Gell, William: The geography and antiquities of Ithaca (London, 1807)

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68

'The palace of Ulysses contained also a bath, for bath-
ing is frequently mentioned in the Odyssey, and there was
a corn-miir near the house, in which twelve women were
employed.

There was a building, probably within the court of the
house, called tholos, of which the use does not appear from
the poem. There was a narrow space between this build-
ing3 and the wall of the court, and here the concubines of
the suitors were murdered by order of Ulysses. The tho-
los does not appear to have been different from those edi-
fices of later times which had the same name. The scho-
liast observes that it was a circular building, and Homer
seems to confirm4 the idea. There was a tholos in the
grove of JE'sculapius, near Epidauros, built of white mar-
ble and of a circular figure. It was thought curious in the
time of Pausanias, having stood, at that time, about six
hundred years. It was erected by Polycletus, who lived
in the fifth century before Christ, and was decorated by the

' Od. 23. 163. Od. 20. 297. Od. 17. 87.

1 Od. 20. 106. 3 Od. 22. 442. * Od. 22. 466.