Late Roman Building in Mytilene

The so-called “late Roman building” in Mytilene is located in the heart of the city and more specifically, in Patriarchou Kirillou Street, in the courtyard of the St. Athanasios Cathedral. In ancient times, the location corresponded to the southern part of the eastern bank of Euripos, a natural strait that connected the two harbours of the city. In fact, it seems that it was not far from the stone bridge found at the junction of Ermou and Mitropoleos streets, which connected the island of the ancient city of Mytilene with the opposite part of the mainland.

The site was discovered between 1973 and 1974, during the excavation work that began, but was not completed, in the context of the construction of the Byzantine Museum. The subsequent rescue excavations by the Archaeological Service lasted until 1974, while further excavations were carried out between 2010 and 2015 as part of the project: “Unification of the Archaeological Sites of Mytilene” (NSRF 2007-2013).

The archaeological excavations brought to light a part of a monumental building of late antiquity (width: 17 m. and maximum revealed length: 15.4 m.), which extended further to the southern part of the site and unfortunately remains unexplored to this day. This fact, combined with the fragmentary preservation of the building, makes it difficult to understand its use and function, which still remain unclear. It seems, however, that this luxurious and imposing building was of public use, while its architectural form is reminiscent of the basilica type. At least four building phases can be distinguished, the best preserved being the last one, which dates back to the 5th and 6th c. AD. More specifically, the part of the building that was excavated consists of two parts: a wide, raised, semi-circular niche/arch to the north side and a rectangular space of basilican plan with lateral doorways to the south. A marble stylobate, on which six, smooth, monolithic columns originally rested, surrounded the outline of the niche internally, at the ends of which two opposing, elongated, rectangular low pedestals were formed, bearing a pair of pillars or columns. Behind the marble stylobate was a wall lined with marble slabs. In its lower part, there was a decorative strip on which the masonry slabs rested. In the middle of the semi-circular space, a small low altar was found, shaped to gradually decrease towards the upper end of a small cylindrical column with a curved decoration on its trunk. The floor and the internal surfaces of the walls were covered with rectangular slabs of coloured marble, red and greenish on the walls and white on the floor, which were framed by marble panels with a variety of geometric patterns (opus sectile). Three successive mosaic floors were found under the marble panels in the southern rectangular room, which belonged to earlier phases of the building. With respect to stratigraphy, the deepest and earliest chronologically (1st – 2nd c. AD) had a decoration consisting of a grid of rhombuses, while the immediately higher one (3rd – 4th c. AD) had elaborate geometric and floral motifs. More specifically, the excavated section consists of four superimposed bands which are framed by a series of geometrically decorated square fronts in the centre, delimited by a wide rope-shaped braid. The bands, from the inner to the outer sides, are decorated with a Vitruvian wave, a vessel with vine and ivy leaves growing from it, a meander and intersecting circles with inscribed rhomboidal motifs. The outer walls of the building are 2 m. high and 4 m. thick. This, combined with the increased width of the building (17 m.) and the absence of supports between the east and west walls, makes it possible that it was roofed with a dome.

During the excavation work, it was found that the stratigraphy and the fillings at the site were disturbed. A large number of portable finds (Roman, Byzantine, shards dating back to late antiquity, jewellery made of bones, coins) were found, but also architectural remains that probably did not belong to the building, such as three parts of an architrave with floral decoration (rosaces, palmettes, soft acanthus leaves) and Ionic cymatia (egg and dart mouldings) of the 3rd c. AD, as well as a Late Classical period decree, known as the ‘Decree of Concord’ (MM47743) (SEG 36:750), which has no relation to the building. All of the above further complicate both our understanding of the function of the building and its accurate dating. It seems, however, that its initial building phase dates back to the 1st – 2nd c. AD, while its fourth and last construction phase dates back to the 5th – 6th c. AD. Today, the archaeological site is permanently open and accessible to the general public.

Location

Municipality: Mytilene

Municipal Section: Mytilene

Location: The Metropolitan Church of Agios Athanasios' (St. Athanasius') courtyard

Images

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