Page:History of Art in Primitive Greece - Mycenian Art Vol 2.djvu/124

Religious Architecturi;. 95 with that of the palace. Against this view there are certain doubts that we cannot shake off as to the origin of this golden plate. We detect, it is true, peculiarities that seem to bear the sign-manual of the native artisan ; other features, again, carry the thought to the cults of Syria and her special rites. In such conditions as these, the historian has no choice but to keep on the reserve. Nowhere has he found, whether at Troy, Tiryns, Mycen^, or elsewhere, remains of structures to which, from the arrangement of the plan or other sure indications, he can confidently ascribe the character of temple or chapel. Temples Fiii. 29Z.— Temple on Mount Delia. Strictly so called, it would appear, were as yet exceedingly rare in the Homeric period ; allusions to sacred woods and altars set up beneath their mysterious shade are much more frequent in the Epos than to temples in our sense of the word. Two sanctuaries, the one on Mount Ocha in Euboea (Fig. 292), and the other at Cynthus, in the island of Delos (Fig. 293),' are generally put forth as the oldest known on Grecian soil. Their ' On the sanctuary of Mount Ocha, see Urtich's account {Annalt delP Ins/iluto) ; Wfj,ckf,r, A7«>K Sehrijtcn, and Rheinischtr Mustuni N. F., 1856; J, Girard, Memoire siir File iTEvbk. Bursian has described three diminutive temples found in the same district, near Stoura, which are reproductions of the Ocha building in small (Die Dryopische Bamoeise, (^c, in Arch. Zeiliiiig). On the sanctuary of Dclos, read LEBfccuE, Reclierches siir DHos.