The Pnyx

Beginning as early as the 5th Century B.C., the Pnyx was the meeting place of the Athenian assembly where citizens would meet to discuss laws and make decisions. Pnyx comes from the Greek word meaning "crowded" or "tightly packed together."

The flat stone platform pictured here is the Orator's Bema or "stepping stone." This was the platform used by those wishing to address the assembly.

The Pnyx underwent three stages of development. The first Pnyx was constructed in the early 5th century. The people sat on the hillside facing the speaker's platform, which was located in the northern part. The seating capacity was anywhere from 6000 to 13,000 people.

The second phase of the Pnyx probably began in the late 5th century, during which the orientation of the Pnyx was reversed. A stepped terrace wall was added on the north side and people sat facing the speaker's bema to the south. The size of the 2nd Pnyx is similar to the first.

The 3rd Pnyx was rebuilt and enlarged in the late 4th century. During the Roman period the Pnyx was used as a sanctuary of Zeus Hypsistos. Evidence for the sanctuary consist of 50 niches cut for votive plaques cut into the bedrock surrounding the bema. Many of the votive plaques are carved with representations of human body parts, suggesting that Zeus Hypsistos was a healing divinity. The plaques have been removed from the site and now reside in museums in Greece and England.