10/45.- Athens, Acropolis Walls

People have lived on the Acropolis for thousands of years. Its commanding height and steep sides were ideally suited for defense.

Much of what one sees today dates to Athens's golden age, the 5th century BCE. As you gradually wind your way up toward the top of the Acropolis, the walls towering above you are quite impressive.

In 480 BCE, the Persians captured and destroyed the site, and the columns you see here are remains from the older Parthenon, deliberately placed in the new walls by Pericles to serve as a permanent reminder.

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