Beulé Gate, Roman gate in Athens, Greece

The Beulé Gate is a fortified Roman gate at the foot of a monumental staircase that led up to the Propylaea, about 37 m east. It has two towers projecting roughly 5 m, joined by walls to the upper terraces, and a central passage 3.87 m high. Its Doric entablature is built from Pentelic marble and poros limestone, largely reusing blocks from the choregic Monument of Nicias.

The gate was built in response to a raid by the Heruli people in the third century, when the Acropolis needed stronger defenses. Its construction marked a shift in how the site functioned, transforming from a mainly religious sanctuary into a fortified stronghold.

The gate's entablature carries the dedicatory inscription of the choregic Monument of Nicias, built shortly after 320 BC for a victory in the boys' chorus contest of the Cecropid tribe. It names Nicias of Xypete, the aulos player Pantaleon of Sicyon, Timotheus's song Elpenor and the archon Neaechmus.

Most visitors pass through this gate when leaving the Acropolis complex, since the main entrance is located on the southeastern side. The surrounding area can be steep and slippery, especially after rain, so sturdy footwear is helpful for navigating the site safely.

French archaeologist Charles Ernest Beulé uncovered this gate during excavations in the 1850s, finding it buried beneath a later Ottoman fortification. The discovery revealed how the Romans had reinforced this entrance centuries after the site's original construction.