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This towering rock outside Corinth was the strongest natural fortification in ancient Greece. In Archaic times it was crowned by a famous temple to Aphrodite. The structures you see today are mostly medieval Turkish, often having been built over much older buildings. It is a hefty hike to the top, but the effort is rewarded with great views.

If you’re only in Athens for a day, this is the one sight to see. The temples, especially the great Parthenon, built to honour Athena, have been the dominating influence in Western architecture for over 2,000 years. They continue to astonish and inspire. (see See Acropolis)

When the “Father of Tragedy” began writing, theatre was in its infancy. He brought a wealth of characters, powerful narratives, grandeur of language, and a sweeping vision of humans working out a plan of cosmic justice to works such as Prometheus Unbound and the Oresteia .

This is one of Athens’ oldest churches, built in the early 11th century over a 2nd-century monument in the ancient Agora. Though it underwent a great deal of damage during the Ottoman occupation, the remains of its frescoes have been preserved and restored within.

Claiming the highest point in modern-day Athens – the peak of Lykavittos Hill – Agios Georgios boasts views as far as the Saronic Gulf, the island of Aegina and the Peloponnese coast. Services are held both inside and outside.

The Agora, the marketplace where philosophers held forth, tradesmen bickered and statesmen hammered out the terms of the first democracy, was the city’s heart and soul for 600 years. This is one of the most hands-on sites in Athens and includes the Temple of Hephaestus, the best-preserved ancient Greek temple. (see The Agora)

Corinth’s location, between the Peloponnese and mainland Greece, made it a rich and powerful trading centre from Mycenaean times onwards. Material wealth was accompanied by a reputation for wild and licentious lifestyles, including polygamy and orgiastic cults, which St Paul addressed with great concern in the biblical Book of Corinthians . After the 19th century, Corinth declined into a small, unattractive city. Its attraction resides in the extensive remains of the ancient glories, especially the 6th-century BC Temple of Apollo, and the Roman Agora and Odeon.

Voluptuous Aphrodite was Artemis’s polar opposite – the temperamental goddess of love had dozens of affairs.

The handsome god of music and poetry presided over the Muses.