Theseus (Thissio)

What I can see

The brass sculpture of Theseus is a copy. The prototype is located in Tinos island, the birthplace of the sculptor Georgios Vitalis. The sculpture is a classicist work of the 19th century and is placed on a marble stele. Theseus is seated with his right foot on the seat, looking to his left, naked, and wearing only a helmet and sandals. There is a cloth on the seat and a shield next to it. In addition to the name “Theseus”, the front side of the stele bears the name of the mayor when the sculpture was placed on the pavement of Syntagma Square, and the back side bears the name of the mayor when it was transported to Thissio.

What I can't see

Theseus was a mythical hero from Troezen (Peloponnese) that Athenians honoured and worshiped as the founder of their city- state. He had Poseidon as divine father and Aegeus as mortal father, whom he was deprived of from an early age, because Aegeus had moved to Athens. At age 16, Theseus went to Delphi, turned over the rock under which Aegeus’s sword and sandals lay, and put them on. When he arrived in Athens, Aegeus and the Athenians were convinced that it was truly Theseus, because his sandals fit perfectly. Theseus was a famous hero of antiquity because he defeated terrible mythical figures, such as Periphytes, Sinis, Phaea, Sciron, Cercyon, Procrustes, the bull of Marathon, the Minotaur of Crete and fought in mythical battles, such as those of Amazons and Centaurs. His regular visits to Hades, the god of the underworld, resulted in his excoriation and he was forced to leave Attica. All monuments and places of worship related to Theseus disappeared after his death.

Info

• Address: Ag. Asomaton & Adrianou St.

Bibliography