We hired a private guide and it was great! Howard was able to navigate to the first level, overlooking the theater. After that the marble steps were too slippery. So: the guide and I left him and continued on to the top.

The site was constructed in the 4th - 5th century BC. Acropolis from "akros" means highest or top .. and this is where the ancient Greeks chose to build their temples to honor the gods. The "chief god" was Athena, and all 3 temples here are for her. It was really a religious center and the wealth of the city was kept in the Parthenon (the largest of the temples) because it was not a place for people - only priests. If a commoner had entered, he would be struck dead; so the wealth of the city was safe inside!

in the 17th century the Turks were ruling Athens, and they used the Parthenon to store gunpower. The Parthenon along with other buildings were heavy damaged during the 1687 bombardment by the Venetians.

We saw the Theater of Dionysus when we first entered with Howard. Then our guide (Joanna) and I continued on to the gateway of the site. We saw the small Temple of Athena Nike (from whence comes the "swish" logo on Nike shoes) Then: the central structure - The Parthenon - massive and impressive. Along the other side of the area is the Erechtheum. A wonderful 2-story temple which is dedicated to both Athena and Poseidon. One side is the "maiden porch" with female figures who were most likely servants of Athena (the originals are in the museum). The other side is a special olive tree which symbolizes a contest between Athena and Poseidon to see who would become the chief god. She won!