OMG, it’s Friday the 13th!
I took a stroll along part of the Dionissiou Areopagitou – a ‘pedestrian walkway’ around the Acropolis. (I put that in quotes because, in addition to pedestrians, there are motorcycles, bicycles, horse drawn carriages and a sort of motorized train.) No taxis though. I have noticed that there are two kinds of taxis. They are all yellow. But most have a sign on top that says, ‘ΤΑΞΙ;’ the others have a sign that says, ‘TAXI.’
I’m not sure what the difference is. I did get a close up look at one of the ‘TAXI’ type and it had a dented fender.
Anyway, I walked down to the very busy Amalias street. Fortunately there was one of the rare pedestrian light controlled crossovers there. I crossed over and walked to Hadrian’s Gate. Like many ancient Romans, Hadrian was a Graecophile. Unlike most Roman Graecophiles he was able to add to Athens. Essentially he built a Roman Forum east of the Acropolis. The gate was the marker between ‘Greek Athens’ and ‘Roman Athens.’ The old Greek agora is northwest of the Acropolis.
But there is something ‘Greek’ on the Roman side of the gate – the Temple of Zeus. This was a massive undertaking of the Athenians before the Romans came, but they were never able to afford to finish it. Hadrian provided the funds to complete this temple. Some of the Corinthian columns still stand. I would note that this (and other) ancient temples belie the Hollywood depiction. For example, in Clash of the Titans we have the people gathered inside the temple. Ordinary folk did not go into the temples. (Remember, ordinary Jews did not go into the Jerusalem temple.) The altar of sacrifice was outside and in front of the temple. People gathered away from the temple with the altar between them and the temple building. (There are some examples of the altars and temples in last year’s photo journals of Pompeii and Paestum. There is no trace of the altar for the Temple of Zeus in Athens – unless it is some of the blocks of rocks scattered around the area. But one clear indication that access was not simple. These ‘steps’ leading up to the temple floor are around three feet high. They would be a challenge for a six footer like me to climb – much more for the shorter Athenians!
Afterwards I crossed over that busy street again and reentered the walkway. There are a lot of restaurants along this part of the walkway, so I ate an early lunch. And then walked back the way I came to the new Acropolis Museum. It is quite modern and has some disturbing glass floors – which allow you to view some of the archeological remains over which the museum was built. Obviously those floors can be quite slick. They have put down some mats that help make the floors less treacherous.
The museum contains some models of the Acropolis area dating back to prehistoric times. There are also videos relating to the history of the Parthenon. Like most such museums there are large quantities of artifacts – pottery, sculptures and the like – uncovered in and around the Acropolis. There are four of the five original statues from the Porch of the Maidens. (The fifth is in the British Museum; the Greeks want it back.) These are inside to protect them from the corrosive effects of automobile emissions. The statues that hold up the actual porch these days are copies.
The top floor of the museum presents much of the decorative pediments, frieze and metopes of the Parthenon. Some are copies. Lord Elgin stole many of them and they reside today in the British Museum. (The Greeks want them back.)
Unfortunately, the Museum does not allow photography – so there are no pictures. I’m never quite sure what goes with the pictures. I do understand that where paint pigments are involved curators do not want flash photography. But I remember not taking my camera to the Louvre because I didn’t think it would be allowed – but there were hundreds of people taking pictures, with flash, of things like the Mona Lisa.
I had an afternoon snack in the very busy restaurant in the museum.
I returned to the hotel and tried out the swimming pool. Cold. It’s a small pool – maybe 10 by 25 feet – and 1.2 meters deep.
I’m still behind getting yesterday’s photos up on the website. Eventually I’ll get them and today’s pictures of the Temple of Zeus up. Patience, friends.
Canicus Modius.