DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.796#0041
20 THE ACROPOLIS OF ATHENS
the greater Panathenaic festival which occurred every four
years, and which was celebrated with musical and equestrian
contests, with a magnificent procession, represented on the
frieze of the later built Parthenon, and with the sacrifice of
a hecatomb.
The history of the Acropolis was closely involved in the
fortunes of the ruling house. Every student of Greek history
remembers the conspiracy of Harmodius and Aristogiton,
which had as a consequence the murder of Hipparchus and
the expulsion of the Pisistratid dynasty. From the statement
of Herodotus (v. 64) it is clear that when Cleomenes the
Spartan attacked the Acropolis for the purpose of driving out
the Pisistratids, the Pelasgic wall was a formidable means of
defense, within which Hippias had entrenched himself. But
that the expulsion of the Pisistratids also brought about the
breaking down of the ramparts and fortifications of the now
hated citadel of despotic rule does not necessarily follow,
and seems disproved by the fact that when in 508 B.C.
Cleomenes entered Athens for the second time, for the purpose
of setting up an oligarchy, he made the Acropolis his fortress
and sustained a siege of three days behind its ramparts (26).
Much more disastrous to the walls and buildings of the
Acropolis than the expulsion of the tyrants were the invasions
and ravages of the Persians which occurred in 480 B.C. and
the year following. Herodotus (viii. 53) tells us that in the
first capture of the city the Barbarians having despoiled the
sanctuary, burnt the entire Acropolis (27). How complete this
destruction was we do not know, but we infer from the
statement of the same historian, in Book ix. Chap. 13, that
the more complete ruin was wrought in the following year,
when, in consequence of the perfidious policy of Sparta, Athens
fell a second time into the hands of the Persians, and
Mardonius threw down and reduced to a heap of ruins what
before had been left standing of walls, dwellings and sanctuaries.
From Thucydides (i. 89, 3) we learn that a few dwellings,
which were occupied by officers of the invading host, had
been spared, as well as small portions of the walls of
defense.
Before passing on, reference should be made to the view
recently set forth by Dorpfeld (28) according to which the
the greater Panathenaic festival which occurred every four
years, and which was celebrated with musical and equestrian
contests, with a magnificent procession, represented on the
frieze of the later built Parthenon, and with the sacrifice of
a hecatomb.
The history of the Acropolis was closely involved in the
fortunes of the ruling house. Every student of Greek history
remembers the conspiracy of Harmodius and Aristogiton,
which had as a consequence the murder of Hipparchus and
the expulsion of the Pisistratid dynasty. From the statement
of Herodotus (v. 64) it is clear that when Cleomenes the
Spartan attacked the Acropolis for the purpose of driving out
the Pisistratids, the Pelasgic wall was a formidable means of
defense, within which Hippias had entrenched himself. But
that the expulsion of the Pisistratids also brought about the
breaking down of the ramparts and fortifications of the now
hated citadel of despotic rule does not necessarily follow,
and seems disproved by the fact that when in 508 B.C.
Cleomenes entered Athens for the second time, for the purpose
of setting up an oligarchy, he made the Acropolis his fortress
and sustained a siege of three days behind its ramparts (26).
Much more disastrous to the walls and buildings of the
Acropolis than the expulsion of the tyrants were the invasions
and ravages of the Persians which occurred in 480 B.C. and
the year following. Herodotus (viii. 53) tells us that in the
first capture of the city the Barbarians having despoiled the
sanctuary, burnt the entire Acropolis (27). How complete this
destruction was we do not know, but we infer from the
statement of the same historian, in Book ix. Chap. 13, that
the more complete ruin was wrought in the following year,
when, in consequence of the perfidious policy of Sparta, Athens
fell a second time into the hands of the Persians, and
Mardonius threw down and reduced to a heap of ruins what
before had been left standing of walls, dwellings and sanctuaries.
From Thucydides (i. 89, 3) we learn that a few dwellings,
which were occupied by officers of the invading host, had
been spared, as well as small portions of the walls of
defense.
Before passing on, reference should be made to the view
recently set forth by Dorpfeld (28) according to which the