Wanderings: The Acropolis

January 7, 2024

After a busy day yesterday, we opted for a quieter day today. We took a bus tour through the city, and out to Piraeus, Athens port.

Returning to Athens, we headed to the Acropolis, Athens' most well-known feature. Being a Sunday, admission is free, although you still need a ticket to avoid overcrowding. Most of the Temple Complex was constructed in the late 400s. B.C.E., (1) with many interruptions caused by the Pellopenesian Wars (2).

Ascending, you see the Temple of Athena (Goddess of Wisdom) and Nike (Goddess of Victory) looming above you. Visitors then proceed through the Propylaea, the gateway between the secular and religious parts of the city.

The Parthenon atop the Acropolis is undergoing extensive renovations (3). I had assumed that the deterioration of the building was caused by neglect; I was wrong. On September 29, 1687 (during the Seige of The Acropolis by the Venetians) a shot hit the gunpowder stored in the Pathenon by the Ottomans, causing massive damage to the structure (and killing hundreds).

The Erechtheion is the other major temple on the Acropolis. This Temple, best known for its columns shaped like females (called Caryatids), is dedicated to Athena and Poseiden, who battled over possession of the city. The name Erechtheion derives from Erechtheus, the mythical King of Athens. In the early 1800s, Lord Elgin removed some sculptures from here (and elsewhere on the Acropolis) (4).

(1) It is hard to count years down rather than up. The 400s B.C.E. started with 499 and ended with 400. Construction of the Parthenon began in 447 and ended in 432 B.C.E.

(2) An unexpected theme of this trip is emerging: construction of City hill-top structures with defense capabilities, common to Bergamo, Gjirokaster and Athens. "[T]ravelers compared [the light on Gjirokaster Castle] to a malignant version of the floodlit Acropolis of Athens" Ismael Kadare, Fall of the Stone City.

(3). Signs indicate how previous restoration attempts had actually damaged the structure (a)

(a) A century or so from now, I'm sure our descendents will say the same about the current restoration work.

(4) The "Elgin Marbles," now held in the British Museum are a continuing source of consternation. The Greek government would like the sculptures returned to be housed in new Acropolis Museum, opened in 2009 (b).

(b) As recently as Novermber 2023, a diplomatic tussle occurred, with the British Prime Minister canceling a visit with the Greek President, who would not agree not to raise the issue if the marbles.