The ancient is everywhere in Greece, scattered amongst the modern buildings and streets, yet some is still so detached.
Our trip to Eleusis brought us to the site of the ancient cult of Demeter and the site of the Eleusian Mysteries, ancient relics that were only shown to initiates of the exclusive cult. To be completely honest, I did not know much about the site at all before going. I had heard it mentioned by Plutarch in one of my ancient historical readings, but I had no idea how great of an archaeological site it really was...or how abandoned. The site itself was quite large and extremely rich in ancient ruins and artifacts, but there was almost no one there besides myself, my professor, and my fellow student. Why would no one come to such a cool Ancient Site? Everyone goes to the Acropolis, flooding through the Propylaea like Zombies in search of brains, but why does no one come to beautiful Eleusis?
The same is true with the site of the Pnyx, the meeting place of the ancient Athenian assembly, which is located right near the center of Athens. Entry into the site is free, the site itself is beautiful, it has an amazing view, and still I saw nobody on this visit either. In one sense it was extremely nice to have the sites to ourselves, able to explore and discuss without the rabble of tourists, but in another way it was sad to see such incredible sites abandoned. Sure they may have lacked some of the monumental architecture of the Acropolis, but the site itself was no less awe-inspiring and educational. I learned more on these site visits by observing the architecture and discussing things with colleagues than I did at any of the major tourist sites combined.
I don't know whether I should feel bad or not for those who just wish to see the monumental structures and care nothing of the history and significance of other ancient sites. To me the most fulfilling site visit is one in which you must use your imagination in order to figure out how the site was used in ancient times. I think experiences like this can teach us quite a bit, and I urge anyone who is going to Greece to observe some of the more obscure sites, gather information, and do research in an attempt to gain a better understanding of the site as a whole. Maybe that's just the history nerd in me talking, but there really is something beautiful about some of these unfrequented places.
Come on....explore...be adventurous.
Our trip to Eleusis brought us to the site of the ancient cult of Demeter and the site of the Eleusian Mysteries, ancient relics that were only shown to initiates of the exclusive cult. To be completely honest, I did not know much about the site at all before going. I had heard it mentioned by Plutarch in one of my ancient historical readings, but I had no idea how great of an archaeological site it really was...or how abandoned. The site itself was quite large and extremely rich in ancient ruins and artifacts, but there was almost no one there besides myself, my professor, and my fellow student. Why would no one come to such a cool Ancient Site? Everyone goes to the Acropolis, flooding through the Propylaea like Zombies in search of brains, but why does no one come to beautiful Eleusis?
The same is true with the site of the Pnyx, the meeting place of the ancient Athenian assembly, which is located right near the center of Athens. Entry into the site is free, the site itself is beautiful, it has an amazing view, and still I saw nobody on this visit either. In one sense it was extremely nice to have the sites to ourselves, able to explore and discuss without the rabble of tourists, but in another way it was sad to see such incredible sites abandoned. Sure they may have lacked some of the monumental architecture of the Acropolis, but the site itself was no less awe-inspiring and educational. I learned more on these site visits by observing the architecture and discussing things with colleagues than I did at any of the major tourist sites combined.
I don't know whether I should feel bad or not for those who just wish to see the monumental structures and care nothing of the history and significance of other ancient sites. To me the most fulfilling site visit is one in which you must use your imagination in order to figure out how the site was used in ancient times. I think experiences like this can teach us quite a bit, and I urge anyone who is going to Greece to observe some of the more obscure sites, gather information, and do research in an attempt to gain a better understanding of the site as a whole. Maybe that's just the history nerd in me talking, but there really is something beautiful about some of these unfrequented places.
Come on....explore...be adventurous.
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