Athena in Athens, Georgia

OK, so this isn't from Greece, but it's a cool parallel. I live in Athens, Georgia, where we have a statue of the goddess Athena gracing the Classic Center, our civic convention and performing arts complex, downtown. The sculptor, Jean Westmacott, describes his work:

There were two statues of Athena in the Parthenon [in Athens, Greece]. The smaller statue was the focus of a procession that occurred every four years, and part of the event was to bring a new "peplos" or cloak to Athena. My sculpture depicts her carrying this cloak, a gift from the citizens of Athens, while her other hand holds a shield. On the shield is a motif of an olive leaf pattern, which can be interpreted as the Olympic laurel wreath.

You can see where this religious ritual, the Panathenaic Games, took place as we'll be living and studying literally right were it happened.

Heraion of Perachora

This is the Heraion of Perachora (loosely, "the temple dedicated to Hera on the land on the other side [of the Isthmus of Corinth]") along with some pictures of the modern lighthouse perched above it. It's a very ancient site with breathtaking views of the Corinthian Gulf.

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The Temple of Olympian Zeus in Athens

Here are some photos of the Temple of Olympian Zeus in Athens. While the site is ancient, the ruins are mostly late-Roman. It's not the best preserved or the flashiest site that we'll see, but it's still very historic and quite cool.

 

Sounio

Here are some photos of my favorite place in Greece (so far), Sounio. It's the place, according to myth, where King Aegeus committed suicide, leaping into what thereafter became known as the "Aegean" Sea when he mistakenly thought that his son, Theseus, had died at the hands of the Minotaur. It's easy to see why the Ancient Greeks treated the place as sacred.

Welcome!

Welcome to your home for the Georgia College Greece Study Abroad program!