Eleutherae
Encyclopedia
Eleutherae is a city in the northern part of Attica
, bordering the territory of Boeotia
. One of the best preserved fortresses of the Ancient Greece
stands now on the spot of Ancient Eleutherae with walls of very fine masonry that average 2.6m thick. A stretch of wall 206m long containing six towers stands along the northern edge of the site. The foundations of two more towers are present. Although not as well preserved, the line of the remainder of the fortification circuit is clear, as is the location of four gates. The fortified area is c. 113 by 290m in extent.
Eleuther
, in mythology, son of Apollo
and Aethusa
, was regarded as the founder of Eleutherae. Dionysis Festival is believed to have been established throughout Greece
when Eleutherae chose to become part of Attica and presented a statue of the god Dionysus
to Athens. It was rejected by the Athenians, and, soon after, Athens was hit with a plague. Out of fear for Dionysus, the Athenians celebrated the Dionysia festival by running a procession of people carrying phalloi, and saved the city from further destruction. In the 2nd century CE, the periegetic writer Pausanias
wrote:
Famous historical figures originate from here, such as Myron of Eleutherae, who was a famous craftsman
known primarily for his Discobolus
(discus thrower) and his son, Lycius
, a sculptor.
Attica
Attica is a historical region of Greece, containing Athens, the current capital of Greece. The historical region is centered on the Attic peninsula, which projects into the Aegean Sea...
, bordering the territory of Boeotia
Boeotia
Boeotia, also spelled Beotia and Bœotia , is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the region of Central Greece. It was also a region of ancient Greece. Its capital is Livadeia, the second largest city being Thebes.-Geography:...
. One of the best preserved fortresses of the Ancient Greece
Ancient Greece
Ancient Greece is a civilization belonging to a period of Greek history that lasted from the Archaic period of the 8th to 6th centuries BC to the end of antiquity. Immediately following this period was the beginning of the Early Middle Ages and the Byzantine era. Included in Ancient Greece is the...
stands now on the spot of Ancient Eleutherae with walls of very fine masonry that average 2.6m thick. A stretch of wall 206m long containing six towers stands along the northern edge of the site. The foundations of two more towers are present. Although not as well preserved, the line of the remainder of the fortification circuit is clear, as is the location of four gates. The fortified area is c. 113 by 290m in extent.
Eleuther
Eleuther
In Greek mythology, the name Eleuther may refer to:*Eleuther, son of Apollo and Aethusa. He is renowned for having an excellent singing voice, which earned him a victory at the Pythian games, and for having been the first to erect a statue of Dionysus, as well as for having given his name to...
, in mythology, son of Apollo
Apollo
Apollo is one of the most important and complex of the Olympian deities in Greek and Roman mythology...
and Aethusa
Aethusa
Aethusa was in Greek mythology a daughter of Poseidon and Alcyone, who was beloved by Apollo, and bore to him Eleuther.The word aethusa was used as an epithet for a portico that was open to the sun, that is, Apollo....
, was regarded as the founder of Eleutherae. Dionysis Festival is believed to have been established throughout Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
when Eleutherae chose to become part of Attica and presented a statue of the god Dionysus
Dionysus
Dionysus was the god of the grape harvest, winemaking and wine, of ritual madness and ecstasy in Greek mythology. His name in Linear B tablets shows he was worshipped from c. 1500—1100 BC by Mycenean Greeks: other traces of Dionysian-type cult have been found in ancient Minoan Crete...
to Athens. It was rejected by the Athenians, and, soon after, Athens was hit with a plague. Out of fear for Dionysus, the Athenians celebrated the Dionysia festival by running a procession of people carrying phalloi, and saved the city from further destruction. In the 2nd century CE, the periegetic writer Pausanias
Pausanias (geographer)
Pausanias was a Greek traveler and geographer of the 2nd century AD, who lived in the times of Hadrian, Antoninus Pius and Marcus Aurelius. He is famous for his Description of Greece , a lengthy work that describes ancient Greece from firsthand observations, and is a crucial link between classical...
wrote:
When you have turned from Eleusis to Boeotia you come to the Plataean land, which borders on Attica. Formerly Eleutherae formed the boundary (of Boiotia) on the side towards Attica, but when it came over to the Athenians henceforth the boundary of Boeotia was Cithaeron. The reason why the people of Eleutherae came over was not because they were reduced by war, but because they desired to share Athenian citizenship and hated the Thebans. In this plain is a temple of Dionysus, from which the old wooden image was carried off to Athens. The image at Eleutherae at the present day is a copy of the old one.
Description of Greece 1.38.8
Famous historical figures originate from here, such as Myron of Eleutherae, who was a famous craftsman
Artisan
An artisan is a skilled manual worker who makes items that may be functional or strictly decorative, including furniture, clothing, jewellery, household items, and tools...
known primarily for his Discobolus
Discobolus
The Discobolus of Myron is a famous Greek sculpture that was completed towards the end of the Severe period, circa 460-450 BC. The original Greek bronze is lost...
(discus thrower) and his son, Lycius
Lycius (sculptor)
Lycius was an ancient Greek sculptor active in the middle decades of the 5th century BCE. Ancient sources identify him as son of Myron of Eleutherae. He sculpted bronze horses and humans for a cavalry monument dedicated on the. He also did architecture on the Athenian Acropolis ....
, a sculptor.