Today marked the first formal day of my historical wanderings, and I was up early to beat the crowds on the Acropolis.   I entered the citadel at 8:30 am on the south side and followed the ancient Peripatos path to the entrance.

Rounding the south side the Peripatos takes you past the Odeon of Herodus Atticus, bathed in early morning sunlight, and as you can see remarkably well preserved.  Concerts and plays are still performed here in this 2200 year-old theatre.

Next I climbed the processional stairway of the   Propylaea, which is the spectacular marble entrance guarding the west approach to the Acropolis.  It was quite a spectacle to see the sun slicing through the Doric columns, with the Temple of Athena Nike at far right still basked in shade.

The Acropolis is filled with  caves, secret passages, depressions and other assorted hidden treasures created over the past four millennia. This depression on the north side is notable as it reveals the ancient columns of the “proparthenon”,  which stood prior to the destruction of the entire temple complex by the Persians in 480 BC.

The north side of the Erechtheion,  erected in 421 BC with original Ionic columns, ceiling tiles and doorway intact.

That’s me in front of the East side of the Parthenon. I learned today the East side was the actual entrance to this amazing temple constructed between 447 – 438 BC, guided by the vision of Pericles and the wealth of the Delian League which poured money  into Athens after routing the Persians in 479 BC.

One of the unexpected surprises of this chilly day on the  Acropolis was abundant wild flowers blooming in any location where flora could squeeze between marble and stone.  The flowers here serve to enhance the feminine beauty of 2400  year-old Caryatids on the south porch of the Erechtheion.

More wild flowers squeezing through piles of broken marble pieces waiting to be reassembled on the Acropolis.

One thing I have learned about European travel is that if Rick Steeves doesn’t cover something in his guidebook then make it a point to check it out. The hidden gem of this day was the Peripatos path around the base of the Acropolis. This slope below the East wall marked the location where,  according to Herodotus, the Persians scaled the wall, gained access to the citadel and sacked the entire Acropolis temple complex in 480 BC.

More spring wild flowers budding in the shadow of a Corinthian column head – random detritus from the greatest antiquity of Western Civilization!

I am a sucker for any Ancient Greek inscription I can reach out and touch.  I love the visceral feel of our ancient alphabet carved in marble, capturing a period of civic grandeur for eternity.