The term acropolis (Greek for “high city”) denotes the hilltop the hilltop citadel that dominated the topography of many ancient Greek cities. Thanks to the frequency of rugged landscapes, cities in the ancient Greek world, from Sicily to the Black Sea, often established themselves on high ground, later expanding down the slopes to areas below. However, not all cities were located on varied terrain; those on flat land, along coasts or in plains, could not have an acropolis.

Although an acropolis would be suited first and foremost for defense, fortification was not its sole function. Such a hilltop might have been used for a variety of purposes: as a settlement with houses, even palaces, and as a religious center. Indeed, as cities expanded, adding new fortification ...