So, this was a somewhat busy weekend.
I went on Saturday to Mt. Perneli (see my last entry) and on Sunday I woke up early and went to the Acropolis in order to try and beat out the smog. I was quite successful, as it was a gorgeous day full of sun and warmth. After a brisk but short walk (it's amazing how close everything is around here) I made it to the Acropolis's southern face. Throughout the trip, my awe continually increased. As I approached the hill, it kept getting taller and taller, and seemed impenetrable. How the Persians in 490 BCE managed to attack the Acropolis and sack it is a mystery to me. It seems literally impenetrable to me.
Moving beyond my awe, there are literally ruins every way you look. It reminded me of the Roman Forum in that there are columns and blocks scattered throughout the area. Seeing this place when everything was still standing must have truly been a sight. The most important ruins on the southern slope are the two theaters, the Theater of Dionysus and the Theater of Herodes Atticus. The Theater of Dionysus was sadly in poor shape, with it mostly being covered in grass, but the the Theater of Herodes Atticus was truly a sight. Built in the Roman period, it was stunningly rebuilt in 1951 and is STILL used today. I can't even begin to imagine what a show is like in that space. I'm dying to know what the acoustics are like, but sadly I couldn't get on the stage :-(. Oh well, I imagine they are excellent.
I don't think i came up the main entrance, because on the way down there was more. But walking through the Propylaia was insane. Sadly, they're still restoring it and everything else on the Acropolis (stupid 20th century historians/archaeologists doing a bad job...) But it's still an impressive sight. The Temple of Athenian Nike also is missing as it's restored off site. Again, it was a truly spectacular view entering into the Acropolis. It's amazing thinking that this is how the ancient Greeks entered into the Acropolis. People like Pericles, Themistocles, Demosthenes, and so many others walked where I walked. The marble is so worn from everyone walking over it, it's slippery, but to me that just shows you how amazing the site is that millions of people have traveled to here.
The first thing I actually saw when i got into the Acropolis was the Parthenon obviously. It's a remarkable building, massively rising overhead, looming. Sadly, it is covered in scaffoldings to continue the repairs, and while it definitely detracts from the sight, it's still so worth it. The next amazing building was the Erectheium and Caryatids. The Caryatids are replicas, but you'd never know it. They look so simple and elegant, but are masterfully carved and placed. The rest of the Erecthium is an interesting building. Not quite as spectacular as the Parthenon, it is still a large and massive structure. Interestingly, it has 3 solid walls and then a side open with columns. What appears to be the main entrance is in fact on the side opposite the Parthenon. As I turned back to look at the Parthenon, I was struck at how amazing it must have been with a roof. Considering how imposing it looks now, it's hard to imagine. Stupid Veneitians putting an artillery shell through it, and even more stupid Ottomans for storing gunpowder in there.
As I walked out, I first climbed up on the hill to the west of the Acropolis, and it was quite a view. I took a panorama which can be seen in my album. After climbing down, I went into the Ancient Agora. This really reminded me of the Roman Forum with few rebuilt buildings, mostly things in ruin. The one truly exceptional building was the rebuilt Stoa, which now serves as a museum as well, housing several relics. My favorite of these was the Ostraka used to exile Themistocles. Ostraka were used as a means to prevent a dictator, as if the Athenian people voted in a majority using ostraka (pieces of clay with the name of the person they wanted to exile), the person being exiled was forced to leave Attica for 10 years. Pretty cool that they found them. The Stoa itself was incredible, as it provided an representation of what the building must have looked like, which was, to me, interesting.
I also passed by the Roman Forum, as it was small and largely unimpressive. It's worth a walk-by though, as there are several standing columns, and the Tower of the Wind on the eastern corner. Plaka (the area to the North of the Acropolis) is certainly tourist-center of Athens, but an interesting neighborhood, full of shops and tavernas (none of them good from what i hear). It was a pedestrian area though, which was a nice change compared with all the busy streets around Athens.
Finally, I went to the Temple of Olympian Zeus. This building took 700 years to build due to lack of funds. It is an immense building, making you feel small and insignificant. While only a small corner remains, it's enough to allow you to imagine what it would have looked like if it was still standing. I was barely taller than the base (if even that) of the columns.
After all this walking...I went back and took a nap.
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