Chaeronea, Archaeological Museum

The archaeological museum of Chaeronea is next to the lion that commemorates the Thebans who in 338 BCE fell in the battle against Philip of Macedon. The battlefield itself is to the east of the modern town; you can still recognize the tumulus where the Macedonian soldiers were buried. In the central hall of the museum, you will see several objects that commemorate the epic fight, like the spearheads of the Macedonian hoplites. In another display, you will see the objects that were given to the dead Thebans: many of them were buried with a strigil.

In this room are also the remains of a monument erected by Sulla, after he had defeated the army of Pontus during the First Mithridatic War. The names of two ancient heroes are recorded, just as Plutarch writes about this monument. The museum has two other rooms. To your left, you will find the prehistoric finds from the Mycenean sites near Lake Copais; to your right, finds from ancient Chaeronea, Orchomenos, and Lebadeia. I loved the subtle Tanagra figurines.

In the garden, you will find several inscriptions. There’s an interesting damnatio memoriae of the name of what appears to have been Severus Alexander, but also the relief on the photo: a trophee, crowned by two Nikes, and two POWs with trousers – perhaps Parthians. I’d love to know more about it.

To be honest, this small museum is not worth a detour, but if you pass through Chaeronea, you should spend an hour over there.

This museum was visited in 2010.

8 pictures related to this museum

Chaeronea, Macedonian Tumulus, Spearheads	Chaeronea, Tomb of the Thebans, Strygils	Orchomenos, Tombstone of a Roman girl	Chaeronea, Sistrum with handle in the form of the Egyptian god Bes
Chaeronea, Tomb of the Thebans, Spearheads	Chaeronea, Dedication to Alexander Severus, whose name has been erazed	Chaeronea, Macedonian Tumulus, Terracotta flowers	Chaeronea, Roman relief of a trophee with victories and POWs