Monuments of culture in ancient Greece. Sights of Greece

3.2.5. religious system Ancient Greece Ancient Greeks - one of the branches of the ancient Indo-Europeans. Standing out from the Indo-European conglomerate at the turn of the IV-III millennium BC. e., the tribes who spoke the ancient Greek language migrated to new lands - the south of the Balkans and

It took several centuries before the Dorian tribes, who came from the north in the 12th century BC, by the 6th century BC. created a highly developed art. This was followed by three periods in the history of Greek art:

1) archaic, or ancient period, - from about 600 to 480 BC, when the Greeks repelled the Persian invasion and, having freed their land from the threat of conquest, they again got the opportunity to create freely and calmly;

2) the classics, or the heyday, from 480 to 323 BC. - the year of the death of Alexander the Great, who conquered vast areas, very dissimilar in their cultures; this diversity of cultures was one of the reasons for the decline of classical Greek art;

3) Hellenism, or late period; it ended in 30 BC when the Romans conquered Greek-influenced Egypt.

Greek culture spread far beyond the borders of its homeland - to Asia Minor and Italy, Sicily and other Mediterranean islands, North Africa and other places where the Greeks founded their settlements. Greek cities were even on the northern coast of the Black Sea.

Temples were the greatest achievement of Greek building art. The oldest ruins of temples belong to the archaic era, when instead of a tree as building material began to use yellowish limestone and white marble. It is believed that the ancient dwelling of the Greeks served as a prototype for the temple - a rectangular structure with two columns in front of the entrance. From this simple building, various types of temples, more complex in their layout, grew over time. Usually the temple stood on a stepped base. It consisted of a room without windows, where there was a statue of a deity, the building was surrounded in one or two rows of columns. They supported the floor beams and the gable roof. In the semi-dark interior, only priests could visit the statue of God, while the people saw the temple only from the outside. Obviously, therefore, the main attention was paid to beauty and harmony by the ancient Greeks. appearance temple.

The construction of the temple was subject to certain rules. Dimensions, ratios of parts and the number of columns were precisely established.

Three styles dominated Greek architecture: Doric, Ionic, Corinthian. The oldest of them was the Doric style, which had already developed in the archaic era. He was courageous, simple and powerful. It got its name from the Doric tribes that created it. Today, the surviving parts of the temples white color: the paints that covered them crumbled over time. Once their friezes and cornices were painted red and blue.

The Ionic style originated in the Ionian region of Asia Minor. From here he penetrated into the Greek regions proper. Compared to the Doric, the Ionic columns are more ornate and slender. Each column has its own base - the base. The middle part of the capital resembles a pillow with corners twisted into a spiral, the so-called. volutes.

In the Hellenistic era, when architecture began to strive for greater splendor, Corinthian capitals began to be used most often. They are richly decorated plant motifs, among which images of acanthus leaves predominate.

It so happened that time spared the oldest Doric temples, mainly outside of Greece. Several such temples have been preserved on the island of Sicily and in southern Italy. The most famous of these is the temple of the god of the sea Poseidon at Paestum, near Naples, which looks somewhat ponderous and squat. Of the early Doric temples in Greece itself, the most interesting is the now ruined temple of the supreme god Zeus in Olympia, the sacred city of the Greeks, from where the Olympic Games originate.

The heyday of Greek architecture began in the 5th century BC. This classical era is inextricably linked with the name of the famous statesman Pericles. During his reign, grandiose construction work began in Athens - the largest cultural and art center Greece. The main construction was carried out on the ancient fortified hill of the Acropolis.

A - a fragment of the Parthenon, b - clothes, c - a fragment of the capital of the Erechtheion, d - a golden comb, e - a vase, f - an armchair, g - a table.

Even from the ruins one can imagine how beautiful the Acropolis was in its time. A wide marble staircase led up the hill. To the right of it, on a dais, like a precious box, there is a small graceful temple to Nike, the goddess of victory. Through the gate with columns, the visitor got to the square, in the center of which stood the statue of the patroness of the city, the goddess of wisdom, Athena; further on was the Erechtheion, a peculiar and complex temple. His distinguishing feature- a portico protruding from the side, where the ceilings were supported not by columns, but by marble statues in the form of a female figure, the so-called. caryatids.

The main building of the Acropolis is the Parthenon temple dedicated to Athena. This temple, the most perfect building in the Doric style, was completed almost two and a half thousand years ago, but we know the names of its creators: their names were Iktin and Kallikrat.

Propylaea - a monumental gate with Doric columns and a wide staircase. They were built by the architect Mnesicles in 437-432 BC. But before entering these majestic marble gates, everyone involuntarily turned to the right. There, on a high pedestal of the bastion that once guarded the entrance to the acropolis, rises the temple of the goddess of victory Nike Apteros, decorated with Ionic columns. This is the work of the architect Kallikrates (second half of the 5th century BC). The temple - light, airy, unusually beautiful - stood out for its whiteness on blue background sky.

Nike, the goddess of victory, was portrayed beautiful woman with large wings: victory is fickle and flies from one opponent to another. The Athenians portrayed her as wingless so that she would not leave the city, which had so recently won a great victory over the Persians. Deprived of wings, the goddess could no longer fly and had to remain forever in Athens.

Temple of Nike stands on a ledge of a rock. It is slightly turned towards the Propylaea and plays the role of a lighthouse for the processions that go around the rock.
Immediately behind the Propylaea, Athena the Warrior proudly towered, whose spear greeted the traveler from afar and served as a beacon for sailors. The inscription on the stone pedestal read: "The Athenians dedicated from the victory over the Persians." This meant that the statue was cast from bronze weapons taken from the Persians as a result of their victories.

In the temple stood a statue of Athena, sculpted by the great sculptor Phidias; one of the two marble friezes, girdling the temple with a 160-meter ribbon, represented the festive procession of the Athenians. Phidias also took part in the creation of this magnificent relief, which depicted about three hundred human figures and two hundred horses. The Parthenon has been in ruins for about 300 years - ever since in the 17th century, during the siege of Athens by the Venetians, the Turks who ruled there set up a powder warehouse in the temple. Most of the reliefs that survived the explosion were taken to London at the beginning of the 19th century, British museum, Englishman Lord Elgin.

At the beginning of our millennium, when Greece was ceded to Byzantium during the division of the Roman Empire, the Erechtheion was turned into christian temple. Later, the Crusaders, who took possession of Athens, made the temple a ducal palace, and during the Turkish conquest of Athens in 1458, the harem of the commandant of the fortress was set up in the Erechtheion. During the liberation war of 1821-1827, the Greeks and Turks alternately besieged the Acropolis, bombarding its buildings, including the Erechtheion.

In 1830 (after the declaration of independence of Greece), on the site of the Erechtheion, only foundations could be found, as well as architectural decorations lying on the ground. Funds for the restoration of this temple ensemble (as well as for the restoration of many other structures of the Acropolis) were given by Heinrich Schliemann. His closest associate V.Derpfeld carefully measured and compared the antique fragments, by the end of the 70s of the last century he was already planning to restore the Erechtheion. But this reconstruction was subjected to severe criticism, and the temple was dismantled. The building was restored anew under the guidance of the famous Greek scientist P. Kavadias in 1906 and finally restored in 1922 /

As a result of the conquests of Alexander the Great in the second half of the 4th century BC. the influence of Greek culture and art spread over vast territories. New cities sprang up; major centers formed, however, outside of Greece. Such, for example, are Alexandria in Egypt and Pergamon in Asia Minor, where construction activity has gained the greatest scope. In these areas, the Ionic style was preferred; an interesting example of it was a huge tombstone of the Asia Minor king Mausolus, ranked among the seven wonders of the world.

It was a burial chamber on a high rectangular base, surrounded by a colonnade; a stone stepped pyramid towered above it, topped with a sculptural image of a quadriga, which was controlled by Mausolus himself. After this structure, later they began to call mausoleums and other large solemn funeral structures.

In the Hellenistic era, temples were paid less attention, and squares surrounded by colonnades were built for walking, amphitheaters under open sky, libraries, various public buildings, palaces and sports facilities. Residential buildings were improved: they became two - and three-story, with large gardens. Luxury became the goal, and different styles were mixed in architecture.

Greek sculptors have given the world works that have aroused the admiration of many generations. The oldest sculptures known to us arose in the archaic era. They are somewhat primitive: their motionless posture, hands tightly pressed to the body, and forward gaze are dictated by the narrow long stone block from which the statue was carved. One of her legs is usually pushed forward - to maintain balance. Archaeologists have found many such statues depicting naked young men and girls dressed in loose folded outfits. Their faces are often enlivened by a mysterious “archaic” smile.

AT classical era the main business of sculptors was to create statues of gods and heroes and decorate temples with reliefs; secular images were added to this, for example, statues statesmen or Olympic winners.

In the beliefs of the Greeks, the gods are like ordinary people both in appearance and lifestyle. They were portrayed as people, but strong, well developed physically and with a beautiful face. Often people were depicted naked to show the beauty of a harmoniously developed body.

In the 5th century BC. the great sculptors Myron, Phidias and Poliklet, each in their own way, updated the art of sculpture and brought it closer to reality. The young naked athletes of Polykleitos, for example, his “Dorifor”, rely on only one leg, the other is freely left. In this way, it was possible to unfold the figure and create a sense of movement. But standing marble figures could not be given more expressive gestures or complex poses: the statue could lose balance, and fragile marble could break. These dangers could have been avoided if the figures were cast in bronze. The first master of complex bronze castings was Myron, the creator of the famous "Discobolus".

Many artistic achievements are associated with the glorious name of Phidias: he led the work on decorating the Parthenon with friezes and pediment groups. Magnificent are his bronze statue of Athena on the Acropolis and the 12-meter-high statue of Athena covered with gold and ivory in the Parthenon, which later disappeared without a trace. A similar fate befell the huge statue of Zeus seated on the throne, made from the same materials, for the temple at Olympia - another of the seven wonders of the ancient world.

As much as we admire the sculptures created by the Greeks in their heyday, these days they may seem a little cold. True, there is no coloring that revived them at one time; but even more alien to us are their indifferent and similar friend on another face. Indeed, the Greek sculptors of that time did not try to express any feelings or experiences on the faces of the statues. Their goal was to show perfect bodily beauty. Therefore, we admire even those statues - and there are many of them - that have been badly damaged over the centuries: some even lost their heads.

If in the 5th century BC. lofty and serious images were created, then in the 4th century BC. artists tended to express tenderness and gentleness. Praxiteles gave warmth and awe of life to the smooth marble surface in his sculptures of naked gods and goddesses. He also found it possible to diversify the poses of the statues, creating balance with the help of appropriate supports. His Hermes, a young messenger of the gods, leans on a tree trunk.

Until now, sculptures have been designed to be viewed from the front. Lysippus made his statues so that they could be viewed from all sides - this was another innovation.

In the era of Hellenism in sculpture, the craving for pomp and exaggeration intensifies. In some works, excessive passions are shown, in others, excessive closeness to nature is noticeable. At this time, he began to diligently copy the statues of former times; thanks to copies, today we know many monuments - either irretrievably lost or not yet found. Marble sculptures that conveyed strong feelings were created in the 4th century BC. e. Scopas.

His greatest work known to us is his participation in the decoration of the mausoleum in Halicarnassus with sculptural reliefs. Among the most famous works of the Hellenistic era are the reliefs of the great altar in Pergamon depicting the legendary battle; a statue of the goddess Aphrodite found at the beginning of the last century on the island of Melos, as well as sculptural group"Laocoon". It depicts a Trojan priest and his sons who were strangled by snakes; physical torment and fear are conveyed by the author with ruthless credibility.

In the works of ancient writers, one can read that painting also flourished in their times, but almost nothing has been preserved from the paintings of temples and residential buildings. We also know that in painting, too, artists strove for sublime beauty.

A special place in Greek painting belongs to the paintings on vases. In the oldest vases, silhouettes of people and animals were applied with black varnish on a bare red surface. The outlines of details were scratched on them with a needle - they appeared in the form of a thin red line. But this technique was inconvenient and later they began to leave the figures red, and the gaps between them were painted over with black. So it was more convenient to draw the details - they were made on a red background with black lines.

The Balkan Peninsula became the center of ancient Greek culture. Here, as a result of invasions and movements of the Achaean, Dorian, Ionian and other tribes (who received the common name of the Hellenes), a slave-owning form of economy was formed, which strengthened various areas of the economy: handicraft, trade, agriculture.

The development of economic ties of the Hellenic world contributed to its political unification; the entrepreneurial spirit of the sailors who settled the new lands favored the spread of Greek culture, its renewal and improvement, the creation of various local schools in a single line of common Hellenic architecture.

As a result of the struggle of the demos (the free population of cities) against the tribal aristocracy, states are formed - policies, in the management of which all citizens take part.

The democratic form of government contributed to the development of the social life of cities, the formation of various public institutions, for which they built assembly halls and feasts, the buildings of the council of elders, etc. They were placed on the square (agora), where the most important city affairs were discussed, and trade transactions were made. The religious and political center of the city was the acropolis, located on a high hill and well fortified. Here they built temples of the most revered gods - the patrons of the city.

Religion occupied great place in the social ideology of the ancient Greeks. The gods were close to people, they were endowed with human virtues and shortcomings in exaggerated sizes. In the myths describing the life of the gods and their adventures, everyday scenes from the life of the Greeks themselves are guessed. But at the same time, people believed in their power, made sacrifices to them and built temples in the image of their dwellings. The most significant achievements of Greek architecture are concentrated in cult architecture.

The dry subtropical climate of Greece, mountainous terrain, high seismicity, the presence of high-quality scaffolding, limestone, marble, which are easy to process and model in stone structures, determined the "technical" prerequisites for Greek architecture.

The town-planning completion of the area was Hellenistic period porticos providing shelter from the sun and rain. The post-beam construction of these elements of buildings was the main object of constructive and artistic developments of ancient Greek architecture.

Stages of development ancient greek architecture:

• XIII - XII centuries. BC e. – The Homeric period, vividly and colorfully described by the poems of Homer
• 7th-6th centuries BC e. - archaic period (the struggle of the slave-owning democracy against the clan nobility, the formation of cities - policies)
• 5th–4th centuries BC e. - classical period(Greek - Persian Wars, the heyday of culture, the expansion of the union of policies)
• 4th century BC. - l c. AD - Hellenistic period (the creation of the empire of Alexander the Great, the spread of Greek culture and its flowering in the colonies of Asia Minor)

1 - temple in antah, 2 - prostyle, 3 - amphiprostyle, 4 - peripter, 5 - dipter, 6 - pseudodipter, 7 - tholos.

Architecture of the Homeric period. The architecture of this period continues the Cretan-Mycenaean tradition. The oldest residential buildings, built of brick - raw or rubble stone megarons, had a rounded wall opposite the entrance. With the introduction of framing, molded bricks, and hewn stone blocks of standard sizes, buildings became rectangular in plan.

Architecture of the archaic period. With the growth of cities and the formation of the policy, a slave-owning tyranny was formed, based on the support of the free population. Arise various forms public institutions: symposia, bouleuteria, theaters, stadiums.

Along with city temples and sacred sites, pan-Hellenic sanctuaries are being built. The planning composition of the sanctuaries took into account difficult conditions relief and the very nature of religious ceremonies, which were primarily cheerful holidays with solemn processions. Therefore, the temples were placed taking into account their visual perception by the participants in the processions.

The peristyle type of dwelling house is finally established in the Hellenistic regions. The isolation of the dwelling from external environment. Rich houses had swimming pools, lavishly decorated with paintings, mosaics, and sculptures. Cozy places for rest and fountains were arranged in the landscaped courtyard.

The Greeks built well-equipped harbors and lighthouses. History has preserved descriptions of giant lighthouses on about. Rhodes and on about. Pharos in Alexandria.

The Rhodes lighthouse was a huge copper statue depicting Helios, the god of the Sun and the patron of the island, with a lit torch, anointing the entrance to the harbor. The statue was built by the Rhodians c. 235 BC e. in honor of their military victories. Nothing has survived from her; it is not even known how tall she was. The Greek historian Philo calls the figure "seventy cubits", that is, about 40 m.

The republican system of Rhodes contributed to the extraordinary flourishing of art. To judge the Rhodes sculptural school, it is enough to mention worldwide famous work"Laocoon".

Alexandria is the capital of Hellenistic Egypt, part of the empire founded by Alexander the Great. At the end of the IV century. BC e. the largest scientific center is organized here - Museion, where prominent Greek scientists worked: mathematician Euclid (III century BC), astronomer Claudius Ptolemy (II century), doctors, writers, philosophers, artists. Under Museion, the famous Library of Alexandria was created. The city stood on the trade routes of the Greeks with the eastern countries: it had large port facilities, convenient bays.

At the northern end of Pharos, forming a protected harbor in front of the city, at the end of the 3rd century. BC. a lighthouse was built in the form of a high multi-tiered tower with a pavilion, where a bright fire was constantly maintained. According to historians, its height was 150 - 180 m.

In the Hellenistic era, Greek culture penetrated into the most remote corners. civilized world. Cultural exchange was facilitated by the extensive conquests of Alexander the Great.

Architecture of Ancient Greece on for a long time determined the direction of development of the architecture of the world. The architecture of a rare country did not use the general tectonic principles of the order systems developed by the Greeks, the details and decoration of Greek temples.

The viability of the principles of ancient Greek architecture is primarily due to its humanism, deep thoughtfulness in general and details, the utmost clarity of forms and compositions.

The Greeks brilliantly solved the problem of transitioning purely technical constructive problems of architecture to artistic ones. The unity of artistic and constructive content was brought to the heights of perfection in various order systems.

The works of Greek architecture are surprisingly harmonious combination with the natural environment. A great contribution has been made to the theory and practice of construction, to the formation of the environment of a residential building, to the system of engineering services for cities. The foundations of standardization and modularity in construction, developed by the architecture of subsequent eras, have been developed.

Literature

• Sokolov G.I. Acropolis in Athens. M., 1968Brunov N.I. Monuments of the Athenian Acropolis. Parthenon and Erechtheion. M., 1973 Acropolis. Warsaw, 1983
• History of foreign art.- M., " art", 1984
• Georgios Dontas. Acropolis and its museum.– Athens, Clio, 1996
• Bodo Harenberg. Chronicle of humanity.- M., "Big Encyclopedia", 1996
• History of world art.- BMM AO, M., 1998
• Art of the Ancient World. Encyclopedia.- M., "OLMA-PRESS", 2001
• Pausanias . Description of Hellas, I-II, M., 1938-1940.
• Pliny on Art, trans. B. V. Varneke, Odessa, 1900.
• Plutarch . Comparative biographies, vol. I-III, M., 1961 -1964.
• Blavatsky V. D. Greek sculpture, M.-L., 1939.
• Brunov N. I. Essays on the history of architecture, vol. II, Greece, M., 1935.
• Waldgauer O. F. Antique Sculpture, Ig., 1923.
• Kobylina M. M. Attic sculpture, M., 1953.
• Kolobova K. M. The ancient city of Athens and its monuments, L., 1961.
• Kolpinsky Yu. D. Sculpture of ancient Hellas (album), M., 1963.
• Sokolov G. I. Ancient sculpture, part I, Greece (album), M., 1961.
• Farmakovsky B. V. The artistic ideal of democratic Athens, Pg., 1918.

The cradle of modern European civilization Ancient Greece is rightly considered. This state had a significant impact on the development of many areas human life- science, medicine, politics, art and philosophy. Some monuments of ancient Greece have survived to this day. It is about them, as well as about the history of the once great power that will be discussed in this article.

Ancient Greece and its historical significance

Under Ancient Greece, historians understand the totality of civilizations that existed for about 3000 years: from the third millennium BC to the 1st century AD. The very concept of "Ancient Greece" on the territory of the modern state is not used. In this country, this civilizational formation is called Hellas, and its inhabitants are called Hellenes.

The description of Ancient Greece should begin with its significance and role in the historical development of the entire Western civilization. So, historians rightly believe that it was in Ancient Greece that the foundation of European democracy, philosophy, architecture and art was laid. The ancient Greek state was conquered by Rome, but at the same time the Roman Empire borrowed the main features of ancient Greek culture.

The real exploits of Ancient Greece are not world-famous beautiful myths, but discoveries in science and culture, philosophy and poetry, medicine and architecture. It is worth noting that geographically the territory of Ancient Greece does not coincide with the borders of the modern state. Under this term, historians often mean the expanses of other countries and regions: Turkey, Cyprus, the Crimea and even the Caucasus. Monuments of Ancient Greece have been preserved in all these territories. In addition, the ancient Greek settlements (colonies) at one time were scattered along the shores of the Mediterranean, Black and Azov Seas.

Geography and map of Ancient Greece

Hellas was not a single, monolithic state entity. On its foundation, more than a dozen separate city-states were formed (the most famous of them are Athens, Sparta, Piraeus, Samos, Corinth). All the states of Ancient Greece were the so-called "polises" (in other words, cities), with lands adjacent to them. Each of them had its own laws.

The central core of Ancient Hellas is, rather, its southern part, the western tip of Asia Minor, as well as many islands located in this region. Ancient Greece consisted of three parts: Northern Greece, Middle Greece and the Peloponnese. In the north, the state bordered on Macedonia and Illyria.

Ancient Greece is presented below.

Cities in Ancient Greece (polises)

What were cities like in ancient Greece?

It cannot be said that they had a chic and luxurious look, as they often like to illustrate in pictures. Actually, it's a myth. Only the main public buildings looked chic and pompous in the ancient Greek policies, but the houses of ordinary citizens were very modest.

The dwellings of the people were deprived of any comfort. Historians suggest that they even slept on the street, under the porticos. The network of city streets was careless and ill-conceived: on most of which the sun's rays did not fall at all.

Things were worst in Athens, which many travelers of that time spoke of with contempt. Nevertheless, comfort eventually penetrated into the homes of ordinary Greeks. So, real revolution in urban planning and street planning at that time was made by the architect Hippodamus of Miletus. It was he who first drew attention to the location of houses in the city and tried to build them in one line.

Architectural sights of Ancient Greece

Now it's worth stopping at one more important issue: what did Ancient Hellas leave us, if we talk about material monuments?

The sights of Ancient Greece - temples, amphitheaters, the remains of public buildings - have been preserved in many European countries. But most of all, of course, it is on the territory of the modern state of the same name.

Ancient Greek temples are the most important monuments of ancient material culture. In Hellas, they were built everywhere, because it was believed that the gods themselves lived in them. These world-famous sights of Ancient Greece stand out noticeably against the background of other architectural monuments of Ancient Hellas - the remains of Greek acropolises and other ancient ruins.

Parthenon

Perhaps the most famous monument of ancient Greek architecture is the Parthenon temple. It was built in 432 BC in Athens, and today is the most recognizable tourist symbol of modern Greece. It is known that the construction of this majestic Doric temple was led by the architects Kallikrat and Iktin, and it was built in honor of the goddess Athena, the patroness of the Athenian Acropolis.

Until our time, the central part of the Parthenon with fifty columns has been quite well preserved. In the center of the temple you can see a copy of the sculpture of Athena, made at one time from ivory and gold by Phidias, the most famous ancient Greek artist and sculptor.

The frieze of the central facade of the building is generously decorated various images, and the pediments of the temple - wonderful sculptural compositions.

Temple of Hera

The oldest temple in ancient Greece is the temple of the goddess Hera. Experts say that it was built in the sixth century BC. Unfortunately, the structure is not as well preserved as the Parthenon: at the beginning of the fourth century, it was badly damaged by an earthquake.

The Temple of Hera is located in Olympia. According to legend, the inhabitants of Elis gave it to the Olympians. The foundation, steps, as well as several surviving columns - this is all that remains of the grandiose structure today. One can only imagine how it looked in those ancient times.

At one time, the temple of Hera was decorated with a statue of Hermes. Today the sculpture is kept in the archaeological museum of Olympia. It is known that the ancient Romans used it as a sanctuary. Today, this place is famous primarily for the fact that the Olympic flame is lit here on the eve of the next Olympics.

Temple of Poseidon

The Temple of Poseidon, or rather its remains, are located on It was built in 455 BC. Only 15 columns have survived to this day, but they speak eloquently of the majesty of this structure. Scientists have established that on the site of this temple, long before the start of construction, there were already other places of worship. They are roughly dated to the 7th century BC.

Everyone knows that the god Poseidon in ancient Greek mythology is the ruler of the seas and oceans. Therefore, it was not by chance that the ancient Greeks chose a place for the construction of this temple: on the sheer shore of the Aegean Sea. By the way, it was at this place that King Aegeus threw himself off a steep cliff when he saw in the distance the ship of his offspring Theseus with a black sail.

Finally...

it real phenomenon in the history of European civilization, which had a huge impact on the development European culture, science, art and architecture. The sights of Ancient Greece are numerous majestic temples, the remains of acropolises and picturesque ruins, which have survived in large numbers to this day. Today they attract a huge number of tourists from all over the world.

Greece is a country that is strongly associated not only with summer holidays, but also, first of all, with the richest historical heritage. Perhaps no other modern state cannot boast of such a large number of ancient monuments.

Acropolis

The word “acropolis” can be translated as “upper city”, which served as a fortification for ancient settlements. There are many such acropolises throughout Greece, but the most famous is the one that towers over Athens. Majestic temples, religious objects and sculptures appeared here long before the classical period. In Mycenaean times, the Acropolis became a place of worship for the goddess Athena. Great importance have three temples - the Parthenon, the Erechtheion and the temple of Nike, which were erected in the classical period on the ruins of early temples. Particularly interesting is the history of the Parthenon, which since its construction has managed to visit the Church of Hagia Sophia, a Catholic church, and a Muslim mosque.

When Greece was finally liberated from the Turkish invaders, the most important task then and now was the idea of ​​preserving the Parthenon as the main cultural heritage ancient times. Now near the Acropolis you can see the gates of Bule, the remains of the sanctuary of Aphrodite, the sanctuary of Artemis and the preserved statues, the theater of Dionysus, the sanctuary of Zeus, the theater of Herod. Rising to a height and contemplating the capital at a glance, you admire the true greatness of the ancient Greeks.

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Sunio

Cape Sounio is located 70 km southeast of Athens, at the southern tip of Attica. According to ancient myth, it was from this place that King Aegeus threw himself into the sea. Some items found during excavations on the cape date back to the 8th century BC, and Herodotus claimed that as early as the 6th century BC. the Athenians used to organize holidays every four years on Sounio.

Sounio was indeed of great importance to the Greeks - it was the last point of land that the Athenian sailors saw when they went to the open sea. And they saw the same cape for the first time, returning from campaigns and from wars. That is why the temple of Poseidon was built on Sounio, the first version of which was destroyed during the war with the Persians. Pericles restored the temple, but only part of it has survived to this day. The frieze is made of marble from the island of Paros and depicts the myth of Theseus. On one of the columns you can see the engraved inscription "Byron", made famous poet during a visit in 1810.

Excursions are organized daily on Sounio, which allow not only to get closer to the historical monument, but also to see the best (after Santorini) sunsets in Greece.

Delphi

Delphi is one of the most interesting and visited places that has preserved the ancient heritage. This ancient city was a place of religious pilgrimage and the Pythian games. In the center is the temple of Apollo, and next to it is the stadium where the games were held in honor of this god. On the south side of the city there was a hall where athletes trained.

The preserved ancient theater, built in the 4th century BC, is impressive. using the limestone of Mount Parnassus. 35 rows could accommodate 5 thousand spectators, and in the course of numerous “rebuildings”, the theater still retained its original structure - stone seats and a round stage. During the summer, there are festivals and theatrical performances not to be missed.

Olympia

Olympia is the place where the first Olympic Games in the history of mankind took place. It is known that for the ancient Greeks the stadium was something special and sacred, and sport was not last place in public life. It held 20,000 spectators and most of the seats are made of clay. In 2004 the stadium was revived former glory when the hammer throw competitions were held here during the Olympic Games.

In Olympia, the temples of Zeus and Hera have been preserved. The temple of Zeus was built from limestone and covered with plaster for 13 years. Parian marble was used to make sculptures inside the temple. On its pediments, images of various mythical scenes flaunt, including the exploits of Hercules. But to this day, unfortunately, the 10-meter statue of Zeus, made of gold and ivory, has not survived - a real miracle of the ancient world.

The Temple of Hera is famous for the fact that it is here that the Olympic flame is lit. In ancient times, statues were probably located inside the temple. Today, the temple of Hera lies in ruins - the lower part of the columns and the base remained from it.

Dion

The village of Dion in Pieria is known for the remains of an ancient Macedonian city lying at the foot of Mount Olympus. During its heyday, it was considered a cultural center and an important strategic point. Through the efforts of archaeologists, the main part of Dion was excavated. The layers of the city wall are now visible, the main street and several lanes, large public baths with mosaic floors, a well-designed drainage and water supply system, a small Odeon, houses, shops, a Christian basilica. Temples of Isis, Demeter and Asclepius, Greek and Roman theaters, Macedonian tombs were found outside the city walls.

A collection of finds can be seen in the Archaeological Museum. On the first floor, artifacts from the Roman baths, temples and the necropolis of Dion are displayed. On the second floor, models of Pieria and Mount Olympus are displayed, as well as household items illustrating life in ancient times.