GREEK TEMPLES AND THE DATES OF THEIR FOUNDATION. 
51 
extra-solstitial, it can be traced to the rising or setting of a first magnitude star. 
None of these, however, are available in this case. Sirius would, indeed, have 
transited the western axis, but at too great an altitude to lend any probability 
to the hypothesis; and it seems almost self-evident that no satisfactory explanation 
could be made for Apollo’s temple without the sun, even tliough the rule may have 
to be somewhat exceptionally treated. 
At Bassae, as we have seen, the eastern door admitted the sunrise at right angles 
to the axis of the temple : at Delphi, assuming the case of an earlier temple parallel 
to the inscribed wall, the sunrise would strike the flank at an angle of 51° instead of 
90°. At that angle seven-ninths of any opening prepared to receive it would still be 
available, and the oblique light so thrown would be quite as effective as, or more so 
than, the direct. Assuming, then, from the abundance of evidence drawn from ordi¬ 
nary cases, that this exceptional temple would have followed In the main the general 
rule, we may proceed to examine whether any suitable star can be found which, at 
its setting in the south-west in the direction of the axis of the temple, would have 
given the proper warning of the sun’s approach. /S Lupi, of the third magnitude, is 
such a star, conspicuous enough by itself as a setting star, but the more so on account 
of its neighbour, k Centauri, less than a degree apart, and of not much inferior bright¬ 
ness. The elements would be as follows ;— 
Delplii .—Latitude 38° 27' 33". 
Name of temple 
Orientation 
angle. 
Stellar 
elements. 
Solar 
elements. 
Name of 
star. 
Aucient temple 
o 
CO 
03 
A 
Amplitude of star 
- 40° 29' S.W. 
- 12° E. 
ft Lupi, 
of Apollo 
or sun 
setting ' 
D 
Corresponding alti- 
3° 30' 
.->0 
O 
tude 
C 
Declination . 
- 28° 
1 
0 
CO 
D 
Hour angles . 
3’' 57“ 
6 h 43 m 
E 
Depression of sun 
, , 
13° 4' 
when star heliacal 
F 
R. A. 
12 ’’ 9'" 
22'' 49“ 
G 
Approximate date . 
970 B.C., 
March 1. 
Later temple 
227° 5:T 
A 
Amplitude of star 
- 42° 55' S.W. 
- 12° S.W. 
ft Lupi, 
of Apollo 
or sun 
setting 
B 
Corresponding alti- 
3° 
3° 
tude 
0 
Declination . 
- 30° 
- 7° 39' 
D 
Hour angles . 
3’^ 50“ 
6 '' Sd"’ 
E 
Depression of sun 
11° 23' 
when star heliacal 
F 
R. A. 
12'> 24“ 30^ 
2211 49“ 
G 
Approximate date . 
630 B.G, 
March 1 
It will be seen that the star’s amplitude agrees very closely with the orientation 
H 2 
