Page - 62 - in The Power of Urban Water - Studies in premodern urbanism

62 NicolaChiarenza After taking in the view of the baywith the harbour to the east, the visitor entered the upper terrace andadmired the sacredbuildings. During thisbuildingphase, thesouthentranceof thesanctuarywaspartially changed, too. The so-called south building – a stepped structure whichwas likely used as a theatre –was built to thewestof theentrance,against thesouthwallof the temenos.61 Itallowedworshippers to attend sacrifices and other ritual performances (e.g. processions and sacred dances). The southbuilding to the left and theArchaicoikoi to the right framed thisentryway.Thevisitorgot only a partial glimpse of the sanctuary from the entrance and only at the end of the entryway was there a complete viewof TempleCand its altar. Two other constructions can probably be dated between the end of the 6th and the first decadesof the 5th centuryBC: the two-roomedbuilding to thenorthof thehall62 and–slightly later– theporticoattachedto the latter.63Wehaveno informationabout the two-roomedbuild- ing and can only speculate that it was somehow involved in the religious activity within the sanctuary. Theportico attached to the two-wingedhallmight havebeenbuilt as a consequenceof an increase in thenumberofpeople takingpart insacrificesandfeasts. Itprovidedacoveredspace to theworshippers attending the ritual activities or visiting the sanctuary. The two new constructions (the two-roomed building and the portico) affected both the perception of the (social) space and the ritual practices performed in it. The new building to the north of the hall enclosed definitively the space to the east of Altar C and interrupted the last possible visual connectionbetween this sector of the temenos and the easternhillwith its temples. The building therefore contributed to defining the social space of ritual practices and probably reinforced the sense of community and togetherness perceived by the worshippers takingpart in sacrifices and feasts. The building activities of this phase also consistently affected the ritual practices in the sanctuary. The sequence of tapered door, lower terrace, and long stairmade it impossible for processionswith animals to enter the temenos from this side.64 Ritual practices to the east of AltarCprobably changed too,because theporticocovered thestructurewith squaredopenings next to the south entranceof the two-wingedhall.65 Another important change occurred in the sanctuary (possibly in the east sector) during thisphase. Itwas theconstructionor reconstructionofamonumentalaltarconsecratedtoApol- lo Paian andAthena, as an inscription dated to the second quarter of the 5th century BC indi- cates.66 Even if we donot know the reasons for the changes that occurred during the first de- cades of the 5th century BC, it is interesting to consider somemore or less contemporaneous events and iconographies related to rivers andwater at Selinous. 61 ClementeMarconidates this structure to theendof the6thcenturyBC(Marconi2018, 181 fig. 7).ClemensVoigts argues for a slightly later date (Voigts 2017, 48–57 fig. 35). 62 I consider the two-roomedbuilding to be later than the hall for two reasons: the confined space between the hall and the two-roomedbuilding seems to indicate that the latterwas built later; the south-east side of the two- roomedbuildingcovers thenorth cornerof thehall’s foundation (seeMerten2003,Beil. 4;Helas 2011, Faltbeil. 2). 63 On the features indicating that theporticowasattached later to thehall, seen.38. 64 Processions had to enter by theWest and South entrances. The theatrical structure (South building) next to theSouth entrancemight be related to this phenomenon (see above). 65 Seen.40. 66 The inscription contains adedication toApollo Paian andAthena. The inscribedblockwas retrievedbetween TemplesCandDandbelongedtoamonumentalaltar,but itsoriginal location isunknown(Marconi 1999;Marconi