Acropolis of Athens

Who hasn't heard of the Acropolis of Athens? Photos and history of the most famous archaeological monument in Europe have made the world tour causing feelings of admiration by thousands of people. Acropolis is nominated to be one of the 7 wonders of modern world. In fact the trademark of Athens is one of the favorites.

The Acropolis hill (acro - edge, polis - city), so called the "Sacred Rock" of Athens, is the most significant reference point of ancient Greek culture, as well as the symbol of the city of Athens itself as it represents the apogee of artistic development in the 5th century BC. During Perikles' Golden Age, ancient Greek civilization was represented in an ideal way on the hill and some of the architectural masterpieces of the period were erected on its ground.

The Propylaea are the monumental entrances to the sacred area dedicated to Athena, the patron goddess of the city. Built by the architect Mnesicles with Pentelic marble, their design was avant-garde. To the south-west of the Propylaea, on a rampart protecting the main entrance to the Acropolis, is the Ionian temple of 

Apteros Nike.

The first habitation remains on the Acropolis date from the Neolithic period. Over the centuries, the rocky hill was continuously used either as a cult place or as a residential area or both. The inscriptions on the numerous and precious offerings to the sanctuary of Athena (marble korai, bronze and clay statuettes and vases) indicate that the cult of the city's patron goddess was established as early as the Archaic period (650-480 B.C.).

Parthenon

The Parthenon. It is the most important and characteristic monument of the ancient Greek civilization and still remains its international symbol. It was dedicated to Athena Parthenos (the Virgin), the patron goddess of Athens. It was built between 447 and 438 B.C. and its sculptural decoration was completed in 432 B.C. 

The construction of the monument was initiated by Perikles, the supervisor of the whole work was Pheidias, the famous Athenian sculptor, while Iktinos (or Ictinus) and Kallikrates (Callicrates) were the architects of the building. The temple is built in the Doric order and almost exclusively of Pentelic marble. It is peripteral, with eight columns on each of the narrow sides and seventeen columns on each of the long ones. The central part of the temple, called the cella, sheltered the famous chryselephantine cult statue of Athena, made by Pheidias.

The rest of sculptural decoration, also by Phidias, were completed by 432 BC. The sculptural decoration of the Parthenon is a unique combination of the Doric metopes and triglyphs on the entablature, and the Ionic frieze on the walls of the cella. The metopes depict the Gigantomachy on the east side, the Amazonomachy on the west, the Centauromachy on the south, and scenes from the Trojan War on the north.

The Parthenon, the Doric temple, the pinnacle of Pericles' building programme, is beyond question the building most closely associated with the city of Athens, a true symbol of ancient Greek culture and its universal values.

Erectheion

The Erechtheion is located on the north of the hill of the Acropolis. It is an elaborate building in the Ionic style, constructed between 421 and 405 BC. It has a prostasis on the east side, a monumental propylon on the north, and the famous porch of the Caryatids on the south. 

The main temple was divided into two sections, dedicated to the worship of the two principal gods of Attica, Athena and Poseidon-Erechtheus. A relief frieze, bearing a representation possibly of the birth of Erechtheus, decorated the exterior of the building.

To the south-west is the famous porch with the Caryatids, of which one is exhibited in the British Museum; the remaining are on display in the Acropolis Museum. On the monument itself casts replace the originals.

Temple of Athena Nike

The Temple of Athena Nike (Featherless Victory) is situated southwest of the Entrance, on a rampart protecting the main entrace of the Acropolis. It was constructed in ca. 420 B.C. by the architect Kallikrates. It is built in the Ionic order, and it is amphiprostyle with a row of four columns in front of each of its narrow sides. The relief frieze on the upper section of the walls depicts the conference of gods on the east side, and scenes from battles on the other three. A marble parapet decorated with the relief representation of Nikae (Victories), protected the edge of the Bastion on which the temple was erected.

Areios Pagos

 

The Areios Pagos (the Hill of Ares or Curses) is situated to the northwest of the Acropolis. The Areopagus hill was the meeting place of the council of ancient Athens that had the same name. Originally it was a council of nobles and then a judiciary body specialized in cases of murder. It was also the place where Paul the Apostle preached in 54 BC, when he visited Athens. To the northeast side of the hill have been discovered the ruins of a post-Byzantine three-aisled basilica dedicated to Saint Dionysius the Areopagite.

Philopappos

To the south-west of the Acropolis, on top of the hill of the Muses, lies the burial monument built by the Athenians for Gaius Julius Antiochus Philopappos, grandson of the last king of Commagene and eminent benefactor of Athens. Today, Philopappos Hill is one of the few green areas in the city and an ideal place for walking, with magnificent views of the Acropolis and the sea. It is also a favourite promenade place for the Athenians.

The Pnyx

The function of the large, theatre-like area on the hill west of the Acropolis had, in the past, been explained by a number of different theories, before it was securely identified as the Pnyx, the place where the Assembly of the Athenians held its meetings.

The remains found have shown that the Pnyx had three main building periods. In the first period, the natural hillside was used as the cavea of the theatre. The surface was evened off by quarrying out the hard limestone, while a straight retaining wall was built on the north side. In the second period, the arrangement of the auditorium was very different; a high semicircular retaining wall was built to the north, supporting an embantment sloping down to the south, that is, in the opposite direction comparing to the first period. 

The approach was through the two stairways, 3.90 m. wide. The Pnyx of the third period had exactly the same plan but on a larger scale; the great retaining wall was constructed of large stone blocks quarried from the area, while the new bema was arranged to the south.

In 88 BC at the latest, the Pnyx was abandoned and the Assembly of the Citizens congregated at the theatre of Dionysus.

The Herodeion

Going up the pedestrian Dionysiou Areopagitou Street and on and past the theatre of Dionysus and other important monuments, one comes to the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, also known as the Herodeion. It was Built in about AD 160. Today the Odeon functions as a theatre and in the summer months it hosts concerts and performances of ancient drama, lyric theatre and dance as part of the Athens Festival.