Acropolis, Athens, France

Steven Dutch, Professor Emeritus, Natural and Applied Sciences, University of Wisconsin - Green Bay

Mars Hill

One of the places St. Paul preached in Athens. Centuries of traffic have worn the stone to glass-like slickness.



Breccia on the Acropolis.
Odeaon with Philopappus Hill beyond.

The Propyleia is a massive monumental entrance to the Acropolis. The fact that you have to look up to see it makes it all the more impressive.

	Reconstruction of the Acropolis at its height.
	Reconstruction after the Great Turco-Venetian Renovation of 1687, when a Venetian cannonball set off the powder magazine the Turks stored inside.








	Plaque honoring Greek Resistance fighters who hauled down the German flag on the Acropolis in World War II and hoisted the Greek flag, and were shot.



	Angel on the front face, recalling the Pathenon's time as a Christian church.
	The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune. Also cannoballs and bullets.
	Blocks were held with iron brackets, then sealed with lead.



By 2013, raet of the end had been disassembled again and the peak was being assembled.



	View from the Temple of Olympian Zeus.

Temple famous for its portico with the roof supported by six maidens. When Lord Elgin removed one for the British Museum (still a sore spot with Greece), the other maidens are supposed to have wept for their kidnapped sister.	The maidens faced a worse threat than Lord Elgin: acid rain. They may still weep but they now do it indoors, and copies take their place.

Quite possibly the most downright cute temple of antiquity. It had been completely dismantled for use in fortic=fications before being reassembled.

	Theater of Dionysius.
	A column segment.

	Above: Temple of Olympian Zeus, from the Acropolis Left: The first modern Olympic stadium
	Left: Lykabettos Hill.
	Left: Paving stone showing sockets for metal joiners.
	Left: At any given time, a large part of Europe is encased in scaffolding. Below: views of Athens

Where some of the Glory That Was Greece ended up, in fortifications against barbarian invasions.

Created 25 October 2018, Last Update 03 June 2020