Parthenon, Athens, Greece
When Pericles oversaw the construction of the Parthenon in Athens, in 4th century BC, he envisioned 16,500 pieces of marble, all with different shapes, structures and rigidity, coming together to create one perfect building.
The building was built to enshrine a statue of Athena, the goddess of wisdom, but also to serve as a metaphor for a developing democratic Greek society that cherished open-mindedness over conformity. It was meant to show that diversity, whether in structure or in academic thought, could ensure strength when pieces or people are carefully placed within it.
The story heard on the first day of exploration set the stage perfectly for a diverse cast of church goers from St. James Lutheran Church, Gettysburg and Trinity Lutheran Church, Staten Island on our Greece pilgrimage, walking the steps of the Apostle Paul.
After 26 hours of travel, the crew arrived at the Stanley Hotel in Athens at 1:30 a.m., Sunday morning. By 9 a.m. the next morning, we boarded our bus with our tour guide, nicknamed Shorty, showing us the way.
On the way to see the Acropolis, where the Parthenon was built, we stopped by the Panathenaic Stadium, and learned about the origins of the Olympic Games and the marathon. We were told how the Greeks twice beat overwhelming odds by holding their ground against larger invading Persian armies.
The Acropolis was built at the highest point of the city. It contained buildings of worship, politics and law. There are 12 gods of Mount Olympus in the Greek pantheon, but there is also the Alter of the Unknown God. During Paul’s travels, he would have been brought to this spot. He told the Athenian people he was familiar with the unknown God, because it was his God. A philosopher named Dionices heard Paul’s account of a dark period in the middle of the day as Jesus died, around 33 AD. The wiseman had experienced the strange darkness and believed Paul, becoming Athens’ first convert when he was baptized shortly after. After many years, the entire city became Christian.
In the afternoon, we were treated to locally produced cheeses, meats, wine and liquor, and in the evening we dined at Brettos Bar and were invited to dance along with performers dressed in unique historic garb.
Up next, our island cruise! I’ll be back with more when we return to the mainland!
