The world has ignored their teachings......She said

Athens was considered the academic centre of the universe – she said

“The Acropolis is located on a flat-topped rock that rises about 150 m (490 ft) above sea level in the city of Athens, with a surface area of about 3 hectares (7.4 acres). It was also known as Cecropia, after the legendary serpent-man, Cecrops, the first Athenian king.

It will take about an hour and a half to two hours to complete the tour. I do just one tour a day, so I am in no hurry. Please do feel free to ask all the questions you want!” She said.

Athens is the capital of and largest city in modern Greece. It domin

ates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, with a recorded history spanning

around 3,400 years. Athens is built around a number of hills. Lycabettus is one of the tallest hills of the city and provides a view of the entire Attica Basin.

The Golden Age of Athenian democracy, was the period during which time Athens became the leading city of Ancient Greece. With its cultural achievements, it laid the foundations of Western civilisation. Athens became one of the leading centres of trade and prosperity in the region.

Guided by Pericles, who promoted the arts and fostered democracy, Athens embarked on an ambitious building program that saw the construction of the Acropolis of Athens (including the Parthenon).

The Acropolis is a great place to get your bearings and get an understanding of the layout of the city.

Democracy, philosophy, theatre and freedom of speech and expression were born on this hill – she said

"The primary purpose of the Acropolis in the ancient city of Athens was to provide sacred grounds dedicated to Athena, the city's most important and grand deity.”

“The monuments have survived the natural forces over hundreds of years. This is evidence of the perfection of the ancient building techniques of the Greeks. Inspite of extensive damage due to the ravages of time and destruction by wars, whats still stands today is awe-inspiring. America has been helping Greece to reconstruct the Acropolis and bring back the lost glory and beauty of the ancient monuments since 1980s. Thats a lot of effort! Inspite of extensive study and analysis, quite often the pieces just don't fit!” - she said

The Acropolis hill (acro - edge, polis - city), is 'The  Sacred Rock' of Athens.  Acropolis in Greek literally means “the highest point of the town”.

The Acropolis of Athens and its monuments are universal symbols of the classical spirit and civilisation. It is the greatest architectural and artistic complex that remain as treasures left behind by the ancient Greek.

There is evidence that the hill was inhabited as far back as the fourth millennium BC. In the later half of the 5th century BC, the Greek culture flourished.

“Pericles, a statesman with ambitious plans and  sculptor  Pheidias, transformed a rocky hill into something unique.”

The most important monuments were built during that time -

The Parthenon, built by Ictinus,

The Erechtheon,

The Propylaea, the monumental entrance to the Acropolis, designed by Mnesicles

and

The small temple Athena Nike.

They were wise men back then, so many hundreds of years ago -  she said.

“They thought a lot about how to give people a healthier and happier life. They planned their city – right from the location to the facilities. The Acropolis hill is made of limestone and crystals which has healing properties. This hill was considered to be the healthiest place to live on planet earth! Agriculture was carried on on one side of the hill to ensure that the winds did not ruin the crops. Great thinkers like Aristotle lived a life of austerity, out of choice. Aristotle moved with the common people and traders in the 'Agora' to understand society better.“ She said.

The Acropolis rock is part of a Late Cretaceous limestone ridge With its many shallow caves, the abundant percolating water springs and steep slopes, the Acropolis was a prime location for habitation and worship.

The Acropolis of Athens had its own underground water supply in the form of a deep well, dug at the north end of the rock.

The rich were responsible for the education,enrichment and entertainment of the poor - she said.

“The rich were made to sponsor plays to keep the common man entertained. Well not just occupied for the evenings, This was also a means to educate the common man, impart moral teachings and cultural values. It helped shape the mindset of society.”

“It helped the artisans / people involved in art make a living. The rich who made substantial contributions to society were then recognised and rewarded.

Quite the opposite of whats happening around us today, don't you think? The arts are the privilege of the wealthy! There are very limited artistic and cultural avenues for the common man! It could be the reason why the values in society are missing today.” - she said

The Lysikrates Monument is the best preserved example of a Choregic monument. Wealthy Athenian citizens financed the training and outfitting of choruses for competitive dramatical and musical performances. The producer (called the "choregos") assumed this expense as part of his civic and religious duty (an ancient "liturgy" called the "choregia"). The winning producer was awarded a bronze tripod. These tripods were displayed either in or near the sanctuary of Dionysos on the South Slope of the Acropolis or along the Street of the Tripods, an ancient road that led from the sanctuary of Dionysos around the east and northeast sides of the Acropolis. The tripods were set up on bases and other small structures inscribed with the names of the producer/choregos, the victorious Athenian tribe, the musician who accompanied the performance, the poet who "taught" the chorus, and the name of the Athenian magistrate at the time.

“They knew the human weakness, that power goes to the head” - she said.

“It is important to understand the attitude & views of the ancient Greek attitude. They didn't separate their lives into compartments, as we do today. Their festivals were for fun, business, religion, discussions and debates on culture and much more.

Back then, 'Ministers' – eminent people assisting the government in ruling the country had very limited duration in positions of power. The period was likely to have been just about a month or a bit more. This ensured that work undertaken by the minister was executed at a very fast pace. And also to delink the ministry from the person in charge, before he got too comfortable! Isn't the world experiencing the disadvantage of not doing that today?” - She said

How do we know that the position of respect was for the post held and not for an individual person? The stone 'thrones' [special seats] set up in the front rows of the 'Dionysos theatre'  have the designations engraved on them, not the names of the important people.' She said. “ It would be a very rare instance where a person's name would be engraved on the seat.”

For the Greeks in ancient Athens, the Theatre of Dionysos was a very important part of their lives. Today it is considered to be the place where European theatre had its beginnings.

The theatre was built at the time when 'drama' or 'theatre' was first being created. The cult of Dionysos was brought to Athens in the 6th C BC, and the theatre was built as part of the temple precinct.

In the 5th C BC major works of theatre were performed. These plays were written by some of the great "Attic tragedians", men such as Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides. The plays were performed as part of the celebrations of Dionysos.

As with much of the ancient world, the site was added to and developed over the centuries. What remains today is mostly from the Roman era.In 330 BC stone seats were added (some think there were wooden seats up until this time), and the remains of these are the ones you see today. It was able to seat up to 17,000 people. The seats in the first row were reserved for dignitaries, and you can still see some of the reliefs.

The real power was with the women - she said.

“ The story about 300 spartans who fought against Persian King Xerxes army...have you seen that American film? She asked. The story is partially true!

'And the 6 -pack abs?' One amongst our small group of tourists asked mischievously. 'Were they for real?'

“ Back then, it was important that the men always be ready for war. The almost year round training schedule was punishing. It kept the men away from home for long periods. So the 6-pack abs were probably for real!”

“In Lysistrata the women barricaded themselves in the fortress in protest, being tired of their men going to war against Sparta. Depriving them of sex, cooking and care.The men would stand outside for days, begging to be let in!”

No one really knows if the women really meant to just punish their men or needed the extra time to ...well...hide evidences of their escapades!” She said, with a twinkle in her eyes! “A terrific strategy that might even work today” - she said

Out of intelligence and experience was born Knowledge and wisdom - she said. Let me tell you the story of Zeus and Athena.....

Zeus was the youngest son of the Titans Cronus and Rhea. When he was born, his father Cronus intended to swallow him as he had all of Zeus's siblings: Poseidon, Hades, Hestia, Demeter and Hera. But Rhea hid the newborn in a cave on Mount Dicte in Crete.

Zeus came to lust after Metis, and chased her in his direct way. Metis tried to escape, going so far as to change her form many times; she changed into various creatures such as hawks, fish, and serpents. However, Zeus was both determined and equally proficient at changing form. He continued his pursuit until she relented.

An oracle of Gaea then prophesied that Metis' first child would be a girl and that her second child would be a boy that would overthrow Zeus, similarly to what had happened to his father and grandfather. Zeus took this warning to heart.

When he next saw Metis, he initially flattered her and put her at her ease. Then, with Metis' guards down, Zeus opened his mouth and swallowed her and her unborn child. This was the end of Metis, but also the beginning of Zeus' wisdom.

After a time, Zeus developed an unbearable headache, which made him scream out of pain so loudly it could be heard throughout the earth. The other gods came to see what the problem was. Hermes realised what needed to be done and directed Hephaestus to take a wedge and split open Zeus's skull. Out of the skull sprang Athena, fully grown and in a full set of armour. Due to the way of her birth, she became the goddess of intelligence and wisdom.

“ Everything and everyone teaches us something and every teaching leaves a mark” - She said

The Parthenon stands for perfection - she said. It is perfect in every way

“Its because it was the most perfect building built by the world's most advanced civilisation”

“The Parthenon is the most perfect and the most imitated building in the world. The restoration work you see has been going on for the last 30 years and may go on for another 30. The more they try to put it back together the more respect and awe they have for the ancient Greeks.” She said. “I love the Acropolis. I am proud to be Greek.I have been a certified tour guide here for more than 25 years. I want to see the Acropolis brought back to its former glory. It will mean that everything that is wrong with the world will be set right again.”

Parthenon,The chief temple of the Goddess Athena was built on the Acropolis Athens between 447 and 432 BC and considered a supreme example of Doric architecture, the simplest of the three Classical Greek architectural orders.

The name Parthenon refers to the cult of Athena Parthenos (“Athena the Virgin”) that was associated with the temple. Directed by the Athenian statesman Pericles, the Parthenon was built by the architects Ictinus and Callicrates under the supervision of the sculptor Phidias. Work began in 447 bce, and the building itself was completed by 438. The same year a great gold and ivory statue of Athena, made by Phidias for the interior, was dedicated. Work on the exterior decoration of the building continued until 432 bce.

The Parthenon is a Doric peripteral temple, which means that it consists of a rectangular floor plan with a series of low steps on every side, and a colonnade (8 x 17) of Doric columns extending around the periphery of the entire structure. Each entrance has an additional six columns in front of it. The larger of the two interior rooms, the naos, housed the cult statue. The smaller room (the opisthodomos) was used as a treasury.

Although the rectangular white marble Parthenon has suffered damage over the centuries, including the loss of most of its sculpture, its basic structure has remained intact.

Pentelic marble from the nearby Mt. Pentelicus was used for the building, and never before had so much marble (22,000 tons) been used in a Greek temple. Pentelic marble was known for its pure white appearance and fine grain. It also contains traces of iron which over time has oxidised, giving the marble a soft honey colour, a quality particularly evident at sunrise and sunset.

The temple measured 30.88 m by 69.5 m and was constructed using a 4:9 ratio in several aspects. The diameter of the columns in relation to the space between columns, the height of the building in relation to its width, and the width of the inner cella in relation to its length are all 4:9. Other sophisticated architectural techniques were used to combat the problem that anything on that scale of size when perfectly straight seems from a distance to be curved. To give the illusion of true straight lines, the columns lean ever so slightly inwards, a feature which also gives a lifting effect to the building making it appear lighter than its construction material would suggest. Also, the stylobate or floor of the temple is not exactly flat but rises slightly in the centre. The columns also have entasis, that is, a slight fattening in their middle, and the four corner columns are imperceptibly fatter than the other columns. The combination of these refinements makes the temple seem perfectly straight, symmetrically in harmony, and gives the entire  building a certain vibrancy. The ancient Greeks understood the mechanics of site and that to make a line look straight it had to be tapered or curved. The roof corners also carried lion-headed spouts to drain away water.

No previous Greek temple was so richly decorated.

The most important sculpture of the Parthenon though was not outside but inside. There is evidence that the temple was built to measure in order to accommodate the chryselephantine statue of Athena by Pheidias. This was a gigantic statue over 12 m high and made of carved ivory for flesh parts and gold (1140 kilos or 44 talents of it) for everything else, all wrapped around a wooden core. The gold parts could also be easily removed if necessary in times of financial necessity. The statue stood on a pedestal measuring 4.09 by 8.04 metres.

The statue has been lost (it may have been removed in the 5th century CE and taken to Constantinople, but smaller Roman copies survive, and they show Athena standing majestic, fully armed, wearing an aegis with the head of Medusa prominent, holding Nike in her right hand and with a shield in her left hand depicting scenes from the Battles of the Amazons and the Giants. A large coiled snake resided behind the shield. On her helmet stood a sphinx and two griffins. In front of the statue was a large shallow basin of water, which not only added the humidity necessary for the preservation of the ivory, but also acted as a reflector of light coming through the doorway. The statue must have been nothing less than awe-inspiring and the richness of it - both artistically and literally - must have sent a very clear message of the wealth and power of the city that could produce such a tribute to their patron god.

From a temple it became a church, a mosque and finally as a storage facility for Turkish gunpowder.

The Ionion sea is the most legendary sea in the world - she said

“Look towards the sea and you can see Pireos street which connects Athens to the port”-

The story of Io is one of the most touching dramas in Greek Mythology. This story goes back to the early days on Olympus. Zeus was new to the throne of eternity and his treatment of Io was nothing less than wicked and unhealthy.

The Ionian sea and islands were named after the beautiful priestess Io, who caught the philandering eye of Zeus. When Zeus' wife Hera was about to catch the couple in 'flagrante delicto', the God changed the girl into a white cow, but Hera was not to be fooled.

Hera had not missed the drama unfolding in Argos. She was angered by Zeus’ infidelity so she punished Zeus by punishing Io. She asked Zeus to give her the cow as a present, and ordered the sleepless hundred-eyed monster Argus to watch over her. When Hermes, working for Zeus, charmed Argus to sleep and killed him, Io the cow escaped, only to be pursued by a terrible stinging  fly sent by Hera. The first place Io fled to, took her name, the Ionian Sea, before she ended he bovine swimming marathon in Egypt, where Zeus restored the girl to her rightful form. As for the unfortunate Argus, Hera collected his hundred eyes and stuck them on the peacock's tail.

“There is an old Greek word that is used in India for great men – Mahatma. In Greek it means 'spirit of the Mother' referring to Mother earth – the original, only and final Mother.”  The Greeks had travelled to India with Alexander the Great. Maybe that was how the word 'Mahatma'  came into use in India.” She said

We reached the Greek flag on the northeast corner of the Acropolis where Athens stretches out endlessly below. It had taken all of two hours. We had stopped at the Theatre of Dionysos, theatre of Herod Atticus built by the Romans in 161 AD and still used today for classical concerts, ballet, performances of high cultural value and Yanni. The parthenon and The Erecthion were behind us as were a few other monuments which are a little more than rubble today.

The walk and climb was exhilarating. Around 250 stone steps.

Our guide was a pretty lady, whose age I guessed, was around 65. She had gathered a small group of seven tourists  at the ticket counter at the entrance of the Acropolis for a guided tour in English. She obviously loved her country and marvelled at the history and heritage she was born into. She had read and studied the History of Athens and grappled with the mythology handed down from the ancient times.

She narrated the history, facts and fiction, with a rather soft smile on her face, seemingly lost in the past. So engrossed was her group of wide eyed tourists, in the fascination of the story and her story telling ability, their eyes would rest on her face as she spoke, their attention and eyes wandering away to the historic sights only when she pointed out to something specific. She almost rebuilt for them, the vibrant city of the past while walking amongst the rubble.

A few times along the way, when she paused  or rested her palm on her knee to leverage herself up the steps, one of us would offer our hand in assistance. “ No thank you! I need to prove I can do it!” She said.

At one point, a soft spoken man persisted “ I am sure you can do it. I am here today. Let me help you.”

“That is exactly why I should not take your help! You will be gone tomorrow. I have to do it myself today, so that I can do it tomorrow” She said.

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Originally published in 2015