Choragic Monument of Lysicrates, Ancient Greek monument in Plaka, Greece
The Choragic Monument of Lysicrates is an ancient structure in Plaka, the oldest neighborhood of Athens, built from Pentelic and Hymettian marble. The circular form rests on a square base and supports six slender columns that carry a continuous frieze decorated with relief carvings.
Lysicrates commissioned the structure after winning a theatrical contest in 334 before the common era. Capuchin friars later incorporated it into their monastery and used the interior as a study room.
The monument stands along the ancient Street of Tripods, where wealthy sponsors displayed bronze tripods received as prizes for theatrical performances.
The structure stands in a small square at the junction of three lanes southeast of the Acropolis. Visitors reach it on foot through the narrow streets of Plaka, passing shops and taverns.
A bronze tripod that Lysicrates received as his prize once crowned the roof. That element disappeared over the centuries, while the marble structure has survived to this day.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
