Tales of The Acropolis Trivia Quiz

Answer: Citadel

Translated from the ancient Greek, acropolis means "High City" or "City in the Air". Many Greek city-states, such as Corinth, Thebes, and, of course, Athens, had an impressive acropolis. The war-like nature of the ancient Greeks made it necessary to establish the polis in an area where there was a natural citadel. During times of crisis, the people would flee from their homes to the acropolis in search of protection.

While the women and children would pray to the gods for divine intervention, the men would fight.

Answer: Water

The requirements for an acropolis were steep sides, a large plateau, and water. In Athens, the sides of the acropolis are approximately 512 feet above sea level; the surface area is about 7 acres. There was an abundance of natural springs located on the hill, as well as a deep well at the north end of the plateau that could be used during a long siege.

Answer: Caves

Did you know that Athens is one of the oldest settlements in all of Greece? Evidence of humans living in the Cave of Schist dates back to sometime around 11th-7th century BC. It makes sense that the huge limestone hill would contain caves, formed by the corrosion of water, that would attract settlers.

Although there are no remains of Neolithic huts on top of the plateau, most historians agree that they were there. One of the earliest artifacts found on the Acropolis dates to approximately 4500-4000 BC; it is a statuette of a woman that looks very much like the Venus, or Earth Goddess, representations that are found in Europe and the Middle East.

It appears that later inhabitants of Athens used the caves as cult areas for their gods, such as Zeus, Pan, and Aphrodite, among others.

There is even evidence that the caves were used for worship by Christians.

Answer: Mycenaeans

The Mycenaeans founded several thriving communities in ancient Greece; one of the important city-states established by the Mycenaeans was the polis of Athens. They are the ones credited with building the massive wall, as well as the palace that once stood on the plateau of the Acropolis.

In approximately 1250 BC, a massive invasion by people believed to be Dorians, the ancestors of the Spartans, left all of the Mycenaean strongholds burned to the ground and deserted except for Athens. It is believed that at the time the polis of Athens was so small and insignificant that the invaders did not even bother attacking.

Answer: Clyclopean Wall

The use of a Clyclopean Wall is evident in many ancient Greek city-states. Huge limestone rocks were used; according to the legend, these rocks were so large that only the Clyclopes, the mythical race of giants, could have lifted or used them. The wall built on the Acropolis is approximately 760 meters long, as high as 10 meters in places, and as thick as 3.5 to 6 meters.

The wall was made without any use of mortar; any gaps were filled in with smaller limestone rocks.

Answer: Megaron

In ancient Greece the king's palace typically included a large rectangular hall called a megaron; some believe this idea was borrowed from ancient Middle Eastern architecture. Many rooms, including workshops, armories, and storage facilities, were built along the megaron, which is believed to have contained a hearth and a throne.

It is hypothesized hat the hall itself was used for meetings, banquets, and may have even been the site of ritual animal sacrifices to the gods. On the Athenian Acropolis today all that remains of the ancient megaron is one column-base and steps.

As most of the Greek city-states did away with the monarchy early in their history, the design of the megaton was eventually incorporated into the Greek temple of the Classical Age.

Answer: Persians

While the Greeks in Ionia, in the eastern Aegean Sea, had independent governments, the Persians considered them to be under their control. Many of the Greek city-states became involved in a conflict with the Persians after Miletus, one of the Greek colonies in Ionia, tried to revolt against Persian rule. Acting both swiftly and brutally, the Persians subsequently burned the city and deported the residents to other areas of their empire; after demanding submission from the Greeks and rudely being refused, the Persians invaded.

The loss at Marathon in 490 BC led to a change of heart by Darius I, and it appeared that the Persians might give up their plan of conquering Greece. They came back, however, in 480 BC under the leadership of Xerxes. Apparently there had been a building project under way on top of the Acropolis at that time, but the Persians looted and destroyed everything there.

Answer: Pericles

After being defeated at the Battle of Salamis, and suffering other devastating losses in Greece, Xerxes took his army home and never returned. Nevertheless, the Athenians suggested that the Greek city-states unite in a defensive league to prepare for another invasion.

A total of 350 city-states formed the Delian League; they threw a lump of iron into the sea, and pledged to come to the aid of each other until the lump rose to the surface. Each of the joining city-states paid a tribute, and the treasury of the group was to be located on the island of Delos. Within a short time, however, Athens took over the leadership of the League and transferred the money to Athens, where it was used by the great statesman Pericles to not only rebuild the city, but to make Athens the cultural center of the ancient Greek world.

Answer: Phidias

Very little is known about the life of Phidias, but by the 440s BC, with the threat from the Persians eradicated, he was chosen to help with the rebuilding project on the Acropolis. Could it have been because he was one of Pericles' best friends? Perhaps! But there is no doubt that Phidias possessed a talent that was second to none.

It is known that Phidias designed and sculpted two monumental statues of Athena that were to be placed on the Acropolis, and a statue of Zeus, considered to be one of the wonders of the ancient world, that was located at Olympia.

He also is believed to have sculpted the pediments and the friezes on one of the most famous buildings to have ever adorn the Acropolis in Athens.

Answer: Parthenon

Apparently the Athenians were in the process of building during what is called the Pre-Parthenon or Early Parthenon period at the time the city was attacked and ravaged in 480 BC. For a time, the Athenians left the ruins the way they were; they had sworn an oath that what had been destroyed would not be rebuilt so the people would not forget.

After the Peace of Callis in 450 BC, however, Athens was in a position to use the money from the Delian League to rebuild the city. The Parthenon, dedicated to Athena Parthenos, was begun in 447 BC and mostly completed by 442 BC; it contained two rooms and was large enough to hold a statue of the goddess that was said to be 40 feet tall.