The Ionic Portico of the Ploutonion in Hierapolis of Phrygia

Abstract

A large quantity of architectural materials attributable to an Ionic portico were recently discovered in the Ploutonion of Hierapolis, a sanctuary dedicated to Pluto and Kore built over a sacred cave from which poisonous gases were emitted. The blocks included a frieze-architrave with a dedicatory inscription to the emperor nero, which enables us to date the construction with certainty. The detailed study of the blocks has made it possible to formulate a hypothetical reconstruction of the layout and elevation of the monument: the portico stood at the top of the ritual theatron of the Ploutonion and had a protruding central section raised on a podium. The stoa can thus be interpreted as a sort of porticus in summa cavea, while the central aedicula can be identified as the
\nnaos of the sanctuary, where the cult statues of Pluto and Kore were originally positioned.