The marble monument to the Roman consul from the Commagene Kingdom, Gaius Julius Antiochus Epiphanes Philopappos, which is crowning the Museion hill to the southwest of the Acropolis, is the tomb of a member of the Commagene royal family. It was a small Hellenistic kingdom in south-eastern Turkey and northern Syria. The Roman emperor Vespasian annexed the kingdom in 72, and the royal family was expelled.
Philopappos died in 114 (or 116), and his death was a great grief for his sister Julia Bilbilla, for citizens of Athens, and possibly for the imperial family. In order to commemorate Philopappos, Julia and the citizens of Athens erected a tomb on the hill of Muses, near the Acropolis of Athens. Today the hill is also known as the Philopappos Hill.
The Greek geographer Pausanias describes the great tomb of Philopappos as a monument built for a Syrian man.
The monument to Philopappos was erected by the Athenians in honour of the great benefactor of their city, the exiled Prince of Commagene, Julius Antiochus Philopappos, who had settled in Athens, had become a citizen, and had assumed civil and religious duties. According to Pausanias, the monument was built on the same site where Musai, a priest and mystical seer of the 6th century BC, had been previously buried.
The perimeter of the Philopappos monument in Athens, Greece is 9.80 x 9.30 metres; there is a burial chamber inside it. It was built of white pentelic marble on a 3.08 metres high basement and was faced with slabs of hymettian marble. On the northern side of the monument, from where the Acropolis is visible, there was a facade decorated with rich architectural decor. The monument is a two-storey structure, on the upper level of which three statues were installed: the one to Antiochus IV — on the left, in the centre — the statue to Philopappos himself and the one Seleucus Nicator — on the right (the right part has not been preserved).
In 1898, excavations were carried out in the area of the monument, and in the following year, the conservation work was carried out. In 1940, G. A. Thompson and J. Travlos held a small additional excavation.
The results of the recent research confirmed that the architectural parts of the monument's superstructure were used for the construction of the minaret in the Parthenon.
Two-thirds of the facade have survived to this day. The tomb behind the frontispiece had been completely destroyed, except for the base. However, in the 15th century, the monument was still intact; we know this from the testimony of the Italian traveller Siriaco de Pizzicoli, who visited the monument in 1436 and mentioned in his memoirs that it was not damaged.
An inscription made in the 6th century BC in the rocks near the church of Agia Marina suggests that this place may have previously been a temple dedicated to Zeus.
The monument to Philopappos on the top of the same-name hill was built in the 2nd century.
This man was a powerful nobleman and a friend of the Roman emperor Trajan; he admired Greek culture and lived for a long time in Athens. He was known as a philanthropist and often sponsored theatrical plays. Philopappos was also a citizen of Rome and held several very important positions during the reign of Trajan.
After Philopappos' death, the Athenians allowed him to be buried in this very elaborate mausoleum directly opposite the Acropolis, within the formal boundaries of the city, and built a marble tomb and monument to the consul.
The location of the tomb testifies to the high position of Philopappos in Athenian society.
The monument, erected between 114 and 116 years, is 12 metres high. It was built on the highest point of the Philopappos hill. Today, the ruins of the niche with the statues of Philopappos and his grandfather Antiochus IV are still visible. The frieze under the niches depicts Philopappos entering the city of Athens in 109 as a Roman consul.
The hill was planted with pine trees at the beginning of the 20th century by King Paul's daughter Sofia, and later by the Spanish queen Sofia.
In 2002, in Athens a movement began for the protection of Philopappos hill where the monument was located.
The area of 173 acres (70 ha) was declared to be an archaeological park in 1955-1956. It is home to local birds, including the Athenian owl and peregrine falcon, and an important stop point for many migrating birds. In total, there are about 94 different species of birds. The area also has a harmonious population of land turtles and bats.
In addition, the park is known for its beautiful landscape and stone paths created by the architect Dimitris Pikionis. In 1996, the Ministry of culture declared the works of Pikionis a monument of modern architecture. UNESCO also added them to the protected monuments of cultural heritage. Since the early 2000s, the visitors to the site climbed the hill to honour the memory of the dead comrades. It happened that these visitors were taking alcoholic drinks. Soon, the public and the authorities became concerned about the impact of alcohol on the stones. That is why nowadays it is allowed to hold such ceremonies only with water. For more than 10 years, the residents of the surrounding hills were opposing the plans of the Ministry of culture to fence off the entire 173-acre area and to restrict access for visitors, to impose working hours and to pay entry fees.
To this day, the movement believes that the best protection of the historical monument and of the hill is provided by love, care and active participation of the local population. Thanks to their perseverance, one of the most beautiful places in Athens remains free of charge and open for everybody day and night.
The Athenian hill and the monument to Philopappos itself respectively, are located to the southwest of the Acropolis. The best way to get to the hill is from the main entrance to the Acropolis. Following the pedestrian zone, you will find yourself at the back of a hill that offers a magnificent view, which is one of the best in Athens.
You can also walk to the hill along other trails. Each of them fascinates with the beauty of nature and spectacular views. The most famous path is the one that goes up the stairs starting from the Akamantos Street of Thiseion to the hill of Nymphs.
If you take the metro, get off at the Acropolis station (red line) or Monastiraki station (green line).
If you are driving, the nearest parking areas are located near the Acropolis and below, near the Acropolis Museum. Park your car on Mitropolis street, you can easily reach the Philopappos hill on foot from there.
Access to the monument is available within 24 hours.
The Athenians come here on "Clean Monday", the first day of Orthodox lent, to have a picnic and fly kites.
This is one of the best viewing points in the city, with excellent views of the Acropolis, the city landscape and the sea.
Near the monument to Philopappos, on the hill where it was erected, there are many other interesting historical attractions, such as the prison of Socrates, the temple of Saint Demetrius, the Pnyx and the fountain of Pnyx, the sanctuary of Pandion and the cave of the deaf man. Each landmark is marked by a pointer with explanations, historical information and photos.
