Goldsboro semi-weekly argus., 1909-06-19
A VISIT TO ATHENS
Mr.. Henry We'll Writes Inter-
estingly of the Ancient
and the Modern Me-
tropoliS.
A Personal Experience OF the creek
to Greek "Tug OF War;: The
Enduring Wefk Of the An
clients in Marble: MARS
Hill" as 1t is Today
The Academy Of
Science.

0O
On the morning of March 1 we ar
rived at the harbor of Piraeus, the
Port of Arthur, after a pleasant day
and night passage through the Aegean
Sea. [ was rather late in getting on
deck, therefore missed part of the
scenery, but the first look from my
StateroOm window disclosed the view
of the Acropolis in the distance.
There could be no mistake about it
after the pictures seen often before.
After breakfasting we d~isembarked
on a tender at the Phaterum leads
and by nine o'clock we were on our
way by electric train to Athens, some
five miles from our landing place. The |
carriages were in waiting for our
ships company INT we at once drove
to the Acropolis, one of the principal |
sights of Athens, the centre of art and
history, statecraft and philosophy. AS |
we wind our way up the steep rock,
partly reached by stairs cut put of
rock and partly by winding around a
most accessible footpath, we pass the
ruins of two theatres dating to the
Roman conquerors, very much built
on the plan of those of the present
day. The seats are all of white mar
BILE highly ornamented.
AS we get nearer the top we are
shown a small marble temple, named
the "Wingless Victory" part of which
has been restored by German archae-
ologists during the last century. A
little further up, and on a plateau,
what remains of the Parthenon is seen,
and from the columns, the marble
Orders, the frieze, a pretty correct
idea is conveyed of this magnificent
temple; yes a wonderfully close copy
of this structure, both as to size and
/, architecture, is seen in the Medicine
at Paris, which, however, lacks the
proud position of the high eminence.
Another notable temple on top of
the plateau is the Ericktheum, with
I it's porch of the maidens, part Of
which, however, is only a copy of the
original. I later saw the original at
n the British Museum, carried there by
: Lord Elgin. The Acropolis Museum
: is likewise On this plateau and con-
: tains many interesting objects of art
and sculpture. The view from the
e top of the Acropolis is a fine one, for
g it takes in not only the city of Athens,
: but the entire plain of Attica, Pireus,
S the sea and surrounding mountains.
n AS we o towards the city just to
the left we see the Hill of Prujx, OF
t the slopes of which is a large terrace,
which was formerly a place of as
sembly of the ancient Athenians, and
such orators as Sophocles, E%uripides,
Socrates and other notable Greeks,
S spoke On public occasions. A little
to the right, and probably considered
part of the lower Acropolis is Mars
d Hill, from which Paul spoke to the
AthenianS. A little further down and
near the city proper is the ancient
e preserved edifice of ancient Greece
d Yet this is lot a large temple, being
n only about 100x50 feet, the whole be-
d ing built of Pentelic marble. A little
lower down we see what remains OF
l. the temple OF Zeus Olympus. This
was probably the finest and largest
S. structure in Athens, as is indicated
e by thirteen of the marble columns still
is remaining. They measure something
If like ten feet in diameter and are
about fifty feet high. This temple is
t. supposed to have been started go
st years before the Christian era ant
re finished under King Antiochus
lie of whom we read in the Book
er of the M~accabees, as the persecuto
of the Jews.
is We next visited the Stadium, wher
in ancient times the Olympian game
ne were held. This is situated in a nat
ural hollow of hills and has of lat
been entirely reconstructed. 1t is
magnificent structure, about 700 fee
long and $50 wide, built on the styl
he of an amphitheatre. All the seats ar
en- of Pentelic marble and seats 5000
ng people. The work is a recent ON
So done under the auspices of Kin
ID, George, but with the money furnishe
es by a rich Greek living in Alexandra
sr. We ride through the city for othe
te. sights and worthy objects and tn
Ia principal of which in my humbl
ed opinion is the Academy of Science,
Lst It is a modern building, but rivals
not surpasses in beauty the Nations
n Library building in Washington.
nd A great effort is being made to re
of establish modern Athens to it's ar
p cient position as a centre of liters
ed ture, art and the sciences, for whic
e purDOSe universities and other inst
ng tutions Of learning, as well as al
Ill schools, have been established, whic
nix are being patronized by people of Al
Id countries.
ch If any one expects to see ancien
is Athens-with the exception of a fe'
ut relics-he will be doomed to disaI
pointment. for the present Athens /