Abstract

The role of archaeology in the creation of modern Greek national identity is a question that has drawn increasing attention in recent years. The most powerful national symbol may well be the Acropolis, an archaeological topos that was "constructed" in the course of the nineteenth century. This paper explores the early phase of the Acropolis purification program in the first decades of the nineteenth century. European approaches to classical antiquities were very influential during this formative stage. Of particular interest here is the interaction between foreign visitors and Athenian notables, especially the debates and discussions that accompanied the creation of the modern version of the archaeological landscape of the Acropolis. Accounts of Western travelers along with documents concerning the activities of the Greek-based Philomousos society offer a glimpse into the events and key players who set the process in motion. Recent archaeological discussions of landscape and site development in general provide the theoretical framework for this discussion.

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