ΧΑΪΔΑΡΙ ΧΑΪΔΑΡΙ - ΣΥΝΑΝΤΗΣΗ ΜΕ ΤΗΝ ΙΣΤΟΡΙΑ | Page 68

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The Sacred Way
Roads connecting ancient towns to important
sanctuaries, such as Athens and Eleusina were named
«sacred». The official name of the Athenian Sacred
Way was «Eleusinian», according to incriptions. It was
assumingly established in the Late Helladic period
(1600-100 BC) for reasons of communication between
the settlements of Athens and Eleusina. The cult of
Demeter is dated to the 11th century BC or earlier. By the
mid 8th century, the use of the Sacred Way had been
well established. Eleusina became part of the Athenian
state in the second half of the 6th century, during the
Peisistratid tyranny. The sanctuary acquired new buildings
and the Sacred Way was remodelled and stayed in use
throughout Antiquity.
The sanctuary declined with the gradual rise of
Christianity and the severe imperial decrees against
paganism in the 4th century AD. Finally, Alaric’s Visigoths
sacked the place in 395 AD and turned it to ruins.
Nonetheless, the Sacred Way continued to link Eleusina
and the surrounding villages to Athens. Many parts of the
ancient road remained visible in the 19th century.
Parts of the ancient road have been exposed at
Kerameikos and at the plain of Kephisos river, such as in
front of the 9th Primary School at Chaidari. Road terraces
are built with stone boulders set on the natural chalk. The
lower road surface layer is the bedrock with artificial
chalk soil fill for natural cavities. The middle layer is a
fill of chalk soil and small boulders. The upper layer
is cobbled. There are intermediate layers of sand and
gravel. Another major part of the road has been exposed
further to the west. Smaller parts have been located to
the east too, within the Chaidari municipality.
A great and well preserved part of the Sacred Way has
been excavated close to the sanctuary of Aphrodite at
Aphaia Skaramanga, while many more but shorter parts
have been exposed from there to Eleusina. The average
road width is 5 m.
Rocky slopes, such as the Echo hill (today Kapsalonas
hill, on the northeast foot of Mt Poikilo), were dug
out, while downslopes were terraced in order to
support the road. In sandy areas, such as around Lake
Koumoundourou the underlayer was cobbles and soil.
The part in front of the Sanctuary of Aphrodite preserves
wheel furrows.
Monuments along the Sacred Way
Along the whole length of the Sacred Way were
numerous and impressive burial monuments of wealthy
citizens, more modest cemeteries and small sanctuaries
and temples operating as travellers’ stops. Stops were
crucial for the Eleusinian procession, both for ritual
purposes, but also for the walkers’ rest. By following
Pausanias it is possible to locate ancient monuments
and understand the topography of the ancient route
and the area of Chaidari. A similar attempt was made
in 1860 by the French scholar François Lenormant, who
Relief depicting Demeter and Persephone, second quarter of the 5th
century (height 0.78 m and width 0.56 m). Demeter is enthroned, while
Persephone is standing in front of her with torches in both her hands
(Archaeological Museum of Eleusis).