Brauron

At Brauron young Athenian girls between roughly five and ten spent a period in the service of Artemis, wearing saffron robes and known as arktoi, little bears, in rites recalling a myth in which a tame bear sacred to the goddess was killed. The sanctuary sits at the edge of a marsh where a spring rises, with a Doric temple, a sacred spring house, a stone bridge of the fifth century BC and, best preserved of all, a large Pi-shaped stoa with dining rooms whose stone couch bases are still in place. The site museum nearby is one of the most charming small museums in Attica, holding statues of the little bears themselves, votive reliefs, mirrors and jewellery dedicated by women, and objects from other sanctuaries of eastern Attica.

History

In the 420s BCE the sanctuary saw a burst of building, adding the Pi-shaped stoa and the bridge and rebuilding the temple, perhaps because of the plague that struck Athens at that time, since Artemis, like Apollo, was linked with both plague and healing. The silting of the Erasinos river preserved the site, though in the 6th century CE a Christian basilica was built across the valley from stone taken from the sanctuary, and little more happened here until a small church of Hagios Georgios was built (Wikipedia, Brauron).

What's there

• The stoa of the bears - dining rooms with their stone couch supports.
• The temple terrace - foundations of the Doric temple of Artemis.
• The ancient bridge - a fifth-century BC stone crossing of the stream.
• The museum - statues of the arktoi and women's votive offerings.

When to go

Spring, when the wetland is full and birds are on the marsh; autumn is quieter and clear. Site and museum keep different hours, so check both before travelling.

What to expect

Reaching it realistically requires a car. The archaeological remains are low, and the museum carries much of the visit's weight. Mosquitoes are a genuine nuisance near the marsh at dusk in summer.

Nearby

The Attica coast at Porto Rafti is minutes east; Athens airport lies just north.

Key facts