The Colonnade of Apamea is the main colonnade of the avenue of the ancient city of Apamea in the Valley of the Orontes River in northwestern Syria . It was built in the second century BC. e. after the destruction of Apamea by an earthquake of 115 BC. e. The avenue, which stretched almost 2 kilometers, was the axis of the city (from north to south) or cardo maximus . The longest and most famous monumental colonnade in the Roman Empire .
Content
- 1 General view
- 2 Sources
- 2.1 Notes
- 2.2 Literature
General view
The original colonnade from the time of the Seleucids was destroyed along with the rest of Apamea during the earthquake in 115 BC. e. Reconstruction began during the reign of the Romans , and during the second century the city was completely restored, starting with the Great Colonnade [1] .
Oriented along the north-south axis, the colonnade served as a cardo maximus - the main street of the city. From the north gate the colonnade stretches in a straight line for almost 2 kilometers. The northern third of the colonnade is marked by monumental pillars that stood opposite the baths [2] . The southern third is marked by the intersection with the decumanus maximus - the main axis of the city along the east-west axis. This crossroads is decorated with two triple arches. Every 110 meters, the colonnade intersects with other streets of the city [3] . The colonnade passed through the city center; important buildings were grouped near it, including thermae , the agora , the Tyuhe temple and the nympheum , the rotunda , the atrium church and the basilica [4] .
The colonnade-framed street was 20.79 meters wide and was paved with large polygonal limestone blocks. On both sides of the street, 6.15 meters wide, the colonnade was sent to its full length. The columns are 9 meters high and 0.9 meters in diameter. They stand on square bases with a side length of 1.24 meters and a height of 0.47 meters. By design, two types of columns stand out: flat and with spiral flutes . Archaeologist Jean Lasso claims that the first construction dates back to the Trajan period, and the second to the period of Antoninus Pius [5] . The ports of the colonnades were richly decorated with mosaics throughout the colonnade [2] .
During the reign of the Byzantine emperor Justinian I, some parts of the colonnade were restored. The street was narrowed to 12 meters and pavement was added on both sides. In some areas, Roman paving was replaced with a new one, made of square blocks of limestone. The new paving also included a completely redesigned drainage system. The monumental portico tetrastilon , consisting of four 9-meter columns with meter-high capitals, also belongs to Justinian’s rule [6] .
View of the colonnade.
Columns decorated with spiral flutes .
Voting column opposite the term.
Capitals on the columns.
Reconstruction of the Colonnade at the Museum of the Fiftieth Anniversary in Brussels , Belgium
Sources
Notes
- ↑ Balty, 1988, p. 91.
- ↑ 1 2 Foss, 1997, p. 207.
- ↑ Foss, 1997, p. 210.
- ↑ Foss, 1997, p. 209.
- ↑ Crawford; Goodway, 1990, p. 119.
- ↑ Foss, 1997, p. 208.
Literature
- Balty, Jean Ch. Apamea in Syria in the Second and Third Centuries AD (English) // The Journal of Roman Studies : journal. - Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies, 1988. - Vol. 78 . - P. 91-104 . - DOI : 10.2307 / 301452 .
- Crawford, J. Stephens. The Byzantine Shops at Sardis / J. Stephens Crawford, Martha Goodway. - Harvard University Press , 1990. - ISBN 9780674089686 .
- Foss, Clive. Syria in Transition, AD 550-750: An Archaeological Approach (English) // Dumbarton Oaks Papers : journal. - Dumbarton Oaks, 1997 .-- Vol. 51 . - P. 189-269 . - DOI : 10.2307 / 1291765 .