Vernon Parish Democrat., 1922-05-11

unfortunately, not a single example re-
mains.
When these temples were taken pos
session Of by the Christians, church
was erected over this altar, part of
which was destroyed and then the
space leveIed up with the earth so that
the church floor was above the top Of
the altar; so, also, the lower part of
the staircase was filled over, while the
upper part was removed to accommo-
date the apses.
Attributed to Theodosius.
The construction of this basilica Is
attributed to Theodosius, Roman en-
peror of the East, who reigned towards
the end of the Fourth century of our
era. The Great temple was demolished
to furnish materials for the construc-
tion Of this church.
The Great Temple itself has been al
most entirely destroyed ALI that is
left are six columns of the peristyle,
still standing in their original places,
capped with Corinthian capitals and
Joined by ornate and massive entabla-
ture. These lofty pillars do not taper
as they appear to do when seen from
below. They are over so feet high and
745 feet in diameter and are each COM
posed of three drums.
One can perhaps best mentally re-
construct the Great Temple by an in
spection Of the smaller one, dedicated
to Bacchus, which lies to the south
east of the Great Temple, entirely in
dependent of it and on a lower level.
The walls of the main enclosure or
celia, which is oblong, are quite plain
on the outside and are built of care
fully dressed stone, the joints so per
feet that q knife-blade cannot enter
between. Around this at distance of
10 feet runs on the two sides and ends
a row of smooth columns which forms
the peristyle.
These, including their capitals, are
about 50 feet high and are surmounted
by a magnificent entablature. This en-
tablature is connected with the walls of
the celia by enormous slabs of stone,
which are elaborately carved with the
heads of emperors, deities, and inter
woven with floral designs, forming an |
exquisite ceiling.
The door posts are elegantly carved |
with figures of Bacchus, fauns, cupids,
satyrs and bacchantes, woven around |
which are grape vines and clusters of
fruit, also poppies and ears of wheat, |
all of which are symhoIical of the
attributes of the reveling god to whom
the temple is dedicated
Great Doorway 4s Feet High.
This great doorway, which dwarfs
the human figure, stands 43 feet high
and 211a feet wide, while the carving
of the posts just mentioned covers
space about feet wide. On both |
sides of this door stand graceful fiuted |
columns, forming the prostyle or por
tico, while the plain ones of the peri
style, which stand behind them, seem
to reflect their beauty.
The decorations of the walls of the
interior of this temple resemble the
carvings of the exedrae of the great
court, having two rows of inches for
statues one above the other and d.
vided perpendicularly from each other
by engaged huted columns.
AS already mentioned these tenn
pies stood on a raised platform rest
ing on substructures. The great tenn
pie lies 441a feet above the level Of
the plain and is the highest part Of
the entire inclosure, while the great
court was only % feet lower.
An inclosing wall, the mammoth
stones Of which have been the marvel
Of engineers for ages, deserves mention.
The lowest courses are built Of stones
Of moderate dimensions, but which
grow rapidly in size until we come to
q row of three enormous stones, the
shortest being SO feet and the longest
So in length, and each being about
1S feet high and 10 feet thick.
The course of which they form part
Is some 20 feet above the surface OF the
ground.
They are the largest building blocks
ever known to have been used by man
and a still larger one lies in the an
cient nearby quarry, never having been
detached from the rock beneath. This
one Is 20 feet long by IA by IS feet.