This is one of the winning entries of the “My Trip of a Lifetime” contest by Ashish Mantri

A quiet awakening, about 2500 years ago, was taking place in the mind and spirit of the residents of a small town – located on a sea shore, almost at the far end of the western border of a civilized world. We today think and feel differently because of the events that took place circa 500 BC in this little town. What transpired was the development of the first recorded attempt to introduce Democracy as a way of life; and nothing remained the same – for the world and for that little town known as “Athens”.

And here we were, free citizens of the largest democracy of the world, travelling – as a part of the first leg of our trip to Europe – to Athens. This was definitely not intended to be a trip to pay respect to the cradle of modern democratic state. Nevertheless, each place that we saw and experienced over 3 days in Athens was for us not only a trip of lifetime but a journey into the lifetime of history itself.

Athens, a heady concoction of modernity with history, needs to be explored leisurely. Being short on time however, we used the early morning and day time to explore the historic remains, while evenings were spent in exploring the streets of the city, specially Glyfada, a beautiful suburb, close to the sea shore.

The main street, bright and lively; was made more vibrant with the cosmopolitan potpourri pervading the streets. A couple of musicians, playing their instruments on the street corner, a man with a bioscope, walls with unusual tiles, all added to the quaintness of the street. The hawkers, mostly natives of Asian & African countries, were trying to outsell each other by resorting to the tactics similar to what we see here, in India.

Early mornings, our taxi driver Dimitri –nay, our Friend and Guide for two days, eagerly took us for a tour of the city, and other surrounding areas. Well informed and eloquent about the entire history of the places we were visiting, he was equally interested in knowing more about India and her culture.

The first trip took us on the route starting from ancient Acropolis of Corinth, Mycenae, Epidaurus and Nafplio. Corinth is known for the 6.3 km long canal – cutting across the Isthmus of Corinth, linking the Gulf of Corinth with the Saronic Gulf in the Aegean Sea, saving for smaller ships a journey of about 400 Kms. Although it was finally built in 1893, the history does speak about earlier efforts to build a canal at this location commencing from 7th century BC right through the period of Roman emperors, Julius Caesar and Nero.

Our next halt was Mycenae – one of the mightiest kingdom of ancient Greece. Mycenae, believed to have been established around 2000 BC, is where Greek mythology meets the history, the most well-known one being the abduction of Helen, sister-in-law of Mycenae’s king Agamemnon – leading to the Trojan War.

As one walks into the fort through the Lions’ Gate, one can easily imagine the dramatic past. The national museum at Mycenae, showcasing ancient art, sculpture and civilization – including golden mask of Agamemnon, indeed amazes you with the level of art, science and knowledge achieved about 3500 years ago. No wonder, the period of 1600-1100 BC in Greece is known as Mycenaean period.

The tour took us back to Athens from Mycenae via the Amphitheatre of Epidaurus and the port town of Nafplio – popular among Athenians for weekend trips, with its mid-harbour Venetian fort of Bourtzi and on-shore castle of Palamidi.

The Amphitheatre of Epidaurus showcases the advancement of Greek civilization. Designed & built in 4th Century B.C., the theatre, with 55 semi-circular rows to seat about 14000 people and a lush green backdrop to its centre stage, is renowned for its excellent acoustics. The theatre is so designed that even the unamplified sound of a match struck at the centre stage can be heard clearly by the audience seated anywhere in the theatre. While sitting in the Amphitheater, I could imagine the thrill of the audience 2500 years ago watching the performers enacting Greek tragedies.

The last day of our trip was spent in exploring the ancient sites of Athens itself in the morning, starting with the Parthenon, a 4th Century B.C. temple of Goddess Athena – the reigning deity and protector of Athens. Established as a temple as well as a treasury, the Parthenon was later converted into a church and then a mosque as the rulers changed in Athens, before finally getting severely damaged due to an explosion in the ammunition dump inside the temple. In the ruins now, one can still imagine its past beauty and strength. Comparatively, the temple of Olympian Zeus – construction for which commenced in 6th Century BC and completed in 2nd Century AD – which was renowned as the largest temple in the Greece during Roman times, lies in complete ruins now and its glory days just can not be imagined.

Our last visit was to the Temple of Poseidon, the god of oceans, at Cape Sounion, a perfect setting for signing off from Athens. The temple, dedicated to the second most powerful god in the Greek Mythology, is another 5th Century creation now in ruins. The temple itself has a panoramic location – on a high cliff jutting out to the lovely, blue, Aegean Sea. The cool breeze, all pervading peace, interspersed with the sound of waves breaking onto the shore below the temple made British Poet Lord Byron write:

Place me on Sunium’s marbled steep,
Where nothing, save the waves and I,
May hear our mutual murmurs sweep
As we left Greece, I realised that the essence of Greece is in the beauty that looks desolate initially, but as you reach out to understand its history, it grows onto you and keeps you hooked forever. No wonder, even after two years, Athens is one of the destinations closest to my heart. Paraphrasing Lord Byron, I would love to say:
“O City of Athens, ‘ere we part, Give, oh give me back my heart!”