The Propylaea served as the grand gateway to the Acropolis, and the Athenians spared no expense getting it right. Architect Mnesicles designed marble beams weighing 9.5 tons each to support a ceiling of marble coffers painted blue with gilded stars, simulating a starry sky. The roof tiles were marble too. For what was essentially just a gate, this level of extravagance makes a point: first impressions mattered in the 5th century BCE.

Pericles himself dedicated a bronze statue of Athena Hygeia here after the goddess appeared in his dream with a cure that saved his favourite craftsman's life. Socrates is said to have carved a statue of the Three Graces nearby, working stone rather than philosophy to pay the bills. After the Acropolis building project was finished, the Propylaea lived many other lives. Crusaders turned it into a ducal palace in 1204. The Ottomans used it for military command. The roof was blown off in 1645 when lightning struck an ammunition store inside.

VoiceMap's self-guided audio tours trace the Propylaea's layered history and explain how Mnesicles oriented the portals to frame views of Salamis, reminding visitors of Athens' victory over the Persians.