DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.45927#0069
5.1. Architectural Decoration of the Bouleuterion Scaenae Frons
67
Serapeion should be placed in the second half of the 2nd century.189 The situations in the Harbor Gymnasium
and the Varius baths are more ambiguous. The Harbor Gymnasium-Bath complex has been identified as the
“Sebaston Gymnasion” with good reasons.190 Its date nevertheless depends upon inscriptions on a group of
bases from the Harbor Gymnasium, which can be dated to 92/93 A.D.191 and has often been taken as proof for
the building’s completion during the late Flavian era. Yet, some problems with this date in my opinion are still
unsolved: the donation of the so-called marble hall adjacent to the palaestra has been attributed to Ti. Claudius
Aristion and therefore to the time of the emperor Domitian. The position of the respective inscription on the
architrave, its attribution to the building in general and also its date are by no means certain.192 In addition, the
building ornamentation of the bath itself according to V. M. Strocka is Hadrianic.193 Such a gap in between the
erection of the palaestra under Domitian and the bath at least twenty years later seems curious. In contrast, W.
Alzinger argues for an uninterrupted construction of the whole complex.194 These contradictions clearly have
to be resolved before we can judge the building’s ornamentation on a grander scale. Nevertheless, the available
evidence seems to point towards the construction of at least parts of the Harbor Gymnasium-Bath complex
during the Hadrianic era. Also the building phases of the Varius baths have never been properly studied,195 and
the attribution of the “Ephesos type” to the original structure remains uncertain.196
From the evidence presented thus far, we can deduce the use of the “Ephesos type” from the middle of the
2nd century A.D. onward. Earlier dates remain uncertain. This fits quite well with another building adorned
with capitals of the “Ephesos Type”, the Monopteros along the road to Magnesia (pls. 52, 1-2).197 As will be
argued below, this building was probably erected during the third quarter of the 2nd century A.D.
Taking this evidence into consideration, the Corinthian capitals today displayed in the Basilica Stoa might
well have been produced as building parts of the mid-second century Vedius scaenae frons in the Bouleuterion.
5.1.3 Architrave-Frieze of the Lower Story
The best preserved piece of this course is 4-9, the so-called “Papiane-block” due to its inscription (pls. 76, 2;
78, 1-2). It is therefore best suited for studying the architectural ornamentation of this level. Architrave and
frieze are worked in one piece. The three fascias of the architrave are separated by moldings: a bead-and-reel
between the lower one, a Lesbian kymation between the upper ones. The architrave’s crown molding shows
a bead-and-reel and an egg-and-dart. Above it there was a cavetto with palmettes preserved on one single
fragment (fragment E; pl. 76, 2). This threefold combination is more or less standard in Asia Minor during
the Roman period.198 The axes of the bead-and-reel and the egg-and-dart do not correlate. The frieze zone is
characterized by a convex frieze profile, and is crowned by an egg-and-dart. Both features are common in this
region in Roman Imperial times.
189 Rembart 2009; I want to thank the author for sharing with me the results of her work.
190 Friesen 1993, 121-137; Scherrer, in: Thur 1997, esp. 112. 118.
191 Scherrer, in: Thur 1997, 117 f.
192 IvE 427; cf. Quatember 2007, 104 with further references. In addition, the copy of the inscription in the “Skizzenbiicher” displays
an angular lunar sigma which rarely occurs during the Flavian era, cf. Skizzenbiicher Inv. 31-33. See also a remark on the inscrip-
tion by R. Heberdey in the Archive of the OAI, Emil Reisch papers (III, Inschriften Ephesos): “Nach der Schrift (E!) nicht gut in
flav. Zeit mdglich. Da die gekriimmte Friesflache nur roh behauen ist, ist denkbar, daB die Inschrift bei einer Reparatur eingetragen
wurde, wobei der vielleicht mit Ranken verzierte Fries abgearbeitet wurde”. I want to thank G. Wlach who informed me about this
document in the archive of the OAI. - Indeed, according to M. Guarducci, the angular shaped lunar sigma occurs mainly in the 3rd
century A.D., cf. Guarducci 1967, 377. However, in Ephesos the earliest example is known from the Hadrianic period: IvE 271a
(Skizzenbuch no. 2695). I want to thank A. Sokolicekfor information on this topic.
193 Strocka 1988, 302-303. Also Scherrer, in: Thur 1997, 112 note 168. 118 note 66 states that additional building activities took
place in the Harbour Gymnasium during the first quarter of the 2nd century A.D., probably connected to the Hadrianic Neokoros-
Temple.
194 Alzinger 1970, 1610: “Der Aufbau des gesamten Therme-Gymnasion-Komplexes wirkt trotz seiner additiven Struktur so einheit-
lich und ausgewogen, daB man nur ungern verschiedene Entstehungszeiten annehmen rndchte”.
195 Miltner 1955, 34-40; Miltner 1959a, 250-264; Alzinger 1970, 1619 f.; on the identification of the building and its name see
Knibbe -Merkelbach 1978, 99; on the renovation by Scholastikia see Strocka 1985, 229-232.
196 Similar Scherrer 2005, 121.
197 See below chap. 5.2.2.3.
198 KOster 2004, 161.
67
Serapeion should be placed in the second half of the 2nd century.189 The situations in the Harbor Gymnasium
and the Varius baths are more ambiguous. The Harbor Gymnasium-Bath complex has been identified as the
“Sebaston Gymnasion” with good reasons.190 Its date nevertheless depends upon inscriptions on a group of
bases from the Harbor Gymnasium, which can be dated to 92/93 A.D.191 and has often been taken as proof for
the building’s completion during the late Flavian era. Yet, some problems with this date in my opinion are still
unsolved: the donation of the so-called marble hall adjacent to the palaestra has been attributed to Ti. Claudius
Aristion and therefore to the time of the emperor Domitian. The position of the respective inscription on the
architrave, its attribution to the building in general and also its date are by no means certain.192 In addition, the
building ornamentation of the bath itself according to V. M. Strocka is Hadrianic.193 Such a gap in between the
erection of the palaestra under Domitian and the bath at least twenty years later seems curious. In contrast, W.
Alzinger argues for an uninterrupted construction of the whole complex.194 These contradictions clearly have
to be resolved before we can judge the building’s ornamentation on a grander scale. Nevertheless, the available
evidence seems to point towards the construction of at least parts of the Harbor Gymnasium-Bath complex
during the Hadrianic era. Also the building phases of the Varius baths have never been properly studied,195 and
the attribution of the “Ephesos type” to the original structure remains uncertain.196
From the evidence presented thus far, we can deduce the use of the “Ephesos type” from the middle of the
2nd century A.D. onward. Earlier dates remain uncertain. This fits quite well with another building adorned
with capitals of the “Ephesos Type”, the Monopteros along the road to Magnesia (pls. 52, 1-2).197 As will be
argued below, this building was probably erected during the third quarter of the 2nd century A.D.
Taking this evidence into consideration, the Corinthian capitals today displayed in the Basilica Stoa might
well have been produced as building parts of the mid-second century Vedius scaenae frons in the Bouleuterion.
5.1.3 Architrave-Frieze of the Lower Story
The best preserved piece of this course is 4-9, the so-called “Papiane-block” due to its inscription (pls. 76, 2;
78, 1-2). It is therefore best suited for studying the architectural ornamentation of this level. Architrave and
frieze are worked in one piece. The three fascias of the architrave are separated by moldings: a bead-and-reel
between the lower one, a Lesbian kymation between the upper ones. The architrave’s crown molding shows
a bead-and-reel and an egg-and-dart. Above it there was a cavetto with palmettes preserved on one single
fragment (fragment E; pl. 76, 2). This threefold combination is more or less standard in Asia Minor during
the Roman period.198 The axes of the bead-and-reel and the egg-and-dart do not correlate. The frieze zone is
characterized by a convex frieze profile, and is crowned by an egg-and-dart. Both features are common in this
region in Roman Imperial times.
189 Rembart 2009; I want to thank the author for sharing with me the results of her work.
190 Friesen 1993, 121-137; Scherrer, in: Thur 1997, esp. 112. 118.
191 Scherrer, in: Thur 1997, 117 f.
192 IvE 427; cf. Quatember 2007, 104 with further references. In addition, the copy of the inscription in the “Skizzenbiicher” displays
an angular lunar sigma which rarely occurs during the Flavian era, cf. Skizzenbiicher Inv. 31-33. See also a remark on the inscrip-
tion by R. Heberdey in the Archive of the OAI, Emil Reisch papers (III, Inschriften Ephesos): “Nach der Schrift (E!) nicht gut in
flav. Zeit mdglich. Da die gekriimmte Friesflache nur roh behauen ist, ist denkbar, daB die Inschrift bei einer Reparatur eingetragen
wurde, wobei der vielleicht mit Ranken verzierte Fries abgearbeitet wurde”. I want to thank G. Wlach who informed me about this
document in the archive of the OAI. - Indeed, according to M. Guarducci, the angular shaped lunar sigma occurs mainly in the 3rd
century A.D., cf. Guarducci 1967, 377. However, in Ephesos the earliest example is known from the Hadrianic period: IvE 271a
(Skizzenbuch no. 2695). I want to thank A. Sokolicekfor information on this topic.
193 Strocka 1988, 302-303. Also Scherrer, in: Thur 1997, 112 note 168. 118 note 66 states that additional building activities took
place in the Harbour Gymnasium during the first quarter of the 2nd century A.D., probably connected to the Hadrianic Neokoros-
Temple.
194 Alzinger 1970, 1610: “Der Aufbau des gesamten Therme-Gymnasion-Komplexes wirkt trotz seiner additiven Struktur so einheit-
lich und ausgewogen, daB man nur ungern verschiedene Entstehungszeiten annehmen rndchte”.
195 Miltner 1955, 34-40; Miltner 1959a, 250-264; Alzinger 1970, 1619 f.; on the identification of the building and its name see
Knibbe -Merkelbach 1978, 99; on the renovation by Scholastikia see Strocka 1985, 229-232.
196 Similar Scherrer 2005, 121.
197 See below chap. 5.2.2.3.
198 KOster 2004, 161.
