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ThePhilopappos Monument (Greek:Μνημείο Φιλοπάππου,Mnimío Philopáppou,[mniˈmiofiloˈpapu]) is anancient Romanmausoleum andmonument dedicated toGaius Julius Antiochus EpiphanesPhilopappos orPhilopappus (Greek:Γάιος Ιούλιος Αντίοχος Επιφανής Φιλόπαππος, 65–116 AD), a prince from theKingdom of Commagene. It is located on Mouseion Hill inAthens,Greece, southwest of theAcropolis.
Philopappos died in 116 AD, and his death caused great grief to his sisterJulia Balbilla, citizens of Athens and possibly to the imperial family. As a dedication to honor the memory of Philopappos, Balbilla with the citizens of Athens erected a tomb structure onMuses Hill (Λόφος Μουσών) near theAcropolis of Athens. His marble tomb monument is still known as the Philopappos (or Philopappou) Monument, and the hill is today known asPhilopappou Hill (Λόφος Φιλοπάππου).
The Greek geographerPausanias describes Philopappos' grand tomb as amonument built for a Syrian man.[1] The monument was built on the same site where Mousaios orMusaeus, a 6th-century BC priestly poet and mystical seer, was held to have been buried. The location of this tomb, opposite the Acropolis and within formal boundaries of the city, shows the high position Philopappos had within Athenian society.
Philopappos' monument is a two-story structure, supported by a base. On the lower level there is a frieze representing Philopappos as aconsul, riding on a chariot and led bylictors. The upper level shows statues of three men: ofAntiochus IV on the left, of Philopappos in the centre and ofSeleucus I Nicator, now lost, on the right.
In the niche below Philopappos is an inscription inGreek:Φιλόπαππος Επιφάνους Βησαιεύς ("Philopappos, son of Epiphanes of thedeme of the Besa"). This was the name Philopappos carried as an Athenian citizen. In the niche left of Philopappos, a Latin inscription records Philopappos' titles, honors and his career as aRoman magistrate: "Caius Iulius Antiochus Philopappos, son of Caius, of the Fabian tribe, consul and Arval brother, admitted to the praetorian rank by the emperor Caesar NervaTrajan OptimusAugustus Germanicus Dacicus". On the right niche of Philopappos once stood a Greek inscription (now only the base is preserved):Βασιλεύς Αντίοχος Φιλόπαππος Βασιλέως Επιφανούς Αντιόχου ("King Antiochus Philopappos, son of King Antiochus Epiphanes").
Below the statue of Antiochus IV, Philopappos' paternal grandfather, is an inscription that states "King Antiochus son of King Antiochus". This inscription honors Antiochus IV and his late father, the last independent ruler of theKingdom of Commagene, KingAntiochus III Epiphanes. When Antiochus III died in 17, Commagene was annexed by theRoman EmperorTiberius and became a part of theRoman Empire. Below the statue of Seleucus I, the founder of theSeleucid Empire from whom the Commagene kings claimed descent, stood another inscription, now lost. The travellerCyriacus of Ancona wrote in his memoir that underneath the inscription stated "King Seleucus Nicator, son of Antiochus".
The monument measures 9.80 by 9.30 metres (32.2 ft × 30.5 ft), and contains Philopappos' burial chamber. The structure is built of whitePentelic marble on asocle 3.08 metres (10.1 ft) high, made of porous marble and veneered with slabs ofHymettian marble. The north side of Philopappos' monument bears lavish architectural decorations.
Prior to modern excavations, the most notable description of the monument was a drawing of the monument originating from the 13 century AD by Cyriacus from Ancona (1391-1452). Cyriacus, a travelling merchant, provided illustrations along with written letters to correspond with the verbal descriptions of what he saw in his travels. These primary anecdotes serve as evidence of how the structures appeared in the past, before they were either removed or deteriorated further.[2]
In 1898, excavations were carried out at the monument and in 1899 conservation work was undertaken. In 1940, archaeologists H. A. Thompson and J. Travlos conducted small additional excavations. Recent[when?] investigations have certified that architectural parts of Philopappos' Monument were used for construction of the minaret in theParthenon under theOttomans.[citation needed]
Only two-thirds of the façade remains. The tomb chamber behind the façade is completely destroyed except for the base. The Philopappos Monument was apparently still intact in 1436, when the travellerCiriaco de' Pizzicolli visited the monument and wrote in his memoirs that the monument was still intact. The destruction of the monument must have occurred after this time.
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37°58′03″N23°43′16″E / 37.967427°N 23.721183°E /37.967427; 23.721183
