A “Miraculous Shot” Destroyed the Parthenon, Not Age

The Morean War is a relatively unknown conflict that occurred in the 17th century. It was a continuation of a series of wars that had raged for centuries between the Turks and the Venetians. The continuous fighting between Venice and the Turks is one of the great military rivalries in history and it led to irrevocable damage to one of the world’s most beloved monuments. In 1687, the Venetians advanced on the city of Athens which was being held by Ottoman forces. Due to the Venetian superiority at sea in the waters around the Greek isles, the Ottomans were cut off and had to hold out for reinforcements. Instead of surrendering the city to the Italians, the Ottomans decided to heavily garrison the Acropolis, Athens’ ancient fortress at the center of the city. One of the crowning monuments of the Acropolis was the Parthenon which still stood proudly in the center of the citadel. At the time, the building was two thousand years old and had withstood countless battles, wars, and empires that had swept through Athens. Now it was the Ottoman’s turn to occupy the ancient temple. <a href="https://grantpiperwriting.medium.com/a-miraculous-shot-destroyed-the-parthenon-not-age-a4d17113b0b7">Visit Now</a>