Reconstruction of the Banquet Building of Ptolemy II

Abstract

The ephemeral banquet building erected by Ptolemy II and described in Athen. Deipn. 5, 196a – 197a has been under discussion among scholars for a considerable period of time. The present article seeks to revise previous reconstructions on the basis of a precise analysis of the literary description of the building. Accordingly, an alternative solution is proposed and the architectural and socio-historical significance of the building is discussed.