The Acropolis under the sacred Rock
All along the North slope of the Acropolis Hill recent excavations have revealed a series of cave-shrines dedicated to old chthonic Gods and Goddesses. Their aspects and worshiping rituals go back to prehellenic times while being absorbed and in some cases renamed by the Greeks, their worshiping process and ritual practice was always connected with the one of Athena on the Acropolis Rock.
The Sacred Klepsydra Spring
It is to be found on the North Slope of the Acropolis Hill exactly where the Peripatos (Pathway) meets the Panathenaic way. It was also known as „Empedo“ and was already in use since the Mycenaean period. According to an inscriprion, Nymphs were worshiped in the cave, while later on at the begging of the 5th century bc. a spring house was conducted as well as a cistern on the north and east sides. The floor-paving was made of poros stone slabs.
The worshiping of the water as a basic element of ancient pre-Greek ritual practices connected with the life giving, healing and cleansing aspect of the water as one of the four major elements (earth, fire, water, air) can be recognized here. In Greek times the worshiping of water found its expression through the water Nymphs, divine spirits who animate nature and were believed to dwell in mountains and groves, by springs and rivers.
The Cave- Shrines of Pan, Zeus and Apollo Hypoakraios
These three Shrines are identified in literary and epigraphical sources as well as from excavated finds.
The three parted Cave of Pan at the northwest slope of the Acropolis, whose ritual was consecrated to the worship of Athena after the battle of Marathon in 490bc, is another example of ancient pre-Greek ritual forms adopted then and absorbed in the Greek cult. With his homeland in rustic Arcadia, Pan is recognized as the God of the wild, nature of the mountains, god of fields, groves and wooden glens. Because of this, Pan is connected with fertility, the season of spring and with very ancient prehellenic fertility ritual practices.
The Cave-Shrine of Zeus (as Meilichios Zeus?) appears to be a Shrine were the Olympian God was worshiped in his chthonic aspect. Alltough the archaeological finds can not give us a clear picture on the worshiping form of Zeus in this cave, several scholars express the hypothesis that Meilichios Zeus is a possibility. Archaeological traces have identified two more such shrines of Zeus one on the norht slople of the Nymphs Hill and one in the ancient Agora. Accepting this hypothesis, Zeus appears as an earlier chthonic daimon- Meilichios means“Easy-to-be-entreated“, the gracious, the accessible one- who was propitiated in Athens by ancient pre-Greek rituals. Meilichios was figured in the form of a serpent, who might be invoked as a kind of Ploutos, bringer of wealth, having as well an underworld aspect.
The Cave- Shrine of Apollo Hypoakraios – Hypoakraios means „Under the Hights“ or „Under the long walls“- was probably in use since the 13th century bc, as its rock-cut niches to receive votives identify. The site of his altar was found outside the entrance, and in the walls of the cave were small niches with votive inscriptions. Some ancient authors also called this sanctuary the Pythion. That gives Apollo an ancient chthonic aspect as well by defeating and adsorbing the snake, old symbol of fertility and underworld powers.
A little way east is another cave which was also dedicated to Apollo. Here he seduced Kreousa, who later abandoned her son Ion in the cave, according to the myth.
The whole site is enclosed by an extension of the Mycenaean fortification, the so called „Pellargic Wall“.
The Shrine of Aphrodite and Eros
The open-air Sanctuary of Aphrodite and Eros is located on the Northwest slope of the Acropolis sacred Rock.
It was excavated in 1931 by the American archaeologist Oscar Broneer, on the basis of two rock-cut inscriptions referring to the festival of Eros on the fourth day of the month Mounichion (near the end of spring) and to the name of the Goddess Aphrodite.
The excavations of the Sanctuary brought to light various finds such as fragments of marble statuary and dedicatory carvings, which had been set into niches hallowed out from the rock, as well as clay vases and figurines. Among the most characteristic finds are the carved plaques that show male and female genitals. The worship of Aphrodite in common with Eros was there to be identified as Goddess of fertility and reproduction, a ritual practice that goes back to pre-Greek times.
The worshiping ritual must have taken place in an open air area (on a terrace that reminds of a theater stage), in front of the niches, where a ramp led from the „Peripatos“(pathway).
Certain scholars connect the Sanctuary with the festival of „Arrephoria“, of which the ancient traveler Pausanias gives us a description. During this festival, young Athenian girls brought the „arrheta“ (unspeakable, secret) offerings from the Acropolis to the Goddess Athena, passing at night through a hidden underground passageway in order to reach the sanctuary.
Traces of the passage way/stairway were also excavated further down inside the rock (in 1896 by the Greek archaeologist P.Kavadias) and that is considered as the point from which the young girls who served at „Arrephoro“ on the Acropolis Hill descended from the Sacred Rock to the sanctuary of Aphrodite and Eros.
The Cave- Shrine of Aglauros
It is the largest Cave- Shrine in the city, dominating on the east slope of the Acropolis Hill.
It was discovered by the excavator G.Dondas when in 1980 in an area east of the cave a stele was found with a 3rd century bc inscription of a decree, in which the Athenian Demos honored Timokrite, priestess of the Nymph Aglauros.
The cave is named after Aglauros, one of the three daughters of the mythical king of Athens Kekrops. According to the myth, she and her sister Herse opened a casket which had been entrusted to them by Athena, although they had been forbidden to tamper with it: whereupon they lost their reason and sprang to their deaths from the summit of the Acropolis. The third of the sisters, Pandrosos, escaped this fate and has a sanctuary dedicated to her on the Acropolis.
Based on several schollars inside this cave sacred festivals were celebrated with music and dancing. Here, too, the ephebes swore their oath. It was to her Shrine that Athenian ephebes, once they had turned 18, brought their military gear, swearing to protect to the death „the sacred and the holy“, following the example of the Nymph.
Research and article writing: Marilina Paters
Official licensed tourist guide, PGC in Prehellenic Religion and Arts- Mythology, Dancer
The complete presentation and development of the above thematic module will be conducted within the context of the upcoming 7 days study tour of Elissos in October 2014, in Athens area, Delphi and Eleusis. For more information and/or participation pls contact me at marilinapaters@elissos.com