The Acropolis

The Acropolis, once the beacon of western civilization

The greatest and finest sanctuary of both modern and ancient Athens, dedicated primarily to its patron, the goddess Athena, dominates the center of the city from the rocky cliff known as The Acropolis. The monuments of the Acropolis, literally translated into “the edge of the city”, stand in complete harmony with their natural setting. These unique masterpieces of ancient architecture combine different orders and styles of Classical art in a most innovative manner and have influenced art and culture for many centuries. The Acropolis of the fifth century BC is the most accurate reflection of the splendor, power and wealth of Athens at its greatest peak, the golden age of Perikles. Pottery findings of the Neolithic period (4000/3500-3000 BC) and, from near the Erechtheion, of the Early and Middle Bronze Age, show that the hill was inhabited from a very early period. A fortification wall was built around it in the thirteenth century BC making the citadel the centre of the Mycenaean kingdom. This early fortification is partially preserved among the later monuments and its history can be traced fairly accurately. After the Athenian victory over the Persians at Marathon, in 490 BC, the city’s inhabitants began building a very large temple, the so-called Pre-Parthenon.

This temple was still unfinished when the Persians invaded Attica in 480 BC and pillaged the Acropolis while set fire to its monuments. The Athenians buried the surviving sculptures and votive offerings inside natural cavities of the sacred rock, thus forming artificial terraces, and fortified the Acropolis with two new walls. Several architectural elements of the ruined temples were incorporated in the northern wall and are still visible today.In the mid-fifth century BC, when the Acropolis became the base of the Athenian League and Athens was the greatest cultural centre of its time, Perikles initiated an ambitious building project which lasted the entire second half of the fifth century BC. Athenians and foreigners alike worked on this project receiving a salary of one drachma a day.

The most important buildings visible on the Acropolis today - that is, the Parthenon, the Propylaia, the Erechtheion and the temple of Athena Nike, were erected during this period under the supervision of the greatest architects, sculptors and artists of their time.In later centuries the monuments of the Acropolis suffered from both natural decay and human intervention. After the establishment of Christianity and especially in the sixth century AD the temples were converted into Christian churches. The Parthenon was dedicated to Parthenos Maria (the Virgin Mary and served as the city's cathedral in the eleventh century. The Acropolis also became the fortress of the medieval city. Under Frankish occupation (1204-1456) the Propylaia were converted into a residence for the Frankish ruler, and in the Ottoman period (1456-1833) into the Turkish garrison headquarters. The Venetian siege of the Acropolis in 1687 had a devastating effect on one of its most prominent structures. On September 26^th of the same year, the Venetians bombarded and destroyed the Parthenon, which then served as a munitions store. Further serious damage was caused by Lord Elgin in 1801-1802. He and his excavating crew looted the sculptural decorations of the Parthenon, the temple of Athena Nike and the Erechtheion. The Acropolis was eventually handed over to the Greeks in 1822, during the Greek War of Independence. Regardless of which part of the world you are from, chances are you have seen a picture of this monument, representing either Greece, or Athens.