Athens, Greece

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Athens, Greece
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GREECE
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The Greek Flag
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ATHENS
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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.
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Satellite Image of the City of Athens
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The Acropolis
-Acropolis literally means high city -There are
many acropolises world-wide -The Acropolis
is 512 ft above
sea
level
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Satellite Images of the Acropolis
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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.
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The Structure
-Over 100 ft wide -Over 230 ft long
-The Parthenon is elaborately decorated with
marble depictions of the gods interacting
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-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
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-In the mid-17th Century C.E. the Venetians
attacked Athens
-An enormous amount of explosives
ignited inside, destroying the roof
and the interior
-From this point forward the building sat in
disuse
More History
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-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