Acropolis -
For thousands of years
the Acropolis has been
the symbol of Athens,
the sacred rock,
the link that connects
the magnificent ancient
civilization with the modern.
The Acropolis and its
monuments, its history
and the myths that are
connected with it are rightly
the pride and the glory
of this city, the envy
of all other cities in the
world. There is no Greek
or foreign visitor
who does not want
to make the pilgrimage
to the sacred rock
and absorb its magnificence
and beauty.
If you have never been
to the Acropolis we assure
you it is a unique and
unforgettable experience.
The Ancient Theatre of Dionysos -
Pass through the entrance to the
archaeological site at the southern
slope of the Acropolis in Dionysiou
Areopaghitou Street and start
climbing. On your left you will see
the oldest of all known theatres in
the world, the theatre of Dionysos.
Here, the four greatest ancient
Greek poets, Aeschylos,
Aristophanes, Euripides and
Sophokles, saw their plays being
performed for the first time, in the
5th century BC. The koilon (cavea)
and the proskoinion (stage) were
originally of wood. They were
reconstructed of marble during the
4th century B.C. Today only parts
of the stone koilon have survived.
Experts estimate that the theatre
could accommodate 17,000
spectators.
The Stoa of Eumenus -
On your ascent you will find the
Stoa of Eumenes, which was built
by the King of Pergamon,
Eumenes II, in the 2nd century
B.C. Its main purpose was to
protect the spectators in case
of bad weather or sun. On passing
through the Stoa you can see the
ruins of the Asklepieion which
was built in 429 B.C. after
the plague that decimated
the population of Athens.
The Odeion of Herodes Atticus -
(3d picture) - The Herodeion as it is called by
modern Greeks, was built in
AD161 by Tiberius Claudius Atticus
Herodes, an important figure of his
time. He was a teacher and
philosopher who had inherited a
great fortune from his father. When
his wife Rigilla died, he built this
roofed Odeion for musical
performances to honour her
memory. The ancient Greeks used
to give music and recital concerts
there. Today the Athens Festival
takes place at the Odeion every
summer, but the Herodeion's
splendour is best admired
during a morning stroll
on your way to the Acropolis.
The Sacred Rock -
The Acropolis you see today dates
from the Sth century B.C., when
Athens set the tone for civilization
in Europe. On the sacred rock
of the Acropolis the monuments
date from the prehistoric period to
the end of antiquity. The Acropolis
Museum is also located on top
of the rock.
The Propylea -
This is the glorious entrance to
the Acropolis and its monuments,
constructed as part of the Perikles
programme. The Propylaea,
erected between 437 and 432
BC, were the work of the famous
Athenian architect Mnesikles.
The Temple of Athena Nike (Apteros Nike) -
This temple was erected to the
south of the Propylaea. about
420 BC, to commemorate the
victories of the Greeks over the
Persians. The architect of this
temple was Kallikrates.This place
is so unique that there has been
a temple on this exact spot since
prehistoric times. On the left is
the Erechtheion and straight
ahead the Parthenon.
The Parthenon -
The Parthenon is the unique
masterpiece of the world. You will
realise it yourself the moment you
stand in front of it and learn a little
of its history and the secrets of its
construction. The beauty, harmony
and grace of this monument make
a really lasting impression on
everyone who sees it. Today
admission to the Parthenon is
prohibited due to the restoration
work that has been taking place
there since 1983. This will not
prevent you from admiring this
unique temple dedicated to the
goddess Athena and built of white
marble from Penteli. Under the
Parthenon of the Classical times
there are remains of the
monumental Ur-Parthenon,
an Archaic temple dated in the late
6th century B.C. The architects
of the Classical temple, which was
constructed and decorated
between 447 and 432 B.C. during
the Golden Age of Perikles, were
Iktinos and Kallikrates. The
Parthenon housed the golden-ivory
statue of Athena, work of the
famous sculptor Pheidias. This
statue was the final destination of
the Great Panathenaea procession,
depicted on the frieze of the
temple.
The Golden Ivoty Statue of Athena -
A statue ten metres high which
stood inside the Parthenon. The
interior was of wood and the naked
parts made of ivory. The dress and
the helmet were made of
hammered plates of gold which
could be removed. The statue
which represented the goddess
Athena, armed and holding a two-
metre high ivory statue of Nike
(Victory) in her right hand, was lost
during the first years of the
Byzantine period. Our knowledge
of its existence comes from ancient
sources and the traveller
Pausanias' detailed descriptions
(2nd century AD). Valuable
information about the statue has
been obtained also from the
copies found, of which the most
famous is the Varvakeion Athena.
The Erechtheion -
The Erechtheion was built in
420-406 B.C. on that part of the
Acropolis held to be the most
sacred; the place where the
goddess Athena had caused her
most sacred emblem, the olive
tree, to sprout. This tree was
destroyed in later years by the
invading Persians. But when the
Persians were finally driven off,
legend has it, that the tree
miraculously grew again.
The Caryatids: the figures of
maidens that you see supporting
the roof of the south porch of the
temple are copies. Four of the
original six Kores can be seen in
the Acropolis Museum, the fifth
one is at present being restored in
the workshop of the Museum and
the sixth can be seen in the British
Museum.
The Areios Pagos -
It is the most ancient court of law,
a place much respected in ancient
times. Here was the seat of the
first aristocratic parliament of
ancient Athens. In time this
parliament started to lose its
political power and from the
second half of the 5th century BC
it had only judicial responsibility
and particularly that of trying
murderers. In this court, as is
described in Oresteia, Orestes
was judged for the murder of his
mother Clytaemnestra and her
lover Aegisthos.
It was from this spot, as we learn
from the bronze tablet at the
base of the rock, that saint Paul
delivered his first sermon
to the Athenians, in AD 51.
The Pnyx -
The Pnyx is situated between
the Hill of the Muses, upon which
stands the Monument of
Philopappou, and the Hill of the
Nymphs, where the tomb of
Kimon was found and where the
Observatory stands today. This
semi-circular area was the place
of gathering for all the citizens
of ancient Athens. They gathered
here in order to hear the famous
orators who spoke from the
stone-cut tribune in its middle.
It is believed that it could
accomodate up to 10,000
people at a time.
The Panathenea Feast -
Every year ancient Athenians
celebrated the Mikra Panathenaea
(lesser), and every four years the
Megala Panathenaea (Great),
which were more magnificent still
and which included contests in
equestrian skill, athletics, music
and other arts. On the last day a
procession started from
Kerameikos, passed through the
Agora and climbed to the
Acropolis to offer Athena her so
called peplos (vestment). In those
days it was customary to dress
statues in real clothes. Thus the
peplos of the goddess was in fact
a real woollen dress, hand-woven
by a priestess and the young
virgin girls who helped her. It was
placed as a sail on the mast of a
big wooden vessel and was
brought to the Acropolis. The
whole procession followed the
ship. This is the procession
sculpted on the frieze of the
Parthenon.
