THE ACROPOLIS
Click here to learn about the Parthenon!
Scroll down to learn about the Propylaea, the Temple of Athena Nike, and the Erechtheon!
The Acropolis is the most recognizable landmark in Athens. It was the center of religious life for the ancient Athenians, but it was not the geographical or political center of the city. The Acropolis rests on a tall, limestone rock, 490 feet above sea level.
IMPORTANT SITES ON THE ACROPOLIS
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The Parthenon
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The Propylaea
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The Temple of Athena Nike
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The Erechtheon
THE PROPYLAEA
The Propylaea is the main gate into the Acropolis. It was built in the style of a Greek temple, though, like modern-day government buildings and churches, it is not one. I like how the Athenians chose this style to construct the Propylaea (which means front gate). It gives the whole Acropolis the feel of a temple, designating the entire hilltop as a sacred site.
THE TEMPLE OF ATHENA NIKE
The Temple of Athena Nike is particularly interesting to me. Many of the things that it represents are peculiar because they all seem to have a "catch."
First, though the temple was built in honor of a victory, that victory was short-lived. The Athenians built the temple during a break in the Peloponnesian War, when they temporarily had victory over the Spartans. However, the Athenians picked another fight with the Spartans and lost the war in the end.
Second, the Athenian depiction of Nike is different from any other depiction. Normally, the goddess of victory is depicted with wings, but the Athenians showcase "Apteros Nike," or "wingless victory." The Athenians chose to represent her in this way so that the goddess could never leave her favorite city. It seems to me that, if Athens were her favorite city, Athena Nike would stay anyway. The depiction comes across to me as the Athenians forcing her to stay in the city. That may not be the case, but deliberately not giving the goddess wings so that she cannot fly away seems a little like they are afraid she will leave.
THE ERECHTHEON
The Erechtheon was constructed as a temple to both Athena and Poseidon, as well as its namesake, King Erechtheus. Two myths explain why the temple is dedicated to those three figures.
According to the first myth, Athena and Poseidon were competing for control of Athens, and the temple was built where Poseidon struck the ground with his trident during the competition. There is a hole left in the roof of the Erechtheon, intentionally, to mark the spot where Poseidon's trident hit the ground. Athena, who won the battle, gifted the city with an olive tree, and an olive tree still grows in the spot where the first tree once grew.
The second myth explains how the first king of Athens, Erectheus, was born. Hephaestus wanted to make love with Athena, but she did not feel the same. Hephaestus tried anyway, and Athena fought him off. During his attempt, Hephaestus' sperm falls to the earth, and a half-human, half-snake baby was born. Athena picks up the baby, raises him, and he becomes the first king of Athens.
The first myth is interesting to me because, even though Poseidon lost the fight for control of Athens, he is still dedicated along with Athena. What I like about the second myth is that Athena found and raised an unplanned, human-snake hybrid child, and that child was able to grow up and become a king. He was able to lead a city regardless of the strange circumstances of his birth.
DAILY LIFE
I would like to know more about daily life in the Acropolis. Of course, the common folk had to stay out of the temples, but what else did they do? Could they go inside any of the buildings, besides on special occasions? How busy was the Acropolis? Was it crowded? Did the Athenians use the Acropolis grounds for anything that was not religious, or did people only venture up the hill for ceremonies and festivals?
A Trip to the Museum
From the British Museum in London, England
Title: temple-relief; Marble part of relief (Block XIV) from the West frieze of the Parthenon.
When: 438BC-432BC
Where: The Parthenon, Athens, Greece
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Like many Greek artifacts in the British Museum, this piece was taken from the Parthenon, specifically block fourteen of the western frieze. Pictured is the head and chest of a man wearing a chlamys, a rectangular Greek garment worn over the chiton, or tunic. It is interesting to me that the man appears to be wearing the chlamys on his bare chest, though it is difficult to tell whether his chest is bare or he is wearing clothes. stopping a horse from west frieze block XIV
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In the western frieze, block fourteen, there are two men trying to calm down a horse, and the man on the right is missing his top half. Could the head and chest from the British Museum belong to this man? After all, the artifact was taken from block fourteen, and the head in the artifact is facing the same direction as the man in the block.