in 460 bc after the Persians left Athens a leader emerged who would enable the
city to reach cultural and militaristic heights
his name was Pericles and he is credited not only with major democratic reforms
but in rebuilding a powerful army and creating some of the greatest monuments
of all time under Pericles 30-year rule the Acropolis the Persians destroyed was
rebuilt in a glorious matter its principal building was the great
Parthenon but the hill was filled with dozens of smaller temples each a
masterpiece of design and execution Pericles led the city through a golden
age which would make the name of Athens immortal
this was the era of artists like the sculptor Phidias the time when
philosophers like Socrates and Plato soft eternal truths
this was when Sophocles and Euripides created Western drama the Foundation's
were laid for almost every aspect of modern Western civilization even sport
so Pericles come to a deadly plague which decimated a quarter of the
Athenian population his accomplishments live on Athens was the pinnacle of a
dynamic which had been building for thousands of years Greece is a land of
contrasting often specular landscapes the ancient Greeks believed its woods
and waters were populated by gods and goddesses and other supernatural
creatures of everyone
in fact the land was inhabited by a surprising range of very real creatures
the first people who came here arrived nearly 2,000 years before Christ at the
beginning of the bronze age they belong to a branch of the great indo-european
stock that migrated from the vast plain stretching from Europe to Asia the
earliest Greeks were tribes of warriors who spoke the same language but fought
incessantly struggling for possession of the richest and most fertile land the
first settlements were primitive rural communities then between 1500 and 1200
BC there was a general population bull magnificent palaces arose they were
inappropriate setting for mythical and legendary stories like those from the
poet Homer and adventure yarns like the voyage of the Argonauts and the trials
of Heracles many of these stories are more fiction than fact
but one was thought to be real Homer's epic scale the iliad which told of the
war of the Greeks against Troy Troy was the city that fell to a horse filled
with Greek warriors but was there ever really such a city for thousands of
years Troy and the Trojan War were thought to be only a myth then beginning
in 1870 heinrich schliemann an amateur german archaeologist began to unearthed
the ruins of troy
the city had indeed been destroyed by a great coalition formed by the major city
states of continental grease it was a rare coalition the ancient Greek
city-states were usually in a constant state of war with each other by the
fifth century BC there were about four and a half million Greeks it was at this
time that Athens emerged as the most famous of the city-state's athens still
lives and thrives today the modern cities surrounds the Acropolis and the
remains of the ancient city showing thousands of years of continuous human
habitation packed with a population of about five million people it is often
chaotic and polluted still it is a living linked with that
ancient world in many places the different periods the city has passed
through are stacked one upon the other but always soaring majestically above
the teeming city was the eternal Parthenon and the other buildings of the
Acropolis the word acropolis means the high part of the city and in fact almost
every city in ancient Greece had a necropolis indeed almost every city
began as a settlement atop such a hill
such sites were natural forts protection against marauding beasts and enemy
armies even as the ancient city grew and spread the Acropolis was where the most
important people lived the Acropolis was where philosophy was debated and
government conducted most significantly the Acropolis was we're gods and
goddesses were worshipped and mysterious sacred rites in the Mycenaean period
around 1200 BC the original huts were replaced by fortifications which later
legend said were built by mythical Giants in 450 BC the Acropolis took on
the architectural appearance that established it as the center of Greek
culture the magnificence of the Acropolis remained intact even after the
decline of Athens following its defeat by sparta later in the second century AD
the Romans added new walls and buildings like the spectacular theater of Herodias
Atticus during Pericles lifetime Athens was at the height of its splendor yet
even as great political and cultural events were unfolding citizens could
lead a comfortable enjoyable daily life families thrive and people live together
in a period of relative bliss and Pete's
the Athenians like all ancient Greeks were pious people they believed in the
power of the gods to help them or harm them so religious festivals were held
throughout the year the head of a family would make periodic sacrifices to the
gods they were also special offerings made for particular occasions as when a
family member had fallen ill or was about to begin a dangerous journey
the regular festivals climax every four years with a great procession to the
Acropolis this was the Panthea honoring Athena the city's protector all
residents no matter what their rank or occupation would have been part of the
joyous procession in the ceremony two young virgins would offer the goddess a
peplum a rich gown trimmed with colorful embroidery the procession would enter
the Acropolis through the propylaea the monumental entrance designed by
architect NASA Cleese in those ancient days there was a picture gallery with
paintings on canvas by public notice and a new venus by painter appellee's all
these masterpieces disappeared long ago
after passing the propylaea worshippers would go to the inner square here stood
Athena has warrior Athena promoções 25 feet tall with a golden spear and helmet
it is one of the first statues of Athena on the right behind the sacred wall of
the Temple of Artemis one would catch a glimpse of the Parthenon perspective
which survives today in ancient times this building held a curious statue of
Athena actos after owes means without wings the Athenians center wings have
been removed so that the goddess couldn't flee the city
it's the work of architect khaliq rities a real marble masterpiece sculpted
during a truce between one of the many battles of Athens and its eternal rival
sparta a woman at this time between for 21 and 40 6pc might not have been
allowed to enter this building the erect theme the most sacred temple on the
Acropolis
it houses the city's most important relics including an olive trees said to
have been given by athena here also were believed to be the tombs of erectus and
key crops mythical founders of the city and finally the palladium the most
venerated image of the theme a wooden statuette that simply appeared magically
one day today the building's most famous feature is this porch of the carry out
its too faced by the ravages of time these images may well have been
portraits of women revered for their beauty who lived and died here over
2,000 years ago from microscopic paint chips
archaeologists have reconstructed something of their original vitality of
course of all the structures on the Acropolis the Parthenon dedicated to the
goddess Athena Parthenos remains the most famous 100 feet wide and 230 feet
long
it has eight columns on the facades and 17 on each side
construction began in $YEAR 4 47 BC and archeologists believe it took 15 years
to complete the spotless marble came from nearby quarries and changes color
depending on how the light shines on it the Parthenon survived largely intact
until 1687 ad when a Turkish army used to store ammunition there was a
shattering explosion
so accidents and pillaging have taken their toll
the glory survives archaeological reconstruction allows us to see these
treasures as they were meant to be seen thousands of years ago a look at the
Eastern gable shows scenes of the mythical battle for control of Athens
between the goddess Athena and Poseidon god of the sea which according to
mythology was fought on the Acropolis
wonderful as the exterior of the Parthenon was the real meaning of the
Parthenon lay inside the Parthenon celebrated one of Athena's most revered
aspects Athena as virgin the statue of Athena inside the temple is by all
accounts one of the most glorious lost treasures of the ancient world made of
gold and ivory it was over 40 feet tall it was so expensive the cost to build it
was enough to outfit 300 warships it's sculptor Phidias was said to have been
inspired by the actual presence of the goddess in his studio as he worked but
the absorbent price so angered the Athenians that Phidias was forced to go
into exile for the rest of his life
the statue remained in place until 426 ad then an invading army took it too far
off Constantinople where it was destroyed in a fire which also consumed
most of the city archaeologists know a lot about it through the so-called
statuette of akhiya a small reproduction of the Hellenistic period for countless
centuries athens and the Acropolis were a beacon for travelers throughout the
ancient world
many were on their way to Delphi a holy place just northwest of Athens there was
a great temple here dedicated to the god Apollo
Delphi was also the site of the mystic Oracle who gave cryptic glimpses of the
future
yeah
today archaeologists experiment with techniques duplicating those available
to the ancients trying to determine just how the marble used at Delphi was
brought here and put into place
this was built by the people of Athens and thanks for their great victory
against the Persians at the Battle of Marathon 490 BC
once these rooms were heap with shields and Spears rested from the Persians and
devotional statues made of gold and silver but of course all these treasures
are long God Greek women at this time would have visited delphi adorned with
jewelry and other ornaments they would have scented themselves with perfume
made from herbal extracts like mint sesame and cumin and even worn lipstick
an ordinary day for a family began a dom breakfast for adults and children alike
was usually a little bread dipped and wine as the day went on the way foot
attend to the children and the house while the husband left for a more public
life
athens offer an almost infinite variety of diversions for a male citizen of the
upper classes unburdened by regular employment he could visit and drink with
friends when his wife stayed quietly at home
the men did do the shopping in an area called the Agora offering a huge variety
of goods household utensils vegetables wine toiletries pottery leather wooden
objects miraculous serves medicines
inevitably coins were dropped rolled away lost and then found thousands of
years later they have proven that goods were paid for with both local currency
and the coins of other city-states undoubtedly bargaining is vigorous
another of the Living links between ancient and modern methods is the market
in the city's monastiraki asst district then as now it was a huge chaotic bazaar
where you can buy just about anything 200 years before Christ one writer said
in athens they sell everything in one place all sorts of figs bunches of
grapes turnips pears apples and fish from every see land animal entrails
Myrtle berries water clocks chickpeas cow colostrum pudding and honeycombs
even if one was of moderate income the family would still have fish and beans
as well as lots of onions cheeses and garlic on the table at mealtime the wine
of the ancient Greeks at a high alcohol content so it was diluted for serving
one part wine 25 parts water mixing was done in large bowls and often flavored
with sense like time mint and cinnamon outside the home wine was a crucial
social bond particularly at the symposium the word symposium literally
means to drink together
wives were not permitted to attend the symposiums of ancient Greece but there
were women present they were courtesans well-trained girls whose charms included
dancing music and the reciting of comic and erotic poetry prostitution was so
important in ancient Athens the great lawgiver solon included it in his
rulings the trade was concentrated and Cara mykos section by the Dipple on gate
one of the city's most important the district was also famous for the
thousands of craftsmen and artists who produced beautiful pottery decorated
with characteristic black and red figures pottery traded throughout the
ancient world
pottery production was a key component of the economic life of the ancient
world much like the automobile industry today
potters and kills kept busy 24 hours a day meant prosperity in large measure
the life happens depended on what went on here in another part of the city the
Agora with its store was a major centre for local trade
built in the 2nd century BC it became another living link to the past when it
was fully rebuilt in 1953 today it is the prestigious home of the Agora museum
the store building with great colonnades and stores for retail sales not only
housed a two-story shopping center but was also the site where many
philosophers of ancient Athens gave their lectures
there were only male philosophers women and men only allowed to attend the
lectures women were believed to be incapable of rational thought
at the center of the Agora stood the tholos pretty mia erected during the
fifth century BC with a diameter of sixty feet
this is where the Senate of Athens used to gather to debate the issues of the
day what laws to pass what rival states to ally with which to fight should
Socrates be put to death for preaching sedition the Senators were able to
continue their sessions into the night because beds were brought in to make
their stay more comfortable
the CC on dominated the entire area although it was built during the time of
Pericles it remains in remarkably good condition in large part this is because
of its conversion in the 5th century AD into a christian church dedicated to st.
George it has six columns on the facade and 13 on each side
the building's conversion to Christianity did not affect the
embellishment celebrating pagan heroes like Theseus and Hercules there used to
be a secret area dedicated to the most important Greek gods where the subway
now passes the site was considered the centre of Athens all distances were
measured from an altar that stood here workers building the subway found sparse
fragments which together with contemporary accounts allowed
archaeologists to envision the site as it was then the altar was surrounded by
a low square wall drinking fountains were situated at the two entrances to
allow visitors to cool down and a small altar was in the middle further on is
the stoa of Zeus healthiest another place where men like Socrates and Plato
developed the philosophies which would shape Western thought today city
managers are assessing the feasibility of a project to restore the precious
ancient site in a sense vast reaches of time are condensed in a place like
Athens
the bustling present and the distant past coexisting as one Athens which
survived the Persians and the plague and all the assaults that followed athens
the stage for endless human drama thousands of years connected by the
concerns of countless humans mother sending their children out into the
uncertainties of an ever-changing world athens the city of philosophers and
artists extraordinary people
athens favorite of the gods and goddesses athens the favorite of time