Without many miles between us and Athens, we had less time on the bus and time first of all to explore the ancient city of Epidauros, famous for the sanctuary of Ascleipius, Greek god of medicine. It was to Epidauros that people came for healing. But the city also boasts the best-preserved theater from the classical period, a theater remarkable for it's near-perfect acoustics (the sound from a coin dropped on a marble plate at dead-center can be heard in seats at the top!).
From Epidauros the bus took us to our much-anticipated visit to ancient Corinth where Paul planted a church, taught for 18 months, and was "delivered" by Gallio, the Roman proconsul, from plots and accusations from the Jews. (Picture below shows the actual site [the bema, or "courtroom"] where Gallio pronounced Paul innocent - Acts 18:14.)
The site of ancient Corinth also displayed the remains of the 6th Century B.C. Temple of Apollo where seven of the original Doric columns are still standing.
We also got to see the Corinth Canal,
built in the late 19th Century by a French engineering company, allowing many vessels to save time and money as they sailed between the Aegean and Ionian Seas. Alexander the Great actually considered building the canal and the Roman Emperor Nero had grandiose plans for it, and actually "broke ground" there with a golden-plated shovel in 67 A.D., but the project defeated him. After arriving in Athens in late afternoon, we opted for a tour "extra" and enjoyed a many-course dinner in the Plaka, complete with entertainment. - rw
3 comments:
Well, these pictures are amazing, as usual. It must have been amazing to be able to stand in some of these ancient site and consider the things that had happened there s long ago. I'm jealous!
marta
Indeed, quite the pictures. A future with National Geographic? Or at least some lessons for the firstborn?
καλός πουλόβερ
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