DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4263#0044
3S.
OF THE OCTOGON TOWER OF ANDRONICUS CYRRIIESTES.
43
eaChsideofit)are
gs on h> «$**
J ls tu"*d to a,,
mlar da»ce in 4e
^hehasbyWavof
5nta Christian,,
5 the matron is j,
% made of scarlet
r> ^e third, who
mmediately behind
reeds are growing;
om the water-pipes
hose sources are at
larket-place, which
s a wall, in which
e.
'hich is under the
; level of the street
;, and many other
aider the figure of
a aperture in the
late XIV. Fig. 2.]
e determined, that
. seem, to gain a
i the Tower 1
y however be oh-
ige marked by the
one perpendicular
ce which is above
which is between
upted by the two
ornice or entabla-
md, are circular.
Tower, it isIie>
nterior surface of
ifroooriw !■«»**
fascia and angulw
■ bed, and to a'
the wall immediately above the pavement; the second from b to c, is one-fourth of the interior sur-
face immediately above the lower cornice ; here the greatest projection of this cornice is marked by
a single line, and the manner of its breaking on each side of the door-ways is also shewn : the third
part from c to d, is the interior surface of the wall above the second cornice; the projection of this
cornice is also marked with a single line : the last part from d to a, is the remaining fourth of the in-
terior surface ; on this is marked the circular band or fascia on which the eight columns are placed,
with the plans of two of those columns.
PLATE XIV.
Fig. 1. The elevation of the Tower of the Winds. It has been already said, that the Triton
and the conical marble on which he is placed, are added from the description of Vitruvius: and it is
necessary to say further, that the capitals here given to the columns of the portal, although they were
found among the ruins of this building, did perhaps never belong to ita; for the upper part of the
shafts of these columns are broken off, and it is not possible to be certain how they finished. This
kind of capital has been in frequent use both at Athens and in other parts of Greece, and that which
supports the triton at the top of the roof, a considerable fragment of which remains, evidently appears
to have been of this species; that is, the upper range of leaves was not divided like the acanthus, or
like any other of the foliages proper to the Corinthian capital, but were smooth and resemble What
our workmen call water-leaves. The fragment of this capital and the cavity in which it was origi-
nally placed, will be particularly described in Plate XV. Fig. 3. The kind of base which supports
this capital and terminates the roof, is the only moulding which is supplied here without due authority
for its form.
Fig. 2. A section of the Tower of the Winds. This will be sufficiently understood by what
has been said to explain Plate I. Fig. 2. All the space from the pavement to the top of the cornice
A, was rilled with dirt and rubbish, among which several human bones were found : and over all this,
the deal floor was laid so as to conceal the cornice A. As the Greeks bury in their churches, the
human bones found here seem to indicate that this has once been a Christian church.
PLATE XV.
Fig. 1. The external mouldings of the Tower of the Winds. The lion's head on the cyma-
tium is perforated and serves as a spout to carry off the rain-water; there are three of them on efteh
face of the octo£on.
Fig. 2. A section of the uppermost of the three steps which form the basis or stereobata
on which this building stands, as also of the torus and fillet immediately above the uppermost step.
Fig. 3. A quarter of the roof of the tower of the winds; it is of marble and cut into the form
of tilesb. A A, a circular cavity on the top of the roof, in which the capital to be described at Fig. 5,
was most probably placed. B B B, holes which communicate with the lions' heads on the Cymatium,
and convey the rain water through their mouths.
fford a
ble roof.
[ebO
a Ruined capitals of this description arc at. present to be seen
in the court of the British Museum, among other architectural
marbles belonging to his Majesty, which, we were informed,
were brought from Lebida, the ancient Leptis, near Carthage.
This example of capital was profusely used at Athens, and is met
with in other parts of Greece ; we suppose it to be of a date
subsequent to the Roman conquest of Greece. A similar capital,
from the Collection of Marbles at the Villa Borghese at Rome,
was engraved by Piranesi in his Magnificenza di Roma, 1761,
Tab. XIII. [ed.]
b This contrivance of covering edifices with marble wrought
into the form of tiles, appeared to the ancients so useful a piece
of ingenuity, that they judged the author of it, worthy of hav-
ing his name recorded in an inscription which secured to him the
honor of this invention. Pausanias tells us that he was of Naxos,
that his name was Byzes, and that he lived in the time when
Alyattes reigned in Lydia, and Astyages the son of Cyaxares
reigned over the Modes; or about 580 years before the Christian
sera; which makes him contemporary with Solon the Athenian,
and Tarquinius Prisons king of the Romans. Pausanias, Book V.
page 398.
OF THE OCTOGON TOWER OF ANDRONICUS CYRRIIESTES.
43
eaChsideofit)are
gs on h> «$**
J ls tu"*d to a,,
mlar da»ce in 4e
^hehasbyWavof
5nta Christian,,
5 the matron is j,
% made of scarlet
r> ^e third, who
mmediately behind
reeds are growing;
om the water-pipes
hose sources are at
larket-place, which
s a wall, in which
e.
'hich is under the
; level of the street
;, and many other
aider the figure of
a aperture in the
late XIV. Fig. 2.]
e determined, that
. seem, to gain a
i the Tower 1
y however be oh-
ige marked by the
one perpendicular
ce which is above
which is between
upted by the two
ornice or entabla-
md, are circular.
Tower, it isIie>
nterior surface of
ifroooriw !■«»**
fascia and angulw
■ bed, and to a'
the wall immediately above the pavement; the second from b to c, is one-fourth of the interior sur-
face immediately above the lower cornice ; here the greatest projection of this cornice is marked by
a single line, and the manner of its breaking on each side of the door-ways is also shewn : the third
part from c to d, is the interior surface of the wall above the second cornice; the projection of this
cornice is also marked with a single line : the last part from d to a, is the remaining fourth of the in-
terior surface ; on this is marked the circular band or fascia on which the eight columns are placed,
with the plans of two of those columns.
PLATE XIV.
Fig. 1. The elevation of the Tower of the Winds. It has been already said, that the Triton
and the conical marble on which he is placed, are added from the description of Vitruvius: and it is
necessary to say further, that the capitals here given to the columns of the portal, although they were
found among the ruins of this building, did perhaps never belong to ita; for the upper part of the
shafts of these columns are broken off, and it is not possible to be certain how they finished. This
kind of capital has been in frequent use both at Athens and in other parts of Greece, and that which
supports the triton at the top of the roof, a considerable fragment of which remains, evidently appears
to have been of this species; that is, the upper range of leaves was not divided like the acanthus, or
like any other of the foliages proper to the Corinthian capital, but were smooth and resemble What
our workmen call water-leaves. The fragment of this capital and the cavity in which it was origi-
nally placed, will be particularly described in Plate XV. Fig. 3. The kind of base which supports
this capital and terminates the roof, is the only moulding which is supplied here without due authority
for its form.
Fig. 2. A section of the Tower of the Winds. This will be sufficiently understood by what
has been said to explain Plate I. Fig. 2. All the space from the pavement to the top of the cornice
A, was rilled with dirt and rubbish, among which several human bones were found : and over all this,
the deal floor was laid so as to conceal the cornice A. As the Greeks bury in their churches, the
human bones found here seem to indicate that this has once been a Christian church.
PLATE XV.
Fig. 1. The external mouldings of the Tower of the Winds. The lion's head on the cyma-
tium is perforated and serves as a spout to carry off the rain-water; there are three of them on efteh
face of the octo£on.
Fig. 2. A section of the uppermost of the three steps which form the basis or stereobata
on which this building stands, as also of the torus and fillet immediately above the uppermost step.
Fig. 3. A quarter of the roof of the tower of the winds; it is of marble and cut into the form
of tilesb. A A, a circular cavity on the top of the roof, in which the capital to be described at Fig. 5,
was most probably placed. B B B, holes which communicate with the lions' heads on the Cymatium,
and convey the rain water through their mouths.
fford a
ble roof.
[ebO
a Ruined capitals of this description arc at. present to be seen
in the court of the British Museum, among other architectural
marbles belonging to his Majesty, which, we were informed,
were brought from Lebida, the ancient Leptis, near Carthage.
This example of capital was profusely used at Athens, and is met
with in other parts of Greece ; we suppose it to be of a date
subsequent to the Roman conquest of Greece. A similar capital,
from the Collection of Marbles at the Villa Borghese at Rome,
was engraved by Piranesi in his Magnificenza di Roma, 1761,
Tab. XIII. [ed.]
b This contrivance of covering edifices with marble wrought
into the form of tiles, appeared to the ancients so useful a piece
of ingenuity, that they judged the author of it, worthy of hav-
ing his name recorded in an inscription which secured to him the
honor of this invention. Pausanias tells us that he was of Naxos,
that his name was Byzes, and that he lived in the time when
Alyattes reigned in Lydia, and Astyages the son of Cyaxares
reigned over the Modes; or about 580 years before the Christian
sera; which makes him contemporary with Solon the Athenian,
and Tarquinius Prisons king of the Romans. Pausanias, Book V.
page 398.