Stoibadeion, Dionysus sanctuary on Delos, Greece

The Stoibadeion is a sanctuary of Dionysus on Delos, built as a rectangular platform. It held a statue of Dionysus flanked by two actors as Papposilenoi, now in the Delos Museum. Two pillars once each supported a large phallus; the southern pillar carries reliefs on three sides and an inscription.

The southern pillar of the Stoibadeion carries an inscription stating it was erected around 300 BCE by a Delian named Carystios, who paid for a victorious theatrical performance. The sanctuary itself is a rectangular platform for Dionysus, flanked by two pillars that each once supported a large phallus.

The southern pillar carries reliefs on three sides: a peacock with its tail fanned, groups of Dionysus and a maenad, a small Silenus and a figure of Pan. An inscription states that a Delian named Carystios erected the pillar around 300 BCE to mark a victorious theatrical performance he had sponsored.

The site sits in the open air among other ancient ruins on the Delos excavation grounds. Sturdy footwear helps you navigate the uneven stone surfaces safely, especially on sunny days when the ground becomes hot to the touch.

The southern pillar carries an inscription naming Carystios, a Delian who paid for a victorious theatrical production around 300 BCE and set up the monument in thanks. Its reliefs were long read as a cockerel with a phallus neck; scholars now identify the central image as a peacock with tail fanned.