The Propylées are a monumental entry of the acropolis of Athens.

In ancient Greece, the word in the singular, one propylée (Προπυλαιον), indicated a simple hall located in front of an entry of sanctuary, palate or of Agora; in the plural, of propylées the (male name) (Προπυλαια) are monumental entries of structure much more complex, as with Eleusis, Corinthe or Epidaure.

In the plans of Périclès, the construction of Propylées was to follow that of the Parthenon. They were to constitute a monumental entry on the complex of temples and to crown the driving way escarpé at the top of the high city by its southern side. Prolylées were to replace the propylée simple one built under Pisistrate. Started in -437, they were never completed, work having been stopped in -432, one year before the release of the Peloponnesian War.

Propylées included/understood a central building, vast hall of rectangular form, and two side wings. Among the five doors of the central part, that of the medium gave access to the crowned Voie which the processions of the Panathénées followed. According to Aristophane, the five doors were closed by heavy wood casements.

As with the Parthenon, the architect (Mnésiclès) associated the Doric order and the Ionic order. The frontages were doric, while two lines of columns of ionic style divided the central hall into three parts. The ceiling was undoubtedly painted in blue and was decorated with stars.

The northern wing, the Art gallery, was the first picture gallery in the world. One finds paintings there on wood carried out by large artists of the time, among which Polygnote (- Ve century), author of mythological compositions.

The southern wing, smaller, was composed of a room, which led to the west, with the Temple of Athéna Nike”, “the Victoire”. This temple, built by Callicratès in the neighborhoods of -420, was of ionic style and comprised only one room containing the statue of the worship, reproduction of an old statue out of wooden. The planks described an assembly of gods and scenes of battles. This religious building, very elegant, was destroyed by the Othoman Turks in 1687.

Propylées crossed, the ancient visitor found on his left several administrative buildings or residences, among which the house of Arrhéphores. Opposite, majestic and high of more than 9 meters, drew up the statue of Athéna Promachos, or more exactly, Athéna Enhoplos, i.e. “out of weapons”. On his line, the visitor discovered the small sanctuary of Artémis Brauronia and that of Athéna Ouvrière, and finally the majestic Parthenon.

Propylées were built out of marble of the Pentélique starting from the base. However, the architect also used blue marble of Éleusis. The unit cost a colossal fortune.

Below the driving way in Propylées drew up the door known as of Beulé of the name of the French archeologist who discovered it in 1853 under a Turkish bastion. It was built by the Romans with the - IIIe century; it is not known if the access to the Acropolis were carried out by a slope of staircase or a way in laces.

Propylées, like the other monuments of Athens, had an agitated history. They were successively episcopal palate, residence of the frank dukes of Athens, Florentin palate and Turkish deposit of weapons.

See also

• Acropolis

External bonds

• Model of Propylées: http://www.maquettes-historiques.net/page152.html

Photo
• : http://hellada.free.fr/propylees.html