A Monumental Stepped Statue Base in the Athenian Agora

by Elizabeth P. Baltes

Hesperia, Volume 89, Issue 2
Page(s): 339-377
Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.2972/hesperia.89.2.0339
Year: 2020
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ABSTRACT:

This article examines a prominent but overlooked feature of the landscape of the Athenian Agora: a monumental stepped base located at the north corner of the east wall of the Odeion. Archaeological evidence suggests that this monument was one of such importance that the construction of the Odeion accommodated the existing monument rather than displacing it. By integrating archaeological and literary evidence and leveraging 3D-modeling techniques, this article suggests that the stepped base is a strong candidate for the Tyrannicides monument. The permanence of this monument in the landscape helps challenge the persistent narrative of aggressive Romanization within the Agora.