Acropolis

Selinunte Acropolis

Originally uploaded by Greg Robbins

Acropolis [Greek akron = point, summit + polis = city]

Initially, an acropolis was simply a fortified hill serving as a stronghold for Greek city-states.

Later, the acropolis took on a religious function. It became a sacred citadel built on high ground within or near a town.

The most famous but by no means only acropolis contains the Parthenon and the Erechtheum at Athens, connected with Athena worship.

In 447 BCE a massive statue of Athena stood within its center, the patron goddess of Athens. Although the original is gone, a reconstruction stands in Nashville, Tennessee, within a full-size replica of the Parthenon.

In the 6th century the famed Parthenon was converted into a Christian church.

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