Doric Capitals

Posted on January 28, 2012 by Admin
Doric Capitals

Doric Capitals

The “Acropolis” or fortified “high place” was a predominant feature of Greek city-states, yet it is the Athens citadel, home of the famed Parthenon, that is the most famous. Dedicated to the goddess Athena, the Parthenon has been referred to as “…the most celebrated edifice, architecturally, in all history…” (J.E. Harry). The Acropolis in Athens, the capital city of Greece, has become one of the most iconic images of the ancient Mediterranean world.

The Acropolis and the Parthenon

Early settlement in Attica focused on the hill that would become the acropolis of the emerging city-state. While the marketplace (agora) was below the hills, a place of meeting for the Assembly of free men or citizens, the acropolis was the home of the patron god or goddess. In Athens this was Athena, whose hegemony over the city state followed a battle with her competitor, Poseidon. Both are honored with temples atop the high place.

The acropolis served as the last stage of defense. During the Dark Age, as Dorian invaders sought to conquer Attica, the Athenians defended their city-state from the top of the acropolis and successfully thwarted Dorian attempts at subjugation. It was said that on a clear day, an Athenian looking west could see the high place or acropolis at Corinth.