Philopappos Hill

The hill, also called the Hill of the Muses, is crowned by the marble monument of Philopappos, a Roman-era prince of Commagene who was an Athenian benefactor; his tomb of AD 116 still stands two storeys high with statues in its niches. The paths that climb to it were laid out in the 1950s by the architect Dimitris Pikionis, who paved them by hand with reused marble and stone in a design now studied as a masterpiece of landscape work; the surface itself is worth looking down at. Along the way are the Pnyx, the semicircular terrace where the assembly of Athens met, the rock-cut chambers known as the prison of Socrates, and the small Byzantine church of Agios Dimitrios Loumbardiaris. From the summit the Acropolis stands directly opposite at eye level, with the sea and Salamis behind it.

History

Philopappos died in 116 AD, and his sister Julia Balbilla and the citizens of Athens raised his tomb on the Hill of the Muses, opposite the Acropolis, on the spot where the 6th-century BC poet and seer Musaeus was held to be buried; Pausanias describes it as the monument of a Syrian man (Wikipedia, Philopappos Monument).

What's there

• The Philopappos monument - a Roman tomb of AD 116 on the summit.
• The Pikionis paths - hand-laid stone paving winding up through pines.
• The Pnyx - the terrace where the Athenian assembly gathered.
• The Acropolis view - the Parthenon face on, free of charge.

When to go

Sunset for photographers, early morning for quiet and birdsong. The pines give real shade, which makes this the most walkable Athenian hill in summer heat.

Things to know

Paths are uneven marble and stone, slippery when wet and awkward in poor footwear. The hill is unlit after dark and quiet corners are best avoided alone late. Nothing is enclosed, so there is no ticket and no facilities beyond a kiosk.

Nearby

The Acropolis and its museum lie across the saddle; Thiseio and Petralona sit at the foot of the hill.