Posted on by Rob

The Acropolis of Athens

The Acropolis is a beautiful site to visit and explore the rich history of Ancient Greece. The signage was fairly good so no need to hire a guide but it would be worthwhile to brush up on your history so you have a better idea of what you are looking at. The entrance was 20 Euros per adult and free for the kids. It was worth a one day visit on top of our touring around Athens.

The Porch of the Caryatids

Theatre of Dionysus

Stone work from the 6th Century BC which features Atlas in the centre of the dais
Ben gets comfortable on a stone chair
Enjoying the seats in the Theatre
Restored statue of Menander, Greek dramatist from the 2nd Century BC

Odeon of Herodes Atticus

Theatre built in 161 AD and refurbished in 1951.

Hannah enjoying the view of the Theatre on the slopes of the Acropolis
The stone work is amazing
A view of the Theatre from the Acropolis
A view of the stage

The Buildings on the Acropolis

Looks like it is made with Lego
Hannah and Emma at the top
Pausing on the way to the entrance to the Acropolis
Imagine the workers required to build these structures
A view of a temple with Athens in the distance
The columns of Ancient Greece
Artistic shot of the inside of one of the buildings on the Acropolis
Hannah stands in front of the Temple of Nike
Standing in front of the Parthenon
Battle of the Lapiths and the Centaurs
On top of the Acropolis with Athens in the distance

The Temple of Zeus

The Temple of Zeus from the Acropolis
Close-up of the Temple of Zeus from the Acropolis
Sitting in front of the Parthenon
The Erechtheion with the Porch of the Maidens
A view of the Parthenon
Entryway to the Erechtheion
Porch of the Maidens “Caryatids” – Five of the originals are in the New Acropolis Museum and the sixth is in the British Museum
The far side of the Erechtheion
The flag of Greece atop the Acropolis

Lunchtime

Many of the smaller restaurants in Athens are Mom and Pop shops that cook up a series of dishes for the day and when they run out – they run out. We had the good fortune to find this place and sample several delicacies. Unfortunately the dish we loved the most – eggplant with caramelized onions we forgot to get a photo. We also didn’t get a photo of the moussaka.

This restaurant served fantastic traditional meals at a reasonable price within walking distance of the Acropolis
Greek Salad
Potatoes with grilled pork
Crepes stuffed with spinach and feta

The National Archaeological Museum

The Museum contains an amazing collection of artefacts from all over Greece. These are just a few of my favourite pieces:

Bronze statue of the Emperor Augustus
Aphrodite threatens Pan with her shoe while Eros watches on
Statue of a Fighting Gaul by Agasias circa 100 BC
Marble statue of Poseidon circa 125 BC
Bronze bust of the Boxer Satyros of Elis found in Olympia about 330 BC
Bronze horse and young jockey about 140 BC retrieved from a shipwreck off of the coast of Cape Artemision
Linear Tablet from the Kingdom of Pylos around 1300 BC
Large gold signet ring from Mycenae around 1500BC
Clay cup from Mycenae around 1600 BC
Sword with Golden hilt from Grave Circle B in Ancient Mycenae around 1500 BC
Skeleton surrounded with amphora bottles of beer and wine found near Keramikos

Old as Dirt

Hannah put it best when she said that Athens was as “Old as Dirt”. The rich heritage is amazing to witness and a joy to absorb. My recommendation would be to brush up on your Greek mythology or perhaps do a crash course by reading the Percy Jackson series.

2 Replies to “The Acropolis of Athens”

  1. Very excellent pics. Like the shot of the Celt. Glad to see we were in good form.. Just a flesh wound! I am sure the last pic was a Celt. It explains a lot.

    What amazes me is the marble still on or was that added later. Everything would of looked quite brilliant in the day. I liked the museum.

    Reply

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