DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.18216#0285
THE TEMPLE AT PHCGALEIA.
271
sculptures of Aegina, began excavations which were com-
pleted in 1812. The party included Cockerell and Haller
in the first season, and Haller, Stackelberg and Brond-
stedt in the second season. The sculptures found were
removed to Zante, and were purchased by the British
Government in 1814.
The temple was visited by Pausanias, who describes it
as being situated at the village of Bassae on Mount Coty-
lion, about five miles from Phigaleia. Pausanias states
that the temple and its roof were alike built of stone,
and that it might be counted among the temples of the
Peloponnesus, second only to that of Tegea, for beauty of
material and fineness of proportion. He adds that the
temple was dedicated to Apollo Epicurios (the Helper),
because the god had stayed a plague at Phigaleia in
the time of the Peloponnesian war. The architect was
Ictinos, the builder of the Parthenon (Pans, viii., 41, 5).
The date of the temple is therefore about 430 B.C.,
although it is doubtful whether the plague in Arcadia
was connected with the more celebrated pestilence at
Athens.
The temple is built of the light grey limestone of the
surrounding mountains. The sculptures, tiles, lacunaria,
and capitals of the interior architecture were all of marble,
which was probably obtained in the neighbourhood. The
form of the building is that known as amphiprostyle
peripteral hexastvle. The temple consisted of a central
cella with a pronaos and opisthodomos, and was sur-
rounded by a Doric colonnade, having six columns at the
ends and fifteen columns at the sides. The pronaos and
opisthodomos were each bounded by two Doric columns
between antae, surmounted by metopes. The cella con-
tained ten Ionic columns engaged in buttresses which
connected them with the side walls. Towards the south
end of the cella was a single Corinthian column, of
271
sculptures of Aegina, began excavations which were com-
pleted in 1812. The party included Cockerell and Haller
in the first season, and Haller, Stackelberg and Brond-
stedt in the second season. The sculptures found were
removed to Zante, and were purchased by the British
Government in 1814.
The temple was visited by Pausanias, who describes it
as being situated at the village of Bassae on Mount Coty-
lion, about five miles from Phigaleia. Pausanias states
that the temple and its roof were alike built of stone,
and that it might be counted among the temples of the
Peloponnesus, second only to that of Tegea, for beauty of
material and fineness of proportion. He adds that the
temple was dedicated to Apollo Epicurios (the Helper),
because the god had stayed a plague at Phigaleia in
the time of the Peloponnesian war. The architect was
Ictinos, the builder of the Parthenon (Pans, viii., 41, 5).
The date of the temple is therefore about 430 B.C.,
although it is doubtful whether the plague in Arcadia
was connected with the more celebrated pestilence at
Athens.
The temple is built of the light grey limestone of the
surrounding mountains. The sculptures, tiles, lacunaria,
and capitals of the interior architecture were all of marble,
which was probably obtained in the neighbourhood. The
form of the building is that known as amphiprostyle
peripteral hexastvle. The temple consisted of a central
cella with a pronaos and opisthodomos, and was sur-
rounded by a Doric colonnade, having six columns at the
ends and fifteen columns at the sides. The pronaos and
opisthodomos were each bounded by two Doric columns
between antae, surmounted by metopes. The cella con-
tained ten Ionic columns engaged in buttresses which
connected them with the side walls. Towards the south
end of the cella was a single Corinthian column, of