Dipylon (gate)

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The Dipylon , as the main gate of ancient Athens, formed the north-western entrance to the city from the Thriasian plain and was therefore originally called the Thriasian Gate.

The name Dipylon means "double or double gate" and refers to the construction of the facility with two separately adjacent access gates. In order to guarantee the defense, these gates were moved from the course of the city wall to the city side and connected to it by two wall legs. The resulting rectangular room was secured by four towers. Attackers could be shot at from the battlements and the towers before they actually reached the entrance to the city. Archaeologically, four construction phases can be verified so far. In the first phase, the Dipylon was built after the Persian Wars in 478 BC. Erected as part of the Themistokleischen wall. End of the 4th century BC Then followed in a second phase, probably under Konon , an extension and stronger fortification. In the early 3rd century BC After damage from rain and earthquakes, an extensive new building was built while the basic structure was largely retained. Shortly before the conquest by Sulla in 86 BC The land-side access was closed by a second wall with two gates, creating a now completely walled room.

Together with the Holy Gate to the west and the Pompeion , the Dipylon formed an ensemble from which the Panathenaic procession started across the Agora to the Acropolis . Immediately in front of the gate is the Kerameikos , the state cemetery of Athens. The road then led out of town to the Platonic Academy in the direction of Eleusis and the Peloponnese .

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literature

  • Gottfried Gruben , Klaus Müller: The Dipylon (=  Kerameikos . Band 22 ). Reichert, Wiesbaden 2018, ISBN 978-3-95490-306-1 (2 volumes).
  • Hans Rupprecht Goette : Athens, Attica, Megaris. Guide to the art treasures and cultural monuments in central Greece. Böhlau, Cologne et al. 1993, ISBN 3-41-203393-6 , p. 59.
  • Walther Judeich : Topography of Athens (= Handbook of Classical Studies . III. Department, Volume 2.2). CH Beck, Munich 1905, pp. 125-129 ( digitized version ).
  • Walther Judeich: Topography of Athens (= Handbook of Classical Studies. III. Department, Volume 2.2). 2nd, completely revised edition. CH Beck, Munich 1931, pp. 135 ff. 400 ff.
  • Ursula Knigge : The Kerameikos of Athens. Guided tour of excavations and history. Krene, Athen 1988, pp. 68–73, fig. 60 ff.
  • Ferdinand Noack : The walls of Athens. Excavations and investigations. In: Communications from the German Archaeological Institute, Athenian Department. Volume 32, 1907, pp. 492-500, panel X ( digital copy ).
  • Jutta Stroszeck : The Kerameikos of Athens. History, buildings and monuments in the archaeological park. Bibliopolis, Möhnesee 2014, ISBN 978-3-943741-04-9 , pp. 77-87.
  • John Travlos : Image dictionary on the topography of ancient Athens. Wasmuth, Tübingen 1971, pp. 159, 180, fig. 219, 602.

Web links

Remarks

  1. ↑ Plutarch , Pericles 30.3.
  2. ↑ For the first time in an inscription from the year 278/277 BC BC ( Inscriptiones Graecae II² 673 ) so called.