Kapitelle vom Kyma recta-Typus (›tuskanische‹ Kapitelle?) im hellenistischen Pergamon und in Kleinasien

Abstract

Based on the material from Hellenistic Pergamum reviewed in this paper, we notice a number of ca. 60 capitals of a specific type which indicate ca. 30 different architectural series. The capitals’ appearances are quite close to the canonic Doric capital, except of the echinus’ profile: a – strongly or slightly bulging – cyma recta. The beginning of the series is probably indicated by the extravagant temple of Zeus on the Pergamene Upper Agora of late 3^rd century B.C.; during the 2^nd century B.C. this type of capital became very common in the city’s architecture, in particular in the Gymnasium. Only a few comparable capitals are known from Asia Minor beyond Pergamum. It is difficult to define one specific archetype of the Pergamene cyma recta capital. An Italic origin and a ›Tuscan‹ connotation which has been argued by some scholars is doubtful in my opinion. More convincingly, the capital should be interpreted as a Doric-like new creation which was maybe inspired by an earlier tradition of the cyma recta in Greek architecture. According to the chronological evidence, this Pergamene tradition may well have infl uenced (rather than the other way round) the western (Italic) group of similar capitals attested from 1^st century B.C. onwards, or the latter could have developed independently. This controversial topic is worth of detailed discussion since the Italic tradition of this capital spread – as a subtype of the ›Tuscan‹ capital – during the Roman imperial period especially in the western part of the Roman world.