Τhe Best Kept Acropolis Secret is Inside the Sacred Rock

Acropolis with secret chamber below — The Acropolis houses a little-known secret chamber. Credit: **Ad Meskens** CC BY-SA 4.0

The Acropolis of Athens naturally sends eyes skyward, to take in the glories of the Parthenon and other buildings atop it — but its best kept secret is a chamber inside the sacred rock.

The secret chamber of the Acropolis is actually a Byzantine church. Restored in 2017, the one-time place of worship burrows deep into the base of Athens’ most renowned mountain. Above the Dionysus Theater is the church called Panagia Spilotissa, or the Virgin Mary of the Cave, which was converted from an archaic temple.

Ironically, the church originated as a temple to celebrate the ancient Greek god of festivity and religious madness. Dating back to 320 BC, the cave was a temple dedicated to Dionysus, built by Thrasyllos. Two Ionian pillars still stand on top of the entryway, easily spotted from the pedestrian walkway, the Dionysios Areopagitis, that borders the Acropolis.

Acropolis’ Secret: First an Archaic Monument, Then an Alternative Church

The monument was erected to celebrate Thrasyllos’ victory as the benefactor of a chorus that performed in the annual dramatic festival that honored Dionysus. After the victory, Thrasyllos had the monument constructed. It was again modified in 297 BC, following his son, Thrasyklis, victory to include inscriptions.

On the rocks nearby are inscriptions that have led many to believe that there were also other monuments situated there at one time.

The monument was built around a natural hollow in the rock and cut away to form a cave 20 feet deep and 20 feet high. It is situated just below the south wall of the Acropolis and has access from above the Theater of Dionysus.

The cave was most likely considered sacred long before the construction of the monument. It may have been dedicated to Artemis, the goddess of the hunt. The rock face was cut back to form a flat vertical surface, and the mouth of the cave was enlarged into a rectangular opening. Two broad stone steps led up to the entry.

A Doric marble portico was set at the front of the cave, in imitation of the Propylaea, on the southwest wing of the Acropolis. The structure would have been surmounted with three bronze tripods that served as the actual prizes in the annual competition that involved drama, comedy, and musical performances.

The tripods were eventually replaced with a statue of Dionysus.

Tragically, this too, fell victim to the pillage of the British Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, Lord Elgin, in 1802 — as did so many of the statues on the Parthenon’s frieze. The statue is on display — as are the frieze statues — in the British Museum. The Thrasyllos monument was, however, preserved until 1827. It sadly collapsed following the bombardment during the Ottoman siege of the Athens.

Best-Preserved Examples of post-Byzantine Hagiography

“The fresco decoration of Panagia Spiliotissa comprises the best preserved examples of post-Byzantine hagiography in the area of the Acropolis and its slopes,” according to Dr. Konstantinos Boletis. Boletis serves as an Architect-Restorer for the Department/Ephorate of Antiquities of the City of Athens.

The church was one of the “alternative” places to worship that began to emerge in Athens during the sixth century, following the decrees sent down by the Byzantine Emperors.

During Ottoman rule mothers would bring their sick children to the church, in the hope that they could be cured, according to Boletis. It also served as a secret chamber of the Acropolis to worship away from watchful Ottoman eyes.

And yet another rite that took place on the site was to humiliate women who had been unfaithful to their husbands.

Restoration of the Thrasyllos monument and the two walls of the church, with frescos, were completed in 2017. Since 1933 a total of nine restorative projects have taken place on the Acropolis.

Other Caves on the Acropolis

The Thrasyllos Monument and the church of Panagia Spiliotisa are not the only caves in the Acropolis. At the pinnacle of the sacred mount, the state primarily celebrated Athena and a series of other gods and heroes. However, around the rocky hill, there were multiple small-scale cave-sanctuaries, not quite secret chambers, that responded to a different need.

Unlike the official cults promoted by the Athenian bourgeois on top of the hill, these sanctuaries were smaller cult sites offering individual contact with deities that appealed to the needs of ordinary people.

Three of the most important caves were devoted to Zeus, Apollo and Pan. Other notable cave sites included a sanctuary of Aphrodite and Eros.

Another one was devoted to Aglauros, the mythical daughter of Cecrops. According to the legend, Athens was under a difficult siege when a prophecy said that only through a willing sacrifice could Athens be saved. When Aglauros heard this, she immediately ran off the cliff of the Acropolis.

The Athenians held a yearly festival in her memory called the Agaureia. During this event, the Athenian youth wore their armor and swore to protect the city in front of Aglauros’ sanctuary.

The Acropolis has been inhabited since prehistoric times. Over the centuries, the Holy Rock was many things: a home to kings, a citadel, a mythical home of the gods, a religious center and a tourist attraction.

It has withstood bombardment, massive earthquakes and vandalism — yet still stands as a reminder of the rich history of Greece. Today, it is a cultural UNESCO World Heritage site and home to several temples, the most famous of which is the Parthenon.

Comments

The World’s Oldest Living Olive Tree is on Crete

The most ancient olive tree in the world, in Crete. Credit: Dimitra Damian/Greek Reporter The oldest olive tree in the world is located in the village of Ano Vouves of Kissamos in Chania, Crete. The ancient tree is 3000 years old, as determined by the international scientific community. The ancient olive tree in Vouves has a trunk with a circumference of 12.5 meters (41 feet), and a diameter of 4.6 meters (15 feet). It belongs to the local tree variety of tsounati, and was grafted at a height of 3 meters onto a wild olive tree. Because of the grafting, its trunk has been so beautifully shaped by nature that it resembles a sculpture. In 1990, after a unanimous decision in the prefecture of Chania, the Vouves Olive Tree was declared a Natural Monument of great importance due to its status as the world’s oldest tree of its kind. The oldest olive tree still produces high-quality olives The fruits of the ancient olive tree make the best olive oil in the world, making the area...

Inside the Magnificent Minoan Palace of Knossos in Crete

The Minoan palace at Knossos. Credit: Gary Bembridge /Wikimedia Commons/ CC-BY-2.0 The Palace of Knossos, located about five kilometers (three miles) south of Heraklion on Kephala hill, was the largest of all the Minoan palaces in Crete. It was also at the core of the highly sophisticated civilization that flourished on the island over 3,500 years ago. The discovery of the Minoan Palace of Knossos The discovery and subsequent excavation of the palace dates back to the beginning of the twentieth century. Before then, Knossos had only served as a place mentioned in Greek mythology. The first modern scholar to take a serious interest in the area was the German Heinrich Schliemann, who in 1870 had excavated the site believed to be Troy. Schliemann was certain that a major Minoan palace lay hidden near Heraklion, but the Ottoman authorities who still ruled the island at the time denied any permission to dig there. Years afterward, the British archaeologist Arthur Evans, inspired b...

Ten Unforgettable Things to Do Around Syntagma Square in Athens

Syntagma Square, Athens. Credit: Public Domain Syntagma Square has literally been the very heart of Athens ever since the city became the capital of the modern Greek state. With the Greek Parliament building and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier looming over it, it is rich with history and is the place where most major events of the last two centuries have taken place. Its name in Greek means “Constitution Square,” a name granted by Greece’s first modern royal, King Otto, on September 3, 1843, after an uprising of the people. This was a smart political move, since the royal palace overlooked the square. In 1934, the royal palace was turned over to the Greek Parliament, and ever since that time, Syntagma Square has been the place where all public protests and demonstrations have taken place. Syntagma Square home to historic demonstrations and protests In December of 1944, just after the departure of the occupying Nazi troops, a people’s rally at the square was marred b...

Rolls-Royce Names Panos Kakoullis New CFO

Rolls-Royce aircraft engine. Credit: Mark Kobayashi Hillary/ CC BY 2.0 British aircraft engine maker Rolls-Royce will name Panos Kakoullis as its new CFO, Reuters reported on Monday. Kakoullis will start in his new role on May 3. The company hopes that the Greek-British Kakoullis, former head of audit and assurance at Deloitte, will successfully guide the company through the coronavirus pandemic. As the the second-largest maker of aircraft engines, Rolls Royce has taken major hits due to the dramatic decrease in air travel caused by the coronavirus. Airlines pay the company by the number of hours each plane is in flight. Accordingly, as the travel industry has come to a standstill, Rolls Royce faced severe financial difficulty in the past year. Rolls Royce CEO Warren East highlighted Kakoullis’ over 30 years experience at Deloitte in a statement: “Panos delivered significant transformational change at Deloitte, streamlining and simplifying the business and we look forwa...

Best Nude Beaches in Greece — and the Entire World

Plaka beach on Naxos. Credit: Carlo Pelagalli/Wikimedia Commons/ CC BY-SA 3.0 Greece is a country that appeals to almost any traveler, from its towering seaside cliffs to its nearly countless pristine beaches. It is also favored by naturists who want to feel free to be sunbathe and swim in the nude. Greece actually has too many nude beaches to count, with travelers knowing that if they desire that experience, they are never too far away from a nudist beach anywhere in the country. It is not an uncommon sight for women to sunbathe topless, even at conventional beaches in Greece, which is emblematic of the free-spirited nature of the country. Here we have collected some of the best spots for nude bathing all across the nation. World naturist bathing map A global guide to topless and nude sunbathing. Credit: Pour Moi swimsuit company website. A British swimsuit company named Pour Moi has now created a global map for naturists to know where nude bathing is legal — or at leas...

The Greek Who Taught the Japanese to Eat Feta Cheese and Olive Oil

Credit: Facebook/ Thanasis Fragkis Pioneering businessman Thanasis Fragkis was the very first person to introduce olive oil and other traditional Greek products to Japan more than a decade ago. Olive oil, wine, feta cheese and Greek yogurt, relatively unknown food items to this Far Eastern country, are now being enjoyed as the great gourmet delicacies they are. Speaking to Greek Reporter from his home in the town of Mito, around 120 km (76 miles) north of Tokyo, Fragkis was justifiably proud of his achievement. “We have taught the Japanese to eat olive oil, cheeses, including feta, yogurt that were not part of their diet. They hardly knew of olive oil,” he says in wonderment. Originally from the town of Kymi on the island of Evia, Fragkis emigrated to England, where he met his future wife, who is Japanese. “When we got married we thought ‘you are Japanese, I am Greek, what is the point of living in England?’. Greece was a difficult place to start a business in at the ti...

The Fascinating History of Thessaloniki’s Iconic White Tower

The White Tower. Credit: ΣΟΛΑΚΙΔΗΣ ΣΩΤΗΡΙΟΣ /Wikimedia Commons/ CC BY-SA 4.0 Residents of Thessaloniki, Greece’s second largest city, often use its White Tower as a point of reference when giving directions in the beautiful seaside city. That’s because the tower is by far Thessaloniki’s most iconic monument. The ancient city, located in northern Greece, has a rich history stretching from antiquity to the modern era, but is most noted for its importance during the Byzantine period. During that time, Thessaloniki was a competitor with the great city of Constantinople in terms of its wealth and influence. The White Tower was a witness to many of the city’s most important historical events, and its role in Thessaloniki changed as did the ownership of the city itself throughout the millennia. Studying the history of the White Tower means learning the history of Thessaloniki. The Tower’s strategic location along the Thermaic Gulf made it perfect for guarding the city from thre...

Government, Opposition Clash over Bill to Curb Demonstrations in Greece

As the vote for the bill to regulate demonstrations is about to go up for a vote in the Greek Parliament Thursday, there continue to be fierce reactions from the opposition, unions and other sectors of society. Greece’s public sector employees union ADEDY walked off their jobs on Wednesday, protesting the bill on public demonstrations by accusing the government of using a 1971 junta decree which restricted the right of assembly. The Greek Communist Party workers Union PAME, along with other leftist unions, are also organizing demonstrations in the center of Athens to take place on Thursday evening. Government argues in favor of regulation of demonstrations Speaking in Parliament on Thursday, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said that the bill “protects the citizens’ freedom of public expression; it protects it from both state authoritarianism and from the threat that this right will be usurped by those who oppose normalcy.” PM Mitsotakis emphasized that the r...

Is the US Eyeing Crete as an Alternative to Military Base in Turkey?

Helicopter landing on the USS Hershel “Woody” Williams. Credit: Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Austin Collins/U.S. Sixth Fleet The visit of U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to Athens and Crete in the last several days has reinforced a notion expressed by senior Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson, who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations subcommittee for Europe: that US officials are considering exchanging its facilities at Incirlik Air Force base in Turkey with an extension of the US Naval base in Souda Bay, Crete. The senator expressed this opinion in a piece in the Washington Examiner. Turkey‘s erratic — if not openly aggressive — behavior in the Eastern Mediterranean, which escalated in recent months with direct threats against Greece and Cyprus, has led US officials to begin looking for alternatives regarding their alliances in the region. Another important factor in such a decision would certainly be Turkey’s continued affiliation with Russia. The rel...

Greece Eyes US F-35 Jets After French Rafale

Greece is considering buying the F-35s “sooner or later”. Credit: Wikipedia Greece is eying to buy the state-of-the-art F-35 fighter aircraft from the US, the country’s Defense Minister revealed on Tuesday. Speaking after Greece and France signed the agreement to buy 18 Rafale fighters, Minister Nikos Panagiotopoulos said that “sooner or later, a purchase of F-35s will be discussed.” “At some point we will move to fifth-generation aircraft, and the main aircraft within NATO at such level is the F-35,” he added, speaking during the main news broadcast of Alpha TV. The F-35 is a stealth, fifth-generation, multirole combat aircraft, designed for ground-attack and air-superiority missions. It is built by Lockheed Martin and many subcontractors, including Northrup Grumman, Pratt & Whitney, and BAE Systems. By procuring state-of-the-art jets, Greece hopes it will cancel out the threat posed by Turkey’s acquisition of the Russian S-400 anti-aircraft system. Change in balan...

Qoutes

Search This Blog