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The 'Acropolis of Athens' is the best known acropolis (high city, The "Sacred Rock") in the world. Although there are many other acropoleis in Greece, the significance of the Acropolis of Athens is such that it is commonly known as 'The Acropolis' without qualification. The Acropolis was formally proclaimed as the pre-eminent monument on the European Cultural Heritage list of monuments on the 26th of March, 2007. The Acropolis is a flat-topped rock which rises 150 m (512 ft) above sea level in the city of Athens. It was also known as 'Cecropia', after the legendary serpent-man, Kekrops or Cecrops, the first Athenian king.

Contents

History

Early human occupation

The Dark Ages

Archaic Acropolis

The Periclean building program

Archaeological remains

Site plan

Cultural significance

See also

External links

History

Early human occupation

While the earliest artifacts date to the Middle Neolithic era, there have been documented habitations in Attica from the Early Neolithic (6th millennium BC). Once into the Bronze Age, there is little doubt that a Mycenaean megaron must have stood on top of the hill, housing the local potentate and his household, guards, the local cult facilities and a number of workshops and ordinary habitations. The compound was surrounded by a thick Cyclopean circuit wall, possibly between 4.5 m and 6 m in height, consisting of two parapets built with large stone blocks and cemented with an earth mortar called ''emplekton''. The wall follows typical Mycenaean convention in that its gate was arranged obliquely, with a parapet and tower overhanging the incomers' right-hand side, thus facilitating defense. There were two lesser approaches up the hill on its north side, consisting of steep, narrow flights of steps cut in the rock. Homer is assumed to refer to this fortification when he mentions the "strong-built House of Erechtheus" (Odyssey 7.81). It was during that time that an earthquake caused a fissure near the northeastern edge, one that ran all the way down to the marl layer and in which water collected. An elaborate set of stairs was built and the well was used as a protected source of drinking water during some portion of the Mycenaean period, as it was invaluable in times of siege.

The Dark Ages

It seems that the Acropolis might have been spared the violent destruction of other Mycenaean palaces, as there are no signs of fire or other large-scale destruction in what few artifacts of that time survive. This agrees with the standard Athenian folklore that the area resisted the Dorians successfully. Not much is known as to the precise state of building on the rock leading up to the archaic era, except that the Acropolis was taken over by Kylon in the Kylonian revolt, and twice by Pisistratus: all attempts directed at seizing political power by ''coups d' etat''. Nevertheless it seems that a nine-gate wall, the ''Enneapylon'', had been built around the biggest water spring, the "Clepsydra", at the northwestern foot. It was Pisistratus who initially established a precinct for Artemis on the site.

Archaic Acropolis

A sizable temple sacred to "Athena Polias" (Protectress of the City) was erected by mid-6th century BC. This Doric limestone building, from which many relics survive, is referred to as the "Bluebeard" temple, named after the pedimental three-bodied man-serpent sculpture, whose beards were painted dark blue. Whether this temple replaced an older one, or a mere sacred precinct or altar, is not known. In the late 6th century BC yet another temple was built, usually referred to as the ''Archaios Naos'' (Old Temple). It is thought that the so-called ''Doerpfeld'' foundations might have belonged to this temple, which may have been sacred not to Polias but to Athena ''Parthenos'' (Virgin), at least for as long as the Polias "Bluebeard" temple stood. It is not known how long these temples coexisted.
To confuse matters, by the time the "Bluebeard" Temple had been dismantled, a newer and grander marble building, the "Older Parthenon", was started following the victory at Marathon in 490 BC. To accommodate it, the south part of the summit was cleared of older remnants, made level by adding some 8,000 two-ton blocks of Piraeus limestone, a foundation 11 m deep at some points, and the rest filled with earth kept in place by the retaining wall. The Mycenaean gate was demolished and replaced with the ''Old Propylon'', a monumental colonnaded structure whose purpose was strictly ceremonial, rather than defensive.
The Older Parthenon was caught unfinished by the invading Persians in 480 BC, and was razed to the ground burnt and looted, along with the ''Archaios Neos'' and practically everything else on the rock. Once the Persian Wars were over, the Athenians brought some order to the location, firstly by ceremonially burying objects of worship and art that were rendered unsuitable for further use. This "Persian debris" is the richest archaeological treasure excavated on the Acropolis, as its burial had protected it from further destruction through the ages.

The Periclean building program

Most of the major temples were rebuilt under the leadership of Pericles during the Golden Age of Athens (460–430 BC). Phidias, a great Athenian sculptor, and Ictinus and Callicrates, two famous architects, were responsible for the reconstruction. During the 5th century BC, the Acropolis gained its final shape. After winning at Eurymedon in 468 BC, Cimon and Themistocles ordered the reconstruction of southern and northern walls, and Pericles entrusted the building of the Parthenon to Ictinus and Phidias.


In 437 BC Mnesicles started building the Propylaea, monumental gates with columns of Penteli marble, partly built upon the old propylaea of Pisistratus. These colonnades were almost finished in the year 432 BC and had two wings, the northern one serving as picture gallery. At the same time, south of the propylaea, building of the small Ionic Temple of Athena Nike commenced. After an interruption caused by the Peloponnesian War, the temple was finished in the time of Nicias' peace, between 421 BC and 415 BC.
During the same period the building of the Erechtheum, a combination of sacred precincts including the temples of ''Athena Polias'', Poseidon, Erechtheus, Cecrops, Herse, Pandrosos and Aglauros, with its so-called the ''Kore Porch'' (or ''Caryatids' balcony''), was begun.
Between the temple of Athena Nike and the Parthenon there was the temenos of Artemis Brauronia or Brauroneion, the goddess represented as a bear and worshipped in the deme of Brauron. The archaic ''xoanon'' of the goddess and a statue made by Praxiteles in the 4th century BC were both in the sanctuary.
Behind the Propylaea, Phidias' gigantic bronze statue of Athena Promachos ("she who fights in the front line"), built between 450 BC and 448 BC, dominated. The base was 1.50 m high, while the total height of the statue was 9 m. The goddess held a lance whose gilt tip could be seen as a reflection by crews on ships rounding Cape Sounion, and a giant shield on the left side, decorated by Mys with images of the fight between the Centaurs and the Lapiths. Other monuments that have left almost nothing visible to the present day are the Chalkotheke, the Pandroseion, Pandion's sanctuary, Athena's altar, Zeus Polieus's sanctuary and, from Roman times, the circular temple of Augustus and Rome.

Archaeological remains

The entrance to the Acropolis was a monumental gateway called the Propylaea. To the south of the entrance is the tiny Temple of Athena Nike. A bronze statue of Athena, sculpted by Phidias, originally stood at its center. At the centre of the Acropolis is the Parthenon or Temple of Athena Parthenos (Athena the Virgin). East of the entrance and north of the Parthenon is the temple known as the Erechtheum. South of the platform that forms the top of the Acropolis there are the also the remains of an outdoor theatre called Theatre of Dionysus. A few hundred metres away, there is the, now partially reconstructed Theatre of Herodes Atticus.

Site plan

#Parthenon
#Old Temple of Athena
#Erechtheum
#Statue of Athena Promachos
#Propylaea
#Temple of Athena Nike
#Eleusinion
#Sanctuary of Artemis Brauronia or Brauroneion
#Chalkotheke
#Pandroseion
#Arrephorion
#Altar of Athena
#Sanctuary of Zeus Polieus
#Sanctuary of Pandion
#Odeon of Herodes Atticus
#Stoa of Eumenes
#Sanctuary of Asclepius or Asclepieion
#Theatre of Dionysus Eleuthereus
#Odeon of Pericles
#Temenos of Dionysus Eleuthereus
#Aglaureion

Cultural significance

Every four years the Athenians held a festival called the Panathenaea that rivaled the Olympic Games in popularity. During the festival, a procession moved through Athens up to the Acropolis and into the Parthenon (as depicted in the frieze on the inside of the Parthenon). There, a vast robe of woven wool (''peplos'') was ceremoniously placed on Phidias' massive ivory and gold statue of Athena.

See also

★ Acropolis

External links

★ The Acropolis of Athens (Greek Government website)

★ The Acropolis Restoration Project (Greek Government website)

★ The Restitution of the Parthenon Marbles

★ Parthenon 2004 — The Campaign to Return the Parthenon Marbles to Athens

★ Marbles Reunited

★ Acropolis of Athens — AcropolisofAthens.gr — one monument, one heritage

★ UNESCO World Heritage Centre — Acropolis, Athens

★ Reconstruction of the ancient Acropolis

★ Excerpt on the geology of Athens from: ''A Geological Companion to Greece and the Aegean'' by Michael and Reynold Higgins, Cornell University Press, 1996

★ The Acropolis of Athens Interactive 360° panoramas of the Acropolis monuments in high resolution.

★ Acropolis in 421 BC an ongoing 3D reconstruction project

★ Free 3D Acropolis Free 3D Acropolis is a 3d model in high resolution of the Acropolis of Athens shortly after its construction. You can download it from this Web, and use it freely.

★ The Friends of the Acropolis