Notes on the Orientation of Greek Temples. 113 



(2.) Some further observations on the Temple of Apollo, at Delphi, 

 of which the recent complete clearance of the site admitted of measure- 

 ment with greater exactness than before. 



(3.) At Syracuse I found that the architecture of the temple which 

 has been erroneously attributed to Diana,* was of a character much 

 too archaic for the date assigned to it in that paper, which had been 

 derived from the orientation of the axis; but that when taken from 

 the northern limit of the eastern opening the date would be quite 

 consistent both with architecture and the history of the town. 



(4.) This led to a re- examination of the other Syracusan examples 

 and an error was discovered, altering the orientation of the temple 

 attributed to Minerva, and its derived date, from 815 to 550 B.C., to 

 its great advantage in every respect. 



(5.) The most interesting example, however, is from another 

 Sicilian temple lately unearthed at Selinus. Of this temple I found 

 the orientation of the eastern axis to be 30° 22' north amplitude, which 

 at once suggests a solar temple arranged for the summer solstice, 

 which for a level site and for the date in question, should be 30° 35'. 

 But the temple's site is near the bottom of a valley ; and the sun 

 would have to gain an altitude of rather more than two and a half 

 degrees before it could shine into the temple ; and then the amplitude 

 required would be 28° 17'. Thus apart from what may be derived 

 from the plan of the temple itself, the orientation theory would seem 

 to show to a disadvantage. At the same time the peculiarities of the 

 plan of the temple would be difficult to explain without the orientation 

 theory. 



Presumably the angle upon which the lines of the temple were set 

 out was taken from data obtained on some platform which had a level 

 horizon, and the building was considerably advanced before the actual 

 solstice came round and showed the error that had been made. 



To meet the . difficulty a nam was constructed within the flank walls, 

 but hugging the northern one ; so that the first beam of sunrise 

 coming through the centre of the eastern aperture, at the local ampli- 

 tude of + 28° 17' E., might shine in centrally upon the statue of the 

 deity : and for this a pedestal was provided a little northwards of the 

 centre of the niche which had been previously formed for it. We may 

 notice also that the angle of the Propylsea is so placed as to keep 

 exactly clear of the point of sunrise (see figure, next page). 



(6.) An argument is drawn from the orientation of the foundations of 

 a small temple lately discovered, adjoining the famous theatre at 

 Taormina, that the theatre itself was that of the city of Naxos, which 

 occupied the sea-coast at about 800 feet immediately below it ; and 

 not the work of the much later town of Tauromenium, from which 

 Taormina derives its name. 



* ' Phil. Trans.,' A, vol. 190, 1897, p. 39. 



