Monument of Lysikrates

Monument of Lysikrates

Monument of Lysikrates
3.7
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The area

Address
Neighborhood: Plaka
Due to its proximity to the Acropolis, Plaka remains the area where the majority of foreign visitors stay and play. Its attractive features include small squares, some notable museums and the beautiful Mitropolis cathedral, as well as a host of places to stay, eat and drink. Its pedestrian zones make it a pleasant place to escape from the city’s notorious traffic. Adrianou and Kidathineon Streets contain a number of souvenir shops, offering classier items than you will find in the Flea Market. The most rewarding section to explore is the upper reaches towards the Acropolis itself, where many old stone houses with tiled roofs have survived. Up here you can find leafier corners and the odd quaint taverna with unobstructed views of the ancient rock.
How to get there
  • Akropoli • 6 min walk
  • Syntagma • 9 min walk

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

3.7
3.7 of 5 bubbles175 reviews
Excellent
31
Very good
67
Average
70
Poor
7
Terrible
0

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Mairwen1
United Kingdom12,410 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2023 • Couples
This ancient and imposing marble monument, stands 4 metres high and was erected in 334BC. It looks oddly out of place, sitting along the roadside. We walked past it on our way to the Acropolis and almost overlooked it because of its incongruous position.
Lysikrates had the monument built to celebrate a prize-winning play that he’d sponsored. Clearly he was not one to be humble in victory.
However, theatrical and musical performances were costly business and relied upon generous benefactors like Lysikrates to foot the bill for costumes, masks, construction of sets and scenery and so on. Lysikrates was not alone and it was common for wealthy Athenians to act as patrons of the theatre and arts.
The monument is easily viewed from the road so there’s no entry fee.
What you see here is a very large, solid circular structure. Mock Corinthian columns run around its girth and a decorative frieze runs around the top. It was hard to make out much of the frieze details from ground level, but I later learnt that it shows scenes from the life of Dionysus, god of theatre.
At the very top is a large acanthus-like decoration and a copy of the bronze trophy, which was the prize won by Lysikrates and his play.
Written October 30, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Maria Solange O
Farroupilha, RS31,463 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2023 • Friends
The cylindrical monument is located on Calle de los Trípodes, near the Acropolis. It was built to celebrate the 1st prize with a choir of men obtained by Lysikrates. The monument almost goes unnoticed.
Google
Written September 23, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

PATO-BETO
San Martin, Argentina21,078 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2023 • Couples
We found it while we were walking with my husband through the Plaka neighborhood, near the Acropolis. It is a cylindrical monument about ten meters high, on a square pedestal. Made in honor of Lysicrates who won a prize with a performance at the Theater of Dionysus, the largest in ancient Greece. The construction was in the year 335 BC.
Google
Written January 23, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Harald Gracholski
Cologne, Germany7,145 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2020
The monument of Lysikrates is a worthwhile little landmark that is located in a cute little square in the middle of a lively, urban area. The probably most noteworthy fact, at least to me, was that Lord Byron visited the sight as part of his Greek travels and stayed at the monastery during this time. Not necessarily a must-see monument, but easy to combine with other, more famous landmarks, such as the Parthenon, so no detour required.
Written June 8, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Brianngog
Cyprus11,695 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2022 • Couples
We by chance were walking back to our Hotel and wandered down a street we hadn’t seen previously and there in front of us standing proudly was the Monument of Lysikrates. Now this piece of Ancient Greek History could - odd as it may seem - easily be missed. It appeared that a large number of people wandering by were more interested in the little shops. Their loss I’d say.
Written August 2, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

permia
Ireland68,402 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2020
Being the first structure to feature Corinthian columns on the exterior, it’s an especial precious monument to survive extant.

In the Plaka centre it makes for a wonderful edifice with an origin stretching back millennia.

Built in the mid 330s BCE by the wealthy Athenian Lysicrates, a Choregos who financed music and dramas in the ancient theatre.
Written May 22, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Eileen108
Mount Shasta, CA5,982 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2019
This monument is worth a visit just because it is there in the midst of so many other worthy sights. But when I visited, the info poster, even though behind a plastic case, was badly damaged and hardly readable. I hope the authorities will take notice and replace it, if they haven't already.
Written September 4, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Lefteris_Kar
Volos, Greece20 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2011 • Friends
It’s a small circular temple. You will see it walking in Plaka district. It was erected to commemorate the Greater Dionysis series of plays and was one of many that used to line the street of Tripods now called Tripodon St. It is made of stone from Poros Island. The monument its self is 21' high and it is impressive and well preserved.
Written September 30, 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Azulado_01
Wellesley, MA358 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2014 • Family
This monument appears discrete, however, if you have the chance to read about it you would certainly enjoy it.
Written September 6, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Razorfish
Little Rock, AR5,490 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2022 • Couples
My wife and I just happened to walk past the Monument of Lysikrates on our way to the Arch of Hadrian and the Temple of Olympian Zeus. The most interesting thing to me was that Lord Byron visited during his travels in Greece and stayed at the monastery which was later destroyed by the Ottomans.
Written September 23, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Monument of Lysikrates, Athens

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