illustrates Rodrigo Didier
edition Felipe van Deursen
It was an architectural complex that, for a thousand years, served as a military fortification, political center and religious sanctuary in Athens. In addition to typically Greek architectural styles, the Doric and Ionian, the Acropolis was also influenced by Egyptian and Persian arts (in buildings and sculptures) and Phoenician (in ceramics). Most of the buildings date from the 5th century BC, during the reign of Pericles. Natives, foreigners and slaves were involved in the works. Slaves earned 1 drachma a day. The same as architects, who at least had the advantage of being paid directly, without intermediaries.
ON THE HEIGHTS
The name “acropolis” designates the upper part of ancient cities. The one in Athens is located 156 m above the level of the capital. Access was via the Propyla ramp.
Propyla
length 90 m
width 11 m
TWO TRIBUTES
The Sanctuary of Zeus Polieus, erected in 500 BC, consisted only of a sacred wall and an altar for sacrifices and rituals. The Temple of Olympian Zeus was designed to be the largest building in the entire city. Located in the lower part of Athens, it was 110 m long and 43 m wide (about the size of an American football field)
PRIDE OF PLACE
Erected in the 5th century BC, the Temple of Athena Nike replaced an earlier one, also dedicated to Athena, which was perhaps the first building on the Acropolis. The location, next to the entrance ramp, was privileged, as it was visible from the lower city. The temple was demolished in 1686 and rebuilt in 1834 after Greek independence
BOHEMIAN CORNER
The Theater and Sanctuary of Dionysus highlighted the performing arts. Placed on the south slope of the Acropolis, it was the most important theater in Athens, where plays by classical authors such as Sophocles, Euripides and Aeschylus premiered.
FAMOUS ADDRESS
The Parthenon was built in an unusual way. The pillars’ shafts taper and the platform on which they were erected is slightly curved. The temple had a shrine and a storeroom, which stored the city’s treasures. When Greece came under the control of the Byzantine Empire, the Parthenon became a church. In 1456, the Ottoman Turks converted it into a mosque. In 1687, used to store gunpowder, it exploded in a Venetian attack on Athens during a war with the Turks.
SPORTS AND CULTS
The open courtyard hosted the awards and closing celebrations of the Panathenaic Games, the most important in Athens. They resembled the Olympics, and united sporting and religious festivals. They ended with a procession to the Acropolis, which was even more prestigious than the games themselves.
VICTORY WITHOUT WINGS
Two statues stood out: Athena Parthenos, in the Parthenon, was 9 m and was built with ivory, metal and wood. On her chest, there was the head of the medusa and, in one of her hands, an almost 2 m statue of Nike, the goddess of victory (which inspired the name of a slightly famous brand). The other was Athena Nike, made of wood. Unlike other depictions, such as the Parthenon, she did not have wings.
COBRA’S HOUSE
To the north of the Acropolis, the Erechtheion was the last construction delivered under Pericles, in 406 BC It was also a temple of worship to Athena and, after it was ready, it received the wooden statue of the goddess. Due to its position, it is one of the most eye-catching in the complex. According to legend, the sacred serpent of Athena lived there.
SEE TOO
– What are the main Greek gods?
– Who was Socrates?
– What was Machu Picchu?
Consultancy Fabio Augusto Morales, professor of ancient history and archeology at PUC-Campinas
Sources Book The Archeology of Athensby John M. Camp, and official websites of Unesco and the Greek Ministry of Culture and Sports