The Athenian Acropolis, Throughout the Ages
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