The word Acropolis consists of two words: “akron” means edge or high, and “polis” means city. These were normally built on the highest hills and used mainly for military defense. Therefore, what you are looking at right now was used for both religious and defensive purposes. In ancient times, Greece was populated by city states, and although most of these cities had their own acropolis, this one was immortalized because it was the one in Athens, the superpower of the time.

After the defeat of Persians in 479 BC, an era of richness and prosperity was on the horizon for Athens.

In order to thank Athena, the patron goddess of the city, they set out to build and restore these grand monuments. Most of the monuments we will look at were mainly built over a span of 50 years in the second half of the 5th century BC. Almost two and a half millennia later, it was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1987.

My name is Elias and I will be your guide on this tour. I live in Athens studying philosophy and art. On this tour, I will guide you through the south slopes on your way to the sacred site where you will witness ancient Athens’ glory and genius. On the southern slopes, I will first tell you about the Theater of Dionysus, the Sanctuary of Asclepius and the Odeon of Herodes Atticus. Once we arrive at the gates of the Acropolis, I will guide you through the Temple of Athena Nike, the Propylaea, the grand entrance to this sacred site, Erechtheion, the Old Temple of Athena Polias and the Temple of Rome & Augustus. After stopping at the Acropolis viewpoint to get a wonderful look at Athens in all its magnificence, I will end the tour by talking about the most beautiful and famous of them all: the Parthenon.

If you follow the route I recommend by listening to the stories, the tour would take approximately two hours.

Let’s start this journey to the glory of ancient Athens, shall we?