DK Travel : Athens : History & Culture

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Syntagma Metro Station

In the late 1990s, Athens undertook its biggest archaeological dig ever: excavating a long-delayed metro – essential for hosting the Olympics. Many feared that the tightly scheduled dig would endanger what lay beneath. The Syntagma metro station was a brilliant compromise: though modern and gleaming, one glass wall looks directly on to the site, with detailed explanations of its ancient layers. (see Syntagma Metro Station)
Temple of Apollo

This temple contained the omphalos (navel-stone), marking the centre of the world, as well as the Oracle. Nearly all ancient authors mention how rulers from throughout the inhabited world sent envoys with lavish offerings to hear the Oracle’s prophecies.
Temple of Olympian Zeus

The colossal temple to Zeus was commissioned in 515 BC and took nearly 700 years to complete, during which time many other buildings – temples, baths and a law court – sprang up around it. (see Temple of Olympian Zeus)
Temple of Poseidon

The great marble shrine to the sea god, situated on Cape Sounio’s peak and surrounded by the Aegean Sea, is among the most stunning sights in all of Greece. It was built in the 5th century BC. British poet Lord Byron was one of many who fell under its spell 2,400 years later, composing poetry in its honour and carving his name on a pillar. Come at sunset, just before it closes, for a spectacular and unforgettable view.
The Birth of Athena

When Zeus impregnated his mistress Metis, he was told she would have a son who would de-throne him. As a preventative measure, he swallowed Metis whole, but the unborn child continued to grow in Zeus’s head. After nine months, Hephaestus split open the god’s head with an axe, and out sprung the girl goddess Athena, already in full armour.
The Birth of Erichtonius

Hephaestus tried to rape Athena, but only managed to spill his seed on her leg. Athena brushed it to the ground, where it grew into the baby Erichtonius (“earth-born”). Athena raised him to become a king, and he is considered the first ancestor of all Athenians.
The Cyclops

The most famous of these one-eyed giants is Polyphemus, the monster whom Odysseus blinded in The Odyssey .
The Death of Aegeus

Theseus had told his father that if his quest to kill the Minotaur was successful, he’d change his ship’s sails from black to white on his return. But, after all the excitement, he forgot. When Aegeus, watching out for the ship from Sounio, saw the black sails, he was stricken with grief and plunged to his death in the sea (now called the Aegean).
The Guide to Greece, Pausanias

Pausanias, the world’s first travel writer, recorded observations from all over Greece in his 2nd-century journey.
The Histories, Herodotus

Compelling reportage of the Greeks’ fight for freedom against the Persians, as told by the “Father of History”.