athens, sacred way in the kerameikos

Archive ID: 421052

Description: kerameikos was named after the community of the potters (kerameis) who occupied the whole area along the banks of river eridanos. the walls of athens, which were constructed in the 5th century b.c. by themistocles, divided the area into two sections, the "inner" and "outer" kerameikos. the wall had two gates, dipylon and the sacred gate, placed at the outset of the two most important processional roads of athens, the panathenaic way which led to the acropolis, and the sacred way which led to eleusis. outside the city walls, along the sides of both roads lay the official cemetery of the city, which was continuously used from the 9th century b.c. until the late roman period. the sacred way, used during the celebration of the eleusinian mysteries, is flanked by grave monuments from iv century b.c. forward. on the right the copy of the grave relief of dexileos, 394 b.c., in background, on the left side, the merble bull in the grave precint of dionysios of kollytos, before 338 b.c.

Added on: March 25, 2007

Tags: athens atene atene greece grecia kerameikos ceramico grave tomb funerary cemetery classic hellenistic burial ground protohellenistic eleusis funeral monument

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