Gymnasium

ANCIENT GYMNASIO AMFIPOLIS

Pa051370-

  • The excavations of Prof. k. Lazaridis Demetrios, led to the identification of the first large public building (The Palaestra) with the ancient high school (a key public building for the military and athletic training of young people – here trained athletes of the road, disc, akontioy, Wrestling, boxing – as well as for their spiritual and artistic education). The shape of the building is typical of large Palaestra and can be compared generally or in individual components with their respective buildings of Delphi, Nemea, Olympia, Eretria, Priinis, Epidavros, Delos, Miletus, Pergamon, Assos, dating from the 4th-2nd century BC. It is the only so far Gymnasiako complex in northern Greece. In the center of the high school formed rectangular overdrawn area. This is a peristyle courtyard surrounded by four arcades. In the North and South sides of the building formed eight rooms. Three of the northwest side and the other three of the South side is of equal dimensions, squares. This is clear from the use of only two corner of the north side that is bath rooms, with better preserved the Great Northeast Hall, they found four baths on second use, on the floor. The baths was supplied with water by pipeline that survives on the North wall and spouts. Between the two there are other two bath rooms rooms, Maybe auxiliary spaces, i.e. the locker room, the elaiothesion (space anoint athletes with oil), and the konistirio (where athletes put in their body dust or sand), But training in wrestling and boxing, as mentioned by Vitruvius.
  • The building of the high school (Palestra) must be founded in the Hellenistic period, maybe though and at the end of the classical, as evidenced by the vessels, the coins (dating from the 4th century BC to the 1st century a.d., between Philip II and Alexander the great) and the inscriptions. After extensions and additions acted as the early imperial times, so must be destroyed by a great fire. After the death of Dimitrios Lazaridis excavator, in may 1985 and up to the 1989, the continued excavation of high school was commissioned by the archaeological society in his daughter, k. Calliope Lazaridi.
  • The excavations showed that the high school was not limited only to the Palestra, but extended in around this area forming a single complex. North of the Palestra revealed Department of lodge, the forend or katastegos road, that was used for the performance of the athletes on the road in case of bad weather. Research and design of buildings and their findings, and the two proved excavation layers of destruction by fire, show that: the original building was destroyed violently, maybe after attack, pillage and fire. The high school had a special radiation in such a great and historic city, which often played a primary role and, not just in Macedonia at the time of Philip v, or and oldest according to some findings and some clues, and internationally, by organizing annual competitions in the city by aimilios Paul, as well as with high-level visits.

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