Acropolis & Agora

The Acropolis is the hill that settlers fortified sometime during the Bronze Age (2800–1100 B.C.). It is very likely that Athens was part of the Mycenean civilization. A large "cyclopean wall" similar to the one of Mycanae once surrounded it. A temple to Athena was built in the 6th century B.C. This temple was destroyed when the Persians sacked Athens in 480 B.C. The Athenians removed the remains and buried them in pits on the slopes of the Acropolis. Those remains have been found and are now at the Acropolis museum. We saw quite a few of the artifacts—but you were not allowed to take pictures in the museum.

After the Persians were defeated, the Athenians debated over what should be done. It was decided not to build anything as a reminder. However, the great leader Pericles convinced them to begin an ambitious building program, and the Parthenon is the result of that program. The Romans added to it, but during Byzantine times it was turned into a church. During the crusades it became an administrative center for the Franks. The Ottomans would later conquer the area and use it as a garrison headquarters for their army. The Venetians besieged the Acropolis in 1687 and caused an explosion when one of their shells hit a gunpowder magazine. Most of the damage to the Parthenon is a result of that explosion.

Photo of a street of Athens. We stayed in the area called the Plaka, which is where the ancient Athenians lived and is right at the foot of the Acropolis. The streets are laid out in no discernible pattern and they are narrow. They are great for walking, though, if you don't mind getting lost. This is from a cafe where we had delicious Greek pastries and Greek coffee for breakfast. The cafes are kind of touristy, but the pastries are fresh-made and you see a lot of Greeks eating there, too.
Tamzen enjoying a play at the Theater of Dionysus.
The temple to Athena Nike. It's not very stable, so it has to be supported by scaffolding as the restoration team tries to undo the damage done by previous restoration efforts! Attempts in the 20s and 30s used iron reinforcements to the building, which made things worse since iron expands and contracts, cracking the marble. Current efforts use titanium.
The Propylaia, or entrance way into the Acropolis.
Tamzen in the Propylaia. The areas on either side of the column would have been lined with statues.
This doggy did not read the sign that said not to touch the marble.
Art history refresher course: Ionic column
Art history refresher course: Doric column
Back of the Propylaia of the Acropolis.
Me in front of the north side of the Parthenon. It's really quite large.
The Erechtheum atop the acropolis. This temple was named after Erechthonious, an ancient king of Athens. It would have contained relics sacred to Athens. You can see the caryatid porch on the right side. The caryatid pillars are replicas; five of the originals are in the Acropolis museum, while the sixth is one of the marbles taken by Lord Elgin and is currently on display in the British Museum.
Us in front of the Parthenon.
My attempt at a more artistic photo of the Parthenon.
Mount Likavittos seen from the Acropolis. The highest point in Athens.
Here you can see both the Parthenon and the Erectheum. It gives you an idea of how big of a space the Acropolis is.
Our hotel from the Acropolis. In front of the columns you can make out Hadrian's gate. The street that runs down the center of the picture to Hadrian's gate contains our hotel on the left. At the end of the street is the burned-out car I previously posted.
View of the south end of the Parthenon.
This is the Theater of Dionysus. Here the plays of Aeshylus, Sophocles, Euripides, and Aristophanes were performed. So if you had to read Antigone or Oedipus in school, then this is where it started. Most of the theater here is from Roman times, but blocks from the classical Greek period still stand. If you see the darker ones near the back, you are looking at 5th century stones. This theater reminds me of a bad joke: one day Euripides goes to a tailor. He accidently rips one of the garments. The tailor says, "Euripides, Eumenides." Haha.
The Areopagus seen from the Acropolis.
The ancient agora seen from the Acropolis. The temple of Haephestus is on the left.
Reconstruction of the Stoa of Attalos. A stoa is a covered walkway where the Greeks would hang out and do business. The doorways on the right are the shops along the way. This one has been reconstructed to give an idea about what these structures would have looked like. The painted stoa on the north end of the Agora was where Zeno of Citium taught, and so his followers became knows as the Stoics.
Temple of Hephaestus that stood above the Agora. Hephaestus was the god of forging and would have been important to the artisans who sold goods at the Agora. This temple is very well preserved and dates from the 5th century B.C. It was started before the Peloponnesian wars and completed right before the disastrous Sicilian expedition.

This is for fans of Paul. The structures in the foreground are the ruins of the Roman Agora where Paul reasoned with people in the marketplace and encountered the Stoic and Epicurean philosophers. Up and to the left is the Agora where Paul would have seen the idols that distressed him so much. The hill that peaks in the center and then slopes to the right is the Areopagus, where he gave his speech about the unknown god.