Athens and the Acropolis


Athens

Our trip from Rhodes to Athens was uneventful, and we got to our hotel in the Plaka with only a little problem because of a run taking place which closed many streets.  Our taxi driver tried to let us out, suitcases and all, in some random place.  We refused to get out, and ultimately he got us there.

Breakfast is on the 10th floor, and in the elevator this morning we met a woman on our trip.  Here she is with Joyce at the breakfast table.  A pretty nice view, no?


This morning, after breakfast, we walked the Plaka, the warren of streets under the Acropolis, and went through the very large flea market there.  No purchases.  The very beautiful Athens Cathedral, dating from 1842, is on the edge of the Plaka:




We met our group at 1 PM; most of us had been in Europe for a day or more, but some had arrived on overnight flights this morning.  We are 19, including most from the USA, but a contingent of 8 or so from Australia.

After introductions and a short orientation, we had a study session concentrating on a writing by Meir Soloveichik titled, “On Graven Images and Greek Sculpture.”  We discussed the place of representation of humans in art and sculpture in ancient Greece and in Jewish thought and practice, all in preparation for a trip to the Acropolis Museum and the Acropolis itself.

The Acropolis Museum is relatively new, and, unlike the Archeological Museum, holds only artifacts from the Athens Acropolis.


 It is beautifully laid out, and filled with treasures.  I’ll highlight the Caryatids, female figures used instead of pillars as architectural supports.  The Erechtheion, a temple on the Acropolis, had a portico held up by six Caryatids, five of which are in this museum and one of which is in the British Museum (brought by, guess who, Lord Elgin).  Copies have been placed at the Erechtheion so as to preserve originals which date from about 400 BCE.  Fascinating to note is the hair.  It’s not known if women of the time actually had hairstyles like these, but the strength of such carving was necessary for the figures to have sufficient strength.  A neck alone wouldn’t be enough.




After our museum visit we began our climb to the Acropolis itself, passing on the way an ancient theater which is still in use for plays and concerts today.  Joyce and I remember seeing Lysistrata performed here 50 years ago. 



At the top are the Erechtheion with the reproduction Caryatids:



And the most famous Parthenon.  There’s so much to say and learn.  There was an enormous statue of Athena in the center, originally, and the architecture is complex.  Supposedly there’s not a straight line anywhere—very subtle curves make the structure look “right” from afar.  The same with the columns; supposedly they tilt very slightly inward, so that if they were hundreds of meters tall they would come together!  The work to rehabilitate it has been going on since the 1970s and isn’t close to being done:



Another day in Athens tomorrow, so more to come.

Comments

  1. xctravelerOctober 9, 2018 at 10:21 AM

    i swear we had dinner at that very table in your first photo 2 years ago when we were there. We walked the very paths you are treading then, on our own. Of course you were there long ago. We have driven from Cordoba to Lucena to Granda today. Much to write about, too little time. Dinner awaits after 8 PM.

    ReplyDelete
  2. UnknownOctober 11, 2018 at 12:49 PM

    Greek taxi drivers are an interesting species, aren't they?!

    ReplyDelete

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