Athens lost its military prowess and political hegemony but managed to preserve its preeminence as an artistic and cultural centre during the Hellenistic period.

The glorious period of the Golden Age for the city slid away as the Peloponnesian War, between the two leading city-states in ancient Greece, Athens and Sparta, ravaged the country. The Acropolis retained its position as the city’s main sanctuary and endowments by affluent kings and Roman emperors continued to bestow the city with grand public buildings. Athens for the most remained an ally of the Roman rule and was granted privileges by rulers and patrons who revered the city’s glorious past and cultural prestige.