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1. Propylaia 2. Propylaia 3. Parthenon 4. Parthenon 5. Parthenon 6. Parthenon 7. Parthenon & Erectheion 8. Erectheion 9. Erectheion

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Architect: Mnesicles, commissioned by Pericles.
Date of construction: 437-432 B.C
Materials: Pentelic marble, darker Eleusinian marble, structural iron.
The Propylaia were built as a monumental entrance to the Acropolis rock. It is an impressive building that surrounds the natural entrance to the plateau, and one approached it in ancient times through an inclining ramp that led visitors straight through the steps in front of the Propylaia.
Unlike other Greek sanctuaries of Ancient Greece, the Acropolis was built on a master plan with the buildings related to one another. Nowhere is this more evident than in the relationship between the Propylaia and the Parthenon. Several subtle features associate the two buildings. Both are structures with strong Doric flavor, although both incorporate Ionic columns in their interiors. They are also related in size, (the Propylaia width being equal to the length of the Parthenon), and in proportional ratios (4:9 for the Parthenon and 3:7 for the Propylaia). Both buildings are oriented similarly from North to South, with the Propylaia being a little to the East of the Parthenon Axis. © Ancient-Greece.org Republished by permission

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Parthenon. Its stylistic conventions have become the paradigm of Classical architecture, and its style has influenced architecture to this day. The Parthenon epitomizes all the ideals of Greek thought during the apogee of the Classical era through artistic means. The idealism of the Greek way of living, the attention to detail, as well as the understanding of a mathematically explained harmony in the natural world, were concepts that in every Athenian’s eyes set them apart from the barbarians. These ideals are represented in the perfect proportions of the building, in its intricate architectural elements, and in the anthropomorphic statues that adorned it.

The Athenian citizens were proud of their cultural identity, and conscious of the historical magnitude of their ideas. They believed that they were civilized among barbarians, and that their cultural and political achievements were bound to alter the history of all civilized people. The catalyst for all their accomplishments was the development of a system of governance the likes of which the world had never seen: Democracy.

Democracy, arguably the epitome of the Athenian way of thinking, was at center stage while the Parthenon was built. This was a direct democracy where every citizen had a voice in the common issues through the Assembly that met on the Pnyx hill next to the Acropolis forty times per year to decide on all matters of policy, domestic or foreign.
© Ancient-Greece.org Republished by permission

Architects: Iktinos and Kallikrates.
Date of construction: 447-432 B.C.
Cost of Construction: 469 talents (1 talent = cost to build one trireme, the most advanced warship of the era, also equal to one months salary of the ship's crew. The annual gross income of the City of Athens at that time was 1,000 talents)
Length: 69.50 m. (227.96 ft)
Width: 30.88 m (101.29 ft)
Materials: Pentelic marble, limestone foundation

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The intriguing work of architecture known as the Erechtheion shares the spotlight with the Parthenon on the Athenian Acropolis. However, the Erechtheion features something special that sets it apart from the famous temple of Athena Parthenos, and that is its stunning Caryatid Porch (this porch, incidentally, is sometimes referred to as the Porch of the Maidens).

Caryatids are statues that serve both a decorative and structural function (here the caryatids stand on the south side of the Erechtheion). These graceful supports were carved to resemble beautiful maidens. And with their delicate hanging folds of drapery the series of six caryatids cleverly mimic the fluting of an Ionic column.

In addition to the compelling Caryatid Porch, the Erechtheion also has some other noteworthy features. Legend has it that the monument marks the spot on the Acropolis where the mythological contest between the gods Athena and Poseidon took place. According to myth, the two deities were competing to decide which one would claim Athens as their city - Athena brought forth an olive tree, while Poseidon created a salt water spring. And the site of the Erechtheion has shrines sacred to other legendary figures, including Erechtheus, Kekrops, and Bootes.
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Click here to view a zoomable 1-Gigapixel image of the Erectheion