TheAcropolisofAthensWhatwouldavisittoAthens,GreecebewithoutgoingtotheAcropolistoseetheParthenon?TheAcropolisistheonehistoricalsiteyoucan'tmiss.Youcantakeatourorwanderupthereyourselfbutduringthesummer,whateveryoudo,unlessitisovercast,goearlyorlateintheday.Itcangetveryhotupthereandgaspingforbreathcantakewayfromyourabilitytomarvelatthegreatestofallarchaeologicalsites.GettingtotheAcropolisiseasyandmorepleasantthaneverbecausethelargeavenueswhichborderthesouthandwestofthesite(ApostolouPavlouinThissionandDionissiouAreopagitouinMakrianni)havebeenturnedintogiantpedestrianstreetswithcafesandrestaurantsandthewalkisquitepleasant.FromthePlakaandMonastirakisideithasalwaysbeenacar-less,enjoyablewalkandallyouhavetodoiswalkuphillfromwhereveryouareandwhenyougettothetopandtherearewoodsinsteadofbuildings,andsteps,takearight.Afterclimbingthestepsyouareattheentrance,orthePropylaea,whichwascompletedin432justbeforetheoutbreakofthePeloponnesianwars.ThemainarchitectwasMnesicles,acolleagueofPhidias.ToyourleftisthePinacothecaandaHellenisticpedestalandontherightthetinytempletoNikeAthenaortheAthenaofVictorywhichcommemoratestheAtheniansvictoryoverthePersians.ThissmalltemplestandsonaplatformthatoverlookstheislandsofSaronicGulfandusedtohouseastatueofAthena.ItwasdismantledbytheTurksin1686sotheycouldusetheplatformforalargecannon.Itwasrebuiltbetween1836and1842andagaintakenapartandrebuiltin1936whenitwasdiscoveredthattheplatformwascrumbing.IfyoulookingfromthepropylaeatowardsPireausonacleardayyoucanseeshipswaitingoutsidetheportofPireaus,theislandsandthemountainsofthePeloponessosbeyond.TheParthenonandothermainbuildingsontheAcropoliswerebuiltbyPericlesinthefifth用心爱心专心centuryBCasamonumenttotheculturalandpoliticalachievementsoftheinhabitantsofAthens.ThetermacropolismeansuppercityandmanyofthecitystatesofancientGreecearebuiltaroundanacropoliswheretheinhabitantscangoasaplaceofrefugeintimesofinvasion.It'sforthisreasonthatthemostsacredbuildingsareusuallyontheacropolis.It'sthesafestmostsecureplaceintown.Aslittleas150yearsagotherewerestilldwellingsontheAcropolisofAthens.ThoseofyouwhohavereadAristophaneswillrecallthatinLysistratathewomenhaveAthensbarricadedthemselvesinthefortressinprotest,beingtiredoftheirmengoingtowaragainstSparta.Deprivingthemofsex,cookingandcareitwasaterrificstrategythatmightevenworktoday.Regardless,theplayopenedthedoortothesubjectofsexualfrustrationincomedyandwithoutitwemightnothaveWoodyAllen.NowdaystherearestillprotestswhichoccasionallytakeplacebysiteemployeesclosingtheAcropolistotourists,someofwhomhavewaitedalifetimetocometoGreece.Thankfullythesearerareandofshortduration.Thebesttimetogoupthereisthelatewinterorspringwheneventhisstonemountainisnotimmunetotheproliferationofgrassandwildflowerswhichseemtoburstfromeverycrack.EveninDecember,JanuaryandFebruarytheAcropoliscanbesurprisinglygreen.EvenhavingseenathousandphotographsoneisstillnotpreparedfortheimmensityoftheParthenon.ThebuildingwasdesignedbythearchitectsKallikratesandIktinosasthehomeofthegiantstatueofAthena.Ittook15yearstobuildandwascompletedin438BCandisprobablythemostrecognizablestructureintheworldnexttothegoldenarchesofMcDonalds.Fromatempleitbecameachurch,amosqueandfinallyasastoragefacilityforTurkishgunpowder.In1687theVenetiansbombardeditfrombelow.Acannonballhitthegunpowderandblewitup.OtherAcropolisInfoAcropolisPhotosElginMarbles用心爱心...
