In front of you is the political heart of Greece. The big ochre building overlooking the square was built between 1836 and 1843 as a palace for Otto, the young Bavarian prince whom the European powers placed on the throne of the new kingdom. Today it is the Hellenic Parliament.

1Constitution Square

Syntagma means “Constitution”. On the night of 3 September 1843, soldiers and citizens gathered outside the palace and demanded a constitutional charter from the king. Otto had to give in, and the square took its name from that victory. Ever since, it has been the stage for the country's great celebrations and protests.

2The soldier with no name

At the foot of Parliament lies the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, unveiled on 25 March 1932. The relief shows a naked warrior lying with his shield, in classical style. The inscriptions quote lines from Pericles' funeral oration, as recorded by Thucydides, and the walls list the names of battles in which Greek soldiers fought.

“The whole earth is the tomb of famous men.”

It is guarded by the Evzones of the Presidential Guard. People often say their kilt, the fustanella, has 400 pleats for the years of Ottoman rule: a lovely explanation, but a popular one rather than an official one.

3What to look for

  • The changing of the guard, every hour, with its slow, ceremonial step.
  • The tsarouchia, red clogs with pompoms and hobnailed soles.
  • The relief of the warrior and the Pericles quotation on either side.

Documented

Otto's palace (1836–1843) is now the Parliament; the revolution of 3 September 1843 gave the square its name, and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was unveiled on 25 March 1932.

Oral tradition

The link between the fustanella's 400 pleats and the years of Ottoman rule is a popular explanation, not a documented rule.

Sources and credits

Hellenic Parliament, history of the building (hellenicparliament.gr); Presidency of the Hellenic Republic, Presidential Guard; Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War, II, 43.

Photos:

  • The Greek Parliament and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier with two Evzones: Gary Todd, CC0.

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