On the northern side of Curetes Street stands the Nymphaeum of Trajan. According to the inscription on the frieze and the architrave of the lower level, its construction was funded by the asiarch Ti. Claudius Aristion between 102 and 114 A.D., and was dedicated by him to the emperor Trajan.
The monumental fountain consisted of a rectangular basin, surrounded on three sides by a niched façade on two levels of different heights, richly decorated with a columned avant-corps.
The central intercolumniation was topped by a triangular pediment, while the sides were adorned with volutes and the wings with circular pediments.
© Photo credits by shankar s under CC-BY-2.0
The entire façade was enriched by sculptures: Dionysus, Aphrodite, a satyr, statues of the imperial family, etc. The central niche held a colossal marble statue of the emperor Trajan, of which only the base, with part of the inscription, and a few other fragments remain.
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