Megalopolis: 'A quarrel is a capital thing'

The interpretation of the theatre at Megalopolis caused a major disagreement between the British excavators and Wilhelm Dörpfeld. Eugénie Sellers wrote a letter in support of Dörpfeld (and critical of Ernest Gardner, the Director of the BSA) to the Athenaeum ('The Theatres of Megalopolis', July 4, 1891). In addition, a short note from her, dated March 29 [1891], was published by the Classical Review (5, 5, May 1891) along with a summary of Dörpfeld's comments summarised by Louis Dyer.

Sellers' letter, and the wider dispute, was noted in the weekly theatrical newspaper The Era ('Theatrical Gossip', July 11, 1891).

A quarrel is a capital thing in a family, but, like all other good things, it should come to an end some time or other. There was a theatre built several hundred years B.C., of which a good deal still remains to be quarrelled over; but we must say that we think it would show better taste if people just dropped the subject now. The theatre (or its ruins) is at Megalopolis; but it is quite a long time since there were any performances there—a thousand years, very likely. Probably the Megalopolitan Lord Chamberlain would insist on its being relicensed if they wanted to play the Agamemnon or the Seven Against Thebes there now; and, anyhow, we think Mr Gardner and Dr. Dörpfeld might leave off squabbling about it in the highly respectable page of the Athenaeum. No doubt the point they are fighting over is one of supreme importance. Dr. Dörpfeld says that the lower steps could not possibly, any more than the wall at the back, belong to the original structure, and Mr Gardner says contrariwise. But, after a thousand years or so, even a subject like this palls, unless, indeed, it is treated by Mr Rider Haggard; and Mr Gardner's obstinacy has actually brought a pretty girl into the controversy. Miss (or Mrs) Eugénie Sellers—we do not know her, but she must be pretty with that name—has only last week written a letter to say that Mr G. is a bold, bad man and has no right to chaff Dr. D. about the scænæ frons when he makes such gross errors himself about the logeion. Eugénie even goes so far as to say some very cross things about certain Skenengebäude mentioned by Mr G.

Image
© David Gill

BSA and Wales

There are surprisingly no students admitted to the BSA from universities in Wales in the period up to the First World War. Yet there was a growing interest in classical archaeology in the constituent colleges. George Chatterton Richards (1867-1951) was a BSA student (1889-1891), and worked with Ernest Gardner at Megalopolis. Richards was appointed professor of Greek at the University College of South Wales and Monmouthshire (1891-98). During this period he was not only ordained, but also served as Assistant Director of the British School under David Hogarth (1897).

Richards was succeeded by Ronald Montagu Burrows (1867-1920) who held the post until 1908 when he moved to Manchester. Cardiff had a succession of Greek archaeologists including Percy Neville Ure (1879-1950) who was lecturer in Greek from 1903 until moving to Leeds. Though neither Burrows nor Ure were officially admitted as students, they excavated at Rhitsona in Boeotia (though it was not an official BSA dig). It was a Cardiff student, G.E. Holding, who may hold the honour of being the first woman to work on a British field-project in Greece, Rhitsona.

Henry J.W. Tillyard held the chair of Greek at University College, Cardiff (1926-46). He had previously held the chair of Latin, University College, Johannesburg (1919-21), and the chair of Russian at Birmingham (1921-26).

The only other university in Wales that employed former BSA students as lecturers was Bangor. It had become part of the University of Wales in 1893; previously it had been the University College of North Wales awarding London degrees (1884-93). William John Woodhouse (1866-1937), who had been working in Aitolia, joined the department as assistant lecturer in 1896; he left in 1899 to become lecturer in Ancient History and Political Philosophy at St Andrews. Edward S. Forster (1879-1950), who had worked at Praesos on Crete and as part of the survey of Laconia, joined the department as assistant lecturer (1904-05). He left for to be lecturer (and later professor) of Greek at Sheffield.

(Sir) Henry Stuart-Jones (1867-1939) served as Principal for the University College of Wales at Aberystwyth (1927-34) but resigned on the grounds of ill health.

Publishing the results of BSA projects

Articles on BSA projects were initially published in The Journal of Hellenic Studies and then in The Annual of the British School at Athens (from vol. 1 for the session 1894/95). Reports on major projects (Megalopolis, Phylakopi and Sparta) then appeared as Supplementary Papers for the Society for the Promotion of Hellenic Studies:

• Gardner, E. A., W. Loring, G. C. Richards, W. J. Woodhouse, and R. W. Schultz. 1892. Excavations at Megalopolis, 1890-1891. Society for the Promotion of Hellenic Studies. Supplementary Paper, vol. 1. London: Macmillan.
• Atkinson, T. D., R. C. Bosanquet, C. C. Edgar, A. J. Evans, D. G. Hogarth, D. Mackenzie, C. Harcourt-Smith, and F. B. Welch. 1904. Excavations at Phylakopi in Melos. Society for the Promotion of Hellenic Studies, Supplementary Paper, vol. 4. London: Macmillan.
  
• Dawkins, R. M. 1929. The sanctuary of Artemis Orthia at Sparta. Society for the Promotion of Hellenic Studies, Supplementary Paper, vol. 5. London: Macmillan. [digital]
  

These Supplementary Papers also published the results of the Asia Minor Exploration Fund:

• Headlam, A. C. 1892. Ecclesiastical sites in Isauria (Cilicia Trachea). Society for the Promotion of Hellenic Studies. Supplementary Paper, vol. 2. London: Macmillan.

The third Supplementary Paper was relevant to the work in Athens:

• Middleton, J. H. (ed. E.A. Gardner) 1900. Plans and drawings of Athenian buildings. Society for the Promotion of Hellenic Studies. Supplementary Paper, vol. 3. London: Macmillan.

Results from excavations at Palaikastro were published after the First World War as a supplement to the Annual:

• Bosanquet, R. C., and R. M. Dawkins. 1923. The unpublished objects from Palaikastro excavations, 1902-1906. British School at Athens supplementary papers, vol. 1. London: British School at Athens.

Excavations: Ernest A. Gardner (1887-95)

Archaeological fieldwork was initiated during the directorship of Ernest Gardner who had gained experience in Egypt with Flinders Petrie at Naukratis. The first major project (from 1887) was on the island of Cyprus, supported by the Society for the Promotion of Hellenic Studies (Cyprus Exploration Fund).

The first excavation on mainland Greece was at Megalopolis. This proved to be controversial over the interpretation of the theatre.

Smaller projects were then attempted, first at Aegosthena in 1893, directed by E.F. Benson. The following year A.G. Bather and V.W. Yorke explored two sites, Abae and Hyampolis, in Phocis.

The financial position did not allow further field projects in the session 1894/95. However, a preliminary excavation at Alexandria was made in April 1895 by David G. Hogarth with assistance from two BSA students, E.F. Benson and Edwyn Robert Bevan.

A regional survey of Aetolia was conducted in 1892 and 1893 by W.J. Woodhouse (who had gained experience at Megalopolis).

Such work was in marked contrast to the other Schools in Greece: for example, the French at Delphi and on Delos, the Americans at the Argive Heraion, and the Germans in Athens itself.

Megalopolis

The excavations started in 1890/91 and continued for three seasons. The work prompted a major debate about the nature of the Greek theatre.

The excavation team consisted of:

• Ernest A. Gardner (director)
• William Loring
• J.G. Milne
• A.G. Bather
• G.C. Richards
• E.F. Benson
  

The project architect was Robert Weir Schultz.

Select bibliography
Benson, E. F. 1892. "The Thersilion at Megalopolis." Journal of Hellenic Studies 13: 319-27.
Dörpfeld, W., E. A. Gardner, and W. Loring. 1891. "The theatre at Megalopolis." Classical Review 5: 284-85.
Gardner, E. A. 1894. "Notes on Megalopolis." Journal of Hellenic Studies 14: 242-43.
Gardner, E. A., W. Loring, G. C. Richards, and W. J. Woodhouse. 1890. "The theatre at Megalopolis." Journal of Hellenic Studies 11: 294-98.
Gardner, E. A., W. Loring, G. C. Richards, W. J. Woodhouse, and R. W. Schultz. 1892. Excavations at Megalopolis, 1890-1891. Society for the Promotion of Hellenic Studies. Supplementary papers; no. 1. London: Society for the Promotion of Hellenic Studies.
Loring, W. 1890. "A new portion of the edict of Diocletian from Megalopolis." Journal of Hellenic Studies 11: 299-342.
—. 1892. "The theatre at Megalopolis." Journal of Hellenic Studies 13: 356-58.

Architects and the BSA

Architectural students form a significant group at the BSA. This is a preliminary list.

The first arrangements for an architect to be admitted the BSA were made in November 1887. This was the result of an initiative from the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) ‘to assist upon architectural work in excavations’.

The first architectural student was Ravenscroft Elsey Smith (1859-1930), son of Thomas Roger Smith (1830-1903), an architect and professor of architecture at University College London (UCL) from 1880. Smith had studied at the Slade School, UCL (1877-78). In Greece he was attached to the work of the Cyprus Exploration Fund (CEF) assisting with the work at Paphos (1887/88). Smith subsequently went into partnership with his father, before holding the chairs of architecture at King's College, London (1900-13) and UCL (1913-20).

Smith overlapped with two architects working on Byzantine monuments: Robert Weir Schultz (Schultz Weir) (1860-1951) and Sidney Howard Barnsley (1865-1926). Schultz was a gold medallist and travelling student of the Royal Academy of Arts. Barnsley was a student of the Royal Academy. They started their association in the London office of Richard Norman Shaw. Apart from working on the architecture of the Erechtheion, they made a major study of Ayios Loukas in Phocis. They were engaged to work on Byzantine architecture in Salonica and at Mount Athos under the patronage of Dr Edwin Freshfield. Schultz later assisted with the work at Megalopolis.

The BSA recognised the importance of the contributions made by architects and created an architectural studentship. The first holder was Charles Richmond Rowland Clark (b. 1869) (an 'architectural artist') in 1896/97, though he had been in a Greece the preceding year on a studentship from Royal Academy.

Pieter Rodeck (b. 1875) was admitted as a gold medallist and travelling student of the Royal Academy (1896/97). He assisted with the work at the gymnasium at Kynosarges.

Edward Barclay Hoare (1872-1943), the son of Robert Gurney Hoare, a banker, studied at Magdalen College, Oxford (1890-94) and was an architectural student (1897-98). (His brother Charles was a stockbroker.) His architectural work included ecclesiastical projects.

Arthur Edward Henderson (1870-1956) was Owen Jones student of the Royal Institute of British Architects (1897/98) and was admitted to the BSA in 1897/98. He was re-admitted in 1898/99, 1901/02, and 1902/03. He lived in Constantinople until 1904. He assisted Bosanquet with the project at Kyzikos, and Hogarth with his excavations at Ephesus.

Thomas Dinham Atkinson (1864-1948) studied at University College London and had been articled to the architect Sir Arthur Blomfield. After working as an architect in Cambridge, Atkinson was admitted as an architectural student (1898/99). During the year he assisted with the excavations at Phylakopi on Melos. He was later surveyor to the Dean and Chapter of Winchester Cathedral (from 1918) and to the Warden and Fellows of Winchester College (1919-46).

David Theodore Fyfe (1875-1945) trained at the Glasgow School of Art (1885-87, 1890-97). He was admitted as the architectural student at the BSA (1899/1900). He then served as architect to the Cretan Exploration Fund until c. 1905. He returned to work in London, and was then director of the School of Architecture at Cambridge University.

Robert Douglas Wells (1875-1963) studied at Trinity College, Cambridge (1893-96) and was admitted to the BSA on an architectural studentship (1900/01). He worked with Bosanquet at Praesos in eastern Crete (1901).

Charles Heaton Fitzwilliam Comyn (1877-1933) was admitted to the architectural studentship in 1901/02 (and re-admitted 1903/04). As well as working on studies of Byzantine architecture, he excavated in eastern Crete with John H. Marshall (his contemporary at Dulwich College), and with Bosanquet at Palaikastro. He was re-admitted in the spring of 1904 to work on the new Penrose Library and the extension to the hostel.

Edwin Francis Reynolds (1875-1949) was admitted to the BSA in 1902/03 after serving as an architect's assistant in London. He prepared a series of architectural drawings in Greece, Constantinople and Bursa.

James Black Fulton (1876-1922) held a Royal Academy Prize (1899) and was admitted as a Soane Student to the BSA (1902/03) as part of a study tour of Germany, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Palestine and Egypt.

Christian Charles Tyler Doll (b. 1880) was the son of Charles Fitzroy Doll, a London architect. After studies at Trinity College, Cambridge, he took a diploma in architecture at UCL (1903). He was admitted to the BSA 1904/5 and served as architect at Knossos.

Ramsay Traquair (1874-1952), son of Ramsay H. Traquair, keeper of the Natural History collections in Edinburgh, was admitted as an architectural student to the BSA in 1905/06. He was also a student of the Byzantine Fund. He worked on the survey of Laconia and on the architectural project in Constantinople. He was subsequently professor of architecture at McGill University, Montreal.

Frank George Orr (b. 1881) trained at the Glasgow School of Art (1898-1901, 1902-03), and was admitted to the British School at Rome (1904) and the BSA (1905/06).

Walter Sykes George (1881-1962) was a travelling student in architecture from the Royal College of Art, and a Soane Medallist of the Royal Institute of British Architects. He was admitted to the BSA in 1906/07, and then in 1908/09, 1909/10 (as a student of the Byzantine Research Fund), and 1912/13. He worked on architectural projects in Constantinople, and assisted with the excavations at Meroe in the Sudan.

W. Harvey was a gold medallist and travelling student of the Royal Academy and was admitted to the British School at Rome and the BSA in 1907/08.

Lionel Bailey Budden (1887-1956) trained at the Liverpool School of Architecture (1905-09), and was admitted to the British School at Rome and the BSA in 1909/10. He returned to Liverpool as associate professor (1910-33) and then Roscoe Professor of Architecture (1933-52).

Harry Herbert Jewell (1882-1974) was admitted to the British School at Rome and the BSA in 1909/10. He worked with F.W. Hasluck on Paros.

George Esslemont Gordon Leith (1886-1965) had worked in South Africa as an architect with Sir Herbert Baker on the Union Buildings before being admitted as the first Herbert Baker Student at the British School at Rome (1911). He subsequently was admitted to the BSA (1912/13).