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The Ancient Temple on the Acropolis at Athens

2002; Archaeological Institute of America; Volume: 106; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.2307/507187

1939-828X

Gloria Ferrari,

Historical, Religious, and Philosophical Studies

This article concerns the Archaic temple of Athena that was set on fire in the Persian sack of Athens and its function in the monumental reconstruction of the Acropolis under Pericles. A new analysis of archaeological, epigraphical, and historical sources leads to the conclusion that the temple was neither destroyed in the assault nor taken down at a later date, but that, as Dörpfeld argued, it remained standing until well into the Roman period. Further, it is argued that the old temple was the core of an extensive choreography of ruins that is the background against which the new Periclean buildings acquire their meaning.