South Slope (Klitis)

What I can see

The south slope of the Acropolis housed the first theatre of the ancient world, the Theatre of Dionysus. Other than the theatre, one could visit temples, sanctuaries, a conservatory, covered collonades (stoas), a roman Odeon and other buildings. These included the Odeon of Herodes Atticus (built during Roman times), sponsored monuments and the sanctuary of Dionysus with its two temples dating back to the 6^th and 4^th centuries BC. The theatre was part of the sanctuary and used for dramatic competitions during the month of Elaphebolion (late March, early April). Visitors will discern the remains of the Conservatory (odeon) of Pericles, used to conduct musical contests during the Panathenaic Games. To the west of the theatre, there are remains of the foundations of the Eumenes’ Stoa, a present from King Eumenes II of Pergamum (197-159 BC) which protected audiences from the weather conditions. It is said that the collonade’s architectural elements were built in Pergamum and assembled in Athens, which would make it the first prefabricated building in history. Finally, further to the west, we can discern traces of a settlement of the Byzantine period.

What I can't see

The roof, pillars and the seats and pedestal of the Pericles’ Conservatory were wooden. The wood most likely came from Persian ships that were destroyed in the naval Battle of Salamis. The south slope buildings housed the sanctuary of God Asclepius and Hygeia. The site also had a small temple with an adjoining, 50-metre-long, two-storey stoa, which hosted recovering patients. Even though the sanctuary was razed to the ground by the Heruli in 267 AD, the site continued to be thought of as sacred, that is why in the Byzantine years, the church of Agii Anargyri was built on the place of the sanctuary. A road called “Peripatos”, (ie promenade in Greek) around the Acropolis hill is a little longer than one kilometre and connects all the sanctuaries of the slopes with each other, as well as with the Acropolis.

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