Since you are using the best browser, you can use the Menu button on the top right hand side to navigate among these pages.
A city of central Greece which became the most powerful of all Greek cities in the 5th century BC. She leads the whole Greece against the Persians. After that, her role diminished but her reputation survived throughout Roman rule. In architecture and in many crafts, she provided the model for the rest of the Greek world. The Romans was deeply influenced by the Greek culture and brought it throughout the Roman Empire.
Athens today is a lovely small city with beautiful beaches. It is however, still a developing city. Her airport was small and old, and we experienced on average a two hour flight delay everytime we checked in that airport. Yet all is going to change soon. Athens will hold the 2004 Olympic Games, and she is building a new airport to cater for the flux of tourists during the Games. Also, there are digging works everywhere in the city, because enhancements (enhancement is a computer jargon, sort of like adding a six-storey opera as an annex to your 2m x 2m bathroom) were being made to the metro system.
Still, the most spectacular sight in Athens is the Acropolis.
Acropolis is the fortified upper citadel of a Greek city. But the Acropolis refers to the Acropolis at Athens which was the core of the original city. In the classical period, it was devoted entirely to cult and temples.
The Acropolis can be seen nearly from anywhere in Athens. It is on top of a hill, and nowadays no building is allowed to be built higher than it.
Nike is the goddess of victory, and the Greeks broke her wings so that she would stay in Greece.
Therefore, this statue of Nike here was wingless.
Now, the statue is kept in the Museum of Louvre at Paris.
Athens was named after Athena, the protector of the city.
The two pediments (big triangular area immediately under the roof) of the Parthenon used to show her two famous stories: on the East Pediment, her birth; on the West Pediment, her contest with Poseidon.
Sidebar: More about goddess Athena.
Sidebar: How Athena became protector of Athens.
Before the Parthenon was built, on the same site was a colossal statue of Athene Promachos, the Champion. Built from gold and ivory (over a wooden frame), it is the most valuable artifact in Greece. The statue was so tall that the golden point of her spear is visible from the sea.
Although it is the Temple of the Maiden, there is no evidence that the Parthenon has ever served as a temple. There is no altar, no record of any priestess, nor any reference to offerings given. It seems the sole purpose of it is to house Athene Promachos, who became know as Athene Parthenos.
Although the Parthenon is in ruins, it is still possibile to see it in its full glory. Cross the Atlantic and go to the city Nashville, Tennessee. They rebuilt the Parthenon for the Tennessee Centennial Expostion Or you can even take a virtual tour right now!
Athena is the favorite daughter of Zeus and Metis (goddess of prudence and wisdom). Like most other gods, she was also given a Roman name: Minvera. The Roman name for Zeus is Jupiter.
When Metis conceived Athena, Gaia warned Zeus that Metis would bear a daughter whose son would overthrow him. On hearing this, Zeus swallowed Metis to continue to carry the fetus through to birth himself. Inside Zeus' body, Metis began to make a robe and helmet for her daughter. The hammering of the helmet caused Zeus great pain in the form of headaches and he cried out in agony. Skilled Hephaestus (god of smiths and fire, Roman name: Vulcan) split the skull of his father open. From the head of Zeus emerged Athena, fully grown and wearing her mother's robe and helmet.
Athena is the Greek goddess of of wisdom, war, the arts, industry, justice and skill. While she is a Warrior Goddess, she used her power to secure peace instead of making wars (in contrast with Ares, Roman name: Mars). She is usually shown as a warrior with helmet and shield, but also wearing an aigis. Aigis is a magic skin of goat worn by Zeus and Athena that serves as a shield. It is often shown with snakes around the edges, with scales like a snake, and with the petrifying head of Gorgo (Roman name: Medusa) at the centre.
Athena was the patron goddess of Athens, and her temples occupied the Acropolis.
continue to how Athena became protector of Athens
Back to Parthenon
Back to top
Athena and her uncle Poseidon (Roman name: Neptune) were both very fond of a certain city in Greece. Both of them claimed the city and it was decided that the one who could give the finest gift should have it.
Leading a procession of citizens, the two gods mounted the Acropolis. Poseidon struck the side of the cliff with his trident and a spring welled up. The people marveled, but the water was as salty as Poseidon's sea and it was not very useful. Athena's gift was an olive tree, which was better because it gave the people food, oil and wood. The people chose Athena, and Athena named her city Athens.
The Erechtheion is the finest expression of the Ionic order, yet the building loses none of the compact austerity of classical Attic architecture It is an Ionic temple of unusual plan dedicated to the Athenian king Erechtheus, combined with cults of Poseidon and Athena. It was built in the later 5th century BC on the north side of the Athens Acropolis, opposite the Parthenon.
The Erechtheion consists of three almost independent sections (the main temple, the north extension and the porch of the Karyatides) using Ionic columns of three different dimensions and proportions. It has three separate roofs, and is built at four different ground levels. The main temple is divided into two parts, the east devoted to Athena Polias and the west to Poseidon-Erechtheus.
The delicate Erechtheion is thought to have been built on the very spot where Athena and Poseidon had their contest for possession of Athens.
The marks of Poseidon’s trident were clearly visible in the rock.
His trident had produced the Erechtheis Sea, a salt water well as his gift to Athens.
And it has become a tradition to grow an olive tree to grow near the Erechtheion to commemerate the gift of Athena.
Since we had some free time, we slept for a while in the hotel and then took a walk to the Temple of Zeus. Unfortunately, it was closed. The hotel is not far away but we were tired (remember that we came on foot): so we tried to ride a bus back to the hotel.
In Athens, you buy tickets from kiosks before boarding a bus. However, no kiosk was in sight, so we stopped the bus anyway. We asked the driver whether we can buy tickets on the way. Like most of the inhabitants in Athens, all he spoke was Greek to us. He waved us in and we took our seats.
Buses in Athens run on electricity. It has two long antennae on its top connecting to two rails in mid air. The air rails supply the electricity for the bus, and spans most parts of the city.
When we arrived at our destination, we ask him again where to buy our tickets. He just waved us away and we got a free ride!
Olympic Games was the one most important festival for the Ancient Greeks. Greeks did not have weekends and so people worked every day of every year, except during the four great game festivals: The Isthmians, The Nemeans, The Pythians and The Olympic Games.
Olympia was one of the oldest religious centers in the ancient Greek world. Part of a religious festival, the ancient Greeks honored their gods with athletic contests, and therefore hold the games at the site of a major temple at Olympia. The Olympic Games were held every four years at Olympia. The four year interval was called an Olympiad, and was the system upon which time in ancient Greek history was calculated.
For centuries, the Olympic Games were considered the most important and prestigious celebration of all Panhellenic festivals. The games were so important that even wars were stopped at the time they were held. An international truce among the Greeks was declared for the month before the Olympics to allow the athletes to reach Olympia safely. The judges had the authority to fine whole cities and ban their athletes from competition for breaking the truce. The Spartans once invaded Elis (the territory which included Olympia) after the Olympic truce had been declared. The Eleans demanded a large fine based on the number of soldiers in the advancing army and refused to allow any Spartan competitors during that Olympiad.
The first Olympic Games were held in 776 B.C. The Olympic Games were held for more than 1,000 years. They were abolished by the Byzantine Emperor Theodosius in 394 A.D.
Victors of the game received a crown made from olive leaves, and was entitled to have a statue of himself set up at Olympia. Although they would not recieve any monetary prizes, it was common for victors to receive benefits such as having all their meals at public expense or front-row seats at the theater and other public festivals.
In ancient Greek world, Olympic Games were the symbol of unity of all the Hellenic populations. Greek people have not forgotten that ideal; as soon as the Greek state was established in early 19th century, many attempts were made in Greece in order to revive the Olympic Games.
Mykonos is a beautiful island. Every house is painted white, with blue window panes. And it has become the number one place for vacations in the Mediterraneans.
