4. 1.Old Parliament – Political sphere
The Old Parliament Building is located
on Stadiou Street, in the square where
the statue of Theodoros Kolokotronis,
Commander-in-Chief of the Revolution
of 1821, is also situated. The building is
an architectural jewel in the centre of
Athens and one of the most historic
buildings of the city.
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5. 1.Old Parliament – Political sphere
This neo-classical building was the first
permanent residence of the Greek
Parliament. Queen Amalia laid its
foundation stone in 1858, and it was
built according to the plans of Francois
Boulanger, which were later modified by
the Greek architect Panayotis Kalkos.
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6. 1.Old Parliament – Political
sphere
Trademark of the building are the two
ionic porticos in front of the two
entrances (north and south) and the
pediments, both of them architectural
elements that derive from ancient
Greece.
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7. 1.Old Parliament – Political sphere
The Greek Parliament sat in the Old
Parliament Building from 1875 to 1932.
After the transfer of the Parliament to the
Old Palace (today's Parliament Building),
it was assigned by prime minister
Eleftherios Venizelos to permanently
house the National Historical Museum,
an institution linked with the historical
identity of the building.
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8. 1.Old Parliament – Political
sphere
The Congress Hall of the Old
Parliament Building brings to the
minds of its visitors many historic
occasions in Greek history. It is from
this rostrum that Harilaos Trikoupis
said the famous phrase "Unfortunately
we have gone bankrupt" in 1893.
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9. 1.Old Parliament – Political sphere
Here also Eleftherios Venizelos
announced with great enthusiasm the
signing of the Treaty of Serves in 1920,
and here was proclaimed the First
Hellenic Parliamentary Democracy in
1924.
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11. 2.Ancient Agora – Economic
Sphere
The Ancient Agora of Athens is the
best-known example of an ancient
Greek agora, located near the
Acropolis. The Agora was the heart
of ancient Athens, the focus of
political, commercial, administrative
and social activity, the religious and
cultural centre, and the seat of
justice.
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12. 2.Ancient Agora – Economic Sphere
The Agora's initial use was commercial, a market place.
Soon it became synonymous with democracy because it
was one of the main places in which the Athenians
implemented their rights as citizens (500 member Boule,
courts, public offices), alongside the Pnyx hill and the
Theater of Dionysus. Ruins of many buildings of the
Athenian democracy and economy can still be seen in the
area.
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13. 2.Ancient Agora – Economic Sphere
One of them has been restored: The
marvelous Stoa of Attalos, a massive 2
story market place of ancient Athens,
donated by the Greek king Attalos.
Today it hosts a museum. Extensive
building activity occured after the
serious damage made by the
Persians in 480 B.C., by the Romans in 89
B.C. and by the Herulae in A.D. 267.
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14. 2.Ancient Agora – Economic Sphere
The Ancient Agora of Athens is traversed by one of the
most important ancient roads, the Panathenaic Way, which
served as the processional way for the great parade of the
Panathenaic festival, which was held to honour the city
patron goddess Athena.
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15. 2.Ancient Agora – Economic Sphere
The most important public buildings and temples were:
a. The Tholos (470 BC): a circular building, served as the
headquarters of the fifty prytaneis (officials) of the Boule
(senate of 500).
b. The Altar of the Twelve Gods: the milestone from which
distances to outside places were measured.
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16. 2.Ancient Agora – Economic
Sphere
c. The New Bouleuterion (5th. C. BC): the
meeting place of the Boule, the law-
making body that drafted law bills for
subsequent discussion and approval in
the Assembly (Ecclesia).
d. The Metroon (2nd cent. BC): served as
both a sanctuary of the Mother of the
Gods and the archive building of the city.
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17. 2.Ancient Agora – Economic
Sphere
e. The Monument of the Eponymous
Heroes (350 BC): was a long base for the
ten bronze statues representing the
eponymous heroes of the ten tribes of
Athens.
f. The Middle Stoa and the South Stoa I
and II: served as commercial centers.
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18. 2.Ancient Agora – Economic
Sphere
g. Stoa of Attalos (159-138 BC): restored
today as the Museum of the Agora, it was
the major shopping mall in ancient
Athens.
h. Odeon of Agrippa (15 BC): a large
concert hall adorned with a facade using
pillars carved in the form of giants and
tritons.
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21. 3.Temple of Hephaestus and Athena – Religious
sphere
On top of Agoraios Kolonos hill stands the temple of
Hephaestus. It is one of the best preserved ancient temples.
Two deities were jointly worshipped in the temple: god
Hephaestus, protector of all metallurgists, and goddess
Athena Ergani, protecting all potters and the cottage
industries. The temple was probably erected between 449
and 444 BC.
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22. 3.Temple of Hephaestus
and Athena – Religious
sphere
The temple disposed of a
pronaos (anteroom) and an
opisthodomos (back section).
On the exterior it was
surrounded by a Doric
colonnade having 6 columns on
the narrow sides and 13 columns
on the longer sides.
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23. 3.Temple of Hephaestus and
Athena – Religious sphere
The entire building was made of
marble produced in the quarries
of Pendeli mountain (in Attica),
while the architectural
sculptures that adorned the
temple were of marble produced
in the quarries on the island of
Paros.
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24. 3.Temple of Hephaestus and
Athena – Religious sphere
On the interior of the cella was a two-
part colonnade forming the letter Π and
at the far end was a pedestal, that
supported the bronze ceremonial
statues of Hephaestus and Athena,
created by the sculptor Alkamenis.
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25. 3.Temple of Hephaestus
and Athena – Religious
sphere
The lavish sculptural
decoration of the temple
featured highly interesting
metopes that depict the feats
of Hercules and the feats of
Theseus, the major Athenian
hero.
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26. 3.Temple of Hephaestus and
Athena – Religious sphere
The frieze features the victorious
struggle of Theseus against the
claimers of the throne, and the fight of
the Centaurs. Notable sculptural
representations also adorned the
pediments. The west pediment
depicted the fight of the Centaurs and
the east pediment the reception of
Hercules on mount Olympus.
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29. 4. Lysicrates Choragic monument – Artistic sphere
It is a Choragic monument erected
on the west side of the Street of
the Tripods, by Lysikrates, in
335/34 B.C., according to an
inscription preserved on the architrave.
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30. 4. Lysicrates Choragic monument
– Artistic sphere
The circular building rests on a square
podium of poros stone (2,93 m. long on
each side), and consists of six
Corinthian columns of Pentelic marble
alternating with panels of Hymettian
marble. The columns are among the
earliest examples of the use of the
Corinthian order in Athens.
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31. 4. Lysicrates Choragic
monument – Artistic sphere
It was created by a sponsor
(“chorigos” in Greek) as a
celebration for a victory in a contest
of theatrical plays (tragedies) that
were common in ancient Athens.
Many such monuments would stand
nearby during ancient times, across
the road called the Street of the
Tripods bearing “tripods” name.
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32. 4. Lysicrates Choragic
monument – Artistic sphere
Tripods were the prizes awarded to
the sponsor whose “chorus” won
the contest in festivals, such as the
“city’s Dionysia” festival. A bronze
tripod, now missing, was placed on
top of this monument.
The monument, known also as the
"Lantern of Diogenes", was
incorporated in a Capuchin
monastery in 1669.
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34. 5.Theater of Dionysus – Intangible Heritage sphere
The Theatre of Dionysus Eleuthereus was the major theatre
in Ancient Athens, considered to be the world’s first
theatre, build in the 5th century BC at the southern slope of
the Acropolis.
Dedicated to Dionysus, god protector of theatre, the
semicircular cavea could seat 17.000 people making it an
ideal location for Athens’ biggest theatrical festivals of god
Dionysus, called “city’s Dionysia”.
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35. 5.Theater of Dionysus – Intangible Heritage sphere
It was then where Sophocles, Euripides and Aeschylus
presented their tragedies and Aristophanes and Menander
their comedies.
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36. 5.Theater of Dionysus – Intangible Heritage sphere
Theatrical plays was one of the most important aspects of
the Athenian Democracy and watching them was a major
democratic right for the people, both men and women.
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37. 5.Theater of Dionysus –
Intangible Heritage sphere
Initially the theatre had portable
seats out of wood, but gradually
it was made of marble as the
city was getting richer. It was
separated horizontally by the
“diazoma” into two parts, the
upper and the lower.
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38. 5.Theater of Dionysus – Intangible Heritage sphere
The cavea was separated vertically into “kerkides”, the
triangle-shaped parts between the stairs. The scene was
originally made of wood and later on of marble. The
orchestra had a marble covering at the end of the classical
era.
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39. 5.Theater of Dionysus – Intangible Heritage sphere
Sometimes the theatre was used as a place for the
gathering of the Public Assembly (“Ecclesia tou Demou”)
instead of the Agora or the Pnyx hill due to its massive size.
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40. What has made the greatest impression on you
about this itinerary in Athens?
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