A Monument Fit for a Goddess
Situated in the middle of the south side of the Upper Agora, the square Tychaion-monument had a canopy roof with four concave sides decorated with tiles in the shape of leaves.
The roof was supported by architrave-frieze blocks. This entablature in turn was carried by four columns and capitals, which are now missing. The columns were placed on top of square pedestals provided with a square plinth. Originally, a statue of the goddess Tyche stood in the centre of the monument, placed on a base.
The close similarity of the Tychaion with a monument depicted on a coin minted at Sagalassos during the reign of the Roman emperor Claudius II Gothicus (268-270 CE) is striking.
The coin identifies the goddess linked with this monument as Tyche, which suggests that the archaeological remains can really be identified as the sanctuary of this goddess of Fortune and protectress of the city. The Tychaion was built in the beginning of the 1 century CE.
In Late Antiquity, the shrine was first re-dedicated to a Roman empress, most probably Constantia. She was the daughter of emperor Constantius II (337-361 CE) and the wife of emperor Gratianus (367-363 CE). Gratianus and his co-ruler over the western provinces of the Roman Empire, Valentinianus Il (375-392 CE). were honoured on the front pedestals of the monument
Afterwards, the main inscription was re-cut to honour Flavia Eudoxia, the wife of emperor Arcadius (395-408 C. Like that, the pagan shrine was transformed into a dynastic imperial monument which continued to dominate the Upper Agora until the abandonment of the square in the 7 century.
In spite of its modest size the Tychalon, as the abode of the city goddess of Fortune, constituted one of the major shines of ancient Sagalassos.