Palace of the Giants
Dates
Early 5th century CE to ca. 530 CE
Garden Description
A large complex of the early 5th century A.D. in the southern part of the Agora on the site of the earlier Odeon of Agrippa generally has been interpreted as a late Roman gymnasion ("Gymnasion of the Giants") (Fig. 1). Homer Thompson, however, proposed that the building might have been an official residence maintained by the Imperial court with suitable temporary accommodations for high-ranking government officials. He suggested that the great northern courtyard may have met ceremonial needs as a reception area, while the other parts of the building served as quarters for guests, including bedrooms and baths. The northern courtyard (29 x 38 m.) was adorned with a row of statues stretching the length of the court. These included a figure of Epicurus, the great Classical philosopher who had a school and garden in the suburb of Academy in the 4th century B.C. Plantings in this setting would not be out of place thematically, but without any evidence for them, this must remain speculation.
It is possible that a garden might have been present in one of the inner courtyards of the building, especially since the complex was directly supplied by sufficient water from a late Roman aqueduct. The smallest of the courtyards (7 x 7 m.), the southeast court, was paved with terracotta tiles and cannot, therefore, have been planted, but the central courtyard seems not to have been paved (G on plan). The building stood on a plot of land of irregular shape that was enclosed within a boundary wall. This has been reconstructed as an informal garden area (G on plan), although no traces of plantings have survived. The complex was abandoned by ca. 530 A.D.
Plans
Bibliography
- H. A. Thompson and R. E. Wycherley, The Agora of Athens. The History, Shape and Uses of an ancient City Center. The Athenian Agora XIV. Princeton, 1972, pp. 211-213. (worldcat).
- J. McK. Camp, The Athenian Agora: Excavations in the heart of Classical Athens. London, 1986, p. 200, figs. 166-167. (worldcat).
- H. Thompson in A. Frantz, Late Antiquity: A.D. 267-700. The Athenian Agora XXIV. Princeton, 1988, pp. 95-116, pls. 54-55. (worldcat).