KEPHISSIA Attica, Greece.
One of the original twelve cities that formed the union of Attica under Theseus (Philochoros: FGrHist 328 F 94), Kephissia remained a deme in Classical times, on the site now occupied by the suburb of the same name. Its most famous resident was Herodes Atticus, whose elegant villa is described by Aulus Gellius (NA 1.2.2). Herodes' presence there has been amply documented not only by inscriptions, but also by the discovery in 1961 of his portrait bust and that of his favorite Polydeukion, possibly from the villa itself. These finds came from a lot behind the Church of the Panagia (Xydou).From the same period as Herodes is the long-known Roman tomb on the S side of Plateia Platanou. When found it still contained four sarcophagi. Although nothing of the tomb has survived in place above the level of the orthostate course, it can be convincingly restored with a vaulted roof on the basis of the almost similar tomb at Chalandri. About half a km E of this square, a deme decree of the 4th c. B.C. was recently found, recording the thanks of the citizens of Kephissia towards someone who had repaired their palaistra. This constitutes the only reference to a privately organized palaistra outside of Athens.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
A. Tschira, “Eine römische Grabkammer in Kephissia,” AA 63-64 (1948-49) 83-97; E. Vanderpool, “News Letter from Greece,” AJA 65 (1961) 299-300; id., “A Palaistra in Kephissia,” ArchDelt 24 (1969) Α. Μελέται 6-7.C.W.J. ELIOT