The Pnyx was the official meeting place of the Athenian democratic assembly ekklesia. In the earliest days of Athenian democracy after the reforms of Kleisthenes in B. Sometime in the early 5th century, the meeting place was moved to a hill south and west of the Acropolis. This new meeting place came to be called "Pnyx" from the Greek word meaning "tightly packed together".
Three phases can be distinguished: Pnyx I: Probably constructed in the early 5th century. The people apparently sat on the hillside facing a speaker's platform on the north. The seating capacity may have been anywhere from to 13, people. This phase is represented archaeologically only by a few cuttings in the bedrock and a boundary stone not found in situ , so that it is impossible to determine the date and size with any precision. Pnyx II: Probably late 5th century B.
Excavations at the site were begun in by the Greek Archaeological Society and definitely confirmed the site as the Pnyx. Large-scale excavations were conducted at various times between and by Homer Thompson , in collaboration first with K.
Kourouniotes and later with Robert Scranton. These excavations discovered the foundations of the important buildings at the Pnyx, although nothing else remains of them.
These included the two large stoas, erected between and BC , the Altar of Zeus Agoraios, erected at the same time, but removed during the reign of Augustus first century BC , and the Sanctuary of Zeus Hypsistos. Most of these buildings were erected after the Pnyx had lost its real significance. The surrounding parklands are fenced, but the traveller can visit it free of charge at any time during daylight.
Categories : Athens. Pnyx From Academic Kids. Toolbox Special pages. There were only a few more days left of my stay in Athens. I had seen the archaeological sites I had wanted to, and more.
And all that was left on my list was to climb Filopappou Hill for a photograph of the Acropolis. Being quite high up, you get a good panorama of the city with a great view of the entrance to the Acropolis.
As the climb was much easier than I had anticipated I carried on to the the Pnyx to check out the view from there. For a moment I lost my bearings and nearly missed it altogether. I am glad I persisted. Not only is this one of the finest views of the entrance to the Acropolis, in my opinion the Pnyx is greatly underrated.
For some reason I thought there was nothing left to see except for the modern National Observatory. The Pnyx is an archaeological site on a small, rocky hill that is just over metre high in the centre of Athens.
The site is in a large park just below the National Observatory and about a kilometre of easy walking to the west of the Acropolis. The Philopappos Monument is in the same park, which is free to enter.
Archaeologically, the rocky outcrop has been a place of religious significance since prehistoric times, perhaps as far back as 5, years. Over a period of nearly two hundred years the Pnyx underwent significance development. Archaeologists have identified three phases, before the assembly meeting point moved to the Theatre of Dionysos South Slope of the Acropolis by the 1st century BC.
The assembly would meet about 10 times a year, sometimes more, to debate and vote on such issues as war and peace, as well as large-scale building projects that included the buildings on the Acropolis. Standing in what was the auditorium of the Pnyx, it might be hard to imagine this as an important archaeological site. As early as , this spot had been identified as the meeting place of the Athenian assembly.
In George Hamilton-Gordon, the 4th Earl of Aberdeen who travelled widely and had a keen interest in Classical civilisations, removed soil to reveal the bema and a number of plaques that were inscribed with dedications to Zeus Hypsistos.
There followed a few further investigations but it was not until that excavations of the site were undertaken by the Greek Archaeological Society. These confirmed initial suggestions that this was indeed the site of the Pnyx. In the s large-scale excavations were carried out that provided the definitive understanding of the different phases of the architecture and history of the site.
Rock-cut niches in which votive offerings would have been made to Zeus Hypsistos in the open sanctuary from the Roman period. How to get to the Pnyx: If you want to start at the Pnyx and walk on to the Acropolis, you could get the Metro to Thissio Station and then walk up Apostolou Pavlou, with the Ancient Agora on your left.
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