Wow! It is possible to get a good night's sleep in a hostel! Feeling quite refreshed, I set off on my first morning to see some more historical stuff. Now, a word of warning : there are quite a few ruins in Athens, so the bulk of my blogs will be about old, decrepit buildings... I've never enjoyed museums as much as I have in this city, with the exception of the Louvre in Paris...
This temple was dedicated to that unpredictably temperamental Greek God, Zeus. Construction was started circa 500 BC but took 638 years to finish due to constant lack of funds, thanks to that ever-useful military budget. The Roman Emperor Hadrian finished the job in 131 AD; he had quite the ego and to this day, Athens is peppered with huge buildings reflecting his perceived awesomeness.
What a difference the sunshine makes; the stone literally changed color. Note the Acropolis in the background.
Hard to convey the vastness of this place... It's absolutely massive; in fact, it's the largest still-somewhat-standing temple in Greece.
Hadrian's Arch, built in 131 AD to honor himself. It separated the 'Old' Athens from the 'New' Athens; the latter was littered with brand-new buildings that showcased his grandeur. The outer side of the Arch is engraved ''This is Old Athens, the city of Theseus'' (a mythical King of Athens) and the inner side is engraved ''This is the new city of Hadrian, not Theseus''.
Here's a look at Mr. Ego himself, Roman Emperor Hadrian. There are holes in his hair where his gold crown was held...
... just like this one, made of pure gold and worth a fortune. All for a marble statue.
The view of the Temple of Olympian Zeus from the Acropolis. Note the people walking around to gain perspective of its size.
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ANCIENT AGORA
The Ancient Agora, in existence since 600 BC, was the heart of public life in Athens. Here, democracy was born and flourished. The justice, administrative, military and religious powers met here to make important decisions. Commercial transactions, musical and theater performances, athletic competitions.... It was a place to see other people and to be seen.
This is what the agora looked like circa 200 AD.
Stoa of Attalos, built in 200 BC. Think of it as a very large and beautiful covered market, where one could stroll and buy from different merchants who rented stalls from the city. It was two-storied and measured 120 meters in length. It was destroyed in 267 AD by the Herulians (a barbaric tribe from Scandinavia) and was reconstructed in the 1950s to reflect its exact appearance in ancient times.
The Ancient Agora, in existence since 600 BC, was the heart of public life in Athens. Here, democracy was born and flourished. The justice, administrative, military and religious powers met here to make important decisions. Commercial transactions, musical and theater performances, athletic competitions.... It was a place to see other people and to be seen.
This is what the agora looked like circa 200 AD.
Stoa of Attalos, built in 200 BC. Think of it as a very large and beautiful covered market, where one could stroll and buy from different merchants who rented stalls from the city. It was two-storied and measured 120 meters in length. It was destroyed in 267 AD by the Herulians (a barbaric tribe from Scandinavia) and was reconstructed in the 1950s to reflect its exact appearance in ancient times.
There were 21 stalls on each floor inside the Stoa of Attalos ('stoa' means covered walkway or portico).
Church of the Holy Apostles : This building was constructed in medieval times (late 10th century, in this case) ), in honor of Saint Peter's efforts to convert Christians in this very agora. Destroyed along with everything else, but rebuilt in the 1950s.
Cool shot of 2nd storey of Stoa of Attalos
Temple of Hephaestus (patron saint of metal-workers and craftsmanship), one of the best-preserved temples in all of Greece. Built in 460 BC. So cool!
WHOA!!! Seriously, I'm like a child in this place.
WHOA!!! Seriously, I'm like a child in this place.
Stoa of Atticus on left, Parthenon/Acropolis on right
Stoa of Zeus Eleutherios, built in 430 BC. This is where Socrates preached and lectured about democracy, changing the way governments around the world functioned. Holy cow! Unfortunately, there's nothing left of this hugely historical place.
What the Stoa of Zeus looked like in Socrates' time.
Palace of the Giants : Statues of the Tritons and the Giants. They are not sure if this was a temple, a gymnasium or a bath house.
That's all for now, folks! Hope you're doing well, lots of love. xxxx
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