Akropolis, Athen

Fra Wikipedia, den frie encyklopædi

Du har nye beskeder (forskel fra næstsidste redigering).

Denne artikel er delvis på engelsk, og ikke fuldstændig oversat til dansk. Du kan hjælpe Wikipedia ved at oversætte den!

Akropolis i Athen er den bedst kendte akropolis i Grækenland. Selvom der findes flere Akropoliser i Grækenland, er Akropolis i Athen så betydningsfuld, at den er almindelig kendt blot som "Akropolis". Akropolis i Athen er en flad klippe som rejser sig 150 meter over havet i byen Athen. Den var også kendt som Cecropia til ære for den legendariske slange-mand Kekrops - den første atheniensiske konge.

Koordinater: 37°58′17″N, 23°43′36″E

[redigér] Klippens geologi

The Akropolis i Athens, set fra nord med den restaurerede Stoa fra Attalus i forgrunden

Akropolis hæver sig stejlt fra Attika-sletten med stejle klipper på tre sider. Den er kun tilgængelig til fods og kun fra vest, hvor den hænger sammen med den lavere bakke Areopagus. Den er formet af lag af en blå-grå kalksten, som er meget hård, men gennemtrængelig for vand. Dette hviler på et sandstenslag, som er blødere end kalksten, men uigennemtrængelig for vand. Denne konstruktion skaber både naturlige kilder og beskyttede huler ved bakkens fod. Dette var en faktor, som allerede tidligt, tiltrak beboelse på og omkring klippen

[redigér] Tidlige bosættelser

Sydmuren af Athens Akropolis set fra Dionysos-teatret.

The earliest artifacts from the area point to the Middle Neolithic era, although there have been documented habitations in Attica from the Early Neolithic (6000 BCE). Once into the Bronze Age, there is little doubt that a Mycenaean megaron must have stood on top of the hill, housing the local potentate and his household, guards, the local cult facilities and a number of workshops and ordinary habitations. The compound was surrounded by a thick Cyclopean circuit wall (between 4.50 and 6 ?meters?) consisting of two parapets built with large stone blocks and cemented with an earth mortar called emplekton. The wall follows typical Mycenaean convention in that its gate was arranged obliquely, with a parapet and tower overhanging the incomers' right-hand side, thus facilitating defense. There were two lesser approaches up the hill on its north side, consisting of steep, narrow flights of steps cut in the rock. Homer must refer to this state of affairs when he mentions the "strong-built House of Erechtheus" (Odyssey 7.81). It was during that time that an earthquake caused a fissure near the northeastern edge, one that ran all the way down to the marl layer and in which water duly collected. An elaborate set of stairs was built and the well was used as a protected source of drinking water during some portion of the Mycenaean period, as it was invaluable in times of siege.

[redigér] The Dark Ages

The Acropolis of Athens, seen from the Temple of Olympian Zeus to the south-east.

It seems that the Acropolis might have been spared of the violent destruction of other Mycenaean palaces, as there are no signs of fire or other large-scale destruction in what few artifacts of that time survive. This ties with the standard Athenian folklore that the area resisted the Dorians successfully. Not much is known as to the precise state of building on the rock leading up to the archaic era, except that the Acropolis was taken over by Kylon in the Kylonian revolt, and twice by Pisistratus: all attempts directed at seizing political power by coups d' etat. Nevertheless it seems that a nine-gate wall, the Enneapylon, had been built around the biggest water spring, the "Clepsydra", at the northwestern foot. It was Pisistratus who initially established a precinct for Artemis Brauronia, the cult of his hometown, Brauron, on the southwestern side of the rock, next to the circuit wall.

[redigér] Archaic Acropolis

Stairs leading up to the Propylea.

It is known with some certainty that a sizeable temple sacred to Athena Polias (Protectress of the City) was erected by mid-6th century BC. This Doric limestone building, from which many relics survive, is referred to as the "Bluebeard" temple, named after the pedimental three-bodied man-serpent sculpture, whose beards were painted dark blue. Whether this temple replaced an older one, or a mere sacred precinct or altar, is not known. In the late 6th century BC yet another temple was built, usually referred to as the Archaios Naos (Old Temple). It is thought that the so-called Doerpfeld foundations might have belonged to this temple, which may have been sacred not to Polias but to Athena Parthenos (Virgin), at least for as long as the Polias "Bluebeard" temple stood. It is not known how long these temples coexisted. To confuse matters further, by the time the "Bluebeard" Temple had been dismantled, a yet newer and grander marble building, the "Older Parthenon", was started following the victory at Marathon in 490 BCE. To accommodate it, the south part of the summit was cleared of older remnants, made level by adding some 8,000 two-ton blocks of Piraeus limestone, a foundation 11 meters deep at some points, and the rest filled with earth kept in place by the retaining wall. The Mycenaean gate was demolished and replaced with the Old Propylon, a monumental colonnaded structure whose purpose was strictly ceremonial, rather than defensive. The Older Parthenon was caught unfinished by the invading Persians in 480 BCE, and was razed to the ground and burnt, along with the Archaios Neos and practically everything else on the rock. Once the Persian Wars were over, the Athenians put the place in order, first ceremonially burying objects of worship and art that were rendered unsuitable for further use. This "Persian debris" is the richest archaeological treasure excavated on the Acropolis, as its burial had protected it from further destruction through the ages.

[redigér] The Periclean building program

The western side of the Parthenon.

Most of the major temples were rebuilt under the leadership of Pericles during the Golden Age of Athens (460–430 BC). Phidias, a great Athenian sculptor, and Ictinus and Callicrates, two famous architects, were responsible for the reconstruction.

Propylaea, the first gateway at the top of the daunting marble stairs.

During the 5th century BC, the acropolis gained its final shape. After winning at Eurymedon in 468 BC, Cimon and Themistocles ordered the reconstruction of southern and northern walls, and Pericles entrusted the building of the Parthenon to Ictinus and Phidias. In 437 BC Mnesicles started building the Propylaea, monumental gates with columns of Penteli marble, partly built upon the old propylaea of Pisistratus. These colonnades were almost finished in the year 432 BC and had two wings, the northern one serving as picture gallery. At the same time, south of the propylaea, the building of the small Ionic temple of Athena Nike started. After an interruption caused by the Peloponnesian War, the temple was finished in the time of Nicias' peace, between 421 BC and 415 BC.

Propylaea, the gateway to the Acropolis.

At the same period they started the building of the Erechtheum, a combination of sacred precincts including the temples of Athena Polias, Poseidon, Erechtheus, Cecrops, Erse, Pandrosos and Aglauros, with its so-called the Kore Porch (or Caryatids' balcony). Between the temple of Athena Nike and the Parthenon there was the temenos of Artemis Brauronia, the goddess represented as a bear and worshipped in the deme of Brauron. The archaic xoanon of the goddess and a statue made by Praxiteles in the 4th century BC were both in the sanctuary. Behind the Propylaea, Phidias' gigantic bronze statue of Athena Promachos ("she who fights in the front line"), built between 450 BC and 448 BC, dominated the ensemble. The base was 1.50 meters high, while the total height of the statue was 9 meters. The goddess held a lance whose gilt tip could be seen as a reflection by crews on ships rounding Cape Sounion, and a giant shield on the left side, decorated by Mys with images of the fight between the Centaurs and the Lapiths. Other monuments that have left almost nothing visible to the present day are the Chalkotheke, the Pandroseion, Pandion's sanctuary, Athena's altar, Zeus Polieus's sanctuary and, from Roman times on, the circular temple of Augustus and Rome.

[redigér] Cultural significance

The Erechtheum and Athena's olive tree.

The Erechtheum and caryatids guarding the tomb.

Hvert fjerde år holdt indbyggerne i Athen en festival som de kaldte Panathenaea Festivalen van næsten lige så populær som De olympiske lege / Olympic Games . Under festivalen, gik en procession gennem Athen og op til Acropolis og ind i Parthenon (Som beskrevet på en frise inden i Parthenon). Der blev et umådeligt reb af vævet uld (peplos) ceremonielt placeret på Phidias' Massive elfenben og guld statue af Athena.

[redigér] Art and architecture

Remains of the Theatre of Dionysos.

Odeum of Herodes Atticus partially reconstructed.

The entrance to the Acropolis was a monumental gateway called the Propylaea. At the near right of the Propylaea is the tiny Temple of Athena Nike. A bronze statue of Athena, sculpted by Phidias, originally stood at its center. At the center of the acropolis is the Parthenon or Temple of Athena Parthenos (Athena the Virgin). To the left of the Propylaea is the Erechtheum with columns known as caryatids sculpted as figures of women. There are also the remains of an outdoor theatre called Theatre of Dionysus in which all the extraordinary plays of the Greek dramatists were first performed. One a few hundred yards away, there is the partially reconstructed Theatre of Herodes Atticus, giving a clear picture of how the Theatre of Dionysos must have looked, although both would have had roofs and very elaborate and substantial backdrops to their stages; the Odeum (theatre) of Herodes has a majestic and towering set of arches and pillars with a huge marbled walk way leading to the stage and the arches would probably have been two higher still. This theatre is used every summer for modern productions of the early plays. Seating an audience of several thousand, the acoustics were/are perfect, allowing the Greek audiences to marvel at the early plays of such inspiring playwrights and Athenian tragedians: Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides.

Denne artikel er oversat fra den engelske wikipedia