Acropolis Area - Athens - page 45

struck a rock with his trident and a saltwater spring emerged (some versions of the myth say he made a horse).
The gods judged that Athena's gift would better serve the citizens of Athens with nourishment, oil and wood. To
this day the goddess dominates Athens' mythology and the city's great monuments are dedicated to her.
Building the Acropolis
The Acropolis was first inhabited in neolithic times (4000-3000 BC). The first temples were built during the My-
cenaean era in homage to the goddess Athena. People lived on the Acropolis until the late 6th century BC, but in
510 BC the Delphic Oracle declared that it should be the province of the gods.
After all the buildings on the Acropolis were reduced to ashes by the Persians on the eve of the Battle of Sala-
mis (480 BC), Pericles set about his ambitious rebuilding program. He transformed the Acropolis into a city of
temples, now regarded as the zenith of classical Greek achievement. He spared no expense: only the best materi-
als, architects, sculptors - such as Pheidias - and artists were good enough for a city dedicated to the cult of
Athena. The city was a showcase of lavishly coloured colossal buildings and of gargantuan statues, some of
bronze, others of marble plated with gold and encrusted with precious stones.
Preserving the Site
The temples have suffered through the years of foreign occupation, pilfering by foreign archaeologists, inept
renovations following Independence, earthquakes and, most recently, acid rain and pollution. The worst damage
occurred in 1687 when the Venetians attacked the Turks, opening fire on the Acropolis and causing an explosion
in the Parthenon, where the Turks were storing gunpowder. Major restoration programs are ongoing.
Theatre of Dionysos
Originally, a 6th-century-BC timber theatre was built here, on the site of the Festival of
the Great Dionysia ( Click here ) . During Athens' golden age, the theatre hosted produc-
tions of the works of Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides and Aristophanes. Reconstructed in
stone and marble between 342 and 326 BC, the theatre held 17,000 spectators (spread
over 64 tiers, of which only about 20 tiers survive) and an altar to Dionysos in the orches-
tra pit.
Theatre of Dionysos Thrones & Carvings
The ringside Pentelic marble thrones were for dignitaries and priests. The grandest, with
lions' paws, satyrs and griffins, was reserved for the Priest of Dionysos. The reliefs at the
rear of the stage depict the exploits of Dionysos.