The Monument of Lysicrates is a small but elegant marble rotunda about 12 meters high, standing on a square pedestal. It is the only fully preserved choregic monument in Athens and one of the few ancient monuments that have come down to us not as ruins. The Monument of Lysicrates is located on the quiet pedestrian street Lysikratous in the Plaka district, in a small square surrounded by a railing that allows all details to be examined from close range.
It is very easy to find: it is a three-minute walk from the "Acropoli" metro station and five minutes from the entrance to the Ancient Agora, near the Theatre of Dionysus.
What is choregia?
To understand the significance of the monument, one must turn to the institution of choregia — a special public duty of wealthy citizens in ancient Athens. As part of the Great Dionysia (a festival in honor of the god Dionysus), theatrical competitions were held. The city provided the chorus members, but all expenses for preparing the chorus — hiring a teacher, musicians, costumes, masks, and props — were borne by the choregos, that is, a wealthy citizen. If his chorus won, the choregos received a bronze tripod as a reward and had the right to erect a monument in honor of the victory. Such monuments stood along the Street of Tripods (Tripodon) next to the Theatre of Dionysus. The Monument of Lysicrates is the only one of them that has survived intact to the present day.
History of the Monument of Lysicrates
The monument was erected in 334 BC. An inscription on the architrave reads: "Lysicrates, son of Lysitheides of Kekala, was choregos. The boys` chorus from the tribe Akamantis won the victory." The chorus consisted of boys, which was considered especially honorable, and the prepared dithyramb (a hymn in honor of Dionysus) was presumably called "Echo."
After antiquity, the Monument of Lysicrates was incorporated into a Catholic Capuchin monastery, which saved it from destruction. The monks used the rotunda as part of their church. In 1669, the English traveler Sir George Wheeler left the first detailed description of the monument. In 1821, during the Greek War of Independence, the monastery was destroyed, but the monument survived. It was finally freed from later structures after excavations in 1829, and conservation work took place in 1885-1887.
Architecture of the Monument of Lysicrates
The Monument of Lysicrates is one of the best-preserved examples of the Corinthian order from its heyday. It is made of Pentelic marble — the same marble used for the Parthenon.
The main elements are: a square pedestal of grayish limestone; a circular rotunda surrounded by six Corinthian semi-columns; capitals with two rows of acanthus leaves, considered among the best in Greece; a continuous marble frieze with relief scenes; a monolithic marble roof in the form of a three-part cone.
The frieze depicts a myth about Dionysus: the transformation of Etruscan pirates into dolphins. The pirates attacked Dionysus, but the ropes with which they bound him fell apart by themselves, wine and fragrance flowed from the ship, and the pirates who threw themselves into the sea turned into dolphins. At the top of the roof once stood a bronze tripod — Lysicrates` main prize — but it has not survived.
Influence on architecture
The Monument of Lysicrates had a huge influence on European architecture of the 18th and 19th centuries. Its form and proportions were copied in many buildings around the world. The most famous example is the garden tower at the Château de Choisy-le-Roi near Paris, built for Madame de Pompadour. An exact copy of the monument is also located at the University of Sydney in Australia.
Practical tips for travelers
The Monument of Lysicrates is located on an open street, accessible 24 hours a day and free of charge. The nearest metro station is "Acropoli." The best time for viewing is morning or late afternoon, when the sun illuminates the reliefs of the frieze well. The monument is effectively lit up in the evening. Nearby are the Theatre of Dionysus, the Acropolis, the Acropolis Museum, the Ancient Agora, and the picturesque streets of Plaka.
The Monument of Lysicrates is the only fully preserved choregic monument of ancient Athens, a unique testament to how, in the classical polis, wealth served art. Its elegant Corinthian columns, lively relief frieze with pirates-turned-dolphins, and dramatic story of survival from destruction make it one of the most interesting sights in Athens.
