Beginning of Civilization
Trip Start
May 29, 2009
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3
6
Trip End
Ongoing
Athens, Attica, Greece
Monday, September 14, 2009
Our day was started with walks around the Acropolis with a tour guide. He was an artist from Athens, who admittedly needed a secondary form of income. His commentary was almost as great as the tour. Turns out, the Greeks hate lots of people. A common theme in history is the Turks taking over the Greek islands. He went on and on about "those god-damed Turks." He also had several things to say about the: Serbians, Albanians, and Macedonians to name a few.
On the Acropolis was a building called the Erehteon (one spelling amongst many). This building was a palace at one time; legend has it that our White House's entry was designed with this in mind. There are more similarities than differences:
After seeing the Acropolis, we made our way to the Ancient Agora. The Agora, at that time, was the centre of the city. Economics, politics, and religion all smashed into this one area. The best part of the Agora, and best preserved, was the Temple of Hephaestus. It was completed in the 5th Century, and after the Ancients were finished using it to worship the god of metal-working, it was used by the Greek Orthodox Church until the 18th Century. The hill on which the Temple is built is probably the best view of the Acropolis.
**PICTURES**
