Dodwell, Edward: Views in Greece (London, 1821)

TEMPLE OF APOLLO EPICURlUS

ON MOUNT KOTYI.ION IN ARCADIA.

" PHIGALIA is encompassed with mountains. Kotylion is on its left, and Elnion
advances on its right. Kotylion is forty stadia from the city. Upon this mountain
there is a place1 called Bassai, with the Temple'1 of Apollo Epicurius1, Uie roof of which
is of marble*. Tliis temple is more admired than any in the Pcloponnesos, after that at
Tegea, both on account of the beauty of its stone and the harmony of its structure. The
name of E*««uf«>{, or the Helper, was given to Apollo, from the aid which be afforded to
the inhabitants in a pestilential malady. Ikliuos, who built the Parthenon, was also the
architect of this temple*«"

To this account of Pnusanias it is necessary to add a few words concerning its ancient
state and its present appearance. It is of the Doric order, and stands nearly north and
south 14)011 a small circular plain high up the side of Kotylion, which forms Q part of the
Lyonaa range. It is built of a fine dose-grained stone that is found upon the spot, and
is suffused with a light yellow tint approaching the beauty of marble. It had, when
entire, six columns on each front and fifteen on the sides, including those of the angles,
in all forty-two columns, with the two of the pronaos and the two of the posticum.

The interior of the cclla was decorated with ten Ionic columnar pilasters, whose
capitals were of white marble. No other part of the temple than that over the statue6
appears to have been covered with a roof. The form of the capitals resembles those of
the Parthenon. Thirty-six columns are at present standing, besides the lower parts of
some of the pilasters. The architrave is almost entire, but many of the columns are
out of the i>erpcndicular, and the cpistylia are consequently disjointed in several places,
and at my visit threatened that ruin which \v;is partially effected by the subsequent
removal of the sculpture. The roof and walls of the cclla have fallen. The sculptured
frize, which is at present in the British Museum, was extracted from under the ruins in
the year 1812.

The view from the temple is particularly attractive, from the Iscauty of the lines
and the interest of the objects. The distant mountain on the left of the view is
Taygcton. The nearer range is Lycaxm and Knrausios, above the lower part of which
the eye glances upon the Messenian Gulf, the memorable plain of Stenyklaros, and the
flat-topped Ithome. On the right-hand side of the view the plain of Cyparissiai is seen
between the columns, and the horizon is bounded by the gulf of Cvparissiai and the
Sicilian sea. The two figures on the left hand are my Turkish attendants, Ibrahim and
the Tatar Saliquc. The northern end and eastern Hank of the temple are represented
in this view.

' X"f'- * w»f- ' BrHHi^tf. « Hht. ' l'ausau. b, 8. c 41.

« This statue «-m of bronze, urn] twelve feet in height, nud wna tnken to Mt^alopolLs—Fnusnn. b. & c 80,
The length of the temj.le is 185 fat, breadth 48; length of the cclla 53 feci, breadth 30; length of the hvpo.-Uiml,
or unroofed port of the cclla, !« feel. 'Hie column* ore about 20 feet in height, including the capitals.