高中英语Unit2 Withessing time 教学资源 The Acropolis of At

TheAcropolisofAthensWhatwouldavisittoAthens,GreecebewithoutgoingtotheAcropolistoseetheParthenon?TheAcropolisistheonehistoricalsiteyoucan'tmiss.Youcantakeatourorwanderupthereyourselfbutduringthesummer,whateveryoudo,unlessitisovercast,goearlyorlateintheday.Itcangetveryhotupthereandgaspingforbreathcantakewayfromyourabilitytomarvelatthegreatestofallarchaeologicalsites.GettingtotheAcropolisiseasyandmorepleasantthaneverbecausethelargeavenueswhichborderthesouthandwestofthesite(ApostolouPavlouinThissionandDionissiouAreopagitouinMakrianni)havebeenturnedintogiantpedestrianstreetswithcafesandrestaurantsandthewalkisquitepleasant.FromthePlakaandMonastirakisideithasalwaysbeenacar-less,enjoyablewalkandallyouhavetodoiswalkuphillfromwhereveryouareandwhenyougettothetopandtherearewoodsinsteadofbuildings,andsteps,takearight.Afterclimbingthestepsyouareattheentrance,orthePropylaea,whichwascompletedin432justbeforetheoutbreakofthePeloponnesianwars.ThemainarchitectwasMncsicles,acolleagueofPhidias.ToyourleftisthePinacothecaandaHellenisticpedestalandontherightthetinytempletoNikeAthenaortheAthenaofVictorywhichcommemoratestheAtheniansvictoryoverthePersians.ThissmalltemplestandsonaplatformthatoverlookstheislandsofSaronicGulfandusedtohouseastatueofAthena.ItwasdismantledbytheTurksin1686sotheycouldusetheplatformforalargecannon.Itwasrebuiltbetween1836and1842andagaintakenapartandrebuiltin1936whenitwasdiscoveredthattheplatformwascrumbing.IfyoulookingfromthepropylaeatowardsPireausonacleardayyoucanseeshipswaitingoutsidetheportofPireaus,theislandsandthemountainsofthePeloponessosbeyond.TheParthenonandothermainbuildingsontheAcropoliswerebuiltbyPericlesinthefifthcenturyBCasamonumenttotheculturalandpoliticalachievementsoftheinhabitantsofAthens.ThetermacropolismeansuppercityandmanyofthecitystatesofancientGreecearebuiltaroundanacropoliswheretheinhabitantscangoasaplaceofrefugeintimesofinvasion.It'sforthisreasonthatthemostsacredbuildingsareusuallyontheacropolis.It'sthesafestmostsecureplaceintown.Aslittleas15()yearsagotherewerestilldwellingsontheAcropolisofAthens.ThoseofyouwhohavereadAristophaneswillrecallthatinLysistratathewomenhaveAthensbarricadedthemselvesinthefortressinprotest,beingtiredoftheirmengoingtowaragainstSparta.Deprivingthemofsex,cookingandcareitwasaterrificstrategythatmightevenworktoday.Regardless,theplayopenedthedoortothesubjectofsexualfrustrationincomedyandwithoutitwemightnothaveWoodyAllen.NowdaystherearestillprotestswhichoccasionallytakeplacebysiteemployeesclosingtheAcropolistotourists,someofwhomhavewaitedalifetimetocometoGreece.Thankfullythesearerareandofshortduration.Thebesttimetogoupthereisthelatewinterorspringwheneventhisstonemountainisnotimmunetotheproliferationofgrassandwildflowerswhichseemtoburstfromeverycrack.EveninDecember,JanuaryandFebruarytheAcropoliscanbesurprisinglygreen.EvenhavingseenathousandphotographsoneisstillnotpreparedfortheimmensityoftheParthenon.ThebuildingwasdesignedbythearchitectsKallikratesandIktinosasthehomeofthegiantstatueofAthena.Ittook15yearstobuildandwascompletedin438BCandisprobablythemostrecognizablestructureintheworldnexttothegoldenarchesofMcDonalds.Fromatempleitbecameachurch,amosqueandfinallyasastoragefacilityforTurkishgunpowder.In1687theVenetiansbombardeditfrombelow.Acannonballhitthegunpowderandblewitup.OtherAcropolisInfoAcropolisPhotosElginMarblesHistoryofGreeceTheErecthionsitsonthemostsacredsiteoftheAcropoliswherePoseidonandAthenahadtheircontestoverwhowouldbethePatronofthecity.Poseidonthrusthistridentintotherockandaspringburstforth,whileAthenatouchedthegroundwithaspearandanolivetreegrew.AthenawasdeclaredthevictorandthegreatcityofAthenswasnamedforherwhilePoseidonwasgivenasmallvillageinSyrosafteritwasdiscoveredhehadmerelyrupturedawatermain,(notreal!y).ThebuildingitselfcontainstheporchofthemaidensorCaryatidswhicharenowcopies,fourofwhichhavebeenplacedintheAcropolismuseum,hopefullytobereunitedwithafifthtakenfromtheAcropolisbyLordElginandputiniheBritishMuseummorethanacenturyago.AquestioninmymindiswhynotrebuildtheParthenontoit'sformerglory?Itisnotasifthedestructionofitissacredhistorythatmustbepreserved,infactthe300yearssincetheexplosionisarelativelyshorttime-spaninthehistoryofthebuilding.MuchoftheParthenonhasbeentakenapartandputbacktogetherwithpiecesbeingreplacedorclampedtoremedythewearandtearofcenturies,inparticularthelast20orsoyearsofairpollution.Asitstandsnow,thoughitisatributetothegloriouspastandtheachievementoftheAncientAtheniansitisalsoatthesametimeareminderthatwhateverisgoodinmaniseventuallyovercomebyignorance,warandahungerfordomination.IsayrebuildtheentireAcropolisasaninspirationthatwhateveriswrongwiththeworldcanberighted.(Untilsomeidiotblowsitupagain).MyfavoritespotisattheflagwhereAthensstretchesoutendlesslybelow.YoucanseethePlakabeneathyou,theruinsofthegiantTempleofOlympianZeusandtheOlympicstadiumnestledinapinecoveredhill,anislandofgreeninaseaofconcrete.TotheleftofthestadiumistheZappionbuildingandtheNationalGardens.TotherightofthestadiumyoucanseeanotherlargepatchofgreenwhichistheFirstCemetery.TheAcropolisisagreatplacetogetyourbearingsandgetanunderstandingofthelayoutofthecity.InfactthemoreyouknowAthensthemoreinterestingitistocomeuphereandseefamiliarlandmarks.IfyoustandbytheflagandlooktoyourleftyouwillseeMountLycabettosrisingfromtheneighborhoodofKolonaki,withtheHiltonandtheAthensToweratAmbelokipiinthedistance.ThelargegreenareaistheNationalgardens.TheAcropolisisagreatplacetogetyourbearingsinAthens.YoucanseeasfarasKifissiaonaclearday.WhentheGermansoccupiedAthensinWWII,theEvzonewhoguardedtheGreekflagwhichflewfromtheAcropolis,wasorderedbytheNazistoremoveit.Hecalmlytookitdown,wrappedhimselfinitandjumpedtohisdeath.TheplaquebytheflagcommemoratesManolisGlezosandApostolisSantas,thetwoeighteenyear-oldheroeswhotoredowntheNaziflagflyingfromtheAcropolisonthenightofMay30th,1941.ItisofparticularinterestbecausethesenamesareknownnotonlybyGreeks,butbymanyEuropeans,becausethisactofcourageandresistancetoNazioppressionwasaninspirationtoallsubjectedpeople.LaterthroughreadingthebookAthens:TheCitybyJohnTomkinsonIfoundoutthatGlezos,whobecameamemberoftheGreekresistance,wascondemnedtodeathfortreasonin1948andimprisonedforbeingacommunist.HewaslaterelectedamemberofthePanhcllcnicSocialistParty(PASOK).BelowtheAcropolisisthetheaterofHerodAtticusbuiltbytheRomansin161ADandstillusedtodayforclassicalconcerts,ballet,performancesofhighculturalvalueandYanni.FurtheronistheTheaterofDionysiousthefirststonetheaterandhometoSophocles,Aeschylus,EuripidesandAristophanes.Itwasrebuiltaround342BCbyLykourgosandthenenlargedbytheRomanstobeusedforgladiatorfights.InJulyof2003IsawJethroTullhere.ItwasthefirstrockconcertheldintheancienttheaterandthoughperhapssomepeoplehopeitwasthelastIwouldbehappytoseemore.HowaboutDeepPurplewiththeRoyalPhilharmonicOrchestraperformingJonLord'sConcertoforGroupandOrchestra?MaybeProculHarum?Emerson,LakeandPalmer?TheStooges?Where'sLeonardCohenwhenyoureallyneedhim?BelowtheAcropolisistherockofAreopagosorwhatwecalledinhighschool'BlowHili'.(Don'task).Thestepsareveryslipperysobecarefulasyouclimbthem,butonceyoudoyouwon'twanttocomedown(unlessitis100degrees).YouhaveagreatviewoftheAgora,thePlaka,Monastiraki,OmoniaandmuchofAthens.Greatplacetowatchthesunset.Orcomeupatnightwithabottleofwineandyourtruelove,andwatchthelightsofthecity.ThisiswhereSaintPaulspoketothepeopleofAthensinAD51andthetabletimbeddedinthestonecontainshiswords.ThereisacleftintherockatthebottomofthehillthatisashrinetotheFuries.Afterwards,continuebackaroundtheAcropolisanddownthehillintotheAncientAgorabelow.PartofitisfreeandyoucangothroughittogetbacktoAdrianouStreet,oryoucanpaytheentrancefeeandwalkthestreetsofancientAthens.IfyoudecidetohangoutawhileintheancientAgoratakealookattherebuiltStoaofAttalos,nowamuseumwhichfeaturesmanyoftheeverydayitemsfoundinthearea.FunFact!Theancientagorawhichtotheuntrainedeyelookslookslikeajumbleofrocksandbrokenpavement(tothetrainedeyeaswell)wasonceavibrantneighborhoodandpartofthePlakaandMonastiraki.TheAmericanSchoolofClassicalstudiescameinthefiftiesandkickedeveryoneoutoftheirhousesandbusinessesanddemolishedthebuildingsthathadstoodthereforcenturiestodighere.SonexttimeyouarewalkingthroughthePlakaandthinkingthatyouwishtherewasmoreofAthenslikethis,rememberthatthereusedtobeandbethankfulthattheydidnotdestroyitall.ButtobefairitisarchaeologicalexcavationsliketheagorawhichgiveAthensmuchofitspreciousgreenspace.ThesmalltempleknownastheThissionwasbuiltin449BCandisvirtuallyintact.SupposedlynamedfbrTheseusbecausehisexploitswereshownonthefrieze,itisnowbelievedthatitwasactuallyatempletoHephaestosandAthena.U