Cultural Journey to the ‘seventh-gate city’ focusing on the Museum of Thebes

 

Manola M. 

Faculty Member University of Western Attica, Department of Tourism Management

Trikalitis,K.

PhD Candidate of the Department of Tourism University of West Attica.

 

ABSTRACT:This project deals with the city of Thebes through a historical background and references to the monuments that the visitor encounters today on a cultural journey in the ‘’seventh-gate city’’. The starting point of this project is the God of wine and entertainment Dionysus, it continues with the semi-god Hercules and concludes with the Theban Circle of the ancient tragedy of Oedipus. Thebes, has been the inspiration for famous men of letters, such as Sophocles and Aeschylus. Today the renovated museum encloses its long history in its exhibits. Those exhibits are of invaluable historical and cultural value. Because of these, the museum of Thebes is ranked as one of the most impressive in Greece.

Keywords: Thebes, excavations, Theban Tragedy Cycle, monuments, Excavators, Museum of Thebes, Kadmeia.

 

Introduction

Te seventh-gate city is said to have been founded by the mythical Prince of Phenicia Cadmus and in its early years it took his name, Kadmeia, as reported by Berman (2015). In the historical land of Boeotia that stands between the Evian gulf, in the north, and in the Gulf of Corinth, to the south, took root a city that would meant to be a decisive historical factor of developments and development for the area. The Boeotian plain thanks to the land riches offered by Lake Kopaida in the middle, but also its close distance from the two bays as we mentioned, made it a center of prosperity, according to Fossey (2019), and the dominant City in the area, strong enough to abound in abundance. During the city’s time of glory, we meet Mycenaean Thebes, who seems to have kept in touch with rich Mediterranean centers as seen in Fappas and Galanakis (2012).

At the end of the classical era, Thebes under the leadership of Pelopidas and Epameinondas assumes a short-lived nine-year hegemony in Mainly Greece, according to Buxton (2017), having significantly reduced the dominance of Athens and Sparta which used to be superpowers. In 335 BC the city of Thebes was destroyed by Alexander the Great, because of a revolt (Charami, 2012). After a millennium and more of relative obscurity, Thebes, mainly because of the ability to cultivate Silk on her plain, is defined as capital of the Greek “Thema” during the middle Byzantine Period (8th - 12th century). (Ghilardi, and others, 2013) In addition, the City also plays an important role during the later Latin Empire (13th -15th century), until her fall, in 1460 to the Ottomans and their Leader Muhammad II, according to Rockwell (2017). We can add that after this event the area and the city of Thebes fall into decline, due to both oppression and change in ownership of the land which was mainly transferred to the Ottomans.

 

Theban Myth - Theban Circle

The historic city of Thebes according to legend was founded by Cadmus, prince of Phenicia, who was looking for his sister who had been kidnapped by Zeus. In a fertile valley on seven hills according to an oracle, Cadmus founded a city that was to write history, and in fact the Gods gave Harmony as his wife. The daughter of the royal couple was Semeli, who in turn gave birth to Dionysus, the god of Fun and wine, in Thebes. (Martin, 2019)

In the legendary town of Thebes the mythical hero and demigod Hercules was born, who was especially worshiped by the Thebans, as Colomo mentions (2017). In fact, outside the city and near the Electric Gates stood a sanctuary dedicated to Hercules, which was recently discovered, and the votive offerings found in it, according to Charami (2017), are exhibited in the New Museum of Thebes. Thebes and Boeotia were important places of various sanctuaries and temples, which were dedicated to the ancient period according to Kubatzki (2018).

As for the Theban cycle of Tragedy, it is based mainly on the myth of the son of the king of Thebes Laius, Oedipus. According to legend, Laios learns from an oracle that his son will kill him when he grows up, so he orders a slave to kill his son. The slave disobeys him and relocates the child elsewhere. After years, and without knowing, Oedipus kills his father Laius, and marries his mother Iokasti. Together they have four children. When he learns the tragic truth he blinds himself and leaves Thebes. His sons who were rivalries for the throne kill each other, after a siege of the city by Polynikis, who lead the army of the city of Argos, against Thebes and his brother Eteocles. With Oedipus sons dead, all that remains are his two daughters Ismene and Antigone, as successors of his generation. Antigone reacts to the order not to bury the body of Polyneiki's brother and violates it by burying him (Larson, 2017). Her uncle Creon sentences her to death, but before this happens Antigone commits suicide on her own. This Tragic mythical story of an early period of Thebes life, even if it is true or not, inspired many writers and tragedians in the following years.

The cursed generation, as Oedipus generation is called, created many tragedies during the classical era of the 5th century. The tragic poet Sophocles wrote the most important of them, such as Oedipus the Tyrant, Oedipus on Kolono, with the narration of the exile of Oedipus in Athens according to Montanari (2017). He also wrote the Antigone Tragedy. Finally, a well known tragedy is that of Aeschylus, called "seven on Thebes", which describes the siege of the city by the army of Argos to the seven gates of Thebes.

 

Excavations and Excavators in Thebes

The first contact of younger travelers with the Boeotian land is due to a general interest foreign archaeologists had for Greece. Two of the first travelers as mentioned by Aravantinos (2015), are Leake and Dodwell, at the dawn of the 19th century. Then, after the creation of the new Greek State, K. Pittakis and P. Stamatakis are the first Greeks to excavate and protect the antiquities of Thebes and Boeotia from illicit dealers. Together with Pittakis and Stamatakis, Schliemann, according to Aravantino (2015), also shows a first interest in the area. At the end of the 19th century research is carried out by foreign archaeological companies in the area of Voiotia . At the same time, , according to Eidinow and Kindt (2015) Theban lawyer E. Kalopaidas discovers with the financial help of the Archaeological Society of Athens, the Sanctuary and the theater of Kaveiria.

The first to write a list of the antiquities of Thebes was the Curator of Antiquities Euclid Vagiannis in 1894(Charami, 2017). Furthermore, the first archaeologist to conduct systematic research in Thebes and in fact in the palace complex of the Mycenaean period was Antonios Keramopoulos who originated from Macedonia. During Keramopoulos' tenure in Thebes, exceptional archeological discoveries were made from 1905 to 1930, according to Vika, E. (2011). In continuous excavations at the central hill of Thebes, the Macedonian archaeologist discovered spacious rooms filled with rich treasures and pseudo-mouth inscribed amphorae (1929). (Armsatrong, 1980) These discoveries brought admiration in the world scientific community, and not unjustly, since those were unprecedented at least in mainland Greece until then. Keramopoulos identified his discovery with the ancient mythical palace of Cadmus, as Evans and Schliemann did with their own discoveries in Troy, Mycenae and Knossos, which they identified based on mythological and Homeric references. The important pseudo-mouthed amphorae of the palace complex of Thebes were inscribed in Linear B writing, an extremely rare writing for the Greek area that also certified the relationship between Thebes and Crete, according to Theologidou (2018). Keramopoulos according to Mozhasky (2014), also conducted excavations in his homeland Macedonia, Zakros of Crete and Kastoria. Antonis Keramopoulos contribution was recognized by the Greek State. He was given the honorary position of director of the Archaeological Museum of Athens.

During the interwar period (1920-1940), Ch. Karouzos is appointed curator of antiquities in Thebes which means he is responsible for the protection of antiquities during the German-Italian occupation (1940-1944) and also managing the Archaeological Museum of Athens but also that of Thebes. Many antiquities were hidden and buried inside Catalan tower of St. Omer, in the courtyard of the Museum. Despite of this, the Museum was eventually looted and some artifacts that weren’t protected were stolen. (Charami, 2015)

In those turbulent years before World War II, no great and organized archaeological discovery did take place, while the new curator of Antiquities I. Threpsiadis, undertakes to protect the antiquities as well as the museum from the constant looting. After the war with the initiative of Threpsiadis according to Aravantinos (2015), the old Museum was demolished, and a new one was built in 1962.

 Important discoveries that caused worldwide admiration were conducted in Thebes by Evi Touloupas and Nikolaos Platon. Specifically, the two archaeologists discovered spacious rooms near the palace complex of Thebes that used to be the Armory and the Palace Treasury, according to Papadopoulou (2016). In the two central sites of Thebes, around Cadmium, weapons, horsepower, ivory objects, signs with Linear B writing etc, were found in the so-called "Armory". While in the famous "Treasury" room, according to Tsitsani (2019), quantities of cylinder seals from the East were found, but also jewelry and necklaces from cyan and gold, samples of which are now housed in the New Museum of Thebes.

In the 70's the curator of antiquities Th. Spyropoulos conducts excavations in the monumental tomb of Kastelia and in the tomb of Amfionos, according to Dakouri-Hild (2012), which looks like a pyramid. At the end of the 20th century V. Aravantinos undertakes extensive excavations mainly in the outside area of Kadmeia city. In 1993, according to Aravantinos (2015), signs of Linear BW writing are located randomly after drainage works, while in excavations that lasted from 1992 to 2000 a significant number of treasures, other burial objects and ancient cities of the dead were found around Thebes. (Vika, 2011)

 

First and Second museum of Thebes and the new Museum

The first Museum which was built in the city of Thebes opened its gates to the public in 1905, at the expense of the Archaeological Society of Athens. The building which housed the museum was the old barracks near the medieval tower of St. Omer according to Charami (2017). The first collected antiquities from all over Boeotia were already placed in that barracks until then. The first building, as characteristically mentioned by Aravantinos (2015), was a simple two-storey stone building, which hosted the archeological exhibition organized by Antonios Keramopoulos. According to Charami (2017), Keramopoulos' exhibition for the first museum was particularly groundbreaking for its time, because it exposed the findings, burial or not, in sets and not on the basis of their artistic significance.

This museum of exceptional importance for the city of Thebes, was of limited capacity for an area that was constantly giving new foundings. So it was decided to be replaced after World War II for a new, modern and more spacious building.  From 1956 to 1962, Ioannis Threpsiadis, according to Aravantinos (2015), supervised the completion of the project and planned the re-exhibition of the archeological sites and findings of the area of Thebes. But he did not manage to rejoice in his creation, since he passed away shortly before the official opening of the museum. The second museum in Thebes was also relatively small and had at its entrance portico and bright rooms for the great exhibits that adorned it. As Charami (2015) reports, among the most interesting exhibits on display were, seal-cylinders from the East, inscribed amphorae and engraved columns of warriors of the Classical era.

At the dawn of the second millennium, the need for a new modern museum, worthy of the rich archeology and the history of Thebes was deemed necessary to construct. The old museum stood there since 1962 without any exterior or interior change for 45 years until 2007 where it finally closed for 9 years in order to be completely renewed and a modern archeological site using digital media and new technology took its place. During excavations concerning the expansion works of the new Museum of Thebes, a house which belonged in the 3rd millennium era was found, as reported by Theologidou (2019). The New Archaeological Museum of Thebes was consecrated in 2016 and some of the exceptional exhibits which can be admired by each visitor are Tanagra shrines from the Mycenaean period, of exceptional aesthetics stone objects and figurines, gold gifts and jewelry from the Mycenaean palace etc. (Riley, 2006). The figurines of the Cycladic culture look like those found in Thebes, an issue that testifies to Thebes' relationship with the rich Aegean culture according to the experts (Andrikou, 2019). According to Brysbaert (2008), amazing and majestic murals were discovered inside the palace complex of Thebes. Two of the most important archaeological exhibits of the Museum, are the design representations of these murals on pedestals, one with the procession of women from the Mycenaean Palace of Thebes and the other from the Mycenaean Palace of Gla in Kopaida with a mural of dolphins. As Charami reports (2017), the new Archaeological Museum of Thebes refers to Mycenaean palaces characteristics, and has an area of 1000 square meters containing a total of 18 sections of all historical periods of Thebes. The 11 main sections of the report findings / objects of the Museum, are related to those of the Paleolithic period in the area, and also to the objects of Thebes from the dawn of the young Hellenic State (1832). According to Charami (2015), the last stop in the tour of the new Museum of Thebes is the courtyard, where the visitors meet tombstones of exceptional artistic value, as mentioned by Papazarkadas (2014). There is also an excellent exhibition inside the medieval tower of St. Omer.

Located in the surrounding area of the Museum is the medieval tower of the 13th century of the family of the Duchy of Athens - Thebes, built by Lord Nicholas II St. Omer according to Waksman, Kontogiannis, Skartsis and Vaxevanis (2015). One such rectangular tower of the medieval period also existed in the Athenian Parthenon, but was demolished by the competent authorities at the end of the 19th century. Today, as Charami (2015) reports, two of the three floors of the tower have survived. On the ground floor there is a short exhibition concerning the operation of the tower, as well as other towers of characteristic landmarks of the wider Boeotian province.

Based on the data of the Greek statistical authority[1], since 2016, when the museum of Thebes opened, we observe a fairly large number of visitors. For example, in the first year of operation of the museum, specifically in July, it had 28000 visitors, while the next year in 2017 it had 36500 visitors. In the following years this numbers declined. In 2020 due to the Covid -19 pandemic the museum had only 4500 visitors. In general, there is an increased number of visitors in the months of April - June. Bellow you can see the relevant diagrams.

                                                                                        Chart 1.

 

                                                                                    Chart 2.

 

    

                                                                                       Chart 3.

 

As we can see in the charts above the Archaeological Museum of Thebes made and excellent opening in 2016 (chart 1).  In 2020 visiting rates have declined due to the covid-19 pandemic. Evidence of the decline of the visiting rates can be found even on the months which had the highest pick of visitors (chart 2). Another interesting factor can be found in the museum ticket sales, which were high in the previous years but also declined in the years 2019 and 2020 (chart 3). Furthermore, a contributing factor that lead the tourist visits to declined is the lack of proper advertising, of the museum to travel agents.

 

Conclusion

The city of Thebes with a history of more than 3,500 years, may considered to be an important attraction of global tourist interest  thanks to its excavation findings and its, crown – jewel, the new museum of Thebes. Thebes and the surrounding area need more attention from researchers and agencies. Such an example could be organized cultural routes to be offered as a lure to tourist packages of foreign and domestic tour operators. In conclusion we can add that, with a new and modern Museum the city stares to the future with optimism representing itself and all of Greece.

 

References

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References in Greek Language

Aravantinos, V. & Kountouri, Ε. (2015). 100 Years of Archaeological Work in Thebes. The Researchers and their successors. Athens: Archaeological Resources Fund.

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Tsistasnis, S. (2019). The Mycenaean House in the Late Bronze Age: Architecture typology of housing units in Central Greece and Thessaly. Volos: University of Thessaly, Department of History, Archeology and Social Anthropology.

Charami, A. (2012). From the Hellenistic Cemeteries of Thebes. Contribution to History and the Topography of the post-Alexandrian city. Ioannina: University of Ioannina, Department of History and Archeology.

Charami, A. (2015). Guide to the Archaeological Museum of Thebes. Thebes: Ministry of Culture and Sports, Ephorate of Antiquities of Viotia.

 Charami, A. (2017). Cultural Walks of Thebes. Thebes: Ephorate of Antiquities of Boeotia.

 Greek statistical authority. (2020). [Accessed December 29, 2020]. Available from: https://www.statistics.gr/el/statistics/-/publication/SCI21/2020-M07.