One of the greatest views of Acropolis in Athens you can get from the Filopappos Hill which soars on 147 meters over Athens. Also this mound - it’s a good green park where you can escape from the big and bustling megapolis. Filopappos Hill dominates over the residence of the ancient city and always played a great role in its defense system. From the other point of view it’s always has been a key to the Athens. If somebody wanted capture Athens he should had take control over the Filopappos Hill first.
Kserks stormed Athens from this point and kept track the run of Salamine Battle (Salamine island is visible from the Filopappos Hill). Later famous ancient strategist Demetrios Poliorketes built the fortress here to keep his eyes open over the city and control the road to the Piraeus. You can see the vestiges of this stronghold today.
And Venetian admiral Francesco Morosini in 1687 shelled the Acropolis from here when tried to storm the city.
But its name the mound inherited from the name of the monument on its top which was built in 114 in homage of Roman consul Caius Julius Antiochus Philopappus. The monument has been adorned by the statues and friezes which portrayed Caius Julius and his grandfather.
In the Middle Ages were the beliefs that this monument is a tomb of Orpheus so Filopappos Hill also is known as Hill of Orpheus or Hill of Muses.
