I knew that I wanted to build a nymphaion, a public fountain house, for my Antiochene suburb but I didn't know exactly how I was going to represent it. Then I found a great little article by
Rick Bonnie and Julian Richard (2012) discussing two first century BC/AD nymphaiai from Magdala on the Sea of Galilee (Israel), birth place of Mary Magdalene, and Sagalassos in Pisidia (Turkey). The pictures below have been lifted from their article without permission; I hold no copyright over them.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9yplrp2lycUPHxKuZK0BOqkv1O_Tmgn25JZVbkImvpelOoDZ11eIUUBJY454Ztot5hr6Yy_eVwKDA9NCpfBimjdS6t24_8KVxsJ3xx5QbJjazLgUlFuaahR72ZJx0YWd7GBR36iEGhNwm/s1600/mag1.jpg) |
Remains of the nymphaion at Magdala |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVJVb6e1xVWqsU5d3hZaUlxwroOdAE2Jb0FYHmIxPYG93JSK51pBuQFBu3a78Osg3dwGHuzkEX_3tCiFOD6EGwaP7foLId8RHGvJp-J3KQOkJnT9WCbjWQ_YwOu-LNqlEe4vgMnRIwdeEa/s1600/mag2.jpg) |
Plan of the nympaion at Magdala |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisc4ewa65MTBqrlTiZJKm5IyLJNnDTF7kTQFNc48JcKvKlimK3NVqrn3twT7cZbqdsqB4-9wdeaf-quEAYsVX99ZMb5SAVLovfeXQQ5YDZA-dQ1GceV4F8op1dWUxfggC7g9GPRXbMhhDz/s1600/sag2.jpg) |
Reconstructed remains of the nymphaion at Sagalassos |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPhHn7-LrUPoYzX-HN-55XyG7UA7TDI1yGWDUMr0OAi3ydZU6LDtO2dA-jN5w5bAxOoOyoLec5TMrfs2AyaDiGCUW4els8xJqV0DdzfRQLvQXa3vR7_j4A4JXarUiWaH-3_YYpFqIA9bp1/s1600/sag1.jpg) |
Plan of the nymphaion at Sagalassos |
Both nymphaiai were built to resemble a pi-shaped stoa, the standard civic space/shopping mall of the ancient Greek world. Seeing the style of them, the date, the geographic spread (the the south and to the northwest of Antioch respectively), I figured that they might just be the template I was looking for. Conveniently, they both also fit within a 10x10 metre footprint which converts perfectly into my programme of 10x10cm buildings.
Sitting down with a pen, ruler, hobby knife, a bucket of glue and assorted balsa wood pieces this weekend, I managed to make my own miniature hommage of a fountain house - slightly closer to the Magdala example than Sagalassos and slightly larger than both. Still, not a bad effort for my first public building. The nymph statue is a Xyston Seleukid priestess from the Seleukos I personality pack.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeBh-a3pclIkm7RpMLysvgi6WeEO2m_O7N9gnIutE3bbEInnMW7fPsAVYbn5mYL5qOyw6H5TbfLXwwUM9weLIpCaprxk-1p7rxe4J0eP5q5ddTRSCErBRYLxl1ZPftvQDYu877JRfqlCw1/s640/DSCN5910.JPG) |
The nymphaion within its urban setting (... on the shelf) |
Excellent!!!
ReplyDeleteMoving forward really well with your fascinating project.The nymphaion is a great addition to the townscape.
ReplyDeleteIt looks very sutible within your growing town. Thumbs up!
ReplyDelete