Acropolis
Acropolis
The Acropolis of ancient Greece consisted of many different structures. The structures included in the construction of the Acropolis were the Erechteum, the statue of Athena, the Propylaea, the Temple of Athena Nike, and the Parthenon. These structures, inside the extensive Acropolis walls, were designed for many significant reasons.
One of the most remarkable aspects of a settlement from the Mycenaean period (1600 - 1200 B.C.) is the wall around the Acropolis. The first inhabitants did not only choose places like this because they could collect food there, or grow their own crop, but also because a settlement situated on the top of a rock provides excellent defense against possible aggressive forces in the surroundings. That is why all early settlements were situated on top, or in the neighborhood, of a natural defense barrier.
Often the inhabitants of the Mycenaean settlements helped nature a little by building huge walls around their properties, which had to scare off enemies. In those ancient times people often could not believe that this all was constructed by human beings, so they called them "Cyclopean Walls.” after the Cyclops from the Greek mythology, who were one-eyed giants.
The Propylaea, located at the west end of the hill, is a roofed entrance structure into the sacred precincts of the Acropolis. It was designed by the renowned architect Mnesicles, and constructed between the years 437 BC and 432 BC. However, the construction was ended during the Peloponnesian wars, and the building never reached completion for unknown reasons.
It consists of a central building and two wings. The colonnades along the west and east sides had a row of Doric columns while two rows of more slender Ionic columns divided the central corridor into three parts. The Doric columns recall those of the Parthenon, although they are much more severe. The central gate hall has two chambers. The north one was used as a painting...
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