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The Parilissia Sanctuaries were a religious center containing a series of temples along the banks of the Ilissos River in Athens, Greece.
Accessing the Parilissia Sanctuaries
Some of the site is open to the public while the area south of the Temple of Olympian Zeus is a closed archaeological site. The best views of the first three temples I’ve written about are from the south fence of the Temple of Olympian Zeus. There IS a path running along part of the site but you can’t see much from it. Also, there were some very shady characters hanging out there. I snapped a few photos and got out ASAP. Maybe I wasn’t there at the right time of day. The last four sites are accessible along Ardittou Street and very easy to get to.
Temple of Apollo Delphinium
The ruin closest to the fence is the Temple of Apollo Delphinium. It was built around 450 BC and was one of the most important temples in Athens. It served as a place of healing as well as a place of refuge during war. The temple contained a law court which was built around 500 BC. It was used to try homicide cases where the accused had claimed the defense of justifiable homicide.
Sanctuary of Panhellenios Zeus
The area covered by trees to the south contains the remains of the Sanctuary of Panhellenios Zeus, which was built between 131 and 132.
Temple of Kronos and Rhea
A bit to the east is the Temple of Kronos and Rhea. It was built around 150 and dedicated to the parents of Zeus, Kronos and Rhea.
Sanctuary of Pan
Right along Ardittou is a rocky outcrop with a small natural cave. It’s believed to be an ancient sanctuary dedicated to Pan, who was often worshipped in caves and rocky terrain. In 1911, a relief of Pan was found on the southern face of the rock. An unrelated burial was found in 1893, and the rock was saved from demolition by the Greek Archaeological Service during road work in the late 20th century.
This specific sanctuary was never mentioned by ancient writers, so some experts believe it was actually the Shrine of the Nymphs and the River God Acheloos, where according to Plato (c. 428 – 328 BC), Socrates (c. 470 – 399 BC) and Phaedrus (c. 444 – 393 BC) sat during their philosophical walk.
Church of Saint Fotini
The Church of Saint Fotini, which was built in 1872, sits next to the Sanctuary of Pan. The church sits atop the site of a Bavarian cemetery dating to the 1830s and possibly an ancient monument dedicated to Hecate. The present form is from a 1986 renovation.
Temple of Artemis Agrotera
Across the street to the east is the Temple of Artemis Agrotera, which is technically in the Mets neighborhood. It was built in the 5th century BC and possibly designed by Kallikrates, who was the architect of the Temple of Athena Nike on the Acropolis. Every year on the anniversary of the Battle of Marathon, Athenians would visit the temple to honor the goddess Artemis for helping them defeat the Persians.
The Temple of Artemis Agrotera was converted to a Christian church dedicated to the Virgin Mary in the 5th century. A dome was added in the 17th century, and it was dismantled by Ottoman governor Hacı Ali Haseki (d. 1795) in 1778 as material for the Wall of Haseki. The site was first excavated in 1897 by Greek archaeologist Andreas Skias (1861-1922).
The Temple of Artemis Agrotera is the only sacred site remaining on the south bank of the Ilissos River. It’s a neglected archaeological site that sits at the top of a flight of stairs and is in danger of being destroyed by real estate developers. The citizens of Mets have been petitioning the government and the European Union for the site to be expropriated and the temple to be fully excavated, protected, and opened to the public.
Basilica of Ilissos
Finally, back across the street to the east are the remains of the Early Christian Basilica of Ilissos, which dates to the 6th century. It was a three-aisled basilica located on an islet in the Ilissos River. The basilica was covered by a dome and had an exonarthex and atrium to the west. It had a synthronon and was luxuriously decorated. The walls were covered with Pentelic marble while the floors were lined with mosaics.
On the north aisle was the martyrium of Saint Leonides, which dates to the middle of the 4th century. He was a bishop of Athens in the 3rd century and was martyred along with seven women. It’s believed their remains were deposited in the martyrium during the reign of Roman Emperor Constantine. The martyrium measures 3.8 x 3.87 meters and is underground.
The Basilica of Ilissos was destroyed during the Latin period, sometime between the 13th and 15th centuries. Its remains were either covered by the floods of the Ilissos River or dismantled for the Wall of Haseki. The site was excavated from 1916 to 1917 by Greek archaeologist Georgios Sotiriou (1880-1965). About 55 meters of the basilica’s length has been exposed. Some of the mosaics and sculptural decorations are on display in the Byzantine Museum.
