As you reach the pinnacle of the Acropolis, you pass through a columned structure called the Propylaea. The elaborate marble gate from the 430s BC has been in partial ruins since a gunpowder explosion in 1656. Finally, you see the most famous Greek temple from antiquity and the icon of Athens and Greece: the Parthenon. You will stand in awe. It was dedicated to Athena Parthenos when finished in 432 BC. The name comes from the Greek word parthenos meaning virgin. The cult followers of the war goddess believed she was chaste.
