the acropolis essays

the acropolis essays The Acropolis of Athens has stood as a monument of triumph to the people of Athens for centuries past. The temples within its walls were used to worship Greek gods like Athena and Poseidon. Rising over three hundred feet above the city of Athens, it can clearly be seen why it is called the Acropolis, which loosely translated means "top of city". It isn't the only acropolis in Greece, but it is revered more than the others because of its almost flawless planning in where each building is placed. It took two hundred years of experimenting to get it right. Each building is placed specifically to be pleasing to the viewer's eye. From the viewer's point of view every building is seen in perspective, and at no point from the entrance is one building seen from only one facade. This is what made the Acropolis at Athens so amazing. What makes the Acropolis even more amazing is the buildings within its walls. There is the Parthenon, the Propylaia, the Erechtheion, the temple of Athena Nike, and more. After ascending nearly three hundred feet up the hill you come to what is called the "Propylaia". The Propylaia is the entrance to the Acropolis and was used to prepare worshipers before entering the gates to the temples within. Construction began on the Propylaia in 437 B.C. and was completed in 432 B.C. The architect of the Propylaia was Mnesikles, and the project was anything but easy with the narrowness of space and the irregular terrain. Despite these obstacles he was successful in creating a harmonious entrance. Asymmetrically arranged buildings created the propylaia. The most important of these buildings was the Pinakotheke on the north side with contained the art gallery. The Propylaia has an outer and inner facade, both supported by six Doric columns with five doors between them, the largest door was located in the middle. Further within the Propylaia, there are Ionic columns, which helped support the roof. These columns w...