Temple_Terrace_and_North_Stoa

Opposite the North Stoa, along the southern border of the Temple Terrace, stood a similar stoa of the early 2nd century AD (the northern front of the Well-house Stoa, no. 13), marble blocks of which were lying near the retaining wall of the terrace (E). It had apparently been decided that this Hekatomnid retaining wall was to be used as support for the columnar front of that stoa. This turned out to be a grave mistake, since the wall was not resting on bedrock and therefore could not stand the weight of the stoa. This is indicated by the present appearance of the wall courses that originally must have been horizontal. A third, shorter stoa appears to have been located at the eastern end of the terrace (F). For some time in the 2nd century AD the Temple Terrace was thus surrounded by three stoas of the Corinthian order. It is not known when the southern and eastern ones may have collapsed.

At the eastern end of the Temple Terrace is a building with two rooms (A), which has been interpreted in different ways. One theory has been that this was an entrance building, a propylon, to the earliest sanctuary, i.e. in the Archaic period. The type of masonry in the walls does not indicate such an early date, however, and the theory does not take into consideration that the northern wall of the building obviously continues eastwards. A more likely hypothesis is that this was a well-house fed by the nearby source. It is not possible to decide which function this building may have had without further excavations.

The foundations of the stoa probably belong to the 4th century BC, since a number of reused anta blocks appear to be preserved from the upper part of that building. One of those blocks carries an inscription saying that Maussollos, son of Hekatomnos built the stoa. The rebuilding took place in the early 2nd century AD, between the years AD 102 and 114, and was paid for by the former priest Poleites who erected the stylobate, the marble columns, and the marble entablature on the front. This information is given by the inscription on the six architrave blocks that are arranged on the stylobate of the stoa. The fifth block carries the most well preserved part of the inscription (in black below).

[AYTOKPA]TO[PI] NEPOY[A TPA]IANΩ KAIΣAPI ΣEBAΣTΩ ΓE[PM]ANIKΩ [ΔAKIK]Ω KAI MEΓIΣTΩ ΘEΩ ΔII ΛABPAYNDΩ KAI TΩ [ΔH]MΩ ΠOΛEITHΣ API[Σ]TEOY KOPPA[- -] IEPATEY ΣAΣ EK TΩN IΔIΩN ANEΘHKEN TON TE ΛEYKOΛIΘON ΣT YΛOBATHN KAI TOYΣ ΠOIKIΛOYΣ KEIONAΣ ΣYN TOIΣ ΣΠIPOKEΦ AΛOIΣ KAI TON EΠIΦEPOMENON KAT AYTΩN ΛEYKOΛIΘON KOΣMON - -

A little further to the west is the inscribed base of a monument (D) erected in honour of a certain Dometios for his services to Mylasa. The position of the base close to the north-eastern corner of the temple indicates that the cause for the dedication was an exceptional one and that the honorand was an important person. This was possibly the Roman legate Cn. Domitius Ahenobarbus. He was in charge of Roman forces in the area during the years following Rome’s contested legacy of Pergamon in 133 BC, when King Attalos III, who died without an heir, had bequeathed his kingdom to Rome.

A restoration of the facade of the North Stoa (P. v. Schmalensee)

From the south-western corner of the building a low retaining wall of polygonal masonry (G) runs towards the west for some 20 meters. Being covered with earth and almost completely hidden from view, only the top is now partly visible. It has been identified as a retaining wall of Archaic date (6th century BC), to the north of which lay the single terrace that made up the little sanctuary before the 4th century BC.

The Temple Terrace from the south-west (excavation photo, 1949). The Temple of Zeus is in the foreground and the North Stoa stylobate (with two raised columns) in the background to the left.

Along the northern side of the Temple Terrace, east of the Temple of Zeus, are the remains of the ca. 29 meters long 2nd century AD North Stoa. It had 12 columns of the Corinthian order, ca. 4 m high. Only the front of the building has been excavated, apart from one single narrow trench that was dug to find the back wall of the stoa, near the eastern end.

Poleites, son of Aristeas, Korra.. dedicated by his own means on the occasion of the end of his priesthood to Imperator Nerva Traianus Caesar Augustus Germanicus Dacicus, to the Greatest God Zeus Labraundos and to the people the stylobate made of white marble, the columns made of polychrome marble together with their bases and capitals and the entablature made of white marble which is placed upon them.

In front of the stoa statues were standing, of which some marble bases bear witness. There are also some inscriptions belonging to such honorary and votive monuments. In front of the eastern end of the stoa is a semicircular exedra (B) given by a certain Demetrios, son of Python, in the 3rd century BC. Inside the semicircle there was a bench where one could sit down for a rest, and little statues were placed on top, behind the backrest. At the western end of the stoa is an inscription (C) where one can read the name of Hekatomnos, son of Hyssaldomos (EKATOMNΩΣ YΣΣAΛΔΩM[OY), viz. the father and grandfather of the five Hekatomnid sisters and brothers. Beside it stands another inscription from the years around AD 200, honouring the Roman Empress Iulia Domna:

ΔH(MOΣ)

IOYΛIAN ΔOMNAN

ΣEBAΣTHN MHTEPA

KAΣTPΩN

(The people worshipped) Ioulia Domna Augusta, camp-mother

Corinthian column capital of the North Stoa.

15.The Spring House 16.The Temple Terrace and the North Stoa 17.The Temple of Zeus 18.The Oikoi Building 19.Andron A