Acropolis from Below. Jutting up some 300 feet into the air, this sacred rock of Athens was the city's most important site. Upon the ruins of earlier buildings, three important temples were constructed in the late fifth century BC: the Parthenon, the Erechthion, and the Temple of Athene-Nike. From this picture, it is easy to see how daunting a task assailing the Acropolis must have been to enemies of Athens.

The Parthenon. The most important temple on the Acropolis, the Parthenon was dedicated to the goddess Athene Parthenos (Virgin). It was constructed between 447 and 438 BC, with decorative sculptures completed by 432 BC. Under the auspices of Perikles, the supervision of the great sculptor Pheidias, and the architecture of Iktinos and Kallikrates, the temple was built in Doric order with Pentelic marble. There are eight columns on the front and back, 16 on each side. This temple stood relatively unharmed till September 26 of 1687, when Venetian bombs decimated it. The British ambassador Lord Elgin, in the 19th century, removed much of the sculptural decoration and sold it to the British Museum, where it remains today. Today we know from tablets called stelae found around Athens that the temple functioned as a treasury of sorts.

Erechtheon, West View. It was destroyed by the Persians in 480 BC. Rebuilding was begun by Perikles just after the Parthenon, and it was finished before the end of the Peloponnesian War.

The Erechthion, South Porch. The famous Karyatids function as columns. The ruins of the old building, perhaps as reminder of Persian desecration, are visible in front of it.

Theatre of Herod Atticus (Herodeion). Built in 161 A. D. by Tiberius Claudius Atticus Herodes in honor of his wife upon her death. It was initially roofed and functioned for music and recital concerts. It could and still does hold as many as 5,000 people. Every summer there is a festival of music that takes place from May to September.

Top-Down View. Here we see the well-preserved Temple of Hephaistos (top center) and the Stoa of Attalus (right center with long reddish-orange roof). The Temple of Hephaistos is the best preserved Doric temple on the mainland. It has survived so well most likely to its conversion to a Christian church. King Attalus II (159-138 BC) was responsible for building the stoa (right-center), which now, fully restored, houses a museum and offices for restoration of the agora.

Temple of Hephaistos, Rear View. This magnificent, Doric-columned building in honor of the husband of Aphrodite herself. Strange coupling, isn't it?

Walkway to Acropolis. Northern walkway, near the Stoa of Attalus. To the right, as the picture below shows, is an aquaduct. Everywhere one walks in the agora, one finds countless pieces of pottery shards from antiquity--almost all of which are so worn that they are without value today.

Theatre of Dionysos. On the southern side of the agora is the remains of the magnificent Theatre of Dionysus.

Seat of Honor. This seat, visible in the previous picture (bottom, left-center), was reserved for dignitaries.