Athens and Attica Week 7: North Slope Akropolis, St. of Tripods, Rhamnous, Oropos, Aulis, Agora

Leaslie Threatte joined our Epigram class on Monday going over letter forms, dialect, alphabet, and other issues in a number of inscribed epigrams.

Tuesday morning was rainy as we climbed up to the caves on the North Slope of the Acropolis. There Stephanie gave her report on the Sanctuary of Aphrodite and Eros and the Cave of Aglauros.

From inside the Cave of Aglauros

Next we headed down to the area of the City Eleusinion where the foundations of a temple remain.

Simon then led us along the Street of the Tripods, pointing out possible places (covered over with modern buildings) for the missing buildings of the archaic Agora. He then talked about current theories about the location of the agora, the buildings we know existed because they were mentioned in literature, including the Prytaneium.

On the road of the Tripods, is the Lysikrates monument, where I gave my report. It was raining again by then and I didn't get any good pictures. Here's a blurry one to be replaced eventually by a better one.

In ancient times, there would have been a bronze tripod on top, commemorating Lysikrates' victory as a chorus leader in the boys' chorus competition.

Wednesday's trip began at Rhamnous at the Sanctuary of Nemesis.

After looking around the site, the guard allowed us in to the apotheke where the remains of the superstructure have been put back together according to Margie's published reconstruction.

Inside the reconstructed temple

Then it was up to the deme site where Ben gave his report.

Before moving on, we had a picnic lunch under this very large and very lovely tree.

Our next stop was at Oropos where there's a temple of Amphiaraos, on which Jess gave her report,

 a theater, 

a Doric stoa,

and a water clock.

The last stop of the day was at Aulis, famous for being the place where Agamemnon had to sacrifice his daughter Iphigenia in order to sail to Troy. Kyle gave his report on the temple of Artemis there.

Across the street and over a fence, we had a look at the fountain house.

On Thursday our Epigram class met for a second time. We spent the first part of the morning at the Kerameikos museum looking at inscriptions. Sarah, Allie (in absentia), and I worked on this funerary inscription for an Olympic victor.

We then went outside to the site and looked at the inscriptions on this monument.

We finished the morning at the Acropolis Museum but, again, no pictures are allowed.

On Friday we had our first session at the Agora with John Camp, this time focusing on archaic buildings. We couldn't get down to look at the Royal Stoa closely because of the water but maybe we'll get a chance next week.

We did get to look at some archaic walls and foundations for buildings, a shrine, and a fountain house.

Athens and Attica Week 6: Old T. of Athena, Erechtheion, T. of Roma and Augustus, Sounion, Cape Zoster, Vari, South Slope Acropolis

During Monday's Epigram seminar, Angelos Matthaiou talked about a variety of Greek verse inscriptions, where they were found, what they say, and what we can figure out about them.

On Tuesday morning we returned to the Acropolis where Margie talked about the old Athena Temple and the Erectheion.

She pointed out the Erectheion's windows,

the statue-base blocks that were reused in its construction (those gray blocks near the top--you can tell because you can see where the statue feet would have gone!),

the intricately carved columns,

the big hole in the porch (where Poseidon struck his trident when he and Athena were vying to be the patron deity of the city),

and the olive tree, replanted by the American School, which Athena caused to spring up.

Next, Rachel gave her report on the temple of Roma and Augustus. Not much of the temple is left, but we know it was there because of the inscription.

Our first stop on Wednesday was at the temple of Athena at Sounion.

Margie had us stand in place of the columns, so we could get a feel for how the temple once looked.

We then went up the hill to see the temple of Poseidon.

There was a lot of graffiti on the temple. This one in particular is pretty famous. Yep, that's Byron, as in Lord Byron.

Our next stop was at another cape with another temple, this one a temple to Apollo on Cape Zoster.

Nearby there were also the remains of a priest's house.

Our last stop of the day was at the Vari cave. Outside the cave, David gave his report on this home of the nymphs

and then we descended one at a time into the cave which was much brighter than I had anticipated.

Friday morning began at the Odeion of Herodes Atticus where Charles gave his report.

Our new friend, Mellow Dog

Next we headed over to the South Slope Asklepieion where Jess gave her report and where there's a lot of work currently going on.

Then we headed to the theater of Dionysus for Jon's report

and then to the nearby precinct of Dionysus.

Margie then showed us the under-excavated Odeion of Perikles. Right now all we can really see is this wall.