Ancient
Theatre of Eretria
The
theatre is the most imposing monument of the ancient city of Eretria, presenting
many similarities to the theatre of Dionysos in Athens. It was built in
the 5th century B.C. and continued to be used in the 4th century B.C.,
the period when the whole city flourished. It was destroyed by the Romans
in 198 B.C., and was subsequently rebuilt, but of cheaper material.Unfortunately,
the greater part of the rows of stone benches of the cavea has been removed.
Impressive, though, are the preserved remains of the stage, and the underground
vaulted passage that leads to the centre of the orchestra.The monument
was excavated at the end of the 19th century by the American School of
Classical Studies at Athens. The 11th Ephorate of Antiquities has already
put forward its restoration. Tel. +30-229-62206
The
"Heroon" at Toumba, Lefkandi
Excavations
on the hillock called "Toumba" (meaning mound in Greek) have brought to
light a long and narrow, apsidal building dated to the first half of the
10th century B.C. It measures 47 x 10 m. and a row of holes for wooden
posts runs along the two main walls and around the apse. Inside were uncovered
two burial shafts, one containing the skeletons of four horses, the other
both the inhumation of a woman and the cremation of a warrior. They were
rich in offerings, some of which were imported. The structure has been
interpretated as a local ruler's house which, after his death, was covered
with a mound and converted to an Heroon.The monument was excavated and
partly restored in the 1980's by the British School of Archaeology at Athens.
The finds are exhibited in the Museum of Eretria. Tel. +30-221-25131
The
Mausoleum of Karystos
The
building was erected and used as the tomb of a prominent Roman official
(procurator) who is depicted in the medallion of the pediment. Perhaps
he was responsible for the supervision of the Roman quarries to the north
of Karystos. After the first investigation of the site (excavation in 1908),
the building was interpreted as a temple dedicated to a deity, possibly
Apollo, Artemis of Hephaestos.
It
is a peristyle, almost square, temple-like building, built of good quality
marble (white pentelic, and greyish karystian cipollino). It measures 13.20
x 12.30 m. and is surrounded by an Ionic colonnade of 7 x 6 columns.It
stands on a five-stepped base, partly preserved, and has a cella entered
from the south (as the whole building is), looking towards the harbour.
One oof the steps runs along the walls of the cella, and the sarcophagi
were probably placed on it. The pediment was decorated with the bust of
the deceased and a horse, in a circular medallion (imago clipeata). The
monument is dated to the Hadrianic-Antoninian period (middle of the 2nd
century A.D.).
The
Mausoleum was excavated in 1908 by G. Papavasileiou and was purchased by
the Greek State in 1962
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