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crenelations, some of which survive on the southern wall. Access to both the walls and the towers was through staircases, one of which survives behind the cityward southeastern tower. The northern cityward gate is still visible, but the southern one has been destroyed through the construction of a modern canal. However, the remains of the gate frames show that the gates were rectangular, in contrast to the second set of gates added in the late
Hellenistic period, which were surmounted by marble apses. The pedestal of the central pier of the later set was built of marble spolia; in front of it, facing outward from the city, is a square marble pedestal, which may have hosted an equestrian statue of a
108:
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391:(προτείχισμα, "fore-wall"), which includes a wall as well as a moat in front of it, was erected during the Peloponnesian War, most likely as part of the repairs to the walls following an earthquake in 420 BC. They were extensively rebuilt under Conon, and again under Demetrios Poliorketes in the late 4th century. Traces of the
374:
column bases survive. The structure was rectangular, divided into an L-shaped basin with low walls into which water flowed, and a small entrance hall that was supported by three Ionic columns. The entrance was between the second and third column. The floor, which largely survives, was built of marble
369:
Just after the cityward gate, on the eastern side, between the gate and the stairway leading up to the wall, are the remnants of a well house, which was supplied with fresh water through underground aqueducts. The present structure was probably erected during the gate's reconstruction in 307/4 BC,
356:
sandstone slabs. Apart from the north-eastern landward tower, the cores of the others survive to some height even today; originally they were probably covered with a tiled roof. The curtain wall connecting them, originally 9 metres (30 ft) high and 4 metres (13 ft) thick and crowned with
335:
during their construction, and were recovered by archaeologists. The existence of two gates in the wall already during the
Themistoclean phase is confirmed by preserved cart grooves; the southern gate is also crossed by a broad canal, which went parallel to the southern wall and then turned south,
138:
In its original state, it comprised a set of double gates set further back from the line of the walls, so that a square court was created that, covered by the walls and four towers set in its corners, served as a killing ground against attackers. The gate received its name in the 3rd century BC;
315:
The original, Themistoclean-era gate largely established the final shape of the structure and covered the same area as the
Hellenistic structure, and was built of clay bricks on top of a pedestal of Poros limestone blocks. Its general shape resembles a
412:
comprised an 8 metres (26 ft)–high wall, placed some 6 metres (20 ft) in front of the main wall. As the ground sloped heavily between the two walls, the space had to be filled in, thus creating a flat surface that served as a
307: 1,800 square metres (19,000 sq ft). Its extraordinary size points to its use not only as a city gate, but also its ceremonial significance and monumental role as the starting point of the Panathenaic procession.
417:, that in the 4th century ran around the entire circuit of the wall and was used to connect the various quarters of the city. Following the reconstruction of the walls in 307/4 BC, however, this ceased to be the case, as the
327:, when the pedestal was covered with flat limestone blocks. Parts of the Themistoclean wall are preserved only between the northwestern and southwestern towers, but the towers themselves preserved several
320:, with the gates located on the cityward, right-angled lateral side. The bases were of unequal length, with the southern one projecting a bit. Square towers were located at each corner of the trapezoid.
197:
reports that the slaughter in the city was so great, that "blood flowed through the gate and flooded the suburb". The wall was repaired soon after, so that the city was able to withstand the attacks of
48:, it led to the namesake ancient cemetery, and to the roads connecting Athens with the rest of Greece. The gate was of major ceremonial significance as the starting point of the procession of the
16:
96:
in the empty space between the
Dipylon and Sacred Gate began shortly after, but was not completed until the next century. The Themistoclean Wall was torn down after the Athenian defeat in the
131:. Outside the gate lay the Kerameikos cemetery and specifically the Demosion Sema, the state cemetery where the city buried its most honoured citizens. According to the 2nd-century AD writer
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170:; lead tablets with the mark and price of horses and their owners that date to this period, probably a record of the Athenian cavalry, have been found in a well at the Dipylon.
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1177:
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in 338 BC, but the wall and the
Dipylon suffered heavy damage in an earthquake in subsequent years, so that they were rebuilt, following the original outline, in
181:
times, a second wall with a double gate was added at the outer side of the court, thus creating a fully walled-off enclosure. The walls could not hold off the
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in 1870, under St. Koumanoudis. At the time, the site was covered by up to 8 m of soil. Since 1913, excavations in the area have been conducted by the
84:
cemetery were used in its construction, a fact which earned
Themistocles the hostility of many Athenians whose relatives' tombs were despoiled. During the
123:, but also played an important part in the city's rituals, as the starting point (along with the adjacent Pompeion) of the ceremonial procession to the
880:
266:
80:. The new circuit was much wider than the old one that was destroyed by the Persians, and many of the graves and monuments of the already existing
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348:
The
Hellenistic gate complex was an altogether more massive and elaborate affair, being built of large finely hewn ashlar blocks, comprising a
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before that—possibly in combination with the nearby Sacred Gate—it was known as the
Thriasian Gates (Θριάσιαι Πύλαι), as it led to the
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The gate was not only the principal gate for the city's communication with the rest of Greece—with roads leading both north to
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52:, and accordingly it was a large, monumental structure, "the largest gate of the ancient world". Erected in 478 BC as part of
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206:, the city experienced a revival, and potters and metalworkers settled in the buildings around the Dipylon. During the long
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56:' fortification of Athens and rebuilt in the 300s BC, it remained standing and in use until the 3rd century AD.
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survive particularly intact in the
Kerameikos area, including remnants of 4th-century BC pitfall traps against
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invasions began, and the
Dipylon and the entire area were abandoned, fell quickly into ruin, and were buried.
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attacked Athens, the fortifications of the Dipylon helped the Athenians fend off the Macedonian king. In late
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in 267. In its aftermath, the city contracted to a small fortified core around the
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in 404 BC, but in 394 BC, with the help of Persian funds, the Athenian statesman
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but likely also had a Themistoclean antecedent, of which two pipes and a few
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The Dipylon was the "largest gate of the ancient world", with a surface of
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143:. Repairs to the fortifications in the Kerameikos were carried out under
88:(421–416 BC), the wall was complemented by a moat and a secondary wall (
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Archaeological evidence shows traces of later repairs, possibly under
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Der Kerameikos von Athen. Führung durch Ausgrabungen und Geschichte
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227:) restored the city wall, but this was not enough to prevent the
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Archaeological excavations in the Kerameikos area began by the
254:) restored the Themosticlean Wall. Shortly after, however, the
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The Kerameikos of Athens. Tour through Excavations and History
162:. In 267–262 BC, Athens participated in the unsuccessful
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3d reconstruction of the city wall in the Keremikos area
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The Dipylon gate was built, along with the neighbouring
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1219:Ancient Greek buildings and structures in Athens
1178:American School of Classical Studies at Athens
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427:, blocking the road. The late 4th-century BC
8:
969:Temple of Zeus Phratrios and Athena Phratria
399:, consisting of 2 metres (6.6 ft) high
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267:German Archaeological Institute at Athens
36:, "Two-Gated") was the main gate in the
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158:, when Athens was under the control of
1229:Ancient Greek fortifications in Greece
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20:The remains of the Dipylon Gate today
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331:funeral monuments that were used as
44:. Located in the modern suburb of
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999:Monument of the Eponymous Heroes
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841:] (in German). Krene Verlag.
450:Funerary naiskos of Aristonautes
249:
222:
1173:Ancient Agora of Athens Museum
281:Layout of the gate complex of
1:
304:
292:, including the Dipylon, the
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152:
263:Greek Archaeological Society
216:in the 3rd century, Emperor
1147:Church of the Holy Apostles
352:core and covered with fine
92:). The construction of the
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904:Altar of Aphrodite Ourania
940:
431:was built of fine ashlar
173:In 200 BC, however, when
111:The ruins of the Pompeion
33:
1129:Southeast Fountain House
1096:Southwest Fountain House
964:Temple of Apollo Patroos
924:Altar of the Twelve Gods
189:, however, who in 86 BC
1142:Gymnasium of the Giants
959:Stoa of Zeus Eleutheros
890:Ancient Agora of Athens
833:Knigge, Ursula (1988).
311:Themistoclean structure
74:fortification of Athens
68:, in 478 BC as part of
1004:Altar of Zeus Agoraios
855:, by Ancient Athens 3D
557:, pp. 40, 50, 69.
318:right-angled trapezoid
300:
273:Layout and description
200:Quintus Fufius Calenus
112:
21:
641:, pp. 46, 50–51.
470:, pp. 35–36, 72.
405:let into the ground.
344:Hellenistic structure
336:probably joining the
280:
204:Roman Imperial period
160:Demetrios Poliorketes
110:
19:
1234:City walls of Athens
1209:City gates in Greece
1065:Library of Pantainos
1024:Temple of Hephaestus
237:Acropolis of Athens
214:barbarian invasions
175:Philip V of Macedon
149:Battle of Chaeronea
125:Acropolis of Athens
653:, pp. 46, 72.
497:, pp. 36, 39.
421:received a roofed
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243:, so that Emperor
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22:
1196:
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1137:Odeion of Agrippa
914:Stoa of the Herms
820:, pp. 76–77.
808:, pp. 78–79.
767:, pp. 73–74.
755:, pp. 70–71.
709:, pp. 72–73.
680:, pp. 68–69.
629:, pp. 45–46.
593:, pp. 69–70.
581:, pp. 71–72.
569:, pp. 42–44.
202:in 48 BC. In the
129:Great Panathenaea
119:and south to the
98:Peloponnesian War
50:Great Panathenaea
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1214:Classical Athens
1156:Related Articles
1060:Southeast Temple
1040:Square Peristyle
1019:Agoraios Kolonos
1014:Southwest Temple
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1106:South Stoa I
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78:Persian Wars
70:Themistocles
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54:Themistocles
25:
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1115:Middle Stoa
1091:Strategeion
818:Knigge 1988
806:Knigge 1988
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522:Knigge 1988
507:Knigge 1988
495:Knigge 1988
483:Knigge 1988
468:Knigge 1988
375:slabs from
294:Sacred Gate
245:Justinian I
179:Hellenistic
145:Demosthenes
127:during the
121:Peloponnese
66:Sacred Gate
1224:Kerameikos
1203:Categories
1084:South Side
1050:Monopteros
1009:Prytanikon
919:Royal Stoa
897:North Side
456:References
365:Well house
296:, and the
283:Kerameikos
209:Pax Romana
147:after the
82:Kerameikos
46:Kerameikos
1188:Areopagus
1033:East Side
974:Synagogue
952:West Side
435:masonry.
415:ring road
38:city wall
1101:Aiakeion
929:Basilica
439:See also
377:Hymettus
338:Eridanos
298:Pompeion
218:Valerian
195:Plutarch
185:general
166:against
94:Pompeion
989:Metroon
827:Sources
433:breccia
354:Piraeus
350:breccia
231:by the
168:Macedon
117:Boeotia
60:History
34:Δίπυλον
26:Dipylon
994:Tholos
402:pithoi
333:spolia
256:Slavic
233:Heruli
133:Lucian
837:[
372:Ionic
325:Conon
187:Sulla
183:Roman
102:Conon
30:Greek
1183:Pnyx
1133:Mint
1055:Bema
408:The
387:The
24:The
379:.
285:in
40:of
1205::
1121:,
1117:,
784:^
729:^
714:^
685:^
658:^
529:^
514:^
475:^
305:c.
287:c.
269:.
250:r.
223:r.
193:.
153:c.
72:'
32::
1125:)
1113:(
882:e
875:t
868:v
247:(
220:(
28:(
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