Perched on a fertile plain northwest of the great city of Athens, just south of Mount Parnes, Acharnai was the largest of the Attic demes that rose up after the Kleisthenic reforms. It contributed 22 of the 500 members to the Athenian Council, and played key roles in the conflicts that frequented the region of Attica. Major contributions such as providing a tenth of the Athenian hoplite army during the Peloponnesian War, and propagating the large agricultural charcoal-burning industry, illustrate the value of Acharnai to Greek development as a whole. This webpage will dive into the key facets of the Acharnian contribution to ancient Attica, and illuminate a piece of history that often is overshadowed by modern fascination with the city of Athens.

The significant contributions toward the war effort of the Athenians provided by those in Acharnai were noteworthy. Thucydides claimed that the Acharnians offered 3,000 hoplites, or 1/10 of the Athenian military, from their deme. Unfortunately it seems that Thucydides inflated that number, as the highest possible number Acharnai could contribute was closer to 1,000 hoplites. (Dow, 1961)

Within the deme of Acharnai, cults dedicated to Ares and Athena Areia drew in many worshippers. Evidence for these cults can be found in William Bell Dinsmoor's article regarding inscriptions, found at both the Temple of Ares in Athens and in Acharnai, that proved the existence of these cults in the deme. (Dinsmoor, 1940) These cults led to the association of Acharnians as warlike and violent people, and it contributed to their ties to the rest of Attica as well. Another potential point of intrigue involves the presence of a shrine dedicated to Oineus in Acharnai. This shrine would further solidify a link between Athens and Acharanai as it would make Oineus the second Kleisthenic hero to have a cult center outside of Athens. Additionally, if this cult existed in Acharnai before the Kleisthenic reforms, it could mark a significant co-opting of Acharnian identity on behalf of the Athenians. (Kellogg, 2013) This would further cement the importance of Acharnai and its culture within the region of Attica.

Beehive Tombs are a specific style of tomb famously used by the Late Mycenaean people. These structures were hive-like domes built into the ground with the stonework gradually tapering to the top. The the doorway was preceded by an elongated walkway also carved into the ground, and the dead were laid in the main chamber of the tomb. In rare cases, there were side rooms added on to accommodate additional bodies or belongings. (Biers, 1980)

One of the best preserved beehive (Tholos) tombs in Greece, the Tholos Tomb of Medini was discovered in 1872 by farmers in the ancient area of Medini in modern day Acharnes (Acharnai). The discovery of a few rocks arranged in an intriguing manner soon revealed a beehive tomb underneath the ground. It dated back to around the 14th century BCE and was identified as Mycenaean in origin. With six people buried inside, it is one of the largest Tholos tombs in Greece. Due to its size and contents, it is suspected that this tomb held royalty from the region. After it was filled the tomb was sealed away from the world. Many of the contents of this tomb can be seen at the National Archeological Museum of Athens. Musical instruments, an ivory cylindrical compass, jewelry of different sizes and materials, and copper weaponry are among the items that were exhumed from this site.

This wonderfully preserved theater was uncovered in 2007 during construction for a building when the excavation around the site happened to uncover one of the most important findings in modern day Acharnes in recent history. Most of the theater is still covered by the buildings that were already erected before its discovery. It is estimated to have held up to 1,500 people and dates back to the 4th century BCE but remained in use until the Roman times. These theaters were a large part of the culture and society of Ancient Greece, and this discovery proves that Acharnai did in fact have a cultural and societal center in at least one location within the deme.