Listed 9 sub titles with search on: Archaeological sites for destination: "ERETRIA Ancient city EVIA".
Region: Euboea
Periods: Geometric, Archaic, Classical, Hellenistic
Type: Fortified city
Summary: One of the 4 major city states of Euboea.
Physical Description:
Eretria (the ancient city lies beneath the modern town)
is located on the S edge of the Lelantine plain, on the W coast of Euboea, ca.
18 km S of Chalkis. The Classical city walls enclosed ca. 80 ha of flat ground
between the harbor and the prominent acropolis to the N. The city, which was the
most important in Euboea in the late 4th and early 3rd century B.C., was almost
rectangular in shape, with the sanctuary of Apollo Daphnephoros at its center.
The agora is between the Apollo temenos and the shore. Between the acropolis to
the N and the Apollo temenos are the theater, stadium, gymnasium and other sanctuaries.
Excavations at the West Gate (opening on the road to Chalkis) have located sections
of the late Geometric walls and gate and a late Geometric heroon (hero shrine)
beneath a later Hellenistic palace complex.
Description:
Eretria was listed in the Homeric Catalogue of Ships, but the
location of the earliest city remains uncertain. The Mycenaean and Dark Age settlement
at Lefkandi has been proposed as the site of "Old Eretria," but also as the site
of "Old Chalkis." The earliest evidence for the situation of Eretria at its present
location dates to the late Geometric period. In the Geometric period, Eretria,
along with Chalkis, led the cities of Greece in establishing colonies abroad.
The maritime competition and possibly land disputes between Eretria and Chalkis
may have caused the Lelantine War, one of the earliest reported conflicts between
Greek city-states, which, according to tradition, continued throughout the 8th
century B.C. One outcome of the war may have been the establishment of Eretria
at its present location. The earliest remains at the city, including the West
Gate Heroon, and sections of city walls and city streets (below the Classical
levels) date to the 7th century B.C. In ca. 500 B.C. Eretria contributed ships
and aid to the Ionian Revolt. This resulted in the Persian retaliation in 490
B.C. which caused the destruction of Eretria and enslavement of many of the inhabitants.
In 480 B.C. Eretria had recovered sufficiently to join the Greek forces for the
defeat of the Persians. Eretria then became a member of the Delian League and
remained allied to Athens until 411 B.C. In 411 B.C. Eretria joined (or perhaps
led) the rest of Euboea in a Spartan inspired revolt from Athens. During the short-lived
period of the Euboean League, the city of Eretria flourished. But by the early
4th century Eretria had reestablished good terms with Athens and during the rest
of the century Eretrian political allegiance wavered between Athens and Thebes.
By the end of the century Eretria was under the control of the Macedonians. In
198 B.C. the city was plundered by the Romans and after this time no new building
took place. In 87 B.C. it was finally destroyed in the Mithridatic wars and abandoned.
The area reverted to and remained swamp land until a refugee settlement (Nea Psara)
was located on the site in 1824 A.D.
Exploration:
Cyriacus of Ancona, the traveler, made drawings of sections
of the city walls and the theater in 1436 A.D. Excavations: C. Tsountas, 1886;
C. Waldstein and the American School, 1891-1895 (theater, temple of Dionysos,
2 gymnasia, and parts of city wall); K. Kourounotis between 1897 and 1917 (temple
of Apollo and Archaic West gate); N. Papadakis, 1915; I. Konstantinou, 1952-1956;
and since 1964 joint excavations by the Greek Archaeological Service and the Swiss
Archaeological School.
Donald R. Keller, ed.
This text is cited Oct 2002 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains 32 image(s), bibliography & interesting hyperlinks.
Site: Eretria
Type: Gymnasium
Summary: Partially excavated gymnasium of Greek type, with palaestra
and flanking rooms adapted for bathing; located in the north of the city, at the
foot of the acropolis and to the east of the theater.
Date: ca. 350 B.C. - 175 B.C.
Period: Late Clas./Hell.
Plan:
The plan of the gymnasium is irregular: a large colonnaded palaestra which is
entered from the west anchors the plan, and to its north and north-east smaller
rooms are arranged. Immediately to the north of the palaestra is a rectangular
hall, oriented east-west and entered through a colonnade of four columns. In the
north-east corner of this hall, a narrow passage forms the entrance to an elliptical
tholos. A row of three small rooms lies in a north-south direction at the north-east
of the palaestra; within the two northernmost of these rooms were seven stone
basins with connecting U-shaped water channels. To the west of the tholos were
three small rooms, entered through an exterior porch in the unexcavated western
region.
History:
The original gymnasium dates to the fourth century B.C.; elements which belong
to this early phase are the poros foundations, the peristyle palaestra, and some
interior walls with carefully-constructed limestone socles. The gymnasium was
substantially damaged or destroyed by the Romans in 198 B.C. After this, the gymnasium
was restored in the second century B.C. At this time, the tholos was added, and
the northern wall of the palaestra was extended to the east, cutting across the
row of stone basins.
Other Notes:
The gymnasium was a fundamental structure of the late Classical city, with central
palaestra and nearby rooms with some provision for bathing. The incorporation
of a vaulted tholos or steam room may represent the influence of Italic bath architecture
on Greek gymnasia; the construction technique of the vault, however, is rooted
in the Greek architectural tradition, relying on cut stone instead of mortared
cement. The building is securely identified as a gymnasium by a number of inscriptions
referring to the donation of funds for oil, among other benefactions. The small
room to the west of the tholos, with its central base of Eleusinian limestone,
may have been a sanctuary in which a statue of a benefactor of the gymnasium was
erected.
Sarah Cormack, ed.
This text is cited Nov 2002 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains bibliography & interesting hyperlinks.
Site: Eretria
Type: Heroon
Summary: Inhumation and cremation burials located near West Gate,
surmounted by triangular structure and contained within a peribolos wall.
Date: ca. 750 B.C. - 630 B.C.
Period: Geometric
Plan:
Nineteen burials were located in an area south of the West Gate of the city. Seven
of these were cremation burials, the remaining were inhumation burials. The cremation
burials consisted of bronze cauldrons containing ashes, covered with a lead slab,
the whole area being covered with slabs of stone. Above the burial area was built
a triangular structure, an equilateral triangle of large horizontal stones. The
stone triangle was later circumscribed by a rectangular peribolos wall.
History:
The earliest burials in the area date to ca. 740-730 B.C. At ca. 680 B.C., the
triangular structure was built, effectively marking the end of use of the burial
area. South of the triangle, a large bothros or pit was dug, into which were placed
the remains of sacrifices and banquets which took place at the site throughout
the seventh century. In the late seventh century, a rectangular peribolos wall
was built around the triangle. An oikos or andreion was later built above the
bothros in the archaic period. By the late sixth century, the sanctuary or heroon
was no longer venerated. In the Hellenistic period, the stuccoed walls of the
so-called palace covered the area.
Other Notes:
The area is interpreted as the site of a heroon: the main geometric necropolis
of Eretria lay at least 700 m. to the south, and thus the burials beneath the
triangle of stones represent important, possibly royal, burials. The location
of the burial area, originally outside the city walls but later incorporated within
the fortifications of Eretria, further supports the interpretation that the area
was a sanctuary. The erection of the triangle, and later of the peribolos wall,
indicate attempts to protect and indicate, in a monumental fashion, the burials
below. The presence of the bothros or sacrificial pit also attests to the rituals
which took place. A triangular structure as a feature of burials is rare in the
Geometric and Archaic periods. The triangle is oriented with one of its angles
pointing directly north; this may have been intentional. The triangle appears
to suggest a sacred interdiction of the zone, and its form may be related to the
crossing of ways and the worship of Hekate. Since each burial below was not marked
individually, the triangle also served as a SEMA or sign. The heroon provides
important information concerning the nature of Geometric burials: the form which
the burials took complies with epic, Homeric descriptions of burials of heroes.
The presence of weapons as the most common form of grave goods indicates that
a feudal nobility memorialized their dead, who may have died in battle, and commemorated
them with annual (?) sacrifices at the burial location.
Sarah Cormack, ed.
This text is cited Nov 2002 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains bibliography & interesting hyperlinks.
Site: Eretria
Type: Temple
Summary: Site of the cult of Apollo Daphnephoros at Eretria, with
three principal building phases dating to the eighth, seventh and sixth centuries.
Date: ca. 800 B.C. - 520 B.C.
Period: Geometric
Plan:
The earliest structure at the Apollo sanctuary, an eighth century Geometric hut,
was apsidal in plan, with curving side walls stabilized with posts; this hut-like
structure had a door in its south end, with a porch in front of one central room
or cella. A second structure located just to the east of the first Geometric temple
is interpreted as a hekatompedon of the Geometric period. It is long and narrow
in plan, with an apsidal rear wall and side walls which converge slightly towards
the front (south-east) entrance. There appears to have been no porch. A central
row of posts may have stood in the cella. The early archaic temple is reconstructed
in plan as an Ionic hekatompedon with a peripteros of 6 x 19 columns surrounding
a long, narrow cella without interior colonnade. This temple had neither opisthodomos
nor pronaos. The influence of Ionian temple design is apparent in its plan: the
cella building is related to the peripteros through the alignment of the axes
of the cella walls with the second columns of the facade; similarly, the rear
walls of the cella building are aligned with the second columns on the flanks.
The temple was oriented south-east/north-west, with no apparent explanation for
this unusual orientation. The late archaic temple was a Doric peripteros of 6
x 14 columns, distyle in antis, with pronaos and opisthodomos. Two rows of eight
columns each stood in the cella, aligned with the central two columns of the facade.
The late archaic temple repeats some of the characteristic features of the plan
of the early archaic temple, for example the deep frontal colonnade and the relationship
between the cella building and the peripteral columns.
History:
Four phases of the temple have been recognized: a Geometric hut-like structure
with apsidal walls and a second Geometric temple with apsidal walls, a hekatompedon,
contemporary with or slightly later than the Geometric Daphnephoreion. These structures
are believed to have been levelled at the end of the eighth century B.C. The third
important structure was an early archaic hekatompedon dating to ca. 670-650 B.C.;
the foundations of this early archaic temple lie beneath the Doric peripteral
temple of the late archaic period (ca. 530-520 B.C.) The excavators doubted that
the final temple was completely destroyed by the Persian invasion of 490 B.C.,
as inscriptions indicate that the site remained a cult center in the 4th and 3rd
centuries B.C. The pedimental sculpture depicting Theseus and Antiope fell and
may have been intentionally buried in antiquity, perhaps as a memory of the Persian
destruction. The temple was heavily quarried in the Roman period.
Other Notes:
The earliest structure at the sanctuary, the Geometric period hut, may have had
some sacral function: a foundation deposit was discovered underneath its southwest
anta, and when the Geometric hekatompedon was constructed next to it, the walls
of the apsidal hut were respected, perhaps implying its sacred nature. The absence
of an altar, however, makes the identification of the apsidal hut as a temple
uncertain. An altar located just to the south-east of the Geometric hekatompedon
makes the identification of the structure as a temple almost certain. A building
identified as a bronze foundry dating to the mid-eighth century B.C. was located
ca. 5 m. north of the Geometric hekatompedon; votive figures may have been produced
here. There is little conclusive evidence for the reconstruction of the early
archaic temple as peripteral; the argument for reconstructing columns at this
phase appears to be largely based on an analogy with the second temple of Hera
at Samos. Certain characteristics of the early archaic temple which reappear in
the late archaic temple - wide facade colonnade, relationship of cella building
to peristasis (if it existed in the early archaic temple) - have led scholars
to reflect that these Ionicizing features were already apparent in mainland Greek
architecture of the seventh and sixth centuries B.C. The pediment of the late
archaic temple was decorated with a marble sculptural group depicting Theseus
abducting Antiope, evidence of close political links between Eretria and Athens
at this time.
Sarah Cormack, ed.
This text is cited Nov 2002 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains 6 image(s), bibliography & interesting hyperlinks.
Site: Eretria
Type: Temple
Summary: Temple of Dionysos, located in the north-west of the city,
adjacent to the West Gate; forms an architectural complex with the Theater at
Eretria
Date: ca. 350 B.C.
Period: Late Classical
Plan:
The temple is peripteral in plan, with 6 x 11 columns, distyle in antis, with
a deep pronaos and no opisthodomos. The facade pteron is wider than those of the
rear and flanks. The cella building is aligned with the axes of the second columns
of the short sides, and with the second column from the rear along the flanks.
Due to the wide facade pteron, the antae of the cella building align with the
front face of the third column of the flanks. The temple is reconstructed as having
a three-stepped stylobate.
History:
The construction of the temple was contemporary with the second building phase
of the Theater at Eretria , in the mid-fourth century B.C. The temple was destroyed
by ca. 200 B.C., when elements of the frieze of the temple were reused in the
West Gate nearby. After this date, the temple was quarried and nothing is preserved
of its superstructure.
Other Notes:
Foundations in front of the temple (to the east) indicate the location of the
altar, and statues. The altar is not axially aligned with the temple, but lies
slightly to the south. It has been proposed that the altar was a religious focal
point for the Theater at Eretria which lies just to the north, as well as for
the temple. The altar was approached by steps which were probably flanked by projecting
walls. The temple combines Doric and Ionic features: the alignment of the antae
of the cella with the second columns of the facade, in Doric fashion, and the
deep pronaos, typical of Ionic temples. The proportions of the cella building,
20:50 attic feet, are also characteristically Ionic.
Sarah Cormack, ed.
This text is cited Nov 2002 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains bibliography & interesting hyperlinks.
Site: Eretria
Type: Theater
Summary: Theater located inside the West Gate, in the north-west
of the city beneath the acropolis and to the north of the Temple of Dionysos
Date: ca. 400 B.C. - 150 B.C.
Period: Late Clas./Hell.
Plan:
A theater with central circular orchestra and semi-circular arrangement of seats,
divided by stairs into eleven wedges or cunei. In front of the orchestra stood
the stage building with proscenium and parascenia. The auditorium is calculated
to have been able to accommodate ca. 6300 people. A curious feature of the plan
is the presence of a below-ground staircase leading from the rear of the stage
building to the center of the orchestra; characters representing underworld figures
could emerge via this passageway.
History:
Three major construction phases of the stage building have been recognized. The
date of the earliest stage building is disputed: some place it in the fifth century
B.C. (Fiechter 1937, 39); others dispute this early date and place the earliest
stage building, with wooden proscenium, in the late fourth century B.C. (Dinsmoor
1975, 249). The first stage building consisted of a rectangular structure with
five rooms and three central doorways, facing a circular orchestra and an auditorium,
probably of wooden scaffolding. The parascenia or projecting rooms were linked
across the facade by a row of columns, whose stylobate is preserved. The southern
wall of the western parodos is preserved from this early period. In keeping with
the change in dramatic representation required by the demands of New Comedy, this
first stage building was altered. First, a stone substructure elevated the old
(wooden) stage building, transforming it into an episcenium. This lower structure
then received additional alterations, including a new stone proscenium. The most
significant alteration of the second construction phase, however, was the sinking
of the level of the orchestra by ca. 3.35 m., and the removal of the orchestra
ca. 8 m. to the north. A vaulted passageway was built below the second stage building
to connect the new level of the orchestra with the area to the south of the old
stage building. At this time, the seats of the auditorium were also constructed
out of poros. Again, there is uncertainty over the date of this alteration, which
is stated to have taken place either in the mid-fourth or mid-third century B.C.
After the destruction of the city by the Romans in 198 B.C., the theater was again
restored, although it is unclear whether the marble proscenium was built before
or after this destruction. The foundations of the earliest stage building were
again employed, and many reused blocks were used, for example in the thresholds
between the doors of the proscenium.
Sarah Cormack, ed.
This text is cited Nov 2002 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains 6 image(s), bibliography & interesting hyperlinks.
The Swiss School of Archaeology in Greece, has been excavating the remains of the ancient site of Eretria in Euboea.
From the Western gate the road leads us to a unique ancient monument,
the ancient theatre of Eretria. It is built on an artificial hill which the Eretrians
made because there was no amphitheatric area. It is very large (it holds 6.300
people) and well-constructed. The first and main part of the theatre was built
in the Early 4th century B.C. and the rest was built in the late classical period.
In 198 B.C. it was badly damaged by the Romans but it was reconstructed
and the orchestra was then added. From the stage, which was double, Ionic and
Doric pillars have been preserved.
The temple of Dionysus was built at the same time as the theatre with
which it is closely associated.
This text (extract) is cited May 2003 from the Prefecture
of Evia tourist pamphlet (1997).
One of the first monuments that was excavated was the temple of Apollo
the "Laurel-crowned" which was built during the Lilandian war (8-7th
century B.C.) and is an unusual combination of Doric and Ionian style of architecture.
The word "laurel-crowned" shows the connection it had with Delphi.
The worship of the God at both towns, Eretria and Delphi
has a special relationship as we can see from the early vaulted temple at Delphi
and from the marble navel found there and which is exhibited in Eretria
museum.
This text (extract) is cited May 2003 from the Prefecture
of Evia tourist pamphlet (1997).
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