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Acropolis Museum
Acropolis Museum starts
It is one of the most important museums in the world. It temporarily houses masterpieces of the ancient Greek civilization, dedicated to the most important of the Athenian sanctuaries, the "temenos" of Athena Parthenos. Preparations for the erection of the New Acropolis Museum have already begun.
Many of the unique works of art that ornamented the Acropolis have been stolen and transferred abroad.
The worst plundering of the monuments took place in the beginning of the 19th century by Lord Elgin. Ohe museum was designed by the architect Panages Kalkos and constructed between 1865 and 1874. In the 1950's it was extended towards the east and the exhibition was rearranged by the archaeologist I. Meliades.

The museum contains only the stone sculptures from the monuments of the Acropolis and from the excavations on the site. Since the beginning of the excavations, the vases and the bronzes have been kept in the National Archaeological Museum of Athens, while the inscriptions are housed in the Epigraphical Museum.

The collections of the museum include:

Sculptural offerings of the Archaic period
Pediments of temples dated to the Archaic period
Archaic Horsemen
Sculptures of the "Severe" style
Pediments and metopes from the Parthenon
The Parthenon frieze
The Erechtheion frieze
Parapets of the Athena Nike temple
Frieze of the Athena Nike temple
The Caryatids
Clay figurines and vases from the sanctuary of the Nymphs.
The most important items of the exhibition are:

The Moschophoros (calf-bearer):

Archaic statue of a bearded man carrying a calf on his shoulders. The eyes of the figure were inset. According to the inscription on the base, it was offered by Rhombos. Dated to 570 B.C. Inv. no. 624.

The Peplos Kore:

Statue of a young woman (kore) clad in a chiton and peplos, which was originally ornamented with painted decoration. Traces of paint are still visible on her eyes, lips and curly hair, which was held by a metal diadem. Dated to 530 B.C. Inv. no. 679.

Kore with almond-shaped eyes:

The young woman is clad in a chiton and short himation, which buttons on the left shoulder. A band with a painted maeander ornamented the diadem on her hair and garments. Dated to 500 B.C. Inv. no. 674.

Pediment of the Ancient Temple:

Part of the east pediment of the Ancient Temple, bearing a representation of Gigantomachy. Athena is depicted fighting against a Giant. Dated to ca. 520 B.C., when Peisistratos' sons embellished the old temple of Athena.

The Kritios Boy:

Statue of a boy with inset eyes and long, weavy hair, rolled up around his head. It is attributed to the sculptor Kritios and dates to 480 B.C. Inv. no. 698.

Relief of the "Mourning Athena":

The goddess is clad in an Attic peplos with a belt and slightly bends her head towards the stele depicted in front of her. Dated to ca. 460 B.C. Inv. no. 695.

Section of the Parthenon frieze:

Coming from the east part of the building. The relief representation depicts the gods Poseidon, Apollo, Artemis, Aphrodite, and Eros.

Metope from the Parthenon:

The relief comes from the south side of the building, where the metopes represented Centauromachy. In this scene a Centaur is shown seizing a Lapith woman. Inv. no. 705.

The Caryatids:

Statues of young women clad in peplos. They supported the roof of the south porch of the Erechtheion, and probably were the work of Alkamenes, a student of the great sculptor Pheidias. Dated to ca. 420 B.C. Inv. no. 15000-15003.

Relief parapet from the Nike Temple:

One of the parapets that flanked the three sides of the area around the temple of Athena Nike. Young Nike is shown with her wings half-stretched, bending to bind or unbind her sandal. Dated to ca. 410 B.C. Inv. no. 973.

 
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