The Stoa of Philon stands as a testament to Athens’ ambition to bestow the Telesterion with a grand architectural presence. Initiated shortly after 360 BCE, the construction spanned several decades, reaching completion by Philon under Demetrius of Phalerum (317-307 BCE). Vitruvius, the Roman author and architect, notably remarked that “when Demetrius of Phalerum gained absolute power in Athens, Philon turned the temple into a prostyle by adding columns to its facade”. Evidence of this extensive project is found in an inscription mentioning payments for transporting column drums from the Mount Penteli quarries to Eleusis.
Today’s remnants of the Stoa barely reflect Philon’s elaborate design. Only the foundations, floor, some column drums, and a few pieces of the superstructure survive. The Athenians, prioritising structural integrity, laid the foundations directly on natural bedrock, digging deeply as evidenced by the southeast corner of the foundation with its eighteen stone layers. Some of these stones still bear mason’s marks. Local Eleusinian limestone was used for the floor and steps, while the rest of the Stoa was constructed using Pentelic marble. Of the original fourteen Doric columns, only parts of the lower drums remain. The elliptical grooves at the column bases indicate they were intended as guides for sculpting the columns’ fluting, but the unfinished, clogged state of the existing drums suggests that this aspect of the work was never completed. Additionally, the metopes and pediment of the gallery were left unadorned.
The Stoa of Philon suffered significant damage during the Costoboci raid in the summer of 170 CE. Nevertheless, it underwent prompt repairs and continued to function until the eventual decline of Demeter’s sanctuary.
