DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.2532#0048
THREE PERIODS IN THE HISTORY OF THE HERAEUM
27
the architectural history of the Heraeum, as manifested by the remains before lis, there
is an inclination towards, an attraction to,Mycenae ; and while the East Building-(IV) and
many of the buildings at the extreme eastern angle of the Second Temple platform still
point to a living relation with Tiryns, the three large Western Buildings (VII, VIII,
and X) distinctly show the growing preponderance of Mycenae. This is the Mycenaean
Period. But at the risk of appearing fanciful and exaggerating the import of the mere
position of such buildings, we would point out that the West Building (VII) and the
LoAver Stoa (X), while placed at the west or Mycenae end, show a tendency towards the
south or Argos side, as they undoubtedly belong to a period in which the power of
Argos asserted itself more and more.
When, however, the second platform was cleared and filled in to the level and the
temple of Eupolemus was built, about B. c. 420, the edifices of this period, the temple
itself (V), the chambers and buildings at the northeast of the second terrace (II), and the
South Stoa (VI), with the elaborate terrace and steps below it, and the others to the east
of it, all change their common orientation, and the splendid entrance to this temple, on
the soiith slope, distinctly faces the city of Argos, which now reigns supreme over the
land and has complete charge and patronage over the Heraeum. In the topographical
history of the sacred precinct itself, the location of the buildings thus indicates three
main periods, — the Tirynthian, the Mycenaean, and that of the city of Argos.
The point which concerns us most at present is the origin of the early temple, which
leads us back to Tiryns and to Proetus.
But the site which we have excavated has yielded monumental evidence pointing to an
earlier date for the occupation of this site by a temple of Hera than the erection of the
Cyclopean walls. Objects which show the existence of inhabitants possessing distinct
forms of civilized life have been found below these Cyclopean walls. We have also
come upon a system of ruder and smaller walls, which point to a period anterior to the
building of the Cyclopean foundation wall; for the walls in .question, built of rude
unhewn small stones, which probably formed the foundation for superadded walls of sun-
dried brick or mud, correspond to the walls found by Schliemann at Hissarlik in his First
and Second City. Now if the palace in the Second City of Hissarlik corresponds to the
Tirynthian Palace of Proetus,1 then the structures corresponding to the earlier His-
sarlik settlements must be earlier in date than the foundation walls built for Proetus at
Tiryns or the Heraeum. I am here referring to the slight remains of walls immediately
below the Cyclopean foundation wall on the rise above and to the east of Stoa II as well as
to a series of such primitive walls found by us in excavating down to the bed-rock behind
the South Stoa and between the West Building and the Second Temple. These rude
walls from their primitive construction were readily destroyed, and we must consider
ourselves fortunate in having found so many clear traces of them. The mass of these
below the Cyclopean foundation wall were mentioned by me in my Annual Report for
1892-93.2 Since within these we found the most primitive form of cooking-pot,
1 This Second City was formerly, with great assur-
ance, — evidently unwarranted scientifically in view of
the complete reversal of the last opinions expressed by
Dbrpfeld,—identified with the Homeric city. We now
hear that it is the sixth city which can " with certainty "
be identified with the Homeric Troy. If this be the case,
then a fortiori must the palaces of Tiryns and perhaps
Mycenae, which correspond to the second city of Hissar-
lik, be older. To use Dorpfeld's own words : " The
second stratum must be older than this stratum with the
Mycenaean vases [Sixth City] — how much older it is im-
possible to say, but the interval cannot have been a short
one, as between the two lie two other strata of poor
settlements." Cf. Tsountas-Manatt, op. cit. p. 308.
2 Twelfth Annual Report of the American School at
Athens, pp. 30, 31.
27
the architectural history of the Heraeum, as manifested by the remains before lis, there
is an inclination towards, an attraction to,Mycenae ; and while the East Building-(IV) and
many of the buildings at the extreme eastern angle of the Second Temple platform still
point to a living relation with Tiryns, the three large Western Buildings (VII, VIII,
and X) distinctly show the growing preponderance of Mycenae. This is the Mycenaean
Period. But at the risk of appearing fanciful and exaggerating the import of the mere
position of such buildings, we would point out that the West Building (VII) and the
LoAver Stoa (X), while placed at the west or Mycenae end, show a tendency towards the
south or Argos side, as they undoubtedly belong to a period in which the power of
Argos asserted itself more and more.
When, however, the second platform was cleared and filled in to the level and the
temple of Eupolemus was built, about B. c. 420, the edifices of this period, the temple
itself (V), the chambers and buildings at the northeast of the second terrace (II), and the
South Stoa (VI), with the elaborate terrace and steps below it, and the others to the east
of it, all change their common orientation, and the splendid entrance to this temple, on
the soiith slope, distinctly faces the city of Argos, which now reigns supreme over the
land and has complete charge and patronage over the Heraeum. In the topographical
history of the sacred precinct itself, the location of the buildings thus indicates three
main periods, — the Tirynthian, the Mycenaean, and that of the city of Argos.
The point which concerns us most at present is the origin of the early temple, which
leads us back to Tiryns and to Proetus.
But the site which we have excavated has yielded monumental evidence pointing to an
earlier date for the occupation of this site by a temple of Hera than the erection of the
Cyclopean walls. Objects which show the existence of inhabitants possessing distinct
forms of civilized life have been found below these Cyclopean walls. We have also
come upon a system of ruder and smaller walls, which point to a period anterior to the
building of the Cyclopean foundation wall; for the walls in .question, built of rude
unhewn small stones, which probably formed the foundation for superadded walls of sun-
dried brick or mud, correspond to the walls found by Schliemann at Hissarlik in his First
and Second City. Now if the palace in the Second City of Hissarlik corresponds to the
Tirynthian Palace of Proetus,1 then the structures corresponding to the earlier His-
sarlik settlements must be earlier in date than the foundation walls built for Proetus at
Tiryns or the Heraeum. I am here referring to the slight remains of walls immediately
below the Cyclopean foundation wall on the rise above and to the east of Stoa II as well as
to a series of such primitive walls found by us in excavating down to the bed-rock behind
the South Stoa and between the West Building and the Second Temple. These rude
walls from their primitive construction were readily destroyed, and we must consider
ourselves fortunate in having found so many clear traces of them. The mass of these
below the Cyclopean foundation wall were mentioned by me in my Annual Report for
1892-93.2 Since within these we found the most primitive form of cooking-pot,
1 This Second City was formerly, with great assur-
ance, — evidently unwarranted scientifically in view of
the complete reversal of the last opinions expressed by
Dbrpfeld,—identified with the Homeric city. We now
hear that it is the sixth city which can " with certainty "
be identified with the Homeric Troy. If this be the case,
then a fortiori must the palaces of Tiryns and perhaps
Mycenae, which correspond to the second city of Hissar-
lik, be older. To use Dorpfeld's own words : " The
second stratum must be older than this stratum with the
Mycenaean vases [Sixth City] — how much older it is im-
possible to say, but the interval cannot have been a short
one, as between the two lie two other strata of poor
settlements." Cf. Tsountas-Manatt, op. cit. p. 308.
2 Twelfth Annual Report of the American School at
Athens, pp. 30, 31.