The Acropolis and Beyond

We had a really big day today and my legs are very sore, but OMG the things we saw.


We set out at 8 so it was still nice and cool. When we got to the gate there was already a queue - lucky we bought our tickets the night before.
The complex of temples is built on top of a huge rock outcropping called the Acropolis.
 
It has been inhabited by humans since the 4th millennium BC, but was put on the map by a fellow named Pericles in the 5th century BC. It was at the height of Athens' power and he decided that a complex of Temples honouring Athena (the patron goddess of Athens) was in order. (Re-)Construction began in 460 BC and was pretty much completed by 430 BC. When you see the sheer size of these things, you wonder how they managed it without all the fancy equipment that we have today - all in a matter of just over 30 years.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. We're still at the bottom of the Acropolis (Akron = highest point, polis = city).

Theatre of Dionysus

At the base, the first thing you encounter is the theatre of Dionysus. This amphitheatre could hold up to 17 000 people and they say that this is where theatre began. A little farther along there's another amphitheatre, but its a smaller by comparison and built somewhat later in 161 BC.This is the Odeon of Herodes Atticus. It seats 5000 and they still use it today for performances.

The difference between the two, apart from size? One is a Greek amphitheatre and the other is a Roman amphitheatre. Can you see what the differences are?

 

Odeon of Herodes Atticus

Propylaea

Up and up we continued to the Propylaea - the grand entrance to the Acropolis. I find it funny that it, as well as the Acropolis are named that way, because really those are generic names for those things. In Athens there's THE Acropolis and THE Propylaea (pro = before, in front of + pylaea = gate), but there are heaps of acropolises (acropoli?) and propylaea around Greece. Weird. Anyway, there were a lot of people there already (the views are magnificent) so we didn't linger too long.

Parthenon

 As you pass through the Propylaea you get your first glimpse of the Parthenon directly to your right. It is huge, magnificent, and awe-inspiring. My grade school learning kicked in and I recognised the Doric columns; 8 in the front and 17 along the sides. It was built to hold a massive 12m statue of Athena (that is no longer there). But the fact that this (these) structures are still standing over 3000 years later is truly staggering.

Erectheion

On the opposite side is the most holy site: the Erechtheion. This is where the goddess Athena planted her spear and up grew an olive tree. Its a smaller temple, but equally as beautiful and as impressive as the Parthenon. It was built a little bit later; completed in 405 BC. The temple is built on a slope so the west and north sides are lower by 3m than the east and south sides! On the south side of the structure is a kind of balcony which has 6 Caryatids (maidens) holding up the roof with their heads. Its absolutely stunning.



From the Acropolis you can see more ruins below. This is the Agora, and that's where we headed next.


The Agora (Greek for gathering place) is a complex built between 19 and 11 BC. This was THE place to be back in the day. It was the focal point of administrative, commercial, political and societal life. Socrates hung out there and so did St.Paul - trying to get converts for this crazy new religion.

When you first enter the complex you see a 
wonderful little church; Ayioi Apostoloi (obviously not built at the same time as the Agora, more like 1000-1025 AD). Inside there are some beautiful and colourful Byzantine frescoes.





Truth be told we had been drawn to this place by a temple situated on a small hill overlooking the Agora. This is the Temple of Hephaestus, the god of the forge. Compared to the Parthenon its small, but I really loved this one. You can look up and see the Acropolis and below is the Agora complex. It was my favourite du jour.




There were other ruins in the Agora, including a gym (gotta look good for the sculptors!), they were all very impressive, and old. I shan't go into detail on all of them.






After the Agora we were starving so the mission was find food. We wandered about an old quarter with ye olde narrow streets and found a buzzing little area full of restaurants. And we ate like Kings...er Queens.
The problem after walking for 5 hours and then sitting down for one: your muscles tend to seize up! Getting up was quite difficult.

After lunch we had one more mission - to see the Acropolis museum. By the time we got there we were quite leg fatigued and brain fatigued. We did go in and have a look around, but I must admit that much of what we saw was lost on me. The one thing that I did retain was that the statues that look so beautiful today, all in plain marble, were originally garishly painted. In our tired state, this made us giggle.

We decided then that we would call it a day and go home to eat our leftovers from the night before.