Hike to Mousseion Hill

The summit of the hill that the ancient called "Mousseion" from the name of the great poet and chanter Moussaios stands proudly the monument to a great friend of Athens, Prince of Syria, Gaius Julius Antiochos Philopappos, 65–116 AD, the grandson of Antiochos IV, Epiphanes, the last king of Kommagene in Asia Minor.

Since Philopappos was his Greek given name, we will assume that Gaius Julius Antiochos was particularly fond, and known for that, of his grandfather, Antiochos IV.

The decorative structure was ornamented with pilasters, reliefs, and statues.

The reliefs represented king Philopappos as a Roman Consul and an Athenian citizen on his chariot, inaugurating his consulship in the year 100 A.D.

Above, in three niches between pilasters and Corinthian pillars, the statue of Philopappos in the center; that of his grandfather Antiochos IV on the left; on the right, according to Cyriakos of Ancona, a tourist to Athens, was the statue of Seleukos I, Nikator, founder of the dynasty.​The fine monument of Roman times, erected by the Athenians in commemoration of the Syrian king, benefactor of Athens, was destroyed in the 17th century.

Here you will discover an unexpected park, important monuments such as the so-called ancient street which was a mercantile boulevard with both shops and houses, and a spectacular view of the Parthenon and the Acropolis.

From this height, one enjoys a splendid view, especially at sunset, of the Propylaea, the temple of Niki (Victory) and the Parthenon streaming with rays of the setting sun.

To the west of the Acropolis one can see Thesseion and the Hill of the Nymphs, and beyond them, the Athenian plain, bounded by Mt.

To the south lies the Saronic Gulf with its countless isles and serpent-like coast.