With a great cultural heritage that makes it stand out from the rest, the capital of Greece offers millions of tourists the opportunity to learn about its history and traditions every year. With many places to see and stories to discover about each, Athens has never disappointed. When people choose Athens as their holiday destination, they know they will spend quality time, and still, all of them want to know where to start their journey from, in order to cover all the landscapes. Their curiosity is justified, but the answer is simple. Start from anywhere, but let your steps guide you to Pnyx, as well.
What is Pnyx?
Situated in central Athens, Pnyx is the birthplace of democracy.
In the 5th Century-Athens, or the Ancient Athens, no later than 507 BC, the citizens would gather on the Pnyx and hold their popular assemblies, as they were called back then, to discuss the concerns they had at that time. That’s how democracy was born. Before making Pnyx the gathering place of Ekklesia, the assembly met in Agora. Today, with politics having a huge role in the way things follow their course, people are usually driven to Pnyx by their curiosity and desire to find out: What’s this place that influenced the political system of the following centuries? Situated south and west of the Acropolis and playing a key role in Ekklesia’s meetings, the Pnyx is one of the earliest hills to bring value to Athens and leave a mark in the world’s history.
- Why it’s worth stopping by Pnyx?
Tourists from all over the world that were brave enough to go through the uphill and stop by the Pnyx, were impressed by the views of the Acropolis and Athens. The stillness of the place gives time to think of all the historical background, as well as observing the archeological remains.
- What can you see in Pnyx?
Recognized as a European Heritage Site, the Pnyx invites its tourists to have an insight into the ancient times of Greece, whose influence spread all over the world to change the history up to the present moment. With free entrance, tourists shouldn’t miss exploring the cradle of the present-day democracy.
- The Polygonal Wall
Made of giant rocks, the Polygonal Wall is situated at the entrance of the site and welcomes tourists into the realm of Ancient Athens.
- The Speaker’s Platform
The ancient footprints of democracy, in the form of flat stones or podiums, are ready to be discovered at Pnyx. Tourists have the opportunity to travel in time and visualize with their mind’s eye the most important meetings that the Athenians held in the name of justice. The Speaker’s Platform, which once held the weight of the Athenians’ voiced truth, holds nowadays part of the cultural and historical value of Athens. Along with the Speaker’s Platform, many ruins compress their historical relevance in small plaques with inscriptions.
- The Altar of Zeus Agoraios ( or Zeus of the Agora ) close to Pnyx
With a landscape that invites to dreaming, looking at the ground might reveal signs of legends long passed, but never forgotten. The Altar of Zeus Agoraios is marked by a little sign on the ground, but the tourists won’t pass by this detail without seeing it.
- Ruins & Inscriptions
Time flies, and sometimes, all that remains are ruins and inscriptions. All around the site, the stones, inscriptions, and podiums keep the ancient spirit alive.
- The Acropolis, The Parthenon, Athens
One of the world’s most famous ancient archeological sites and part of UNESCO, the Acropolis never fails to impress. As tourists meet the top of the hill, the Acropolis meets their expectations. From the Pnyx, the Acropolis is at the height of the visit- literally.
At the same pace in terms of climbing and offering unique landscapes loaded with history, Athens beautifully completes the visit of Pnyx.
Dedicated to the most glorified goddess of Athens and situated on top of the Acropolis, the Parthenon is the temple where Athena was praised by the Athenians for her protection.
- Nearby restaurants
After an intertwining of traveling and learning about the ancient culture, tourists often find themselves looking for a restaurant to complete their travel back in time with the appropriate food. Ready with typical dishes from the Athens’ appreciated cuisine, many local restaurants welcome the tourists with warm, affordable meals after a long day of traveling. The views from the restaurant as well as the quality food are just two of the many reasons that make tourists return.
- Ancient Athens: The Cradle of Democracy
The Athenian Democracy took shape during the 5th Century BC, in some Greek cities once referred to using the term “polis” (pl. poleis). Athens is considered to be the cradle of democracy, as many other poleis followed its ruling pattern. The voting system of the Athenian democracy was direct, meaning that the citizens voted the laws and the executive decisions directly. There were restrictions regarding the voter: he had to be an adult male. Sometimes, the public opinion of the voters was influenced by the political satire of the poets in their plays. When the popular assembly met at the Pnyx, the democracy was built brick by brick.
To learn about the past means glorifying the present and preparing for the future. All the places of the world hide a story that, once discovered, would add a piece to the puzzle of history. The Ancient Greek mysteries and legends are too complex to cover in a day or from the first visit. Yet, having background knowledge and taking the time to explore even the seemingly common places, such as a hill nearby the bigger attractions, might reveal impressive details and put historical facts in a whole new light. Although many valuable archeological sites lost their clarity with time, the ruins still give the needed clues to grasp the nature of ancient times – and Pnyx is no exception to t