Plutarco, IG II² 1665 e la topografia del Cinosarge

The purpose of this paper is to examine the history and the topography of the Kynosarges. In particular, we argue the idea of the existence of a caesura of more than three centuries in the history of the gymnasium, and the possibility that two distinct buildings existed in different times. Strabo and Plutarch’s testimonies, on the contrary, allow us to hypothesize the existence of a single building, which has been restored and enlarged under emperor Hadrian. The Roman peristyle discovered during the excavations of 1896-97 E of the Sounion road is still the best candidate for the identification of the building, at least from the 1st century A. D. onward. Instead, from the excavation reports we can infer that the so-called archaic gymnasium W of the road can’t be identified with the building destroyed by Philip V in 200 B. C., because it was abandoned not later than 225 B.C.. IG II² 1665 doesn’t provide topographical details in order to identify the site of the Herakleion; however, it is possible to imagine that the sanctuary lied in the zone of the “Windmill hill”, or, in any case, not far from the Themistoklean walls.