the encyclopedia of ancient history || menidi in attica
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Menidi in AtticaALEXANDRA-FANI ALEXANDRIDOU
Modern Menidi, situated south of Mount
Parnes in Attica, has been identified with the
ancient deme of ACHARNAI, which, according to
Thucydides (2.19), was the most populated
Attic deme. The area is one of the most fertile
of Attica, and the deme occupied an important
strategic position. Literary sources provide
information for the deme, with Pausanias
(1.31.6) being the richest. According to him,
the locals venerated ATHENA, HERAKLES (HERCU-
LES), DIONYSOS, and APOLLO. A number of finds,
mostly dedicatory inscriptions or reliefs, verify
to some extent the author’s account. The ear-
liest archaeological evidence from the area goes
back to the Late Helladic period (1330–1150
BCE). To this era belongs the most monumental
and well-preserved Mycenaean tholos tomb
known from Attica, which has been excavated
3.5 km south of Menidi, at the site of modern
Lykotrypa. It was richly furnished and seems to
have contained an important person living in
the vicinity, maybe a local ruler. By the end of
the eighth century and until the early fifth
century, the tomb became the focus of ances-
tor cult. Its dromos revealed a large number
of offerings such as perfume, oil and drink-
ing vessels, horse figurines, clay pinakes, and
miniature terracotta shields. The richness of
the finds points to wealthy dedicators of the
area, while the cult was of a long duration.
The burials excavated in Acharnai point to
continuous occupation of the area after the
Mycenaean era. The discovered graves date
from the eleventh to the sixth centuries, cover-
ing the Geometric and Archaic periods. How-
ever, the burial evidence from the classical and
Hellenistic periods is richer, since most of the
recently excavated cemeteries date from the
fifth to the second century BCE. No domestic
evidence, however, has come to light yet.
Habitation quarters are known from the
Roman and Late Roman periods. Very recently,
rescue excavations brought to light part of
the ancient theater of Acharnai, which archae-
ologists have been trying to locate for years.
It is of semi-circular design, probably dating to
the second half of the fourth century BCE, and
is one of the seven theaters of the demoi of
Attica, of which remains have been preserved.
It is of immense importance, since it defines
the center of the ancient demos.
SEE ALSO: Ancestors, worship of; Athens.
REFERENCES AND SUGGESTED READINGS
Lolling, H. G. (1887). “Zum Kuppelgrab bei
Menidi.” Mitteilungen des Deutschen
Archaologischen Instituts, Abteilung Athen 12:
139–40.
Lolling, H. G., Bohn, R., Furtwangler, A., and
Kohler, U. (1880) Das Kuppelgrab bei Menidi.
Athens.
Platonos-Giota, M. (2004).Αwarnaί. Ιstοrikή kaiΤοpοgrajikή ΕpiskόpZsZ ton arwaίonΑwarnώn, ton geitοnikώn dήmon kai tonοwurώseon tZς PάrnZyaς. Acharnai.
Travlos, J. (1988) Bildlexikon zur Topographie des
antiken Attika: 1–6. Tubingen.
The Encyclopedia of Ancient History, First Edition. Edited by Roger S. Bagnall, Kai Brodersen, Craige B. Champion, Andrew Erskine,
and Sabine R. Huebner, print pages 4439–4440.
© 2013 Blackwell Publishing Ltd. Published 2013 by Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
DOI: 10.1002/9781444338386.wbeah02119
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