The Athenian Acropolis, Then and Now

The Athenian Acropolis had a long life both before and after the construction of the Parthenon in the fifth century BCE. Join Emily and Cam as they explore the long history of Athens’ most iconic landmark.

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Cover Image: Illustration from Atene Attica Descritta da suoi Principii sino all’acquisto fatto dall’Armi Venete nel 1687, by Francesco Fanelli. (Venice, Antonio Bortoli, 1695 edition.)

Links:

• Our short blog post featuring pictures of Bronze Age remnants on the Acropolis.
• Parthenon, by Costa-Gavras. A short video depicting the Parthenon and its evolution through time (featuring Byron’s poem about Elgin).
• The Acropolis of Athens, 3500 BC – 2010 AD, by Ancient Athens 3D. Another short video, this one depicting the evolution of the Acropolis as a whole.
• A concept drawing of Schinkel’s vision for the new royal palace on the Acropolis.
• A ground plan of Schinkel’s vision for the new royal palace on the Acropolis.

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00:11 - Introduction

02:24 - The Acropolis in the Bronze Age

• 02:29 - An overview of the Bronze Age in Greece
• 03:15 - The Bronze Age citadel on the Acropolis
• 04:43 - Traces of the Bronze Age on the Acropolis today

06:36 - The Acropolis in the Archaic Period

• 06:37 - The Bronze Age Collapse
• 07:29 - Ancient interpretations of Bronze Age monuments
• 08:48 - The great temples of the Archaic period: what can we know?
• 11:45 - The Pre-Parthenon

13:34 - The Hellenistic and Roman Acropolis

• 13:43 - Post-classical Athens as a cultural center
• 14:40 - Alexander the Great, the Hellenistic rulers of Pergamon, and the Romans
• 15:57 - Pausanias visits the Acropolis in the 2nd century CE

17:11 - The Byzantine period and the coming of Christianity

• 17:17 - The Parthenon: from temple, to church, to the Cathedral of Theotokos Atheniotissa
• 18:28 - Medieval architectural modifications to the Parthenon
• 20:09 - The ancient metopes of the Parthenon defaced
• 21:51 - The Parthenon as a site of Christian pilgrimage

22:28 - The Fourth Crusade and its impact in Athens

• 22:41 - The crusaders sack Constantinople and conquer Greece
• 23:24 - The Acropolis in the era of the Franks

25:12 - The Acropolis under Ottoman Rule

• 25:19 - Mehmet II and the conquest of Greece
• 25:44 - The Parthenon becomes a mosque
• 26:23 - The Venetian siege of Athens and the explosion heard round the world
• 29:34 - Lord Elgin removes many of the Parthenon’s sculptures

37:38 - The Acropolis after the Greek War of Independence

• 38:14 - The new king of the Hellenes and plans for the Acropolis
• 39:24 - The “restoration” of the fifth-century BCE Acropolis
• 42:12 - Modern work on the Acropolis
• 42:32 - The ethics of archaeological site preservation and presentation

45:03 - Wrap-up: the enduring significance of the Acropolis