27 March
2025 – The Acropolis, Athens
Miles
driven today = 0
Total Miles
to date = 2,350
Lisa has
been to Athens before.
She has fond
memories of marching around the Parthenon aged 8 with her father and has also
been back since, so she had no real desire to go back again and decided on a
van day while I got myself on the 304 bus and then the Metro to tick off
somewhere which I guess must be on most people’s bucket lists.
On entering
through the South Eastern gates this is the first view that you have of the
slopes below the Acropolis itself.
It’s
thought that the area was inhabited as early as 5,000 BC and in 1500 BC it was
fortified with Cyclopean walls like the ones we saw in Mycenae the other day.
It had a palace and was significantly
inhabited until the Oracle at Delphi decreed in 510 BC that it should become
the domain purely of the Gods.
The first
significant architecture we come across is the Theatre of Dionysos, which has
only been partially restored.
It was
first erected in the 5
th Century BC but greatly extended over the
following couple of centuries.
The Theatre’s
stage building was one of the later additions allowing for more complex
productions as well as improving the acoustics.
The Stoa of
Eumenes lined the original road around the Acropolis, was 2 storeys high and
stretched for a distance of 167 metres.
It’s
named after its donator Eumenes II, King of Pergamon who ruled from 197 BC to
159 BC.
The
Sanctuary of Asklepios was dedicated to the God of the same name and his
daughter Hygieia, “the personification of health”.
The Roman
Herodes Atticus Theatre from the 2
nd Century AD has been extensively
restored and is used for classical concerts.
It has a diameter
of 76 metres, a capacity of 6,000 spectators and incredibly had an unbraced
cedarwood roof.
Unsurprisingly
it got fairly crowded at times and there are a few pinch points where you have
to wait for a large party to move on before you can progress.
This is the Propylaia which forms the main
gateway to the summit of the Acropolis.
Construction
started in 437 BC but it was interrupted by the Peloponnesian War and so the
original
plan was never completed.
The building was converted for several
different purposes over the course of the intervening years.
This is the
first view you currently have of the Parthenon.
It’s a constantly ongoing restoration project.
The first large scale restoration was done in
the 19
th century but they used iron and concrete which actually
damaged the marble columns even further.
The Temple
was dedicated to the Goddess Athena.
Building
was completed in 438 BC and all of the sculptures which adorned it took a
further 6 years.
The columns
aren’t straight.
They actually bulge
slightly like baobab trees.
A completely
deliberate design to make their appearance more natural and fluid.
The
sculptures around the tops of the temple must have looked phenomenal when they
were all freshly carved and in situ.
I
later saw an interesting film in the Acropolis Museum explaining their
meanings.
The Erechtheion
was believed to have been built on the site of where Athens’ previous patron
God Poseidon did battle with Athena in a competition judged by the other Gods.
Athena won and the City bears her name as a
result.
Its most
impressive feature are the 6 “Caryatids” which form some of its columns.
These are copies.
5 of the originals are in the museum.
The 6
th was pilfered by Lord
Elgin.
There are
several viewpoints giving impressive vistas of the Athenian skyline.
Having had
a good wander around and viewed all the monuments from every conceivable angle.
I headed for the exit.
In a display of largely broken marble pieces
I found this interesting relief on a 2
nd Century BC cylindrical
altar to Dionysus.
The
Acropolis Museum is an impressive building completed in 2009.
It was built over the foundations of ancient
Athens which were uncovered during construction.
Many of the more interesting ruins can be
viewed through glass sections of the museum’s flooring.
Once again
I was flabbergasted by how well preserved some of the exhibits inside were
considering their age.
These pottery
pieces were recovered from a grave from the 8
th Century BC.
Note the swastika pattern on the flattish
bowl at the back right.
Roman
terracotta statues of the Goddess Nike from the 1
st to 3
rd
Centuries AD.
6
th
Century BC jugs.
The one on the right
depicts a wedding procession.
Various
figures from the 4
th Century BC.
“Lekythoi”
with black figure depictions dating from between 510 BC and 450 BC.
A frieze
from the mid 2
nd Century BC depicting Apollo and Hermes with Nymphs
while Pan plays a flute to the left.
A 3 bodied
Daemon relief from one of the temples.
There were many exquisite sculptures but unfortunately after this point
photography is forbidden.
Of course
there is one glaring omission and that is the Pantheon Marbles which were
looted by Lord Elgin and ended up in the British Museum.
This is of course a model of the central
section showing Athena and Poseidon mid-competition.
I don’t know what the latest state of play is
regarding getting the marbles repatriated but it really can’t happen soon
enough.
I know that
there is an awful lot more to Athens than just the Acropolis but I was pretty
much bushed after all that.
So I found
myself a table at one of the less heavily populated tavernas and tucked into a
healthy bowl of Mediterranean Salad before jumping on the metro and heading
back to the Coast.
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