Acropolis

After a long flight filled with anticipation, the 2001 CAUSE group arrived in Athens in the late morning of May 9th. By early afternoon, we'd checked into our hotel, which provided us all with a spectacular view of the Acropolis from our balconies. After the initial shock of being in a new country had worn off, the fatigue of all the traveling kicked in and we dragged ourselves to the Acropolis and some of the surrounding ruins. As we walked through the streets, our excitement at being surrounded with vendors and shops of all wares was enhanced by the sight of our first ruins. The Temple of Hephaistos--completed with the same marble and at the same time as the Parthenon--was visible in the near distance from the ruins of a library. A Tower of Winds, named for the depiction of the wind gods on its hexagonal shape, and the old market ruins were amazingly intact. Then, at last we reached the Acropolis--though the climb was exhausting especially after a long day of traveling!

The building that welcomes you to the Acropolis is named the Propylea, which was built specifically for providing a grand entrance to the sanctuary of Athens' patron deity Athena. Upon passing through its columns, the Parthenon is visible directly ahead and a small Temple of Athena Nike (nike meaning victory in Greek) lies directly to the left. The Parthenon is so much larger than it looks in photos and is even more impressive. The sheer mass of Pentelic marble needed to make it is astounding and the detail of the frieze scenes (depicting Amazons, Centaurs, and the battle of Troy on different sides) is lost on the building itself but may be seen up close in the small museum on the Acropolis. Also upon the Acropolis is a building named the Erechtheum. This building is my favorite because on the one side, the columns have been carved into intricate statues of women, named Caryatids, who were to be the handmaidens of Athena. The Corinthian columns are also said to be some of the most impressive still existing.

After a few hours of exploration and amazement (and two rolls of film!) it was dinnertime and the Acropolis was closing. After being followed down the Sacred Way by a few of the many stray dogs that roam Athens, the group went out together for a relaxing dinner at a local cafe and the owner kept us amused with his anecdotes and kind demeanor. We spent a few hours really getting to know each other and reflecting about how lucky we were to have the chance to see a place that was a lifetime dream for most of us. It was a bonding experience that foreshadowed the closeness of our group and the fun that we'd have for the rest of the trip.

Theresa Diehl
Geosciences Sophomore
Greece, May 2001

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