Residential district of ancient Eretria

Due to its location relative to the city and other monuments, the described residential district was identified as western.

During the excavation work, primarily residential buildings from the 4th to 2nd centuries BC were uncovered. The discovered houses were labeled with consecutive numbers: House I, House II, and House IV.

To the north of the excavations lies the main city gate, known as the Western Gate. Here began the road leading to Chalkis, the ancientChalcis.

However, it is known that beneath the uncovered structures lie remnants from earlier periods. For example, archaeologists found:

• located to the north of the excavations, a small cemetery "Heroon" dated to around 700 BC, marked by a triangle of stone slabs, and

• several buildings from the 7th to 5th centuries BC, whose walls are visible beneath the foundations of House I.

Probably, at the beginning of the 4th century BC, the entire area was remodeled.

The three houses: I, II, and IV were remodeled several times at the turn of the 4th and 3rd centuries, until they were ultimately destroyed by the Romans in 198 BC.

House II is the largest residence found so far inancient Eretria.

The entrance to the building led to a central peristyle courtyard, an inner garden or courtyard surrounded by a colonnade. From the peristyle, one could access the surrounding rooms:

• banquet halls on the northern side,

• private living quarters,

• auxiliary rooms.

The well in the northeast corner of the peristyle provided water for the household.

At the turn of the 4th and 3rd centuries BC, House II was divided into two separate apartments.

On the southern and western sides, a wall was drawn between the columns of the peristyle, separating the original two parts of the house.

Both apartments were inhabited until the conquest of Eretria in 198 BC, when they were permanently abandoned.

W House IV can be distinguished two main phases of construction.

In the first phase, at the beginning of the 4th century BC, the house consisted of two separate buildings.

The eastern building of House IV had a dining room and a three-room living area, accessible from the peristyle courtyard.

In the western part of House IV, there were three large banquet halls and a number of auxiliary rooms.

The unusual layout suggests that this house may have belonged to an association whose members regularly met and shared meals.

In the second phase of construction, around 300 BC, both buildings were connected and several extensions were added.

The western part received a kitchen and a bathroom.

On the eastern side, the original building was expanded and transformed into an industrial complex, where wine and oil were likely produced.

There were two entrances:

• one led to the courtyard that connected both wings,

• the other in the southeast corner of the eastern building was used for loading and unloading goods.

Agricultural products were stored in pithoi, large clay containers.

Like House II, House IV was destroyed during the Roman conquest of Eretria in 198 BC.

After passing the ruins of the residence, there is the Western Gate, which was the main entrance to the city from the Chalcis.

To this day, the threshold, the gate with the courtyard, and a series of limestone slabs that formed the communication level in antiquity have been preserved.

The Western Gate underwent several reconstructions between the 6th and 2nd centuries BC.

By the end of the 3rd century BC, the gate was replaced by a large tower for war machines, probably built by the Macedonians.

To the southeast of the Western Gate are the remains of a small Heroon, a burial site for the deceased in the 8th and early 7th centuries BC. Noble family tombs, weapons, and grave gifts were found here.