Acropolis of Athens - 04
by AM FineArtPrints
Title
Acropolis of Athens - 04
Artist
AM FineArtPrints
Medium
Painting - Painting
Description
Acropolis of Athens - 04 by Andrea Mazzocchetti
The archaeological evidence present in the Acropolis (which was also known as Cecropia in honor of the legendary snake-man Cecrops, the first Athenian king) dates back to the Archaic period and therefore is attested that impressive buildings were raised on the acropolis at the end of the 7th century BC, an era in which the walls dating back to the Mycenaean age (XVI-XII century BC) lost their defensive importance. In the first half of the 6th century BC, after the expulsion of the Pisistratids, the acropolis ceased to be a fortress.
The ancient fortifications, buildings, templars buildings and statues were destroyed during the Persian occupation of 480 BC. The first efforts of reconstruction of the Athenians concentrated on the most useful works. The walls and the ramparts were rebuilt under the government of Temistocle and Cimone. During the period of Pericles to celebrate the victory over the Persians and the political, economic and cultural primacy of Athens, the reconstruction of the acropolis was realized, with the construction of the Parthenon - inside which a colossal statue of Athena Parthenos was erected, created by the sculptor Fidia and now lost - of the Propylaea and later of the Erechtheion and the Temple of Athena Nike.
In the late Roman empire the Parthenon was transformed into a church dedicated to the Virgin Mary. In the Middle Ages the acropolis was transformed into a military fortress first by the Franks and then by the Turks. In 1687 the Venetians bombed the Acropolis, causing extensive damage to the Parthenon, which, since it contained gunshot deposits, leapt into the air.
During the Ottoman domination, the Acropolis and particularly the Parthenon were stripped of most of the marbles that adorned the pediments and metopes by Lord Elgin, who brought them to England. In the nineteenth century began the first excavations and restoration of the temples, which led to clamorous discoveries, such as the famous archaic statues of girls, the Kore. Most of the findings are exhibited in the Acropolis Museum. In recent decades the Greek government has undertaken a systematic restoration of monuments, with the integration of many missing parts starting from fragments
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July 3rd, 2018
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