Pdf / English / 1973 Newsweek / 172 pages / 35.5 MB / ISBN 10 0882250264

DEMOCRACYS SYMBOLIC BIRTHPLACE, the famed Acropolis, stands today as a rubble-strewn reminder of the glory that was Greece. The ancient citadel, once the center of Athenian religion and civic pride, is surmounted by half a dozen ruined buildings, among them the most famous temple in the Western world, the Parthenon.
Today, unfortunately, the Parthenon is little more than a sundered shell, ransacked by treasure hunters, denuded by archaeologists, and badly eroded by the elements. At the time of its completion, however, the great temple of Athena was an awe-inspiring testament to the splendor and might of Periclean Athens. Set atop the city's windswept fortress rock, the gleaming, honey-colored structure assailed the eye from any point in the city— indeed, from any point for miles around. At a distance, the Parthenon proclaimed Athens's preeminence among Greek city-states; at close range, the gaudily painted temple bespoke the affluence and exuberance of its builders.

The stirring story of Athens's meteoric ascendancy, her worldwide impact, and her subsequent decline is supplemented by some 120 illustrations, more than one third in full color. Vase paintings, sculptural details, engravings, and detailed new maps and diagrams are juxtaposed with stunning modern photographs, all taken especially for this volume by noted photographer John Veltri