View of Acropolis from Areopagus Hill.

This rocky outcrop below the Acropolis has great views over the Ancient Agora. According to mythology, it was here that Ares was tried by the council of the gods for the murder of Halirrhothios, son of Poseidon. The council accepted his defence of justifiable homicide on the grounds that he was protecting his daughter, Alcippe, from unwanted advances.

The hill became the place where murder, treason and corruption trials were heard before the Council of the Areopagus. In AD 51, St Paul delivered his famous 'Areopagus Sermon' here: 'As I…looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship.' (The words are in Greek on a brass plaque on the hillside.) From this St Paul gained his first Athenian convert, Dionysos, who became the city's patron saint. And for this reason, the Pope always visits the hilltop when he comes to Athens.

If you walk down the hill to the west, look for patches of marble mosaic, remnants of houses that used to dot the hillside.

Transportation

  • metro: Monastiraki

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Acropolis Main Entrance

0.08 MILES

The main Acropolis entrance is used by tour groups so can be very busy. Come here for the disabled accessible lift.

2. Beulé Gate

0.09 MILES

Inside the main entrance of the Acropolis site, the path leads you up through the Beulé Gate, named after French archaeologist Ernest Beulé, who uncovered…

3. Temple of Athena Nike

0.11 MILES

The small but exquisitely proportioned Temple of Athena Nike sits at the southwest edge of the Acropolis, jutting in front and to the right of the…

4. Propylaia

0.11 MILES

The Propylaia formed the monumental entrance to the Acropolis. Built by Mnesicles between 437 BC and 432 BC, it ranks in architectural brilliance with the…

5. Odeon of Herodes Atticus

0.12 MILES

This large amphitheatre was built in AD 161 by wealthy Roman Herodes Atticus in memory of his wife Regilla. It was excavated in 1857–58 and completely…

7. Kanellopoulos Museum

0.15 MILES

A neoclassical mansion contains the collection of Paul and Alexandra Kanellopoulos that was bequeathed to the Greek state in the 1970s. There's lovely…

8. Museum of Greek Folk Art at 22 Panos

0.16 MILES

While the main Museum of Greek Folk Art is being rebuilt (it's scheduled to reopen in 2020), this annexe houses the permanent collection Men & Tools,…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting:
    {
      "url": "greece/athens/acropolis-area/attractions/areopagus-hill/a/poi-sig/1008079/1342281",
      "position": "superzone"
    }