Ikarion

Also spelled as Ikaria, Icaria, and Ikarium, this deme of ancient Attica was closely associated with the god Dionysus.

Introduction and Brief History

The map to the left shows the approximate location of Ikarion, near modern day Dionysos, marked with the purple star close to Athens. Ikarion was named for Icarius, who was said to have received Dionysus at this site, where the god taught him to make wine. It is also connected to the beginnings of comedy and tragedy in Attica.

Icaria the ancient Attic deme is not to be confused with an island in the Aegean Sea of the same name. The orange star marks Icaria the island, named for another mythological figure, Icarus. Icaria the island is a modern municipality where Greek citizens reside; Icaria the deme is an archaeological site.

Archaeological Work

Overview

  • Evidence suggests it was active from the 5th to 4th century BCE (Camp 2001, 291), however, there are Roman influences

    • Excavations found Roman era sculpture (Biers, Boyd 1981, 2)

    • In 77CE Mount Icarius is referenced by Pliny in Natural History in conjunction with the area of Athens, but the deme itself is not named (Pliny 77, 4.7.24)

  • location unknown by modern archaeologists until 1887

  • Formal excavation done by American School of Classical Studies at Athens 1888-1889

  • cleaning and restudy done in 1981

  • no further excavation of the site has been conducted

Findings

  • Sculpture ranging from Archaic Greek to Roman periods

  • Inscriptions, fragments containing writing

  • Partial buildings

  • Partial marble monument

  • Statue of Dionysus

    • Archaic cult image, use unknown (Romano 1982, 406)

    • Earliest evidence of Dionysian worship on the site

  • Pythion

    • a temple dedicated to Apollo and Artemis

  • "theatral area"

    • while it could have been used as a theater, secular activities could have been carried out as well (Biers, Boyd 1981, 14)

From "Ikarion in Attica: 1888-1981", William R. Biers and Thomas D. Boyd

The Actual-state Plan by excavators in 1981. It is a thin-lined map of the area showing topography and building remains. The lettered areas correspond to the names these buildings have been designated, for example "Building D" or "Wall E".

Excavations

In the article Ikarion in Attica: 1888-1981 by Biers and Boyd, the history of archaeological work done by the American School of Classical Studies at Athens is accompanied by images taken during the excavations. Below are four examples of what was found at the site during this time period.

Image ID: Labeled pictures from pages of Ikarion in Attica: 1888-1981 by William Biers and Thomas Boyd. The upper left image is a black and white photograph of the site with the text "a. Block bearing choregic inscription, at junction of Walls E and F, as found in 1888", featuring the inside of a deep pit with flat stone slabs. A modern house can be seen in the background. Beneath is a black and white image of what remains of Walls E and F, "b. Junction of Walls E and F in 1981", a short wall made from stone bricks. To the upper right is a black and white photograph of the crumbling foundation of a building, "a. Building D from the west". The lower right is a black and white image of large stacked bricks and a circular stone basket, "b. The Semicircular Monument from the west".

The Theater of Dionysus

The Ancient Theater of Dionysus in Ikarion, Attica, published by DIAZOMA. The picture is a color image of the theater in modern day Ikarion, with a pile of stone and intact stone arch in front of a forested background.

Dionysus' arrival at Ikarion is connected with the mythological origins of comedy and tragedy. Outside of myth, this deme had connections to one of the earliest documents about theater, fragment IG I3 254. "The Festival of Dionysos in Ikarion: A New Study of IG I3 254" by Peter Wilson examines this fragment and what it can offer about theater in Ikarion. The festival would have been similar to the Athenian Dionysia. Interestingly, tragedy is the only genre mentioned by the inscription, which Wilson argues is purposeful.

Restoration work on the theater was done in 2006. Today, the location is occasionally used for events, and the area may be visited with limited permission. It is one of the theaters monitored by DIAZOMA, a Greek organization that focuses on preserving and maintaining ancient theaters with the help of archaeologists, artists, and Greek citizens.

Gods of Ikarion

Due to its connection to mythology, Ikarion has evidence of the importance of religion to the deme.


  • Cults to Apollo and Dionysus (Camp 2001, 289)

    • Inscriptions date ca. 530-520 BCE record dedications and cult activity (Romano 1982, 406)

    • Pythion dedicated to Apollo

    • Theater of Dionysus

  • Worship of Dionysus

    • origin of theater in Attica

    • origin of winemaking in Attica

    • Archaic statue still in use in 6th century cult activity, festivals, and contests (Romano 1982, 409)


Works Cited


Biers, William R. and Boyd, Thomas D. Fig. 2. Actual-state Plan. 1981. "Ikarion in Attica: 1888-1981.". https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/147848.pdf

Biers, William R. and Boyd, Thomas D. "Ikarion in Attica: 1888-1981." Hesperia: The Journal of the American School of Classical Studies at Athens. The American School of Classical Studies at Athens, Vol. 51, no. 1, Jan.-Mar. 1982, pp. 1-18. https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/147848.pdf

Camp, John M. The Archaeology of Athens. Yale University Press, 2001. pp. 289-291. https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/cwm/reader.action?docID=3420295&ppg=302

Ephorate of Antiquities of East Attica . Ancient Theater of Ikaria in Attica. n.d. Dionysos, Greece. https://www.diazoma.gr/en/theaters/ancient-theater-ikaria-attica-dionysos/

Pliny the Elder, Natural History, trans. H. Rackham (1952). Book 4, section 1-61. 77. http://attalus.org/translate/pliny_hn4a.html

Romano, Irene Bald. “The Archaic Statue of Dionysos from Ikarion.” Hesperia: The Journal of the American School of Classical Studies at Athens, vol. 51, no. 4, 1982, pp. 398–409. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/147755. Accessed 26 Apr. 2021.

Wilson, Peter. “The Festival of Dionysos in Ikarion: A New Study Of IG I3 254.” Hesperia: The Journal of the American School of Classical Studies at Athens, vol. 84, no. 1, 2015, pp. 97–147. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/10.2972/hesperia.84.1.0097. Accessed 26 Apr. 2021.