The Parthenon

The partial picture from yesterday was the houses in Athens. Did you guess that?


After sleeping and sleeping today was a day to explore Athens. We didn’t actually get started until about 11:30 am Athens time (what time would that be where you are?). Before I tell you what we saw I want to make a simple time line. Maybe you can make a better one for yourself!



BCE=Before Common Era or BC This counts backwards from 1 (there was no year 0)
CE=Common Era or AD This counts forward to present (2005)

The temple of Zeus – This is the first picture above. It is HUGE. The temple was surrrounded by 102 huge Corinthian columns. Those are the ones with the very decorative tops, It was started before 500 BCE, but because of wars and things not completed until 130 CE by Hadrian. It was a place to worship Zeus-the head Greek God and then also Hadrian who was worshipped like a God. The worship mainly took place outside the temple.

The Parthenon- This is on the Acropolis (high point of the city) which is a huge rock hill in the middle of the city. The columns here are Doric columns. Archaeologists are working to restore parts of the Parthenon which have been decaying and falling apart. This was a temple for Athena built to thank her for protecting the city. The architecture of this building is very important. Every part of it was mathematically proportioned so that even though it was huge it looked graceful and balanced.

One other important building is the Agora-or marketplace. It is here that the assembly of elected representatives (500) met to carry out the administration of the city. This was a very important place in the Classical Period of Greece (the fifth century bce (400-499). The agora was also a marketplace where there were shops for food (olive oil, grain, meat), clothing, and city offices.

The partial picture is something that I saw today. What do you think it is? Please write to let me know what questions you have and what you would like me to take pictures of. Also, let me know if the partial pictures are too easy. Tomorrow we go on to Corinth, but I will have a little morning time in Athens and I will have a chance to come back here and visit before leaving Greece.