Necropolis of Athens. Great Athens Cemetery. Famous personalities buried in the cemetery

How Athenian women stabbed a fighter with buckles. If you stand on the Athenian acropolis and look south from the very edge of the cliff, you will first see below a bunch of yellow adobe city houses, clinging to each other at the foot of the hill; then, behind the city wall, a green

Archaeological site Keramik (Kerameikos) includes part of Themistocles' Wall, Dipylon Gate, Sacred Gate, Pompeion, Cemetery, Hegeso's Tombstone and other well-known sites.

The Kerameikos area has been inhabited since ancient times. potters, since the waters of the small river Eridanus brought good clay solution in abundance. These potters (and bronzers) considered the Athenian hero Keram, the son of Dionysus and Ariadne, their patron. Thus, the name of the area could come from both the name of this god and from the word “potter” (Greek “Κεραμείς” - “ceramic”).

Themistocles' wall was hastily built in 478 BC. to protect Athens from the Spartans. Due to a lack of material, stone monuments from graves were used, among other things. The wall surrounded the entire city, dividing the Kerameikos area into two parts - internal and external. Inner Kerameikos, protected by walls, became a residential area, while the outer Kerameikos remained a cemetery. This division is mentioned in the records of the ancient Greek philologist Hesychius of Alexandria (5th century BC), the philosopher Plato (IV century BC), the historian Thucydides (5th century BC) and the philosopher Plutarch (I century AD)

View of Keramik from the southeast side. In the foreground are the ruins of the pantheon, in the background is the Church of the Holy Trinity

Kerameikos Cemetery

The oldest Ceramics burials date back to Bronze Age when there was only a swamp here. During the Submycenean period (1100 - 1000 BC), the cemetery continued to grow, and houses began to be built to the south of it, in a drier place. During the Geometric period (1000 - 700 BC), and especially in the Archaic period (700 - 480 BC), the number of burials increased noticeably.

In ancient times in Greece it was forbidden to bury people within the city, so naturally cemeteries were formed along the roads leading beyond its boundaries. Immediately outside the Dipilorn Gate on both sides of the Panathenaic and Sacred Routes there was official cemetery of Athens, which, like the others in the area, was called Keramik (or Kerameikos), but officially it bore the name “Public Cemetery” (δημόσιον σῆμα). It was formed approximately in the 9th century BC and was used until the end of the Roman period (146 BC - 330 AD). Mainly honored Athenians were buried there, and at the expense of the city. It was in the public cemetery outside the Dipylon Gate that the Athenian general Pericles delivered his famous funeral oration in memory of those who died in the first year of the Peloponnesian War (431 - 404 BC).

Many were buried at the Ceramik cemetery famous Greeks- for example, Pericles himself, the statesman Cleisthenes, the politician Solon, the philosophers Zeno and Chrysippus, the military leaders Phormion and Chabrius. However, not only the Athenians, but also the Metics, immigrants from other parts of Greece, found their final refuge here. The wealthiest were buried on “Mogilnaya Street” (οδός τον ταφον)

The first burials of Ceramics were simple mounds, however, around the 8th century BC. people began to surround these mounds with small barriers, on which they installed huge vases (up to 1.5 meters in height) as monuments. These vases, after the name of the gate, are now called “ Dipylon vases"(the most famous of them is the Dipylon amphora). The vases had no bottom so that the libations would go straight into the grave. Vases were decorated mainly with geometric motifs - triangles, checks, zigzags, but later stylized images of people and animals were also applied to them. Rarely and very metaphorically, the burial rite itself was depicted on the Dipylon vases. The most interesting vases can be seen in the National Archaeological Museum of Athens and the Ceramics Museum.

After some time, rich Athenians began to place not vases on their graves, but statues deceased (often in searches), sometimes reaching the real size of a person. The most impressive monument was found in April 2002. It was a statue of a young man, dating from around the 6th century BC, possibly made by the so-called "Dipylon Master", who also created some of the other sculptures found in the area. Later, epigrams began to be carved on the statues.

From the second half of the 5th century BC. the Athenians stopped displaying their wealth so openly, and between 430 - 338 BC. began to be installed over the graves small monuments, often in the form of a small temple describing the deceased's farewell to his family. In 317 BC. all ostentatious luxury was prohibited by the ruler of Athens, Demetrius of Phalerum, and simple ones began to be installed on the graves. small columns.

Columns - monuments

After burial or cremation, relatives poured libations at the grave and then returned home, where family members of the deceased had to undergo an elaborate cleansing ritual. The ancient Greeks believed that everything that came into contact with the deceased was contaminated and must be cleansed. After this, family members gathered at the grave once a year for a ritual meal in honor of the deceased.

Most famous tombstones are (for more details about them, see below):

Tombstone of Dexileus, a twenty-year-old young man killed in the Corinthian War in 394 BC. (the original is in the Ceramics Museum). Number 18 on the map below.

Naisk Gegeso (Ηγησούς), number 34 on the map.

Tombstone relief of the sisters Demetria and Pamphylia (number 20 on the map).

Marble bull from the tomb of Dionysius from Kollitus (Athens area). Created around 345 BC; number 23 on the map.

Gates and roads of the Keramik quarter

In ancient times, Athens was protected by a huge wall with 15 gates, among which the main ones were Dipylon Gate(Δίπυλο – “double structure”) in its northwestern part. This was the only double gate in Athens, and next to it there was another entrance to the city, called “ Sacred Gate" Both passages were larger than the others and both had tolls. The gate itself was located in recesses in the wall (see map below), because of which the enemy storming it was forced to first overcome the outer passage, then find himself in a bottleneck, where he was attacked from three sides, including from four eight-meter towers. Compared to the areas in front of other gates, the area in front of the Dipylon Gate, measuring 22 x 47.40 meters, was the largest. This gate and square were built so large because it was here, in Pompeion(“processional building”, see below), at sunrise the inhabitants of Athens gathered to participate in the Panathenaic procession, which concluded the Panathenaic Games - the largest festival of the year. This procession went from here along the Panathenaic road through the agora and up to the Acropolis, where the wooden statue of Athena was given new clothes (peplos), woven and sewn by Athenian women.

Reconstruction of the pompeion, wall, gate and a small part of the cemetery

The road, which began at the Dipylon Gate, was simply called “ Dromos"(Δρόμος translated as "road"), although it was better known as the "Panathena Road". In the north-west direction it led to Plato's Academy and further to Boeotia, and in the south-east - to the agora and the Parthenon. The width of the road was more than 20 meters.

Since crossing the Dipylon Gate usually meant the end or beginning of a long journey, in the square in front of it stood altar of Zeus, the altar of Hermes, the patron saint of travelers and roads, and the altar of Akamas, a local hero revered by the inhabitants of Ceramics. On the other side of the gate, already in the city, on the left stood fountain house, where tired travelers could refresh themselves.

sacred road(Ιερά οδός) connected Athens with the city of Eleusis, located 20 kilometers to the northwest. A procession gathered at the Sacred Gate, which then went to this city at Eleusinic Mysteries, marking the beginning and end of summer.

Piraeus street(Οδός Πειραιώς), the main street of Athens, also passed through the Keramik quarter, but now it only borders the archaeological site on the north. Only a small part of this quarter is open, although previously it was much larger, and, according to some sources, even reached the agora.

Map overlay on the modern Keramik quarter

At the end of the 6th century, the outstanding buildings of the Keramik quarter were forgotten and only rediscovered in 1863, when an Athenian worker accidentally discovered a stone stele. In the same year, archaeological excavations began under King George I (1845 - 1913). Until 1913, work was carried out by the Greek Archaeological Society, after which by the German Archaeological Institute. Excavations are still ongoing.

During the construction of the Kerameikos metro station, more than 1000 individual burials IV – V centuries BC and a common grave containing the bodies of people who died from the plague in 430 BC. (then a third of the population of Athens died).

Now the archaeological site of Keramik occupies an area of ​​more than 16 hectares. It is located 8-9 meters below the level of modern Ermou Street (Ερμού), which allows tourists to walk around Athens of the Classical period (V-IV centuries BC).

It should be borne in mind that all monuments and tombstones standing in the open air are copies. Their originals are kept in the Ceramics Museum (to the left of the entrance) and in the National Archaeological Museum. Athens

Map of the Keramik quarter

1a, 1b, 1c – wall
A well-preserved section of the wall is about 200 meters long, about 2.5 meters wide and 1 meter high.

2 Sacred Gate(Η ιερά πύλη) with two towers

3 Dipylon Gate(Το Δίπυλο) with four towers
Gate built in the wall of Themistocles in 478 BC. of stones and bricks were destroyed. Now you can see the ruins of the gate built at the end4th century BC AD They were made entirely of stone blocks; in addition, they were thicker than the original and had turrets.

The Dipylon Gate was opened and studied by the Archaeological Society in 1872-1874.

3a altars

3b outer gate

4 fountain house (Η Κρήνη)

5, 5a, 5b, 5c canal and swamp(appeared at the end of the 4th century BC).

6 Pompeion (Το Πομπείο)
Pompeion was the place where the Panathenaic procession was prepared. A wooden sheep was also kept here, on which the peplos lay for Athena when it was carried to the Acropolis. Pompeion was built between the Sacred and Dipylon Gates around the 5th century BC. - when Athens was recovering from the Peloponnesian War, which is why it is more unassuming than the buildings built during the heyday of Athens in the 5th century BC. Through the marble propylaea (gate) of Pompeion one could enter a large courtyard surrounded by Ionic columns along the perimeter. The youth, apparently, were bored waiting for the start of the procession here, so they carved their names on the walls (for example, such an inscription can be seen near the door in the south-eastern corner of the courtyard). On the western and northwestern sides of the pompeion were canteens, in which festival participants could eat after the procession returned. An ancient inscription states that the hecatomb - the meat of one hundred bulls sacrificed to Athena - should be divided and distributed in Kerameikos, which is confirmed by the discovery of a large number of bones in front of the Dipylonsi Gate. The floors in the dining rooms were made of simple stones, and only in room number 6 was a small mosaic depicting an animal fight. This is one of the earliest ornamental Greek mosaics (now in the Ceramics Museum).

Classic Pompeion was destroyed in 86 BC. during the attack on Athens by the Roman commander Lucius Cornelius Sulla (it is worth paying attention to the stone cannonballs thrown here during shelling from a catapult). In the 2nd century AD. in its place a vault was built, which was destroyed during the Heruli attack in 267. In the 4th century, a “shopping center” was erected here - two long pillars and a gate. Subsequently, during the Roman period, there were residential buildings and potters' workshops here.

7 area north of the Dipylon Gate (Η περιοχη βορεια του Δίπυλου)

8a, 8b, 8c houses south of the Sacred Gate (Η περιοχη νοτια της ιερας πυλης).
Probably, the so-called “building Z” stood here, whose ancient name is unknown. It was built around 435 BC. in the corner formed by the city wall and the Sacred Gate. It was rebuilt at least four times, destroyed by earthquakes and during the sieges of Athens. Initially, it was an ordinary building, no different from other houses of the Classical and Hellenistic periods. There was a kitchen, a dining room for men and a women's half, located around a courtyard with wells.

During the third rebuilding in the 4th century BC, after the building had stood abandoned for fifty years, its functions changed. Several additional wells were dug here, and large rooms were divided into small closets. Ceramic weights for weaving looms found in them indicate that the house was turned into a workshop. In addition, hundreds of fragments of mugs and plates were found here, and their quantity far exceeded the needs of an ordinary household.

In those days, weaving was done by slaves. In this house, they apparently also entertained men (in classical comedies, brothels were often mentioned in connection with the Keramik region).

In the Ceramics Museum you can see machine weights, figurines of goddesses, a silver medallion with an image of Aphrodite and a clay teapot found in House Z.

9 tomb of Antemocritus (Τάφος Ανθεμοκρίτου)
Antemocritus was a preacher who was killed shortly after the start of the Peloponnesian War in the Greek city of Megara. The round tomb probably belonged to the Kirikon (Κηρύκων) family.

10, 11, 11a messenger steles (Στήλες των Πρέσβεων)
10 – marble column standing on a pyramidal base of four steps. It is dedicated to the envoy Pythagoras from the city of Selymbria (mid-5th century BC, according to the inscription on the column). The inscription on the base reads:
Προξενίας άρετῆς τε χάριμ προ<γ>όνων τε καὶ αὐτοῦ
ἐνθάδ΄ Ἀθηναῖοι Πυθαγόρην ἔθεσαν
υἱὸν δημοσίαι Διονυσίο∙ ἱππόβοτον δὲ
πατρίδα Σαλυβρίαν ἵκετ’ ἄχος φθιμένου
11 stele on the tomb of an envoy from Corfu who died in Athens in 431 BC.

Envoy Stele from Corfu

12 south hill (νότιος λοφος)

13 sanctuary (ιερο)

13a aqueduct (υδραγωγός)

14 tritopatreon (Τριτοπατρείον)
Tritopatreon is a temple for offering prayers to the Tritopatars - three deities who were the ancestors of people. It was also believed that the souls of deceased ancestors lived in the Tritopatreon. The building was identified by the inscriptions at the bottom of the northern and southern corners: “ΗΟΡΟΣ ΙΕΡΟΝ ΤΡΙΤΟΠΑΤΡΕΩΝ ΑΒΑΤΟΝ” and “ΗΙΕΡΟΝ ΤΡΙΤΟΠΑΤΡΕΩΝ.” Probably built in the 5th century BC.

15 tumulus(Τύμβος, mound)

16 archaic pedestal (αρχαικό βαθρο)

17 brick burial hall (Πλινθινο ταφικό κτιομα)

18 burial Forikion (Ταφικός περίβολος Θορικίων)
Family tomb of the Lisani family from the city of Foriko. There is a large monument to Deklxius here

Monument to Declisius

19 corner terrace (Γωνιακό άνδηρο)
As evidenced by the inscription on the pedestal, the actor Makareos (Μακαρέως) rests here

20 family tomb of sisters Demetria and Pamphylia (Περίβολος Δημητρίας και Παμφίλης)
This was the last luxurious burial before the ban imposed in 317 BC.

Search for sisters

21 crypt of the inhabitants of Messina (Περίβολος των Μεσσηνιων)

22 Heraklioton family tomb (Περίβολος των Ηρακλειωτών)
The tall stele, with the discovery of which began archaeological work in Kerameikos, marked the burial place of citizens of the Megarian colony of Heraclea Pontica. These were mainly wealthy people who fled to Athens from the tyrant Clearchus (363-352 BC). To the left of the stele there is a monument to Coralla (Κοραλλίου), the wife of the Athenian tragedian Agathon (Αγάθωνος). She is shown extending her hand to her husband; A maid stands behind her, and a small dog lies at her feet. To the right of the stele is a monument to Agathon himself.

23 Crypt of Dionysius from Kollitus (Περίβολος Διονυσίου εκ Κολλυτού)
This is one of the most impressive monuments that looks like a bull standing on a high pedestal. Two epitaphs are engraved on the architrave and below on the pedestal.

24 Lysimahidou family tomb (Περίβολος Λυσιμαχίδου)
The wall is 16 meters long and 4 meters high, on which stands a marble statue of a lying dog from the Molosser group.

From left to right: the search for Coralla, the stele of Heraclioton, the monument to Agathon, the crypt of Dionysius with a bull, the tomb of Lysimachidou with a dog

25 Peron family tomb (Περίβολος των Πέροη)

26 Aristonout's search (Ναϊσκος Αριστοναύτη)
The search of Aristonaut, son of Arhenaut (Ἀρχεναύτο) from Alaya (Ἁλαιεύς), dates back to the very end of the Classical period (320 BC). It is designed in the form of a small temple with a massive pedestal and a small architrave (crossbar with a triangular “roof”). The inscription on the architrave reveals the name, relationship and origin of the deceased person. Aristonaut is depicted participating in the battle - dressed in military style and in an appropriate pose. His head is turned, and he seems to be looking at those standing in front of his grave. The style of this search by an unknown author is transitional from Classical to Hellenistic. It is made of Pentelic marble and is 2.48 meters high (the height of the sculpture is 1.55 meters). The naik was found under the street of Piraeus and is now on display at the National Archaeological Museum of Athens.

27, 28, 29 tombs (Ταφικοί περίβολοι)

30 headstone at Zosivi's grave (Επιτύμβια στήλη του Σωσιβίου)

31 Daphne's tomb (Τάφος του Δάφνου)

32 sanctuary of Hecate (Τέμενος της Εκάτης)

33 Samaki family tomb (Περίβολος του Σαμάκιου)

34 family tomb of Koriv from Meliti (Περίβολος του Κοροίβου εκ Μελίτης)
There are three monuments from the 4th century BC. In the center is a tall stele of Corib, whose name is carved below two rosettes. Not only he himself is buried under the stele, but also his children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren - up to five generations. To the right of it stands a monument to the grandson of the Greek historian Kledem (Κλειδήμου). On the left is the site of Hegeso (Ηγησούς) - one of the best funerary steles of Attica that has survived to this day. Gegeso was probably the wife of Koreb.

From left to right: Gegeso naisk, Koriv stele, Kledem monument

Naisk Gegeso It was apparently created from Pentelic marble by the sculptor Callimachus in 410-400 BC. It measures 1.56 meters in height and 97 centimeters in height. It depicts a wealthy Athenian woman, dressed in a chiton and himation, who sits on a chair with her legs extended onto a stand. In her left hand she holds an open box, in her right hand she holds an ornament (it is not visible now). Opposite her, on the left, is a maid. The stele is engraved with “ΗΓΗΣΩ ΠΡΟΞΕΝΟ” - that is, “Hegeso, daughter of Proxenus.” This search can be viewed at the National Archaeological Museum of Athens.

In the monument, the Athenians tried to emphasize the ideal role of the family in the context of society. Thus, the Koriv stele represents all the men of his family, although their names are not even written on it, and the Hegeso stele represents all the women.

35 tomb of people from the town of Potamou (Περίβολος των Ποταμίων)

36 family tomb of the tyrant of Athens Aristion(Περίβολος του Αριστίωνος; died 86 BC)

36a tumulus(Τύμβος, mound)

37 Efkolin's grave (Τύμβος της Ευκολίνης)

38 Olympichus amphora (Λουτροφόρος του Ολυμπίχου)

38a headstone on Effiro's grave (Επιτύμβια στήλη του Ευφήρο)

39 Antioae family tomb(Περίβολος της Αντιδόαεως)

39a Amphareta family tomb (Περίβολος της Αμφαρέτης)
Search for Amphareta 5th century BC, depicting a woman mourning the death of her infant grandson.

40 family tomb of the military leader Aristomachus (Περίβολος της Αριστομάχης)

41 burial (Ταφικός περίβολος)

42, 43 Hellenistic burials (Ελληνιστικοί ταφικοί περίβολοι)

44 classical funerary building(Κλασικό ταφικό κτίσμα)

45, 45a early classical funerary building (Πρώιμο κλασικό ταφικό κτίσμα)

46 burial of Sinop (Ταφικός περίβολος των Σινωπέων)

47 Hellenistic funerary building (Ελληνιστικό ταφικό κτίσμα)

48 Roman funerary building (Ρωμαικό ταφικό κτίσμα)

49 road to Eleusis (Όρος τες οδού τες Ελευσινάδε)

50 bridge over the Eridanus river (Γέφυρα του Ηριδανού)

51 old bridge over the Eridanus river (Παλαιότερη γέφυρα του Ηριδανού)

52 bank of the Eridanus River (Όροι στον Ηριδανό)

53 tumulus(Τύμβος, mound)

54 Classic period tomb (Λάκκος προσφορών κλασικών χρόνων)

55 tomb of Myrtis(Τύμβος της Μύρτης), a girl who died of the plague around 430 BC.

56 tomb of the astronomer Cleomedes(Ταφικός περίβολος του Κλεομήδους), 1st century AD.

57 Feonikh's grave (Ταφικός περίβολος του Θεωνίχου)

58 dry tributary of the Eridanus River (Προθεμιστόκλεια κοίτη του Ηριδανού)

58a pithos(Πίθος) – amphora with a wide neck

58b Hellenistic temple (Ελληνιστικός ναίσκος)

58v laboratory (Εργαστήριο)

59 tumulus(Τύμβος, mound)

60 round pool (Κυκλικό λουτρό)

61a, 61b, 62, 62a buildings near the round pool (Κτίρια κοντά στο κυκλικό λουτρό)

63 tomb of the Lacedaemonians (Τάφος των Λακεδαιμονίων)
Small marble column on the tomb of the Lacedaemonians (Spartans) who died in battle against the Athenians under Thrasybulus in 403 BC. In the right corner, clockwise, the names of the dead are written.

64 burial chambers west of the Lacedaemonians (Ταφικό κτίσματα δυτικά των Λακεδαιμονίων)

65 tomb (Ταφικό οικοδόμημα στον τρίτο όρο)

66 the newest burials on Dromos (Νεώτερο ταφικό κτίσμα στο Δρόμο)

67 workshops south of Dromos (Εργαστήρια νότια του Δρόμου)

68 water tanks (Υδατοδεξαμενές)

69 marble sarcophagus (Μαρμάρινη σαρκοφάγος)

70 workshops on the northern edge of Dromos (Εργαστήρια στη βόρεια παρυφή του Δρόμου)

Nearby attractions: Church of the Holy Trinity, Museum of Islamic Art, Technopolis Industrial Museum, Church of Our Lady of Pantanassa, Greek Agora

Useful information about the cemetery and the Keramik quarter in Athens

Location:

Historic Triangle area; north of the Parthenon

How to get there:

ΣΤ.ΘΗΣΕΙΟΥ (Thissio) metro station on line 1 (green)
ΣΤ.ΚΕΡΑΜΕΙΚΟΥ (Kerameikos) metro station on line 3 (blue)

Address:

Greece, Athens, Ermou street 148
Ermou 148, Athens (Αθήνα), Greece (Ελλάδα)

Name in Greek:

Κεραμεικός

Title in English:

Kerameikos
Keramikos
Kerameikos cemetery

Time work :

Every day, from 8:00 to 20:00

Telephone:

(+30 210) 346 35 52 (where 30 is the telephone code for Greece and 210 is the code for Athens)

Website:

Email:

Coordinates:

37.978283, 23.718611 (paste these coordinates into the Google maps search bar and see the real location of the cemetery and the Kerameikos quarter)
GPS: 37°58’41.8″N 23°43’07.0″E

Reviews:

Inscriptions are only in Greek, English and German.

It’s been a while since I wrote anything about cemeteries... an unfortunate omission that needs to be filled. In fact, I have plenty of material, but, alas, not much free time. But this weekend I finally got around to taking photos from our trip to Greece this summer.

Naturally, I couldn’t go to Athens and not visit the city’s most famous cemetery. True, I didn’t have much time to explore, so I only managed to walk along the main alleys and see the most famous and popular local attractions.

The first Athens cemetery is the same age as all other popular monumental European cemeteries. It was opened in 1837. Since then, the cemetery, like, for example, Staglieno, has been the final refuge for all the most worthy residents of Greece, or for the simply rich...

The Athens cemetery is located almost in the center, at least it is quite easy to get to it, if you do not take into account the thirty-degree Athens summer heat, on foot from the central metro stations. Hoping to catch some morning coolness, we got there around 10 am, however, all the coolness had probably ended three hours earlier.

Already at the entrance one is struck by the complete absence of such gloomy galleries, so popular in Italy. The Athens cemetery, at least on a hot summer day, is completely devoid of the gloominess expected of a cemetery. On the contrary, filled with sunlight and the greenery of trees, it is buried in the snow-white marble of monuments and crypts. The latter are more reminiscent of ancient Greek temples in miniature. The picture is complemented by the incredibly loud ringing of cicadas and the aroma of incense....

The cemetery is active, but contemporaries have to reckon with rather strict rules. Due to the fact that the Greek Orthodox Church prohibits cremation, space in the first cemetery is severely limited. Burial is allowed only for 3 years, after which the body is removed and reburied in an ossuary, thereby making room for the next...

view of the main entrance from the main alley

Another feature of the main Greek cemetery is, as one might expect, its symbolism. Despite the presence of quite universal 19th century cemetery symbols, such as angels or mourners. Most of the tombstones to some extent reflect ancient Greek traditions and architecture. This is especially interesting because this cemetery was opened almost immediately after getting rid of the oppression of the Ottoman Empire. As far as I could see during our short trip, several centuries of Turkish occupation had quite a strong influence on the characteristics of modern Greek cuisine, especially when it comes to sweets.

As can be easily seen from the photographs, many decorative elements have a thousand-year history. Here I should note that in Athens there are the ruins of one of the oldest cemeteries in the world - Kerameikos. There you can see preserved tombstones and sculpturesdating back to the period from the 3rd millennium BC. e. until the ancient Roman era. I have a large folder of photographs of these tombstones and someday I will get to it... but for now, you will have to take my word for it... For example, similar slabs, as in the pictures below, were extremely popular even before our era . But angels, this is a modern interpretation. In those distant times, such slabs usually depicted the deceased himself, as well as the people closest to him. Moreover, the fresco directly conveys the moment of the “last conversation” as if the deceased were alive. My descriptive talent was not enough to convey, at least approximately, the appearance of ancient Greek tombstones. So I decided it was better to see it once...

Typical slabs of Kerameikos. The one on the left depicts a girl sitting on a chair and looking at a necklace from a box held by a maid. Such a composition should hint at the noble origin of the deceased. Late 5th century BC
The other two stelae have very typical decorations at the top. The right stone represents a vessel. Unfortunately, I was unable to find an explanation for the meaning of such a vessel. Despite the fact that some articles describe such vessels as funeral urns. In this case, the shape is more reminiscent of an amphora for drinks or incense, rather than a funeral vessel (the latter had a much wider neck).

Apparently, in the 19th century people could no longer tolerate such fantasies. Therefore, the sculptors limited themselves to angels and mourners. Although, as is easy to see, the decorative motifs of the upper part of the stele have been preserved.

Amphoras, columns, phoenixes and even sphinxes... All this is the heritage of ancient cultures.

In addition to traditional metaphors, there are also quite pan-European symbols, which I have repeatedly written about in my opuses about the Milan or Genoese cemeteries.

For example, an hourglass as the transience of time.

The following sculptural composition, judging by the epitaph,was created by order of a French family for their untimely deceased son. Even without knowing French, the meaning of the inscription is intuitive.

There was also a composition, quite popular in Italy, “farewell to loved ones for the deceased.”

And, of course, angels...

In the next composition, the wife of the deceased wished to see herself. Strange from my modern point of view, but quite popular in the 19th century.

Very beautiful chair with owls...

And a very specific general with an unpronounceable name and a very stern appearance...

But the pearl of the Athens cemetery is certainly the “Sleeping” over the grave of Sophia Afendaki by one of the most famous sculptors of modern Greece - Giannoulis Khalipas. The sculptor had a very tragic fate, which is worth reading about (link to wiki).

It seems that the girl simply fell asleep, and her natural relaxed pose is in no way identified with the numbness of a dead man. That is why this work can be an excellent example of the funerary culture of classicism, according to which death is an eternal sleep without dreams. "The Sleeping Maiden" is Khalipas's last work before his personal life tragedy. He completed the sculpture in 1978 shortly before he was diagnosed with schizophrenia.

This is a monument on the grave of the famous Greek businessman and philanthropist -

It is unforgivable to be in Greece and not visit a cemetery. In every country you should at least once look at a cemetery, both elite and for ordinary people. They speak more clearly about the culture and local customs than all the tourist attractions combined. Well, the differences from our traditions are felt most strongly here. Therefore, forward to the cemetery, where no ordinary tourist sets foot.

1. In Athens, the most interesting thing is not the ancient cemetery in Keramikos, where famous philosophers and writers of Ancient Greece are buried (in fact, they were not buried, since their tombstones either disappeared or were transferred to museums, and everything that has survived is a dummy for tourists), and the old so-called First Athens Cemetery, where the Greek elite was buried starting from the 19th century. Being buried in the First Cemetery is as prestigious as in Moscow on Novodevichy or in Paris on Père Lachaise. And in appearance, the cemetery is reminiscent of Père Lachaise, with its monumental tombstones, statues and crypts.


2. It’s quite easy to find, because it’s located in the alleys behind the Olympic Stadium, close to the city center, but, of course, it’s far from the tourist trail and there are no excursions here. But in vain, but apparently this is the local culture.


3. At the entrance they weakly threatened me not to take pictures, but the threats turned out to be a mere formality. And although I was filming on my phone inside, no one said anything else to me. In essence, this cemetery is an open-air museum, with many original and even strange sculptures. Only entry is free.


4. At the very entrance there is a plot or so-called cemetery of metropolitans and archimandrites, the highest dignitaries of the Greek Church.


5. I must say, it makes an impression. Rather, it resembles a cemetery of the Muslim elite somewhere in Istanbul with its high miters on each tombstone. Muslims usually place turbans and fez on top of the steles of dignitaries. Here in the church grounds there are large marble tiaras placed on the tombstones.


6. On the contrary, unusual burials also begin, completely different from what one would expect from an Orthodox cemetery. however, Orthodoxy here, in any case, is not similar to Russian.


7. This is, for example, the tombstone of the famous former Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou not far from the gate.


8. Or another huge stele - with the signs of the zodiac. In general, there are a lot of motives and direct copies of ancient Greek myths, legends and heroes here. And if you know them a little, then it’s easy to guess what they’re talking about.


9. It is impossible to recognize what was meant when a different tombstone was placed. To do this, you either need to know the history of modern Greece, where this character was noted, or the details of his personal life.


10. Other tombstones are more natural, but also unusual.


11. It couldn’t have happened without angels.


12. The attraction to statues is natural here, and I’m not sure it’s as expensive as it would be here. Firstly, tradition, and secondly, this material is cheap and widely available. Almost everything is made of marble, which literally lies under your feet, whereas here it has to be delivered from afar.


13. Some graves are family crypts. Some are locked, others are open, but if you look inside, you will see a walled bottom, sometimes quite deep, or wall niches behind the slabs where coffins are inserted.


14. But chu! You turn around, and here they are carrying a coffin, a funeral procession is passing. Everything is as it really is.


15. You turn around, and the grave opposite is dug up. Have the dead really risen and come out of their graves?


16. But if they got out, they definitely lost the jaw and teeth. Do you see there, on the rock below under the lantern? Bon appetit.


17. Therefore, remain silent.


18. Some of the crypts are very spacious; Père Lachaise would be envious.


19. In some, on the contrary, such a crowd has gathered that there is no room for an apple to fall.


20. Some plots are very intricate.


21. Others, on the contrary, are more than clear in their allusions to the marital status of the deceased.


22. In a strange way, this monumental tombstone of a boy in socks and shorts is reminiscent of the film “Black Butler,” where the same hero was.


23. Generals in unidentifiable uniforms.


24. Naked angels.


25. In general, yes, as I said, Père Lachaise, Greek pariant.


26. I found another cemetery, equally old, but smaller, in the main city of the Argolis region, in the Peloponnese, in Nafplio. Even the first president Kapodistrias was once buried here. Then his ashes were transferred to the island of Corfu.


27. Of course, everything is much more crowded here. And of course, without fences, as we like it.


28. By the way, most of these are also crypts. where the coffins are laid deep down one on top of the other.


29. Marble poetry books are magnificent. Although they require constant care.


30. This is roughly what it looks like, although everything inside is also walled up just in case.


31. And the commemoration here is special, with lamps and candles burning around the clock. But we don’t do that (they’ll steal it).