Was it the flooding of the river, or the Ottoman governor’s wall that brought it down? Today we stand at the Basilica of Ilissos, an important early Christian monument in Athens. It sits south-east of the Olympeion. The Basilica of Ilissos is accessible via Ardittou Street.
This church’s story starts in the first half of the 5th century. Empress Athinais-Eudokia had many activities related to it. Imagine this area long ago. The branches of the Ilissos River formed an islet. That islet was known as Frog Island.
The Basilica of Ilissos was a three-aisled basilica. Originally, it had a timber saddle roof. Only the sanctuary had a vault or dome. You can tell this from the four large pillars at the ends of the semi-circular apses. The basilica and atrium floors had quality mosaics. They depicted birds and plants. Some mosaic parts are now in Athens’ Christian and Byzantine Museum.
Michael Choniates, Bishop of Athens, mentioned the church in a speech. He honored Leonides, martyred in Corinth with seven women in AD 250. Emperor Decius reigned at that time. Bishop Choniates’ speech clarifies something. By his episcopacy, the Corinthian martyr’s relics moved to an Athens tomb.
Choniates was a writer and Bishop of Athens. He lived from about 1138 to 1222. Later, he became canonized. He respected Athens’ classical legacy. He often complained about the city’s cultural decline in his writings.
Bishop Choniates also mentions a church dedicated to the martyr. It was already in bad shape. This church is likely the Basilica of Ilissos. A crypt with tombs exists under its north-western side. The remains of Leonides and his fellow-martyrs probably rest there. Archaeological evidence connects this basilica. It connects it with another dedicated to Leonides, in Lechaio. That’s near where the martyr died. Later documents give no information about the monument.
The church’s final demise might be from the river flooding. Or, Ali Haseki, the Ottoman governor, may have destroyed it. He built a new defensive wall for the city in 1778. He destroyed ancient and medieval monuments in the area. Archaeological excavation uncovered the church’s ground plan.
Leonides was Bishop of Athens in the 3rd century. He became a martyr in Corinth. Seven women-deacons accompanied him. His remains were brought to Athens in the mid-4th century. A martyrium was built to keep his remains. Later, a basilica was added to it.
Today, the Basilica of Ilissos remains a testament to Athens’ layered past. Its stones whisper tales of faith, art, and destruction. It properly fills the gap in the continuous artistic and cultural evolution of the city of Athens.