| Acropolis |
|---|
| ah KROW po lis |
| The citadel of Athens and site of the Parthenon. |
| The Acropolis is a rocky plateau rising 200 feet (61 meters) above the city of Athens; it measures 300 feet (91 meters) by 150 feet (46 meters) forming the flat rectangular plateau which overlooks the city and the sea. |
| In prehistoric times the Acropolis served as the site of at least three distinct cultures known as: |
| 1) The Early Helladic (2500-1900 BCE); |
| 2) The Middle Helladic (1900-1580 BCE); and |
| 3) The Late Helladic (1580-1100 BCE); the Late Helladic period was the setting for the mythical kings of Attica such as Kekrops (Cecrops), Erechtheus and Akteus (Acteus). |
| The historic accounts of the Acropolis begin after the Persian army sacked Athens in 480 BCE; the ruins of the burned and demolished temples atop the Acropolis were used by Themistokles (Themistocles) and Kimon (Cimon) as the foundation for re-construction of the walls and temples; the Parthenon and the Propylaea were added by Perikles (Pericles) in 431 BCE. |
The Acropolis of Athens as seen from the east
The Acropolis as seen from the grounds of the Temple of Zeus
The entrance to the Acropolis, the Propylaea
The Parthenon
The Karyatids on southern portico of the Erechtheum on the Acropolis in Athens
The Karyatids
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