Destination: Athens
What To See
Athens
Athens
  + Athens
  Sights
* Agía Aikateríni (Church of St Catherine)
* Agía Sotira (Church of St Sotira)
* Ágioi ApóstoloI (Church of the Holy Apostles)
* Ágios Nikodímos (Church of St Nikodimos)
* Ágios Nikólaos Ragavás (Church of St Nicholas Ragavas)
* Ágios Pávlos (Church of St Paul)
* Anafiótika
* Áreios Págos (Areopagos)
* Ebraïkó Mouseío tis Elláthos (Jewish Museum of Greece)
* Elliniko Paithíko Mouseío (Hellenic Children's Museum)
* Ethnikí Pinakothíki (National Gallery)
* Ethnikós Kípos (National Gardens)
* Exárcheia (Exarchia)
* Filopáppou (Philopappou)
* Gennádios Vivliothíki (American School of Classical Studies)
* Hephaisteion (Temple of Hephaistos)
* Istorikó Mouseío (National Historical Museum)
* Kapnikaréa
* Kentrikí Agorá (Central Market)
* Kéntro Ellinikis Paradosis (Centre for Hellenic Tradition)
* Kéntro Laikis Téchnis Kai Paradosis (Centre for Popular Arts and Traditions)
* Kéntro Meletis Ikoy Theatroy (Greek Theatre Museum)
* Keramikí Syllogí Apo to Mouseío Elliníkis Laografías (Ceramic Collection of the Museum of Greek Folk Art)
* Kerameikós (Keramikos Cemetery)
* Kolonáki
* Mitrópolis
* Mnimeío Lysikrátous (Monument of Lysikrates)
* Monastiráki
* Mouseío Athinón (Museum of the City of Athens)
* Mouseío Benáki (Benaki Museum)
* Mouseío Ellinikís Paithikis Téchnis (Museum of Greek Children's Art)
* Mouseío Kanellópoulos (Kanellopoulos Museum)
* Mouseío Kosmímatos Ilía Lalaoúnis (Ilias Lalaounis Jewellery Museum)
* Naós Aiólou (Tower of the Winds)
* Odion (théatro) Iródou Attikou (Odeon of Herodes Atticus)
* Olympíeion (Temple of Olympian Zeus)
* Píli (Pýli) Adrianoú (Hadrian's Arch)
* Pinakothíki Tou Dímou Athinaïkoú (Municipal Art Gallery)
* Plateía Klafthmonos (Klafthmonos Square)
* Plateía Omonoías (Omonia Square)
* Plateía Syntagmatos (Syntagma Square)
* Pnýka (Pnyx)
* Polemikó Mouseío (War Museum of Greece)
* Proedrikó Mégaro (Presidential Palace)
* Prótoí Nekrotafío Athinón (First Cemetery of Athens)
* Romaïki Agorá (Roman Agora)
* Schliemann's House
* Théatro Dionýsou (Theatre of Dionysos)
* Théatro Filopáppou (philopappou Theatre)
* Vivliothíki Adrianoú (Library of Hadrian)
* Vizantinó Mouseío (Byzantine Museum)
Excursions
  + Excursions

  Walk/Drive
  Food&Drink
  In The Know
  Did You Know?
Mnimeío Lysikrátous (Monument of Lysikrates)

( Worth Seeing )

This unassuming marble monument, in a small square off the main Pláka streets, has a fascinating history. It was built in 334 BC and is the city's only complete surviving choregeic monument. These were built as tributes to the winners in an annual music and drama festival at the nearby Theatre of Dionysos. Lysikrates was the sponsor (choregoi) behind the winning team, as an inscription around the monument explains. The team was the chorus in a drama competition the previous year, and the monument originally included the tripod, which victors were traditionally awarded. There were once many such monuments around here, hence the name of the street, Tripodou. In more recent times, the six-columned building was converted by monks into a library, and it was while in the library in 1810 that Lord Byron wrote some of his epic poem, Childe Harold's Pilgrimage.


Address: Plateía Lysikrátous
Bus: 1, 5, 9, 18
Metro: Acropolis, when open
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