Acropolis

February 13, 2025

One of the reasons we decided to take our Greek Cruise was because it marked off so many of my bucket list items.  That included the Mycenean Palace of Knossos and the isle of Santorini.  Regrettably we were not able to see the island because of the current earthquakes.  Our follow up tour includes two more of my bucket lists, the Oracle of Delphi (tomorrow) and the Acropolis of Athens (today).  Melissa knew that our visit to the Acropolis meant a good hike uphill, and she was tentative at the least.  On arrival by bus, we began the slow assent that wound from the parking lot to the entrance gate.  By the time we reached the entrance we could see the Parthenon towering 490 feet (150 m) above us.  Melissa looked at the steps up to the Acropolis and then looked at me and said, “Well that ain’t going to happen is it”.

When I looked online, I found the Acropolis of Athens is an ancient citadel located on a rocky outcrop above the city of Athens, Greece.  During ancient times this acropolis was more properly known as Cecropia, after the legendary serpent-man Cecrops, the supposed first Athenian king.  The word Acropolis is from Greek ἄκρον (akron – “highest point” and πόλις (polis – “city”).  The term is generic and there are many other acropolises in Greece.  The site contains the remains of several ancient buildings of great architectural and historical significance, including the Parthenon.  The entrance to the Acropolis was a monumental gateway (the Propylaea) and to the south of the entrance is the tiny Temple of Athena Nike.  The Parthenon or Temple of Athena Parthenos (Athena the Virgin) stands at the center of the Acropolis.  East of the entrance and north of the Parthenon is the temple known as the Erechtheum.  South of the platform that forms the top of the Acropolis there are the remains of the ancient (remodeled) Theatre of Dionysus.  A few hundred meters (320+ yards) away, there is the partially reconstructed Odeon of Herodes Atticus.  All the valuable ancient artifacts are situated in the Acropolis Museum, which resides on the southern slope of the same rock.

Despite her trepidation, Melissa decided to attempt the climb up the steps to the Acropolis.  Our tour guide took off for the top, dragging the climbers along with her.  The program guide stayed behind with the rest of us stragglers.  She told us not to worry, the others would have to wait for us because she was the one who had all the tickets.  We were able to wind our way up to the top, past the huge gateway (Propylaea), and then up the final steps to the top of the Acropolis.  The Acropolis towered over the city of Athens down below and the Parthenon stood dwarfing everything else on the site.  As we marveled at both the size and magnificence of the building, Melissa told me the effort to reach the top had been worth it.

THOUGHTS: The trip to the Acropolis of Athens checked off another of my bucket list items and became an instant favorite for Melissa.  I know when looking back on this day, the struggle will become an integral part of the story for why the trip was worthwhile.  Like most worthwhile things, it required determination and effort to achieve the goal.  Our world faces a monumental struggle to overcome the effects of both climate change and indifference.  The result of our (continued) indifference results in the wild swings in weather patterns (wildfires and record snowstorms, hurricanes and floods along with draughts).  Hopefully we will be able to look back and say the struggle was worth it.  Act for all.  Change is coming and it starts with you.