Akropolis (1)Acropolis

The citadel of Athens and site of the Parthenon.

The Akropolis is a rocky plateau rising 200 feet (61 meters) above the city; it measures 300 feet (91 meters) by 150 feet (46 meters) forming the flat rectangular plateau which overlooks the city and the sea.

In prehistoric times the Akropolis served as the site of at least three distinct cultures known as:

1. The Early Helladic (2500-1900 BCE);
2. The Middle Helladic (1900-1580 BCE); and
3. The Late Helladic (1580-1100 BCE); the Late Helladic period was the setting for the mythical kings of Attika (Attica) such as Kekrops (Cecrops), Erekhtheus (Erechtheus) and Akteus (Acteus).

The historic accounts of the Akropolis begin after the Persian army sacked Athens in 480 BCE; the ruins of the burned and demolished temples atop the Akropolis were used by Themistokles (Themistocles) and Kimon (Cimon) as the foundation for re-construction of the walls and temples of Athens; the Parthenon and the Propylaea were added by Perikles (Pericles) circa (469-429 BCE).