He dropped us off at the bottom of the hill and we walked up, purchased our tickets, and began our morning sightseeing when there was hardly anyone there. I love it when a plan comes together! Our first stop was the Odeon of Herodes Atticus. This "concert hall" was built in 161 AD, and renovated in the 1950s. It is still used for performances, and you can't actually enter the Odeon unless you have tickets to a concert, but it was cool to look at from above.
Then we walked through the Propylaea. This is a monumental gateway to the temple beyond. On one side is the Temple of Athena Nike. The kids thought it was interesting to see parts of the ancient ramp that allowed sacrificial animals to walk up to the temple.
The Parthenon!
Completed in 438 BC, the Parthenon is undergoing major restoration work.
Originally built as a Temple of Athena, the Parthenon has also been used over the centuries as a Christian church and as an Islamic mosque. I loved learning in school about the columns of the Parthenon... in order to make them look perfectly spaced, straight, and for the facade to not look bowed, the architects mathematically figured how to alter them to make the facade look "perfect." The base actually bows slightly, like a frowny face, and the columns on the outer edges are closer together than those in the middle section. And so on. I just find it amusing, like how people filter their photos on Instagram to make their imperfections look perfect.
No filters around here... or make-up for that matter.
We did ask a nice lady to take a family photo of us in front of the Parthenon.
This will have to do.
Even early in the day, it was hot and the kids were happy to find this bench in the shade.
The next thing I really wanted to see at the Acropolis was this- the Porch of the Caryatids. This is on one side of the Erechtheion, which was a temple to Poseidon and Athena built in the 400s BC. I love how the columns were transformed into female figures. These are replicas as the originals are now protected in the Acropolis museum.
This is the other side of the Erechtheion.
This end of the Acropolis was a great spot to view the tallest point in Athens, Mount Lycabettus.
And on the other end of the Acropolis we could see Mars Hill (to the right of Rob) where the Apostle Paul preached to the Athenians.
Toby was particularly interested in columns on this trip and we discussed the Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian styles which he documented in his sketch notebook. Jake and Charlotte decided this was a good plan and sat down to make some drawings too. (The Parthenon is Doric, the Temple of Athena Nike is Ionic, and we didn't find Corinthian columns until later in the day.) The top of Acropolis hill was getting VERY crowded by this point, so we were happy to be heading downhill.
Our next stop, still at the Acropolis complex, was the Theatre of Dionysus. Used as a theater since the 4th Century BC, the theater could seat up to 17,000 people. It is amazing to me that Sophocles, Euripedes, and other famous Greek dramatists would have originally performed in this very place.
Charlotte and Amelie are ready for the performance.
Our next stop was the Acropolis Museum to see the sculptures and artifacts housed there. I was getting ready to take a photo insode when I was told not to do so by a docent, so this is the only photo we have from there. The museum is well done, though I'm gonna be a snot and point out that the British Museum's collection from the Acropolis is more impressive, and they let me take photos of it.
At this point we were seriously overdue for some lunch at a sidewalk cafe. Spanakopita, sandwich, and some cream filled pastry for Rob and I, and we ordered the kiddos a pizza, which they were very happy about.
After lunch we made our way to the Ancient Agora, but first made a quick stop to appreciate the Library of Hadrian. Built in 132 AD, by the Roman Emporer Hadrian, the library housed a collection of papyrus, as well as reading rooms, and lecture rooms.
The nearby Roman Agora (no, I am not confused, the Romans had their own "downtown" area when they took up residence in Athens around the turn of the century) looked interesting, but we only had a few hours left so we pressed on without more than a peek.
Ancient history can be so tough when you are little! Sometimes you just need to find a tree to climb.
Finally! We arrived at the Ancient (Greek) Agora. The largest building here is the Stoa of Attalos. The original was built in the 100s BC, but this reconstruction was done in the 1950s and is now a museum housing artifacts. In it's original state it would have been a commercial center, like a shopping mall.
We finally found a Corinthian column! (Or part of one, anyway.)
The Agora was the place to shop, meet up, and hang out. Everyone in Ancient Athens would have walked these streets- including Plato, Socrates, and St. Paul.
There were also some nice views of the Acropolis from here.
We walked all over the Agora and ended up at the Temple of Hephaestus. Built in the 400s BC the temple is dedicated to the Greek God of fire, metalworking, and craftsmanship. The temple is very much as it originally stood due to being used as a Greek Orthodox church beginning way back in the 700s.
Athens is a treasure trove of ancient history and mythology and we are so thankful we got to see it and touch it! But we were pooped!
I figured our best shot at finding a taxi was to go to a busy square near a train station so we made our way to Monastiraki Square, also known as the flea market district.
History is everywhere in Athens, and I couldn't help but take a picture of the Church of the Pantanassa, or "Little Monastery" that gave this square a name. Built in the 1000s, this is fairly new for Athens, but still over 1000 years old!
On the opposite corner of the square is Tzistarakis Mosque. Built in 1759, this building is now an annex to the Museum of Greek Folk Art. Athens just constantly reminded me where it stands geographically between the Near East and Europe and how it has been a gateway for travelers and cultures throughout history.
We had just enough time to enjoy an ice cream in the shade before hailing a cab. These kids earned it!
We piled all six of us into yet another taxi, and Amelie immediately went to sleep.
Jake wasn't far behind.
I think we crammed a lot of Athens into one long day of sightseeing, but I also feel like one day was enough. Athens was a crowded, hectic, kinda dirty city and we were ready for a break from that.
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