The word "Acropolis" means city by the edge. Acropoleis were always situated on a high spot, often used as a place for shelter and defence against enemies. The one in Athens is the best known of them all, and is therefore often referred to as "The Acropolis". One of the monuments at the Acropolis is the Parthenon. This was a temple of the Greek goddess Athena whom the people of Athens considered their protector and was built in the 5th century BC. The Parthenon is one of the most important surviving buildings of classical Greece.