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Ancient Symposium
Just a few minutes from the Acropolis, Ancient Symposium offers a very special experience: entering a universe where wine, sculpture and ancient Greek culture become lived experiences.
Winemaker's Hall: Ancient Greek wine, from container to ritual
In the Winemaker’s Hall, visitors discover Greek wine through the gestures and objects that surrounded it in ancient times. Drink authentic Greek wine from a kylix, the flat bowl used by the ancient Greeks for banquets. Taste snacks inspired by ancient recipes and learn how wine was made centuries ago.
The room features a small grape mill, amphorae and ancient serving equipment. A short documentary on the archaeology of wine shows how Greece shaped its culture around this beverage. Visitors can sit on a replica of King Minos’ throne or recline on an anáklintron, the symposium chaise longue, to taste wine in the position of ancient diners.
Sculptor's Hall: Learn sculpture with Greek artists
In the Sculptor’s Hall, the experience focuses on sculpture. Visitors touch the tools, discover how they are handled and watch videos on ancient techniques: ceramics, marble carving, gemstone engraving, lost-wax casting.
Guided by a sculptor, he models and carves his own small piece, which he then takes home as a souvenir. The space is animated by a family of artists, Georgios and Emmanouel Roussis, both sculptors trained at the School of Fine Arts and members of the Greek Chamber of Fine Arts. They have created busts, statues and monuments in bronze and marble, and offer their expertise to visitors.
Gallery Hall: Helmets, ancient warfare and music
The Gallery Hall offers another facet of the experience: that of war and ancient Greek iconography. There’s an exhibition of Greek helmets, you can try one on, feel the weight and shape of a soldier’s equipment, and move around a space accompanied by music.
This room functions as a counterpoint to the other two: where the wine and sculpture showcase conviviality and creativity, the Gallery Hall plunges back into the martial and symbolic world of ancient Greece.
Wines inspired by Antiquity
Ancient Symposium also markets a wine that adopts certain ancient codes: ancient-inspired techniques, the addition of selected herbs, bottling in a ceramic amphora fashioned by local artists and sealed with beeswax. The whole is presented in a marble case, the same type used to build the Acropolis, to maintain a cool, stable temperature.
The ensemble is designed as a ritual object: amphora, kylix for tasting, marble case, precise narration of the process. The wine becomes an extension of the on-site experience.
A project supported by a family of artists
Ancient Symposium is not a marketing concept, but the project of a father and son, sculptors with a passion for Greek art and ancient wine. They created this place as a “themed site full of knowledge and surprises”, where you don’t just see objects: you handle them, use them, experience a contemporary version of the symposium.
FAQ: Frequently asked questions about Symposium
What to do in Athens for an ancient Greek experience?
Many visitors seek out activities that combine art, wine and history, such as sculpture workshops and wine tastings inspired by antiquity.
Where can you taste wine inspired by ancient Greek techniques?
Some venues in Athens offer tasting experiences with amphorae, kylix and explanations of wine archaeology, such as Ancient Symposium’s Winemaker’s Hall.
Are there any sculpture workshops in Athens open to beginners?
Yes. Workshops enable you to work with tools and materials with a sculptor, and leave with your own creation.
Can families visit Ancient Symposium?
Most activities (tastings for adults, sculpture, discovery of antique objects) are suitable for groups and families, with educational supervision.
Where is Ancient Symposium in Athens?
The official address is 39 Doiranis Street, 17672 Kallithea, Athens, just a few minutes from the Acropolis Museum.
