ANCIENT ATHENS

Oliva - a sacred tree to the Greeks, the tree of life. Without it, it is impossible to Greek valley, sandwiched between mountains and sea, and very rocky slopes of the mountains, where olive groves alternate with vineyards. Oliva climb almost to the tops of most, and they dominate in the plains, its succulent green skrashivaya yellowish soil. They close the ring surrounded the village and lined up along city streets. Unassuming and zhiznelyubivye, olive rooted not only in the rocky soil of Greece, but in the whimsical world of myths and legends.

Place of birth is considered a sacred tree Acropolis - a hill, surrounded by stretches and Greek capital. Cities of the ancient world usually appears near the high cliffs, it is built and the citadel (acropolis), that was where the residents take refuge in attack enemies.

Home of Athens is lost in the fabulous time. The first king of Attica Kekrop, who arrived in the country in 1825 BC, built a fortress on the Acropolis with the royal palace. When Kekrope took place and the well-known dispute between the god Poseidon and the goddess Athena for the possession of Attica. The Olympic gods led by Zeus were the judges of the dispute, where Athena and Poseidon brought their gifts to the city. Poseidon trident blow cut the rock and stone struck saline. Deeply embedded in the land of his spear Athena, and at this place has grown Oliva. All supported the gods Poseidon and the goddess and the king Kekrop - Athens. In another tradition, Poseidon produced the horse, but it has been recognized for the residents of Attica less useful than the olive tree. Irate loser god sent in the plain around the town of huge waves, which could only take refuge in the Acropolis. For the people stand up gromoverzhets Zeus, and the townspeople themselves propitiate Poseidon, promising to erect a temple in his honor at Cape Suniyon that subsequently did.

Initially, the entire city, and consisted only of the fortress. Only then began to settle around the Acropolis are flowing here from all over Greece as a safe from the invasions of nomadic tribes place. Gradually, there emerged the group homes, which were then merged together with the castle in a single city.

Photo — «Ancient Athens»

Tradition, followed by Greek historians, that happened in 1350 BC, and attributes the association of city folk hero Fezeyu. Athens then lay in a small valley, surrounded by a chain of rocky hills.

To make the Acropolis from the Castle in the sanctuary became the first ruler-tyrant Pisistrat. But it was a clever man - came to power, he ordered the lead to himself in the palace all the layabouts and asked them why they do not work. If it is determined that the poor, who have no oxen or seed to sow and plowed field, the Pisistrat gave him everything. He believed that idleness poses a threat to the conspiracy against his government. To ensure the population of Athens, Pisistrat deployed in a large building. When you place it on the king′s palace was erected Kekropa Gekatompedon dedicated to the goddess Athena. The Greeks are so highly revered his patroness, which was released at the will of all the slaves participating in the construction of this temple.

Center of Athens was the Agora - the market square, where placed, not only shops, it was the heart of public life in Athens, there were halls for popular, military and judicial assembly, temples, altars, and theaters. In times of Pisistrata were erected at the Agora, Temple of Apollo and Zeus, Agora, devyatistruyny Enneakrunos fountain and the altar of the Twelve Gods, who served as a refuge for strangers.

Construction of the Temple of Zeus, the Olympics, which began with Pisistrate, then, for many reasons (military, economic, political) has been suspended. According to legend, a place that in ancient times was the center, where the Olympic worshiped Zeus and the Earth. The first temple here has been arranged yet Devkalionom - Greek Noah, since here the tomb Devkaliona and fracture, in which drain water after the flood. Each year, in the February new moon, the inhabitants of Athens, threw it wheat flour mixed with honey, as brought dead.

The Temple of Zeus, the Olympics began to build in Doric, but neither Pisistrat nor his sons were not able to finish it. Harvested for the house building materials in the V century BC, was used to build the city wall. Resumed the construction of the temple (in the Corinthian Order) with the Syrian king Antiochus IV Epiphanie in 175 BC.

Photo — «Ancient Athens»

Then built a sanctuary and colonnade, but because of the death of the king, and this time the building of the temple was not completed.

The destruction of an unfinished church was started Sulloy Roman conqueror, who in 86 BC conquered and sacked Athens. He vyvez1 several columns in Rome, where they adorned the Capitol. Only during the reign of Adriana was finished building the temple - one of the largest buildings of ancient Greece, the size of their pitch is.

In an open sanctuary of the temple raised huge statue of Zeus, made of gold and ivory. Behind the temple there were four statues of the Emperor Hadrian, in addition, many statues of the emperor stood in the temple wall. During an earthquake in 1852, one of the columns of the Temple of Zeus, the Olympic collapsed, and now she lies, broken up into its drums. To date, 104 of the columns, which were the largest in Europe, there are only fifteen.

Scientists suggest that Pisistratom (or at Pisistratah) was founded and the famous Parthenon, subsequently destroyed by the Persians. In the time of Pericles, this temple was rebuilt again by twice as much maintenance. Parthenon, have in the years 447-432 BC architects Iktin and Kallikrat. On the four sides it was surrounded by slender colonnade, and among their white trunks clearances seen a blue sky. All imbued with light, Parthenon seems light and air. It is not bright white columns of figures, which are found in Egyptian temples. Only a longitudinal groove (flute), cover them from top to bottom, why the church seems higher and more slender.

In the presentation of the Parthenon sculptures attended the most famous Greek masters, and artistic inspiration has been Fidy - one of the greatest sculptors of all time. He is the general composition and development of the entire sculptural decoration of which he has fulfilled himself. And in the depths of the temple, surrounded on three sides by columns of bunk, proudly vysilas the famous statue of the Virgin Athens, created the famous Fidiem. Her clothing, a helmet and shield made of pure gold, as the face and hands shined white ivory. Creation Fidiya was so perfect that the rulers of Athens, and foreign rulers are not resolved to erect other buildings on the Acropolis, so as not to disturb the general harmony.

Photo — «Ancient Athens»

Parthenon still amazes amazing perfection of its lines and proportions: it is like a ship, floating through the millennium, and it is possible to look at the infinity of his rife with light and air colonnade.

At the Acropolis and the temple was Erehteyon ensemble with the world-famous portico caryatids: on the south side of the temple at the edge of the wall, carved in marble, six girls maintain overlap. Figures of the portico - this is, in fact, supports replacing the post or column, but they perfectly convey the ease and flexibility maiden figures. The Turks, took his time Athens and not permitted under Islamic law to their image rights, destroy caryatids, but did not. They are limited only to that person stesali girls.

The only entrance to the Acropolis is renowned Propylene - monumental gates with columns in the Doric style and a wide staircase. According to the legend, however, there is a secret entrance to the Acropolis - underground. It starts in one of the oldest grottoes, and 2500 years ago on the Acropolis of upolz sacred too, when the army of Persian king Xerxes invaded Greece.

In ancient Greece Propileyami (literal translation - "standing in front of the gate") is solemnly decorated entrance to the square, in the holy place or a fortress. Propylene Athens Acropolis, built by architect Mnesiklom in the years 437-432 BC, considered the most perfect, most original and at the same time, the most typical construction of this kind of architecture. In ancient times in everyday speech, Propylene called "Palace Femistokla, later -" Arsenal Likurga. After the Turkish conquest of Athens in Propileyah was really designed with the arsenal magazine.

At a high pedestal bastion, once protecting the entrance to the Acropolis, rises a graceful temple goddess of victory Nike Apteros, decorated with bas-reliefs depicting low on the theme of Greco-Persian wars. Inside the temple was a golden statue of the goddess, which is like the Greeks, that they urged guilelessly sculptor does not make it to the wings, so that she could not leave the beautiful Athens. Winning is fickle and flit from one opponent to another, so the Athenians and portrayed her wingless to the goddess is not left the city, who had gained a great victory over the Persians.

Photo — «Ancient Athens»

Propylene When the Athenians went to the main area of the Acropolis, where they were met by 9-meter high statue of Athena Promahos (Voitelnitsy), also created by the sculptor Fidiem. She was cast out of the Persian trophy weapons seized in the battle of Marathon. Pedestal was high, and gold plated spearhead goddess, sparkling in the sun and visible far from the sea, serves as a beacon for mariners.

When the 395 was separated from the Byzantine Roman Empire, Greece was in its composition, and to Athens in 1453 were part of the Byzantine Empire. The great temples of the Parthenon, Erehteyon and others were turned into Christian churches. Initially, this pleasant and even helped the Athenians, neophyte Christians, as well as allowing them to perform religious rituals in the new familiar and the familiar atmosphere. But to the X century greatly reduced the population of the city was the uncomfortable feeling in the majestic buildings of immense historical times, and the Christian faith required a different artistic and aesthetic design of churches. Therefore, in Athens, began to build a much smaller churches, the same is not on the artistic principles. The oldest church of the Byzantine style in Athens - this is the church of St. Nicodemus, built on the ruins of Roman thermal baths.

In Athens, constantly feel the proximity of the East, although it is difficult to say at once that it gives the city of East flavor. Maybe it mules and donkey, zapryazhennye in carts, which are found on the streets of Istanbul, Baghdad and Cairo? Or retained in some places the minarets of mosques - the silent witnesses of past domination of Great Ports? Or maybe dress guards standing sentinel at the royal residence - a bright red fez, skirt above the knees and felt shoes with a curved top noses? And, of course, is the oldest part of modern Athens - Plaka district, ascending back to the days of Turkish domination. This area is maintained in the form in which it existed prior to 1833: narrow, no similar streets with little houses of the old architecture, stairs, connecting streets, churches . . . And above them rise the majestic gray rock of the Acropolis, crowned by a strong wall porosshie and rare trees.

Photo — «Ancient Athens»

For a small house located the Roman Agora and the so-called Tower of the winds, which in the I century BC, gave Athens a rich Syrian merchant Andronic. Tower of the winds - is octahedral structure height of slightly more than 12 meters, the sides of its strict focus on the sides of the world. At the Tower of sculptural frieze depicting winds, each with his hand.

The tower was built of white marble and standing on top of its nest with a copper rod in their hands: turning around on the wind direction, he showed the rod to one of the eight parties to the Tower, where the bas-reliefs were shown the eight winds. For example, the Boreas (north wind) depicted elder in warm clothing and polusapozhkah, in the hands he holds a shell, which served him instead of pipes. Zephyr (west wind of spring) appears barefooted boys, who are flown out of the floors of its mantle is dispersed flowers. A bas-reliefs depicting the winds on each side of the Tower placed sundial, which shows not only time but also both the sun and rotate the equinox. And so you can see the time in cloudy weather, inside the towers are placed klepsidra - water clock.

In the times of Turkish occupation, for some reason thought that the Tower of the winds buried the philosopher Socrates. Where Socrates died and where exactly is the tomb of the ancient Greek thinker - the ancient writers to read about it you can not. But the people survived tradition, pointing to one of the caves, which consists of three chambers - part natural, part of a specially cut in the rock. One extreme is an additional, special interior compartment - like the low round casemates with a hole on top, which rose a stone slab . . .

It is impossible in one article talk about all the sights of Athens, because every stone breathes history here, every inch of the land of ancient cities, which is impossible to enter without trembling, holy . . . Not Greeks said: "If you have not seen in Athens, you - mule, and if not seen and admired, then you - stump!"