Fourteen Thousand

I returned to Athens in the morning from Nafplio. I had an entire day to spend before flying home the next morning, so I decided to see the National Archeological Museum which I had placed high on my list of things to see the first time in Athens but could not due to time constraints. I only brought my phone to the museum so that's the camera I used. The following snapshots are a few of the pieces I found interesting among the best collection of Greek art in the world.

Gold funeral adornment from Mycenae.

Gold death mask from Mycenae (1550 BCE) sometimes called the "Mask of Agamemnon".

House of the Warrior Krater Mycenaean painted vessel, 13th century BCE

Bust of Antinous. 130-138 CE

Colossal head of Zeus. 150 BCE.

Bronze statue of a youth (Perseus?). c. 340 BCE.

The Artemision Jockey. 140 BCE.

The Artemisian Bronze (Poseidon? Zeus?) c. 460 BCE.

Dipylon Vase. This thing is as tall as me. Used as a grave marker. c. 750 BCE.

A small riot broke out in front of the museum as I was leaving. Lots of police in riot gear, fire trucks. I imagine this is a somewhat common occurrence in Greece these days, but I hadn't seen anything like it my entire visit.

Click here to return to the first day.

I spent a couple days in Nafplio, exploring the town itself and two ancient sites: Epidavros and Mycenae. Nafplio is a pleasant and beautifully situated town on a peninsula reaching into a harbor; a walk around the coast was a treat. A wonderful archeology museum is here housing impressive Mycenaean and other ancient Greek artifacts. Epidavros, an hour bus ride from Nafplio, is the home to the most well-preserved and spectacular theater in Greece. Mycenae, also an hour from town, boasts the ruins of a city and burial sites belonging to the ancestors of the ancient Greeks. Ancient Greeks came here to tour the ruins much as we do today. The Mycenaeans are believed to have launched the attack on Troy in 1200 BCE, as told in Homer's Iliad. Some of the ruins at Mycenae are over 3500 years old. It was awe-inspiring.

I finished my time in Nafplio with an evening climb to the Palamidi Fortress, a Venetian stronghold overlooking Nafplio with nearly 1,000 steps to climb to reach the top.

Looking down main street Nafplio.

Mycenae

Path toward the Lion Gate, constructed in 1300 BCE, leading into the city.

The Lion Gate.

Grave Circle A (1550 BCE).

This cistern, 50 feet deep, required a flashlight to get to the bottom!

Ruins in the hillside.

A view of ruins from the acropolis.

Leaving the city through the Lion Gate.

The remains of the Lion Tomb.

The Treasury of Atreus (also called the Tomb of Agamemnon).

Entrance to the tomb.

Astonishing corbelled ceiling of the tomb.

The entrance (exit) of the tomb.

Epidavros

Panorama of the Theater at Epidavros.

The Theater.

View from the top of the Theater.

Thank you, elderly Spanish gentleman, for taking my picture.

The Theater.

Some ruins in Epidavros, once the most famous place of healing in Greece. (The story of the god Asklepios and his healing powers is quite interesting.)