Pnyka – The Hill of the Nymps

Ecclesia tou Dimou

Pnyka, The Hill of the Nymps, or Pnyx, overlooking the Acropolis and with Athens laid out below, is where debates were held.

From the end of the 6th century BC it has been established as a place where the Ecclesia tou Dimou, the principal assembly of the democracy of ancient Athens, convened. It is a landmark of the 5th century BC.

The large flat stone platform in the middle foreground is the bema, the “stepping stone” or speakers’ platform, where the orators stood.

From the ancient years this was a sacred location dedicated to the Nymphs, ethereal substances. Oddly, while Christianity displaced the Olympian gods it did not displace the nymphs who stayed live through the traditions of the people. According to legends, the nymphs dominate nature, the souls and sometimes the sane.

Also on this hill, on the highest point, an astronomical observatory.

A popular site for picnics and kite flying.

Tags: Pnyka, Pnyka - The Hill of the Nymps, The Hill of the Nymps