Philopappos Monument

Philopappos died in 116, and his death caused great grief to his sister Julia Balbilla, citizens of Athens and possibly to the imperial family. As a dedication to honor the memory of Philopappos, Balbilla with the citizens of Athens erected a tomb structure on Muses Hill (Λόφος Μουσών) near the Acropolis of Athens. His marble tomb monument is still known as the Philopappos (or Philopappou) Monument, and the hill is today known as Philopappou Hill (Λόφος Φιλοπάππου).

The Greek geographer Pausanias describes Philopappos’ grand tomb as a monument built for a Syrian man. The monument was built on the same site where Musaios or Musaeus, a 6th-century BC priestly poet and mystical seer, was held to have been buried. The location of this tomb, opposite the Acropolis and within formal boundaries of the city, shows the high position Philopappos had within Athenian society.