Philopappos Hill, Athens

Philopappos Hill is the Athens hill opposite the Acropolis, linked with the neighbouring hills of Asteroskopeio and Pnyka. At its summit stands the monument of Philopappos, the prince whose name the hill carries. Philopappos belonged to the Kingdom of Commagene and lived during the first and second centuries in the Roman Empire.

The hill also carries the older names Mouson Hill and Seggio Hill. Seggio was used from the Frankish occupation until the beginning of the last century. In November 2002, residents formed a movement to keep the hill open rather than fenced and restricted to scheduled visits.

Their campaign ultimately prevailed at Greece’s Council of State in 2015. What you have here is not simply a viewpoint, but a historic hill whose open access was actively defended.