Monuments in Greece

The Acropolis, high above the center of Athens

Ancient Greece was one of the cradles of Western civilization, and home to some of the most wondrous and awe-inspiring architectural feats of the age. Towering remnants of that long ago time can still be seen there today. Among the best known of the Greek monuments are the Acropolis, the Temple of Apollo Epicurius and the archaeological sites of Delphi and Olympia.

The Acropolis

The Acropolis, a citadel dedicated to the goddess Athena, sits on a rocky hillside in the center of Athens, the city that bears her name. The most famous and iconic of the ruins at the Acropolis is the Parthenon, the temple once home to a gigantic statue of Athena. Considered a classical wonder of architecture and engineering, the Parthenon was built with two layers of columns instead of one in order to support its gigantic roof. The building's marble decorations have been damaged over the centuries, and some of them are now housed in the British Museum, where they are known as the Elgin Marbles.

The Temple of Apollo Epicurius

The Temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae

Built in roughly 400 B.C., the Temple of Apollo Epicurius stands in the archaeological site of Bassae in the south of Greece. The temple was constructed of gray limestone, but adorned with a marble frieze depicting scenes of battle. Unlike other Greek temples of the era, it is aligned north and south, instead of east and west, and it has 15 columns on its longer sides, instead of 13. A large statue of Apollo once stood in the temple, but has since been destroyed.

Delphi

The ruins at Delphi

The sanctuary of Delphi at the foot of Mount Parnassos figures heavily in the myths of ancient Greece, where it was sacred to the earth-goddess Gaia and guarded by a monstrous python. In the eighth century B.C., Delphi became a center for the cult of Apollo, and temples were built at Delphi for Apollo and the goddess Athena. But Delphi is perhaps best known as the home of the Delphic Oracle, a priestess called the Pythia, whose pronouncements were translated to her supplicants by priests of Apollo. Ruins still standing at Delphi include the Temple of Apollo, an ancient theater and stadium and statues of athletes.

Olympia

Remnants of the Temple of Zeus at Olympia

The ancient grounds of the original Olympic Games, Olympia stands on a plain in Peloponnese, near the Ionian Sea. The site is dedicated to Zeus, the father of the Greek gods. A temple to Zeus was built there in roughly 470 B.C. The temple once housed an enormous statue of Zeus, made of ivory and bronze and decorated with gold. The statue, which has since been destroyed, was known as one of the "Seven Wonders of the Ancient World." Another temple built at Olympia was dedicated to Hera, Zeus' wife; today it is where the Olympic flame is lit for each new series of games.

References

• Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Tourism: Olympia
• Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Tourism: Delphi