The Greeks worshipped goddesses and demonstrated their political and military power through the Acropolis. It has since taken different meanings for Athens’ many occupiers
On a rocky outcrop rising above the Greek capital stands the Acropolis of Athens, a citadel constructed primarily in the fifth century BC by the statesman and general Pericles. The literal translation of Acropolis is “the highest point of the town,” and many other Greek towns and cities had them. However, the Acropolis of Athens is by far the most striking and complete example still standing.
The Acropolis’s history stretches well before Pericles. Early Mycenaeans built a palace on the plateau in the late Bronze Age, making it a sacred site long before Classical Athens. During the Geometric period (900-700 BC), the outcrop developed into a religious site dedicated to the patron goddess Athena.
The peak of Acropolis development came under Pericles after the Greeks fought off the Second Persian Invasion in 480 BC. The most significant structure was the Parthenon, featuring the Parthenon Marbles, designed to display the city-state’s wealth and military prowess. The Temple of Athena Nike was built so that Athenians could worship in the hope of triumph in the Peloponnesian War against the Spartans and their allies. In Greek mythology, Nike was the goddess of victory. Other buildings included the Propylaea, a ceremonial gateway, and the Erechtheion, an Ionic temple dedicated to Athena.
Athens’ political significance declined until it fell under Roman dominion. The Romans maintained and further developed the Acropolis. An example is the Temple of Zeus, built under Emperor Hadrian’s orders in the second century.
Later occupiers of Athens repurposed the Acropolis for their own religious needs. The Byzantines, who held the city from the 4th to the 15th century, converted the Acropolis into a holy place for Christians. The Parthenon became a church for the Virgin Mary. Athens fell to the Ottomans in 1456. The outcrop became a mosque, while the Parthenon acted as a fortress.
The Acropolis gained its contemporary significance after the Greek War of Independence (1821-1829) and the 1834 liberation of Athens, becoming a symbol of Greek heritage. Restoration efforts peaked in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987 and remains one of Greece’s most popular tourist attractions.
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Louis is the Staff Writer at History of War magazine, spending his time writing, interviewing historians, and leading the magazine’s social media output. He has a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from the University of Exeter, where he became interested in military history while writing his dissertation on the Spanish Civil War.
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