P I E T D E J O NG

East End of South Stoa, Restored

CORINTH RESULTS OF EXCAVATIONS

CONDUCTED BY

THE AMERICAN SCHOOL OF CLASSICAL STUDIES AT ATHENS

VOLUME I, PART IV

THE SOUTH STOA AND

ITS ROMAN SUCCESSORS

BY

OSCAR BRONEER

THE AMERICAN SCHOOL OF CLASSICAL STUDIES AT ATHENS

PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY

1954

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

PRINTED BY OFFSET IN GREAT BRITAIN BY WILLIAM CLOWES & SONS, LIMITED LONDON, BECCLES AND COLCHESTER

REPRINTED 1971

PREFACE

From the published records of the exca- vations conducted by the American School of Classical Studies at Athens, the history of an- cient Corinth is gradually being rewritten. As whole sections of the city have been uncovered and each monument is made to tell its story, the records handed down by ancient historians are supplemented and clarified. Political events assume a new significance as outlined against the background of the material progress and

decay revealed by the ruins. Incidents barely mentioned by the historians become important factors in the city's history because of the im-

print left upon the material remains. The destruction inflicted by the Herulians upon Corinth in the year A.D. 267 exemplifies the contribution of archaeological investigation to the history of the city. The extent of the dev- astation is vividly revealed in the ashes and tumbled walls of several public buildings gut- ted by the fire.

The South Stoa throws new light on another event of far greater significance to the Co- rinthians and to all the Greeks. This is the formation of the Hellenic League, following the defeat of the United Greeks by Philip of Macedon at the Battle of Chaironeia in 338 B.C. Corinth then became for a brief period the capital of the Greek world. This event, which marks the beginning of the transition from Hellenic to Hellenistic, coincides in time with the construction of the Stoa. The dom- inant position within the city, the immense size and the intricate plan of the building do much to accentuate the revolutionary changes of which Corinth became the center at this time.

The League was short-lived. Sporadic at-

tempts to resurrect it in the decades following Alexander's death came to no lasting results.

The South Stoa remained unchanged, but it was made to serve other needs of the city. It becomes particularly important as a source of information on the life of Corinth during the hundred fifty years between the beginning of the third century and the destruction of the

city by the Romans in 146 B.C. After the Roman colony was established

under Caesar, the gigantic structure was forced into a new pattern of city planning. Although it was partially demolished and rebuilt, its fundamental character was unaltered, and it continued to dominate the architectural design of the city's forum. Through more than six centuries, its fagade remained virtually un-

changed. The history of Corinth during those centuries is reflected in the vicissitudes of the

great South Stoa and of the many smaller

buildings which the Roman colonists crowded into the space occupied by the Stoa shops.

The study of a monument of such magnitude has been slow and arduous. Although part of its foundation appeared in the first campaign of excavation in 1896, the form of the South Stoa was not revealed until 1904, and then

only half of the building was recognized. The south half with its shops and storerooms and its ingenious system of refrigeration became known for the first time in 1933. Then fol- lowed six campaigns of excavation in the course of which the whole vast city square was uncovered. The clearing of the South Stoa down to the Roman level had just been com-

pleted when the operations were discontinued as a result of World War II. Up to that time

very little progress had been made toward a final study of the Stoa, and much of the deli- cate digging on which such a study would be based remained to be done.

vi PREFACE

Work on the final publication began in 1946. In the excavation of that year, many of the

shop wells were cleared to the bottom and an immense amount of pottery and of other dis- carded gear of the shopowners was brought to light. While these investigations were in

progress, the late Leicester B. Holland began making the plans and drawings. At the end of that year, 1946-47, considerable progress had been made both on the plans and the man-

uscript, but much of the work still remained to be done. The tedious task of completing the drawings lagged behind. George V. Pesch- ke continued work on the ground plans at such times as he was able to be away from his duties in Athens.

Further delay on the Stoa publication was caused by my departure from Greece in the summer of 1948 when I joined the University of Chicago faculty. In 1950 I spent the spring and summer in Corinth, continuing the work on the Stoa. In a brief campaign of excavation an immense amount of most valuable material

appeared; at the end of that season the ex- cavation of the Stoa was completed. Mr. Peschke, and for a short time Elias Skroubelos, continued work on the ground plans, which were finished in the fall of that year. Finally in the spring of 1952 I returned to Greece for the

purpose of starting the excavation at the Isthmian sanctuary, and to resume work on the Stoa publication. By good fortune, the American School was able to obtain the con- tinued services of Piet de Jong, who com-

pleted all the drawings required for the pub- lication of the Stoa. The first complete draft of the text was then written. This was further revised and partly rewritten in the fall of 1953, when I was able, as a member of the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, to devote three months of uninterrupted work to the completion of the Stoa publication.

Special problems not directly connected with the study of the ruins arise at the close of an excavation of such extent. The removal

of the debris, accumulated throughout more than two milleniums of almost constant oc-

cupation, resulted in a discouraging and un-

sightly pile of stones covering the ancient foundations. All the blocks had to be sorted and examined and the useless stones removed and eventually built into retaiining walls. And in order to leave the ruins in a shape in-

telligible to the visitors it became necessary to assemble column drums and other architec- tural members from every part of the vast

Agora and set them up in a position suggesting their original place in the building. This time-

consuming task, which required skill and sound

judgment in order to prevent damage to the

antiquities and injury to the workmen, was entrusted to the foreman of the Corinth ex- cavations, Eva,ngelos Lekkas, and a small crew of veteran excavators.

During the years of foreign occupation, when the battle for survival in Greece left little time for less immediately pressing needs, the

antiquities of Corinth and elsewhere were in constant danger from willful depredation and sheer vandalism. The South Stoa, which had

just been uncovered when the war broke out, would have suffered severely from such causes, had it not been for the vigilance and exem-

plary devotion to duty on the part of the Senior Guard of Antiquities, George Kachros.

It was originally planned to include in volume I, part IV, of the Corinth Publications a study of the pottery and other objects from the shop wells which have a very direct

bearing upon the history and use of the South Stoa. G. Roger Edwards, who was a member of the American School of Classical Studies from 1946 to 1950, began work on the second

part of the volume which was to contain this material. Before he was able to finish this task, he became a staff member of the Agora Ex- cavation in Athens and subsequently he ac-

cepted a position in the University of Penn- sylvania Museum. He was thus prevented from completing his study of the Stoa well-groups.

PREFACE vii

In the meantime, my work on the archi- tecture and history of the building was nearing its completion. This proved sufficient to fill one complete volume, and the material from the wells, vastly increased during the three campaigns of 1946-47, 1948 and 1950, would be enough to be published separately. In his preliminary study of the well-groups, Dr. Edwards amassed a wealth of data of par- ticular value for the chronology of the Stoa. I have drawn freely upon this information, as will appear in the text. Dr. Edwards' con- tribution to the present study is of fundamen- tal importance. Nevertheless, the final study and publication of all the objects from the wells will shed much new light on the use of the Stoa, especially during the period prior to the destruction of Corinth in 146 B.C.

In the course of my study of the Stoa, I have enjoyed the continuous support of the American School of Classical Studies and the

co-operation of the Chairmen of the Managing Committee and of the successive Directors of the School. The late Edward Capps and his successors as Chairman, Louis E. Lord and Charles H. Morgan, have unstintingly met

every request for funds for excavation, draw-

ings and photographs. To the successive direc- tors of the School, especially Richard Still- well, Charles H. Morgan, Gorham P. Stevens, and John L. Caskey, I am indebted for co-

operation and advice during every step in the work. To the University of Chicago I am under

obligation for granting me time away from

my teaching duties and for contributing to- ward travel expenses on my trips to Greece in 1950 and 1952.

It goes without saying that the architects, who have made the plans and drawings, have contributed much to the understanding of the ruins and the restoration of the building. In the

early stages of the study I was fortunate in

being able to draw upon Leicester Holland's intimate knowledge of Greek architecture and the ingenuity, for which he was justly famous,

in finding solutions to the most baffling prob- lems. To George V. Peschke I am deeply in- debted for interrupting his other activities and coming to my aid, on several occasions, when the work on the plans lagged behind. The final phase of the work was completed in close co- operation with Piet de Jong, whose artistic talents and skill as a draftsman are recogni- zable in the restored drawings. In every part of the restoration his vast experience, his prac- tical sense and sound judgment contributed far more to the final result than this in- adequate acknowledgement can indicate. As a result of the final revision of the manuscript, it became necessary to make some last minute corrections and additions on the plans and other drawings. I am indebted to Margaret Surre Wilber for taking the time, often with great inconvenience to herself, to enter these changes.

Other architects, not directly engaged in the work on the Stoa, have assisted with their advice and encouragement. I have frequently discussed specific problems with Gorham P. Stevens, Honorary Architect of the School, and with the Architect of School Excavations, John Travlos, and have profited by their co- operation. Professor Richard Stillwell gave freely of his time to discussions of Stoa prob- lems during his directorship, 1933-35; in 1948, when he spent several months in Corinth; and

again during my stay in Princeton in the fall of 1953.

Anyone who has undertaken any extensive research project in Corinth is aware of the mutual advantages of association with col-

leagues engaged in related projects. During the years that I have devoted to the study of the South Stoa, I have repeatedly drawn upon the knowledge and experience of other ex- cavators. The names of some of these deserve

special mention. It was Dr. B. H. Hill, the Nestor among the Corinth excavators, who discovered the underground system of water channels connected with the Stoa wells, and

viii PREFACE

in many other ways he has contributed to the present study. Among my younger colleagues, who are the authors of other volumes in the Corinth series, I would mention especially Saul S. Weinberg, Robert L. Scranton, and Carl Roebuck. Their specific contributions to the study of the Stoa are imperfectly acknowl- edged in footnotes. For the section on the tiled roof, I have been able to use the material collected by Mary C. Roebuck, who has read the manuscript and made some very important corrections.

While I was a member of the Institute for Advanced Study, I had the privilege of daily contact with the members of its distinguished faculty. To Professor B. D. Meritt in particular I am indebted for taking the initiative in making my stay in Princeton possible. With Professor Homer A. Thompson, I discussed many problems that arose in the course of my revision of the text, and he always gave freely of his time and experience. To him and his research assistant, Mrs. Evelyn Smithson, I am further indebted for innumerable courte- sies and assistance in my work. In the pleasant and stimulating atmosphere of the Institute, where every facility is offered to make the members' work productive and easy, I was able to accomplish in a comparatively short time what would have required much longer time under less favorable circumstances.

My stay at the Institute was made par- ticularly profitable because it enabled me to discuss with the Editor of the School Pub- lications, Lucy T. Shoe, all the problems that arose in connection with the completion of the manuscript. She made suggestions for the addition of a clarifying statement where the sense of a passage seemed obscure, or for the rearrangement of material in certain sections of the book, and became responsible for many other improvements. Her contributions to this volume go far beyond the services normally rendered by the editor of a series.

I would like to record also my indebtedness

to several individuals who have performed the less interesting, but equally important, jobs of typing, and proofreading the manuscript several times, checking references, etc. Those to whom I am especially obligated for such assistance are Mrs. R. L. Scranton, Mrs. A. Dervys, the late Mrs. Hubert Davis, Mrs. A. B. Mimicopoulos, Miss Chrysoula Kardara, Mrs. P. de Jong, Elizabeth Horton, Jean Lit- tlefield and Elizabeth Fletcher. Miss Esther Smith has rendered invaluable assistance in the proofreading and making of the Index.

Most of the photographs including the co- lored plate were made by Emil Seraph; others by Demetrios Harisiades and Hermann Wagner.

The addition of a colored plate (opposite p. 108) was made possible through the generosity of Mrs. William H. Hill of Washington, D. C. and Mrs. Otto Witman of Toledo, Ohio.

The members of the Publications Committee, under constant pressure from contributors to the School's publications, have devoted much time and study to the form and appearance of the present volume. They were able to steer a wise course between lavish printing with un- avoidable raising of the price, and a pennywise economy that would have impaired the useful- ness of the book.

The final publication of any archaeological site cannot and should not attempt to solve all the problems which the ruins present. Here too a practical compromise was necessary between a demand for perfection that would have postponed the publication still further and the urge to publish with detrimental haste, merely for the purpose of fulfilling a scholarly obligation. Such shortcomings as might have been eliminated by further study I hope will be balanced by the advantage of making the material available without further delay.

The Roman buildings within the Stoa com- plex have been less minutely studied than the original Greek building. These structures pre- sent opportunities for further research by

PREFACE ix

students of Ancient Architecture. Architec- tural members both of these and of the Greek

building are likely to come to light when the area south of the Stoa is excavated. Any ad- ditional information that such material might provide would be important as a check on the restoration presented here. Minor details of interest to the specialist may well have to be

The University of Chicago March, 1954.

modified as a result of further investigation. The building as a whole deserves to become known and to be given a place of importance in the future handbooks on Ancient Greek Architecture. Both structurally and histori- cally the South Stoa at Corinth is a remarkable creation, an example of Greek secular architec- ture at its best.

OSCAR BRONEER

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PREFACE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS ..... ... .. ... . . ........... .. .... . xiii

FIGURES IN THE TEXT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xiii PLATES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . XV

PLANS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xix

CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

II. REMAINS OF TILE PRE-STOA PERIODS .............. ......... 7

BUILDINGS .. . . .............. . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 7 W ATER W ORKS . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

III. THE SOUTH STOA IN GREEK TIMES ................ ............. 18

FOUNDATIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 MASONS' MARKS ....... . ...... .................. 26 GUTTERS AND BENCHES ........................... 28

THE NORTH FACADE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

THE EAST AND WEST FLANKS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

THIE REAR ELEVATION ....... . ...... ............... 42 THE INTERIOR COLUMNS ...... ........ ............... 45 THE SHOPS AND REAR ROOMS ........................ 48 THE SHOP WELLS ................ ............... 59

THE GREAT DRAIN ....... . ...... ................. 65 THE STAIRWAYS ....... . ...... .................. 68 THE SECOND STORY ....... . ...... ................ 70 CEILING AND ROOF CONSTRUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 THE ROOF TILES .............................. 83

THE TERRACE WALL ............................ 88

REFINEMENTS ............................. 91

PRE-ROMAN ALTERATIONS .......................... 93 DATE AND PURPOSE OF THE STOA ........ . ........... 94

IV. THE STOA IN ROMAN TIMES ...........................100

EARLY REPAIRS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100

EAST END OF THE STOA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102 WEST OF THE AGONOTHETEION ........................111

THE FOUNTAIN HOUSE ...........................115

THE KENCHREAN ROAD ...........................128

THE BOULEUTERION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129 AREA WEST OF THE BOULEUTERION ................... . 132

AREA NORTH OF SHOPS XX-XXIV .....................144 THE ROMAN BATHS . .. .. . .. .. . . . . .. .. . . . . . . .. . ..145 THE ROMAN LATRINE ...........................151 THE WEST END OF THE STOA IN LATE ROMAN TIMES ..............153

V. SUMMARY ...................................156

INDEX ..... ....................................161

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

FIGURES IN THE TEXT

Fig. 1. Plan of Pre-Stoa Building ........................ 9 2. Northwest Corner of Shop XXXIII ............................ 12 3. Schematic Plan of East and West Ends of Stoa, Showing Lengths of Building Blocks . .....21 4. Bonding of Courses at Cross Walls .................. .. ......... 25 5. Masons' Marks on Blocks of Stoa Foundation. ...................... 27 6. Field Sketch of Southeast Corner, Showing Seat Block Set against East Wall ......... . 29 7. Profile of Lagynos from Seatt t Southeast Corner of Stoa .................. 29 8. Doric Capital, Details ................................ . 31 9. Doric Column Capital fro Faade .... ................. ............ . 32

10. Architrave Block from Facade, Front Half . ... ............ ..... . 34 11. Details of Entablature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 12. Two Fragnlents of Frieze, Showing Front and Backl ..... ...... .... . . 36 13. Doric Order, Restored .................................. 37 14. Horizontal Cornice Block . . . .. . .. . . . . .. .. .. .. . ... . . .. ... . 38 15. Position of Cornice Block at Northeast Corner ....................... 39 16. Anta Capital Found in Well XXII ............................ 40 17. Frieze Block from West Flank ............................. . 41 18. Block with Taenia at the Bottom .. . . . . . .............. .. 41 19. Blocks from Rear Windows . ...... ..................... . . . 43 20. Block from Rear Window . ............. .............. ... . 43 21. Block with Slanting Taenia, Showing Slope of Roof, from East End of Stoa . ...... .. 44 22. Ionic Columnl Capital, Restored (Face). . . ........... .............. 45 23. Ionic Column Capital, Restored (Side View) ....................... 45 21. Ionic Column Capital, Restored (Plan) ....... . . . .......46 25. Ionic Column, Base and Beginning of Shaft, Restored . ................... 47 26. Doorway and Sill of Stairway, East End of Stoa ............................. 49 27. Wall Block from Second Course East of Doorway ....... ............ 50 28. Short Blocks from Doorway, and Lintel over Shop Door .................. 51 29. Block from Top of West Door Jamb ................. . . .... .. 52 30. Lintel Block Recut for Later Use .............................. 53 31. T-Shaped Block with Taenia at the Top ......................... 53 32. Block from String Course, Inner Fagade ..................... ..... 53 33. Two Blocks from String Course of Inner Faqade .................. ..54 34. Block with Cutting, Showing Thickness of Flooring of Second Story ............ 55 35. Block fronl Door and Window in Rear Wall of Shop .............. 56 36. Lintel Blocks from Inner Doorway ......................... . . 57 37. Block from Top of Door in Rear Room I . .............. . . . . . 59 38. Upper Part of Well Shaft, Shop XXVII ................ .. ....... 60 39. Well Curb, Plan, Profile and Section ...... . ....... .............. 61 40. Sketch Showing Cooling System in Operation ....................... 61 41. Top of Inscribed Vase from Stoa Well . . . . ............. . .. .. 63 42. Piers with Slots for Parapet ........................ .... .. 71 4'3. Pier Capital, Probably from Window of Second Story .................... 72 44. Anta Capital (Plate 17 3) ......... ..... ............ 72 45. Parapet Slab from Well IX ........ ................... 72 46. Two Pieces of Unfluted Column Shaft ..........................73 47. Piece of Unfiuted Column from Top of Shaft ..... ................. 73

xiv LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Fig. 48. Small Doric Capital with Fluted Neck ................... ....... 73 49. Buttress Capitals with Sloping Taenia ................... ........ 74 50. Pier Capital (Plate 18 2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 51. Block from Cross Wall at East End of Second Story .................... 76 52. Fragment from Stone Parapet (Plate 18 3) ......................... 77 53. Anta Capital (Plate 18 4) ................... ............ 78 54. Piece of Moulding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78 55. Part of Pier Capital . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78 56. Fragment of Anta Capital ................................ 79 57. Anta Capital of Hellenistic Period. ................... ......... 79 58. Plain Block from Architrave Course of Inner Fa9ade .................... 80 59. Block from Frieze Course of Inner Fagade ......................... 81 60. Block with Sloping Taenia (Plate 18 5) .......................... 82 61. Sketch Showing Conjectural Use of Opaion with Trough Tile Above ............. 87 62. Poros Seat Block from Well XVIII ........................... 94 63. Ionic Column, Drum and Capital ............................. 103 64. Details of Marble Revetment from Fountain ...................... . 116 65. Elevation, Plan and Sections of Fountain ......................... 117 66. Details of Architrave from Fountain ........................... 120 67. Doric Capital from Well XIV .............................. 125

PLATES

Frontispiece East End of South Stoa, Restored

Color Plate facing p. 108 Athlete Mosaic in Agonotheteion

Plate 1 1 South Stoa from the West, 1952

2 North Foundation of the Stoa, Revealed in the Campaign of 1904

2 1 East End of Stoa, Showing Stylobate Blocks in Place 2 West End of Stoa after Campaign of 1933

3 I Underground Shrine 2 Floor and Walls of Pre-Stoa Building below West End of Terrace

4 1 Well and Channel in Pre-Stoa Building Close to Inner Column 4 2 Section Through Lower Courses of North Foundation, Showing Clearing Basin in Front of Fifth

Doric Column from East End 3 Descent into Great Reservoir at Foundation for Inner Column 28 4 Stuccoed Piers in Great Reservoir

5 1 West End of Stoa Facade, from the West 2 East Side of Foundation of West Wall 3 Section Through North Foundation, West End of Stoa 4 Northwest Corner of Stoa, Foundation of West Wall, West Face

6 1 Foundation of Inner Column, Showing Notches at Corners 2 Southeast Corner of Stoa from the East, Showing Trench of Removed South Foundation

7 1 East End of Stoa from the South, Showing Large Blocks at Intersections of Walls 2 Foundations in Northeast Corner of Shop I 3 Lagynos from Southeast Corner of Stoa

8 1 Column Drums from Facade of Stoa 2 Doric Column Capital from Fagade 3 Architrave Block, Front Half, Face 4 Architrave Block, Front Half, from Rear 5 Fragment of Regula, and Hawksbeak from Cornice

9 1 Fragment of Frieze, Front 2 Metope from Frieze of Facade 3 Fragment of Doric Frieze, Rear Side 4 Fragment of Horizontal Cornice 5 Cornice Block from Northeast Corner, Face and Bottom o Cornice Block from Northeast Corner, Face and Top 7 Cornice Block from Northeast Corner, Top 8 Fragment of Hawksbeak from Cornice and Piece from Top of Shaft of Ionic Column, Showing

Designs in Color 10 1 West End of Stoa from the South, 1933

2 Block from West Wall with Taenia at the Bottom 3 Block from Window, Now Placed in Rear Wall of West Wing

11 1 Block from Rear Window 2 Block with Sloping Taenia from East End 3 Fragment from Face of Ionic Column Capital 4 Fragment from Side of Ionic Column Capital 5 View of Bottom of Ionic Column Capital 6 Base and Lower Part of Shaft of Ionic Column

xvi PLATES

Plate 12 1 Lintel of Shop Door, Outer Face, East End

2 Block from String Course of Inner Facade 3 Lintel of Shop Door, Inner Face, West End 4 Lintel of Shop Door, Inner 7ace, East End 6 West Door Jamb of Shop XXXIII from the Inside o T-Shaped Block with aenia, from Top of Shop Walls

13 1 Cutting for Double Door in Toichobate, Southwest Corner of Shop III 2 Lintel Block from Inner Doorway, East End, North Face 3 West Door Jamb of Rear Door, Rear Room XXV 4 Southwest Corner of Rear Room XXVII, Showing Cutting for Rear Door

14 1 Well Curb in Shop XXXIII 2 Well Curb in Shop VII with Terracotta Lid 3 Well Curb in Shop XIV, and Top of Storage Jar 4 Fragment of Stone Lid 5 Inscribed Vases from Stoa Well

15 1 Gaming Board from Well V 2 Knuckle Bones from Well XX 3 Flute Fragments from Shop Wells

16 1 Roman Roof Tile with Graffito from Inlet into Drain 2 Cement Floor of Paved Area behind Rear Room VII 3 Latrine behind Rear Room XVII 4 Latrine behind Rear Room XXVII 5 Water Pipes and Jars behind Rear Room XV

17 1 Fragments from Top and Bottom of Pier 2 Fragment from Lower Half of Pier 3 Anta Capital, Possibly from Window in Second Story 4 Piers from Window with Parapet Slab Inserted in Slot 6 Fragment of Small Doric Capital 6 Pieces of Unfluted Column Shaft and Capital with Fluted Neck

18 1 Buttress Capital with Sloping Taenia 2 Pier Capital, Probably from Screen of Anteroom 3 Fragment from Top of Parapet 4 Anta Capital 6 Block with Sloping Taenia from West End of Building 6 Anta Capital from Pre-Stoa Building 7 Two Miniature Ionic Capitals

19 1 Reconstructed Section of Roof, Front 2 Reconstructed Section of Roof, View of Gable 3 Reconstructed Section of Roof, Rear and Flank

20 1 Horizontal Sima and Antefix 2 Horizontal Sima, Showing Pattern on Overhang 3 Two Pieces of Raking Sima 4 Two Types of Eaves Tiles from South Half of Stoa Roof 6 Design on Eaves Tile of Pre-Stoa Building

21 1 Antefix and Ridge Palmettes, a, b and c 2 Pan Tile with Trough at Lower End, and Half Tile s Two Ridge Palmettes from Repair, One from Original Construction

22 1 Fragment of Opaion Tile 2 Half Tile with Turned-up Edge 3 Fragments of Roof Tiles with Stamps 4 Stamped Pan Tile and Cover Tile

PLATES xvii

Plate 23 1 Northeast Corner of Stoa and East End of Terrace Wall

2 Cutting for Beams in Top of Block from Frieze Course 3 Poros Seat Support from Shop Well 4 Limestone Seat Support with Lion's Paw

241 Fourth Century Vases from Pre-Stoa Well 2 Vases from Habitation Deposit in Shop Wells 3 Vases and Lamps from Great Reservoir 4 Selection of Lamps from Shop Wells

25 1 Fragment of Original Ionic Column Capital (right) and Roman Replacement (left) 2 Graffito on Plaster of Shop Wall

26 1 Piece of Sima, Probably from Roman Reconstruction 2 Ionic Column Drum and Capital from East End of Stoa 3 Ionic Column Drums, East End of Stoa

27 East End of Stoa, Showing Roman Plaster on Rear Wall of Room "A" 28 1 Doric Capital from Well II

2 Block from Spring of Arches 3 Fragment of Concrete Vaulting, East End of Stoa 4 Animal Drawings on Rear Wall of Room "A"

29 East End of Stoa (1933) Showing Marble Floor of Room "B"

30 Mosaic Floor in Agonotheteion 31 Mosaic Floor, Central Panel

32 1 Room "C" in Course of Excavation (1933), Showing Column Drums in Late Wall 2 Marble Seat Support from Well VIII 3 Room "D" from the North

33 i Room "D" from the South, Exedra in Foreground 2 Marble Block with Cutting for Ceiling 3 Inscribed Base in Honor of the Procurator CERIALIS

34 Entrance Way to South Basilica, Ground Plan

35 1 Roman Fountain House, as Found 2 Fountain House, Partly Restored

36 1 Fountain House, Pedestal and Pilaster Base, East Side 2 Fountain House, Pedestal and Pilaster Base, West Side

37 1 Crowning Moulding from Front of Basin 2 Fragments of Large Pilaster Flanking the Basin 3 Fragment of Pilaster Capital 4 Architrave Revetments of White Marble

38 1 Fragments of Cornice from Fountain 2 Colonettes of Variegated Marble from Fountain 3 Three-quarter Capital, White Marble 4 Terracotta Pipes and Jar South of Fountain

39 1 Entrance to South Basilica, Fountain House on the Right 2 Roman Sima with Heads of Deities

40 1 Roman Sima with Heads of Deities 2 Doric Capital from Well XIV 3 Moulding from Room "F"

41 Bouleuterion from the South

42 1 Kenchrean Road from the North 2 Bouleuterion from the North

xviii PLATES

Plate 43 1 East Wall of Bouleuterion and Latrine

2 Outline of Fish in Plaster of Late Wall 3 Marble Anta Capital in Doorway into Bouleuterion 4 Capital and Base of Poros

44 1 Area West of Bouleuterion from the Northwest 2 Head of Serapis 3 Spouted Tile from Tank South of Rear Room XXI

45 1 Late Wall in Front of Room "H" 2 Room "H" from Northwest, Frigidarium in Foreground

46 1 Room "H" Showing Marble Floor, and Dais in the Rear 2 Roman Lamps from Room "H", a, b and c

47 Roman Baths from the North

48 1 Baths, Rear Walls of East and Middle Rooms, Showing Stoking Holes 2 Baths from the Southwest

49 Baths, Middle Room from the North

50 1 Baths from the West 2 North Wall With Entrance to Baths

51 1 Small Cold Water Plunge, Showing Steps 2 Cold Water Plunges and Rear of Late North Wall

52 1 Baths from the North, Showing Doorway in North Wall 2 Marble Moulding from Baths

53 1 Roman Latrine from the North 2 Brick-Lined Channel on East Side of Latrine 3 Fragments of Marble Seats from Latrine

54 1 Multicolored Stone Slabs from opus sectile Revetments 2 West End of Stoa, Shops XXX-XXXIII, from Southeast

PLANS

I South Stoa, Plan, East (Shops I-IV) II South Stoa, Plan, East (Shops V-X)

III South Stoa, Plan, Central Section (Shops XII-XIX) IV South Stoa, Plan, West (Shops XX-XXIV) V South Stoa, Plan, West (Shops XXV-XXIX)

VI South Stoa, Plan, West End (Shops XXX-XXXIII) VII Great Reservoir and Cistern, Plan

VIII Great Reservoir and Cistern, Sections IX Peirene Channel and Great Drain, Plan Xa South Stoa, Plan and Elevation Xb Curvatures of South Stoa

XIa Section, West End, Looking West; Cross Section of Foundation, West Flank XIb Sections, East End

XII Restored Plan, First and Second Stories XIIIa Restored Elevation, West Flank XIIIb Restored Fagade and Shop Fronts XIVa Restored Rear Elevation, West End; Longitudinal Section, East End XIVb Restored Cross Section, Looking West XV East End of Stoa in Roman Times (Restored Plan)

XVI Room "D", Entrance to South Basilica, and Fountain House (Period II) (Restored Plan) XVII Fountain House (Period I), Kenchrean Road, and Bouleuterion (Restored Plan)

XVIII Area West of Bouleuterion, Room "H" (Restored Plan) XIX Roman Bath (Ground Floor), Roman Latrine, and West End of Stoa Shops (Restored Plan)

XX Roman Bath (Hypocaust Level), Roman Latrine, and Drainage System (Restored Plan) XXI South Side of Agora in Late Roman Times (Restored Plan)

XXII Animal Drawings on Roman Plaster on Rear Wall of Room "A"

THE SOUTH STOA AND ITS SUCCESSORS

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

The market place of Corinth is a roughly quadrangular area with the long axis from east to west. Its length is nearly 200 m.; its

greatest width at the west end is about 100 m., but at the east end it is only about 70 m. wide. As it appears today, it is chiefly a Roman creation,1 but the orientation and general shape of this irregular quadrangle was deter- mined some three hundred years before the Roman colony was established at Corinth. The

building which more than all the others was

responsible for the reshaping of the public square at that time was the great South Stoa. Its orientation is very nearly the same as that of the Archaic Temple,2 which was determined

by religious usage. The buildings south of the

Temple, along the north side of the Agora, seem to have been laid out in accordance with the configuration of the land and the exi-

gencies of space and communications. The same was probably true of the smaller struc- tures erected along the southern border of the

early Greek market place. Like the buildings flanking the Lechaion Road, these differ in orientation both from each other and from the later South Stoa; the latter makes a twenty- two-degree angle with the true east-west line.

1 The dimensions of the Corinthian Agora do not con- form to the principles laid down by Vitruvius, V, 1, 2, for a Roman Forum, for which he prefers an area two-thirds as wide as it is long; they agree even less with his description of a Greek Agora which he said was laid out on the plan of a square.

2 This term is here used for the building more commonly known as the "Temple of Apollo." The time-honored iden- tification of this prominent structure, first proposed by Rufus B. Richardson in 1896 (A.J.A., I, 1897, p. 479), with the Temple of Apollo casually mentioned by Pausanias, II, 3, 6, can no longer be maintained without reservation. Cf. Robert L. Scranton, Corinth, I, iii, The Lower Agora, p. 72. Until further study of this problem has been made, it seems preferable to use the equivocal designation "Archaic Temple."

After the construction of the Stoa the shape and size of the Agora remained largely un- altered throughout Hellenistic and Roman times.

In view of its long existence, extending over a period of more than six hundred years, and in spite of the alterations it underwent in Roman times, the original building is in

surprisingly good state of preservation (P1. 1 1). A section of the stylobate for the front col- onnade is preserved at either end, and one drum of the corner column at the west end is left in situ. An interior wall near the west end is preserved to a height of three wall courses above the orthostate, with a total height of over 2.50 m. above the toichobate. The three westernmost shops and rear compartments are the best preserved; in the rest of the

building the rooms in the rear half were for the most part removed in Roman times to make space for administrative offices and other public buildings.

The foundations of the South Stoa were first discovered in a trench (No. VIII) dug during the initial campaign of excavation in 1896. A large circular base, originally dis- covered by Mr. Skias in 18923 at the east end of the Agora, and again uncovered in one of the trial trenches of the first year, is still the most prominent landmark in the eastern section of the Agora.4 Trench VIII, starting 25 meters south of this base and extending due

south, revealed the entire width of the Stoa.

3 nlpaKT1Ka, 1892, p. 123. 4 For a description and possible explanation of this

monument, see Robert L. Scranton, op. cit., pp. 79ff.; cf. Broneer, Hesperia, XI, 1942, pp. 143-145; W. B. Dinsmoor, Hesperia, XI, 1942, pp. 314-315.

B

4 CORINTH

In his report of the discoveries in this trench, Rufus B. Richardson5 stated: "This trench revealed a great many walls, most of which

appear to belong to buildings of the Hellenistic

period. - Further excavation here will enable us to give something connected and intelli-

gible." Although the walls were not identified as part of any specific building, the results seemed sufficiently important to warrant the

expropriation of the land for further ex- cavation. In subsequent campaigns, other trenches were dug farther west, and in one of these was exposed a section of the north wall of the South Basilica, which the excavators referred to as the "good Greek wall."

The actual discovery and identification of the South Stoa was made by the former Director of the American School, Theodore W. Heermance, in the campaign of 1904. In an

attempt to determine the western limit of the Agora, Heermance dug a broad trench from north to south along a line just east of the row of archaic columns discovered in the campaign of 1933 (see below, pp. 155). Here he found a fragment of the capital of one of these columns and in his report6 he commented on the similarity of its profile to that of the columns in the "Apollo Temple" and sug- gested the possibility that it might be from one of the interior columns of that building.

The trench dug in 1904 exposed a section of the foundations for the north colonnade of the South Stoa (P1. 1 2). At the extreme south end of the trench the rear wall of the Stoa proper (i. e. the front wall of the shops) appeared, but it proved impossible at this time to extend the trench further south because the American School had not yet acquired the land. Heermance, who connected the foun- dations he had discovered with those found by Richardson in 1896, some 150 m. farther east, quite naturally assumed that the whole width of the building had been exposed. Conse-

s A.J.A., I, 1897, p. 471. 6 T. W. Heermance, A.J.A., VIII, 1904, p. 439.

quently, in his report of the excavations, he described only the Stoa proper, which he termed "one of the largest buildings of Greece," without knowing that only half of the building had then been discovered. In his

preliminary study he was able to determine with remarkable exactitude the dimensions of the Stoa itself, the intercolumniations of the Doric and Ionic columns, and other features of the building. He commented on the poor state of preservation of the ancient structures in this section of the Agora as compared with the building remains already then laid bare on the north side and along the Lechaion Road. This inequality he ascribed to the comparative thinness of the covering fill on the south side, where a mere 3.50 m. of earth lay above the classical remains. On the north side, near the

temple hill, the fill in places reached a depth of over six meters. Had he been able to expose some of the shop walls in the south half of the Stoa, Heermance might have modified his

opinion about the condition of the building. Following Heermance the early excavators

held firmly to the view that the monuments

along the south side of the Agora were less well preserved than those on the north side, and this may have been the chief reason for aban-

doning for the next thirty years the project of

excavating in that part of the square. To the excavators of those times, following the elusive trail of Pausanias in pursuit of more glamorous monuments connected with cult and religion, a mere stoa was not sufficient to fire the imagination. Temples, theaters and fountains seemed more rewarding.

There were, however, more cogent reasons for delaying clearance of the extensive Co- rinthian Agora. Three farm houses, each with its congeries of barns, threshing floors, and

garden enclosures; cultivated fields, belonging to several owners; and three village roads occupied the territory above the remains of the ancient market. To acquire these proper- ties either by direct purchase or expropriation

INTRODUCTION 5

was beyond the then available means of the American School. During the subsequent years other sections of Corinth were excavated, and extensive investigations in the periphery of the ancient city were made.

In the spring of 1933, when funds became available for more extensive operations at Corinth, it was at last decided to tackle the arduous task, which at the outset promised to be somewhat unrewarding, of clearing the central and southern sections of the Agora. For purely operational reasons the work was

pushed from the east and west ends of this area

simultaneously. In the first season the digging was begun near the circular base which had been the point of departure in the very first

year of the Corinthian excavations. Extending southward from there a section of the Agora, ca. 60 m. long and 45 m. wide, was excavated in 1933. This area included the original Trench VIII, in which remains of the South Stoa had first come to light. During this season the eastern end of the building was cleared (P1. 2 i), and the plan and vast extent of the whole structure was revealed. The plan published in the preliminary report7 showed for the first time that the South Stoa was divided into two halves, a double colonnade in the front half, and two rows of small rooms in the rear.

In the southwestern section of the Agora the two westernmost shops were excavated

during the same campaign, together with a considerable section of the Stoa, which now had to be re-excavated (P1. 2 2). The area cleared by Heermance in 1904 lay buried under a meter of mud resulting from repeated in- undations. During the campaign of 1933 the

system of shop wells connected with the Peirene water-main was also discovered. The former Director of the School, Bert Hodge Hill, pursuing underground the sources of the Peirene Fountain, discovered the channel ex- tending in an east to west direction under the

7 Oscar Broneer, A.J.A., XXXVII, 1933, pp. 555, fig. 1.

Stoa at a depth of 10-12 m. below the floor level (Plan IX). He also discovered several of the shop wells, and noted the narrow passage between these wells and the water channel. With his customary perspicacity he postulated the presence of shops above the channel before any of the South Stoa shops had been ex- cavated.

For the next six years the project of clearing the Corinthian Agora was pushed with re- lentless determination.8 Usually only the spring season, from March to June, was devoted to work in the Agora, but frequently a fall cam-

paign was added in order to speed the com-

pletion of the task. In the excavation report for 1940, Charles H. Morgan, then Director of the School, could announce that at last the entire Agora had been excavated from its eastern to its western extremity. In addition to this area, the well-preserved ruins of the South Basilica were uncovered in 1934 to 1936. In 1936 the Bema with its adjacent waiting- rooms and staircases was found and identified,9 and the whole line of the Central Shops to the east and west of the Bema was subsequently cleared. During the six years from 1933 to 1939 the excavated area in the administrative and commercial center of Corinth was nearly doubled.

The South Stoa, one of the largest secular

buildings uncovered in Greece (Plan Xa)1?, measures nearly 165 meters in length and a little more than 25 meters in width, and covers

8 For the preliminary reports see Broneer, A.J.A., XXXIX, 1935, pp. 53-75; R. Stillwell, A.J.A., XL, 1936, pp. 21-45; C. H. Morgan, A.J.A., XL, 1936, pp. 466-484; XLI, 1937, pp. 539-552; XLII, 1938, pp. 362-370; XLIII, 1939, pp. 255-267; S. Weinberg, A.J.A., XLIII, 1939, pp. 592-600. Supplementary work was done in 1946-47; Broneer, Hesperia, XVI, 1947, pp. 233-247; A.J.A., LI, 1947, pp. 271-273; and Hesperia, XX, 1951, pp. 291-300.

9 Broneer, 'Apx. 'E9., 1937, A, pp. 125-133. 10 The total area occupied by the Leonidaion at Olympia

(Olympia, II, p. 84) is considerably larger, ca. 6000 sq. m., including the open court in the center. The Katagogeion at Epidauros is nearly as large (5822 sq. m.) with four open courts; Kavvadias,To 'I Epov Toi 'ACFKA1ri1TouV 'E1TlSatpcp), pp. 162ff. The Stoa at Kameiros, Rhodes, had a length of over 200 meters. Like the South Stoa at Corinth it had shops in the rear divided into two rows. See below, p. 61, note 25.

6 CORINTH

an area of approximately one acre. The northern half of the building was a gigantic one-story colonnade facing north, with sev-

enty-one Doric columns in front and thirty- four Ionic columns through the middle. In the rear wall of this colonnade were doors opening into a series of thirty-three rooms, each with a compartment in the rear, which together occupy the southern half of the building. The rear compartments at the extreme east and west ends extend ca. 1.75 m. farther south than the rest of the building, thus forming slightly projecting wings as seen from the back of Stoa. Over the rear half of the building there was a second story, reached by stairways at either end (Plans XI a and XII). The total floor space of the two stories amounts to ca. 4615 square meters, not counting the space occupied by the partition walls.

The material is the soft gray poros stone which was quarried extensively within the walls of the ancient city and elsewhere in the

Corinthia and used for all the public buildings of the pre-Roman era. The walls are sur- prisingly thin, only ca. 0.45 m., but the ortho- state course is ca. 0.47 m. thick. Clamps, all of the hook type, were used only at some of the crucial points in the superstructure. The ex- posed surfaces, except in the rear and on the lower part of the east and west end walls, were finished smoothly and covered with a fine stucco, varying in thickness from two milli- meters to practically nothing. The entablature of the fagade and the Ionic column capitals were richly decorated in colors, and the wooden ceiling over the Stoa proper must have been similarly painted. In its architectural design and refinements and in the meticulous care with which it was constructed the South Stoa is one of the finest examples of classical Greek architecture, comparing favorably with the best of the secular buildings from the Periklean era in Athens.

CHAPTER II

REMAINS OF THE PRE-STOA PERIODS

BUILDINGS

Prior to the construction of the South Stoa the area along the south side of the Agora seems to have been occupied with a large number of smaller structures, the nature and

purpose of which cannot readily be determined at the present time. They do not, strictly speaking, come within the scope of the present study, and no systematic effort has been made to uncover all the earlier foundations within the area of the Stoa. What has been uncovered in the study of the Stoa itself is part of a large complex of houses and public buildings which will be systematically investigated as a part of the Early Greek Agora. It is likely that some of these structures were completely removed when the foundations for the Stoa were laid. This is particularly true of the eastern half of the building, where the ground level in the

pre-Stoa period was higher and had to be cut down. The opposite condition obtained in the western half, where the earlier ground level was considerably below that of the Stoa

stylobate. The orientation of the early walls, especially those at the east end, is more nearly according to the cardinal points of the com-

pass than is that of the Stoa, but there is con- siderable variation in this respect.

A little to the north of the northeast corner of the Stoa, within the area of the Stoa terrace, there is a short wall extending almost due north-south for a distance of nearly 2.85 m.

(P1. 2 i; Plan I). It appears to be a terrace wall with a straight line toward the east and

irregular on the west side. Since it extends southward almost to the foundations for the Stoa facade, its southward extension was

probably largely removed when these foun- dations were laid; its north end is interrupted by the east end of the Stoa terrace, now con- cealed beneath the foundations for the East Portico. There are traces within the Portico of this early terrace wall, which extended toward the north for a total distance of over ten meters. The preserved top of the wall in front of the Stoa is ca. 0.33 m. below the marble pavement of Roman times.

North of shop IV a small building (Plan I) of the pre-Stoa period was excavated in 1946 and 1950.1 Traces of two rectangular rooms were found, with walls of very poor con- struction, consisting largely of uncut stones and some squared blocks laid in a mortar of clay and preserved to a height of only 0.30 m. The orientation is very nearly north to south. The north half of the structure consists of a small room, 1.85 m. wide and ca. 3.50 m. long, measured on the inside. Within this area were found several terracotta figurines and a con- siderable amount of pottery. In the southwest comer of the area is a well, excavated in 1950, into which a rock-cut channel leads from the north (P1. 41). The shaft, which has a depth of

only 6 m., probably never had water of its own but seems to have been filled from the conduit at the top and was thus in the nature of a reservoir. Possibly it was intended as a man- hole to a cistern, which for some reason never was completed. Whatever its purpose, it was abandoned at an early date. Below the first fifty centimeters of fill the well contained much

1 Some of the pottery and other objects from this area are described in Hesperia, XVI, 1947, p. 238, and XX, 1951, pp. 293ff.

7

8 CORINTH

pottery from the first half of the sixth century B.C. The pottery from near the top, however, extends to the middle of the fourth century B.C. (see below, p. 95). A second room further south was almost wholly destroyed by the foundation for the front wall of the shops. Its east wall has been followed for a short distance beneath the floor of shop IV, where the marble

flooring of a later Roman structure prevented further excavations in that direction.

The deposit of terracotta figurines and vases found within the ruins of the rooms seems more appropriate to a shrine or public building than to a private dwelling. Of particular interest are a figure of Aphrodite riding a swan and a

pregnant woman seated in a chair. Both of these would be suitable dedications to Aphrodite, but

they do not offer sufficient evidence to identify the building as a cult place of the goddess.

About four meters west of the northwest corner of the buildings just described there is a small foundation 1.65 m. long with the same orientation. A few early Greek sherds were found close to it on the west side of the wall. It may have been part of a larger structure, which had some relation to the better preserved building to the southeast. No systematic investi-

gation below the Stoa floor was made at this

point, and it is possible that other walls of the same complex are preserved in the vicinity.

The next building encountered within the area covered by the Stoa and its terrace is a small underground shrine which has been studied and described elsewhere.2 It is located north of shop XIX (P1. 3 i; Plans III, IV) and ca. 5 m. from the foundations for the fa9ade of the Stoa. It seems to have been constructed in the sixth century and was abandoned in the fourth century B.C. The terrace wall cut across the shrine so as to cover the greater part of it beneath its floor. Like the other buildings of pre-Stoa date, the shrine is oriented diagonally with reference to the Stoa

a See Charles H. Morgan, A.J.A., XLI, 1937, pp. 545ff., pl. XIII; and Broneer, Hesperia, XI, 1942, pp. 142ff.

but deviates more from the north-south di- rection than the buildings farther east. It seems to be closely related to an eighth and seventh century B.C. cemetery, one tomb of which was found within the area of the Stoa north of shop XXIII. The original Greek ground level in the vicinity of the shrine is nowhere preserved and all traces of the terrace wall have been removed in this area.

Almost in line with the rear wall of this sanctuary and some 17 m. farther south there is a piece of a wall extending southwestward from the foundation for the 23rd of the inner columns of the Stoa, counting from the east end (Plan IV). It is approximately 4.60 m. in length, and its width varies from 0.35 m. to 0.50 m. It consists of a row of thin blocks resting on the stereo, with its northwest face very nearly straight and the other side quite irregular. The top of the wall is ca. 0.32 m. below toichobate level; at one time this seems to have been the ground level in this area, as is indicated by well marked wheel ruts in the top of the wall. The road probably was in use in Late Roman times after the partial de- struction of the Stoa (see below, p. 144).

The most extensive of the pre-Stoa struc- tures revealed within this area was investi- gated by Charles H. Morgan in the spring of 1953 north of shops XXVII-XXIX (Fig. 1).3 Its orientation is roughly southeast to north- west. Its walls and floors (P1. 3 2) are suf- ficiently well preserved to permit a restoration of a large section of the ground plan. As restored by Morgan the entrance was on the northwest side. There were several rooms surrounding an open court within which stood two tables flanking the approach from the doorway, and a platform or miniature stage stood on the northeast side of the court. Facing the "stage" on the southwest side were two small cubicles of irregular shape. Of the three large rooms on the northwest side, one seems to have been a bath and another may have

3 Hesperia, XXII, 1953, pp. 131ff.

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SOUTH SToA STEREOBATE

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FIG.C 1P N RET BL\

FIG. 1. PLAN OF PKE-STOA BUILDING

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Fr. 1. Pt,A O FPESOABIDN

10 CORINTH

served as a kitchen. A small niche within the entrance way, now largely concealed beneath the Stoa terrace wall, may have contained a statue. The southeast half of the building complex was probably removed when the front foundation of the South Stoa was laid; medieval storage pits, Byzantine graves, and other late intrusions have caused further de- struction to the ruins.

The earliest of the walls were constructed in the sixth century B.C., but the building seems to have received its final shape in the course of the fifth century or possibly as late as the fourth. At the time of construction of the terrace wall, subsequent to the erection of the South Stoa, most of the building was de- molished and its material re-used for the terrace foundation which extends diagonally across the court. The top of the terrace was

slightly over one meter above the floor level of the building (P1. 3 2), and since the area to the north of the terrace wall seems to have been filled up about the same time, it is un-

likely that any part of the building continued to be exposed. Some patches made in the floor of the entrance way, subsequent to the de- struction of the building, probably date from the time of construction of the Stoa and the terrace. Although most of the building must have been demolished, parts of it may have been left standing for a time to serve as a construction shed.

Within the building Morgan found a large number of drinking vessels and many types of figurines, including snakes, doves, and female

figures holding doves. These objects and the

peculiar plan of the surviving part of the structure led Morgan to the conclusion that the

building had served as a tavern and house of entertainment in association with the cult of

Aphrodite. This conclusion receives further confirmation from the deposit of somewhat similar significance in the building at the east end of the Stoa (see above, pp. 7 f.). Other ob-

jects which apparently served some cult pur-

pose have been found in the Stoa, not far from the building investigated by Professor Morgan.4

Within the area covered by the Stoa and the shops, south of the building investigated by Morgan, there are many traces of earlier occu- pation. The fill is here fairly deep and wher- ever investigated it contained early pottery beginning with Early Helladic times and ex- tending into the sixth century.5 Within the area covered by the Late Roman baths, over shops and rear compartments XXV to XXVII, several pits dug below the Roman floor level revealed foundations and cuttings in stereo, which by their orientation and character in- dicate that they antedate the Stoa. In the southwest corner of shop XXVI are remains of an ancient structure, the floor of which is 1.85 m. below the Stoa toichobate level (Plan V). At this depth there was a small channel, 0.12 m. wide and 0.14 m. deep, ex- tending diagonally from the southwest corner of the room toward the northeast. A wall of poros blocks resting on a foundation of smaller stones runs diagonally across the corner of the shop at right angles to the channel. The ground level indicated by this wall was only ca. 0.50 m. below Stoa toichobate level. From here the ground descended by step-like jogs to the southeast corner of the shop, where it was ca. 0.95 m. below the shop floor. The foundation of the Stoa wall here consists of only two courses with a combined depth of -0.87 m. (see below, p. 18, note 3), but growing deeper toward the west until it reaches a depth of

4 Of special significance in this connection is the terra- cotta altar found in shop XXX (Broneer, Hesperia, XVI, 1947, pp. 214ff.) and the terracotta tetrapod found in the Stoa in 1950 (Hesperia, XX, 1951, p. 296, and pl. 94a; and Robert E. Carter, Hesperia, XXII, 1953, pp. 209-214). Pro- fessor Martin P. Nilsson has suggested, in a private letter, that the terracotta altar may have been used in a house cult, and perhaps some of the other dedications were similarly employed. If this interpretation is correct, the building studied by Morgan and other less well preserved structures may have been private dwellings. The prevalence of objects associated with Aphrodite is not necessarily incompatible with such a view.

5 0. Broneer, Hesperia, XX, 1951, pp. 293ff.

REMAINS OF THE PRE-STOA PERIODS 11

-1.85 m. and consists of four courses close to the corner. This uneven depth of the foun- dations was caused by the earlier buildings at a level below the floor of the Stoa.

A piece of an early foundation, ca. 0.60 m. in width and preserved to a length of 2.50 m., was found in the northwest corner of rear room XXVII (Plan V). Its top is 0.25 m. below toichobate level. It is made of uncut field stones of about the size of a man's head with smaller stones and clay filling the interstices. In a small pit dug north of the northwest corner of shop XXVII for the purpose of

laying bare the full depth of the Stoa foun- dation at this point, insignificant traces of a similar wall were uncovered running ap- proximately parallel to the wall in rear room XXVII.

In the north half of shop XXX there is an

L-shaped foundation, poorly built of small field stones laid in clay (Plan VI). Its preserved top is 0.65 m. below the toichobate. In the fill above this foundation was found some pottery extending into the fourth century B.C., but most of it was of earlier date6. A cutting in stereo with approximately the same orien- tation as that of the L-shaped wall within the

shop is found in rear room XXX, and in the northwest corner of this room is a well which has yielded pottery of the sixth century B.C. It has not been fully excavated because a later wall overlies its mouth. In rear room XXXI

part of the flooring and an L-shaped cutting for the foundation of some structure were un-

covered, but no stones from the building were found in situ.

The area covered by shops XXXI and XXXII contains considerable remains of earlier occupation. In the center of shop XXXI there is a manhole which now opens into the

large pre-Stoa reservoir described below. Be- cause this early manhole existed in the very center of the shop, the shop well was moved more than 1 m. off center to the north (Plans

6 See references in note 4.

VI, IX). From the manhole a wall, preserved for a length of 1.50 m. and built very largely of re-used stones and pieces of tiles laid in clay mortar, extends diagonally toward the south- east corner of the shop. At the south end of the wall is a large stone, the width of which is

greater than the full thickness of the wall. The west face of the wall is smooth, but on the east side, where the pre-Stoa ground level was

higher, the wall is rough and irregular. Its

highest preserved point is about level with the Stoa toichobate. At the north end of the wall is the manhole, which seems to have caused de- struction of the wall, hence the manhole and the reservoir belong to a period later than that of the wall. On the west side of the wall, in the northwest corner of the shop, there is a floor made of fist-size stones laid in hard cement. This floor, which belongs to the same building as the wall just described, is 1.75 m. below the Stoa toichobate. On the west side of the par- tition wall between shops XXXI and XXXII, in the northeast corner of shop XXXII, one

large stone is preserved from a wall running parallel to the early wall in shop XXXI. The face of the stone was partly cut away when the foundation was laid for the partition. The stone is all that remains of the wall along the west side of the room with fist-size stones in the flooring. Within shop XXXII there are three rectangular cuttings in the stereo, two oriented southeast to northwest, the third one, in the northwest corner, southwest to northeast

(Plan VI). The two parallel cuttings measure 1.15 m. and 1.49 m. in width respectively, and are preserved to a length of ca. 1.75 m., but their southeast ends were cut off when the

large cistern was constructed. The floor of the

larger of the two cuttings is ca. 2.50 m. below Stoa toichobate level. A great deal of pottery and some terracotta figurines of the fifth

century B.C. were found in the fill of these

cuttings.7 The presence of the cuttings and of

7 0. Broneer, A.J.A., XXXVII, 1933, p. 566; and Gladys R. Davidson, Corinth, XII, The Minor Objects, p. 17.

12 CORINTH

the cistern underneath, which here had to be roofed by stone slabs because of the deep cuttings, necessitated the construction of especially deep and heavy foundations for the Stoa (see Plan VIII, Section E2-W2). What purpose these cuttings served cannot now be determined, but their orientation and nearness to the building whose floor is preserved in

shop XXXI, would indicate that they were part of the same structure. Along the west edge of shop XXXIII the stereo has been cut down along a line roughly parallel to the cuttings in

shop XXXII, and close to the wall is preserved a stele base, the west edge of which is cut off

by the Stoa foundation (Fig. 2; Plan VI). Part

FIG. 2. NORTHWEST CORNER OF SHOP XXXIII

of the stele, which like the base was made of

poros, is still left in the sinkage at the top of the base. The west end of the Stoa proper, north of shops XXX to XXXIII, has not been

pits, and it is likely that other remains of

early structures are preserved here. In a pit dug close to the west wall in 1952 the edge of a floor paved with Greek pebble cement was found in situ, and fragments of broken flooring of the same type came from the fill against the foundation. The floor level is here at a depth of -1.32 m., ca. 0.43 m. higher than the floor preserved in shop XXXI.

From this cursory description of the ruins of earlier buildings it becomes clear that the whole area was thickly occupied before the Stoa was constructed. It is not possible at this stage of our study of the classical city to deter- mine the nature of any of these buildings with the exception of the underground shrine and the tavern described above. Further investi- gation of the fill beneath the Stoa floor and to the north may elucidate this problem; such a study can be made only as part of a general investigation of all the pre-Roman remains.

WATER WORKS

In addition to the buildings whose remains can be traced within the Stoa complex, and doubtless connected with them, there are two underground water works antedating the con- struction of the Stoa. The largest of these, which extends from the southwest comer of the building for some 40 m. toward the north- east (Plans VII, VIII), consists of several inter- connected galleries and of one smaller channel extending toward the east. At the foundation for the twenty-eighth inner column and di- rectly north of shop XXVII, a vertical shaft was found with toe holds in the side for descent into the reservoir (P1. 4 3; Plan V). Only one side of the shaft, to a depth of 1.36 m., is now preserved, but originally it probably extended to a higher level. The shaft, constructed out of poros slabs, ca. 0.18 m. in thickness, had a width at the top of 0.98 m. but was somewhat wider at the bottom. From the shaft a stair- way with ten steps and one half step at the top led down to the east gallery of the reservoir

REMAINS OF THE PRE-STOA PERIODS 13

(Plan VIII, Section El-W1). The steps at the top have a tread of ca. 0.27 m. and a rise of 0.22 m., but the two bottom steps are less high. The shaft and the stairway, like the rest of the reservoir, are covered with a heavy coat of

water-tight stucco, ca. 0.03 m. thick. It is ex-

tremely hard and durable; the core contains fine gravel, and on the surface is a smoothly finished layer, ca. 0.002 m. in thickness. The

sloping arched roof over the stair shaft is 2.75 m. high above the steps at the bottom of the shaft. The whole stairway and the shaft, except at the upper end, seem to have been cut out of virgin soil, which is rather crumbly and flakes off wherever the stucco is damaged. All the steps are beveled at the edge to prevent damage to the stucco and resulting leakage of water. At the foot of the stairs the stair shaft continues at the same width as above for a distance of 0.88 m., then enters the eastern

gallery of the reservoir at the northeast corner of the latter. The vertical comer at the junc- ture between the shaft and the reservoir is bev- eled like the edges of the steps.

From the south side of the stair shaft, at a height of 0.56 m. above the floor of the reservoir, a smaller channel extends eastward for a distance of 6.50 m. (Plans VII; VIII, Section E1-W1, left end). It is not entirely clear how this connected with the stairway, because at that point the heavy foundation for the Stoa column cuts through both the channel and the stair shaft. The channel has a width at the bottom of 0.90 m. and a clear height of 1.62 m.; like the stair shaft and all the galleries of the reservoir, it is arched at the top. It terminates at the east in a circular well, which extends up to the floor level of the Stoa and continues down below water level, here ca. 4.50 m. below the floor of the channel, and 8.785 m. below the Stoa stylobate. On either side of the well are toe holds spaced 0.45- 0.55 m. one above the other. The whole well shaft both above and below the tunnel is covered with stucco.

The eastern gallery extends from the stair shaft in a nearly straight line for a distance of 5.75 m. toward the west. At the east end, where it has been cleared to the bottom, it has a width of 1.67 m. and a height of 1.83 m. The central section is filled to a height of over one meter with earth and debris, most of which was probably thrown in when the foundation for the Stoa column was laid. At the very bottom, however, there is a fill, ca. 0.12 m. thick, of accumulated mud and silt from the time that the reservoir was in use. At a distance of 1.35 m. from the west end of the

gallery a short connecting branch takes off at

right angles toward the south. It is ca. 1.40 m. wide at a depth of one meter below the top; its length is only 2.70 m. At its south end it connects with the central east-west gallery, which runs roughly parallel to the east gallery and extends from the connecting branch toward the west for a distance of 14.25 m. It measures 1.46 m. in width at the bottom, and the ceiling is ca. 1.90 m. high above the floor. At its west end it opens into the some- what irregular north-south gallery, which at the point of juncture has a width of 1.65 m. and a height of 1.90 m. This continues south- ward from the central east-west gallery for a distance of 5.50 m. At two meters from the south end there is a catch basin across the reservoir, 0.60 m. wide and 0.63 m. deep. At the very south end the floor drops to a level of 0.30 m. below that of the rest of the gallery, and here an oval manhole, 1.10x0.70 m. in

plan, extends toward the top. It has the usual toe holds in the sides and is stuccoed all around. It has been cleared from below to a height of 2.70 m. above the floor; the rest is filled with stones and earth (Plan VIII, Sec- tion S'-N1). As shown in the plan, Plan VII, it was entered ca. 3.50 m. south of rear room XXIX in the area still unexcavated.8 The north

8 On the floor of the manhole was found a small deposit of pottery and lamps (see below, p. 95, P1. 243), which has an important bearing on the date of the Stoa.

14 CORINTH

end of this gallery curves and bulges irregularly and finally narrows down to a passage only 0.88 m. in width and 1.83 m. in height. Beyond this narrow point it widens again and the

ceiling rises to a maximum height of 2.55 m. Here it connects with the east end of the long west gallery, which extends for a distance of 16.70 m. toward the southwest corner of the Stoa. At a point where the two galleries join there are two piers built of stone and covered with stucco (P1. 44; Plans VII and VIII, Sec- tions E2-W2 and S1-N1). The eastern pier, oriented diagonally with reference to the galle- ries, is 0.47 m. wide and 0.305 m. thick below the capital. The four corners, except at the top for a height of 0.26 m., are beveled. The shaft has a height of 2.175 m. above the floor, and at the top is a plain capital 0.82 m. long, 0.605 m. wide and ca. 0.87 m. high, with the horizontal

edges beveled. The second pier, 0.61 m. further

west, is almost identical with the one de-

scribed, but its dimensions are slightly larger. Both piers are finished with an accuracy and smoothness rather remarkable in a work of this kind, which was never intended to be seen

by the public. These two piers, the only free-

standing supports of the reservoir, may have been inserted because of the width of the span at the junction of the two galleries, and also because the wall described above, page 11, rests directly over the larger of the two piers.

West of the second pier the long western

gallery becomes more irregular in its con- struction. The pre-Stoa structures in the area covered by shops and rear rooms XXXI- XXXIII extend almost to the ceiling of the reservoir, and the weight imposed by the foundations of the Stoa has caused the hard-

pan to crumble in many places. For this reason the fill in the reservoir, which reaches a depth of over two meters, has been left unexcavated so as not to endanger the reservoir itself or the foundations of the Stoa. At a distance of 1.80 m. west of the second pier there is a recess at the top of the south wall of the

gallery and there must have been a corre-

sponding jog in the line of the wall at a lower level. About 1.50 m. farther west, near the southeast corner of shop XXXII, the ceiling along the south side of the reservoir has been cut through by the foundations for the wall between the shop and its rear room. Beginning at this point and extending westward for a distance of 3.05 m., the gallery has a hip roof consisting of two rows of poros slabs leaning against each other at the top. The foundations of the Stoa run diagonally through the re- servoir, and beneath the southwest corner of

shop XXXII a heavy pier was constructed to

support the roof slabs of the reservoir and the foundations of the Stoa (Plans VII and VIII, Section E2-W2). The pier, which rests on the floor of the reservoir, consists of five courses of

large blocks, ca. 1.25 m. long, 0.67 m. wide, and 0.50 m. high. Since these blocks have the same dimensions as those used for the toicho- bate of the Stoa wall, there can be no doubt that the heavy pier was constructed as support for the Stoa foundation. The pier almost blocks the passage at this point, and the north wall of the gallery has been roughly hacked

away where the corner of the pier comes closest to the wall. In the short stretch of the west gallery over which the ceiling is con- structed out of slabs, the total height above the floor is only 2.66 m., but slightly to the west of the heavy supporting pier its height is 2.86 m. At 1.20 m. west of this point there is a wall across the reservoir, extending at one

point to a height of 1.67 m. above the floor

(Plan VIII, Sections E2-W2 and A-A). When this wall was constructed out of re-used poros blocks, with tiles and smaller stones filling interstices, the reservoir was already in ruins. The wall reaches down to within 0.39 m. above the floor of the gallery, and the earth on which it rests consists largely of hardened mud and silt. The wall is well constructed, and at one time it probably reached almost to the top of the reservoir. The pot sherds found in the fill

REMAINS OF THE PRE-STOA PERIODS 15

at this point indicate that the wall was con- structed in Roman times, most likely in the first century after Christ.

A half meter to the west of the cross wall there is an opening in the north side of the

gallery, 1.72 m. high and ca. 0.43 m. wide

(Plan VIII, Section A-A, and Elevation). It is lined with poros blocks on the sides, and at the

top is a heavy block serving as lintel. This

doorway opens into a well shaft, ca. 0.90 m. in diameter, cut through the Stoa foundations at the southeast comer of shop XXXIII (Plans VI, VII). The well is roughly cut, first through stone and then through stereo, and on the north side is a row of toe holds, but the south half of the well is lined with stones. The shaft communicated with the Stoa channel of the Peirene system (see Plan IX), but a modem concrete slab has been inserted at a depth of 6.68 m. below the Stoa toichobate, closing the well to prevent contamination of the village water supply.

The stones of the wall in the south side of the well are deeply worn and smoothed by the

jars pulled up into the doorway leading to the reservoir. The wall seems to have been con- structed only to fill the shaft of another well

dug in the very northeast comer of rear room XXXIII. It is not apparent why the first well was abandoned and the second shaft cut so close to it, leaving an opening communicating with the pre-Stoa reservoir. The finished well is certainly later than the Stoa and both are

probably of Roman date. The wall across the reservoir, which is

smoother on the west side than on the east, seems to have been constructed as a barrier, closing off the west end of the gallery. At a little more than 2 m. west of the cross wall a

roughly rectangular chamber, ca. 2 m. wide at the opening and 1.35 m. deep, opens out from the north wall of the gallery. A brick- lined shaft, with a diameter of 0.90 m., gave access to the reservoir from the rear room XXXIII through the roof of the rectangular

chamber. From the north wall of the chamber there is an opening into another well shaft, which also seems to be later than the original construction of the Stoa, but is very carefully and smoothly cut. It has a diameter of 0.88 m. and the usual toe holds in the sides. At the

depth of 3.25 m. below the Stoa toichobate there is an oval niche in the north side of the well, 0.95 m. X 0.40 m. in plan and ca. 0.62 m. high. The upper part of the shaft cuts into the foundation for the wall between shop and rear room XXXIII, and a wall of rough masonry lines the mouth of the well. It is clear from their construction and from their relation to the Stoa foundations, on the one hand, and to the reservoir on the other, that all three wells just described, as well as the wall across the re- servoir and the rectangular chamber, are later than the Stoa. From the heavy wear in the side of the Roman well west of the cross wall it becomes obvious that this end of the re- servoir was occupied for a long time during the Roman period; and since the water from the well was not raised to the floor level of the shop but only to the old reservoir, it must have been intended for use within the reservoir. Some of the wear on the side of the well may have resulted from the removal of the earth when the well shaft was dug, but the other signs of

occupation in the west end of the reservoir

prove that the doorway opening on to the well was intended for more permanent use. The

suggestion comes close to hand that the old

underground water works west of the Roman cross wall were used in Roman times as a

dungeon. The floor level at that time was

probably ca. 0.80 m. above the stuccoed floor of the Greek period.

At the west end the west gallery had a width of 1.63 m. and the height of the ceiling above the floor was 2.75 m. The end of the reservoir, as shown in the plan, Plan VII, comes directly under the west wall of the Stoa, which here rests on a comparatively thin layer of stereo

(Plan VIII, Section B-B). A stairway, 0.61 m.

16 CORINTH

wide at the bottom and 0.74 m. wide above the fourth step, leads into the west end of the reservoir from the south. Six complete steps are preserved. At a height of 1.40 m. above the reservoir floor the stairway is interrupted and broken up, and two large poros blocks have been inserted upon which rests the foundation for the south wall of the Stoa. There is no indication of heavy wear in the steps, which, like those at the east end, are covered with

water-tight cement and are beveled at the corners. Both stairs were apparently used for

cleaning the reservoir rather than for drawing water. The water must have been drawn by buckets through the wells and perhaps also at the stair shafts at either end, not by direct descent into the galleries.

The reservoir probably received its water

supply from some source higher up the slope of Acrocorinth, perhaps from the source of the

present Hadji-Mustapha Fountain; it is pos- sible, however, that it took the rain waters from the roofs of the surrounding buildings. Unless it was rain water, it must have come from a considerable distance, since the water level in the area of the reservoir at the present time is ca. 4.50 m. below the floors of the gal- leries. Only at one point, in the well at the east end of the small channel, does the reservoir connect directly with any natural source of water, and it is unlikely that the galleries were filled with water from this well. It may, however, have served as an emergency supply. The winding course of the reservoir with its channel and several galleries is probably to be

explained on the theory that the water supply served several establishments in the vicinity, each owner wishing to have water near at hand.

The floors of all the galleries have a gentle slope toward the south center, the low point being at the oval manhole south of the Stoa. The difference in level between this point and the two extreme ends, slightly more than one- half meter (see levels in Plan VII), is not due to accident or settling of the ground. The

manhole itself extends to a depth of ca. 0.30 m. below the floor of the reservoir, and a catch basin, the floor of which constitutes the lowest level of the whole reservoir, cuts across the gallery a short distance to the north of the manhole. The purpose of these arrangements was probably to make it possible to draw from the manhole even at very low water level, and the catch basin would prevent silt from reaching the point where the water was drawn.

A smaller cistern, unconnected with the great reservoir but perhaps planned as part of the same water works, is reached from an oval manhole in the Stoa, 2.50 m. to the north of the doorway into shop XXXIII (Plans VII and VIII, Section S2-N2). The manhole meas- ures 0.97 x 0.56 m. at the top, and in the sides are the usual toe holds, ca. 0.50 m. apart. Its total depth below the Stoa toichobate is 5.52 m. From it a narrow channel, the bottom of which is 0.55 m. above the bottom of the manhole, extends southward in a straight line for a distance of 7.85 m. At the north end the channel measures 0.51 m. in width and 1.72 m. in height. Both the manhole with its cuttings for steps and the channel are cut in stereo and covered on all sides with water-tight cement of the same type as that used in the great reservoir. At a distance of 3.70 m. south of the manhole there is now an opening in the west wall of the channel connecting with a circular well shaft in the northeast corner of shop XXXIII. The connection between the chan- nel and this well is probably accidental, but it is not entirely clear which of the two is the earlier. Presumably the well was there, un- known to the makers of the cistern, and the wall between the two, only 0.25 m. thick, broke through at a later period. The channel con- tinues 4.20 m. beyond the well. At the end, where it measures only 1.52 m. in height and ca. 0.42 m. in width, there is a triangular ex- tension with a sloping roof, projecting 0.44 m. beyond the end of the channel. Since this funnel-shaped extension is covered all around

REMAINS OF THE PRE-STOA PERIODS 17

with cement, it is obviously a part of the original cistern, but it is not clear what pur- pose it was intended to serve. As shown in the plan (Plan VII) the south end of the cistern comes within 0.55 m. of the north wall of the western gallery of the great reservoir, and the floor of the cistern, which slopes perceptibly toward the north (Plan VIII, Section S2-N2), is about level with the floor of the reservoir.

Perhaps the funnel at the end of the cistern is nothing more than the first impression from the pick for a further extension toward the south. It may have been the intention to join the cistern with the western gallery of the reservoir, but for some reason this plan was never carried out, and the narrow channel with its single opening at the north end remained as a separate cistern. It looks very much like the result of a disagreement between two owners unwilling to share the available water supply.

Since there is no other opening in the roof, the cistern must have received its water through the manhole at the north end, which would have been used also for drawing the water. The slope of the floor toward the north and the depression at the bottom of the man- hole, like that in the south manhole of the

great reservoir, were intended to facilitate the drawing of water at low level. The cistern is so narrow that it is difficult for a man of average size even to turn about in it, and it is rather remarkable, a telling testimony to the high

standard of technical skill, that the makers were able to apply the water-tight cement with such care and accuracy in this narrow space. The orientation of the cistern and of the great reservoir is approximately the same as the orientation of the pre-Stoa remains at the west end.9

The great reservoir and the cistern are so similar in construction that they were prob- ably made about the same time. The reservoir was in use until near the middle of the fourth century, and presumably the same is true of the cistern; both seem to have been discarded and partly destroyed when the South Stoa foundations were laid. For the date of their construction immediate evidence is lacking. Their excellent state of preservation and the lack of wear on the steps are indications that their time of use was comparatively short. Since they were obviously constructed for the convenience of the occupants of the buildings, the floors and foundations of which are still partly concealed beneath the Stoa floor, they may belong to the same period as the pre-Stoa tavern, whose construction seems to date from the end of the fifth century B.C., or from the early decades of the fourth century.

9 There are several reservoirs of analogous construction at Perachora, one of which is published by T. J. Dunbabin in Perachora, pp. 11-12, fig. 5. The reservoirs at the Asklepieion in Corinth (Carl Roebuck, Corinth, XIV, pp. 96-110) are of a different type, with draw basins in front approached from the ground level of Lerna, in a manner similar to the Co- rinthian Fountains of Peirene and Glauke.

CHAPTER III

THE SOUTH STOA IN GREEK TIMES

FOUNDATIONS

The