Choragic Monument of Thrasyllos, Ancient memorial structure near the Theater of Dionysus, Athens, Greece
The Choragic Monument of Thrasyllos is an ancient victory monument set into the rock face directly above the Theater of Dionysus in Athens. It consists of a marble wall with two wide doorways, side pilasters, and a central pillar placed in front of a natural cave in the cliff.
Thrasyllos built this monument in 320-319 BCE to mark his win at a dramatic competition held during the Dionysian festivals. His son Thrasycles later expanded and reworked the structure, giving it much of the form it held into late antiquity.
The monument carries ten olive wreaths carved into its frieze, each marking a victory in a theatrical competition. In ancient Athens, a choregos was a wealthy citizen who funded a chorus for the Dionysian festivals, and this structure was his way of making that achievement permanent.
The monument sits along Dionysiou Areopagitou Street, within easy walking distance of the Akropoli metro station. It is best visited alongside the Theater of Dionysus below it, as both sites share the same area at the southern base of the Acropolis hill.
The bronze tripod that once stood on top of the monument as the trophy for winning the competition was later replaced by a statue of Dionysus. The ancient travel writer Pausanias mentioned seeing that statue during his visit to Athens in the 2nd century CE.
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