Collection image

$In a window of the church of Panaghia Septembriani in Parikia on Paros, two pieces of spolia are set which, because of their similarity to comparable pieces from Athens, can be identified as fragments of ancient kleroterion machines. The top of a kleroterion has a funnel-shaped opening that continues down into a metal tube fixed to the edge of the inner surface. The two Parian fragments, designated below by their inventory numbers S 176 and S 177, can only be seen on the front and partly on the outside (see Fig. 2a). They are made of Parian marble and carefully worked on the original surfaces. The lower part of a left lateral pilaster (S 176) and of a right one (S 177) is preserved, together with part of the inner surface of the naiskos (Fig. 3). At 88.2 cm, the two pieces still have their original height. The capitals were worked separately from the pilasters and, given the proportions of the pilasters, may have sat directly on top of the blocks. No remains of the capital or the entablature survive. The base profile of the pilasters is cut away except for a few remnants, an apophyge and a torus. The tooling line at the foot of the pilasters continues at the same height in the adjoining inner field, so a foot profile must be reconstructed here. Since the last base profile of pilaster S 177 is found on the side fracture surface of the slab, where the present reuse makes no sense, it can be assumed that this piece has been reused several times. The inner surfaces of the two fragments were worked to a medium finish. In their remains, three vertical columns, each with 35 slot openings, are wholly or partly preserved. The openings measure 2.2 cm wide, 2.1 cm deep and 0.4 cm high and are evenly spaced. The size of the Parian kleroteria can only be reconstructed approximately. If a capital, which would have been only a few centimetres high, sat directly on the upper bearing surface, the corresponding zone of the inner field would have had room for no more than the 35 slot openings of each column. The total height of the kleroteria, including the entablature, could then have measured about 110 to 120 cm. The width can only be roughly determined: assuming similarly steep overall proportions to those of the reconstructed Athenian kleroteria based on the surviving fragments, the Parian devices would have had at least 8 to 10 columns of slots and thus a width of at least 55 cm.$

In a window of the church of Panaghia Septembriani in Parikia on Paros, two pieces of spolia are set which, because of their similarity to comparable pieces from Athens, can be identified as fragments of ancient kleroterion machines. The top of a kleroterion has a funnel-shaped opening that continues down into a metal tube fixed to the edge of the inner surface. The two Parian fragments, designated below by their inventory numbers S 176 and S 177, can only be seen on the front and partly on the outside (see Fig. 2a). They are made of Parian marble and carefully worked on the original surfaces. The lower part of a left lateral pilaster (S 176) and of a right one (S 177) is preserved, together with part of the inner surface of the naiskos (Fig. 3). At 88.2 cm, the two pieces still have their original height. The capitals were worked separately from the pilasters and, given the proportions of the pilasters, may have sat directly on top of the blocks. No remains of the capital or the entablature survive. The base profile of the pilasters is cut away except for a few remnants, an apophyge and a torus. The tooling line at the foot of the pilasters continues at the same height in the adjoining inner field, so a foot profile must be reconstructed here. Since the last base profile of pilaster S 177 is found on the side fracture surface of the slab, where the present reuse makes no sense, it can be assumed that this piece has been reused several times. The inner surfaces of the two fragments were worked to a medium finish. In their remains, three vertical columns, each with 35 slot openings, are wholly or partly preserved. The openings measure 2.2 cm wide, 2.1 cm deep and 0.4 cm high and are evenly spaced. The size of the Parian kleroteria can only be reconstructed approximately. If a capital, which would have been only a few centimetres high, sat directly on the upper bearing surface, the corresponding zone of the inner field would have had room for no more than the 35 slot openings of each column. The total height of the kleroteria, including the entablature, could then have measured about 110 to 120 cm. The width can only be roughly determined: assuming similarly steep overall proportions to those of the reconstructed Athenian kleroteria based on the surviving fragments, the Parian devices would have had at least 8 to 10 columns of slots and thus a width of at least 55 cm.

Full-size image restricted

Nausitoo images are intended exclusively for academic research and teaching. To view them at full size, register and accept the Terms of Use, or sign in.