Transcript The Acropolis and Parthenon

Athens, Greece
GREECE
The Greek Flag
ATHENS
Athena competed with
Poseidon to be the patron
deity (goddess) of Athens.
Each would give the city
one gift and the Athenians
would choose which they
preferred. Poseidon struck
the ground and a spring
sprung up; the water was
salty and not very useful,
whereas Athena offered
them the olive tree. The
Athenians accepted the
olive tree and Athena as
their patron.
Satellite Image of the City of Athens
The Acropolis
-Acropolis literally means “high city”
-There are many acropolises world-wide
-The Acropolis is 512 ft above
sea level
Satellite Images of the Acropolis
Uses of the Parthenon
-The Parthenon was used as a temple to honor Athena
and give her thanks for saving the city during the
Persian Wars
-The Parthenon was also used as a treasury for the
Athenian Empire
-Pericles initiated the building of the Parthenon
-Construction took from 447-438 B.C.E.
The Structure
-Over 100 ft wide
-Over 230 ft long
-The Parthenon is elaborately decorated with marble
depictions of the gods interacting
-The Parthenon is
almost 2500 years old
-In the 5th Century C.E.
the statue of
Athena was
stolen
-Has served
as both a
Christian
and Catholic
Church
The History
-In the mid17th Century
C.E. the
Venetians
attacked Athens
-From this point
forward the
building sat in
disuse
-An enormous amount of
explosives ignited inside,
destroying the roof
and the interior
More History
-The area has become a historical zone, controlled by
the Greek government. Today it attracts millions of
tourists every year
-It is currently being partially restored
Today
-Athens has grown enormously since WWII and has
major problems with traffic and air pollution
- Corrosion of its marble by acid rain threatens the
remaining sculptures and the temple itself