![]() Many of the original buildings of the Acropolis were either repurposed or destroyed. ![]() The Acropolis saw few changes after Sparta won the Peloponnesian War, although a minor temple honoring Caesar Augustus and Rome was built in 27 B.C. The Statue of Athena Promachos: A gigantic (almost 30 feet tall) bronze statue of Athena that stood next to the Propylaea. It’s best known for its porch supported by six Caryatid maiden statues. The Erechtheion: A sacred Ionic temple made of marble which honored Athena and several other gods and heroes. The Temple of Athena Nike: A small Ionic-style temple located to the right of the Propylaea built as a shrine to Athena Nike. ![]() The Propylaea: A monumental entryway to the Acropolis that included a central building and two wings, one of which was covered with elaborately painted panels. It featured ornate sculptures and housed a spectacular statue of the goddess Athena. The Parthenon: An enormous Doric-style temple that remains the star attraction of the Acropolis. The southern and northern walls were rebuilt and some of the most iconic structures in the world were constructed such as: Pericles didn’t live long enough to see his entire Acropolis vision come true, but temple builders and architects continued working until they completed the project. Under his direction, two well-known architects, Callicrates and Ictinus, and renowned sculptor Phidias helped plan and execute the Pericles’ plan. to 430 B.C.) under the rule of Pericles when Athens was at its cultural peak.ĭetermined to bring the Acropolis to a level of splendor not seen before, Pericles initiated a massive building project that lasted 50 years. If the Acropolis was impressive during the Mycenaean Civilization, it was nothing short of spectacular during the Golden Age of Athens (460 B.C. To prevent further losses, the Athenians buried the remaining sculptures inside natural caves and built two new fortifications, one of the rock’s north side and one on its south. In 480 B.C., the Persians attacked again and burned, leveled and looted the Old Parthenon and almost every other structure at the Acropolis. By that time, the Bluebeard Temple had been demolished by the Persians. Many religious festivals were held there, and the artifacts of the time reflected the grandeur of ancient Athens.Īround 490 B.C., the Athenians started building a majestic marble temple known as the Old Parthenon. B.C.), the Acropolis remained largely intact. It was named after a sculpture that adorned the building that depicted a man-serpent with three blue beards.Īnother temple dedicated to the Athena was also erected in the same century, as was a shrine to Artemis Brauronia, the goddess of expectant mothers in Greek mythology.ĭuring the Greek Dark Ages (800 B.C. Years later, the Athenians built a Doric temple made of limestone, known as Bluebeard Temple, on the northeast side of the hill in honor of the goddess Athena in the sixth century B.C. Historians believe the Mycenaeans built a massive compound surrounded by a great wall (almost 15 feet thick and 20 feet high) on top of the Acropolis to house the local ruler and his household. There’s no recorded history of what happened at the Acropolis before the Mycenaeans cultivated it during the end of the Bronze Age. The Acropolis’ flat top is the result of thousands of years of construction beginning as far back as the Bronze Age.
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