All about the world's ancient capital city.
As you walk through the ruins of the Agora (market place), keep in mind that this was the magnificent citycenter of Athens, where Socrates and his disciples came daily for discourse. One of the first buildings you’ll see is the Temple of Hephaistos (the “Theseum”), named after the Vulcan God (of the Blacksmiths), who shared…
The Odeion, or Music Hall, was built soon after Pericles had got rid of his opponent Thucydides ( 442) and was able to indulge more freely his wish to spend public money on splendid structures. Its site was on the south-west slope of the Acropolis, not far from the theatre of Dionysus. (A far greater…
The dramas performed in the theatre at the feast of Dionysus were competitive. Each piece was produced at the expense of some public-spirited citizen who paid for the hire of the chorus and the staging of the play. This citizen was known as the choragus, and naturally he did his utmost to win the popular…
The Dionysiac Theatre is the sunniest spot in Athens. The tourists know it and bring their teabaskets. The lizards know it and steal out to bask on marble chairs dedicated to priests and magistrates. The Athenian audiences of classical times must also have known it as they sat there the whole of a spring day…
It was in this same sixth century before Christ that the Greek temple first took enduring form. There are undoubtedly extant remains of earlier date, but they tell us little of the humble structures which housed the rude cult statues of the earlier centuries. The classic temple, however, retained so completely the record of its…
For heaven’s sake, don’t miss the tucked-away, easy-to-overlook Acropolis Museum (behind, to the right, and abit down-hill from the Parthenon), which contains all the many relics and pieces of statuary found on the Acropolis. You’ll find some violent sculptures here (lions and lionesses tearing bulls and calves to pieces), the wonderful, Egyptianlooking Kore and Kouros,…
While you’re atop the Acropolis, look carefulIy for the delicate, little Ionic TempIe of Athena Nike (to your right as you approach the main entrance to the Acropolis, located almost over the stairs), which still has same of its original friezes depicting battles with the Persians and the Gods of Olympus; the temple is dedicated…