The Parthenon from Temple to Church

From a vantage point at the end of the twelfth century, this chapter reviews the stages through which Athens was transformed gradually into a Christian city. It considers the archaeological and textual evidence for the introduction of churches and chapels not only into the fabric of neighbourhoods located in the suburbs and the lower city, but also on the acropolis. It focuses on the conversion of the Parthenon, previously the Temple of Athena, into a church dedicated to the cult of the Theotokos (Virgin Mary), comparing this conversion with that of other pagan temples in the Byzantine Empire. It describes the interventions made to the fabric of the building, as well as the introduction of a new decorative programme and new furnishings. It also reconstructs the official liturgy and personal devotional practices of the site. It argues that enterprising bishops, culminating with Nicholas Hagiotheodorites and Michael Choniates, were responsible for turning their cathedral into a major destination for pilgrimage whose attractions included a miraculous lamp that acquired considerable fame within the Mediterranean world. Under these bishops, Athens became a religious centre that sought to rival not only Constantinople and Thessalonike, but also Jerusalem.