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What happened to the earlier temple to Athena on the Parthenonâs site in 480 BCE?
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Parthenon
Night view of the Parthenon, Athens.
In 480 BCE, during the Greco-Persian Wars, Persian forces led by Xerxes captured and sacked Athens. During this attack, the Persians burned the buildings on the Acropolis, including the unfinished temple to Athenaâoften referred to as the Pre-Parthenonâwhich the Athenians had begun constructing following their victory at the Battle of Marathon.123