The Acropolis of Athens, crowned with the ruins of the Parthenon, is one of the archetypal images of world culture. Already the first glance at these ancient ruins over the roads filled with cars gives unusual experiences: something unusual and at the same time utterly familiar, almost native. The Parthenon is a symbol of the power of the Athenian polis, and as such it was known throughout the ancient world. But it is unlikely that the creators of the temple foresaw that its ruins would symbolize the emergence and formation of world civilization - not to mention the fact that two and a half thousand years later the Parthenon would attract a huge number of tourists (about two million annually).
The Acropolis of Athens is a rock. Almost no ancient Greek city was complete without its acropolis (the word itself means upper city), but the Athenian "upper city" is the Acropolis with a capital letter, and mentioning it, there is no need to go into further explanation. The Acropolis is a block of limestone with slopes steeply dropping down and a flat top rising to a height of a hundred meters. The Acropolis was easy to defend, there was never a shortage of drinking water, so the temptation of owning a rock is obvious. Even today it remains the heart of the city. On the flat top of the Acropolis, not only the Parthenon was erected, but also the Erechtheion, the temple of Nike Apteros and the Propylaea, the remains of many less significant ancient structures have been preserved, and there is also the current museum.
All this is surrounded by a fence and makes up a single museum complex. On the southern slope of the Acropolis with two large theaters and several smaller temples, they get through other gates and on separate tickets. Now the streets surrounding the Acropolis of Athens have been declared pedestrian, and you can walk around the hill and the ancient Agora, admiring these monuments. To the west, Thissio has many cafes where you can relax with a cup of coffee on the terrace. At the opposite end - in the labyrinth of streets where you can get lost, but the Acropolis can always serve as a guide for you.
You can get to the top of the Acropolis only from the west, from the side where there is a large bus depot at the foot of the hill. The usual pedestrian road to the entrance starts in the northwestern area of Plaka and follows a path that stretches over Odos-Dioskuron, where this street joins Theorias. You can also approach the Acropolis from the south, along the pedestrian street Dionisiou-Areopaitou (Acropoli metro), past the theater of Dionysus and the theater of Herodes Atticus, or from the north: through the ancient Agora (entrance from Hadrian; metro Monastiraki), or the route is longer, but this pays off with magnificent views of both the Acropolis and the Acropolis - from Thissio, along the traffic-free Apostolou Pavel Street (Thissio metro station).
There are no shops or restaurants on the Acropolis, although there are a couple of stands at the main ticket office selling water and sandwiches, as well as guidebooks, postcards and so on. Opposite the Acropoli metro station (at the corner of Makriyanni and Dyaku), there is a cafe of the Everest chain, and there are plenty of other similar establishments nearby. And if you want not to have a quick bite, but to eat properly, then, having gone in any direction, you will very soon find a cafe or tavern: in Plaka, Monastiraki, Makriyanni or in Thissio.
A Brief History of the Acropolis of Athens (Greece)
In the 2nd millennium BC, the Neolithic settlement on the Acropolis is replaced by a Bronze Age settlement. It was a fairly significant fortified settlement, reminiscent of Mycenaean centers. The acropolis was surrounded by a wall built on the model of the Cyclopean walls and. Remains of these walls can still be seen today. On the territory of the Acropolis was the palace of the king - Basileus. The palace, the remains of which have been preserved, is mentioned in the Iliad and the Odyssey.
At the foot of the Acropolis, on the territory of the later Agora (market square), the inhabitants of the settlement of the Mycenaean era buried their dead. Like all Mycenaean Greece, it did not escape the upheavals caused by the invasion of the northern Greek tribes of the Dorians, who moved in several waves starting around 1200 BC. The Acropolis at that time was the place of worship of the goddess Athena - the patroness of the city - and the seat of the rulers of Athens, the Eupatrides, who replaced the king, the Basileus. Popular meetings took place at the Propylaea of the Acropolis. To the west rose the rocky hill of the Areopagus, named after Ares, the god of war. Here, on a leveled peak, the Council of Elders of noble families gathered.
The beginning of the VI century BC is the time of the reforms of Solon, the wise Athenian legislator. In 594 BC, he was elected archon. Solon's reforms marked the beginning of the formation in Athens of a democratic city-state - a policy. In Athens there is new center social and political life on the Agora, located northwest of the Acropolis. Intensive construction in Athens unfolded during the tyranny of Peisistratus, who made great efforts to decorate and improve the city. New buildings were erected on the Agora: the temples of Apollo and Zeus, the altar of the twelve gods.
On the Acropolis, Peisistratus and his sons also undertook a great construction. The old temple of Athena was surrounded on all sides by a colonnade. New Propylaea were built, an altar dedicated to Athena Nike was erected. Big number statues brought by Athenian citizens as a gift to the patron goddess of the city, adorned the Athenian Acropolis. After some time, the Athenians achieved military superiority, and after the defeat of the Persians, in which they played a significant role, the period of the highest flowering of the Athenian state began. It was headed by Pericles, whose reign (444/43-429 BC) is rightfully considered the golden age of Athens.
They not only became one of the most powerful and influential states of Greece, but also became the center of the cultural and artistic life of the entire ancient world. Athens led the Maritime Union (Delos League), which united many policies of Northern Greece and the islands of the Aegean Sea. The treasury of the union was kept in Athens, which could dispose of it. This circumstance, as well as the richest booty received by the Athenians after the victory over the Persians, made it possible to carry out an extensive building program in the city. The grandiose idea of creating a new ensemble of the Athenian Acropolis was put into practice.
At the head of this colossal work was the greatest sculptor of Greece, Phidias, who created two statues of Athena to decorate the Acropolis - Promachos (Warriors) and Parthenos (Virgins). A whole galaxy of outstanding architects and sculptors worked under the leadership of Phidias. One after another, monuments were erected that became the best examples of classical Greek architecture: the majestic Parthenon, the light and graceful temple of Nike Apteros, the front Propylaea, the second largest temple of the Athenian Acropolis - the Erechtheion. Athenian Acropolis in fully expressed the greatness of the city, which, according to the ancient Greeks, was recognized as the capital of Hellas.
And, indeed, the following centuries, up to the Byzantine period, left almost no traces on the Acropolis. The Peloponnesian War, lost by Athens, put an end to the prosperity of Athens, which lost its leading position among Greek cities in the 4th century BC. The political decline of Athens was completed by the subordination of Greece to the power of the Macedonian kings. In the middle of the II century BC, the Roman Republic subjugated Greece. At the beginning of the 1st century BC, Athens tried to overthrow the power of Rome. In 87 BC, the Roman general Sulla, after a long siege, took the city and brutally plundered it. The first place among his prey was occupied by works of Greek art.
In 267 AD, the city suffered a devastating raid by the Goths and Heruli. With the spread of Christianity, Athens increasingly lost its significance as the center of Hellenic culture. closed philosophical schools, and in 529 the last philosophers and rhetoricians were expelled from Athens by decree of the emperor Justinian. Ancient temples were turned into Christian churches. After that, the temples were used for both secular and religious purposes. The interior of these temples has undergone a radical alteration. New stage The city's history begins with the Crusades. After the fourth crusade and the capture of Constantinople, it became part of the Latin Empire.
Athens became the capital of the Duchy of Athens, in which a number of rulers changed over the 250 years of its existence (1205-1456). The Propylaea were turned into a palace, and in 1456, when Athens was captured by the Turks and the Acropolis became a Turkish fortress, the Propylaea became a barracks and a powder warehouse. In 1656, an accidental explosion in this warehouse destroyed almost the entire central part of the building. The Parthenon turned from a Greek temple into a Roman one, then from a Byzantine church into a Frankish cathedral, in order to subsequently exist for several centuries as a Turkish mosque. And the Erechtheion, apparently because it was decorated with female figures, at one time served as a harem.
The Venetian diplomat Ugo Favoli wrote in 1563 that "glistening golden crescents rise above the Acropolis", and in the southwestern part of the Parthenon rose a tall and thin tower of a minaret. But, despite all this, the buildings on the rock still resembled, and probably much more than the current ruins, the original Acropolis: ancient, filled with sculptures painted in bright colors. Sadly, all these magnificent examples of architecture were preserved only in engravings and drawings of that time: the buildings were destroyed during the siege of the Venetians. The Turks dismantled the temple of Nike Apteros, and the material was used to build a bastion.
Later, the Venetians, keeping the Turkish garrison under siege, blew up the Parthenon with a cannonball, which was turned into a powder warehouse. The whole cella of the temple was destroyed, the fire raged for two days and two nights. The destruction of the Parthenon and the capture of the Acropolis was meaningless: the Venetians soon left Athens, and the Turks returned to the Acropolis. For some time, the period of wars ended for Athens, but not destruction. The lovers of antiquities who penetrated here not only admired them, but also tried to steal them.
Top of the Acropolis of Athens (Greece)
Today, like two thousand and a half years ago, only one road leads to the top of the Acropolis. In the time of Pericles, a paved road led to the Athenian Acropolis, climbing its gentle slope. The Propylaea rise above a large platform. A gate framed by two pylons opens onto the platform. In 1853, they were discovered by the archaeologist Beile - after his name they are called the gates of Beile. From here the road went up to the Propylaea.
The top of the Acropolis is open to the public daily April-September 8:00-19:30; October-March 8:00-16:30, admission costs 12 €, free on public holidays and on Sundays November-March. When buying a ticket, you pay for admission to the theater of Dionysus, the ancient Agora, the Roman Forum, Kerameikos and the Temple of Zeus, and you can visit any of these before the Acropolis, but make sure that you are not sold a separate ticket instead of a general ticket (ticket is valid for 4 days ).
Backpacks and large bags are not allowed to be brought in - luggage can be checked in at the storage room at the main ticket office. The pandemonium on the Acropolis can be terrifying - do not want to be trampled on by the crowd? Get out early in the morning or in the evening, most people come here in the late morning, when there are a lot of buses with tourists who will soon go for lunch.
Mnesicles built the Propylaea in 437-432 BC, the proportions of the structure were in harmony with the recently completed Parthenon. Lateral wings adjoin the central part of the Propylaea. They were erected from the same Pentelian marble (mined in mines on Mount Pentelikon, which is northeast of the city) as the temple, and in grandeur and architectural perfection, as well as in the impression made, the Propylaea are almost comparable to the Parthenon. Mnesicles for the first time combined in one design ordinary Doric columns with Ionic columns, which are taller and more elegant.
The columns, as it were, prepare with their solemn rhythm that reverent mood that should have embraced the ancient Athenians, who entered the territory of the sanctuary of the goddess - the patroness of the city. The Propylaea became the most revered monument of Athens. The northern wing of the Propylaea consists of an outer portico and a vast rectangular hall behind it. In ancient times, the famous Pinakothek, the world's first art gallery, was located here. It kept the works of major Greek artists of the classical era, including Polygnotus. He worked in the second quarter of the 5th century BC, and six centuries later, already in the Roman era, Pausanias described his works in his guidebook Description of Hellas. The northern wing of the Propylaea corresponds to the southern one, but it is smaller.
It is believed that Mnesicles deliberately reduced the size of the southern wing, because he took into account the presence of the temple of Nike Apteros (Athena the Conqueror). It is impossible not to be surprised at the skill with which Mnesicles and the author of the temple project, Niki Apteros Kallikrates, decided difficult task- to combine these two buildings in one ensemble. Behind the gate, one of the best preserved sections of the Panathenaic Way is visible - the Sacred Road, which was marched by the participants of the Panathenaic, held every four years, festivities in honor of the divine patroness of the policy (the images of these processions adorned the frieze of the Parthenon).
The procession began in the city, at the main cemetery of Keramikos, and, passing through the Propylaea, headed to the Parthenon, and then to the Erechtheion. On weekdays, most of the Sacred Way was used as an ordinary road. In ancient times, processions passed by a ten-meter bronze statue of Athena Promachos, that is, Athena the Warrior, and recently they accurately established the place where the pedestal of the sculpture stood. The statue was sculpted by Phidias, who symbolically depicted the resistance of the Athenians to the Persians in the sculpture. In the Byzantine era, the sculpture was transported to Constantinople (present), where it was destroyed by an angry crowd, who believed in the rumor that the pointing hand of the goddess brought crusaders to the city in 1204.
It was decided to build a simple and elegant temple of Nike Apteros in honor of the victorious end of the war with the Persians in 449 BC. But the construction was completed only in 427-424 BC. It stands on a three-tiered plinth. Its monolithic columns are close to the Ionian columns of the Propylaea. Now the temple has appeared again updated: it was dismantled, and the fragments were taken away to be cleaned and restored. It's funny, but this is not the first time: the Turks dismantled the building in 1685 to make room for the battery.
Two hundred years later, the restorers collected the scattered parts and recreated the original appearance of the temple. No less impressive is the restoration of the temple frieze reliefs from fragments. The most remarkable example of art, both ancient artists and restorers of the century before last, you will see in the Acropolis Museum, this is Nika Trying on Sandals. The frieze of the temple very realistically depicts the victory of the Athenians over the Persians in the battle of Plataea.
From the site of the pyrgos of the temple of Nike Apteros, a beautiful view of the whole city and the Saronic Gulf opens up, the waters of which wash the coast of Attica. One of the poetic myths of Ancient Athens, which was retold by Pausanias, is connected with this. The myth tells the story of King Aegeus, who was waiting for white sails to appear and mark the return of his son Theseus, who went on to kill the Minotaur. Theseus, who was returning with a victory, forgot about his promise to change the black sails to white ones. The father, seeing black sails in the distance, decided that his son was dead, in despair he threw himself down on the rocks and crashed.
It is best, perhaps, to look at the temple, if you go through the Propylaea and stand a little to the right. From there, you can see nearby what is left of the sanctuary of Artemis of Bravron. Although its purpose is not very clear, it is known that it once contained a Trojan horse, made in bronze. A section of the Mycenaean rampart (parallel to the Propylaea), included by the architects of Pericles in the general building plan of the classical period, is striking.
- Antique monument Parthenon in the Athenian Acropolis (Greece)
The Parthenon, dedicated to the goddess Athena Parthenos (Virgo), was built as part of the implementation of the program of Pericles. The temple was conceived as a new sanctuary for Athena. Inside the temple was divided into two unequal parts. In the main, eastern, was the famous statue of Athena, made of gold and ivory. In the eye sockets of the statue were inserted gems, and on the chest in the center of the shell loomed the deadly head of Medusa Gorgon, made of ivory. The statue sculpted by Phidias was installed in the twilight of the hall intended for it - cella, and it was there until the 5th century BC. The statue has not survived to this day, but numerous later copies have survived, including a wonderful Roman copy exhibited in.
The Parthenon, like other classical temples, stood on a stylobate, each of the steps of which had a height of 0.55-0.59 meters. But its grandiosity does not overwhelm the viewer, this is the peculiarity of Greek architecture, its deep humanism. The Parthenon is a classic example of a Greek temple of the Doric order, but at the same time, its architecture is distinguished by a number of unique individual features. The proportions of the columns and the entablature, the ratio of the number of columns on the sides of the temple (the number of columns on the longitudinal side is one more than twice the number of facade columns, that is, 8 and 17) strictly correspond to the norms developed by classical Greek architecture. Techniques such as a slight thickening and inclination of the corner columns towards the center, entasis - swelling of the column shaft, a slight bending of the stylobate step were skillfully used.
All these features had to compensate for errors in visual perception, since absolutely straight lines are perceived at a distance. human eye as slightly concave. As a result, the Parthenon grows before your eyes as an ideal building in terms of clear, harmonious lines and proportions. The Parthenon once looked festive and elegant with its white marble columns and walls crowned with sculptural friezes and pediments, in which polychromy was widely used: the background of the pediments and marks was painted dark red, the frieze - blue. Against this colored background, figures that retained the color of marble stood out especially clearly. Their details were also painted or gilded. The entire sculptural decoration of the Parthenon was subordinated to one goal - the glorification hometown, its gods and heroes, its people.
The temple was decorated with a frieze of fine workmanship. The theme of the frieze is the glorification of the Athenian people on the day of the celebration of the Great Panathenaic. The main, eastern, pediment of the Parthenon was decorated with a composition depicting the myth of the birth of the goddess Athena. The western pediment depicts an Attic legend - about the dispute between Athena and Poseidon for power over Attica. Most of the pediment, central columns and cella were destroyed in 1687 when the Venetians besieged the Acropolis of Athens. The best examples of surviving sculptures are now in - these are the so-called "Elgin marbles". Several authentic sculptures, fragments, along with a model of the temple, can be seen in the Acropolis Museum, and very good reproductions of the temple adorn the Acropoli metro station.
- The ancient temple Erechtheion in the Acropolis of Athens (Greece)
The Erechtheion rises north of the Parthenon. The myth tells that when Athena hit the ground with a spear, an olive tree grew out of it, and sea water gushed out of the ground. winner olympic gods announced Athena. Pausanias writes that he saw both an olive tree and sea water, and adds: "The unusual thing about this well is that when the wind blows, the sea seems to splash in it." The Erechtheion is a completely unique monument. The peculiarity of its asymmetric plan is explained by the fact that this temple united a number of different sanctuaries. Most of them existed in this place before the construction of the Erechtheion. The construction of the Erechtheion was provided for by the plan for the grandiose construction on the Acropolis, developed under Pericles.
The Erechtheion was the main place of worship of the goddess Athena, the place of storage of her ancient statue. The temple was named after one of the oldest legendary kings and heroes of Athens - Erechtheus. The designer of this temple is unknown. Some scientists, finding analogies in the layout of the Erechtheion and the Propylaea, believe that it could be Mnesicles. Once there was one of the sacred places where one could see the trace left by the trident of Poseidon during his dispute with Athena on the rock. Here was Kekropeyon - the grave and sanctuary of the first legendary king of Attica - Kekron. Above it rises the famous portico of caryatids. Six statues of girls stand on a high plinth, supporting the roof of the portico.
These majestic and strong figures stand calmly. The folds of the Doric long peplos falling vertically downwards resemble flutes of columns. Who were these girls? There is a plausible assumption: among the attendants of the cult of Athena were harrephors, young girls who were elected from the best Athenian families for a period of one year. They took part in the manufacture of the sacred peplos, in which the ancient statue of Athena was annually dressed up. Time and people have not spared the caryatid statues. Five authentic statues are in the Acropolis Museum. One of them was broken by Lord Elgin. It has been replaced with a copy.
South slope of the Acropolis of Athens (Greece)
You can get to the southern slope of the Acropolis (daily summer 8:00-19:00; winter: 8:30-15:00; 2 € or a single ticket to the Acropolis of Athens) can be from the place where the main ticket office stands, or from the pedestrian avenue of Leoforos Dionysiou Areopaitou, where the Acropoli metro station is. The Roman theater (odeon) of Herodes Atticus, built in the 2nd century, dominates the southern slope of the Acropolis hill. Unfortunately, visitors are allowed inside only for performances, at other times access is closed.
But there is also the theater of Dionysus, which is also located on the southern slope of the Acropolis. This is one of those places in the city that encourages to remember the past: it was here that the masterpieces of Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides and Aristophanes were first staged. Tragedies were staged here every year - and every Athenian could take part in the production and in the choir. In the 4th century BC, the theater was rebuilt, and it began to accommodate about 17 thousand spectators, 20 of the 64 tiers of the ancient theater have survived to this day. Here you can see large marble chairs in the first row, which were intended for priests and high officials, as evidenced by the inscriptions on the chairs.
In the center there is a chair for the priest of the god Dionysus, next to it is a chair for the representative of the Delphic oracle. The semicircular orchestra of the theater is paved with stone slabs, forming a pattern in the center. The orchestra closes with a low skene, the front side of which is decorated with reliefs depicting various episodes from the myths about Dionysus. In the middle of the frieze there is an expressive figure of Silenus, the companion of the god Dionysus: bent over, he seems to be holding on his shoulders the pavement of the floor of the skene. There is bustle and construction equipment around the theater - archaeological excavations are underway, promising to give interesting results.
The cliffs of the Acropolis rise above the theater. They are crowned with a powerful defensive wall. Two Corinthian columns are visible near the wall - the remains of a Roman building. Below them, the entrance to the chapel in the rock, fenced with ropes, darkens. Once it was dedicated to Dionysus, now the chapel of Our Lady - Panagia Spiliotis. To the west of the theater are the ruins of the Asklepion, a sanctuary where Asclepius, the god of healing, was worshiped and built around a sacred spring. In the Byzantine era, the church of the holy healers Cosmas and Damian was erected, from which only ruins remained. Next to the road stretched the foundation of the Roman stoa of Eumenes, whose rows of columns stretched to the theater of Herodes Atticus.
- Museum of the Acropolis of Athens (Greece)
After decades of delay, by the time you are reading this article, the new Acropolis Museum (opened June 20, 2009) at the southern slope of the Acropolis, the Acropoli metro, will definitely have finally opened. He looks great. Architectural sights on top floor, in glass showcases and with views directly to the Parthenon. Here, it is hoped, the marble sculptures from the Parthenon (those now in the Acropolis Museum and those that may be returned - Elgin's marble sculptures) will be reunited. In order to expedite and facilitate the return of these sculptures, the Greeks agree that they should simply be given them for display, or that part of the museum be the "British Museum in Athens", then the owner will not change.
Ignored all suggestions so far, but many continue to believe that the completion of the new museum - with gaps in place of missing exhibits - will finally force London's British Museum to take steps forward. Among the exhibits from the old collection, most which you can see in new places, the sculptures that adorned the frieze of the Old Temple of Athena (7th-6th centuries BC), which partially retained their rich coloring. A little further on is the Moschophoros - a marble statue (570 BC) - one of the earliest marble statues found on the Acropolis. The sculptor carved a young man carrying a sacrificial calf on his shoulders. One of the museum's most precious treasures, a collection of kore statues, is also exhibited.
The statues depicted the priestesses of the goddess Athena and stood near her temple. There is also an interesting statue of a horseman of fine workmanship. Most of the statues date back to the second half of the 6th century BC, when Ionian sculptors worked in Attica. They created a new type of bark, maybe less expressive, but more ornate. Here you can also see a charming sculpture that the Greeks call Sandalisus: Athena Nike (the Conqueror) trying on sandals. Finally, five authentic caryatids from the Erechtheion are on display. On the lowest floor there is a glazed semi-floor, which houses exhibits of early Christian Athens, discovered during construction work.
- Areopagus Hill of the Acropolis of Athens (Greece)
Just below the entrance to the Acropolis of Athens, you will see high, uncomfortable steps carved into the rock leading to the Areopagus. On this "hill of Ares" during the reign of the Basilean kings, the Court of Elders, the highest body of the Athenian state, sat. The court dealt with murder cases. And the first they judged were, according to myths, the god Apec, who killed Allirotheus, the son of Poseidon, and Orestes, the son of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra, who, avenging his father, killed his mother. The victory of democracy took power away from the Court of Elders and transferred it to the People's Assembly (it met on Pnyx).
The Persians, besieging the Acropolis of Athens in 480 BC, set up their camp here, and in Roman times, the Apostle Paul preached. To this day, evidence of ancient greatness has not reached, the hill is covered with cigarette butts and empty jars from under beer - both remain from tourists who rest here after excursions around the Acropolis and enjoy the views along the way. And the views here are good - down to the Agora and forward to the ancient cemetery in Keramikos.
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Greece ... At the sound of this word, Olympus appears with a host of gods, beautiful and courageous heroes and crowded policies. This is a picturesque country with a rich history, every corner here is a cultural heritage that takes those who visit it back into the depths of centuries. famous monument Greek culture is the Athenian Acropolis, short description which is presented in this article.
Acropolis - the heart of Athens
In the center of the great Greek capital, Athens, rises a hill 156 meters high, visible from any part of the city. You can climb this hill only from the sea: other slopes are steep and present a serious obstacle. At the top of the hill is a temple complex called the Acropolis ("Upper City" in Greek). The Acropolis served as the abode of the city rulers, as it was the most protected part of the city. Now it is the most popular and famous place in Greece, which attracts thousands of tourists from all over the world. It is very interesting both as a monument of history and as a monument of architecture. The Acropolis has seen a lot in its centuries-old life: the heyday of Greek culture, and its decline, and the conquests of the Romans, and the formation Ottoman Empire and the emergence of modern Greece. Many times the heart of Athens was destroyed by enemy shells, and now the remains silently remind of eternal values in the hustle and bustle of this world.
A bit of history
Picturesque pedestals and columns with a panoramic view of the capital of Greece today is the temple complex of the Acropolis (Athens), whose history begins around the 16th century AD.
The founder of the Acropolis is the first Athenian king - Kekrops. In those days it was just a hill fortified with huge stones. In the 6th century BC. at the direction of King Pisistratus, the entrance gates to the Upper City - Propylaea are being erected. In the 5th century BC. under the leadership of the ruler Pericles, Athens became the center of Greek politics and culture, and at the same time, active construction was underway in the Acropolis. The main temple of Athens, the Parthenon, the temple of Nike Apteros, the theater of Dionysus, and the statue of Athena Promachos were built. The remains of these structures make up the Athenian Acropolis, a brief description of them will be given below.
In time, a new temple appeared on the hill - the Temple of Rome and Augustus. Then a long period of wars began, construction was no longer carried out, the Greeks tried to protect what they had.
Over the centuries, the Athenian Acropolis experienced many disasters. Architecture, monuments (Athens is very rich in cultural heritage) were constantly destroyed. The Byzantine rulers made the Parthenon a church, the Ottomans a harem. In the 19th century, it was almost completely destroyed by the Turks. Having finally achieved independence, the Greeks are trying to restore the temple complex and return it to its original appearance.
Currently, everyone can visit the Athenian Acropolis. A brief description of the complex, architectural features and a rich history can be found during an excursion or by studying special literature.
Propylaea - entrance to the Upper City
For those visiting the Athenian Acropolis, a brief description of the main entrance will be very interesting. The idea belongs to the architect Mnesicles, who designed the main passage in the form of porticos and colonnades, located symmetrically on both sides of the path to the hill. The entire composition was made of different types of marble and included 6 Doric columns, 2 Ionic columns, 5 gates and the main corridor, as well as pavilions adjacent to the west side. Unfortunately, only a few columns and fragments of the corridor have survived to this day.
Great Parthenon
The age of Pericles is the architecture of the classics. The Acropolis of Athens was built according to the ideas of the sculptor Phidias. He, apparently, belongs to the idea of the Parthenon.
The name of the temple means "virgin", and it was conceived in honor of the goddess Athena. Unfortunately, after the explosion of the Venetian bomb in the 17th century, only the columns survived, but according to some descriptions, one can imagine its appearance. In the center of the temple was a statue of Athena in precious decoration, surrounded by more modest statues of various Greek heroes. The temple itself, approximately 70x30 meters in size, was surrounded by marble columns 10 meters high.
Temple of the Erechtheion and Temple of Nike Apteros
It was the Erechtheion temple, named after King Erechtheus, that was considered a place of worship for the goddess Athena, because her wooden statue, according to legend, fell directly from heaven, was kept here. There was also a trace from the lightning of Zeus, which killed the above-named king, and the salty spring of Poseidon, reminiscent of his struggle with Athena for dominion over the Adriatic. A lot of sculptures of the goddess of war and wisdom are kept by the Athenian Acropolis (architecture, monuments). Athens, named after this goddess, is the heart of Greece, and every temple, every statue here is imbued with reverence for the patroness of the city.
Many temples included the ancient Athenian Acropolis. The description briefly tells about the temple of Nike Apteros. This is a marble structure with four columns, in which there was a statue of the goddess of victory, holding a helmet in one hand, and a pomegranate fruit in the other, symbolizing peace. The Greeks deliberately deprived the statue of its wings so that Victory could no longer fly away from them and never leave their sacred city.
Theater of Dionysus
Let's continue our short excursion to the Athenian Acropolis (brief description). For children, perhaps the most interesting place more precisely, its surviving fragments. Initially, this theater, built for performances during the Lesser and Greater Dionysias (that is, every six months), was wooden. Two centuries later, the stage and most of the steps were replaced with marble ones. During the Roman Empire, instead of theatrical performances, gladiator fights were held here. The huge stage and many marble chairs in the open air could accommodate the whole city. The first rows were intended for honorary citizens, the rest - for ordinary spectators.
Even now, after so many centuries, the theater of Dionysus impresses with its size and majesty.
What else to see in the Acropolis?
In addition to these famous sights, the Athenian Acropolis, a brief description of which we continue, is also interesting for other monuments that are practically not preserved, but still worthy of attention. These are temples, or sanctuaries, of Aphrodite and Artemis, the temple of Rome and Augustus, a small temple of Zeus. In the 19th century, a French scientist discovered a secret emergency gate to the Upper City. They were named after him - the Bule Gate.
The panoramic view of the great city of Athens, which opens from the top of the hill, can also be considered part of the cultural heritage. The whole capital (with its old and new buildings) is at a glance, a white city against the backdrop of a blue sea that can be seen in the distance.
What should tourists know?
The Acropolis is open to visitors all year round, from 8.00 to 18.30 on weekdays and in a reduced mode (from 8.00 to 14.30) on holidays. There are certain public holidays when the museum is closed to the public. Please read the opening hours carefully before planning your tour. The entrance ticket costs 12 euros and is valid 4 days after purchase (there is a reduced rate for students and pensioners and free admission for schoolchildren).
You can visit the Acropolis either with a guided tour, or with an individual guide, or on your own. In the latter case, only the cost of the entrance ticket is paid, but it should be noted that without the guide's comments, the tour of the monument will not be interesting. It is better to get an audio guide or an accompanying story.
July and August are peak tourist days in Athens, so you need to be prepared for queues and a large number guests of the temple complex. It is better to plan a visit in the early morning when there are fewer visitors.
When visiting in the summer, you should wear a hat and take a sufficient amount of drinking water (you can buy it on the territory of the complex, but the price will be unreasonably high).
You should visit the Acropolis in comfortable shoes, prepare for walks over fairly long distances.
In the temple complex, nothing can be touched with your hands, not even stones!
300 meters from the Acropolis is the new archaeological museum, where you can see interesting excavations and finds right in the ground, walking on the glass floor. The cost of visiting is not high.
There is an open-air cafe on the roof of the museum, where they offer delicious coffee and inexpensive local dishes. The view of the Acropolis from there is simply amazing!
Can be purchased to leave the Acropolis in your memory for a long time, description and photo: Greece, Athens, picturesque nature and famous sights will remind you of yourself from the pages of the album.
Tourist impressions
The Athenian Acropolis leaves no one indifferent: the reviews of tourists are mostly enthusiastic, filled with vivid emotions. The grandeur of the temple complex in Athens is amazing! Every stone, every piece of marble keeps a centuries-old history, the memory of prosperity and destruction, defeats and victories, the memory of great warriors and cruel conquerors.
Despite the fact that only fragments of its former splendor have survived to this day, a special atmosphere of the culture of the ancient Greeks hovers here, and people who ascend the hill seem to become a little closer to this heritage, as if they are surrounded by those deities in whose honor the most beautiful temples and sanctuaries were built. and colonnades!
This is the elevated part or the so-called upper city. Fortifications were built here, where in case of attacks citizens could hide and, of course, the most basic temples were erected here. All ancient Greek cities had acropolises, but the most famous is the Acropolis of Athens, towering 150 meters above the main city.
The Acropolis rises above all of Athens, its silhouette forms the skyline of the city. Rising above the hill in ancient times could be seen from any end of Attica and even from the islands of Salamis and Aegina; sailors approaching the shore could already see from afar the brilliance of the spear and helmet of Athena the Warrior.
The Acropolis just refers to those places that are said to be magnificent and delightful. It is considered to be a miracle that has survived to this day, even despite the fact that all the buildings are extremely laconic in their form, and the entire Acropolis can be walked in an hour.
The walls of the Acropolis are steep and steep. Previously, there was a huge amount of valuables, various sculptures inside. Now only four great structures can be found inside the Acropolis.
History of the Acropolis
The construction of the Acropolis began in the 2nd century BC. But during the Greco-Persian wars, it was completely destroyed. For almost a century, he stood in a terrible state.
By the middle of the 5th century BC, Athens became the most prosperous city in Hellas, an economic and cultural center. It reached its peak during the reign of Pericles. On his initiative, the city began to be decorated with all sorts of buildings. In 449, the grandiose reconstruction of the Acropolis was completed.
The Athenian Acropolis was built, as they say, on a grand scale. It is impossible to capture it with one glance. Of course, today only a small part of that ancient structure has been preserved, but even now it is worthy of admiration. To begin with, it is worth getting acquainted with the Acropolis, which existed under the ancient Greeks.
Only one entrance led to the Acropolis along a narrow road located on the western side. This entrance is through the gates of the Propylaea, built by the architect Mnesicles in 437-432 BC. The gates were decorated with a wide staircase and two porticos, one of which faces the hill, and the second - to the city. Once upon a time, the ceilings of the Propylaea were painted with golden stars against the blue sky.
The Propylaea are surrounded by the walls of the temple of the Wingless Nike. Small building with 4 columns. This temple was designed as early as 450 BC, but construction could only begin in 427. They built it for 6 years. In ancient times, inside the temple was a wooden statue of the goddess of victory. Traditionally, Nika was depicted as a girl with a pair of wings, but the ancient Greeks depicted her without wings so that victory would not “fly away” from them.
Entering through the gate, one could immediately see the statue of Athena, erected in 456-445 by the sculptor Phidias. Athena was depicted with a shield in her left hand and a spear in her right, she had a military helmet on her head. The height of the statue was 7 meters, and the spear was even more - 9 meters.
To the left of the statue of Athena was a temple. It was dedicated to Athena, Poseidon and King Erechtheus. It was in this temple that the most valuable was kept, in particular, a wooden statue of a warrior goddess, which, according to legend, fell from the sky; the sacred peplos, which was woven by priestesses, the altars of Ifest and Erechtheus .. The most important rites were performed in this temple.
The temple of Erichtheion was small in size (23 by 11 meters), but it united several sanctuaries under it at once. The temple was uneven in its height: the western part of the building is 3 meters lower than the eastern side. This is because the temple was built on uneven ground.
The interior space was divided into two parts. On the western side was the sanctuary of the Erechtheion, and on the eastern side was the sanctuary of Pallas Athena. The sculptural decoration of the temple was very rich. All around the perimeter there were friezes, the theme of which was myths.
A sacred olive tree grew in front of the western facade of the temple, but it was cut down, and the temple itself was destroyed.
In the center of the Acropolis was the Parthenon, also dedicated to the goddess Athena. It was built over 9 years (447 - 438 BC). Its architects were Iktin and Kallikrat. The Parthenon was a rectangular building measuring 70 by 31 meters, surrounded on all sides by columns - 17 on the longitudinal sides and 8 columns on the end parts of the temple.
The Parthenon is richly decorated with various sculptural elements created by prominent masters of the ancient world (Phidias, Alkamen, Agoracritus, Callimachus). The popular notion that Greek temples were always colored is actually wrong. In ancient times, the Parthenon was very colorful, and according to today's tastes, it is even almost luridly painted. Of course, over time, the paint fades, so the temples that have survived to this day are exclusively white.
The interior of the Parthenon was divided into two parts. The first part is the cella, where the 12-meter statue of Athena, created by Phidias, was located. Athena was wearing a luxurious helmet and festive elegant clothes. The face of the goddess and her hands Phidias made of ivory, and the clothes were covered with gold plates.
The second room was intended for female priestesses who worked on the manufacture of the sacred vestments of the goddess.
Modern Acropolis
The modern Acropolis bears little resemblance to the one that existed many centuries ago. Modern tourists can get to the site where the Propylaea are located through the Beile gate, built in the Roman-Byzantine era. They got their name in honor of the archaeologist Beyle, who in 1853 discovered them under the remains of a Turkish fortification. Right in front of the entrance are the ruins of the Temple of the Wingless Nike, which was destroyed by the Turks when they captured the city. In the middle of the 19th century, when Turkish rule was overthrown, they tried to restore the temple, but it was no longer possible to make it the same as before.
Much of the Acropolis was irretrievably destroyed. For example, the statue of Athena the Warrior was taken to Constantinople, where it was destroyed in the 13th century.
The Temple of the Erechtheion repeatedly suffered from robbers, especially during the Greek struggle for independence in 1821-1827. Only in 1906 they began to carry out the reconstruction of the temple, restoring it on the preserved foundation.
The Parthenon was turned into a Christian church in the 13th century. During the Turkish war, the Parthenon was shelled. The main building and the colonnade were completely destroyed. Nowadays, it has been partially restored, but its former grandeur has already been lost.
Of course, the modern Acropolis is not so majestic, but even today it is one of the most beautiful buildings on our planet. Much has been destroyed, if not completely destroyed. But something has been preserved and still attracts tourists to Athens.
In order to enjoy the beauty of the Athenian Acropolis, you will definitely pass through the Monastiraki area. Starting from the northern slope of the hill of the Acropolis in Athens and to the southwestern slope, Theorias street stretches. On the right side at the beginning of the street there is a place from which a beautiful view of the hill with all its structures opens. A little further, on the left side, is the Church of the Transfiguration. Starting climbing the slope, soon you will see on the right a small rocky hill of the Athenian Acropolis - the Areopagus. In ancient times, it hosted meetings of the Athenian Supreme Court.
Climbing this rock on the steps carved in stone, you need to be very careful, because they, like most of the top of the Areopagus, are very slippery. Rubber-soled shoes are best for this climb. But in boots on a leather bottom, you will quickly get to the emergency room than to the flat area of the mountain. There is another climb to the Areopagus, located not far from the one already mentioned. It has metal steps. In the very heat of the day, it is better not to climb the mountain, since you will not be able to stay on top for a long time and in search of a shadow you will be forced to go back down.
The Propylaion became the entrance to the Athenian Acropolis. It was built in 438-432. BC. Translated from the Greek language "propylea" is an impressive front tower, which included the masses of the people. Of course, the entrance to the Acropolis of Athens, which was worshiped, must have been monumental. The Propylaion, which the Greeks spoke of with great enthusiasm, was called the Brilliant Face of the Acropolis.
However, the Propyleion temple of the Acropolis was never fully completed - some of its sections remained unpolished, and during the explosion organized by Turkish soldiers in 1646 in the powder warehouse, the Propyleion was quite badly damaged.
On the right side of the Propylaion is the temple of the Acropolis - Nike Apteros (temple of the Wingless Victory). This rather elegant structure has surprisingly small dimensions - only 8.27 x 5.44 meters. In the temple of the Athenian Acropolis there is a wooden sculpture of the goddess. According to the legend, originally the goddess Victory had wings that were cut off by the Athenians so that she would forever remain in their city.
The site on which the temple was erected is associated in the Athenian Acropolis with a dramatic event described in ancient mythology, - the ruler of the capital of Athens - Aegeus saw from this place on the sea, waiting for the ships of his son Theseus, who was supposed to sail with news of an important event. Theseus moved to about. Crete, in order to deal with the Minotaur and liberate his city from a terrible tribute, in case of his success, he had to change the black sail of mourning to the white sail of victory, but, rejoicing at his success, Crete forgot about the agreement. The black sail misled Aegeus. The unfortunate ruler thought that his son was dead, and threw himself into the sea, which was then called the Aegean. The temple was destroyed during the Turkish occupation, its fragments served as material for the construction of the bastion. Fortunately, the bulk of the blocks still survived, and the temple in the Athenian Acropolis was almost completely restored.
The north side of the Athenian Acropolis is adorned with a handsome marble temple Erechtheion, which is the most beautiful creation of classical art. It was built on the site of the palace of the rulers of Mycenae in 419-405. BC and became a place of worship for the Athenians. It was at this place that the dispute between two deities for patronage over the city was resolved. In order to reconcile them, the Athenians built two temples, one of which is dedicated to Athena, and the other to Poseidon, and both temples are under the same roof. This building is called the Erechtheion. The eastern part of the temple was dedicated to Athena - the oldest statue of the goddess is kept here, which, according to the Athenians, fell from heaven. The Temple of Poseidon in the Acropolis is located 12 steps below. In the floor of this temple, in a place where there is no tile flooring, one can see three holes, which are considered to be traces of the trident of Poseidon. Exactly in this place on the roof of the temple you can see a hole from the handle of a trident, which was made when it was raised, during the blow. Apparently, the ancient Greeks were not at all embarrassed by the time paradox.
Of greatest interest in the Erechtheion is the Portico of the Daughters, consisting of six sculptures of the most beautiful girls, who, playing the role of columns, support the roof of the temple. In Byzantine times, they were called Caryatids, that is, women from a small town called Karia, which was famous for its exceptional beauty. At the beginning of the 19th century, one of the Caryatids, along with pediments and friezes, was taken to England by the ambassador of Constantinople, Lord Elgin, with the permission of the Turkish government. The Athenians were so excited by Elgin's act that a legend was soon invented about the night crying of the five Daughters who remained in the temple, about their stolen sister. Lord Byron wrote the poem "Curse of Athens" dedicated to the marauders of these priceless treasures. The British Museum to this day keeps the famous Elgin marbles, a copy was placed in the place where the statue stood.
On the hill of the Areopagus or the Supreme Court, court sessions were held in the days of ancient Athens. At the foot of the mountain are the burial places of the Mycenaean kings of the era of their reign in Athens. They are long tunnels that go into the thickness of the stone. To the right of the stairs there is a rock, on which the sermons and words of the Apostle Paul, who preached here in 50 AD, are carved. Nearby is the tomb of St. Dionysius the Areopagite - the first convert of Paul.
Climbing the Areopagus, you can enjoy the magnificent view of Syntagma Square, Omonia, Monastiraki, Plaka, the Ancient Agora and most of Athens. This is an unforgettable sight. Many people come here at sunset to admire the city in the light of the sun setting behind. At night, you can meet many couples in love here, admiring the luminous city and each other.
Without its sacred mountain, the Acropolis, Athens would not be Athens. If you stand in the middle of a modern street with shops, on which there are no cars, then your eyes will open a view of the Athenian Acropolis. Sitting on one of the warm summer evenings on a cozy terrace at a table under the open sky, you will once again see the Athenian Acropolis illuminated by lights. No matter how intrusive it may sound, but you must visit the Acropolis of Athens, which is the soul and heart of Athens! It is best to choose the morning hours for this, when there is still no strong heat, and climbing the steep streets will replace a full morning exercise.
Temples of the Acropolis: Arreforio, Erechtheion, Parthenon, Temple of Athena Victory, Propylaea and other beautiful ancient buildings will take you back in time Greek gods, Pericles, Iktina, Phidias, and the builders and architects of this unsurpassed temple complex. Unfortunately, it is currently impossible to visit the Acropolis Museum, located behind the Parthenon, since its entire exposition has been transferred to the ultra-modern New Acropolis Museum.
Many sources contain various translations of the word "Acropolis", among which there are even the most incredible and ridiculous ones. In fact, in ancient times there were only two translations: "city on a hill" and "edge of the city." At present, the second version of the translation has become more widespread.
The sacred mountain has finally become accessible to people with physical disabilities! In accordance with the requirements of the International Olympic Acropolis Committee and the European Union, the permissions of the Greek Ministry of Culture, the Central Council of Archeology and the Minister's order, you can climb the hill using an elevator built above the Kanellopoulos Museum on the northern slope.
To the north of the main entrance to the Acropolis of Athens is a special entrance through which a person in a wheelchair and his companion can get to the elevator. A special moving platform raises from the sidewalk to the level of the elevator. At the very top, from the elevator to the observation area, located northwest of the Erechtheion, there is a platform and an inclined path. A paved path leading from the Erechtheion to the northwest corner of the Parthenon allows access to a spot from where you can admire the eastern façade of the Propylaea. From the northeast corner of the beautiful Parthenon, the path turns to the Museum of the Acropolis of Athens, where you can clearly see the eastern side of the Parthenon and the ruins of Rome and the Temple of Augustus. At the Acropolis of Athens, a small vertical elevator takes you down to the level of the entrance to the Acropolis Museum, which is currently closed.
In order for people to wheelchairs to avoid the usual daytime crowds, it is better to plan your day in such a way as to see the Acropolis of Athens from 8 to 10 hours in the morning and from 13 to 17 hours in the afternoon. In no case do not forget that it is very hot on the top of the hill on a summer afternoon!
In the distant, legendary times, when the Achaean kings built "strong-walled" palaces made of huge blocks of stone, and their squads attacked Crete and the Aegean coast, in Attica, on the Acropolis - a rocky hill 156 m high located in the center of the plain, irrigated by the Ilissus River and its tributary Eridanus, the city of Kekropia arose, the future world-famous Athens ...
The ruins of the Acropolis are best viewed in the early summer mornings or evenings. At dawn, the first rays of the sun, sliding along the slopes of the mountains of Parnet and Egalea, paint the rocks of Salamina in a pinkish-violet color, run along the peaks of the Pnyx and the Areopagus and linger for a long time on the Acropolis. The evening sun gilds and ignites the Parthenon; the clear air gives life to the shadows, and it seems that the ruins are as beautiful as the newly built temples were once beautiful. In the middle of the day, the Acropolis is flooded with bright light, lengthening the black shadows of the capitals and ceilings of the columns. At this hour, the sun burns like molten metal, blinding the eyes. And on those rare days in Athens, when the sky darkens, as before a storm, the temples on the mountain become dull and gray, like the ashes of bygone centuries...
According to legend, Athens was founded by the legendary king Kekrops. The Greeks attributed to him the establishment of monogamous marriage, the founding of 12 cities, the prohibition of human sacrifice and the establishment of the cult of Zeus the Thunderer, Olympian Zeus. With the name of another legendary king - Erichthonius (or Erechtheus, although there is great confusion in the identification of these two names), the son of the blacksmith god Hephaestus and the goddess of the Earth Gaia, the establishment of the cult of the goddess Athena in Attica and the renaming of Kekropia in her honor, the beginning of coinage, the introduction of chariot races. A descendant of Erichthonius was king Aegeus, whose son. Theseus, killed the Minotaur and freed Athens from the heavy tribute to Crete. Theseus, who after his return from Crete became the king of Athens, is considered the founder of Athenian democracy.
In distant legendary times, legends about how it arose take us away.
... the magnificent city of Athens,
The region of King Erechtheus, whom Mother Earth gave birth to in ancient times, was raised by Pallas Athena.
And she brought her into Athens, and she placed her in her shining temple. Homer. Iliad
Back in the II millennium BC. the territory of the Acropolis coincided with the original territory of Athens and was surrounded by defensive walls. Particularly powerful fortifications were built on the western, gently sloping side of the hill. Here was erected Enneapilon - "Nine-Gate", a bastion with nine gates. Outside the walls was the ancient palace of the Athenian kings - the "Palace of Erechtheus." Later, the sanctuary of the goddess Athena appeared in this palace, and even later all the buildings of a secular nature found other places for themselves, and the Acropolis became the center religious life ancient Athens. The name of the Sacred Rock was assigned to it - numerous sanctuaries dedicated to the goddess Athena, the patroness of the city, were located here.
Athens, named after the daughter of Zeus Athena, served as the main center of the cult of this goddess. According to Greek mythology, Athena emerged fully armed from the head of Zeus. She was the beloved daughter of the god of thunder, whom he could not refuse in anything. The eternally virgin goddess of the sky, she, along with Zeus, sent thunder and lightning, but also heat and light. Athena is a warrior goddess who reflects the blows of enemies; patroness of agriculture, popular assemblies of citizenship; the embodiment of pure reason, the highest wisdom; goddess of science and art. Climbing the hill of the Acropolis, the ancient Hellenes seemed to enter the kingdom of this many-sided goddess.
The creation of the majestic ensemble of the Acropolis is associated with the victory of the Greeks in the Greco-Persian wars. Representatives of all Greek cities, who gathered in 449 BC, adopted the plan for building the Sacred Rock proposed by Pericles. The grandiose architectural and artistic ensemble was to become a worthy monument to the great victory. The wealth of Athens and its dominant position provided Pericles with ample opportunities in the construction he conceived. To decorate the famous city, he drew funds at his own discretion from temple treasuries, and even from the general treasury of the states of the Athenian Maritime Union.
Whole mountains of snow-white marble, mined nearby, were delivered to the foot of the Acropolis. The best Greek architects, sculptors and painters considered it an honor to work for the glory of the universally recognized capital of Hellenic art. Several architects participated in the construction of the Acropolis. But, according to Plutarch, Phidias was in charge of everything. In the whole ensemble, one can feel the unity of its design and a single principle that has left its mark on the details of all the most important monuments.
The hill on which the monuments of the Acropolis were erected is uneven in outline. The builders did not come into conflict with nature, but, having accepted it as it is, ennobled it with their art, creating an ensemble, in its harmony more perfect than nature. Harmonious buildings of the Acropolis reign over a shapeless block of rock, as if symbolizing the victory of reason over chaos. On an uneven hill, the ensemble is perceived gradually. Each monument lives its own life in it, each is deeply individual, and its beauty is revealed to the eye in parts, without violating the unity of the impression.
Above the steep slope of the sacred hill, the architect Mnesicles erected the famous white marble buildings of the Propylaea - the solemn entrance to the Acropolis, with Doric porticoes located at different levels, connected by an Ionic colonnade. Striking the imagination, the majestic harmony of the Propylaea immediately introduced the visitor to the world of beauty, affirmed by human genius. On the other side of the Propylaea stood on the square of the Acropolis a giant bronze statue of Athena Promachos, Athena the Warrior, sculpted by Phidias. The fearless daughter of Zeus personified the military power and glory of her city. From the foot of the statue, vast distances opened up to the gaze, and the sailors, rounding the southern tip of Attica, clearly saw the high helmet and spear of the warrior goddess sparkling in the sun.
Beyond the square rose the columns of the Parthenon, the great temple, under whose shadow once stood another statue of Athena, also sculpted by Phidias: the statue of Athena the Virgin, Athena Parthenos. Like the Olympian Zeus, it was a chrysoelephantine statue, that is, made of gold and ivory. It took about 1200 kg to make it. precious metal. Today, only the testimonies of ancient authors, a reduced copy that has survived to this day, and coins and medallions with the image of Athena give us an idea of \u200b\u200bthis masterpiece of Phidias.
The columns of the Parthenon, which once shone with the whiteness of Pentelicon marble, seem to have been covered with a noble patina over the past centuries. Painted in brownish-gold tones, they stand out in relief against the blue sky. The Parthenon was the temple of Athena Polias (Guardian of the City) and was usually called simply "Temple" or "Great Temple".
The Parthenon was built in 447-438. BC. architects Iktin and Kallikrat under the general direction of Phidias. In agreement with Pericles, he wished to embody the idea of a triumphant democracy in this most important monument of the Acropolis. The design of the temple was carefully thought out. The book about the work of Iktin and his assistant Catlikrates is unfortunately lost, but the very fact of its existence points to a large preliminary theoretical work. This largely explains the speed of construction, which, according to Plutarch, bordered on a miracle: the temple was built in just 9 years. Finishing work continued until 432 BC.
The pinnacle of ancient architecture, the Parthenon was already recognized in antiquity as the most remarkable monument of the Doric style. It is almost impossible to notice with the naked eye that in its appearance ... there are practically no straight lines. The columns of the Parthenon (eight on the facades and seventeen on the sides) are slightly tilted inward with a slight convex curvature of the horizontal lines of the base and ceiling. These deviations from the canon, which are barely perceptible to the eye, are of decisive importance. Without changing its basic laws, the heavy-weight Doric order here acquires an unconstrained elegance, which creates a powerful architectural image of impeccable clarity and purity.
The Erechtheion is the second most important monument of the Acropolis. In ancient times, it was the main temple dedicated to the goddess Athena. And if the Parthenon was assigned the role of a public temple, then the Erechtheion is rather a priestly temple. Here the main sacraments related to the worship of Athena were performed, and an ancient statue of this goddess was kept here.
All the main shrines of Athens were concentrated within the walls of the Erechtheion. The temple itself was built on the site of the legendary dispute between Athena and Poseidon for power over Athens. According to legend, the gods gave the right to resolve this dispute to the elders of Athens. The judges decided to give the victory to that of the gods, whose gift would be more valuable to the city. Poseidon struck with his trident and a salt spring gushed out of the slope of the Acropolis. Athena struck with a spear - and an olive tree grew on the Acropolis. This gift seemed more useful to the Athenians. Thus, Athena emerged victorious in the dispute, and the olive tree became the symbol of the city.
In one of the halls of the Erechtheion one could see the trace left by the trident of Poseidon on the rock during his dispute with Athena. Since this shrine was always to be in the open air, openings were made in the ceiling of the portico, which have survived to this day. Nearby was the entrance to a cave located under the temple, where the sacred snake of the goddess Athena lived, which was considered the personification of the legendary king and hero, the patron of Athens Erechtheus (or Erichthonius - these two mythological heroes are sometimes separated, sometimes identified), after which the temple got its name.
Under the northern portico of the temple, the tomb of Erechtheus was preserved, and in the western part - a well with salt water. He was considered the very source that Poseidon created, and. according to legend, communicated with the sea. In front of the Erechtheion, since ancient times, a sacred olive tree grew, which grew from the blow of the spear of the goddess Athena, and in the corner near the western facade of the temple there was Kekropeyon - the tomb and sanctuary of the legendary Kekrops, the first king of Attica. Today, the world-famous portico of caryatids, the architectural symbol of the Erechtheion, rises above it. There is an assumption that the prototypes of the caryatids of the Erechtheion were the harrephors - the servants of the cult of Athena, who were elected from the best families of Athens. Their functions included the manufacture of a sacred peplos, in which the ancient statue of Athena, kept in the Erechtheion, was annually dressed up.
The goddess Athena appears on the Acropolis and in another of her incarnations - Athena Nike, the goddess of victory. The first sanctuary of Nike on the Acropolis was destroyed by the Persians during the Greco-Persian Wars. In 448 BC, on the occasion of the peace that ended the war with the Persians. it was decided to build a new temple of Athena Nike on the Acropolis, or, as it was also called, the temple of the “Wingless Victory”: although the goddess of victory, Nike, was always depicted as winged, Athena the Victorious could not, and should not have had wings.
The Propylaea and the temple of Athena Nike, standing nearby, complemented each other. Their architectural connection created a unique ensemble of the entrance to the sacred rock of the Acropolis. The temple was built by the architect Callicrates in 427-424. BC. This graceful small structure, built of marble, has dimensions of 5.6 × 8.3 m. In front of the temple of Athena Nike, there was an open-air altar intended for sacrifices.
During the Turkish rule, the temple of Nike was dismantled and used to build fortifications. In the 1830s, after Greece gained independence, the Turkish fortification was carefully dismantled, and the Temple of Nike was rebuilt. In 1935-1940. it was reconstructed again, and now it appears in all its glory - of course, adjusted for the all-destroying effect of time. And, as you know, it is inexorable, and today the monuments of the Acropolis, which survived wars, perestroika and human vandalism, are exposed to man-made dangers: for several decades, acid rain and poisonous smog have corroded the white marble of ancient temples. There are many plans to save the Acropolis, but so far none of them have been implemented, so the restorers are probably still for a long time will not be out of work.
