Ramnous

Ramnous holds the principal sanctuary of Nemesis, goddess of retribution against excess, in a wooded hollow above the strait separating Attica from Euboea. Two temples sit side by side on the terrace: a small archaic one to Themis and a larger Doric temple of Nemesis from the 430s BC, unfinished in its detailing, which once held a cult statue by Agorakritos carved, tradition said, from a block of Parian marble. Below the sanctuary a path descends about eight hundred metres to the walled settlement on a headland, where gates, towers, streets and a small theatre survive among pines with the sea on three sides. The site is one of the least visited classical sanctuaries in Attica, and the walk between the two parts is the best of it.

History

Rhamnous, a deme of ancient Attica in the tribe Aeantis, took its name from the buckthorn that still grows on the site, and its sanctuary of Nemesis was the goddess's most important in Greece. It is the best-preserved Attic deme site, strategically placed on the sea routes and garrisoned by young Athenian ephebes, with a fortified acropolis between two small harbours, now much silted up, through which grain reached Athens (Wikipedia, Rhamnous).

What you'll find

• The temple of Nemesis - a fifth-century BC Doric temple on its terrace.
• The temple of Themis - the smaller archaic building beside it.
• The headland town - walls, gates, towers and streets above the sea.
• The coastal path - the pine-shaded link between sanctuary and settlement.

When to go

Spring for flowers and green, autumn for light; the site is exposed and hot in July and August. Opening hours are short and it closes on some weekdays.

Before you go

A car is effectively required, and the last stretch of road is narrow. The remains are foundations and column drums rather than standing buildings, and interpretation is minimal. What you get instead is solitude in a beautiful coastal setting.

Nearby

Marathon and Schinias are south; the ferry to Euboea leaves from Rafina further down the coast.

Key facts