Today, standing at the foot of the Acropolis, I am reminded of my Stuyvesant High School days back in the 80's, when the remarkable Dr. Sheldon brought Greek Literature to life for me!
OK, I am a bit of a geek - we were all geeks back then, right down to the taped horn-rimmed glasses and Rubik's cubes!
My Greek Mythology as Literature class ignited a lifelong passion for ancient history, or "rubble" as my husband Richard calls it!
Eons ago, the Parthenon's was the high temple of Athena. Her gilded halls were choked by clouds of myrrh and incense. One of the Seven Wonders of the World, the Acropolis was visited by pilgrims across the Mediterranean. Sadly, the pediment's statuary, now housed in the British Museum, remains the topic of ongoing international litigation, but even so, the grandeur of this site is only slightly diminished.
I had arranged to share a private shore transfer from Piraeus port with four other couples we met onboard. We were deposited at the entrance to tour independently (read: no guide) and be picked up on the other side. The group all looked at me and asked where we were heading first. We have been to the Parthenon several times, so armed with a DK-Top 10 Athens Guide and my mobile, I somehow found myself conducting my very first shore excursion!
This turned out to be pretty cool. During our ascent, we occasionally paused to view some subtle remnants - footprints from a bygone statue etched into a base, the body now lost to time. Who were you? A warrior? A scholar? A king? Long since looted, we will never know...
We reached the crest to see the mighty Parthenon, her pediment as sensual in what remains as she is stripped of what was taken during their umpteenth occupation. Across from the Parthenon, the Caryatids still stand under a lesser temple, bearing the architrave for countless millennia.
As we continue on, now descending this timeworn citadel, we arrive at the Areopagus, a huge rock at the base of the site. It was here, reading a bronze inscription, that I was taken back to those lessons. I punched a few keywords into Wikipedia, and read aloud to the group:
"Athena cast the deciding vote in this, history's first recorded jury trial, and the basis for most systems of law, even today - 'Yes, with all my heart, I am my father's child,' she said, before liberating poor Orestes...thus was the curse of the House of Atreus lifted." This passage from Eumenides was written thousands of years ago, and yet incredibly, our jury system is actually based on it!
The Areopagus is also the site where St. Paul delivered his famous speech to the Athenians, and it is topped with a handful of Christian pilgrims reciting from the "Letters to the Athenians" as we hang back a moment to take in this clash of ancient and modern worship.
It is indescribable to stand here today where myth meets fact and recall the words of Aeschylus more than three millennia after he penned them! Dr. Sheldon, now long gone, may never know how much she inspired me, but I am eternally grateful to her! Memorable times such as this, shared with new friends are the greatest reason to travel!