Spiders in Greece: Athens
01/13/2024 | General, Academic Services, Spider Leadership, Spider Performance
Through a partnership with the Office of the Chaplaincy, Spider student-athletes are exploring religious traditions, history, and culture in both the ancient world and the present during a Global Leadership Immersion to Greece this week. Follow the Spiders on their journey with daily recaps from the student-athletes.
Hello Spiders,
We arrived in Athens, Greece late last night pretty tired from all of our previous adventures, but very excited to explore the capital of Greece the next day. Our tour for the day was scheduled later than usual, allowing us to begin our morning a bit later, work out, and enjoy a delightful breakfast at the NYX Esperia Palace Hotel, our residence for the remainder of our time in Greece. After breakfast, our guide, Dionysus, gathered us in the lobby and prepared to lead us to our first destination - the famous Acropolis of Athens. Dionysus shared fascinating insight with us on the way there: the term "Acropolis" originates from the roots "acro" and "polis," meaning "edge" and "city," respectively. Essentially, Acropolis translates to the "highest point of the city." A lot of tourists often believe Athens has the only Acropolis, however, we have learned that each city during that time period had its own Acropolis.
As we entered the Acropolis grounds, we had a very steep climb that made us all marvel and wonder at how this amazing sight was constructed. Our first stop was at the Odeon, an amphitheater with distinctive features setting it apart from others. The Odeon's ruins, visible from various parts of the city, underwent restoration in the 1950s. After that we proceeded to an even higher point within the Acropolis where we could see a few other ancient Greek monuments such the Ancient Agora, a thriving center of commerce and social interactions. Next to it - the Temple of Hephaestus, dedicated to the God of Fire, was prominently situated, encircled by districts inhabited by craftsmen.
We also went on to see and learn about the "Propylaia," the marble gate at the Acropolis which not only serves as a physical entrance but also stands as a testament to the complex craftsmanship of Corinthian style architecture. The detailed features of the "Propylaia" largely contribute to the overall magnificence of the Acropolis. Also, Dionysus explained to us the ethical principles governing architectural practices, stressing the importance of preserving the old, while incorporating the new. Apparently, there are specific rules that one must follow when renovating certain ancient Greek objects, monuments, parts of monuments, etc.
The focal point of our visit was the Parthenon, named in honor of the Goddess Athena. Dionysus said that people made donations to the gods in the Parthenon, believing it would discourage theft. In the 17th century, the Parthenon faced significant damage during the Ottoman-Venetian Wars, and later, in 1687, it suffered further destruction when an explosion occurred inside the temple during a conflict between the Ottomans and the Venetians. The Parthenon was subsequently used as a mosque during Ottoman rule. Another note of importance we learned on this excursion was that the roof of the Parthenon and many other temples were made of wood and not marble. This is why we view the remains of today and the wood structures are no longer present.
Next to the Parthenon there is the Old Temple of Goddess Athena, which is another ancient religious structure dedicated to the Goddess Athena. Unfortunately, the temple no longer exists in its original form, as it has suffered significant deterioration over the centuries, leaving behind only ruins. Behind the Old Temple of Goddess Athena, we could see the Erechtheion, which is very notable for its asymmetrical design. The most famous feature is the Porch of the Maidens, also known as the Caryatid Porch, where six female statues support the roof in place of traditional columns. Another significant element of the Erechtheion is the sacred olive tree situated in front of the temple, symbolizing the contest between Athena and Poseidon for the patronage of Athens. According to the myth, that olive tree is believed to be a direct descendant of the original tree that Athena gifted to the city.
After a few group and individual pictures, we went downhill straight to the Acropolis Museum which was opened to the public in 2009, and since then serves as a showcase for the artifacts and sculptures from the Acropolis archaeological site. We had a great and a very informative time at the museum, because it provides a very thorough chronological journey through the history of the Acropolis. Here are some of the exhibitions and galleries we saw: Gallery of the Slopes of the Acropolis, Archaic Gallery, the Parthenon Gallery, the Propylaia, Athena Nike, and Erechtheion Gallery, Gallery of the Acropolis Slopes, and some others. Most definitely, the highlight of the museum is the Parthenon Gallery on the third floor, where the original friezes and metopes from the Parthenon are displayed. The layout of this gallery mirrors the dimensions and orientation of the Parthenon itself. One fact we learned in the museum that many in our group found interesting was that the statues, monuments, and temples were originally painted in very bright colors that have since faded. The monument remains we view today are a shell of their original depiction, and the museum did a great job showing simulations of the variety of colors that would have been present on each of these in their original state.
After the Acropolis Museum we went for lunch at one of the Greek local restaurants on the stone streets below the Acropolis. Moussaka (my top favorite Greek food) was very delicious! And then we drove a little bit outside of the city center to see the Panathenaic Stadium, which is one of the most iconic and ancient stadiums in the world. It was originally built in the 4th century BC for the Panathenaic Games, a religious and athletic festival held in honor of the Goddess Athena. The stadium played a crucial role in the revival of the modern Olympic Games as well. It was chosen as the venue for the first modern Olympic Games held in 1896, symbolizing the connection between the ancient and modern Olympic traditions. As true D-I college athletes, we completed a lap around the 400-meter Olympic Stadium, followed by taking a group picture in front of the Olympic Rings and also on the podium. Then, we went to the Athens Olympic Museum where we had a quick private tour where we learned about the history of the Olympic Games, through a chronological narration, highlighting the three pivotal periods of the Olympic Ideal: the Birth (Ancient Olympia), the Revival (Athens 1896) and the Return of the Olympic Games in Greece (Athens 2004). It was very interesting to see and listen to Dionysus as he was telling us about how the image of sports, athletes, competition have changed over the centuries leading to the point where we are currently stand.
By the time we were done with our tour of the Athens Olympic Museum, we were all very hungry so we had dinner nearby at another Greek restaurant. This time we enjoyed very delicious chicken souvlaki with tzatziki sauce on the side! And, to conclude our day, we attended a basketball game between Panathinaikos Athens and Anadolu Efes Istanbul. It was quite the experience! We were sitting right across so-called "section 13," the local "club hooligans." You cannot simply buy a ticket to this section, but you have to be a member of the specific basketball community, and they are blocked off from the rest of the stadium. Loud is an understatement as they cheered, yelled, chanted, and shouted the entire game from start to finish. It was definitely a completely different atmosphere than what many have experienced here in the states. The members of that community are really passionate and care about their team A LOT. Luckily for us and for the whole city of Athens, Panathinaikos won 83 - 76! After the game, we headed back to the hotel to get some sleep and rest for the next day. We all really enjoyed our first day in Athens, and even though the time flies by very fast, we all are very excited about what the last two days in Greece are holding for us!
Polina Shitikova (W. Tennis)
Hello Spiders,
We arrived in Athens, Greece late last night pretty tired from all of our previous adventures, but very excited to explore the capital of Greece the next day. Our tour for the day was scheduled later than usual, allowing us to begin our morning a bit later, work out, and enjoy a delightful breakfast at the NYX Esperia Palace Hotel, our residence for the remainder of our time in Greece. After breakfast, our guide, Dionysus, gathered us in the lobby and prepared to lead us to our first destination - the famous Acropolis of Athens. Dionysus shared fascinating insight with us on the way there: the term "Acropolis" originates from the roots "acro" and "polis," meaning "edge" and "city," respectively. Essentially, Acropolis translates to the "highest point of the city." A lot of tourists often believe Athens has the only Acropolis, however, we have learned that each city during that time period had its own Acropolis.
As we entered the Acropolis grounds, we had a very steep climb that made us all marvel and wonder at how this amazing sight was constructed. Our first stop was at the Odeon, an amphitheater with distinctive features setting it apart from others. The Odeon's ruins, visible from various parts of the city, underwent restoration in the 1950s. After that we proceeded to an even higher point within the Acropolis where we could see a few other ancient Greek monuments such the Ancient Agora, a thriving center of commerce and social interactions. Next to it - the Temple of Hephaestus, dedicated to the God of Fire, was prominently situated, encircled by districts inhabited by craftsmen.
We also went on to see and learn about the "Propylaia," the marble gate at the Acropolis which not only serves as a physical entrance but also stands as a testament to the complex craftsmanship of Corinthian style architecture. The detailed features of the "Propylaia" largely contribute to the overall magnificence of the Acropolis. Also, Dionysus explained to us the ethical principles governing architectural practices, stressing the importance of preserving the old, while incorporating the new. Apparently, there are specific rules that one must follow when renovating certain ancient Greek objects, monuments, parts of monuments, etc.
The focal point of our visit was the Parthenon, named in honor of the Goddess Athena. Dionysus said that people made donations to the gods in the Parthenon, believing it would discourage theft. In the 17th century, the Parthenon faced significant damage during the Ottoman-Venetian Wars, and later, in 1687, it suffered further destruction when an explosion occurred inside the temple during a conflict between the Ottomans and the Venetians. The Parthenon was subsequently used as a mosque during Ottoman rule. Another note of importance we learned on this excursion was that the roof of the Parthenon and many other temples were made of wood and not marble. This is why we view the remains of today and the wood structures are no longer present.
Next to the Parthenon there is the Old Temple of Goddess Athena, which is another ancient religious structure dedicated to the Goddess Athena. Unfortunately, the temple no longer exists in its original form, as it has suffered significant deterioration over the centuries, leaving behind only ruins. Behind the Old Temple of Goddess Athena, we could see the Erechtheion, which is very notable for its asymmetrical design. The most famous feature is the Porch of the Maidens, also known as the Caryatid Porch, where six female statues support the roof in place of traditional columns. Another significant element of the Erechtheion is the sacred olive tree situated in front of the temple, symbolizing the contest between Athena and Poseidon for the patronage of Athens. According to the myth, that olive tree is believed to be a direct descendant of the original tree that Athena gifted to the city.
After a few group and individual pictures, we went downhill straight to the Acropolis Museum which was opened to the public in 2009, and since then serves as a showcase for the artifacts and sculptures from the Acropolis archaeological site. We had a great and a very informative time at the museum, because it provides a very thorough chronological journey through the history of the Acropolis. Here are some of the exhibitions and galleries we saw: Gallery of the Slopes of the Acropolis, Archaic Gallery, the Parthenon Gallery, the Propylaia, Athena Nike, and Erechtheion Gallery, Gallery of the Acropolis Slopes, and some others. Most definitely, the highlight of the museum is the Parthenon Gallery on the third floor, where the original friezes and metopes from the Parthenon are displayed. The layout of this gallery mirrors the dimensions and orientation of the Parthenon itself. One fact we learned in the museum that many in our group found interesting was that the statues, monuments, and temples were originally painted in very bright colors that have since faded. The monument remains we view today are a shell of their original depiction, and the museum did a great job showing simulations of the variety of colors that would have been present on each of these in their original state.
After the Acropolis Museum we went for lunch at one of the Greek local restaurants on the stone streets below the Acropolis. Moussaka (my top favorite Greek food) was very delicious! And then we drove a little bit outside of the city center to see the Panathenaic Stadium, which is one of the most iconic and ancient stadiums in the world. It was originally built in the 4th century BC for the Panathenaic Games, a religious and athletic festival held in honor of the Goddess Athena. The stadium played a crucial role in the revival of the modern Olympic Games as well. It was chosen as the venue for the first modern Olympic Games held in 1896, symbolizing the connection between the ancient and modern Olympic traditions. As true D-I college athletes, we completed a lap around the 400-meter Olympic Stadium, followed by taking a group picture in front of the Olympic Rings and also on the podium. Then, we went to the Athens Olympic Museum where we had a quick private tour where we learned about the history of the Olympic Games, through a chronological narration, highlighting the three pivotal periods of the Olympic Ideal: the Birth (Ancient Olympia), the Revival (Athens 1896) and the Return of the Olympic Games in Greece (Athens 2004). It was very interesting to see and listen to Dionysus as he was telling us about how the image of sports, athletes, competition have changed over the centuries leading to the point where we are currently stand.
By the time we were done with our tour of the Athens Olympic Museum, we were all very hungry so we had dinner nearby at another Greek restaurant. This time we enjoyed very delicious chicken souvlaki with tzatziki sauce on the side! And, to conclude our day, we attended a basketball game between Panathinaikos Athens and Anadolu Efes Istanbul. It was quite the experience! We were sitting right across so-called "section 13," the local "club hooligans." You cannot simply buy a ticket to this section, but you have to be a member of the specific basketball community, and they are blocked off from the rest of the stadium. Loud is an understatement as they cheered, yelled, chanted, and shouted the entire game from start to finish. It was definitely a completely different atmosphere than what many have experienced here in the states. The members of that community are really passionate and care about their team A LOT. Luckily for us and for the whole city of Athens, Panathinaikos won 83 - 76! After the game, we headed back to the hotel to get some sleep and rest for the next day. We all really enjoyed our first day in Athens, and even though the time flies by very fast, we all are very excited about what the last two days in Greece are holding for us!
Polina Shitikova (W. Tennis)
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