Corinthian Capitals

Mylasa is one of the most important cities in Karia region in ancient times and has a very important place in terms of shedding light on the archeology of the region. The fact that the city was located in a geography that kept its importance from antiquity to today has caused it to be settled continuously and therefore few of the archaeological remains of the city have survived until today. The Corinthian column capitals at the Milas Museum, which is considered within the scope of the study, are important in terms of shedding light on the history of this destroyed urban architecture. These headings, belong to different architectural structures brought from Mylasa and its environs to the Museum, constitute  the main subject of the research. In this study where twenty Corinthian type column headings in the museum garden and store were examined, the fact that the history of the headlines was not clear brings up the problem of location. For this reason, the headings were dated and compared with similar examples

We present a study of the architectural elements of the Villa A of Oplontis. They are divided into classes of materials subdivided into groups and types and framed within the Campania workshops with local and / or regional production. We deal also with their original function in relation to the place of discovery: it consists mostly of marble deposits, collected in some rooms, even if there are elements reused as parts of the wall or floor covering during a restoration of the villa, to connect to the earthquake of 62 AD The importance of the architectural elements of Oplontis derives from the rarity of the use of marble in the high level of private residences.

In the villa, during the Gentili excavations of the 50s of the past century and ours of 2004-2014, a large number of
shafts, bases and capitals has been found: these and the colonnaded spaces that can be rebuilt from archaeological remains allow us to affirm that they were put in place at least 126 columns; all, including bases and capitals. The capitals are  are to be considered  reused spolia and in majority  imports from Asia Minor.
In eastern Sicily, if in the main public monuments -since a
Augustan age until at least the Hadrian period-  there is an adherence to the decorative architectural fashions that existed in Rome in the same period (the capitals follow the type of the western acanthus;  urban patterns are recognized in the entablatures), there is a deep change of addresses in the late Hadrian period, , in the  Antonin and Severian periods. This change in architectural decoration is not only found in Sicily, but also in various locations in southern Italy, when ionic and corinthian capitals appear in  micro-Asian marble style, which find identical  comparisons  to Pergamum and others micro - Asian centers, in the cities along the coast of Siria,  but also in Rome itself and in other Italian locations (Canosa, Mileto) confirming that  we are in front of eastern imports.

It is known that the phenomenon that affects the artistic-monumental horizon of the Roman provinces between the advanced second century and the beginning of the third century AD. it consists of a widespread  "marbling" of public buildings. It is linked to the flowering of several marble schools and to a wider circulation of building valuable material. The theater of Hierapolis is part of this vast panorama that also distinguishes the buildings for entertainment, especially for its monumental frons scaenae, and for the presence of a new third order which, by increasing the overall height of the scene, proportionally boosted the structure. The lightening of the complex decorative apparatus was in fact obtained with the lower height of the third order compared to the lower orders and with the introduction of a lower podium and lighter pillars instead of the columns. The transition from the decoration of the Flavian to the Severan scene coincides, in effect, with the transition from a more sober ornamental plant to a more scenographic and sumptuous one. This system is marked by architectural elements plastically articulated in exedras and protrusions.
The architectural orders used in the Hierapolis theater scene are the Corinthian on smooth columns in the first order, the composite on spiral columns in the second and the composite on pillars in the third. They obey the most widespread formulations in the second century in Asia Minor, although the use of composite in the  second order is less usual
The very rich front of the hierapolitan theater is decorated with smooth and twisted columns, half-columns with wavy grooves, protruding epistyles, exedras covered in precious marble slabs of various quality with shells carved in the apsidal niches. The structure with transverse arches, supporting the slab top of the stage, must also be considered. All these elements are distinctive features, also for the elegance of the architectural and decorative solutions. We cite for example the solution of the heart-shaped columns to combine the front of the scene with that of the parascens and the ease with which heart  capitals are always used, but with shelves protruding from them to support the entablature. This profusion of elaborate decorative elements implies, of course,  wealthy costumers willing to express their prestige, linking their name to important works of public use.
The detailed review of the material used in the front of the Hierapolis theater and of the dedicatory inscription of the first order allowed us to detect the presence not only of the Docimean marble, used in the columns and covering slabs of the decoration of the first and second order, but above all marble from other quarries (Thiounta and other local quarries, Aphrodisias). It is probable that together with the marble blocks, Afrodisian sculptors who cooperated with the local workers also arrived in Hierapolis. The local workers, however, must have been quite numerous having been active in Hierapolis for the decoration of the Agora and other monuments. Aphrodisian artists had already participated in the works of the Agora (see the large figured capitals with lions that bite cattle or with winged sphinxes , the shelves with gorgonic protomes) which therefore had contributed to the formation of the hierapolitan workshops. In any case, more expert sculptors can also be identified for the theater site, who contributed to the realization of the frons scaenae, in particular to the execution of the capitals which among the architectural elements are those of the most complex processing, and of the better sculpted figured reliefs of the podium implying the availability of "cartons" with the most used models and the familiarity in their rendering.
As a whole, the marble decoration of the scene is perfectly framed in the Severan period. What distinguishes it is the search for variants in the decorative motifs to avoid repetition in the different otherwise monotonous architectural partitions: just think of the always different frames that crown the figured friezes of the podiums or the variants in the decoration of the portals.
E’ noto come il fenomeno che investe l'orizzonte artistico-monumentale delle province romane tra il II secolo avanzato e gli inizi del III d.C. consiste in una diffusa "marmorizzazione" degli edifici pubblici. Essa è legata alla fioritura di diverse scuole marmorarie e ad una più vasta circolazione di materiale pregiato. Il teatro di Hierapolis si inserisce in questo vasto panorama che contraddistingue anche gli edifici per spettacolo, soprattutto per il suo monumentale frontescena, e per la presenza di un nuovo terzo ordine che, aumentando l'altezza complessiva della scena, ne slanciava proporzionalmente la struttura. L’alleggerimento del complesso apparato decorativo era infatti ottenuto con la minore altezza del terzo ordine rispetto ai piani inferiori e con l’introduzione di un podio più basso e di pilastri più leggeri al posto delle colonne. Il passaggio dalla decorazione della scena di età flavia a quella severiana coincide, in effetti, con il trapasso da un impianto ornamentale più sobrio ad uno più scenografico e fastoso. Tale impianto è scandito da elementi architettonici plasticamente articolati in esedre e sporgenze.
Gli ordini architettonici impiegati nella scena del teatro di Hierapolis sono il  corinzio su colonne lisce nel primo ordine, il  composito su colonne spiraliformi nel secondo e il composito su pilastri nel terzo. Essi ubbidiscono alle formulazioni più diffuse nel II secolo in Asia Minore, anche se meno usuale è l’uso del composito al secondo
La fronte ricchissima del teatro hierapolitano è decorata da colonne lisce e tortili, da semicolonne a scanalature ondulate, da epistili sporgenti, da esedre rivestite in lastre di marmo pregiato di varia qualità con conchiglie scolpite nelle nicchie absidate. Va considerata anche la struttura ad archi trasversi, sostenenti il piano in lastre del palcoscenico. Tutti questi elementi risultano essere caratteristiche distintive, anche per l’eleganza delle soluzione architettoniche e decorative. Citiamo ad esempio la soluzione delle colonne a cuore per unire la fronte della scena con quella dei parasceni e la disinvoltura con cui su queste si usano capitelli sempre a cuore, ma con mensole sporgenti da essi per reggere la trabeazione. Questa profusione di elaborati elementi decorativi sottintende, naturalmente, una facoltosa committenza desiderosa di esternare il suo prestigio, legando il proprio nome ad importanti opere di pubblica fruizione.
Il riesame puntuale del materiale utilizzato nel frontescena del teatro di Hierapolis e dell'iscrizione dedicatoria del I ordine ha consentito di rilevare la presenza non solo del marmo docimeno, utilizzato nelle colonne e nelle lastre di rivestimento della decorazione del primo e secondo ordine, ma soprattutto di marmo di altre cave (Thiounta e altre cave locali,  Afrodisia). E' probabile che insieme ai blocchi di marmo siano giunti a Hierapolis anche scultori afrodisiensi che cooperarono con le maestranze locali. Le maestranze locali comunque dovevano essere abbastanza numerose essendo state attive a Hierapolis per la decorazione dell’Agora e di altri monumenti: ai lavori dell’Agora avevano già partecipato artisti afrodisiensi (v. i grandi capitelli figurati con leoni che azzannano bovini o con sfingi alate, le mensole con protomi gorgoniche) che dunque avevano contribuito nella formazione delle officine hierapolitane. In ogni caso anche per il cantiere del teatro si possono individuare scultori più esperti, che hanno concorso alla realizzazione del frontescena, in particolare all'esecuzione dei capitelli che tra gli elementi architettonici sono quelli di più complessa lavorazione, e dei rilievi figurati meglio scolpiti del podio che implicano la disponibilità di “cartoni”  con i modelli più in uso e la dimestichezza nella loro resa.
Nel suo insieme la decorazione marmorea della scena è perfettamente inquadrabile nel periodo severiano. Ciò che la distingue è la ricerca di varianti nei motivi decorativi per evitare la ripetizione nelle diverse partizioni architettoniche altrimenti monotone: basti pensare alle cornici sempre differenti che coronano i fregi figurati dei podi o le varianti nella decorazione dei portali .

European travellers writing about İzmir and environs in the XVIII-XIX. centuries have called the hot spring we know today as Halkapınar the “Diana Baths”. They have not specified what kind of building complex was found around the Halkapınar pond. Corinthian capitals kept inside the gardens of Halkapınar IZSU facilities today are also but a small part of the building materials here. These capitals, which enable us to date the building complex to an extent, are important in the sense that they bring together the testimony of the ancient age with that of XVIII-XIX. centuries. This paper discusses the dating of Halkapınar  Corinthian capitals as well as the identity of the building complex found in this hot spring in the light of both ancient and XVTII-XIX. century sources.

Σε αυτό του το άρθρο ο Lohmann δε συμφωνμεί με τη χρήση του Διόλκου ως δρόμου για τη μετακίνηση των πλοίων ενώ διατηρεί μία κριτική στάση απέναντι στα ανασκαφικά δεδομένα του Βερδελή σχετικά με τη χρονολόγησή του, καθώς πιστεύει ότι το υλικό που προέρχεται από τις επιχώσεις της λιθόστρωτης οδού ενδέχεται να έχει μεταφερθεί από τα παρακείμενα νεκροταφεία. Η άποψη αυτή αν και ελκυστική δεν μπορεί σε καμία περίπτωση να διατυπωθεί για το τμήμα νότια των τομέων C-E, καθώς δε διαθέτουμε τα απαραίτητα στοιχεία. Ευστόχως αποσυνδέει τα εγχάρακτα σημεία από τη χρονολόγηση του μνημείου ενσωματώνοντας τις παρατηρήσεις του Werner, οι οποίες επιβεβαιώνονται και από τις πρόσφατες εργασίες της Υπηρεσίας μας. Θεωρούμε ότι ο τόπος προέλευσης του οικοδομικού υλικού δεν θα έπρεπε να περιορίζεται σε κάποιο οχυρωματικό μνημείο καθώς θα πρέπει να ληφθούν υπόψη και τα αρχιτεκτονικά μέλη που είναι ενταγμένα στη δομή του μνημείου. Αναφορικά με το κτίριο στο τομέα Β οι διαστάσεις του πράγματι δεν επιτρέπουν την εύκολη μετακίνηση μία τριήρους ενώ από τις περιορισμένες ανασκαφικές τομές που πραγματοποιεί η Υπηρεσία μας φαίνεται να προκύπτουν και στοιχεία που διαφοροποιούν την  γνωστή μέχρι  σήμερα κάτοψή του. Συμπερασματικά πρόκειται για ένα άρθρο, το οποίο εξετάζοντας πολύπλευρα το θέμα του Διόλκου, αποτελεί μία λογική υπόθεση εργασίας, στην οποία μπορεί να στηριχτεί ο μελετητής που ασχολείται με το σημαντικό αυτό τεχνικό έργο της αρχαιότητας. Ωστόσο, γίνεται φανερό ότι μόνο καινούριες έρευνες στο χώρο μπορούν να αποσαφηνίσουν τα πολυάριθμα ερωτήματα σχετικά με το μνημείο.