The hill overlooking the modem new town and medieval town is the site of the ancient Hellenistic town of Rodos and the Acropolis of Rhodes. In antiquity the population of the city was many times larger than that of today and extended over the eastern slopes of Aghios Stephanos (latterly known as Monte Smith after the English admiral Sir Sidney Smith who established an observation post in 1802 to watch over the movements of the Napoleonic fleet in 1802) right down to the harbor.

 

On the Acropolis are the remains of the Temples of Zeus and Athena and the partly restored Temple of Apollo , then, as now, a landmark for ships at sea. Below is the heavily restored Stadium, which is still used for occasional performances of classical tragedies. Visit at sunset to watch the spectacular sunset. The small reconstructed 800 seat Theater, more likely Odeon, sits beneath the site of the temple. Only the orchestra and three seats remain from the original structure, which was probably used for events associated with the cult of Apollo and maybe by the Rodian School of Rhetoric. A much larger theater is thought to have been sited elsewhere on the same hill.