History of the Greek Acropolis

Early History

• The Mycenaeans built the first buildings on the site of the Acropolis in the 13th century B.C., consisting of settlements and a central fortress where the king lived.

Classical Period

• Pericles built the major architectural structures of the Acropolis known today, with the principal developments of the Propylaeum, the Parthenon and the Erechtheum completed between 462 B.C. and 404 B.C.

Classical Features

• The Propylaeum formed the gateway to the Acropolis. The Parthenon housed a treasury and a sanctuary to Athena, and the Erechtheum contained shrines and was the mythological site where Athena defeated Poseidon to win back the city.

Roman Period

• The Romans made minor additions to the Acropolis when they conquered Greece in 146 B.C. Augustus built a small, spherical temple near the Parthenon, and Claudius authorized a stairway to the Propylaeum.

Medieval and Ottoman Period

• In 1205 the Francs occupied Athens and used the Acropolis as a fortress, ruling the city from the Propylaeum and converting the Parthenon into a Catholic cathedral. The Ottoman Empire annexed Athens in 1456, converting the Parthenon into a mosque and reportedly using the Erechtheum as a harem.

Greek Independence

• When Greece became independent in 1821, the Acropolis was officially protected by the new Greek state. Restoration projects began in 1822 and continue to the present day.