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Sikyon 51 pictures 1.40 minutes HQ video Sikyon, home of the sculptor Lysippus, is also featuring a school of Classical painting. The city prospered under the rule of Ortagordis (7^th-6^th centuries B.C.) and rose to a certain degree of prominence in the Hellenistic period. The treasure of Sikyon at Delphi is an indication of the prosperity of this city during the 5^th century B.C. At Delphi we can also see another sign of Sikyon's former wealth, which left brilliant memories to the very end of antiquity: it was a round, monopteral structure that served to shelter an opulent bronze offering commemorating the victory of Cleisthenes at Pythia in 582 B.C. Demetrios Poliorcetes, who had control of the region in 303 B.C. found the city and had it moved higher up, to a position that had once been used an acropolis. He tried to give the city the name of Demetrias, but the Sikyonians soon reverted to its old name. In the Roman period Sikyon was famous for its important schools of sculpture, painting and bronze-work. Pista Panel Wooden votive tablet representing a sacrificial scene, was found in a cave near the village of Pista, in the area of Sikyon, dating from the 6^th century B.C. Theater The theater is located on the slopes of the Hellenistic acropolis, to the west of the ancient agora. It is considered to be one of the most impressive theaters of this size, the orchestra is 24 meters in diameter, and the seating area (cavea) 125 meters. The stage building consists of a proscenium and the back stage which was decorated with sculptural and architectural elements. Two symmetrical ramps, carved out of the bedrock led to the logeion where the actors actually performed. Gates stood at the end of the two parodoi following the example of the theater at Epidauros. The retaining walls of the cavea, and the orchestra with the proedria, date from the end of the 4^th nearly 3^rd century B.C. In the Roman period, the stage extended towards the orchestra with the construction of a new, low logeion (pulpitum) which replaced the proscenium. Temple Near the Roman Bath (museum), there is a poros stone belonging to a very elongated temple (38 meters long and 11.3 meters wide). As this elongated plane is characteristic of pre-classical temples and as the foundations, at least, are made of poros stone, it is believed the temple belongs to the Archaic period. There can be no doubt that the temple was reconstructed at the time of the foundation of Hellenistic Sikyon. Gymnasium The gymnasium was founded by Cleinias, Aratos' father. It consists of two flat rectangular sections at a different levels. The upper section (70 meters x 32.5 meters), with stoas on all sides expect for the west, it believed to be a later addition. In the middle of the west side, a staircase was discovered, leading to the lower rectangular section; this was more spacious than the upper section and was used as the gymnasium proper. Along this side there is a retaining wall supporting the upper section. In the middle of the wall, there is the staircase, and on either side of it a fountain with two front columns in antae. Back to Greece Index