Head to the Parthenon, an icon of antiquity

Parthenon an icon of antiquity built for Greek gods

I vowed to see the Parthenon on this, my fourth visit to Athens, and my friend Cathy and I arrived a few days before our cruise and booked a tour of the Acropolis, on one of the highest hills of the city.

Although I’m not as ancient as these Greek icons, time has taken its toll on me, and I can’t climb without help from a cane. That meant watching my feet and where they were placed before viewing my surroundings.

Greece, I quickly learned, has lots of marble not only in its bathrooms and public places but also on walkways and inclines. Years of foot traffic make it slippery, even when dry, so it’s important to watch where one steps, cane or not. Because taking photos and notes is not consistent with watching one’s feet, I relied on my friend for some of that.

It is a steep climb up to the entrance of the Acropolis, which dates to 438 B.C. and embraces the Parthenon and other temples to the Greek gods. But the wonderment at passing through its magnificent Propylea passageway to see this most revered of ancient monuments framed beyond the entry overcomes any aches resulting from the effort to reach it.

The Parthenon is dedicated to the goddess Athena, and it’s where she was worshipped and offerings to her were given.

None of the buildings on the Acropolis can be entered, and the west end of the Parthenon is covered with scaffolding for the ongoing restoration efforts. But back in the times when these spaces were considered sacred, only a select few were allowed inside.

After an earlier rendition was destroyed by the Persians, the Parthenon was rebuilt by Pericles but later fell to the Romans, the Persians and the Turks. Although built to honor Athena, over the centuries of various occupations it served as a Christian church in the fifth through 11th centuries and a Muslim mosque for the Turks in 1456. It was later used to store munitions by the Venetians when they laid siege to the Parthenon, and a massive explosion in 1687 ripped off the Parthenon’s roof and destroyed much of its decor.

Then in 1801, Lord Elgin, British ambassador to the Ottoman Turks, took away many of the Parthenon’s remaining sculptures and friezes. They now are housed in London at the British Museum, where they’re called the Elgin Marbles. Greece has sought their return for almost two centuries, and in 2009 the Acropolis Museum was built southeast of the Parthenon and low on the hill.

After entering the seven-acre Acropolis hilltop, the Parthenon is on the right and the much smaller Erechtheion on the left. What’s called the Porch of the Caryatids distinguishes the Erechtheion with six tall maidens serving as columns to support the roof.

COURTESY OF CATHRYN KNEZEVICH The Parthenon, which is undergoing rehabilitation, is the major temple to be seen by visitors after a climb to the Acropolis in Athens.