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Compared to the better known surviving monuments of ancient Athens, such as the Parthenon, the Pnyx is unspectacular. It is a small hill surrounded by parkland, with a large flat platform of eroded stone set into its side. But it is one of the most significant sites in the city, and indeed in the world. For the Pnyx was the meeting place of the world's first democratic legislature, the Athenian ekklesia (assembly), and the flat stone is the bema or speaker's platform.
The Pnyx was used for popular assemblies in Athens as early as 507 BC, when the reforms of Cleisthenes transferred political power to the citizens. It was then outside the city, but close enough to be convenient for the citizens. It looks down on the ancient Agora, the commercial and social centre of the city.
At this site all the great political struggles of Athens of the "Golden Age" were fought out. Statesmen such as Pericles, Aristides and Alcibiades would have spoken here regularly, with the Parthenon, Temple of AthenaThis article is about the goddess Athena. For other uses see Athena (disambiguation). Aegina Athena ( Phoenician Onga also transliterated as Athene the Greek goddess of wisdom, strategy, and war associated by the Romans with their Etruscan goddess Minerva the Virgin, the city's protective goddess, looking down on their deliberations.
The grassy area in front of the bema was in ancient times an area of bare rock, in which about 6,000 men could stand. This can be taken as a reasonable estimate of the number of politically active citizens (citizens were free males born in the city, or perhaps 20% of the adult population). There were wooden seats for the members of the Council of 500, who were elected by the ekklesia to run the city on a day-to-day basis. In later times two stoas, or covered galleries, were built to protect the dignitaries against the rain and sun.
In theory all citizens were equal, and all had the right to speak. In practice Athens was a hierarchical society like any other, and those recognised as leaders tended to dominate proceedings. Many of these belonged to the old aristocratic families which had ruled Athens before the advent of democracy, but the poor and the unknown citizen could sometimes rise to prominence if he spoke well and captured the mood of the assembly. There was a rule that citizens aged over 50 had a right to be heard first.
Democratic government at Athens was suspended in 404 BCCenturies: 6th century BC 5th century BC 4th century BC Decades: 450s BC 440s BC 430s BC 420s BC 410s BC 400s BC 390s BC 380s BC 370s BC 360s BC 350s BC Years: 409 BC 408 BC 407 BC 406 BC 405 BC 404 BC 403 BC 402 BC 401 BC 400 BC 399 BC Events Athens capi following the city's defeat by SpartaThis page is about the ancient and modern Greek city of Sparta. For other uses see: Sparta (disambiguation Sparta was an ancient city in Greece, the capital of Laconia and the most powerful state of the Peloponnesus. The city lay at the northern end of th in the Peloponnesian WarThe Peloponnesian War was begun in 431 BC between the Athenian Empire and the Peloponnesian League which included Sparta and Corinth. The war was documented by Thucydides, an Athenian general, in his work History of the Peloponnesian War''. The war lasted. The Spartans and their allies in Athens installed a dictatorship, called the Rule of the Thirty, but in 402Centuries: 6th century BC 5th century BC 4th century BC Decades: 450s BC 440s BC 430s BC 420s BC 410s BC 400s BC 390s BC 380s BC 370s BC 360s BC 350s BC Years: 407 BC 406 BC 405 BC 404 BC 403 BC 402 BC 401 BC 400 BC 399 BC 398 BC 397 BC Births Deaths Zhou the democrats seized power again and the meetings at the Pnyx resumed. Athenian democracy continued until Athens lost its independence to Philip II of MacedonPhilip II ( 382 BC 336 BC), King of Macedon ( 359 BC 336 BC) Olympionike, was the father of Alexander the Great (Alexander III of Macedon) and Philip III of Macedon. Coin with likeness of Philip II Born in Pella in 382 BC, he was King Amyntas III of Maced after the battle of ChaeroneaChaeronea was a city in the province of Boeotia in Ancient Greece. It was the scene of an historic battle at 338 BC, in which Philip II of Macedon overcame the forces of Athens and Thebes. See Battle of Chaeronea (338 BC). In 86 BC, Roman general Lucius C in 338 BCCenturies: 5th century BC 4th century BC 3rd century BC Decades: 380s BC 370s BC 360s BC 350s BC 340s BC 330s BC 320s BC 310s BC 300s BC 290s BC 280s BC 343 BC 342 BC 341 BC 340 BC 339 BC 338 BC 337 BC 336 BC 335 BC 334 BC 333 BC Events August 2 Battle of.