Julie on the hike to the Acropolis |
"By all means marry;
if you get a good wife, you'll be happy.
If you get a bad one,
you'll become a philosopher."
---Socrates
Wes and Julie by the Parthenon |
According to Greek mythology, the gods Poseidon and Athena both wanted to be the patron of a beautiful area, strategically positioned along the aqua Aegean Sea.
Poseidon struck the land with his trident, producing a spring which promised naval prowess.
Athena touched the ground with a spear and created an olive tree, symbolizing peace and prosperity.
The people chose Athena, who is honored with the city's name.
Jay, Amy, Wes and Julie at the Acropolis |
That olive tree survived many centuries but was burned in the Peloponnesian War by Persians, who were allied with the Spartans, when their superior allied naval power destroyed Athens' fleet. From the burnt stump, however, a new sprout emerged and grew to be another olive tree that would last several more centuries.
The Erechtheum |
The leap from cave dwellers to the highly advanced civilization that gave birth to democracy, architecture, philosophy, psychology, arts, science and in essence made further advancement possible is hard to fathom. Did the mythological stories of the gods start as entertainment, similar to movies like Thor, Pirates of the Caribbean and Sex In the City? Or could there be some truth in those "Ancient Astronaut" theories my buddy Sam enjoys?
The Erechtheum with Porch of the Caryatids |
In any case, according to Plato's Cratylus, both Athena and Athens come from the root words theos, or God, and nous, or mind, so the names of the Goddess of Wisdom and her city logically refer to God's Mind, which certainly should be an ideal place to dwell.
The Odeun of Herodes Atticus (a "new" Acropolis structure built in 161 AD) |
Athens is one of the oldest cities in the world, and today she is a city of about 5 million. Her current government financial house is in disarray, but I wouldn't count the city of Athena out. She's like that sprout, always poised to come back. As one of three great playwrites of tragedy in Classical Athens, Euripides wrote, "There is in the worst of fortune the best of chances for a happy change."
Real Ionic Columns |
Our plan for the day was to visit the Acropolis, which of course is the most famous site in Athens. Built on a hill 490 feet above sea level, there's a commanding view of the area. It is the perfect setting for a walled fortress as well as a place of worship, which it was in ancient times.
Katie and Jay by the Temple of Athena |
Its most famous building, and one of the most recognizable structures in the world, is the Parthenon, built by the site of the olive tree where Athena won her contest with Poseidon.
Commanding View from the Acropolis |
There are too many millenia of history to possibly cover in a short article, so let me just get to what we did, on what will probably go down as one of the most legendary days in the history of Athens.
The Porch of the Caryatids |
View On the Hike to Acropolis |
The Metro cost 1.4 Euro (.7 Euro for Students) to take the Green Line to a station at the foot of the Acropolis hill. The uphill climb also turned out to be a longer hike than we expected, especially when we went the wrong way at one point, but we enjoyed it.
Wes by the Parthenon |
The good news, that all the museums and the Acropolis had free admission, was of course also the bad news, because the entrance was jammed with people when we arrived.
Despite the crowds and ongoing restoration projects that added to the din, we all enjoyed visiting this remarkable area.
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