Pausanias hailed the cenotaph of Pythionice as Greece’s grandest funerary structure. Situated near the Sacred Way, on the edge of the deme Hermos, it was notably expensive, costing an astonishing thirty talents. Dicaearchus, a 4th-century BCE philosopher, noted its hilltop location, which offered the first glimpse of Athens’ Acropolis to those arriving from Eleusis. This matches the hill in Haidari, crowned by the small Prophet Elias church, offering a stunning view. However, the monument’s creators intended more to assert its grandeur than to capitalise on the scenic outlook.
Initially, onlookers mistook the cenotaph for a public edifice honouring a distinguished Athenian like Miltiades, Kimon, or Pericles. Pythionice, a renowned courtesan with a successful stint in Corinth and Athens, eventually caught the eye of Macedonian aristocrat Harpalus, Alexander the Great’s treasurer in Babylon. As Alexander embarked on his Indian campaign, Harpalus indulged in luxuries using embezzled royal funds. Despite his lavish lifestyle, Harpalus faced tragedy when Pythionice (whom he had married) died, sending him into deep sorrow. With his wealth, he sought to memorialise her majestically, constructing a tomb in Babylon, the celebrated cenotaph on the Sacred Way, and a temple by the Indus River, where local sorcerers claimed they could conjure Pythionice’s spirit.
Although thorough investigations were carried out, no architectural remnants definitively linked to Pythionice’s monument have been identified. Ancient accounts don’t detail the cenotaph, focusing instead on its impact. Marble from Pythionice’s monument may have been repurposed for constructing the Daphni monastery, as suggested by a large lime kiln found at the base of Prophet Elias hill’s, dating back to the Frankish or Ottoman era.
