The Church of the Holy Apostles (The Athenian Agora 20)

THE

ATHENIAN AGORA RESULTS OF EXCAVATIONS CONDUCTED

BY

THE AMERICAN SCHOOL OF CLASSICAL STUDIES AT ATHENS

VOLUME

THE THE

XX

CHURCH HOLY

OF

APOSTLES BY

ALISON

FRANTZ

THE AMERICAN SCHOOL OF CLASSICAL STUDIES AT ATHENS PRINCETON,

NEW JERSEY

1971

,

A,M

'_';

.,..'

.

"

,'-

' "

' "

" ..'

-

The Holy Apostles.

The Holy Apostles.

PUBLISHED

WITH THE AID OF A GRANT

ALL RIGHTS

PRINTED

IN GERMANY

FROM MR. JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER,

RESERVED

at J. J. AUGUSTIN,

GLUCKSTADT

JR.

FOR

ANASTASIOS K. ORLANDOS

PREFACE The investigationandrestorationof the Churchof the HolyApostleswereundertakenby theAmerican Schoolof ClassicalStudieson the invitationof theDepartmentof Restorationin theArchaeological Serviceof the GreekGovernment,underthe Directorshipof AnastasiosK. Orlandos.Warmestthanks are here expressedon behalfof the School to ProfessorOrlandosand his associate,EustathiosStikas, for invaluableassistancethroughall phasesof the undertaking. Theprojectwasmadepossibleby generousgrantsfromthe SamuelH. KressFoundationof New York whichmet all the expensesof the preliminarywork, the restoration,and the preparationof the final publication.In expressingour gratitudeto the Foundationit is a pleasureto recallthe personalinterest shownby the late RushKresswho, withMrs.Kress,visitedAthenstwicewhilethe workwasin progress. We are also indebtedto Miss Mary Davis, Vice Presidentof the KressFoundation,for continuedinterestand help, and to Mrs.MurrayDanforth,Mrs.HenrySharpe,and Mrs.C. AlexanderRobinson,all of Providence,Rhode Island,for theirassistancein the landscapingof the area. Many scholarsvisitedthe churchduringthe courseof the work and gave the benefitof theirexpert knowledge.I profitedespeciallyfrom discussionon the spot with GeorgeH. Forsyth,RichardKrautheimer,A. H. S. Megaw,RichardStillwell,and the late PaulA. Underwood. A numberof colleaguesin the Agorahavehelpedin the publicationof the church.NicholasRestakis circumstances. Poly Demproducedthe prints,sometimesfrom negativesmade underdisadvantageous oulini smoothedthe way in endlessmattersof long-distancecollaborationin the final stages.I am indebtedto MargaretCrosbyfor her patiencein allowingan intruderto encroachon her own areaof excavation,and for crowningher kindnessby makingpossiblethe color platefor the frontispiece. The restoreddrawingsof the church(Pls.29-37, 40) arethe ornamentof this book. Theyarethe work of WilliamB. Dinsmoor,Jr., to whomI expressmy gratitudeand admirationfor his patienceand skill. Specialthanksandappreciationgo to HomerThompson,classicistpar excellence,on whoseinitiativethe studyand restorationof this mediaevalmonumentwereundertakenand completed,and who couldconsiderthe vagariesof Byzantinebuilderswiththe same care that he bestowson the precisionof the architects of the 5th century B.C.

To recordadequatelymy debt to JohnTravloswouldrequirean acknowledgement on everypage. He has generouslygiven his counsel and sharedhis knowledge,and his mastery of both the practical and the theoreticalaspects of Byzantinearchitecturehas facilitatedthe excavation,accomplishedthe restoration,and enrichedthe publication. To ProfessorAnastasiosOrlandosI offerthis opusculum in token of affectionategratitudefor many kindnessesovera quarterof a century,and in recognitionof his incomparablecontributionto the study of Byzantinearchitecturein Greece. ALISON FRANTZ

Princeton,N.J. June20, 1971

TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGES vii

PREFACE.................................................................................... ... LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

....

...

....

...

..

..

...................................................

FIGURES ..................................................................................

X

.....

PLATES ..............................................................................

xiii

..........................................................................i... ABBREVIATIONS INTRODUCTION....................

1

........

......................................

........

REMAINS................................................................ THEEARLIER

3 4

THE FIRSTPERIOD ...........................................................................

THEPLAN.............

.

...................................................

.4...........

4

.

5 7 7 9 10

. . . . THE FOUNDATIONS ..................................5........................... THE MASONRY............................................................................. BRICKWORK THE ORNAMENTAL ............................................................ THE COLUMNS............................................................................. .................................. THE DOMEAND VAULTS............................... THE ROOF ......................................................................

THEWINDOWS.............................................................................................. ...... .................................. THED OORS. ...................................... THEPAVING........................................................ ... ................... ....................... THEWALLDECORATION THE ARCOSOLIUM .. ................ THE ICONOSTASIS

THEFONT ....................... TYPE .................. ARCHITECTURAL DATE .......................

THETOMBS.....27.........

.....

10 12 12

... .......13

13 14

....................................... ..........................................

...

......................................... ....

....

....

..........................................

..................

.........................................

MATERIALFROMTHECHURCH..3.......0................. HUMANSKELETAL

THELATERPERIODS .......................................................................... II ............................................................................ PERIOD PERIOD III................................................................................. PERIOD IV .........................................................................

X

17 18

.24

..

....

27

...........

30

.

.. . .

32 32 35 38

CONSERVATION ANDRESTORATION ..............................................................

40

INDEX ....................................

43

PLATES

LIST

OF

ILLUSTRATIONS FIGURES

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12.

Masonryon East Side of East Apse (J. Travlos). KufesqueDesignsin Masonry(A. H. S. Megaw,preparedby H. Besi). WindowDetails. A. East Apse. B. Dome, SoutheastFace (W. B. Dinsmoor,Jr.). Windows. a. EastApse. b. NorthApse. c. Diaconicon. d. Dome, SoutheastFace (W.B. Dinsmoor,Jr.). Door Frameof PeriodI (J. Travlos). SarcophagusFront, RestoredDrawing(J. Travlos). Iconostasis,RestoredDrawing(J. Travlos). Churchesin Greece. a. Methana, St. Nicholas. b. Platani, St. Nicholas. c. Kastoria,Koumbelidiki. d. Varasova,St. Demetrios. e. Athens, Moni Petraki. f. Manolada,Palaiopanagia. g. Athens, Holy Apostles. h. Gavrolimni,Panaxiotissa. i. Arta, St. Nicholas'PoSi&as.(1:200) SectionsthroughChurchProperand Narthex,showingTombs(J. Travlos). The Holy Apostles.Plan by A. Lenoir(1836). The Holy Apostles.Plan of 1854. Positionof Orthostatesin WestWall (J. Travlos).

PLATES The Holy Apostles. FRONTISPIECE 1. The Holy ApostlesbeforeRestoration(1953). a. East End. b. West End. c. North Side. d. South Side. 2. a. Foundationsof Churchon Floor Beddingof Nymphaeum. b. Foundationsof Mint (?) underWestApse. c. EarlyByzantineHouse WallsunderEast Apse. d. The Churchca. 1890(Phot. G. Lambakis). 3. a. Foundationsof West Apse from East. b. Crosswallof PeriodsI-III, from West. c. Junctionof WestApse and AdjoiningWall. d. OriginalStep Blockin Place. 4. WallsStrippedof LaterMasonry. a. North Side. b. OriginalEnd of North Wall. c. South Side. 5. a. Foundationsof NorthwestAngle Chamber,from Southeast. b. Brickwith Sketchfor KufesqueDesign. c. SouthwestCapital. d. NorthwestCapital. e. SouthwestColumnBase. f. NortheastColumn.

PLATES 6. a. Detail of Dome afterRemovalof Stucco. b. OriginalWindowArchesin Dome. c. SoutheastFace of Dome with OriginalMullion. d. SouthwestPendentive. e. NortheastSegmentof Interiorof Dome. 7. a. WestVaultbeforeRepairs. b. Semi-domeof SouthwestAngle Chamber. c. Vaultingof SouthwestAngle Chamber. d. TriangularVault of SouthwestAngle Chamber. 8. Dome and Roofs afterRestoration. 9. a. PumicePackingover East Vault. b. PlasterBeddingfor Roof Tiles. c. Junctionof East Apse and BarrelVault. d. KufesqueBrickworkin South Apse. e. Windowsof East Apse and Diaconicon. f. RestoredWindowof Narthex. 10. a. OriginalPavingin NorthwestAngle Chamber,from South. b. Arcosolium,from North. c. Restoringthe Omphalos. d. Font in ByzantineMuseum(photographby EugeneVanderpool,Jr.). e. SarcophagusFront. 11. Fragmentsof Iconostasisof Holy Apostles. a. EpistyleBlock D, Front. b. EpistyleBlock D, Underside. c. EpistyleBlock E, Front. d. EpistyleBlock E, Underside. e. ClosurePanel. f. ColumnB. B. Epistyle Block in Byzantine Museum.

12.

13.

14. 15.

16.

17.

h. EpistyleBlock found in Asklepieion. i. ClosurePanelfrom Moni Petraki. j. ClosurePanelin ByzantineMuseum. a. Manolada,Palaiopanagia,from Northwest. b. Manolada,Palaiopanagia,from Southeast. c. Manolada,Palaiopanagia,Narthex,North End. d. Hosios Loukas,Iconostasisin Katholikon(CourtesyE. Stikas). a. Athens, Moni Petraki,from East (CourtesyM. Sotiriou). b. Gavrolimni,Panaxiotissa,from Northeast. c. Hosios Loukas,Katholikonand Theotokos,from East. d. Hosios Loukas,Katholikon,from Southwest(CourtesyE. Stikas). a. Holy Apostles,West End beforeRestoration. b. From Northwest,RestorationCompleted. a. Tombs 1-4. b,c,d. Jugsfrom Tomb 2. e. Glass Bottlefrom Tomb 3. f. Lintelof SmallDoor of PeriodI. g. Tombsin Narthex. a. Tombs 12 and 13. b. Tombs 14 and 13. c. Tomb 11. d. Cornerof Arcosoliumwith Late XcovEurrpilov. e,f. SouthWall of Narthexin PeriodII. WallPaintingsof PeriodII. a. Angel of Trinityand Sacrificeof Isaacin Prothesis. b. Aaronin Dome. c,d. Saintsin West Angle Chambers.

xi

xii

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

18. a. Gable of Later Periods. b. Window of Period II in North Wall. c. Altar and Floor of Period IV. d. Pantokrator in Dome, Period II. e. Pantokrator in Dome, Period IV. f. Blocked Doorway in North Apse, from Outside. 19. a. Narthex, with Threshold Adjusted for Period III, from East. b. West Wall, Orthostates Replaced in Original Positions. c. Interior, Period IV, Looking East. d. Interior, Period IV, Looking West. 20. a,b. Interior Bracing. c,d. Piers of West Arch after Destruction of Apse. e. Inner Face of Wall before Restoration. 21. Replacing Columns. a. Southeast Column in Process of Removal. b. Reinforcing Rods in Place. c. Cement Bases for New Columns. d. Half of Mould for Shaft. e. Mould for Core of Capital. f. Mould for Column in Place. 22. Reconstruction of Narthex. a. Centering. b. Reinforcing Rods. c. Roof Half Finished. d. Rebuilding the Fagade. 23. a. Laying the Roof Tiles. b. Carving the Lunette. 24. After Restoration, from Southeast 25. After Restoration and Landscaping, from Southeast (1959). 26. The Interior, Restored. a. Looking East. b. Looking Southeast. 27. The Interior, Restored. a Looking Southwest into Narthex. b. Southeast Bay Narthex, looking into Church Proper. 28. Development of Plan (J. Travlos). 29. Restored Plan, Period I (W. B. Dinsmoor, Jr.). 30. East Elevation (W. B. Dinsmoor, Jr.) 31. West Elevation (W. B. Dinsmoor, Jr.) 32. North Elevation (W. B. Dinsmoor, Jr.) 33. South Elevation (W. B. Dinsmoor, Jr.). 34. Transverse Section, Church Proper (W. B. Dinsmoor, Jr.). 35. Longitudinal Section (W. B. Dinsmoor, Jr.). 36. Transverse Section, East End (W. B. Dinsmoor, Jr.). 37. Transverse Section, Narthex (W. B. Dinsmoor, Jr.). 38. Plan, Period III (J. Travlos). 39. Floor Plan, Period IV (J. Travlos). 40. Plan of Roof (W. B. Dinsmoor, Jr.).

ABBREVIATIONS ABME 'ApX.'Eq. B.N.J. Bouras,Manolada AIEE D.O.P. AXAE Ebersolt EEBX EMME

A. K. Orlandos, 'ApXEiovrCOvBuLavrTv~$v MvriaEkcov -ris 'E?a&8os, Athens

Athens 'ApXatoXoyu