Pnyx

From the early fifth century BC the citizens of Athens gathered on this hillside to debate and vote, six thousand or more at a time, sitting on the sloping ground facing a speaker who stood on the bema, a platform cut from the living rock and still there. Everything that carries the word democracy back to Athens happened on this terrace rather than in any building. Three construction phases are traced: late in the fifth century BC the orientation was apparently reversed, so that speakers turned away from the sea, and around 345 to 335 BC a massive curved retaining wall of great blocks was built to enlarge the terrace on the downhill side. The site is unfenced, free and usually near-empty, with the Acropolis directly opposite at eye level.

What to look for

• The bema - the rock-cut speaker's platform of the assembly.
• The terrace - the sloping auditorium where citizens gathered.
• The retaining wall - massive blocks holding the levelled ground.
• The Acropolis view - the Parthenon face on, without a ticket.

When to go

Any season; the pines give some shade and the hill is walkable year-round. Early morning and the hour before sunset are the best light and the fewest people.

Things to know

There is very little to look at physically: a platform, a slope and a wall, so the interest is entirely historical and needs some knowledge to feel. Signage is minimal. The paths are uneven and unlit after dark.

Nearby

Filopappos hill rises to the south; the Ancient Agora and Thiseio lie below to the north.

Key facts