Statue of Athena Promachos & Pedestals

Acropolis Area

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As you walk beyond the Propylaia into the Acropolis site, along the Panathenaic Way, you will see to your left the foundations of pedestals for the statues that once lined the path, including one that held Pheidias' 9m-high statue of Athena Promachos (promachos means 'leading warrior'). Symbolising Athenian invincibility against the Persians, the helmeted goddess held a shield in her left hand and a spear in her right.

The statue was carted off to Constantinople by Emperor Theodosius in AD 426. By 1204 it had lost its spear, so the hand appeared to be gesturing. This led the inhabitants to believe that the statue had beckoned the Crusaders to the city, so they smashed it to pieces.

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The Propylaia formed the monumental entrance to the Acropolis. Built by Mnesicles between 437 BC and 432 BC, it ranks in architectural brilliance with the…

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3. Temple of Athena Nike

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The small but exquisitely proportioned Temple of Athena Nike sits at the southwest edge of the Acropolis, jutting in front and to the right of the…

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Inside the main entrance of the Acropolis site, the path leads you up through the Beulé Gate, named after French archaeologist Ernest Beulé, who uncovered…

5. Parthenon

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7. Kanellopoulos Museum

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8. Stoa of Eumenes & Asclepieion

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