Archaeological Museum of Eretria: In the shadow of ancient myths

In the entrance hall, visitors can admire 4th century B.C. sculptures and inscriptions. The first gallery features finds from the prehistoric settlement and cemeteries of Xirokambi, the Tombas cemetery and prehistoric Eretria, Amarynthos and Magoula. A notable exhibit is the clay centaur figurine from Lefkandi, one of the earliest depictions of a mythological creature in Greek art. The gallery also presents finds from Geometric-period Eretria (the Heroon cemetery of the West Gate), the sanctuary of Apollo Daphnephoros and Archaic-era cemeteries.

In the second gallery, the architectural sculptures of the west pediment of the temple of Apollo Daphnephoros (520 B.C.) command visitors’ attention, dominated by the group of Theseus and the Amazon queen Antiope – a magnificent example of Archaic sculpture, attributed to the Athenian sculptor Antenor. Also on display are coins, objects from Classical and Hellenistic houses, Panathenaic amphorae, finds related to local cults, as well as artifacts from Classical, Hellenistic and Roman cemeteries, including objects from the “Tomb of the Erotes” and from the deposit of the Sanctuary of Artemis Amarysia. In the courtyard, visitors can view funerary monuments, inscriptions, architectural fragments, a pottery kiln and mosaic floors.