In ancient Athens, Kerameikos was an area on the edge of the city's walls. Kerameikos was home to many of the potters in Athens, explaining why the English word "ceramics" originates from it. Kerameikos is also the home of the two gates into Athens and is the starting point of the Panathenaic procession.
Gates to Athens
There were two gates in the Kerameikos area: the Sacred Gate and the Dipylon. The Dipylon was the main gate of Athens, through it passed most people entering the city. Through the Sacred Gate ran the Panathenaic Way to Eleusis which was the site of a sanctuary of the goddess Demeter; alongside the sacred gate was the river of Eridanos.
Additionally, we can see here the Pompeion. This is where everyone prepared for the Panathenaic procession.
Grave Stelae
Kerameikos was also the place of the ancient cemetery in Athens. We have uncovered many sculptures, known as grave stelae, some of which depict a warm, familial welcoming into the afterlife. These domesticated and calm scenes contrast greatly with what we typically consider the Greeks' beliefs about life after death, endless suffering accompanied by Hades in the underworld, to be. I find the grave stelae to be a very comforting homage to those buried in the Kerameikos cemetery.
Another grave stele, this sculpture depicts Dexilios, a man killed in battle. The sculpture portrays the nobility of death and war and honors the soldier well. I think it's interesting that some of the stelae have comforting, family-oriented scenes depicted on them while some show valiant warriors. The stelae show the Athenians' values; it is clear that family was an important aspect of their lives, but also that being a soldier brought great honor to a man.
“If Athens shall appear great to you, consider then that her glories were purchased by valiant men, and by men who learned their duty.” -Pericles
The grave stelae that we studied during our day at Kerameikos were very interesting to me because the scenes of family members welcoming the deceased into the afterlife were so comforting. This stelae, on the other hand, depicts a soldier alone. While this doesn’t seem as comforting as a death surrounded by family members, I know that the Athenians held very highly those who died in battle. The idea that the soldier was remembered with reverence and honor is comforting in a different, but comparable way.
Summary
I find the Grave Stelae to be the most interesting part of Kerameikos; these sculptures allow me to relate to the ancient Greeks. While we often think about them as great warriors and continuing on to a fierce afterlife, I think that these sculptures truly humanize them as a people. Similarly to you and me, the ancient Greeks wanted to believe that their loved ones are waiting to greet them after death and they want to honor those who have fallen.
The gates are also a striking component of Kerameikos, of course, because of the importance that gates seemed to have held to the ancient Greeks. We've studied the Propylea, the Lion Gate at Mycenae, and now these great gates to Athens, and they all seem to have been held in high esteem. I think the gates displayed the Greeks' power to protect themselves, something which they were immensely proud of, and this is why we see the common theme of extravagant gates.
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