The Acropolis of Athens is an ancient citadel set on a flat-topped rocky outcrop that stands 150 meters (490 feet) above sea level in Athens, Greece, encompassing approximately 3 hectares (7.4 acres). The name derives from Greek terms meaning "highest point" and "city," a generic designation common to various fortified hills in Greece. In ancient times, the site was also called Cecropia after Cecrops, the legendary first king of Athens who was depicted as a serpent-man.
Artifacts show human presence on the hill from the Middle Neolithic era, with settlement in Attica dating back to the sixth millennium BC. A Bronze Age Mycenaean palace once occupied the summit, surrounded by a Cyclopean defensive wall 760 meters long and up to 10 meters high. Built following the natural terrain, this fortification featured a south-facing entry system and protected access to a deep natural fissure containing a well, securing vital drinking water during sieges.
During the sixth century BC, early sanctuaries were erected, including a limestone temple dedicated to Athena Polias known as the Hekatompedon. Construction on a marble successor, the Older Parthenon, was underway when Persian forces invaded and burned the hill in 480 BC. After the Persian retreat, Athenians built damaged architectural parts directly into the northern wall as a memorial and buried religious artifacts in pits across the summit.
The landmark buildings remaining today were largely coordinated in the fifth century BC by Pericles, utilizing sculptors like Phidias and architects including Ictinus, Callicrates, and Mnesicles. Visitors pass through the monumental Pentelic marble Propylaea gateway, beside which stands the small Ionic Temple of Athena Nike. Nearby features included a giant bronze statue of Athena Promachos, the multi-level Erechtheion with its famous caryatid porch supported by sculpted female figures, and the central Parthenon temple.
The Acropolis underwent continued modification under Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman administration, serving as a fort, Christian cathedral, ducal palace, and garrison. Notable additions included the Roman Odeon of Herodes Atticus on the south slope. During the 1687 Morean War, Venetian artillery hit gunpowder stored inside the Parthenon, causing major damage. In the nineteenth century, post-classical structures were systematically removed to restore the site's ancient Classical appearance.
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