The Acropolis

The number one destination for tourists to Greece! What would a visit to Greece be without going to the Acropolis? You can take a tour or wander up there yourself but during the summer, whatever you do, unless it is overcast, go early in the day.

It can get very hot up there and gasping for breath can take away from your ability to marvel at the greatest of all archaeological sites. After climbing the steps you are at the entrance, or the Propylaea, which was completed in 432.


Constructed in 432 just before the outbreak of the Peloponnesian wars the main architect was Mnesicles, a colleague of Phidias.

To your left is the Pinacotheca and a Hellenistic pedestal and on the right the tiny temple to Nike Athena or the Athena of Victory which commemorates the Athenians' victory over the Persians.

Supposedly this is one of the two places thought to be where King Aegeus threw himself into the sea because he thought his son Theseus had been killed by the Minotaur.


But if this is the point he chose to jump into the Aegean then how good a king could he have been? The sea is miles away!

If you look from the Propylaea towards Pireaus on a clear day you can see ships waiting outside the port of Pireaus, the islands, and the mountains of the Peleponesos beyond.


The Parthenon and other main buildings on the Acropolis were built by Pericles in the fifth century BC as a monument to the cultural and political achievements of the inhabitants of Athens. The term 'acropolis' means upper city and many of the city states of ancient Greece are built around an acropolis where the inhabitants can go as a place of refuge in times of invasion. It's for this reason that the most sacred buildings are usually on the acropolis.

It's the safest, most secure place in town. As little as 150 years ago there were still dwellings on the Acropolis.

The best time to go up there is the spring where even this stone mountain is not immune to the proliferation of grass and wildflowers which seem to burst from every crack.

The Erecthion sits on the most sacred site of the Acropolis where Poseidon and Athena had their contest over who would be the Patron of the city. Poseidon thrust his trident into the rock and a spring burst forth, while Athena touched the ground with a spear and an olive tree grew. Athena was declared the victor and the great city of Athens was named for her while Poseidon was given a small village in Syros after it was discovered he had merely ruptured a water main (not really).

The building itself contains the porch of the maidens or Caryatids which are now copies; four originals have been placed in the Acropolis museum, hopefully to be reunited with a fifth taken from the Acropolis by Lord Elgin and put in the British Museum more than a century ago.

Even with a thousand photographs one is still not prepared for the immensity of the Parthenon. The building was designed by the architects Kallikrates and Iktinos as the home of the giant statue of Athena. It took 15 years to build and was completed in 438 BC and is probably the most recognizable structure in the world next to the golden arches of McDonalds. From a temple it became a church, a mosque and finally as a storage facility for Turkish gunpowder.

In 1687 the Venetians bombarded it from below. A cannon ball hit the gun powder and blew it up.

A question in my mind is why not rebuild the Parthenon to it's former glory? It is not as if the destruction of it is sacred history must be preserved, in fact the 300 years since the explosion is a relatively short time-span in the history of the building. Much of the Parthenon has been taken apart and put back together with pieces being replaced or clamped to remedy the wear and tear of centuries, in particular the last 20 or so years of air pollution.

As it stands now, though, it is a tribute to the glorious past and the achievement of the Ancient Athenians it is also at the same time a reminder that whatever is good in man is eventually overcome by ignorance, war and a hunger for domination. I say rebuild the entire Acropolis as an inspiration that whatever is wrong with the world can be righted (until some idiot blows it up again).


My favorite spot is at the flag where Athens stretches out endlessly below.

You can see the Plaka beneath you, the temple of Olympian Zeus and the Olympic stadium nestled in a pine covered hill, an island of green in a sea of concrete.


Or look to your left at Mount Lycavettos rising from the neighborhood of Kolonaki, with the Hilton and the Athens Tower at Ambelokip in the distance.

You can see as far as Kifissia on a clear day.


Maonolis Glezos and Apostolis Santas were the two young heroes who tore down the Nazi flag flying from the Acropolis in 1941 during the German occupation. It is of particular interest because these names are known not only by Greeks, but by many Europeans, because this act of courage and resistance to Nazi oppression was an inspiration to all subjected people. I looked for their names in every history book I could find. But it wasn't until I went up to The Acropolis and found this plaque that I knew who they were.


Below the Acropolis is the theatre of Herod Atticus built by the Romans in 161 AD and still used today for classical concerts, ballet, performances of high cultural value and Yanni. Further on is the Theatre of Dionysious, the first stone theater and home to Sophocles, Aeschylus, Euripides and Aristophanes. It was rebuilt around 342 BC by Lykourgos and then enlarged by the Romans to be used for gladiator fights.


Below the Acropolis is the rock of Areios Pagos. The steps are very slippery so be careful as you climb them, but once you do you won't want to come down (unless it is 100 degrees). You have a great view of the Agora, the Plaka, Monastiriki, Omonia and much of Athens. Great place to watch the sunset. Or come up at night with a bottle of wine and your true love, and watch the lights of the city.


Afterwards, continue back around the Acropolis and down the hill into the Ancient Agora below.

Part of it is free and you can go through it to get back to Adrianou Street, or you can pay the entrance fee and walk the streets of ancient Athens.


If you decide to hang out for a while in the ancient Agora take a look at the rebuilt Stoa of Attalos, now a museum which features many of the everyday items found in the area.

The small temple known as the Thission was built in 449 BC and is virtually intact.

Used with permission from Matt Barrett's Athens Survival Guide