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Monument
of Lysicrates
On
Lysicrates Square in Plaka, close to the Acropoli
metro station on Amalias Avenue, you will find
the choragic (choragus = the chorus leader)
monument of Lysicrates, built in 334 BC in the
form of a small circular temple. It was erected
to commemorate the greater Dionysos series of
plays and it is the last of many that used to
line the Street of Tripods now called Tripodon
Street.
The
Lysicrates Monument owes its preservation to
the French Capuchin monks who bought it in 1669
and incorporated it in their monastery.
The
monument is a pseudo-peripteral tholos, 2,80 meters (9ft) in
diameter and 6,50 meters (21,3ft) high. The cella is decorated
with what seem to be six half-columns with Corinthian capitals
standing on the round base of three steps. These are really
whole pillars, joined by slabs serving as walls for the cella,
crowned by friezes decorated with tripods in relief. It is made
of stone from Poros Island and crowned with Hymettos marble
instead of Pentelic.
It
is the earliest use of Corinthian columns known and built
in the 4th century BC. There is an inscription in ancient
Greek, still readable today, that says: " Lysicrates,
son of Lysitheides, from the dame of Kikynna, choragos".
The Akamantid tribe carried off the victory in the boy's
choirs, Theon was the flute-player, Lysiades of Athens the
choir-master, Evainetos the archon ".
Choregia
Choregia
were one of the regular liturgies in Ancient Athens which
referred to the expenses for theatre chorus undertaken
as an obligatory commission by prosperous citizens of
Athens. The choregos (theatre sponsor) was responsible
for assembling the members of a chorus, train them, pay
them a wage and costume them.
There
were 15 members in a tragedy chorus, 24 in a comedy chorus
and 50 in a dithyramb chorus. The choregos was also responsible
for a group of dancers. Each time he competed against
the other choregos for the first place. The winner was
allowed to set up a choragic tripod on his own expenses
to immortalize his name.
Open 2477, entrance free
Lysicrates Square - Plaka
Acropoli