Plato's Academy

Academy was a suburb of Athens named after the hero Academos or Ecademos. The site was continuously inhabited from the prehistoric period until the 6th century AD. During the 6th century BC one of the three famous gymnasiums of Athens was founded here. It is recorded that Hippias, the son of Peisistratos, built a circuit wall and Cimon planted the area with trees which were destroyed by Sulla in 86 BC.

In 387 BC Plato founded his philosophical school which became very famous due to the Neoplatonists and remained in use until 526 AD when it was finally closed down by Emperor Justinian.

The first excavations on the site were carried out between 1929 and 1940. Work was resumed in 1955 under the auspices of the Athens Archaeological Society and lasted until 1963. Since then, excavations have been conducted by the 3rd Ephorate of Antiquities.

The Gymnasium, the peristyle building, the Sacred House and the early Hellenic apsidal house are the most important monuments on this site

Open non-stop
Acadimia - Platonos area