Delos in Mykonos, The Aegean, Greece — Ελλάδα (Southeastern Europe, Balkan Peninsula)
The House of Cleopatra
Photographed by James Hulse, September 23, 2026
1. The House of Cleopatra Marker
Η Συνοικία του Θεάτρου περιλαμβάνει πλούσιες και μέτριες κατοικίες, τη μια πλάι στην άλλη, χωρίς ταξικό διαχωρισμό. Σε πολλές περιπτώσεις δύο μικρές κατοικίες ενώνονται για να εξυπηρετήσουν τις ανάγκες των νέων ιδιοκτητών. Αυτό έκανε και η Κλεοπάτρα από τον Μυρρινούντα της Αττικής (κοντά στο σημερινό Μαρκόπουλο), η οποία πρόσθεσε επιπλέον ένα πολυτελές περιστύλιο με μαρμάρινους κίονες σ’ ένα χώρο πολύ μικρό για τέτοια κατασκευή. Αλλά τα γειτονικά σπίτια είχαν τέτοιο περιστύλιο και προφανώς η Κλεοπάτρα το θεώρησε απαραίτητο για το γόητρο της οικογένειάς της. Πρόκειται για ένα αρκετά μεγάλο σπίτι, με πολλά δωμάτια γύρω από δύο αυλές. Στη δεύτερη, πιο ιδιωτική αυλή, υπάρχει ένα μεγάλο πατητήρι, ενδεικτικό για τις ασχολίες των ιδιοκτητών.
Είναι φανερή η επιδεικτική σπατάλη και η ματαιοδοξία των ιδιοκτητών, οι οποίοι έστησαν επίσης τα αγάλματά τους ακριβώς απέναντι από την κύρια είσοδο του σπιτιού, ώστε να εντυπωσιάζουν τους επισκέπτες, αλλά και τους περαστικούς, που μπορούσαν να τα δουν όταν η πόρτα ήταν ανοιχτή. Η επιγραφή στη βάση, εκτός από τα ονόματα των παριστανόμενων και τον χρόνο ανάθεσης (138/7 π.Χ.), διαλαλεί επίσης το γεγονός ότι ο Διοσκουρίδης αφιέρωσε
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Κλεοπάτρα Αδράστου ἐγ Μυρρινοῦττις θυγάτηρ τὸν ἑαυτῆς
ἄνδρα Διοσκουρίδην Θεοδώρου ἐγ Μυρρινοῦττις ἀνατεθεικότα
τοὺς δελφικοὺς τρίποδας τοὺς ἀργυροὺς δύο ἐν τῷ τοῦ Ἀπόλλωνος
ναῷ, παρ’ ἑκάτερον παραστάδα, ἐπὶ Τιμάρχου ἄρχοντος Ἀθήνησιν
«Η Κλεοπάτρα, η κόρη του Αδράστου από το Μυρρινούντα, τίμησε με άγαλμα το σύζυγό της Διοσκουρίδη, το γιο του Θεόδωρου από το Μυρρινούντα, ο οποίος αφιέρωσε δύο ασημένιους δελφικούς τρίποδες στο ναό του Απόλλωνα, ένα σε κάθε πλευρά της εισόδου, τη χρονιά που Επώνυμος Άρχοντας στην Αθήνα ήταν ο Τίμαρχος».
Τα αγάλματα μεταφέρθηκαν το 1987 στο Μουσείο Δήλου και στη θέση τους τοποθετήθηκαν, το 1989, αντίγραφα από τσιμέντο.
Οικία της Κλεοπάτρας. Αναπαράσταση της κόγχης των αγαλμάτων.
Κείμενο: P. J. Chatzidakis, Αρχαιολόγος
In the Theatre Quarter wealthy and average houses are side by side, with no class distinctions. In many cases, two small houses were joined together to better serve the needs of new owners. This is what Cleopatra from Myrrinous of Attica (near today’s Markopoulo) did, adding a luxurious marble peristyle to a court that was too small for such a structure. But the neighbours’ houses had such peristyles and obviously Cleopatra thought it de rigueur for her family’s social standing. The house itself is fairly typical of the larger homes in the town’s Theatre Quarter district, with many rooms arranged around two open courtyards. In the second, more private, courtyard there is a large basin where the juice of grapes trodden by foot was collected, an indication that the house owners were wine producers.
The ostentatious extravagance and vanity of the owners is obvious, because they erected their statues right opposite the main entrance of the house, to impress visitors and passers-by, who could see them whenever the door was open. The inscription on the base, in addition to the names of those represented and the date of the commission (138/7 BCE), also proclaims the fact that Dioscurides had dedicated two silver tripods to the temple of Apollo:
Cleopatra, daughter of Adrastos from Myrrinous, erected the statue of her husband Dioscurides, son of Theodoros from Myrrinous, who dedicated two silver Delphic tripods in the temple of Apollo, on each side of the entranceway, in the year when Timarchos was Eponym Archon of Athens.
As it is apparent from the inscription, these statues, and the house which contained them, were not owned by the famous queen of Egypt Cleopatra VII. Rather, an Athenian couple, offering us insight into residential life on Delos during the 2nd century BCE. Cleopatra is a fairly common Greek name meaning “she who brings glory to her father.”
The statues were removed in 1987 to Delos Museum and in their place cement replicas were put in 1989.
House of Cleopatra. Reconstruction of the statues niche. Martin Kreeb, 1978.
Text: P. J. Chatzidakis, Archaeologist
Erected by Hellenic
Photographed by James Hulse, September 23, 2026
2. The House of Cleopatra Marker
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Anthropology & Archaeology. A significant historical year for this entry is 138 BCE.
Location. 37° 23.862′ N, 25° 16.024′ E. Marker is in Delos, The Aegean, in Mykonos. It is on Odos Hvris Onomasia. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Delos, The Aegean 846 00, Greece. Touch for directions.
Regionally, it is in Europe, the European Union, the Schengen Area, a coastal Mediterranean country, and the Western World. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Byzantine Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and specifically the Roman Empire.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: The House with the Trident – Delian Houses (within shouting distance of this marker); The House with the Dionysus (within shouting distance of this marker); Delos Theatre (about 90 meters away, measured in a direct line); The Theatre Quarter (about 120 meters away); Delos (about 210 meters away); Portico of Philip V (about 210 meters away); The Oikos and the Colossus of the Naxians (approx. 0.3 kilometers away); Temple of the Delians, or Great Temple (approx. 0.3 kilometers away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Delos.
More about this marker. The marker is at the Archaeological Site of Delos, which you can reach by boat from Mykonos. Admission to the site and the round-trip boat fare are charged separately.
Photographed by James Hulse, September 23, 2026
3. The House of Cleopatra Marker
The columns to the house are on the right side and the marker is on the left side.
Photographed by James Hulse, September 23, 2026
4. The House of Cleopatra
Closeup of the columns to the house.
Credits. This page was last revised on October 4, 2026. It was originally submitted on October 4, 2026, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. This page has been viewed 7 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on October 4, 2026, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.
