This week was significantly shorted class-wise by the Greek Orthodox Easter Break, but was still quite busy with two field trips for my Classical Myth and Reception class and one for Alex’s class. I also got the unique chance to experience the holiday and associated traditions in Athens. Last, but not least, the break gave the chance for friends from the Vienna study abroad program to visit and for Helen and I to get to show them around Athens!
On Monday I visited Eleusis with my Myth and Reception, and we discussed the Elueusinian mysteries, as well as the architectural remains of the sanctuary to Demeter and Persophone. It was particularly interesting to think about how the architecture of the Tlesterion (large main building at Eleusis) was created to facilitate the mysteries; it is a room with seats around the perimeter, pillars throughout, and a central walled room. Although we do not necessarily know exactly what was going on at the mysteries, we do know that they were a ritual closely related to death, as well as secrecy. Thinking about the ways that a low-lit room with many view-obstructing pillars could have contributed to this environment was a very interesting way to get at a “mystery” that we do not necessarily have a complete description of.
We also visited the Acropolis for my Myth and Reception close and focused specifically on Dionysus and the theater and Temenos to him below the Parthenon. Much of what we covered was things that we talked about with Alex on our first visit, but it was interesting to think about the area more after doing some more background reading on the mythical stories of Dionysus.
After the theatre of Dionysus we got the chance to the Acropolis museum and see their collection of statutes and marbles. I was particularly interested in the top floor which is created in the dimensions and orientation of the Parthenon itself and which displays reconstructions (for the most part) of the pediments, metapies, and frieze. Most of the originals are held in the British museum and have not been returned despite efforts by the museum and the Greek government to have them returned. Despite not being able to use the real marbles, the use of space provides an interesting way of thinking about how the Parthenon would have looked. As we have discussed earlier in the term, direction and visibility was importance in ancient Greek architecture, so making the museum which houses the marbles (or in this case their replicas) the same size and orientation is a really interesting way to preserve this aspect in a museum environment.
For our only session of Alex’s class this week we visited the National Archaeological Museum where PhD candidate Will Austin showed us around their pottery collection. This collection is not currently open to the pubic on a regular basis, so this was a really cool experience to see something that I would not otherwise get to see. We covered pottery from the protogeometric style all the way past the classical era in Greece and saw how different means of representing people, animals, and designs changed and developed. I also got to see a lot of pieces that we analyzed in my art history class last term, and it was amazing to be able to get a sense of their physical presence and qualities. A lot of them were a lot larger than I expected. I do not generally think of a pot as a very large object, but many, particularly the amphoras, were really quite huge.
The next day friends from Vienna arrived in Athens! It was really exciting to see them as I had not seen them since the end of last term. Within a few hours of their arrival Helen, Suwannee, and I took them to two Athens highlights, souvlaki and and the Acropolis. Despite this being my fourth visit to the Acropolis, there were still new and interesting things to look at as I am not sure I would ever get sick of going. We also took them to the Agora, but we did not have as much time there as it closed early for the holiday. At the Acropolis and the Agora Helen and I did our best to give them some mini history lessons and fill them in on some of the more fun facts about the sites. This was a bit of a test of our knowledge, but it was a really fun way to think about what we’ve learned and share it with friends. Along with archaeological sites, we hit the beach and other highlights such as coffee and pastries at Kekkos, gelato at Morris Brown, and watching the sunset over the Acropolis from the hill by Kallimarmaro Stadium. A few of us also took the bus out of Athens and hiked around the Kaisariani Monastery. This was a fun chance to see some more Medieval architecture as well as show our friends a great view of the city from above. Overall, Athens was a big hit and I had a great time sharing the various parts of it that I have gotten to know with friends.
Another highlight of the weekend were the Easter festivities. Although I knew that Easter was a very important holiday in Greece, I did not quite know what to expect. Friday night I got my first introduction to the celebrations as I was able to see two different processions from my apartment balcony. Crowds of people from two different churches holding candles, led by someone carrying a cross, children in liturgical clothing, and pallbearers carrying the symbolic bier of Jesus came from two different directions and met at the intersection in front of my building. It was unlike anything I had ever seen before. The street was filled with people singing and holding candles which made a very entrancing and meaningful moment. Suwanene and I also attended mass around midnight on Saturday night. We gathered outside with a crowd of other people who were holding candles and waiting. At midnight the lights in the church went out and the bells rang, fireworks were set off, and the flame was passed from inside the church to the candles held by people outside. Even though I myself am not particularly religious, I really appreciated the opportunity to experience this gathering of community and shared tradition.
This week has been quite busy with various events and visitors, but has also been a moment to reflect on the really unique experiences that I am fortunate enough to have because of the OCS program. From experiencing Greek Orthodox Easter to getting to show friends around Athens this program has allowed me to have exceptional experiences that I will look back on for a long time. I look forward to the coming weeks as we enter the latter half of the program and go to even more sites and places!