Cape Sounion and the Temple of Poseidon

Even though our visit to Cape Sounion and the Temple of Poseidon is on our final day in Greece, I’ve chosen to blog about it now as it is the final site we will see on mainland Greece. All other sites to add to the blog will be on the Greek Isles.

Located 43 miles south of Athens on the southern tip of the Attica Peninsula, Cape Sounion is best known for its temple dedicated to Poseidon, god of the sea. In fact the ruins of the temple sit atop a cliff looking out over the Aegean Sea.

It is from the steps of this temple, legend says, that Aegeus, king of Athens, (for whom the Aegean Sea is named) waited for his son Theseus to return from Crete after defeating the Minotaur, the monster that was half man and half bull.

Theseus was to change the sails to white upon his triumphant return, but forgot and the black sail remained. His father, in despair thinking his son lost, cast himself over the cliff and into the sea.

Although the ceiling-high bronze statue of Poseidon is long gone, the magnificent view of the sea from the promontory point captivates all who visit if for nothing else but the breathtaking sunsets seen from the temple steps.

Built in 440 BC, 18 of the original 42 Doric columns remain of the rectangular building where ancient Greeks came to pay tribute to Poseidon for safe passage on the seas.

To look for: the romantic poet Lord Byron’s name carved at the base of one of the columns. Although the poet mentions Sounion in his poem Don Juan and is known to have spent time in Athens in 1810-11 (exactly 200 years ago!), it is not known that he carved his name himself. Who knows...you may even find your own name!

Travel tip: There are no guard rails around the cliff area and sometimes a brisk sea breeze can be chilly.

Greek Gods and Goddesses

One cannot truly understand Ancient Greece culture without having a basic understanding of the religion and beliefs of the people of the period. So here is a brief background of the primary Greek gods and goddesses associated with many of the sites we will visit. The Romans, who came later, adopted many of the Greek deities, but changed the names. The only name they did not change was Apollo.

In Greek mythology, twelve gods and goddesses ruled the universe from atop Greece's Mount Olympus. These Olympians had come to power after their leader, Zeus, overthrew his father, Kronos, leader of the Titans. All the Olympians are related to one another.

The following well done videos give a good explanation of gods and goddesses. You can also access the Greek Gods video at this link and the Greek Goddesses video at this link. Once you've seen the videos and read the family tree below, then test your knowledge with the ThinkQuest interactive test at the bottom of this post.

The Ancient Greek Gods


Rod Stewart MySpace Video


The Ancient Greek Goddesses


Rod Stewart MySpace Video

Zeus (Roman name: Jupiter)

The most powerful of all, Zeus was god of the sky and the king of Olympus. His temper affected the weather, and he threw thunderbolts when he was unhappy. He was married to Hera but had many other lovers. His symbols include the oak and the thunderbolt.

Hera (Roman name: Juno)

Hera was goddess of marriage and the queen of Olympus. She was Zeus's wife and sister; many myths tell of how she sought revenge when Zeus betrayed her with his lovers. Her symbols include the peacock and the cow.

Poseidon (Roman name: Neptune)

Poseidon was god of the sea. He was the most powerful god except for his brother, Zeus. He lived in a beautiful palace under the sea and caused earthquakes when he was in a temper. His symbols include the horse and the trident (a three-pronged pitchfork).

Hades (Roman name: Pluto)

Hades was king of the dead. He lived in the underworld, the heavily guarded land where he ruled over the dead. He was the brother of Zeus and the husband of Persephone, Demeter's daughter, whom he kidnapped.

Aphrodite (Roman name: Venus)

Aphrodite was the goddess of love and beauty, and the protector of sailors. She may have been the daughter of Zeus and the Titan Dione, or she may have risen from the sea on a shell. Her symbols include the myrtle tree and the dove.

Apollo

Apollo was the god of music and healing. He was also an archer, and hunted with a silver bow. Apollo was the son of Zeus and the Titan Leto, and the twin of Artemis. His symbols include the laurel tree, the crow, and the dolphin.

Ares (Roman name: Mars)

Ares was the god of war. He was both cruel and a coward. Ares was the son of Zeus and Hera, but neither of his parents liked him. His symbols include the vulture and the dog, and he often carried a bloody spear.

Artemis (Roman name: Diana)

Artemis was the goddess of the hunt and the protector of women in childbirth. She hunted with silver arrows and loved all wild animals. Artemis was the daughter of Zeus and Leto, and the twin of Apollo. Her symbols include the cypress tree and the deer.

Athena (Roman name: Minerva)

Athena was the goddess of wisdom. She was also skilled in the art of war, and helped heroes such as Odysseus and Hercules. Athena sprang full-grown from the forehead of Zeus, and became his favorite child. Her symbols include the owl and the olive tree.

Hephaestus (Roman name: Vulcan)

Hephaestus was the god of fire and the forge (a furnace in which metal is heated). Although he made armor and weapons for the gods, he loved peace. He was the son of Zeus and Hera and married Aphrodite. His symbols include the anvil and the forge.

Hestia (Roman name: Vesta)

Hestia was the goddess of the hearth (a fireplace at the center of the home). She was the most gentle of the gods, and does not play a role in many myths. Hestia was the sister of Zeus and the oldest of the Olympians. Fire is among her symbols.

Hermes (Roman name: Mercury)

Hermes was the messenger god, a trickster, and a friend to thieves. He was said to have invented boxing and gymnastics. He was the son of Zeus and the constellation Maia. The speediest of all, he wore winged sandals and a winged hat and carried a magic wand.

…also sometimes included:
Demeter (Roman name: Ceres)

Demeter was the goddess of the harvest. The word “cereal” comes from her Roman name. She was the sister of Zeus. Her daughter, Persephone, was forced to live with Hades each winter; at this time Demeter let no crops grow. Her symbols include wheat.

Dionysus (Roman name: Bacchus)

Dionysus was the god of wine, which he invented. In ancient Greece Dionysus was honored with springtime festivals that centered on theater. Dionysus was the son of Zeus and Semele, a mortal. His symbols include ivy, the snake, and grapes.

ThinkQuest Interactive Quiz

(be patient as it may take a little while to load...but worth it!)

Requires Java

Ancient Agora of Athens

As mentioned previously the Tower of the Winds is actually located just between the Plaka District and the Ancient Agora of Athens (a site similar to the Roman Forum in Rome). The Agora is located just north of the Acropolis.

The democratically governed Agora was the political and religious heart of Athens as far back as the 6th century BC. It was also the center of daily and commercial life…similar to what town squares used to be in the United States.

It was here that law courts were located and anyone who happened to be in the Agora during a trial could witness these proceedings. It was however only adult male citizens appointed by lot who could serve as jurors.

The state prison was located here as well as the mint which produced the city’s coins inscribed with an owl, the symbol of Athena, goddess of wisdom and the patron goddess of Athens.

The American School of Archeology has been excavating the Agora since 1930 and the finds are exhibited in the two-story stoa of Attalos which now serves as a museum. This main building in the Agora was built by King Attalos of Pergamon (ruled 159-138 BC) but was destroyed in 267 AD.

It was rebuilt between 1953-56 on the original foundations using ancient building materials. A unique exhibit in the museum is a klepsydra, a water clock that was used for timing plaintiff’s speeches. Other items include bronze ballots and everyday items such as terracotta toys and leather sandals.

Also located in the Agora (and its best preserved ruins) are the Odeion of Agrippa, once a covered theatre, and the Hephaisteion, a temple to Hephaistos also known as the Theseion.

This 51-page full-color guide to the Agora prepared by excavator John McK. Camp II presents information about each building in the Agora complete with color photographs, maps, diagrams, and drawings. If you are planning to spend your free time exploring Athens (we have a day and a half!), then you might want to print this guide to use in your visit to the site.

You will enjoy this short YouTube video, Teacher Travels: Ancient Agora, which shows many of the fascinating relics discovered by the archealogists.

Greek Temple Architecture

Knowing a little about Greek temple architecture will help you identify buildings and ruins even without a guide. You will then be able to apply this information to other buildings regardless of the location.

Greek temple architecture is divided into three styles which evolved chronologically and can readily be identified by the column capitals, or the decoration at the top of each column.

Doric temples, such as the Parthenon, were surrounded by sturdy capitals with plain capitals and no bases.

Ionic temples differed from Doric by having more columns and with a distinctive style capital called a volute. The volute looks like ram’s horns on the front and back of each column. (I think of the first two letters of Ionic--I for the tall column which looks like an I and O as the two volutes look like O’s at the top of the column).

Corinthian temples in Greece were built under the Romans and only in Athens, but you will see this column style on other buildings elsewhere. These columns are more slender and have very elaborate capitals decorated with acanthus leaves. (I think of Corinthian as a “fancy” word and the top of this column is “fancy!”)

Columns were not one large piece of carved stone. They were constructed of round stone drums stacked on top of each other. Fluting on the columns was carved in situ, guided by that on the top and bottom drums.

The pediment of a temple is the triangular gabled end of the building which sometimes has designs or sculptures according to the temple style. The frieze is the long slender band just below the pediment that extends all around the building and is usually decorated.

At the corners of temples and the peak of the pediment were akroteria, or statues, but almost no upper portions of Greek temples survive.

A ramp led up to the entrance, and the stepped platform was built on a stone foundation.

Inside a temple, the cella or naos, or inner sanctum, housed the cult statue of the god or goddess to whom the temple was dedicated. The cella opened to the east. The roof was usually supported by wooden beams with terracotta tiles, which would explain why many of the temples in ruins have no roofs as they decayed over time.

And did you know that Greek temples were originally painted in bright vibrant colors? The paint has simply worn off with time. Who knew!

The Parthenon

One of the most famous buildings in the world is the Parthenon, the crown jewel that tops the Acropolis in Athens, Greece. Pericles commissioned its construction as a grand rebuilding project in 447 BC.

The sculptor Pheidias was entrusted to supervise the construction of a magnificent new Doric temple to the goddess Athena, the patron goddess of the city. Built on the site of earlier Archaic temples, it was built primarily to house the Parthenos, Pheidias’s impressive 39-foot high cult statue of Athena covered in ivory and gold.

Taking nine years to complete, the temple was dedicated to the goddess during the Great Panathenaia festival of 438 BC. Constructed of Pentelic marble by the artchitects Kallikrates and Iktinos, the complex architecture of the Parthenon replaces straight lines with slight curves. All the columns swell in the middle, similar to a cigar shape, and all lean slightly inwards.

The reason for this is not quite clear. Some suggest it was done to prevent visual distortion, while others argue it was simply for aesthetic reasons. I have also heard that its design withstands earthquakes better, of which the surrounding area is susceptible.

The building remained a temple to Athena for over a thousand years until the Roman Empire came into power. It was then the statue was looted and destroyed. The Parthenon has also served as a Christian church, a mosque, and even a Turkish arsenal. Its present state of ruin owes to an ammunition explosion during a Venetian invasion in 1687.

The pediments, metopes, and friezes which run around the temple depict the people and horses in the Panathenaic procession, while other sculptures represent Greek mythology and Athenian historical events. During the explosion, many of the sculptures were blown off the building and scattered.

In 1806, Thomas Bruce, 7th earl of Elgin, removed many of the sculptures with the Turks permission and the "Elgin Marbles" are currently on display in the British Museum in London. At present, the Greeks are trying to get the sculptures returned to Athens, but with little luck. But there are two sides to every story...the British and the Greeks.

The Parthenon is currently in a state of restoration, but officials do not plan to return it to its pre-1687 state. An exact to scale replica of the Parthenon stands in Nashville, Tennessee. It was built in 1897 as part of the Tennessee Centennial.

Enjoy a 360-degree panorama view of multiple locations atop the Acropolis. Just click on any location and number at this site and move your cursor around. You're almost there!

The Acropolis in Athens

The Acropolis is literally a giant rock upon which is built one of the most famous buildings of all time...the Parthenon. But it is not the only building atop the outcrop which sits at the southernmost part of Athens, Greece. All that remains are three contrasting temples and a unique gateway that leads to the Acropolis.

In the center is the Parthenon, although few sculptures remain on this temple to Athena, the patron goddess of Athens. Only the outside columns remain. The new Acropolis Museum located to the southeast of the Parthenon near the Theatre of Dionysius contains many of the original sculptures from the buildings on the Acropolis.

Also atop the Acropolis is the Erechtheion famous for its Caryatids, or the statues of women used as columns on the south porch. The original statues are now in the Acropolis Museum while casts are now on the Erechtheion. An olive tree now grows beside the Porch of Caryatids where Athena first planted her tree in a competition against Poseidon.

The massive Propylaia gateway was built in 437-432 B.C. as a "new" entrance to the Acropolis and beside it is the tiny Temple of Athena Nike, built to honor Athena of Victory. At the base of the Propylaia is the Beule Gate, the original gateway to the Acropolis.

Two theatres lie at the base of the Acropolis. The larger of the two, the Theatre of Herodes Atticus, also known as the Odeion of Herodes Atticus, was built in A.D. 161 and lies near the Propylaia. It is still used today for outdoor concerts.

The smaller theatre is also the older . The Theatre of Dionysos was built in 333-330 B.C.

Located just west of the Acropolis is Areopagos Hill, or Mars Hill, where St. Paul delivered his sermon in A.D. 51. Greeks called their god of war "Ares," while he was called "Mars" by the Romans. While on the Areopagus, in the shadow of the Acropolis, Paul preached one of the most memorable sermons recorded in the Bible (Acts 17:22-31).