February 25, 1892] 



NATURE 



397 



August, according to the Olympiad. The axis of the 

 temple at Corinth coincides with the sunrise on both 

 those months, but to only one of them (that of May) is a 

 star applicable. 



Further confirmation of the truth of this general 

 theory — namely, that the amplitudes of stars determined 

 the orientations of temples — lies in the fact that in the 

 majority of instances, at any rate, the same star belongs 

 to the same cult. I am satisfied that this can be estab- 

 lished for the Egyptian temples. In Greece we find the 

 following. 



The star n Arietis is the brightest star of the Jirst sign 

 of the Zodiac^ and would therefore be peculiarly appro- 

 priate to a temple of Jupiter. The heliacal rising of this 

 star agrees both with the Olympieium at Athens and 

 that at Olympia. There is a considerable difference in 

 the deviation of the axes of these two temples from the 

 true east ; but this is exactly accounted for by greater 

 apparent altitude of Hymettus over the distant Mount 

 Pholoe. 



The Pleiades are common to the following temples of 

 Minerva, viz. the Archaic temple on the Acropolis, the 

 Hecatompedon, and Sunium. in the two former it is the 

 rising, the latter the setting star. 



a Virginis or Spica must have been supposed to be 

 sacred to Juno. The Heraeum at Olympia agrees exactly 

 with this view, and the Argive Heraeum can be referred 

 to no other ; but, as the foundations of the earlier 

 Hera?um are not now visible, the exactness of the co- 

 incidence cannot be thoroujihly established without re- 

 excavating part of the site. Ihere is nothing, however, 

 inconsistent to this view in what is known about it. The 

 nomenclature of the temple of Juno at Girgenti rests on 

 a rather weak historical basis ; but Spica entirely sup- 

 ports it. 



There must have been something in common between 

 the temples at Corinth, yEgina, and Nemea. The two 

 last, at any rate, are reputed temples of Jupiter, and I 

 have reason to think that also the Temple of Jupiter at 

 Girgenti agrees with the same star-namely, Antares. 



Approximate ilatcs derived from the orientation of Greek temples. 



Temples of later foundation for which no heliacal star has been found. 



The Theseum 1 Athens ... | | 



The new Erechtheum ... ... ... Athens ... 1 j 



The temple of Wingless Victory ... ; Athens "... 



The above table of approximate results, which I have { 

 put together, must for the most part be considered pre- 

 liminary, and subject to amendment when further parti- 

 culars have been ascertained, which I am in hopes of ; 

 being able to obtain in the course of the present season. 

 Nevertheless, I do not think that as respects the examples : 

 mentioned in Nos. i, 2, 9, 12, and 16, there will be much j 

 need of alteration, as of these I am already in possession, i 

 though not of all, yet of the most important measure- 

 ments. Of the remainder I do not feel so confident, but 

 there is still a good deal that can be pointed out in 

 respect to some of them which is consistent with his- ' 

 torical and architectural archaeology. ! 



Olympia must have been a sacred spot long before 

 the Olympiads began to be dated, and the Heraeum ] 

 there appears to be the most archaic temple structure : 

 that exists in Greece. The date suggested by the orienta- , 

 tion, 1300 B.C., does not seem unreasonable. I 



Then we come to the establishment of the Olympiads, 

 NO. I 165, VOL. 45] 



which began 776 years B.C. Compare the date of the 

 great Temple of Jupiter derived from its orientation, 

 76c. 



The temple at Corinth was thought by archaeologists 

 of the past generation to date from about the middle of 

 the seventh century B.C. The date I get from its orienta- 

 tion is 700. 



The temple at /Egina, it is evident from its archi- 

 tecture, is somewhat later than that at Corinth or the 

 Olympian Jupiter. That is also the orientation view of 

 the case. At the same time, I think that the interval 

 between Nos. 11 and 12 ought to be more than thirty 

 years. I rather expect that more exact measurements at 

 Corinth will throw back somewhat the date of that 

 example. Want of clear weather obliged me to be 

 content with magnetic bearings at Corinth, and these 

 may easily be at fault as much as 1° 



F, C. Penrose. 



