The Lysikrates Choregic (Choragic) Monument was established in 334-333 B.C. in the ancient Street of the Tripods which connected the ancient Agora with the Sanctuary and the Theater of Dionysos. The tripods were the prizes awarded to the 'Choregoi' (Sponsors) by the city for their victory in the dramatic contests of the Great or 'En Astei' (in the city) Dionyssia. During the 5th century BC they were set up on rectangular bases, while in the 4th cent. BC they stood on more elaborate buildings, usually resembling temples. The "choregoi" were the sponsors who paid for and supervised the training of the dramatic dance-chorus and used to set up such constructions in the Street of the Tripods to share their glory with the citizens of Athens, as it was unthinkable to keep such prizes at home. Pausanias tells us that the small, temple-like choregic monuments in this street were numerous, a fact that was proved during excavation works around the Acropolis Rock, but this monument is the only one surviving and in a very good condition. We know the time of its erection thanks to a mention of Evainetos in the choregic inscription, ruling 'archon' of Athens from 334 to 333 B.C. The whole inscription is as follows: "Lysicrates, son of Lysitheos, from Kikineus, was a choregos; the Acamantide tribe won the prize of the chorus of boys; Theon was a flute player; Lysiades the Athenian was the teacher of the chorus; Evainetos was the Archon"

The Lysikrates Choregic Monument was traditionally called the Lantern of Diogenes (and it is still called this way by the Athenians), for unknown reasons. It is a circular building in the shape of a peripteral tholos supported by six Corinthian columns of Pentelic marble alternating with panels of Hymettian marble; the whole construction stands on a square podium of poros stone. It has a marble frieze depicting the adventure of Dionysos with the pirates, whom he turned into dolphins. The construction was topped by the choregic tripod, not preserved today. In 1660 the monument and its surrounding area were incorporated into the Capuchin Monastery, where Lord Byron, Chateaubriand and others were later entertained. With the exception of the Lysicrates Monument, all the buildings of the monastery were destroyed in 1824 by Omer Pasha.

In 1845 French archaeologists cleared the monument and the area around it from the debris and found some missing parts of it which were encorporated to the monument during works by F. Boulanger and E. Loviot (1876-1887).
(Photos by Michael Tziotis)