The Dipylon is a gateway on the west of ancient Athens near which a distinctive style of pottery has been found.
The traditional starting point for the Athenian festivals, either heading into the city for the Panathenaia, or out of the city for the mystery cults of Eleusis. It was set up in the early 4th century B.C.E. The above picture shows the actual gate portion, it also included a court measuring approximately 140 x 50 feet. Surrounding this court were several rooms and offices for those coordinating the festivals and other events.
Dipylon was the greatest and most official gate of the city of Athens, also constructed in 478 B.C. E. It had two passageways that gave access to an internal courtyard with four towers erected at its corners. From this gate started the procession of the Panathenaea, the most important festival of ancient Athens, following the Panathenaic Way that led up to the Acropolis.
This is a Dipylon Vase. The name "Dipylon" is especially important in
understanding the meaning and significance of this work. Ancient Athens is where
the Dipylon gate is located (the word dipylon, incidentally, means double
door). This gate stood near an Athenian cemetery. In this cemetery, mourners
placed enormous vases such as this one to mark the graves of their departed
loved ones. Ultimately these vases, which were created to serve funerary
purposes, became connected in name with the nearby Dipylon gate. Some art
historians suggest that in addition to their function as grave markers,
occasionally these vases were used to receive libations.
This
head of Kouros was found in the foundations of the Dipylon Gate Tower.
