VERGINA Anc. Aigai - 2008

Vergina. Palace of Philip II. A. Kottaridou (ΙΖ' ΕΠΚΑ) presents a new reconstruction of the palace of Philip II made after an extensive programme of restudy, excavation and site conservation undertaken since April 2007. A 2-storeyed building is reconstructed (13.6m h.), facing E, with two 10-column stoas along the façade (Doric on the lower level and Ionic on the upper), flanking a large central propylon. It covers an area of ca. 7,000m², with the interior courtyard alone covering ca. 2,000m² (and with 60 columns around the sides). There are indications that one of the stoas along the E façade may have served as a pinakotheke. Andrones around the court included 3 large rooms (of ca. 250m²) capable of accommodating some 30 couches each, plus several smaller rooms: the court and the rooms around it were all furnished with mosaic pavements of pebbles or marble tesserae in coloured plaster, with designs varying from the simple geometric to the complex figurative (for example, the Rape of Europa). The bottom 1.6m of the structure was built of limestone quarried from Vermio, ca.15km away, with the superstructure in brick and covered in plaster made from a mixture of Theran earth (used here for the first time), lime and grit, with a variety of colours including blue, red and ochre. The marble threshold blocks of the entrance were preserved in situ; stone members collapsed from above, which imitate window shutters and Ionic columns, permit a full reconstruction of the façade, including the 1st floor which must have held the women’s and sleeping quarters. The roof was tiled in the Corinthian system. A separate block held the kitchens and related facilities. Construction began in 350 BC and is believed to have taken 10−12 years, forming part of a wider building programme under Philip II which also included, for example, the theatre. Dr Kottaridou develops a case for the identification of Pytheos as the architect of the building, noting comparisons with the Mausoleum at Halikarnassos and the Temple of Athena at Priene: the impact of Pythagorean mathematics on the design of the building is emphasized.