1952–April 1953

Athens, January 6 1952

Dear George,

To supplement the extracts from Vitruvius sent you two days ago, I enclose a tracing (rough, of course) of the plan of V's Greek Palaestra given on page 161 of Morgan's translation. I didn't take the trouble to trace the whole plan, which has at the north running tracks under porticos and in the open, a 300-foot Stadium with seats for spectators, and in the quadrangle these things enclose, a formal garden with trees etc.

As you have gathered from my notes on your article (especially P.2, Ll.21-22) and from my letter, I think "Temple A" will have to become a pair of 'exedrae', unless you can save it by finding - which I doubt if you will - a good analogue to the plan of A in an undoubted temple elsewhere.

If the two 'exedrae' at A have the same purpose as the five in the South Building - let us say, as quarters (lodging and dining and confabulating) for large delegations to festivals of Apollo - the small back doors leading right out of the sacred precinct (strange for a temple) would be for servants to enter by and for lodgers needing to go out into the woods. With this use of the building the 'fontanae' indicated by the lead pipe would be explained.

I imagine that if we had the lintels of the five main doors of the South Bldg. and the two of "A" we should know whence the delegations came - unless they were not distinguished but were all simply the halls in which Apollo lodged his guests. "A" however would seem to have the prouder place. Perhaps official delegates (theoroi) had their quarters there, and the contestants in games etc. occupied the South Bldg, convenient to the palaestra and the baths.

I am eager to know whether we can restore doors at the south end of the corridors of the S.Bldg. If they did exist, they would have been reached by temporary steps separate from (not permanently connected with) the building. So far as I know there is no trace of them - perhaps they were of wood. However, speculation would best wait until I know whether there can have been doors. The eastern hall would have had as its service corridor the irregular space between the S & SW Bldgs. It would have door at the north end of its east wall and steps immediately outside the door. We know the level there was low until the destruction of the buildings.

If you don't find a temple convincingly like "A" we shall have to swallow our pride as best we can, and admit, at least tacitly, that our only Temple B. It is a pity that we let its lower position and small size lead us to name it "B", though it was earlier than what we first saw of "A" and it was within a proper precinct of its own, instead of having buildings close against it and only touching the sacrosanct area on one side. It would have been simpler to rename Temple B. Anyhow (unless you find the good analogue), we can begin by expunging "B" in one place on the plan and "Temple A" in the other. In case Temple A is really no temple and "Temple B" has been so called while ago, and in ple, I shall have to take the chief blame for its having led so long, especially as I began to doubt a good while ago, and in the end shall doubtless be acknowledging (failing the analogue) that "A" as a temple at all. Save our pride if you can by finding a good defence. I ought never to have thought of it.

Sincerely, B.H.

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