The Hellenistic Acropolis (323-86 BC)

During the Hellenistic period the monuments on the Acropolis retain their function. Minimal changes are observed in the buildings, but the offerings, mainly sculptures, are increasing.

Hellenistic additions to the Acropolis

Only a few changes took place on the rock of the Acropolis during the Hellenistic period. The only new building was the wing extension added in the eastern gallery of the Stoa of Artemis Brauronia. Also, many sculptures-offerings were erected by the kings of hellenistic kingdoms.

The most important of them were the statues depicting the war between Greeks and Gauls, a gift to Athens by the king of Pergamon Attalus I. Many Roman marble copies of these statues can be found in several museums around Europe. This work (copies a bigger one erected in Pergamon) was set up south of the Parthenon next to the wall between 230-220 BC.

Other important statues were the two tethrippa (four horse chariots) set up on gigantic pillars. One of those was a dedication from the king of Pergamon, Eumenes II for his victory in the Panathinaic games (178 BC) and it was located west of the Pinakotheke of Propylaea where the big pedestal is still visible today. Another one, almost similar to the previous, was erected in north-eastern side of Parthenon covering that corner of the temple. It was dedicated either to Eumenes II or Attalus II. The same type of tethrippon, with the pillar-pedestal, was set up at the same period in front of the Stoa of Attalus in the Agora.

The Acropolis South Slope the 2nd century BC

A lot of work took place in the southern side of the Acropolis. Many new choragic monuments were built. The most important was the one of Nikias. It was built in 319 BC and had the form of a small temple. In 170 BC Eumenes II of Pergamon built the homonymous stoa. The Stoa of Eumenes offered protection to the spectators of the Dionysus Theatre from bad weather. It was a two-storey Doric building.

In the second half of the 4th century BC, Lycurgus, archon of Athens from 337 BC, completely renovated the old wooden theater, turning it into a stone one. Its total capacity increased to 16,000 spectators.

The koilon of the theatre had only one diazoma which was actually a road (the peripatos, a road that run around the Acropolis) which separated the theatre in two parts. The frontmost seats were 67 thrones made of marble for the officials whose attributes were carved on. The stage building in the classical and hellenistic period was relatively simple, compared to the later one constructed by the Roman emperor Nero.

Due to its large capacity, the theater was used for meetings of the Assembly of the Citizens, and thus, Pnyx was gradually abandoned.

Around 320 BC, at the top of the theater, on the rock of the Acropolis, the choragic monument of Thrasyllus was built. At the same time, many more similar monuments were erected on Tripods Street. The well-preserved monument of Lysicrates is one of them.


Take a tour of the hellenistic Athens