DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.2532#0086
GENERAL GORDON'S EXCAVATIONS
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which fully confirmed his previous suspicion that this was the site of the Heraeum. Besides many
fragments of ornamental masonry, both in stone and marble, lie disinterred various pieces of sculp-
ture. Among these was the tail of a peacock in white marble, possibly a fragment of that which
Pausanias describes as dedicated by Hadrian to the goddess,1 with several small votive images,
some of them bearing distinct allusions to her worship ; besides lamps, vases, and other articles
in bronze and terra-cotta. Among fragments of columns are none which could be considered
worthy of having belonged to the porticos of so noble
an edifice. The greater part of the edifice, it may be
presumed, has been removed during the later ages,
for the construction of modern edifices, sacred or
profane. Around the mouths of wells on the plain
below, and on the sites of several ruins of Byzantine
or Turkish periods, are strewed massive drums of col-
umns of the Doric order, with fragments of a similar
description. The lower terrace has also its substruc-
tions of regular Hellenic masonry,3 forming a breast-
work to the base of the triangle towards the plain.
The excavation was conducted at the general's own
cost, and upon a limited scale ; but, to judge by its
success, were it to be followed up on a, more extended
plan, it could not fail to be productive of valuable
results.
" The length of the surface of the hill may be
about two hundred and fifty yards ; its present breadth
about half its length. It is protected on its flanks
by steep precipices beneath which is the bed of a
small torrent descending from the mountain behind,
as indicated by Pausanias," etc.
In communicating this discovery of General
Gordon's to Colonel Leake, Mr. Finlay says::i
" It is a few hundred yards nearer the hills than
■where you passed, but two ravines isolate the
site, and prevent it from being reached by riding
close along the slope of the hills." On November 21, 1831, Finlay further writes to
Leake:—
" While at Nauplia I visited the Heraeum, and spent the whole day there : and I had the good
fortune to discover a curious subterraneous passage,4 which escaped the attention even of Pro-
fessor Thiersch of Munich, who had visited the site several times. A projection of Mount Euboea
lengthens the road from Mycenae to these ruins, and obliges a horseman to keep so far down in
the plains, that a small knoll hides the place from those who pass near it, while it remains visible
at a distance, and can be seen both from Argos and Nauplia.5 The eminence on which the rums
are situated is an irregular triangular platform having a precipitous apex towards Mount Euboea,
and inaccessible though not very elevated. The base of the triangle is towards Argos, and is sup-
1 This is a mistake, as Hadrian's gift was "a peacock 4 This is either a broad cavernous passage or the
of gold and shining stones" (Pans. III. 17. (>). Still the slope behind the buildings, to the northwest of the Old
Fig. .'Si
Colonel Murk's Pi.ax of the Site
of the Heraeum.
From lils Journal of A Tour in Greece, vol. I.
p. 179.
allusion to Hera remains, as there were also sacred pea-
cocks in the sanctuary of Hera at Samos, etc. Cf. Fra-
zer's Pausanias, Vol. III. pp. 185 ff.
2 Gordon must therefore, in his excavations, have got
down to the foundation walls of the Second Temple.
:; Leake's Peloponnesiaca [supplement to his Travels
in the Morea], published in 1810, pp. '258 ff.
Temple, or a passage near the river to the southwest of
the site immediately beside the " manhole " passage which
we excavated in the first year. I do not think this one is
meant.
5 Leake's footnote : " From the Larissa of Argos it
bears N. 27 F. from Palamidhi, N. 10 W."
..ili'1
1
G5
•m..
•■'■■,■'■''
which fully confirmed his previous suspicion that this was the site of the Heraeum. Besides many
fragments of ornamental masonry, both in stone and marble, lie disinterred various pieces of sculp-
ture. Among these was the tail of a peacock in white marble, possibly a fragment of that which
Pausanias describes as dedicated by Hadrian to the goddess,1 with several small votive images,
some of them bearing distinct allusions to her worship ; besides lamps, vases, and other articles
in bronze and terra-cotta. Among fragments of columns are none which could be considered
worthy of having belonged to the porticos of so noble
an edifice. The greater part of the edifice, it may be
presumed, has been removed during the later ages,
for the construction of modern edifices, sacred or
profane. Around the mouths of wells on the plain
below, and on the sites of several ruins of Byzantine
or Turkish periods, are strewed massive drums of col-
umns of the Doric order, with fragments of a similar
description. The lower terrace has also its substruc-
tions of regular Hellenic masonry,3 forming a breast-
work to the base of the triangle towards the plain.
The excavation was conducted at the general's own
cost, and upon a limited scale ; but, to judge by its
success, were it to be followed up on a, more extended
plan, it could not fail to be productive of valuable
results.
" The length of the surface of the hill may be
about two hundred and fifty yards ; its present breadth
about half its length. It is protected on its flanks
by steep precipices beneath which is the bed of a
small torrent descending from the mountain behind,
as indicated by Pausanias," etc.
In communicating this discovery of General
Gordon's to Colonel Leake, Mr. Finlay says::i
" It is a few hundred yards nearer the hills than
■where you passed, but two ravines isolate the
site, and prevent it from being reached by riding
close along the slope of the hills." On November 21, 1831, Finlay further writes to
Leake:—
" While at Nauplia I visited the Heraeum, and spent the whole day there : and I had the good
fortune to discover a curious subterraneous passage,4 which escaped the attention even of Pro-
fessor Thiersch of Munich, who had visited the site several times. A projection of Mount Euboea
lengthens the road from Mycenae to these ruins, and obliges a horseman to keep so far down in
the plains, that a small knoll hides the place from those who pass near it, while it remains visible
at a distance, and can be seen both from Argos and Nauplia.5 The eminence on which the rums
are situated is an irregular triangular platform having a precipitous apex towards Mount Euboea,
and inaccessible though not very elevated. The base of the triangle is towards Argos, and is sup-
1 This is a mistake, as Hadrian's gift was "a peacock 4 This is either a broad cavernous passage or the
of gold and shining stones" (Pans. III. 17. (>). Still the slope behind the buildings, to the northwest of the Old
Fig. .'Si
Colonel Murk's Pi.ax of the Site
of the Heraeum.
From lils Journal of A Tour in Greece, vol. I.
p. 179.
allusion to Hera remains, as there were also sacred pea-
cocks in the sanctuary of Hera at Samos, etc. Cf. Fra-
zer's Pausanias, Vol. III. pp. 185 ff.
2 Gordon must therefore, in his excavations, have got
down to the foundation walls of the Second Temple.
:; Leake's Peloponnesiaca [supplement to his Travels
in the Morea], published in 1810, pp. '258 ff.
Temple, or a passage near the river to the southwest of
the site immediately beside the " manhole " passage which
we excavated in the first year. I do not think this one is
meant.
5 Leake's footnote : " From the Larissa of Argos it
bears N. 27 F. from Palamidhi, N. 10 W."
..ili'1
1