By Stephen Christian-Noonan
Greetings dear reader, we previously looked at how Pericles initiated a massive building programme that demonstrated Athens` new position as an imperial power. The jewel in this ambitious building programme was the Parthenon and, as Pericles stated, “the heart may be warmed and the eye delighted for ever.”
The Acropolis at Athens was enclosed by a protective city wall through which there was only one gateway, as described by Pausanias ‘There is but one entry to the Acropolis. It affords no other.’
This monumental entrance is referred to as the Propylaea. The word Propylaea comes from the ancient Greek word “pro” meaning before or front and “pylai” meaning gates. The original Propylaea was destroyed by the Persians in 480 B.C. The new Propylaea was designed by the architect Mnesicles and was erected between 437-431 B.C. It is worth noting that due to the outbreak of the Peloponnesian War in 431 B.C. it was never completed. Even though it was never completed, it is considered to be of great architectural importance and beauty. The Propylaea features both external Doric and internal Ionic columns, all built in Pentelic marble and grey Eleusinian marble.
When building the Propylaea the architects faced a difficult challenge, that challenge was a steep slope. To overcome this they used a technique known as stereobate. This involves the construction of a series of steps that serve as a foundation to the structure above. This meant the Propylaea could be built on even ground, showcasing the ingenuity and technical skills of the architects.
As one approached the entrance to the Propylaea, you would be greeted by the 9-metre bronze statue of Athena created by Phildias. Pausanias stated that the top of her helmet, as well as the tip of her spear, could be seen by sailors and anyone approaching Athens from Attica at Cape Sounion. This statue was taken to Constantinople (capital of the Eastern Roman Empire) by the Emperor Theodosius around 426 A.D. In 1204, the city was ransacked by Crusaders of the 4th Crusade who, due to a series of complex circumstances, never reached the Holy Land.
There was a step bank which was 80 metres long and 10 metres wide (constructed during the time of the Emperor Claudius, steps were added in 52 A.D.) which led up to the Propylaea. The pi – shaped building of Pentelic marble beautifully framed the entrance to the sacred precinct. The building consisted of a central entrance and two colonnades that stood opposite each other. Each colonnade consisted of six fluted Doric columns that supported the pediment. The portico was partially roofed and supported by three Ionic columns either side. See plan below.
There were five doors that provided access. The middle door was wider to facilitate the passage of the Panathenaic procession and its sacrificial animals. Plutarch relates an interesting story about a bronze statue of a tongueless lioness guarding the Propylaea. This was dedicated to an Athenian woman named Leaena who, according to legend, on the murder of Hipparchus, was tortured because she was supposed to have been privy to a conspiracy, but she died under her sufferings without making any disclosure and, it is said, she bit off her tongue, that no secret might be wrung from her. The Athenians honoured her memory greatly, and in particular by a bronze statue of a lioness without a tongue, in the vestibule of the Acropolis.
The north wing contained a spacious chamber with an anteroom with a marble coffered ceiling, painted blue with gold stars, known as the Pinakotheke, The name derives from a reference by Pausanias, who describes it as an art gallery with paintings from Polygnotos and Aglaophon. These paintings depicted topics from Athens` mythical and historical past. It likely functioned as a reception hall, with couches and tables where VIP guests could rest and dine. The Eastern wing was dedicated to Athena Nike, goddess of victory (we shall explore in the next article). It was built on solid plinths of dark Eleusinian stone. The union of the two styles gave it harmony and symmetry. The structure, therefore, served as a link between the secular and the sacred, embodying the spiritual beliefs and the civic ideals of the Athenians.
There is a story that, during the building of the Propylaea, a workman fell from the roof and was close to death. Pericles was in great perplexity, when the goddess Athena appeared to him in dream and revealed to him how the man may be saved. He followed her advice and, on the recovery of the worker, he erected a bronze statue to Athena Hygieia, close to the place where an altar to the same goddess was built previously by Pyrrhus.
The Propylaea remained intact throughout the Greek, Roman and Byzantine periods. During the Christian era the south and central wing were converted into churches, the former during the early Christian period (fourth – seventh centuries A.D.) and the latter in the tenth century A.D. when it was dedicated to the Taxiarches. The word Taxiarches means a brigadier in ancient and modern Greek military terminology. This term is used in the Greek Orthodox Church in reference to the Archangels Michael and Gabriel, as leaders of the Heavenly host, and there are several locations in Greece named after them. During the years 1204-1311 the Propylaea became the palace of the De La Roche family, who held the title Duke of Athens. During the rule of the Ottoman period (1458-1830) the Propylaea was used as garrison headquarters and munitions store, resulting in a great explosion that destroyed the building in 1656, foreshadowing the similar fate of the Parthenon in 1867. After the Greek War of Independence the Medieval and Turkish additions to the Propylaea were demolished and the site excavated.
Since 1984, the Propylaea has been partially restored, serving as the main entrance to the Acropolis once again.
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