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25 stalk shas topped by capitals of corn cobs framed by unfurled corn leaves represented American agriculture; Jefferson called them the "Cerealian" capitals (aer Ceres, Roman goddess of agriculture). Moreover, by layering the vestibule's vertical parts— stone pilasters attached to walls behind free-standing stone col- umns—and varying the shapes of vaults above, Latrobe created an apparently spatially expansive introduction to the relatively modest Capitol, a theme he repeated frequently to aggrandize it. 14 Latrobe's first Senate chamber (1806-1808) directly above the courtroom was entered in the center of its semicircle through four of the most elaborate of the Greek Ionic columns, those orig- inating on a porch of the Erectheum on the Athenian Acropo- lis. According to the Greek historian Pausanias the Erectheum housed several ancient cults. Senators, elected by state legisla- tures, represented America's widely divergent regional histories, cultures, and populations. Hallet's 1793 drawing for the first Sen- ate included paintings of stars and state seals in its vaulted ceiling to express its function as representing the states. In February 1816 Latrobe wrote about the six human figures that had supported the east gallery of his first Senate chamber. "You will observe that the Caryatides or figures formerly support- ing the Gallery next to the Wall, are brought forward and support the front of the Gallery." Generally caryatids referred to figures of Greek women acting as columns used on the Erectheum's second porch located on the Athenian Acropolis. In March 1817, how- ever, a newspaper account of the House debate on the proposed rebuilding quoted one member's ridicule of Latrobe's allegorical sculpture: 15 Mr. Speaker [Henry Clay, a former member of the Fig. 6. e Greek Doric columns that Latrobe designed for the Supreme Court were modelled on the most ancient ones known, to serve as allego- ries for the court's role. Fig. 7. Carlo Franzoni's 3-part sculpture in 1817 for the Supreme Court combined new American and traditional European emblems related to justice. ARCHITECT OF THE CAPITOL