The Pnyx is low and a small area of rocky hill, surrounded by a Park. It is located in the centre of Athens just a kilometer from the Western slope of the Acropolis and a half kilometers from Syntagma square.

In 507 BC, the Athenians gathered here to hold a public meeting so that hill can be considered the earliest and most important place of creating democracy. This meeting was called the ekklesia (the highest organ of state power, people in the Ancient Greece). Usually the number of participants was 5 to 6 thousand, but when making the most important decisions was about 10-15 thousand people.

Already in ancient Greece the people's Assembly was guided by three main principles of democracy. The first principle "isegoria" gave equal rights to citizens and the opportunity to Express their opinion on policy issues. Every meeting the Chairman began with the phrase "Who wishes to speak? ". The second principle isonomia is equality before the law. The third principle of "isopoliteia" meant equal rights to vote and to be elected to any member of the congregation.

Although in theory all citizens were equal and had the right to say, in practice only a small number of citizens spoke and suggested specific actions. The reason for this was that a citizen who offered any actions in the future could be prosecuted if his proposal considers illegal or such, that may cause damage to the city. There was a rule according to which citizens over the age of 50 years had a right to be heard in the first place.

To this day preserved oratorical tribune Behm. It in ancient times stood Pericles, Aristides, Alcibiades, Themistocles, Demosthenes, and other famous personalities.

The first excavations on the hill began in 1910, the Greek archaeological society and finally confirmed that this is the hill of the Pnyx. In 1930 and 1937, there were more large-scale excavations. Were found the altar of Zeus (for Bamoi) and the Sanctuary of Zeus. Or rather, were only discovered their base, but the structures are not preserved.

On one of the hills of the Pnyx was a prison. It is famous for the fact that here he was in custody, one of the most famous ancient Greek philosophers Socrates.

Today, the hill of the Pnyx is under the control of the Ministry of culture of Greece.