The Parthenon

I continued my touristing today, visiting several Ancient Greek sites in Athens, proper. First up, of course, was the Acropolis and it's crown, the Parthenon.

I got there early, yawning, and successfully beat the crowds that were only starting to trickle in as I was leaving. The ruins were impressive, but I've seen enough Greek temples to make some comparisons.

For one thing, I've never been close to Athena, so I was missing the connection I've had with some other sites. For another, the Parthenon is a pretty typical temple, but not as well preserved as others I've seen. Several temples in Agrigento and Paestum were more whole, though lacking the beautifully dramatic site of the Acropolis.

I was extremely impressed, however, with a neighboring temple, the Erechtheion, that was all but ignored by other visiters. It was like absolutely nothing I've ever seen, with three facades on three different levels out of its four sides. One of those was the porch of caryatids, with feminine statues acting as columns. The building's uniqueness, preservation, and history (it was built on the spot where Poseidon and Athena worked ancient miracles) combined to make it a highlight.

Also at the Acropolis I saw the restored Odeon of Herodes Atticus. I've seen a number of Greek and Roman theatres, but this one has been restored to an extent that was new to me. It blew me away to not need my imagination to consider what it looked like in its prime, and put into new context a lot if places I've seen in the past.

From there I went to the temple of Olympian Zeus, which was magnificent in its scale. The largest temple of Athens, only one corner now remains to show how massive it was. Certainly awe-inspiring.

Tonight I plan to do some busking, and tomorrow evening I'll catch a ferry to Crete. The adventure continues!

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