Acropolis

I

Introduction

Acropolis (Greek akros, “highest”; polis, “city”), fortified stronghold or citadel in ancient Greece. The Greeks built their towns in plains near or around a rocky hill which in times of danger could easily be fortified and defended. So “acropolis” meant either the hill, or what was built on it. Almost every Greek city (polis) had its acropolis—some, like the city of Megara, even had two—which served as a citadel, where in times of war the townspeople would seek protection. Sometimes the ruler of the town lived within the walls of this stronghold, but in many cases the acropolis also became the town’s religious centre and the focal point of its public life.

The most famous acropolis of the ancient world is the Acropolis of Athens. This natural rock formation, about 150 m (500 ft) high, was continuously inhabited from the Neolithic period (c. 5000 bc). During the Late Bronze Age, like other similar citadels of the so-called Mycenaean civilization (c. 1450-1200 bc), the rock was crowned by heavily fortified palaces and buildings.

Little is known of the Acropolis of Athens in the centuries between the Mycenaean period and the Archaic period (6th century bc), the evidence having been destroyed by many later building activities. At the beginning of the 6th century bc, the first stone temple of Athena, the patron goddess of the city, was built. It is known today as the Hecatompedos (Hundred-footer). There is no general agreement about its exact location on the Acropolis; however, recent studies have suggested that the Hecatompedos was made of limestone and that it was situated roughly where the Parthenon stands today.

The Greeks’ victory over the Persians at the Battle of Marathon (c. 490 bc) inspired the Athenians to undertake an ambitious building programme in which temples dedicated to their gods were to be raised in celebration of the favourable outcome of the Persian war. The most impressive of the public programmes was the construction of the first marble temple on the Acropolis. The foundations, in limestone, had been laid and work on the marble columns was in progress when, after their victory over the Greeks at the Battle of Thermopylae in 480 bc, the Persians sacked Athens and reduced the Acropolis to ruins. After the final Greek victory over the Persians at the Battle of Plataea in 479 bc, the Athenians vowed not to rebuild the temples on the Acropolis for some 30 years, in remembrance of the impiety of the Persians towards the gods.

It was Pericles, the leading figure in Athenian politics of the 5th century bc, who took the decision to rebuild the Acropolis on a monumental scale. His ambitious programme—reflecting the zenith of Athenian power over the other Greek city-states—resulted in the building of the Parthenon (begun in 447 bc) and the Propylaea (begun in 437 bc), and, after his death, the Temple of Athena Nike (begun in 427 bc), and the Erechtheum (begun in 421 bc). The project was funded by the treasuries of the temples and other public institutions, the spoils from the Persian wars, and from the yearly tributes received from other Greek cities.

II

The Parthenon

The Parthenon was the principal building on the Acropolis and the major temple of the goddess Athena in the Greek world. Its construction was begun in 447 bc and completed in 438 bc, while the addition of its decorative features was completed by 432 bc. It occupies the site of two earlier temples, Hecatompedos mentioned above and the older, unfinished temple destroyed by the Persians in 480 bc.

The Parthenon is built entirely of marble from the renowned quarries on Mount Pentelikon. The architects were Callicrates and Ictinus. Measuring about 70 m (228 ft) by about 31 m (100 ft), it is one of the largest, as well as among the finest, Doric temples. It is fronted by 8 columns and flanked by 17 columns. The sanctuary within is divided into two sections, each entered through a shallow porch. The ceiling of the larger, east room, or cella, which contained the huge chryselephantine (gold-and-ivory) statue of Athena, protector of the city, was supported by a two-storey Doric colonnade on three sides. That of the smaller, west room, or treasury, was supported by four tall Ionic columns.

The sculptural decoration on the Parthenon was executed by Phidias and probably by pupils working under his direction. The metopes on the east side of the temple depict a battle of giants, those on the west a battle with the Amazons, those on the north the fall of Troy, and those on the south the battle of the Lapiths and the Centaurs. The east pediment bore a representation of the birth of Athena, surrounded by the Olympian gods, and the west pediment her contest with the god Poseidon for the land of Attica. The frieze running almost 160 m (525 ft) depicted a procession that started at the west end of the temple and progresses eastward along both its sides. The subject of the procession, though still in dispute, is likely to be what was once one of the most important religious events in Athens. This was the Panathenaic procession, in which a new peplos (dress) was carried up to the Acropolis by the people of the city to be offered to a wooden statue of Athena. Sculptures that are today missing from the Parthenon are now displayed, as the Elgin Marbles, in the British Museum, in London.

III

The Propylaea

The Acropolis is entered through the Propylaea (“main gates”), a monumental split-level entrance-way built in white marble to a design by Mnesicles, who started work on it in 437 bc. The Propylaea is a hall-like structure which, at the front, consists of two sets of six Doric columns fronting outwards and inwards in an L-shape, and, at the back, two sets of three Doric columns. It remains unfinished. Pairs of flanking units to the north and south were planned and not completed, except for one unit to the north: this was the Pinakotheke (Gallery of Paintings), in which the works of famous painters were displayed.

IV

The Temple of Athena Nike

Next to be built was the Temple of Athena Nike (Bringer of Victory), on which Callicrates worked between 427 bc and 423 bc. It is set on a bastion overlooking the approach to the Propylaea and is the first building to be seen by visitors as they make their way from the city up to the Acropolis. The temple consists of two sets of four Ionic columns, one at the front and one at the back. A continuous frieze above the architrave (beam running across the tops of the columns) depicts various divinities and battle scenes.