 1200 after Christ in the square of Con-
stantine at Constantinople. Nicetas Choniates, the Byzantine historian, relates, in a fragment
preserved by Fabricius, that this magnificent work of art was thrown down by the crusaders during
the pillage of that city, and that the head alone when broken off, was of such a prodigious weight,
that eight oxen could with difficulty drag it to the palace, where it was melted with the other
the favourite haunt of the goddess, flows at the distance of seven hundred yards to the west of the
temple. Its banks are, as in ancient times, beautifully fringed with broom, oleander, and agnus
castus, the plant dedicated to Juno which, here and at Chora, is rather a tree than a shrub. On
the mountain Vorliotes, west of the plain, and ending in the Cape Eis Ampelo, or Sampoulo, the
ancient Ampelos, is the village of Baionda, containing about three hundred houses. Beyond is a
plain, in which is a village, Marathro Campo, where ruins are said to exist. Above this is the lofty
mountain Kerke, the ancient Cercelius, or Kerketeus of Strabo. Above the plain of Chora is the
large and hospitable monastery of Stauro, or the Holy Cross. The Imbrasus could scarcely be
called a running stream at its mouth in the month of June, though one branch from the village of
Pyrgo is perennial. At no great distance from the shore, and below the village of Baionda, pro-
nounced Vaionda, is a source of the Imbrasus, called Nerro Trouvio, or the Water Hole. Nothing
can exceed the beauty of the spot, or of the surrounding country; but the water is said to fail in
July, August and September. The inhabitants have nevertheless an idea that the temple was
supplied from this source. Near it, but upon a higher level, is an arcade, which the natives call
an aqueduct, but which has more the appearance of a ruined church. On the mountain of
Baionda is seen the monastery of the Agios Taxiarchos. Not far distant is that of the Megale
Panagia.
The site of the Heraeum, or temple of Juno, was probably in ancient times a swamp, and was
approached by a causeway, such spots being often selected in Ionia, either from the real or ima-
ginary security which they afforded against earthquakes. The temples of Diana at Ephesus, and
Minerva-Leucophryne at Magnesia ad Masandrum, are examples of this choice. Vitruvius speaks
of the foundations of such edifices ; but if we might judge of the real effect of the marsh upon the
durability of the edifices, from the comparison of those ruins which remain, with others founded
upon rocks, we might perhaps find that the only difference consists in the circumstance, that the
temples situated in swamps seem to have been overthrown by a simultaneous motion like a wave,
in consequence of which the columns have been thrown down in parallel lines in the direction of
the shock, while the others have tottered and fallen nearly on the spot, as at the temple of Minerva-
Polias at Priene. The temple of Juno was raised upon a platform, to which there was an ascent
of several steps. The columns still existing are so widely separated, and their diameters of such
different magnitudes, as lead us to conjecture that the pure ancient temple was surrounded by a
portico of later date. Herodotus mentions three magnificent works of the Samians ; the temple,
however, excelling the others in magnificence and extent. Rhoecus, the son of Phileus, was the
architect of this celebrated structure. There was in all probability a propylaeum to the Heraeum,
of which the Doric fragments are yet visible. The statue of Juno, which ornamented the temple
ofSamos, was of bronze, and existed till about the year 1200 after Christ in the square of Con-
stantine at Constantinople. Nicetas Choniates, the Byzantine historian, relates, in a fragment
preserved by Fabricius, that this magnificent work of art was thrown down by the crusaders during
the pillage of that city, and that the head alone when broken off, was of such a prodigious weight,
that eight oxen could with difficulty drag it to the palace, where it was melted with the other