In northeastern Attica, opposite to Evia and close to Marathon, there is a well preserved settlement of the classical period called Ramnous. The name comes from the thorny bush "ramnos" that grows on the surrounding hills that have been preserved almost intact until today.
Among the pine trees are preserved the remains of houses, temples, gymnasium, theater and fortification of one of the most remote demes of ancient Attica. It was the base for an Athenian garrison of teenage hoplites since the area was a strategic passage with two ports on the coast for supplying the city with products.
Several deities were worshiped in Ramnous, such as Themis, Zeus, Athena, Dionysus, Aphrodite, the heroes Archigetes and Aristomachus and the seer Amphiaraos. The most prominent deity worshiped in that deme was, however, the goddess of vengeance Nemesis, with her worship going back to the archaic period. According to the myth, Nemesis was the mother of Helen of Troy who was born from an egg that Zeus put in the womb of the Spartan queen Leda transformed into a swan.
The oldest temple was destroyed by the Persian army shortly before the battle of Marathon (490 BC). The construction works of the second temple (the most important Nemesis temple in Greece) started around 460 BC. and were completed around 430 BC. It is assumed that the architect of the temple was Kallikrates who also designed other well-known temples such as the Parthenon and the temple of Poseidon in Sounio. The statue of the goddess was crafted by the sculptor Agoracritos or Phidias himself on a piece of marble left by the Persians in the area. Next to the main temple of Nemesis Rhamnousias there was a smaller one (dedicated to the same goddess built on the ruins of the first temple), and another one dedicated to the goddess Themis.
The burial baily of the settlement composed of remarkable funerary sculptures, small temples and columns. In addition, the fortress of Ramnous is an excellent example of ancient fortification art. Inside the walls the visitor can find the theater, the gymnasium, the agora and the military installations on the hill slopes.
Today, the settlement of Ramnous offers a complete idea of an ancient settlement of the classical period. In this exhibition, the archaeological site of Ramnous is presented through photographs of the settlement and the findings, drawings of remains and findings, and paintings of the site.
The exhibition contains items from the following institutions:
