The Acropolis of Athens is a historical monument, which is a unique example of ancient Greek culture, included in the system of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. For a long time it served as a social and cultural center for the people of Athens.
History of occurrence
As a refuge from enemies, the Acropolis - as the ancient part of Athens was called - began to be used by the local population at the end of the 3rd millennium BC. e. The fortification walls were ten meters high and six meters wide. To penetrate the hill, either the western or northern side of it could be used. At the same time, the first one was less reliable, so the entrance there was more carefully fortified by local residents.
On the north side, the oldest part of Athens, apparently, was well hidden by bushes. Narrow stairs were carved into the rock to it. Over time, the northern entrance to the fortification was filled with stones, but only the western one remained.
Acropolis as a publiccultural center
Thus, the Acropolis is the name of the oldest part of Athens. Initially, it was a rocky hill on which the fortifications of the city were located. However, in the second millennium BC, as the results of archaeological excavations showed, litigation, meetings of rulers, as well as festive religious events were actively held here. So, for example, researchers discovered a platform that apparently served as an arena for ancient Greek mysteries. A well was located at the northern gate of the Acropolis, which made it possible to provide the inhabitants who were behind the walls of the fortification with high-quality drinking water.
Hecatompedon
The ancient city of Athens and its monuments rightfully occupy a leading place in scientific research on the history of the ancient Greek state. It is known that the percentage of the urban population in those days was much higher than the rural one. Cities were of paramount importance in the life of the policy. Athens, in turn, gradually became the main trading and administrative center throughout the Mediterranean. This state of affairs played a positive role in the cultural development of the city. The Acropolis, as the oldest part of Athens, was famous for its temples.
So, in the VI century BC. e. here was the temple of Hekatompedon (“one hundred feet”), built in honor of the goddess Athena and distinguished by its extreme beauty. Its main attraction was the gates of the Propylaea, decoratedcolumns. We had to climb up to the temple gradually along the slope of the hill, which also increased the external stunning effect. Also, the architecture of the temple and its gates were distinguished by a special symmetry, which later Greek sculptors used to create sculptures that adorn the pediments of temples.
Parthenon
Subsequently, on the site of Hekatompedon, an even more majestic temple was erected - the Parthenon (447-437 BC, sculptor - Phidias). In order to get into the temple, visitors had to first go around it, since the entrance was located on the opposite side of the front gate. This was done with the aim that the guests could feel the solemn spirit of the temple and tune in the appropriate way. So, on the wall of the Parthenon, a bas-relief ribbon was constructed depicting a large-scale procession in honor of the goddess Athena: horsemen, girls with palm branches in their hands (a symbol of peace), noble elders.
Currently, the temple is in a dilapidated state.
Erechtheion
The work on the creation of this temple (421-405 BC) was long and painstaking, as other sights of the city that had suffered from the Greco-Persian wars were being restored in parallel. Accordingly, construction funds were severely limited.
Initially, the Athenian ruler Pericles initiated the construction of the temple, and Phidias also became the architect. However, the majestic building was built after the death of Pericles, under the guidance of the architect Mnesicles.
The temple got its name in honor of the Athenian king Erechtheus. The Acropolis, as the oldest part of Athens, captured many plots of Greek mythology in its architecture. So, according to legend, Erechtheus was the son of Hephaestus (the god of fire, as well as the heavenly patron of blacksmithing) and Gaia (the goddess of the earth). During the war with the city of Eleusis, unleashed on religious grounds, Erechtheus killed the son of Poseidon (Eumolpa), who was the leader of a hostile clan. In response, the angry god of water, with the help of his brother Zeus, brought lightning to the Athenian ruler. So Erechtheus died. At the same time, a trace of the legendary lightning allegedly survived on the Acropolis, which destroyed several marble slabs at once. Here is the tomb of Erechtheus, on the site of which the temple of the same name was erected.
The architecture of the Erechtheion is non-standard. The building of the temple consists of two unequal-sized buildings, which are also located at different levels. The eastern part of the temple is dedicated to Athena, the western - to Hephaestus, Poseidon, and Booth, the first priest of the goddess Athena and brother of Erechtheus.
