Listed 3 sub titles with search on: Information about the place for wider area of: "KIFISSIA Ancient demos KIFISSIA" .
KIFISSIA (Ancient demos) KIFISSIA
Cephisia (Kephisia), was one of the ancient twelve cities of Cecrops, and continued to be an important demus down to the latest times. It retains its ancient name (Kivisia), and is situated about nine miles NE. of Athens, at the foot of Mt. Pentelicus, nearly opposite Acharnae. It was the favourite summer residence of Herodes Atticus, who adorned it with buildings, gardens, and statues. We learn from modern travellers that a fountain of transparent water, and groups of shady trees, still remain here; and that it continues to be a favourite residence of the Athenians during the heat of summer. (Strab. ix. 397; Diog. Laert. iii. 41; Philostr. Vit. Soph. ii. 1. § 12; Gell. i. 2, xviii. 10; Harpocrat.; Phot.; Wordsworth, p. 227; Stephani, Reise durch Griechenland, p. 1.)
This extract is from: Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854) (ed. William Smith, LLD). Cited August 2004 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks
A deme of Attica, at the foot of Mount Brilessus, and near the source of the Cephissus. It was the favourite residence of Herodes Atticus, who had a beautiful villa here.
One of the original twelve cities that formed the union of Attica under Theseus (Philochoros: FGrHist 328 F 94), Kephissia remained a deme in Classical times, on the site now occupied by the suburb of the same name. Its most famous resident was Herodes Atticus, whose elegant villa is described by Aulus Gellius (NA 1.2.2). Herodes' presence there has been amply documented not only by inscriptions, but also by the discovery in 1961 of his portrait bust and that of his favorite Polydeukion, possibly from the villa itself. These finds came from a lot behind the Church of the Panagia (Xydou). From the same period as Herodes is the long-known Roman tomb on the S side of Plateia Platanou. When found it still contained four sarcophagi. Although nothing of the tomb has survived in place above the level of the orthostate course, it can be convincingly restored with a vaulted roof on the basis of the almost similar tomb at Chalandri. About half a km E of this square, a deme decree of the 4th c. B.C. was recently found, recording the thanks of the citizens of Kephissia towards someone who had repaired their palaistra. This constitutes the only reference to a privately organized palaistra outside of Athens.
C.W.J. Eliot, ed.
This text is from: The Princeton encyclopedia of classical sites,
Princeton University Press 1976. Cited Sep 2002 from
Perseus Project URL below, which contains bibliography & interesting hyperlinks.
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