Kourion Complex Palace (Mosaics) Fales, c. 1955 (1 of 2)De C. Fales (probably)

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tank, well, pool or river. ¹⁰⁸ Water in this cistern would have been perfectly suitable. Indeed, it is hard to explain why in this part of the room, there should have been placed a cistern with steps leading up to it, unless the [handwritten: ?] cistern was functionally part of the room. Of course, when not in use as part of the ceremony, the cistern could have served to contain a reserve of water for washing the mosaics and for the baths, themselves. Area 50 may, also, have been used either simultaneously or else during different parts of the service. Area 50 was entered from room 49 by a door about opposite the steps up to cistern no. 6. The floor of this area was of heavy stones supported on beams cut out of the bedrock and and bably, the water of cistern no. 7. This arrangement parallels continuous with that bedrock. Underneath this floor, was pro- Salamis in Cyprus. ¹¹⁰ It is, also, possible that the water closely that of the cistern with the painting near collected in the retaining pool in area 16 or possibly room 12 may have so been used for in the Barberini Euchologion is a prayer the nearest analogy. ¹¹¹ The retaining pool in area 16 or room 12 would be

So far we have considered all the evidence except that of the two inscriptions—the fragmentary one before the middle entrance into room (52) and that at the south end of

Handwritten: of room (49)

ΕΙΣ Τὸ ὕδωρ τῶν ἁγίων Βαπτισμάτων, τῶν ἁγίων θεοφανείων, λεγομένη ἐν τῇ ἁγίᾳ τοῦ ἁγίου λεσκαλίου τῆς ἐκκλησίας. ¹¹²