Site hosted by Angelfire.com: Build your free website today!

 

HELLAS: 2002

Athena ("Athens"): Acropolis Museum Highlights

by Jody Neff

Copyright 2002 Jody Neff - All Rights Reserved.

 

My favorite statue in the Universe!

(so I'm going to include more . . .)

Statue of Athena; c. 520 BC. (The Parthenon wasn't even built until around 447 to 432 BC.) From the Gigantomachy pediment in the Archaic temple on the Acropolis. (Athena is killing a giant. Note the conspicuous absence of helmet, shield, spear and aegis. That's because the Greeks later masculinized her. We'll see the snake/python motif later in the photo of the statue of Aesclepius (God of Healing) and in Delphi, where the Pythia (from the same root as "python") served as oracle. (Remember the current symbol of medicine--the cadeuceus. Two snakes intertwined . . . )

Notice the serene expression on Athena's face. This denotes detached, immortal power.

 

 

Amazon (left) falling instantly in love with Theseus, the hero of Athens. Note the similarity of headgear and facial expression to the statue of Athena, above. Below, right: Python from one of the Pediments of the Parthenon. (Two weeks after I knew I was going to Greece I dreamed a huge python was in my house. At the time, I had no idea why . . .)

 

Below, left: Kore/Athena? Below, right: Caryatid.

 

 

Night at the Taverna (a brief departure from Antiquities . . .)