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267-1458
The Agora
After the invasion of Heruli the city was
completely destroyed. All the buildings in the Agora were burned to ground
except the Temple of Hephaestus which suffered minor damages. The city wall was
destroyed and Athens became a very small city. For this reason a new, small wall
was constructed in 280 A.D. north of the Acropolis, the postherulian wall.
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Aerial
view of the Agora in
around 500 A.D. In the middle is the huge building complex, possibly a
gymnasium. Down right is the Temple of Hephaestus converted into a church
of St. George. On the left are the remains of the Stoa of Attalos as a
part of the Postherulian Wall. |
In the Agora, the central and Southern space
was occupied by a huge building complex, probably a gymnasium or a palace that
was constructed in around 400 A.D. The Tholos was repaired and in the place of
the Metroon was built a Basilica. In the eastern part, the east wall of the
ruined Stoa of Attalos was incorporated to the new Wall. In the western part,
the Temple of Hephaestus was converted in the middle of the the 5th c. A.D. into
a church dedicated to St. George.
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The entrance of
the Gymnasium where the statues of giants and tritons stood, once a part
of the late phase of the Agrippa's Odeion. |
The complex
from the Southeast. On the top is a square building, probably a house. |
The monumental
entrance of the gymnasium with the giant sculptures. |
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The temple of
Hephaestus after its conversion into a christian church dedicated to St.
George. The ancient roof was destroyed during the invasion of 267. A new
one was constructed over the cella when the conversion took place. |
The Temple of
Hephaestus after the conversion into a church of St. George. The christian
addition is obvious between the columns. |
The western
side of the Agora. From left to right: The Tholos after the repairs, a
Basilica in the place of the metroon and the Temple of Hephaestus as a
christian church. |
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View from the
west. In the foreground is the building complex and in the background is
the Postheroulian Wall with the gate. |
The wall in the
place where once stood the Stoa of Attalos. In the place of the gate once
passed the road between the Stoa and the Library of Pantainos. |
The ruins of
the Stoa of Attalos as a part of the Postherulian Wall. |
Library of
Hadrian.
After the invsion of 267, the Library of
Hadrian suffered much damage but was repaired by the eparchus Herculius between
the years
402 and 410. In the middle of the
central court was erected a big church dedicated to St. Mary called Megali
Panagia (Great Mary) that was perhaps the first christian church of Athens. This
temple was destroyed in the 6th century and in its place was built a little
smaller basilica that was burned in the 11th century. Finally another very small
church was built over the last one in the 12th century that was the first
Cathedral of Athens.
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General view of
the Library of Hadrian with the church of Megali Panagia (Great Mary). |
View from the
Southwest. The north wall of the Library was used as a part of the
Postherulian Wall and is still preserved in a very good state. |
The Great Panagia
from the western court. |
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The church from
Northwest. |
The
court of the church. |
View
from the South. |
For other
monuments of Medieval Athens click below:
THE
ACROPOLIS
SOUTH SLOPE OF ACROPOLIS
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