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Athens is awash with ancient wonders, from theaters and temples to the mighty Acropolis. The world of Greek mythology can be closely tied to many of these sites. Understanding the backstory before visiting in order to get a vivid impression of their significance, sparks the imagination of children and adults alike. Here are our top four myths to prepare for a visit to Athens.
1. Athena
and Poseidon compete over patronage of Athens
Site: Erechtheion
While the East Pediment of the Parthenon
depicts the dramatic moment of the birth of Athena, the West pediment
celebrates her victory in the contest with Poseidon for control of Athens and
Attica.The first king of Athens, King Cecrops,
set out a competition to establish a patron deity for his city state. Athena
and Poseidon both desired to be the patron of the Athens, and to settle the
rivalry, a contest was suggested; the
winner of which would come up with the best present to the city. When Poseidon
struck the Acropolis with his trident he created a salt-water well, the
so-called “sea” of the Erechtheion, which lay inside the temple, and is said to
make sounds of waves whenever the wind blows from the south. Athena in her turn
thrust her spear to the ground, and a fruitful olive tree appeared. In the end
Athena was chosen as the winner, while the temple Erechtheion was build to
soothe raging Poseidon and prevent him from flooding the city.
2. Athena is
born out of the head of Zeus
Sites: Acropolis and Temple
of Hephaestus
Zeus was quite notorious for his
insatiable nature when it came to amorous adventures. For some time Zeus
pursued and finally seduced Titaness Metis, impregnating her with Athena.
Zeus, having been previously warned by Oracle of Gaea that Metis’ second child
would be a boy who would overthrow him (as had happened to Zeus’ father and
grandfather), swallowed Metis with Athena inside. After a while, Zeus developed
an enormous headache, and howled so loud that the whole Earth could hear him.
The other gods came to help him, and Hephaestus – the blacksmith god, struck
Zeus’ head with his hammer, out of which Athena, in her full gown and armour,
emerged. The Temple of Hephaestus is situated overlooking the Agora,
a marketplace of ancient craftsmen.
3. Zeus cheats
on Hera
Site: Temple of Zeus
Zeus had numerous love affairs before and
after his marriage Hera. He had affairs with goddesses, Titaness, nymphs and
mortal women including Demeter, who bore him Persephone, Mnemosyne, who created
the twelve Muses, and the mortal Alcmene, mother of Heracles. Hera raged
with constant jealousy and directed her anger at Zeus, his offspring and his
mistresses. She was the one who incited the Titans to tear Zeus’ son Dionysus
apart, and she was the one who drove Heracles mad so that he killed his beloved
wife and children. Despite his reputation among the deities, Zeus was worshipped
by mortals, and in Athens, though only a few columns remain of the
the Temple of Olympian Zeus, it’s still possible to imagine the colossal
structure in its full glory — a fitting tribute to the king of the Olympian
gods.
4. Birth of
Dionysus
Site: Theater of Dionysus
Dionysus was the son of Zeus and Semele,
a mortal who was famous for her extraordinary beauty and grace. Zeus was deeply
in love with Semele, and to please her, he swore upon the sacred river Styx to
make her every dream come true. However, Semele was persuaded by a vengeful
Hera to ask Zeus to come in his true godly form. It saddened Zeus, who knew
that a mortal who sees a deity in all his glory was cursed to die, but, having
made the promise to Semele to fulfil her every whim, he was left with no
choice. He appeared in his natural form and immediately the beautiful Semele
was wrapped by fire, burning her body to death. Zeus, however did manage to
rescue Dionysus by stitching the foetus into his thigh to hold him until he was
ready to be born.
The Theater of Dionysus sits on the south slope of
the Athenian Acropolis. Dating back to the 4th century BC, the structure could
seat a staggering 17,000 spectators, and was used to host festivals
in honor of Zeus and Semele’s tragic love-child. Indeed, the advent of the
theatrical genre of tragedy is largely attributed to ancient Greek playwrights,
undoubtedly inspired by the dramatic misadventures of their deities.
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