Evangelismos Metro Station- Aqueduct of Peisistratus

What I can see

The name of the station comes from the “Evangelismos” Hospital, which is located north of the station. During the station’s construction, antiquities were discovered, such as a cemetery with an enclosure, the aqueduct of the time of the tyrant Peisistratus with its pipes (540 BC-530 BC) and an ancient road. The antiquities were removed from their original position and repositioned. The water supply system is located right outside the station, in Rizari Park. The pipeline is exhibited in the station and the passenger can also admire a marble loutrophoros (vase for water), a marble urn (kalpi) from the 1st-2nd century AD, and a vertical cut of a pottery oven from the 1st century BC-1st century AD. At the tickets level, there is also a contemporary touch with the sculpture Mott Street (1983) by Chrysa.

What I can't see

The Evangelismos station belongs to the Athens central stations that constituted a unique opportunity for an extensive excavation project, bringing thousands of antiquities to the surface. Among them, was the Aqueduct of the tyrant Peisistratus. Tyranny until classical antiquity was a notion not as negative as it became in classical times or as it is today. It meant that someone took power, and often that person came from the common people. During the archaic period, tyranny was very common and was the transitional state from monarchy and aristocracy to democracy and oligarchy. The main feature of the tyrannies was projects of monumental sizes, such as temples and water supply infrastructure. With the support of powerful families, Peisistratus became tyrant in Athens in 566 BC, until his death in 527 BC, when his descendants took over. The Evangelismos station may uncover more antiquities in the future, since it will connect with the under construction metro line 4.

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