Author: Charles River Editors
Narrator: Victoria Woodson
Unabridged: 2 hr 28 min
Format: Digital Audiobook
Publisher: Findaway Voices
Published: 11/30/2023
Genre: History - Ancient - Greece
The Acropolis, which literally means “a city on the heights,” is a citadel whose currently surviving structures were mostly built during the 5th century B.C. in honor of Athena, the patron goddess of Athens. It functioned as a sacred precinct that contained the city’s most important religious and municipal structures, many of which have remained relatively intact for over 2,000 years. The Propylaea (the gateway to the Acropolis), the Parthenon (the principal shrine to the goddess), the Erechtheion (a shrine that supposedly houses the burial grounds of mythical Athenian kings), and the Temple of Athena Nike all survive to this day, and for these reasons, the Acropolis is perhaps the definitive and most eloquent expression of classical architecture, if not of the classical form itself. The Acropolis, which literally means “a city on the heights,” is a citadel whose currently surviving structures were mostly built during the 5th century B.C. in honor of Athena, the patron goddess of Athens.
The center of political and commercial interaction in the Ancient Greek polis was the agora. The word essentially means a gathering place or an open space, and in all Greek city states, the agora was central to all aspects of daily life and commerce. As the agora developed as a civic space, particularly from the 6th century B.C. onward in Athens, the architectural splendor of the buildings associated with it became an ever more obvious demonstration of the power and glory of Athenian democracy. In its earliest forms, an agora in maritime cities was invariably situated near the sea, while in inland urban centers, it was usually located at the foot of the hill that normally provided the city’s ultimate defense. The agora was always the oldest part of any city and, as such, and as well as being the commercial hub of the area, also became the center of the religious and political life of the polis.
The Greeks glorified Theseus as the historical founder of Athens. Plutarch’s record of his life incorporates all known facts and legends about him, from his defeat of the minotaur to his actions as a political leader. As this work comes from P...
In today’s modern world every political regime, even the most authoritarian or repressive, describes itself as democracy or a Democratic People’s Republic. The concept of rule by the people, on behalf of the people, has come to be accept...
A few days before Pericles’ birth, his mother dreamed she gave birth to a lion. Symbolically, her son grew up to be a noble, magnanimous leader who sought the best for his people. He governed primarily in the time between the Persian and Pelop...
Explore the captivating history of ancient Greece! The culture and events of Greece were so influential they have a significant effect on modern-day people all over the world. The ancient Greeks gave birth to democracy, a political system...
Born into a royal household, Pyrrhus was destined for greatness. He fought in many battles throughout his life, but his campaigns against Rome established his reputation as a commander. Many of his victories were only achieved through heavy losses, ...
In this entry of Parallel Lives, Plutarch tells the true story of Lysander, the great Spartan leader. Lysander led a fleet of Spartan ships to victory against the Athenians in the battle at Aegospotami. History also credits him with forcing the Gree...
Join award-winning historian Christopher Bellitto on this gripping journey through centuries of Greek history. Ancient Greece was one of the most fertile civilizations in history, and its influence on Western philosophy, theology, and civilization ...
Born in Athens, Greece, acclaimed Yale-educated philosopher Samuel Loncar helps you discover how ancient Greek philosophy—or “love of wisdom”—forms powerful bridges between East and West as well as past and present...
“Forward, sons of the Greeks,Liberate the fatherland,Liberate your children, your women,The altars of the gods of your fathers,And the graves of your ancestors: Now is the fight for everything.” – The Greek battle hymn sung before ...