7 Mythical Places in Greece You Should See With Your Own Eyes

Every summer, crowds of tourists flock to Greece, primarily to the sea. But Greece is also the birthplace of the most famous myths. And the places associated with these myths are worth visiting to visualize the great era of ancient Hellas.

1.

Athens is the heart of Greece. As in all capitals, life here is always in full swing. Hotels for every taste and budget are waiting for you at any time. During the day - the sea, restaurants, in the evening - bars and nightclubs. It is never boring.

There is a legend that the first king of Athens, Cecrops, choosing between Poseidon and Athena, who would become the patron of the city, decided that it would be the one who would please him with the best gift. Poseidon struck the ground with his trident - and a spring gushed forth. There was always a shortage of fresh water in Athens, but, unfortunately, the spring was salty. Then Athena struck - and an olive tree grew at the place of the blow, which immediately determined the king's choice.

2.

Despite the huge number of entertainment venues, the most important thing in Athens is the Acropolis, where crowds of people flock every day at any time of the year. The Acropolis contains copies of the greatest sculptures, and the originals themselves are housed in the British Museum, the Louvre and the Acropolis Museum itself. However, a visit to it will not leave anyone indifferent…

3.

The main temple, the Parthenon, is naturally dedicated to Athena. It was built in 447–438 BC and then decorated under the direction of the great Phidias. Although the Parthenon is now in a dilapidated state, it is still majestic. As you approach the temple, it seems to become higher and higher.

4.

The ancient Greek city of Delphi is located 180 km from Athens. They say that Zeus sent two eagles in search of the Navel of the Earth, and they met at the foot of Mount Parnassus. Modern Delphi is an open-air museum where you can walk for hours and admire ancient monuments of art, first of all the Temple of Apollo Pythian, the main altar of which, almost entirely made of black marble, has survived to this day. Not far from the temple is a colonnade, then the Athenian treasury, a small building where military trophies dedicated to Apollo were kept.

5.

In Delphi you can see the ancient stadium, which at one time held up to 5 thousand spectators, where the Pythian Games were held, as well as the ancient theater, whose spectators could simultaneously see the Temple of Apollo and the valley. A little to the side of the main ruins is a circular structure - the tholos of Athena Pronoia.

In the 7th–6th centuries BC, Delphi was a pan-Greek sanctuary and was a kind of spiritual capital of Hellas. The Delphic oracle had unquestionable authority. It was here that decisions were made on all vital issues. At the temple of Apollo, a priestess listened to questions on behalf of the god and then gave answers to them - sometimes in prose, sometimes in verse.

6.

The Greeks have a wonderful legend about the origin of the island of Rhodes. When the gods began to divide the Earth, Helios made his movement around it and, upon returning, received an offer from Zeus to begin the process of division anew, but suddenly saw an incredibly beautiful island rising from the water. It was so beautiful that Helios immediately asked for it for himself, so that he could marry his beloved, the nymph Rhodes, there.

Getting to Rhodes is very easy - regular flights from all over the world are carried out daily. The island of two seas - the Aegean and the Mediterranean - will appeal to both the most demanding and the most undemanding traveler.

7.

In Rhodes, it is worth visiting the snow-white ancient city of Lindos, founded in the 6th century BC. It is located near a hill, on top of which there is an ancient castle. You should also visit the excavations of the ancient city of Kamiros and be sure to climb Mount Filerimos, where peacocks stroll leisurely in the park.

8.

Corfu is one of the most visited Greek islands. Numerous hotels line the seashore. It was in Corfu that the Argonauts hid from persecution with the Golden Fleece. It was here that Odysseus met Princess Nausicaa.

When in Corfu, you should visit the ruins of the Temple of Artemis. The temple was once a rectangular structure surrounded by a colonnade. Now it is completely destroyed, but during excavations, archaeologists were incredibly lucky - they found a surviving seventeen-meter pediment with a sculptural image of the Gorgon Medusa. You can see it in the Archaeological Museum of Corfu.

9.

Crete is the largest Greek island. The ruler of all the Greek gods, Zeus, was born on Crete. His mother, Rhea, came here to escape her husband, Cronus, who devoured his children, trying to avoid a prophecy that he would be overthrown by his son. Rhea gave birth to Zeus in a cave, nymphs raised him, and when Zeus grew up, he, as was destined, overthrew his father and took his place.

A little later, Zeus brought Europa to Crete, and they had three sons: Minos, Rhadamanthus, and Sarpedon. Of the three, Minos is known as the wisest ruler of Crete. During his reign, Crete grew rich, art flourished, and the people prospered. But Minos' wife Pasiphae fell in love with a bull and gave birth to the Minotaur, a monster with a bull's head. Minos locked him in a labyrinth, where the Minotaur was later defeated by Theseus.

10.

The Palace of Knossos, or the Labyrinth of the Minotaur, is a place that every visitor to Crete rushes to visit. Arthur Evans, who excavated the palace at the beginning of the 20th century, even found something resembling a sewer system. The palace was built in 1900 BC, but was later rebuilt and made more majestic. Unfortunately, the palace was destroyed during a volcanic eruption.

11.

The island of Ithaca is not as popular among tourists as Crete or Rhodes, but it is the birthplace of Odysseus. It was from here that he sailed to the Trojan War and after many years of wandering returned to meet another enemy and win again. Ithaca was settled in the 3rd millennium BC, but the main events that took place on the island are associated with Odysseus and date back to the 12th century BC. However, not all scientists are willing to believe Homer, classifying Odysseus exclusively as a mythical hero.

12.

While in Ithaca, you should visit the cave of the nymphs, where a dozen tripods were found as a gift to Odysseus. The problem is that you can only get to the island by ferry. The ticket price for one adult is about 10 euros.

13.

Every four years the Olympic Games are held around the world, and their harbinger is traditionally considered to be the relay of the Olympic flame, which is lit in the birthplace of the games - in Olympia.

One legend says that the games were invented by Zeus himself, after he defeated his father. In honor of this event, he held a festival in Olympia, the program of which included running competitions. Traditionally, the date of the first Olympic Games is considered to be 776 BC. Their heyday was the 6th–5th centuries.

14.

Olympia was then a small settlement on the Peloponnese peninsula. Now the places near Olympia are famous for their most beautiful and clean beaches. In Olympia itself, travelers are still attracted by the Temple of Hera. At present, only the base and the lower part of the columns remain of the temple, but you should definitely visit here to see with your own eyes where the Olympic flame begins its ascent.