Makareus burial precinct

The burial area for Makareus is a preserved tomb ensemble of Kerameikos , the most important and largest ancient cemetery in Athens .

Reconstruction drawings of the burial precinct (1909)

Remains of the corner terrace, in the middle of the wall the burial area for Makareus with the rest of the Naïskos

The burial area for the actor Makareus from the demos Lakiadai is located near other burial sites for actors and poets, such as Aristion , Euthias and Hieronymos , on the so-called corner terrace south of Necropolis Street.

Rear view

The grave areas of the corner terrace were 338 BC. Chr. Destroyed. Only two grave areas in the area were then renewed, one of which was the grave area for Makareus. It was bounded by a polygonal wall. Then a naïskos was built on a base of Piraeus limestone facing the grave road . Since a large tomb was erected, it must have been erected before the decree of the tomb luxury law during the reign of Demetrius of Phaleron (between 317 and 307 BC). An inscription was placed on the marble pediment, which Makareus from the Demos names Lakiadai and Archebios as the grave owner. A grave epigram on the base, which is only poorly preserved today, tells of the talented tragedy actor Makareus, who died at a young age. There was no relief in the naïskos, so it can be assumed that the jewelry was painted on. The grave building was flanked on the side by two marble grave lekyths .

The burial district was found in 1863 during the first systematic excavations on the Kerameikos under Kyriakos Pittakis . In 1870 and 1872 Stefanos Koumanoudis continued the excavations, from 1906 to 1907 and again in 1929 Alfred Brueckner . Final digs were carried out from 1979 to 1982 by Wilfried K. Kovacsovics .

literature

• Jutta Stroszeck : The Kerameikos in Athens. History, buildings and monuments in the archaeological park. Bibliopolis, Athens 2014, ISBN 978-3-943741-04-9 , pp. 184, 186.

Web links

Commons : Makareus burial precinct  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Remarks

1. ↑ Inventory number I 302
2. ↑ Inscriptiones Graecae II² 6626
   on the pediment:
   Μακαρεὺς Λακιάδης. Ἀρχέβιος.
   on the basis of:
   εἴ σε τύχη προὔπεμψε καὶ ἡλικίας ἐπέβησεν ,
   ἐλπίδι γ 'ἦσθα μέγας τῶι τε δοκεῖμ, Μακαρεῦ ,
   ἡνίοχος τέχνης τραγικῆς Ἕλλησιν ἔσεσθαι ·
   σωφ [ρ] οσύνει δ' ἀρετῆ [ι] τε οὐκ ἀκλεὴς ἔθανες .

Coordinates: 37 ° 58 '42.4 "  N , 23 ° 43' 1.7"  E