7. The grandiose Parthenon and the Blue-white
Kanelis sprang high up in the air. The few clouds had started embracing the wonderful colors of the sunset. The atmosphere was so clear that the grandiose temple of goddess Athena, the Parthenon, sparkled in the horizon. Kanelis flew around it and he didn’t want to land. He was trying to record every single detail of this grandiose monument. He was speechless in front of this sight. The sacred rock of the Acropolis was breathtaking. He couldn’t bear all these emotions caused by the monument, so he landed, in order to rest on the part of the wall, where the pole with the Greek flag is situated.
- How beautiful this neighborhood is, with the small houses leaning on the rock, he exclaimed.
- The neighborhood you admire so much is called Plaka, a sweet voice said from above. Kanelis looked up and saw a big white and blue flag.
- Hey, hello, what’s your name?
- My name is Blue-white and I am the flag of the Greek nation, she said flapping gracefully and proudly.
- Everyone I have met today, speak very highly of the Acropolis. I wonder if you could tell me a few words about the history, the significance of this monument.
- I’d be glad, Kanelis. Hmm, let’s start from the beginning; the Acropolis was inhabited during the Neolithic Age which is between 4000 and 3000 B.C.
- Wow, so long ago?
- Of course! What followed was the construction of the Cyclopean Wall in the 13th century B.C., while in the 8th century the worship of Athena Polias was established and the Acropolis acquires for the first time a religious dimension. In the 6th century B.C. the Panathenaea is established, the most important festival for the citizens of Athens. The believers dedicated to the sanctuary many and luxuriant votives, presents to the goddess, like marble korai and cavalry men, vessels, different kinds of statues made of clay or copper and many more.
- And I imagine they did it to honor goddess Athena.
- Of course, Kanelis, she was the protector of the city of Athens. Her presents symbolize- or I should say affirm- the importance of Athena’s worship during the archaic period.
- When was it built- this large magnificent temple standing on the hill?
- You mean the Parthenon, the jewel of the hill. There is no visitor, you know, who didn’t take a picture of it. It is the most important monument of Ancient Athens, but he doesn’t show it, he’s very humble!
- Obviously! But go on with your narration, please.
- Well, yes, where were we? Yes, in the 5th century B.C. Athens accumulates power and wealth, it is a time of heyday. The century takes its name from a significant citizen and it’s known as the Golden Age of Pericles. The city was then the most important center of the intellectual world.
- And what does Pericles have to do with the Acropolis?
- It was his initiative, Kanelis, to put into practice a grandiose constructional project that lasted almost 50 years. The most skillful artists of the time, architects and sculptors created the most important monuments you see around you, like the Parthenon, the Erechtheon, the temple of Athena Nike and of course the imposing Propylaea.
- Yes, everything is so impressive and I imagine that, before the damages, this place must have been breathtaking.
- You are right, Kanelis. Unfortunately, over the centuries the monuments of the Acropolis have been seriously damaged due to natural causes or human intervention. The temples changed function and the Acropolis was transformed into a fortress.
The first serious damage, Kanelis, was during a war in 1687, when a bomb explodes the magnificent Parthenon, which was then used for storing gunpowder. This was the first major blow for the monument.
- What a pity that people didn’t respect the cultural heritage or, I should say they didn’t understand the value of its preservation, what a pity, Kanelis said sorrowfully.
I agree with you, my friend, but the destruction went on when lord Elgin took away the sculptures of the Parthenon and removed the sculptures from the Erechtheon and the temple of Athena Nike between 1801 and 1802. That was a significant loss.
- I imagine how it is to be uprooted from your birthplace and transferred violently to another area. So what happened in the end?
- The monument, Kanelis, found peace in 1822 and came under governmental care. Excavations started later and at the beginning of the 20th century, the first extensive restoration work took place. Today, under the supervision of the Ministry of Culture and a multitude of archaeologists, architects, engineers and specialised technicians, large-scale consolidation and restoration work is attempted, worthy of this universal cultural treasure.
- I’m very happy to hear this, but, tell me, where are all these votives that have been found, the presents to goddess Athena.
- All these, Kanelis, adorn a super-modern museum today, a newly designed museum, which is located just across the monument, the new Acropolis Museum. Every visitor who comes up here speaks admiringly about it.
- Ah, if only I had more time, my dear Blue-white, if only I had more time! It’s already dark and I have to return to my flower- bed. I warmly thank you for the tour; you have been a great narrator. Goodbye!