Mt. Hymettos

A view of modern day Athens from Mt. Hymettos

Mt. Hymettos

Mt. Hymettos (also known as Mt. Hymettus) is a mountain range located near the city of Athens, about 9 miles east of the city's center. At 9.9 miles long and 3,366 feet above sea level, Mt. Hymettos is a definitive part of Athen's surrounding landscape and thus significantly influenced the development of the city.

Mt. Hymettos was noted in antiquity for its marble quarries, located on the western side of the mountain range. It also hosted a sanctuary to Zeus Ombrios (or Zeus, god of gods) during Athen's rise to power.

Examples of Uses of Hymettian Marble:

Fast Facts about Mt. Hymettos:

  • The highest point of the range is known as Evzonas

  • Mt. Hymettos marble continued to grow in popularity, even after Attika's fall in power. Marble quarried here was especially desirable to the Romans, who exported the marble during Roman control of the city.

  • While Mt. Hymettos was known for its marble, it was also considered by the Romans as a prime spot for beekeeping. More specifically, Alepovouni, a foothill of the mountain located to the west of the range, was ideal for the practice; it soon became one of the premier honey-exporting regions of the Roman world.

  • The marble quaried at Mt. Hymettos is noted for its distinctive blue ash color.

  • Hymettian marble was also used in the Stoa of Zeus Eleutherios (or Zeus, god of freedom), built circa 425-410 BCE in Athens. The Stoa of Zeus would stand until circa the 5th century CE during Roman rule.


Biblography:

Scholarly Sources:

Langdon, Merle K. “Hymettiana II: An Ancient Quarry on Mt. Hymettos.” American Journal of Archaeology 92, no. 1 (1988): 75–83.

Encyclopedia Britannica. “Mount Hymettus | Mountain, Greece.” Accessed April 12, 2021.

Ober, Josiah. “Rock-Cut Inscriptions from Mt. Hymettos.” Hesperia: The Journal of the American School of Classical Studies at Athens 50, no. 1 (1981): 68–77.

Wycherley, R. E. “The Stones of Athens.” Greece & Rome 21, no. 1 (1974): 54–67.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art. “Marble Grave Stele of Antigenes | Greek, Attic | Archaic.” Accessed April 14, 2021.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art. “Marble Cavetto Capital | Greek, Attic | Archaic.” Accessed April 14, 2021.

"FOUNDATION OF THE HELLENIC WORLD - Αρχαία Αγορά Της Αθήνας.” Accessed April 14, 2021.

Footer Image:

Bryn Mawr College. View of Acropolis and Hymettos. 1956. Photograph.