Nestled in the heart of Athens lies a piece of history so ancient that it predates the very concept of modern Europe itself. Tripodon Street, beneath the imposing shadow of the Acropolis in the neighborhood of Plaka, stands as a silent witness to millennia of human civilization.
While throngs of citizens and tourists tread its cobblestones each year, only a few are aware that they are traversing not just any thoroughfare but the oldest street in Greece, and indeed, all of Europe.
Named after the bronze tripods that once adorned its path, Tripodon Street served as the vital artery connecting the bustling ancient market of Athens to the Theater of Dionysus. These tripods, sponsored by the affluent citizens of ancient Athens, commemorated the victors of the city's dramatic contests, their names etched in history alongside the actors of their performances.
Among the remnants of this bygone era stands the renowned sponsor monument of Lysikrates, known as the Lantern of Diogenes, erected around 334 BC. This monument not only endures as a tangible relic of antiquity but also offers a window into the rich tapestry of Tripodon Street's storied past, believed to stretch back some 2,500 years.
Once one of the broadest avenues in ancient Athens, Tripodon boasted a width of six meters, offering the swiftest route from market to theater. Yet, beyond its sheer antiquity and architectural grandeur, Tripodon Street holds within its embrace the quaint neoclassical Kokovikou House, a modest abode immortalized in the cinematic masterpiece "And the Woman Shall Fear Her Husband" (1965), starring George Konstantinou and Maro Kontou.
Thus, as the sun sets over the timeless stones of Tripodon Street, it casts a gentle glow upon a saga of civilization, where the echoes of the past resonate with the footsteps of the present, inviting all who tread its path to partake in its enduring legacy.
Originally published in Greek, on:
carandmotor.gr
