A small street in Plaka, but really one of the most important and perhaps not only in Athens. Tripodon Street! It is considered the oldest street in Athens. It is even listed in the Guinness Book of Greek Records as the longest street in Athens with the same name. For 25 centuries this street carries the same name and has been walked by millions of people over the centuries in numerous historical periods.
It was the street of theatre and fine arts. The shortest road that led directly from the Ancient Theatre to the Ancient Agora. In fact, according to the architect Kazamiakis, who designed the archaeological site, the great archaeological value of the street is due to the fact it did not serve simple traffic needs, but precisely a road to serve the needs of the Theatre and the Fine Arts in gener
The road started from the entrance of the sanctuary of Dionysus, went peripherally to the east and, after bypassing the eastern side of the Acropolis, crossed the northern part of the Sacred Rock, leading to the northwest of it, perhaps at the point where the Panathenaic Street became particularly uphill, in the direction of the Prytaneion of the Agora, where, according to Pausanias, was its starting point.
It was the most beautiful and decorated street of ancient Athens. Imagine the ancient Athenians starting from the Prytaneion down in the Agora and climbing up the 800-meter-long and 6-meter-wide road to reach their final destination, which was the theatre of Dionysus, which could seat 17,000 spectators. There, under the magical Attic sky, the ancient Athenians enjoyed the unsurpassed works of the great tragic and comic writers, few of which, unfortunately, we have the pleasure of enjoying today, as only a few have survived and perhaps not the best, often even abused by their supposedly innovative performances.
The road is calling us to take a dive into our memory and Greek history. As we walk along it we imagine it in other times with the ancient Athenians walking along it. The poet Drosinis is writing by the window of his house, Palamas is walking downhill in a hurry, Papadiamantis, crouching and always gloomy, walks on a Sunday morning on his way to the chapel of St. Elisha to chant with his cousin Alexandros Moraitidis.
Paparrigopoulos and Makriyannis are going downhill to his house. They will celebrate Christmas 1843 together and the first Christmas tree will light up the neighbourhood of Plaka, spreading admiration.
Lord Byron, leaning against the monument to Lysicrates, inspires a poem about his great love, the fair maiden of Athens, while Pericles meets the courtesan Frini and Demetrius of Phalireos takes his walk.
Lord Byron, leaning against the monument to Lysicrates, inspires a poem about his great love, the fair maiden of Athens, while Pericles meets the courtesan Frini and Demetrius of Phalireos takes his walk.
There is Melina Mercouri who, always sparkling and spreading smiling good mornings, goes to drink her morning coffee at Café Melina, while Ioanna Tsatsou always goes downhill, meek and noble.
Dimitris Horn winks at us with a smile and makes way for Maro Kontou, who hurries to her Antonakis…
But also Turks, Franks, Arvanites, Anafiotes are mixed up, joining present and past in the mist and fog of time where enmities, hatreds, passions, loves, agonies and eras become memories that accompany the steps of today’s lovers of Plaka who flock from all over the world to feel, even for a moment, a part and a link of the history of this place, of these streets…
