The Acropolis at Sparta is not as well known or visited as the one in Athens. The ruins left here are not as nice to look at in the sense that there isn't a giant, well preserved temple like the Parthenon. However, there are a lot of things to see here: an agora, two stoas, a round building, a sanctuary to Athena, possibly st. Nikon's Basilica, a niched building, and a theater.
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| The view from the Spartan Acropolis. |
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| Agora |
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| Agora |
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| Agora |
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| Agora |
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| Archaic Stoa |
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| Archaic Stoa |
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| Archaic Stoa |
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| Archaic Stoa |
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| Roman Stoa. Dates back to 125-150 AD |
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| Roman Stoa |
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| Roman Stoa |
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| Round Building. The identification of this structure is problematic. It has been identified as containing statues of Zeus and Aphrodite Olympia, as a place for public and musical performances, the sanctuary of GOddess Gaia, the Choros, and a place where a statue of Demos of Sparta once stood. |
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| Round Building. |
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| Sanctuary of Athena. The cult of Athena on the Acropolis began in the 8th century BCE. |
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| So called St. Nikon's Basilica. There isn't sufficient evidence to label this the basilica, but they do. |
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| St. Nikon's Basilica. |
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| St Nikon's Basilica. |
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| Theater |
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| Theater |
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| Theater |
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| Theater |
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| Theater |
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| Theater |
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| Inscriptions at the theater |
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| Two Niched Building. |
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| Two Niched Building |
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| Donkey Cucumber. When the oval shaped parts of this plant were broken while being walked through, it let off a stinky smell. |
How the heck do they know what ANY of those buildings used to be?? Baffling.
ReplyDeleteThey are able to identify structures based on inscriptions and finds from the buildings. For example finding loom weights might signal a home or a shop.
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