Peripatos, Ancient circular path at Acropolis slopes, Athens, Greece.
Peripatos is an ancient pathway in Athens that runs all the way around the base of the Acropolis hill, linking several religious sites along its route. The path follows the line of an older defensive wall and is wide enough for several people to walk side by side.
The pathway was established in ancient times, built along the line of an even earlier fortification that once protected the hill. As the city grew, it became a steady link between the religious areas that developed around the Acropolis over the following centuries.
The name Peripatos comes from the Greek word for walking, and strolling while thinking or talking was a practice closely tied to ancient philosophical schools. Along the route, visitors can see rock-cut niches and small sanctuaries carved directly into the hillside, which once served as places of worship.
The path can be entered from several points around the Acropolis hill, so there is no single required starting point. The ground is uneven in places and the terrain rises and falls, so sturdy footwear makes the walk more comfortable.
A carved inscription found on the Acropolis records the exact width of the pathway as measured in ancient times. Surviving inscriptions that give direct measurements of a public route from this period are extremely rare.
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