Acropolis 　　TheAcropolisofAthens,ahillc.260ft(80m)high,withaflatovaltopc.500ft(150m)wideand1,150ft(350m)long,wasaceremonialsitebeginningintheNeolithicPeriodandwaswalledbeforethe6thcent.B.C.bythePelasgians.Devotedtoreligiousratherthandefensivepurposes,theareawasadornedduringthetimeofCimonandPericleswithsomeoftheworld'sgreatestarchitecturalandsculpturalmonuments. 　　Thetopwasreachedbyawindingprocessionalpathatthewestend,wheretheimpressivePropylaea(seeunderpropylaeum)stood.Fromthere,theSacredWayledpastacolossalbronzestatueofAthena(calledAthenaPromachus)andthesiteoftheoldtempleofAthenatotheParthenon.TothenorthwastheErechtheumandtothesouthwestthetempleofNikeApteros(WinglessVictory).OnthesouthernslopeweretheOdeumofHerodesAtticusandthetheaterofDionysus. 　　AlthoughtheAcropoliswaslaidwastebythePersiansin480B.C.andwaslaterfurtherdamagedbytheTurksandothers,remainsoftheParthenon,Erechtheum,andPropylaeastillstand.ManyofitstreasuresareinthenationalmuseumofGreece,inAthens.Overtheyears,theAcropolishassufferedseverelyfrompollutionandfromwell-intentionedbutbadlyexecutedattemptsatrepair.In1975theGreekgovernmentbeganamajorrestorationproject,whichbythemid-1990swasonlyabout40%complete. 　　StatueofZeusatOlympia 　　Theseatedstatueoccupiedthewholewidthoftheaisleofthetemplethatwasbuilttohouseit,andwas40feet(12meters)tall."ItseemsthatifZeusweretostandup,"thegeographerStrabonotedearlyinthe1stcenturyBC,"hewouldunroofthetemple."[citationneeded]Zeuswascarvedfromivory(technicallytheivorywassoakedinaliquidthatmadeitsofter,soitwasprobablybothcarvedandshapedasnecessary)thencoveredwithgoldplating(thuschryselephantine)andwasseatedonamagnificentthroneofcedarwood,inlaidwithivory,gold,ebony,andpreciousstones.InZeus'righthandtherewasasmallstatueofNike,thegoddessofvictory,andinhislefthand,ashiningsceptreonwhichaneagleperched.[1]VisitorsliketheRomangeneralAemiliusPaulus,thevictoroverMacedon,weremovedtoawebythegodlikemajestyandsplendorthatPhidiashadcaptured.[citationneeded] 　　Thecircumstancesofitseventualdestructionareasourceofdebate:somescholarsarguethatitperishedwiththetempleinthe5thcenturyAD,othersarguethatitwascarriedofftoConstantinople,whereitwasdestroyedinthegreatfireoftheLauseion(Schobel1965).AccordingtoLucianofSamosatainthelatersecondcentury,"theyhavelaidhandsonyourpersonatOlympia,mylordHigh-Thunderer,andyouhadnottheenergytowakethedogsorcallintheneighbours;surelytheymighthavecometotherescueandcaughtthefellowsbeforetheyhadfinishedpackinguptheswag."[2] 　　Perhapsthegreatestdiscoveryintermsoffindingoutaboutthiswondercamein1958withtheexcavationoftheworkshopusedtocreatethestatue.Thishasledarchaeologiststobeabletore-createthetechniqueusedtomakethegreatwork. 　　Colosseum 　　TheColosseumorColiseum,originallyknownastheFlavianAmphitheatre[1](Latin:AmphitheatrumFlavium,inItalianAnfiteatroFlavioorColosseo),isthelargestamphitheatrebuiltintheRomanEmpire.Originallycapableofseating50,000spectators,itwasusedforgladiatorialcombat.Itwasbui