The Acropolis • The Acropolis was a religious shrine and fortress. • Acropolis means “high city”. • This flat limestone rock was very special to the Athenians. They built public buildings and temples on it. Timeline 1200 B.C. – Built a wall around most of it. 530 B.C. – Built temple to honor Athena. 480 B.C. – Persians captured Athens and destroyed most of the buildings. 5 th Century B.C. – Golden Age and Persian Wars 447 B.C. - Pericles was the ruler. He ordered the rebuilding of the Acropolis and new structures – the Parthenon was built. It is the best known temple. Propylaea – the huge entrance to the Acropolis. It was never completed due to the Peloponnesian War.