Four sites reached by the dusk of the day…
Posted On: Oct 2nd, 2015 at 20:24
Greece
Day Four: Epidaurus, Asine, Tiryns and Sparta
Yes, it was a manic day today, trying to catch up on my itinerary and failing miserably, but I did get to visit four sites, one of which wasn’t planned (Asine).
Epidaurus has a theatre to match that of Aspendos in its state of preservation, and almost reaches the dizzy heights of Ephesus in size. Impressive it was, but the stupid tourists all shouting at each other from the stage to the top of the seating and back again wasn’t. Clearly these people have no idea about acoustics – only a slightly raised voice is required to be heard across an entire ancient theatre. Thankfully the main site was pretty empty although so much work is being done and temples resurrected that a lot of it seems to be surrounded by scaffolding or fences.
Asine was an unexpected visit and little to speak of at that. Well, certainly not here, but my travelogue will be full of detail when it’s written.
Tiryns was utterly astonishing. A Mycenaean site with walls seven metres thick, they certainly knew how to keep out unwanted visitors. The acropolis they built was a sight to behold – a perfect location with stunning views. I had the entire place to myself once the Japanese tourists I met on my way in left, but there was a reason for that – by the time I got out the staff had gone home and I was locked in! It has closed twenty minutes earlier! Thankfully a gatekeeper was on hand with a telling off and a smile.
The ancient acropolis of Sparta is one big archaeology site at the moment. Much of it is fenced off and excavations seem to have only started relatively recently. By my calculations there are decades of work to be had there. I am tempted to go to the archaeological museum and ask if they need any diggers on site since I have the expertise because Sparta, where I am currently writing from, is an amazing city with perfect weather. At least it is now. In summer it’s probably too hot, but I’d love the chance to work abroad for a while and do some more archaeological work. Either way, standing in the acropolis – the home and capital city of the famous king Leonidis, who led the 300 against the Persians in 480 BC – was quite a feeling.
Question ~ does anybody know where the title of this post was taken from? 🙂
The stunning theatre at Epidaurus
From the centre top, a perfect view of the performance and landscape beyond
As I was entering the Mycenaean acropolis of Tiryns, these Japanese tourists were leaving. It was a perfect opportunity to use them to scale for the huge fortifications
This one shot on the acropolis at Tiryns gives an idea of the panoramic 360 degree view all around
The theatre at ancient Sparta with the modern city behind
Sparta – still an excavation area
