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What stood on the Acropolis before the Parthenon was built?
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Athens
The Acropolis and surrounding area, Athens.
Before the construction of the Parthenon, the Acropolis served as a citadel and sanctuary featuring several significant structures.12
Key buildings and features that occupied the site included:
- The Hecatompedon: Erected around 580 BCE, this temple to Athena stood on the exact site later occupied by the Parthenon.1
- Temple of Athena Polias: Built about 530 BCE near the center of the Acropolis, this large peripteral temple was situated on the site of an old Bronze Age palace.1
- Shrine to Artemis Epipyrgidea: Foundations for this 6th-century shrine were later discovered beneath the Temple of Athena Nike.2
- Other Structures: The area contained five smaller buildings, including treasuries, as well as various votive offerings in marble, bronze, and terra-cotta.1
By the mid-6th century BCE, the Acropolis had transitioned from a defensive citadel to a full-fledged sanctuary, evidenced by the construction of a ceremonial ramp at the west entrance. These structures were largely destroyed when the Persians captured and burned the Acropolis in 480 BCE.1