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Philopappos monument Dimitrios Constantin The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles © J. Paul Getty Trust. Public Domain CC0 -
View from Philopappus Sir William Gell The British Museum © The Trustees of the British Museum -
Sculpture on the monument of Philopappus Sir William Gell The British Museum © The Trustees of the British Museum -
Monument of Philopappus Sir William Gell The British Museum © The Trustees of the British Museum -
View from the monument of Philopappus Sir William Gell The British Museum © The Trustees of the British Museum -
Monument of Philopappus Sir William Gell The British Museum © The Trustees of the British Museum
Adorning the hill opposite the Acropolis of Athens, at the summit of the Hill of the Muses, stands the monument of Philopappos (65–116 CE). He was the grandson of Antiochus IV, the last King of the Commagene, and appointed as consul of Athens – an honorary title at the time – in the early 2nd century CE. The monument was erected in 114-116 CE by the Athenian citizens in his honour. Today, it is a fascinating archaeological monument, revealing layers of history through its architectural remains.
The first excavation was carried out in 1898, followed by restoration works in 1899. Further works in the 20th century revealed its use as the mausoleum of Philopappos, with a 9 metres high burial chamber, covering an area of 7 by 5 metres. For its construction, Pentelic marble was used, while its limestone base is lined with marble from Mount Hymettus. The overall dimensions of the monument are 9.8 by 9.3 metres and the facade is partially preserved, while only the northeastern side of the mausoleum survives, externally decorated with reliefs representing episodes from the life of Philopappos.
On the upper zone of the side that is preserved there were three niches with statues, of which only the two representing Antiochus IV and Philopappos are still extant. The third one, representing Seleucus I Nicator, has been lost. The figures have been identified from inscriptions provided by Cyriacus of Ancona, an Italian merchant and humanist who visited the monument in 1436 and reported that it stood intact.
The central figure of Philopappos, facing the Parthenon, is impressive if one considers that the monument itself is an exception to the funerary customs of the Athenians, who did not typically erect burial monuments on elevated or sacred grounds. According to tradition, the mythical Musaeus, a poet and disciple of Orpheus, perhaps his son, was buried on the hill of the Muses. The construction of Philopappos’ mausoleum on the hill seems to resonate with traditions from his homeland, Commagene, where kings were buried on mountaintops (hierothesia). If this hypothesis is valid, the monument is indicative of the syncretism of Greek, Eastern and Roman elements.
It is not known when the greater part of the building collapsed in modern times. Archaeological research has led to the conclusion that some of its architectural parts appear to have been used in the Minaret constructed at the Parthenon during the period of Ottoman rule.
