Saturday 16 November 2013

Greece



When you think of the Athens, the first thing that comes to your mind is probably the ancient Acropolis with the very known Parthenon... Looking from that perspective, this is the most iconic postcard of Athens I could possibly get :) And I got it thanks to Elena!
Athens is the capital and the largest city of Greece, full of ancient monuments and building that witness of the city's long history and rich culture. Athens is considered one of the world's oldest cities, with its recorded history spanning around 3,400 years and is widely referred to as the cradle of Western civilization and the birthplace of democracy
I'm copying the myth of how the goddess Athena became the patron deity of Athens from Wikipedia... Really interesting! 
Athena competed with Poseidon to be the patron deity of Athens, which was yet unnamed, in a version of one founding myth. They agreed that each would give the Athenians one gift and that the Athenians would choose the gift they preferred. Poseidon struck the ground with his trident and a salt water spring sprang up; this gave them a means of trade and water—Athens at its height was a significant sea power, defeating the Persian fleet at the Battle of Salamis—but the water was salty and not very good for drinking.
Athena, however, offered them the first domesticated olive tree. The Athenians (or their king, Cecrops) accepted the olive tree and with it the patronage of Athena, for the olive tree brought wood, oil, and food.
The Parthenon, whose construction started in 447 BC, is dedicated to goddess Athena as well. It is also interesting to mention that Athens is home to two UNESCO sites - the Acropolis and the medieval Daphni Monastery


No comments:

Post a Comment