The Beulé Gate is a fortified gate leading to the Propylaia of the Acropolis of Athens, Greece. It was constructed largely of repurposed material taken from the 4th-century BCE Choragic Monument of Nikias and integrated into the Post-Herulian Wall, a late Roman fortification built around the Acropolis in the years following the city's sack by the Germanic Heruli people in 267 or early 268 CE. Its construction marked the beginning of a new phase in the Acropolis's use, in which it came to be seen more as a defensive position than a religious sanctuary. During the medieval period, the gate was further fortified, before being built over with a bastion in Ottoman times. The monument was discovered by the French archaeologist Charles Ernest Beulé on 29 May 1852, and excavated in 1852 and 1853. Archaeologists and Greek commentators criticised the aggressive excavation – particularly the use of explosives. In modern times, the gate has served primarily as an exit for tourists from the Acropolis.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beul%C3%A9_Gate> _______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries: 1416: A squadron of the Venetian navy captured many Ottoman ships at the Battle of Gallipoli, confirming Venetian naval superiority in the Aegean Sea for the next few decades. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Gallipoli_%281416%29> 1913: During the premiere of the ballet The Rite of Spring by Igor Stravinsky at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris, the avant- garde nature of the music and choreography caused a near-riot in the audience. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rite_of_Spring> 1999: Charlotte Perrelli, representing Sweden, won the Eurovision Song Contest, the first edition not to feature an orchestra or live accompaniment. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurovision_Song_Contest_1999> 2011: Residents of Portland, Oregon, held a rally called Hands Across Hawthorne in response to an attack against a gay couple holding hands while crossing the Hawthorne Bridge (pictured). <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hands_Across_Hawthorne> _____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day: Mount Everest: 1. A mountain in the Himalayas, on the border of Solukhumbu district, Koshi, Nepal and Tingri County, Shigatse, Tibet Autonomous Region, China; the world's highest mountain above sea level. 2. (figurative) An endeavour that is very demanding yet rewarding; also, a thing which is the highest achievement, challenge, etc.; the epitome, the pinnacle, the ultimate. <https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Mount_Everest> ___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day: Diplomacy and defense are not substitutes for one another. Either alone would fail. A willingness to resist force, unaccompanied by a willingness to talk, could provoke belligerence — while a willingness to talk, unaccompanied by a willingness to resist force, could invite disaster. --John F. Kennedy <https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/John_F._Kennedy> _______________________________________________ Wikipedia Daily Article mailing list. To unsubscribe write to: [email protected] Questions or comments? Contact [email protected]
