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The Stoa Poikile (, ) or Painted Porch, originally called the Porch of Peisianax (, ), was a
Of this painting Pausanias says:
Excavations, American School of Classical Studies in Athens''
{{Coord, 37.9763, N, 23.7230, E, source:wikidata, display=title Ancient Greek buildings and structures in Athens Education in Athens Stoicism Battle of Marathon Ancient Agora of Athens Stoas in Greece
The Stoa Poikile (, ) or Painted Porch, originally called the Porch of Peisianax (, ), was a stoa
A stoa (; plural, stoas,"stoa", ''Oxford English Dictionary'', 2nd Ed., 1989 stoai, or stoae ), in ancient Greek architecture, is a covered walkway or portico, commonly for public use. Early stoas were open at the entrance with columns, usuall ...
(a covered walkway or portico) erected during the 5th century BC and was located on the north side of the Ancient Agora of Athens
The ancient Agora of Athens (also called the Classical Agora) is the best-known example of an ancient Greek agora, located to the northwest of the Acropolis and bounded on the south by the hill of the Areopagus and on the west by the hill kn ...
. The Stoa Poikile was one of the most famous sites in ancient Athens, owing its fame to the paintings and loot from wars displayed in it.
Overview
TheStoa
A stoa (; plural, stoas,"stoa", ''Oxford English Dictionary'', 2nd Ed., 1989 stoai, or stoae ), in ancient Greek architecture, is a covered walkway or portico, commonly for public use. Early stoas were open at the entrance with columns, usuall ...
was the location from which Zeno of Citium taught Stoicism
Stoicism is a school of Hellenistic philosophy founded by Zeno of Citium in Athens in the early 3rd century BCE. It is a philosophy of personal virtue ethics informed by its system of logic and its views on the natural world, asserting tha ...
. The philosophical school of Stoicism takes its name from having first been expounded here, and was derived from the Greek word ''stoa''. Zeno taught and lectured to his followers from this porch. Excavations carried out by the American School of Classical Studies at Athens over the past two decades have revealed much of the foundations and some lower elements of the stoa on the north side of the Athenian Agora; it had a Doric columnar facade and an Ionic interior colonnade.
The Stoa Poikile was decorated by fresco painter and sculptor Micon of Athens in collaboration with Polygnotos of Thasos; both artists worked around the mid-5th century BC. The paintings were most probably located on the inner wall of the stoa. In the time of Pausanias (2nd century AD), the paintings in the Stoa included:
* ''The Battle of Oenoe'' (author unknown)
* ''Amazonomachy'' by Micon
* ''The Taking of Troy'' by Polygnotus
* ''The Battle of Marathon'' by Panaenus (also ascribed to Micon and Polygnotus who may have assisted in the work)Francesco de Angelis, “La battaglia di Maratona nella Stoa poikile,” ''ASNP'' 1996 Ser. 4a 1 (1) 119–171.
There is a contrast between the mythical and historical events portrayed: depictions of Theseus' victory over the Amazonians and the Fall of Troy are juxtaposed sharply with the portrayal of the historic Battle of Oenoe
A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and for ...
(conjectured to have occurred in the pentecontaetia
''Pentecontaetia'' ( el, πεντηκονταετία, "the period of fifty years") is the term used to refer to the period in Ancient Greek history between the defeat of the second Persian invasion of Greece at Plataea in 479 BC and the begin ...
at Oenoe, Attica
Oenoe or Oinoe ( grc, Οἰνόη) was a deme of Athens, situated upon the confines of Boeotia and Attica, near Eleutherae, and upon the regular road to Plataea and Thebes. Hysiae and Oenoe are mentioned as the frontier demi of Attica in 507&n ...
on the Thriasian Plain
The Thriasio Plain ( el, Θριάσιο Πεδίο, translit=Thriasio Pedio) is a plain in western Attica, immediately to the west of Athens, in Greece. It is bounded by Mount Egaleo to the east, Mount Parnitha to the north, Mount Pateras to ...
near Eleutherae), the first important Athenian victory over Sparta
Sparta ( Doric Greek: Σπάρτα, ''Spártā''; Attic Greek: Σπάρτη, ''Spártē'') was a prominent city-state in Laconia, in ancient Greece. In antiquity, the city-state was known as Lacedaemon (, ), while the name Sparta referr ...
, and the Battle of Marathon.
The Stoa Poikile stood in good repair for over six centuries, possibly gaining additional artwork over the centuries. It suffered when Athens was sacked in 267 AD by Herulians, although only easily looted items were taken at that time. The paintings were removed by a Roman governor shortly before 396 AD. The Stoa itself probably existed for another 50–100 years until it was demolished to gain building material for a city wall.
Painting of the Battle of Marathon
''The Battle of Marathon'' features most predominantly and as such, displays the confidence and identity of the Athenians in the wake of the Persian Wars.
Of this painting Pausanias says:
References
External links
* * Stoa Poikile on the page of thExcavations, American School of Classical Studies in Athens''
{{Coord, 37.9763, N, 23.7230, E, source:wikidata, display=title Ancient Greek buildings and structures in Athens Education in Athens Stoicism Battle of Marathon Ancient Agora of Athens Stoas in Greece