ATHENS CITY PLANNING

1. city planning in Athens
By Akansha Mittal and Pounomi Kar

2. Athens
 Capital of Greece. One of the first city-states of the ancient world.
 Was a walled city.
 Presided over the region of Attica.
 Largest navy at port city Pireus.

3. Athens in the World (5th
cent.
BC)
Image Source: Powell, A and Sheehan, S 2003, Ancient Greece, Facts on File, New York
Athens , Spartan and Persian Empire

4. Exterior Influences in Planning
 The Political Scenario
Ionic
Revolt
beginni
ng of
Greco-
Persian
Wars
Battle
Of
Marath
on
Greco-
Persian
Wars
continue,
Athens
won.
Persians
made
numerous
attempts
to
conquer
Athens
Battle Of
Salamis
and
Plataea
Persia fails
to conquer
Peloponnes
e
(destructive
to Athens)
Formatio
n of
Delian
League
against
Persians
First
Pelopon
nesian
War
conflict
between
Athens
and
Sparta
Peace
of
Pericles
Pelop
onnes
ian
Wars
499-494
BC
490 BC
490-480
BC
480-479
BC
477 BC
459-445
BC
445 BC
431-404
BC

5. Planning Principles
 Greek Mythology and History
 Life and Forces of a Structure
 Democracy or People Power
 Adhering to Terrain
“I cannot imagine the Greeks allowing themselves to be town-planned.”
-Owens, 1991

6. Kolonos: Previously
occupied by the Temple of
Theseus—credited with
unification of Attica.
Areopagus: Ares was tried
here by Gods for murder of
Posiedon’s son. Later used
as a criminal court.
Pnyx: Assembly of ecclesia
(the people) after Solon’s
and Cleisthene’s policies.
Acropolis: Shrine for
Athena, patron Goddess of
Athens.
Agora: Originated as an
open space for civic
activities.
Image Source: Owens, S 1991, The city in the Greek and Roman world, Routledge, London.
Important landmarks in Athens
Myth and History

7. Streets
Narrow and winding roads, on
steeper ground reduced to
stairs.
Inconstant road width.
‘Athens was a city of
contrasts. The fine temples
and public buildings of the
Classical and Hellenistic
periods were fitted into an
Urban plan which had
developed over several
centuries and was continuing
to do so.’ (Owens, 1991)
Important road: The
Panathenaic Way
Image Source: Powell, A and Sheehan, S 2003, Ancient Greece, Facts on File, New York
South-west Athens

8. Panathenaic Way
-A major road which is going across the
city of Athens, diagonally dividing the
agora or the market place.
Named after the procession which took
place during the festival of the
Panathenaia. (Athena’s birthday).
Linked all the sacred and major public
spaces across the city together.
WEST CITY
GATE
(DIPYLON
GATE/
SACRED
GATE)
Continues
DIAGONALL
Y ACROSS
THE AGORA
PROPYLAE
A
Moves
further up to
the
ACROPOLIS
The STAUE
OF ATHENA
Sacrifices
made and
offerings
presented.
Image Source: Powell, A and Sheehan, S 2003,
Ancient Greece, Facts on File, New York
Panathenaic
Way

9. Agora in Archaic Period (500
BC)
Functions of an agora:
Market-place, a place of
assembly, and a seating
for ceremonies and
assemblies. (Ward-
Perkins, JB 1974)
To the south was the old
bouleuterion (or the
Council House) and to the
north were three small
temples.
Image Source: Travlos, J 1980, Pictorial Dictionary of Ancient Athens, Hacker Art Books.
Agora 500
BC
bouleuterio
n
PANATHENAIC
WAY

10. Agora in Classical Period (420
BC)
The Temple of Hephaestos
was built. It sets into motion a
shaft of space. It makes its
influence felt as an ordering
element. (Bacon, 1976)
The Kolonos and the Acropolis
connect with each despite the
distance because of the
architectural rhythm of the
colonades.
The South Stoa begins to
define the enclosure of the
Agora. The Ecclesia now needs
meeting space.
Image Source: Travlos, J 1980, Pictorial Dictionary of Ancient Athens, Hacker Art Books.
Agora 420
BC
bouleuterio
n
Hephaesto
s
South Stoa
Stoa
of
Zeus
PANATHENAIC
WAY

11. Agora in Hellenistic Period (200
BC)
Full Maturity of Agora
Additions: Metroon replaced
old Bouleutrion , Temple of
Apollo Patroos, South middle
Stoa and Stoa of Attalos
(east stoa).
The South Stoa was rebuilt at
a different angle.
Everything developed
respecting the shaft of space.
Image Source: Travlos, J 1980, Pictorial Dictionary of Ancient Athens, Hacker Art Books.
Agora 200
BC
Metroon
Hephaesto
s
South Middle Stoa
Stoa
of
Zeus
Apollo
Patroos
Stoa of
Attalos
PANATHENAIC
WAY

12. Agora in 2nd
cent. AD
‘The clear open quality of
the uncluttered space of
earlier periods is gone, and
in its place confusion has set
in.’ (Bacon, 1976)
Additions: Temple of Ares,
many fountains and statues
were added. Clumsy Roman
gift of the Odeion of Agrippa.
The Odeion overpowers the
shaft of space and wobbles
the balance of elements.
Image Source: Travlos, J 1980, Pictorial Dictionary of Ancient Athens, Hacker Art Books.
Agora 2 AD
Metroon
Hephaestos
South Middle Stoa
Stoa of
Zeus
Apollo
Patroo
s
Stoa of
Attalos
Templ
e of
Ares
Odeio
n
PANATHENAIC
W
AY

13. Architectural Rhythm
Image Source: http://documents-macedon.blogspot.in
Acropolis

14. Acropolis
Image Source: www.athenshistory.org
Planning of Acropolis

15. Shift from Acropolis to Agora
 Agora took the place which was previously of
the Acropolis or of the King.
 The artisan and residential colonies began to
move westwards and northwards, towards the
open country side.
 Towards 6th
century, public buildings began to
take shape along the foot hills of Kolonos.
 East of the Panathenaic Way, a large public
fountain was built.

16. Adhering to Terrain
Image Source: www.athenshistory.org
Acropolis, Agora, Areopagus and Pynx

17. 17
After the Wars
Image Source: http://documents-macedon.blogspot.in
Pireus and Athens

18. Unlike Athens, other
cities were being
planned after the Wars.
Athens being afraid of
another Spartan Attack,
did not plan and build.
Became protective, built
walls around the city.
Roman Intervention
Image Source: Powell, A and Sheehan, S 2003, Ancient Greece, Facts on File, New York
Athens

19. Temple of Olympian Zeus
The Temple's
foundation was laid by
Pisistratus in 515 BC.
During the years of
Greek Democracy, the
work was left
unfinished due to
Financial and Political
issues.
After many attempts to
complete it, it was
finally completed by
Hadrian (Roman) in 2nd
century AD.
Image Source: http://www.talesbeyondbelief.com/greek-gods-mythology/temple-of-zeus.htm
Temple of Olympian Zeus (2nd
cent.
AD)

20. Bibliography
 Edmund N. Bacon, 1976. ‘The Growth of Greek Cities’ in Design of Cities:
Revised Edition (Penguin Books). Revised Edition. Penguin Books.
 Murray , O and Price, S 1990, The Greek City: From Homer to Alexander, Clarendon
Press, Oxford.
 Nuttgens, P 1997. ‘Landscape of Gods’ in The Story of Architecture, 2nd
edn,
Phaidon Press.
 Owens, E 1991, The city in the Greek and Roman world, Routledge, London.
 Powell, A and Sheehan, S 2003, Ancient Greece, Facts On File, New York.
 Rosenau, Helen, 1959. ‘Ancient Tradition’ in The Ideal City. 1st ed. Great
Britain: Routledge and Kegan Paul Ltd.
 Travlos, J 1980, Pictorial Dictionary of Ancient Athens, Hacker Art Books.
 Ward-Perkins, JB 1974, Cities of ancient Greece and Italy, G. Braziller, New York.