THE ACROPOLIS, ATHENS, GREECE
The Parthenon is just one of several famous temples you can visit on the Acropolis, a place that manages even now to work its magic, despite the crowds. The standing buildings all date to the glory days of the fifth century BC, but the newly restored Parthenon has preserved the traces of the Christian church built into the earlier pagan temple, and sharp-eyed visitors will spot holes along its façade where the bronze letters of an inscription honouring the emperor Nero were once fixed. APHRODISIAS, TURKEY A few hours’ journey from the Turkish coast (Kusadasi and Bodrum are the nearest large resorts), this Roman city is one of the most important archaeological discoveries of the past 50 years — a theatre, council chamber and temples have been unearthed. The highlight is a sanctuary devoted to the worship of the Roman emperors, with 80 large sculpted panels surviving. These include the first known image of the province Britannia (she is shown being vanquished by the emperor Claudius), and a marvellous scene of the empress Agrippina crowning her young son Nero. DELPHI, GREECE This was the place where the most famous oracle in the ancient world conveyed its sometimes riddling advice to Romans as well as Greeks. You can still see the temple where the oracle was based, the stadium where races were held, and the elegant treasuries where different cities housed their rich dedications to the god Apollo. It’s in a stunningly beautiful setting, high up in a mountain valley. Energetic visitors should hike further above the main site to the spooky “Corycian cave”, sacred to the nymphs, where thousands of tiny offerings in bronze and pottery have been discovered. It’s a very different religious atmosphere from the grand sanctuary below. MASADA, ISRAEL It was on this desert hilltop that the Jewish Revolt against Rome (AD 66-73) was finally stamped out, the last rebels — it is said — committing mass suicide. The Roman siege works still stand out: the encircling wall, the army camps, the huge ramp built up the mountain that eventually gave them access to the enemy stronghold. On the hill itself, the most impressive thing to survive is the earlier palace of King Herod. With typical autocratic bravura, he built a luxurious residence (and bathing suite) in the middle of the desert on a hill with no water. OPLONTIS, NEAR NAPLES, ITALY The Roman towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum are essential places to visit. But for a more peaceful journey back into the Roman