The Piraeus Archaeological Museum
A Small Museum with Big Treasures Found Locally in Piraeus Harbour
May 7, 2009
The Piraeus Archaeological Museum is small by comparison with its world-famous cousin, the National Archaeological Museum of Athens, but it has the benefit of being a manageable collection to visit comfortably in half a day, is often empty of other visitors, and has its own special treasures. Most of the collection has been provenanced in Piraeus itself, and some of the finds have an extraordinary story. The visitor is aware that he or she has walked past the street address where certain items were found. This adds a special piquancy to the collection. It belongs to Piraeus.
The Piraeus Harbour Treasure Hoard
In the winter of 1930, a shipwreck was discovered in the busy port harbor. The wreck dated from the 2nd century AD, and the ship had been bound for Rome. According to material supplied by the Piraeus Museum, the cargo consisted mainly of large sculptured wall plaques, of different degrees of execution, and all mass produced by the same ancient Attic workshop.
The plaques were to decorate various buildings in Rome. There are various themes but he most interesting show scenes from the Amazonomania, the battle between the Greeks and the Amazons. In one scene a naked Greek warrior has grasped an Amazon by the wrist. The lithe female form is beautifully rendered; the Amazon wields a large shield in her fre hand, and the two seem to be leaping in the air in a wild dance.
In another plaque, an Amazon dressed in short chiton, elaborate helmet and boots, attacks a Greek soldier with a broad sword.
The Bronze Galleries
The huge bronze statues in one room of the museum have a remarkable provenance history. They were found in 1959 in an old storeroom on the corner of Vas. Georgiou and Philonos Streets near the old harbor.
How long had they been hidden? They had been tucked away there for safekeeping when Piraeus was under siege during the war. Which war? The Mithridatic War, when the Roman commander Lucius Sulla undermined the walls around the town of Piraeus (remnants of which can still be seen). It was 87 BC – these remarkable lifelike bronze statues had been forgotten for over 2000 years.
Little wonder they take pride of place in the Piraeus Archaeological Museum. The finds include the Piraeus Athena, dressed in ornate Corinthian helmet, a Doric peplos, and carrying a spear in one hand and a libation bowl in the other. As well there is the Piraeus Apollo, a cult statue of a beautifully wrought naked figure, carrying a bow and, again, a libation bowl. According to the museum notes, the statue could be as old as 530 BC.
Other Archaeological Treasures in the Piraeus Museum
There are many interesting items to intrigue the visitor – items that give insights into the daily life of Piraeus residents and show the city’s importance as a trading centre. For example, there is a marble table top with various sized hollows in it. These were standard liquid measures, or secomata. Another related exhibit as a large stone tablet engraved clearly with a human arm, hand and foot. Again these were standardizations of current measurements of the span (of the arms) , the cubit, the foot (literally) and the hand.
There are also oddments such as a metal ram and decorative ‘eye ’from a trireme (battleship with 170 oarsmen) found in the harbor – a reminder that, in its heyday, Piraeus had some 372 shipyards, mainly turning out triremes.
Clearly, the Piraeus Archaeological Museum is worth a visit and a visit is manageable if the tourist has a few hours to kill while waiting for a ferry to the Greek islands. The museum is at 31 Charilaou Trikoupi street, which runs up from the harbor and is a 15 minute walk. Alternatively, the visitor can hire one of the many taxis lurking round the port area. The museum is open every day except Monday, and from 8:30 am to 2:00 pm.
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