5/5 L C. 1 year ago on Google
The
small
temple
on
top
of
the
bastion
which
since
the
Mycenaean
period
(late
Eth
cent
Be
guarded
the
southwest
end
of
the
hillot
the
Acropois.
Was
Geol-
cated
to
the
goddess
Athena
Nike,
protector
of
the
city
who
offered
the
Athenians
victory
in
their
battles.
It
is
dated
to
the
Classical
period
(427-424
B.C.)
and
belongs
to
the
building
programme
of
Perikles.
A
marble
balustrade,
which
was
decorated
with
representations
in
rellef
of
winged
Nikai
(Victories)
and
figures
of
seated
Achena,
was
constructed
later
45-405
b.c.),
In
order
to
protect
the
three
sides
al
the
and
to
detine
the
sanctuary
of
the
goddess.
The
Classical
temple
was
out
site
of
an
earlier
small
temple
made
by
poros
stone,
dated
after
468
B.C.,
which
housed
the
xoanon,
the
wooden
cult
statue
or
the
goddess.
a
considerable
dart
of
this
temple
and
remains
of
the
early
shrine
ine
oth
cent.
B.C.)
are
preserved
in
a
speciall
arranged
basement
space
in
the
Classical
bastion.
The
Classical
temple,
made
of
Pentelic
marble,
was
built
in
the
lonic
order
with
four
columns
at
the
front
and
rear
end,
and
measured
3.12
X
2.46
meters.
It
is
at-
tributed
to
the
architect
Kallikrates.
The
temples
rich
sculptural
decoration
praises
the
victorious
battles
of
the
Athenians.
From
the
preserve
architectural
sculp
hesi
Is
assumed
that
the
Gigantomachy
-
battle
between
gods
and
giants-
was
presented
on
the
east
pediment,
and
the
Amazonomachy
-
battle
between
Athen-
ans
and
Amazons
-
on
the
west.
The
lonic
frieze,
which
runs
along
the
upper
part
of
the
temple
depicts
battles
between
Greeks
and
Persians
(south
side),
battle
of
Greek
warriors
(hoplites)
against
other
warriors
(north
and
west
side,
while
on
east
side
the
assembly
(agora
of
the
Olymplan
gods.
The
corners
of
the
pediments
were
decorated
with
gold-plated
bronze
Niki
(acroteria).
The
monument
was
torn
down
during
the
Ottoman
occupation
in
1686,
on
the
eve
of
the
incursion
into
Attica
of
the
Venetian
troops
under
the
command
of
general
Francesco
Morosini,
and
its
architectural
members
were
incorporated
in
the
Das-
tion
constructed
in
front
of
the
Propylaia.
After
the
demolition
of
the
bastion
in
1835,
the
architectural
members
of
the
temple
were
recovered.
