Greece’s Central Archaeological Council has approved the restoration of the Lion of Amphipolis, a monumental marble sculpture dating to the 4th century BC.
The Lion of Amphipolis is renowned for its grandeur and the historical enigma it presents. The lion once stood as a powerful funerary monument near the ancient city of Amphipolis, in the region of Macedonia, close to the banks of the Strymon River.
Discovered in fragments between 1912 and 1929 – by Greek soldiers in the Balkan Wars, British officers in WWI and later during land drainage works – the lion was reconstructed in 1936 by the French and American schools in Athens. Its missing parts, including the top of its head and the lower jaw, were restored using concrete and iron pins, a method that was advanced for its time but would not be chosen today.
Now standing 8 meters tall with its pedestal and typologically linked to the lions of Piraeus and Chaeronea, the sculpture will be treated for damage from humidity, exposure and the use of inappropriate materials in its original restoration.
The statue is carved from marble from the island of Thassos, a material likely transported via the nearby river system. The scale and craftsmanship of the lion point to the commemoration of a figure of extraordinary status, possibly with royal or military significance.
Historians and archaeologists have long debated the identity of the person honored by the monument. One leading theory links the lion to Laomedon, a trusted general of Alexander the Great. Another possibility is that it commemorates Hephaestion, Alexander’s closest companion, who died in 324 BC. The strategic importance of Amphipolis as a major Macedonian city lends further weight to the idea that the lion marked the resting place of someone deeply entwined with the legacy of Alexander and the Macedonian court.
The statue was not discovered in situ. Instead, its fragments were uncovered between 1912 and 1916, during archaeological work that coincided with military operations in the area. Greek and French teams pieced together the scattered remains, and the lion was reconstructed in the 1930s, with support from both the Greek state and American philhellenes. The restored monument was re-erected near the modern town of Amphipolis, though slightly removed from its original location.
Interest in the Lion of Amphipolis surged again following the 2012–2014 excavation of the nearby Kasta Tomb, an opulent Macedonian-era burial complex. Given the tomb’s extraordinary scale and architectural sophistication, some scholars suggest that the lion originally crowned the Kasta mound.
The identity of the tomb’s occupant remains a subject of debate, with figures such as Hephaestion, Roxana (Alexander’s wife), or other high-ranking members of the Macedonian elite being considered.
Symbolically, the lion in Greek funerary art represents honor, heroism, and eternal vigilance, making it a fitting guardian for the remains of a distinguished individual. Whether tied to the Kasta Tomb or to another lost grave, the Lion of Amphipolis stands today as a majestic relic of Macedonian power, reflecting both the artistic excellence and the political might of its era.
