OLD GREEK LIBRARY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22566, 9 May 1935, Page 11

OLD GREEK LIBRARY

INTERESTING DISCOVERIES Oblivious of the Greek revolution, archaeologists at the Agora market place of ancient Athens are carrying on this season's excavations without interruption, according to an announcement by Professor Edward Capps, of Prince ton University, and chairman of the American School of Classical Studies at Athens, which is sponsoring the investigations (states the Christian Science Monitor). Objects dating back 2500 years are among the finds made since this year's digging was started on January 28. The oldest were four funeral urns, in one of which were found 10 small vases of varying patterns. Fragments of sculpture and inscriptions also were uncovered, among them being the boundary rtones of the Anakeion, sanctuary of Castor and Pollux, and of the House of the Priestess to Athena Polias.

One inscription, of particular interest to librarians, was found not far from the position of the dedicatory inscription of the library of the Emperor Trajan. Translated, it reads: "No book shall be taken out of the library. It will be open from the first hour until the sixth."

Found just above one of the burial jars were pieces of a fine proto-Attic vase. The front was occupied by two sphinxes. The head of one of well preserved, was described as a masterpiece of this type of pottery of the early seventh century. Two ostraka, or ballot stones, used in voting on the banishment of men froi.i the city, also were found. One of them bore the name of Hippodrates, son of Anaxalias, of whom several had previously been found, but the other gives a new name—that of Kallias, son of Didymios, a famous athlete, who won the pankration at the Olympic Games of 472 b.o.

Kallias was likewise honoured by the erection of a monument to him at Olympia, and numerous other victories of his are recorded. Little has been learned of his political activity, and- it is conjectured that the votes were cast against him by jealous athletic rivals. Excavation of the Agora, in the heart of the residential section of modern Athens, was begun in 1931 and is under the direction of a committee of eight, headed by Professor Capps, who was Minister to Greece under President Wilson. Professor T. Leslie Shear, of Princeton University, well known for his excavations at Corinth, is in charge of the actual digging and the interpretation of discoveries. Approximately two and a-half acres will have been excavated when digging for the year ends in June, necessitating the demolition of 32 modem dwellings.