Today we left Delphi and visited the city of Meteora. This city was unlike anyplace we've visited on this trip. The mountains did not have wide bases extending to high peaks. The mountains themselves appeared to be giant boulders. They were large, deep gray, and magnificent. Basically, no matter how much I try to describe them I cannot do them justice. They are the type of mountains that make you look upwards in reverence. While looking at them it's easy to see God's hand in creation.
I'm not the only one who thinks this place is showered with God's presence. For centuries this place has been a spot of worship; a site where monks and nuns go to devote their lives to God. We had the opportunity to visit two of these Greek Orthodox sites.
The monastery we visited was dedicated to all the saints. In order to be respectful, the girls had to tie on skirts before entering the site. The chapel was small but quite ornate. The walls were decorated with frescos that depicted the stories of Jesus, Mary, and the saints. Since the church is Greek Orthodox, everything in the frescos had meaning. Even the colors on the clothing. Jesus was typically depicted wearing red underneath and blue on top. Red represents the divine life, while the blue represents human life. Gold represents the kingdom og God. The disciples wore blue underneath, and red on top meaning that they were men who ascended to divine life.
After the chapel we saw a room that had a large barrel that stored all the wine they used. I can't remember how many gallons it held, but it almost filled the entire room. That is a lot of wine! We also got to see the spot where people used to get into the monastery. The steps we used were relatively new. Before the steps people used to ascend in a rope basket. That is what I call dedication.
The second site we visited was a nunnery dedicated to St. Stephen. Like the last monastery, this one was Greek Orthodox. There were also frescos on the walls of this chapel. Many of them were gruesome scenes of martyr's deaths. These frescos were relatively new, created within the last decade or so. This might sound strange, but it was kind of refreshing to see something new. I found it comforting that beautiful works of art are still being put in chapels.
As an American Protestant, I am not used to seeing frescos or mosaics in church. At one point in my life I even believed that such icons were "evil" because people worshiped them. I have since changed my views on this topic. The Greek Orthodox church puts pictures and icons in churches not to worship the icons, but to have the icons aid in worship. Images of Christ and the saints remind people to look towards God for inspiration. It saddens me that many Protestant churches do not teach on the lives of the saints. We know that the witness of Christ is true partially because of their lives. The disciples and saints would not have died if Jesus was still rotting in his tomb. They firmly believed in the resurrected Christ, and this should be a source of comfort to all Christians.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Delphi
Today we visited the city of Delphi. It was my second time to visit the site, and I must say I was very excited about it. Delphi was my favorite site last time I was in Greece, and I had been looking forward to the opportunity to study it in more detail.
This time around I really enjoyed the museum at Delphi. Near the entrance to the museum there are a lot of really small statues. These statues are not gods, but rather offerings that people would make to the gods. I knew that the greeks performed animal sacrifices, but I didn't realize that there were many other types of offerings. Also near the entrance of the museum is a large cauldron. These were popular temple gifts, and were useful because the meat from the animal sacrifices could be cooked in the pots.
The museum had statues from the Greek and Roman eras, and these statues were actually quite different. The greeks tended to portray the idealized individual, not a person as they actually were. They would write inscriptions under the statues to tell who a person was. The Romans still appreciated the idealized figure, but tended to make their statues more realistic. Their bodies were more proportional and sometimes faces were made in likeness.
At the Delphi site we walked along the sacred way. In Greek times, only healthy people were allowed to walk this road. They did not want someone dying in the sacred place. For similar reasons, pregnant women were not allowed inside. Before walking the sacred way people would wash and sometimes they would purchase an offering to give to a god. As a person walked along the sacred way they would pass by the treasuries of all the other city states. The walls of the Athenian treasury house are inscribed with ancient music pieces.
The temple itself is where the oracle would have been. Interestingly enough, the temple rested on a fault line where gasses would come up from the earth and make the oracle say strange things. It was up to the men receiving the prophesies to interpret them. The famous prophesies were all up to some interpretation, "you must build a wooden wall", "if you go to war a great nation will fall", etc. No one could accuse the oracles of being wrong, only of interpreting them incorrectly.
I found Delphi especially interesting because it is a place where women played a unique and important role. In Athens we learned that women mostly stayed home they did not go out into the agora or participate in politics. In Delphi, the oracle was a woman. People came from all over to hear her shout out prophetic words. Granted, it was up to men to divine meaning from the words, but it is still significant that a position that played such an important role in Greek society belonged to a woman.
After passing the temple we walked up a steep hill to the spot where the Pythian games were held. Any free man from Greece was allowed to compete. These games were held every four years, much like the modern Olympics. I find it fascinating that Greek city states, though constantly warring with one another, can come unite in one spot to worship and compete.
This time around I really enjoyed the museum at Delphi. Near the entrance to the museum there are a lot of really small statues. These statues are not gods, but rather offerings that people would make to the gods. I knew that the greeks performed animal sacrifices, but I didn't realize that there were many other types of offerings. Also near the entrance of the museum is a large cauldron. These were popular temple gifts, and were useful because the meat from the animal sacrifices could be cooked in the pots.
The museum had statues from the Greek and Roman eras, and these statues were actually quite different. The greeks tended to portray the idealized individual, not a person as they actually were. They would write inscriptions under the statues to tell who a person was. The Romans still appreciated the idealized figure, but tended to make their statues more realistic. Their bodies were more proportional and sometimes faces were made in likeness.
At the Delphi site we walked along the sacred way. In Greek times, only healthy people were allowed to walk this road. They did not want someone dying in the sacred place. For similar reasons, pregnant women were not allowed inside. Before walking the sacred way people would wash and sometimes they would purchase an offering to give to a god. As a person walked along the sacred way they would pass by the treasuries of all the other city states. The walls of the Athenian treasury house are inscribed with ancient music pieces.
The temple itself is where the oracle would have been. Interestingly enough, the temple rested on a fault line where gasses would come up from the earth and make the oracle say strange things. It was up to the men receiving the prophesies to interpret them. The famous prophesies were all up to some interpretation, "you must build a wooden wall", "if you go to war a great nation will fall", etc. No one could accuse the oracles of being wrong, only of interpreting them incorrectly.
I found Delphi especially interesting because it is a place where women played a unique and important role. In Athens we learned that women mostly stayed home they did not go out into the agora or participate in politics. In Delphi, the oracle was a woman. People came from all over to hear her shout out prophetic words. Granted, it was up to men to divine meaning from the words, but it is still significant that a position that played such an important role in Greek society belonged to a woman.
After passing the temple we walked up a steep hill to the spot where the Pythian games were held. Any free man from Greece was allowed to compete. These games were held every four years, much like the modern Olympics. I find it fascinating that Greek city states, though constantly warring with one another, can come unite in one spot to worship and compete.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Jesus and Socrates
For Biblical Heritage this summer we've had the opportunity to study both Socrates and Jesus. In a literal and a metaphorical sense. In a metaphorical sense, we've been studying Greek culture and visiting Greek sites all while examine the significance these sites play in biblical history. We have to think about how the world of Jesus interacts with the world of Socrates.
Good teachers must have some similar qualities, even if they are from different cultures. Perhaps this is an obvious observation, but both Jesus and Socrates had followers. Their followers later wrote down their teachings, neither Jesus nor Socrates wrote anything down themselves. The teachings of Jesus and Socrates are still very influential in modern culture.
Jesus and Socrates both came from humble backgrounds. Jesus was born in a manger and raised as a carpenter's son. Socrates' father was not one of the wealthy elite, rather he worked as a stone mason. Both Jesus and Socrates showed interests in the lives of the average person.
Jesus and Socrates did not preach the same message, but they had similar goals. They both wanted to bring truth to their people. Socrates is famous for asking questions to discover truth. While Jesus gives sermons, he also also asks questions. In Matthew 5:13 Jesus says, "You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet". Now Jesus was using rhetorical questions, which was quite different from Socrates' methods, but they both demonstrate the importance of teachers asking questions
Both Jesus and Socrates were not popular while they were alive. Socrates was put on trial for his beliefs and later condemned to drink hemlock. Jesus too was put on trial and later nailed to a cross. What made these two men so unpopular? They taught what they believed despite the consequences. Jesus and Socrates were not afraid to condemn the actions of powerful men.
Good teachers must have some similar qualities, even if they are from different cultures. Perhaps this is an obvious observation, but both Jesus and Socrates had followers. Their followers later wrote down their teachings, neither Jesus nor Socrates wrote anything down themselves. The teachings of Jesus and Socrates are still very influential in modern culture.
Jesus and Socrates both came from humble backgrounds. Jesus was born in a manger and raised as a carpenter's son. Socrates' father was not one of the wealthy elite, rather he worked as a stone mason. Both Jesus and Socrates showed interests in the lives of the average person.
Jesus and Socrates did not preach the same message, but they had similar goals. They both wanted to bring truth to their people. Socrates is famous for asking questions to discover truth. While Jesus gives sermons, he also also asks questions. In Matthew 5:13 Jesus says, "You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet". Now Jesus was using rhetorical questions, which was quite different from Socrates' methods, but they both demonstrate the importance of teachers asking questions
Both Jesus and Socrates were not popular while they were alive. Socrates was put on trial for his beliefs and later condemned to drink hemlock. Jesus too was put on trial and later nailed to a cross. What made these two men so unpopular? They taught what they believed despite the consequences. Jesus and Socrates were not afraid to condemn the actions of powerful men.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Greek islands
Today we took a lovely boat tour to some Greek islands. The morning was cloudy and cold, so we were a little worried about how the day would turn out. The early morning clouds ended up being a blessing in disguise, for while everyone else was inside we students took the opportunity to secure the best seats on the boat. We also spent a good portion of our time making sure these seats weren't stolen. I am happy to report that violence was never required.
The first island we visited was the island of Poros. We were only there for about 40 mins, so I don't have a whole lot to say on the subject. It was very beautiful, and our wonderful seats secured us an excellent view as we sailed into port. We found some gelato, and I got a scoop of coconut and a scoop of blood orange. It was awesome.
The second island we visited was the island of Hydra. Once again, the views were amazing. One pretty exciting tourist attraction on this island is riding donkeys through the city. I think Zachary got to experience this activity. We girls were really excited by the shopping. I wanted to visit the small museum, but this idea was quickly vetoed by the rest of the group. Ellie and I ended up going back to the boat about 20 minutes early in order to secure our seats. We were very confused when the boat left port about 10 minutes early, before any of our friends made it on board. I was 99.9% positive that we had made it to the right boat, but some nagging suspicion kept telling me I had failed to understand some important crew instruction. Fortunately, the boat turned around and picked up everyone else. Apparently they had to leave port for a few minutes in order to let another boat pick up passengers. We may have been worried and confused for a few minutes, but we kept our seats!
The next island was the island of Aegina. This island had a beach, but most of us weren't in the mood for swimming. We were in the mood for food. Naturally we searched for gyros, but the ones we found were not quite as delightful as the ones on Rhodes. The smoothies we drank on the beach were quite good. Ellie, Linh, and I enjoyed sipping them as the boys swam out to a rock.
Having a day were we could relax on the boat and enjoy the islands was great. I wish I could properly describe the scenery. The islands were like Montana mountains arising out of Caribbean sea. Quite possibly one of the most beautiful things I've ever experienced. I think it's really remarkable how I can live my entire life without even imaging some of the beautiful places we've experienced on this trip. This makes me wonder what the rest of the world is like and what else I'm missing.
The first island we visited was the island of Poros. We were only there for about 40 mins, so I don't have a whole lot to say on the subject. It was very beautiful, and our wonderful seats secured us an excellent view as we sailed into port. We found some gelato, and I got a scoop of coconut and a scoop of blood orange. It was awesome.
The second island we visited was the island of Hydra. Once again, the views were amazing. One pretty exciting tourist attraction on this island is riding donkeys through the city. I think Zachary got to experience this activity. We girls were really excited by the shopping. I wanted to visit the small museum, but this idea was quickly vetoed by the rest of the group. Ellie and I ended up going back to the boat about 20 minutes early in order to secure our seats. We were very confused when the boat left port about 10 minutes early, before any of our friends made it on board. I was 99.9% positive that we had made it to the right boat, but some nagging suspicion kept telling me I had failed to understand some important crew instruction. Fortunately, the boat turned around and picked up everyone else. Apparently they had to leave port for a few minutes in order to let another boat pick up passengers. We may have been worried and confused for a few minutes, but we kept our seats!
The next island was the island of Aegina. This island had a beach, but most of us weren't in the mood for swimming. We were in the mood for food. Naturally we searched for gyros, but the ones we found were not quite as delightful as the ones on Rhodes. The smoothies we drank on the beach were quite good. Ellie, Linh, and I enjoyed sipping them as the boys swam out to a rock.
Having a day were we could relax on the boat and enjoy the islands was great. I wish I could properly describe the scenery. The islands were like Montana mountains arising out of Caribbean sea. Quite possibly one of the most beautiful things I've ever experienced. I think it's really remarkable how I can live my entire life without even imaging some of the beautiful places we've experienced on this trip. This makes me wonder what the rest of the world is like and what else I'm missing.
Corinth and Mycenae
Today we woke up early in order to visit the city of Corinth. We first stopped at Acrocorinth, and saw the entire city below us. The view was quite fantastic, and I would have enjoyed the whole experience a lot more if I hadn't almost stepped on a snake. I really hate snakes.
When we arrived we were met by an archeologist who has been excavating the Corinth site since the 70s. Dr. Rhodes happens to be one of Ben's professors at Notre Dame, so he took us around the site and taught us a few things about working as an archeologist. We spent a lot of time looking at the main temple in Corinth, which is supposedly the temple of Apollo. Through Socratic dialogue and examining the ruins, Dr. Rhodes explained why he thinks this temple actually was the temple of Zeus and Hera. I won't attempt to reconstruct the Socratic dialogue here, but one simple reason for his belief is that the temple had spots for two statues, not just one.
We spent a lot of time at the Corinth site, but we didn't talk about Paul's visit to Corinth. We spent time looking at the various places and what they were used for. We saw the stone starting blocks where runners would place their feet for races. We saw the Roman toilets, which were placed rather close together. Apparently they were not afraid of sitting awkwardly close to one another.
Dr. Rhodes told us a lot about being an archeologist. Being an archeologist requires analytical and deductive reasoning skills. An archeologist has to take ruins and find information on how people lived, literally reconstructing the past in order to get information in the present. A lot of time is spent in the heat, meticulously working in rubble. It sounds like quite the job, perhaps not as action filled as the Indiana Jones movies would have us believe. I was really impressed with the amount of thought Dr. Rhodes put into even the smallest details, I am led to conclude that archeology work requires a lot of patience.
After lunch we visited the tomb of Agamemnon. We are not actually sure if this tomb was Agamemnon's, but it was the largest tomb excavated in the area and Agamemnon is considered Mycenae's greatest king. The tomb itself is a very large dome, with a triangle support over the tomb's door. Inside the tomb we did not discover buried treasure, but we did find a little owl hovering in a corners. I love owls, so this excited me to no end. It was the closest I've ever been to an owl in the wild.
Next we journeyed to Mycenae itself. Our goal? To discover the bathtub where Clytemnestra had her revenge upon Agamemnon. I'm sorry to report that the bathtub is no longer in existence. I'm not even sure if the site we visited was actually where the deed occurred. We did, however, walk through the lion's gate and climb to the top of the hill where the palace was. We descended into the dark cistern with only our cameras as flashlights. There is a small puddle where the cistern would have been.
There is something really special about visiting sites like Corinth and Mycenae. I love the thrill of putting images to the places I've imagined. When I read Paul's letter to the Corinthians I am better able to understand what Corinth was actually like. When I read about Agamemnon and Clytemnestra, I know what the landscape of Mycenae is really like. It's the same excitement I feel after completing a difficult puzzle; now I know how all the pieces fit together.
When we arrived we were met by an archeologist who has been excavating the Corinth site since the 70s. Dr. Rhodes happens to be one of Ben's professors at Notre Dame, so he took us around the site and taught us a few things about working as an archeologist. We spent a lot of time looking at the main temple in Corinth, which is supposedly the temple of Apollo. Through Socratic dialogue and examining the ruins, Dr. Rhodes explained why he thinks this temple actually was the temple of Zeus and Hera. I won't attempt to reconstruct the Socratic dialogue here, but one simple reason for his belief is that the temple had spots for two statues, not just one.
We spent a lot of time at the Corinth site, but we didn't talk about Paul's visit to Corinth. We spent time looking at the various places and what they were used for. We saw the stone starting blocks where runners would place their feet for races. We saw the Roman toilets, which were placed rather close together. Apparently they were not afraid of sitting awkwardly close to one another.
Dr. Rhodes told us a lot about being an archeologist. Being an archeologist requires analytical and deductive reasoning skills. An archeologist has to take ruins and find information on how people lived, literally reconstructing the past in order to get information in the present. A lot of time is spent in the heat, meticulously working in rubble. It sounds like quite the job, perhaps not as action filled as the Indiana Jones movies would have us believe. I was really impressed with the amount of thought Dr. Rhodes put into even the smallest details, I am led to conclude that archeology work requires a lot of patience.
After lunch we visited the tomb of Agamemnon. We are not actually sure if this tomb was Agamemnon's, but it was the largest tomb excavated in the area and Agamemnon is considered Mycenae's greatest king. The tomb itself is a very large dome, with a triangle support over the tomb's door. Inside the tomb we did not discover buried treasure, but we did find a little owl hovering in a corners. I love owls, so this excited me to no end. It was the closest I've ever been to an owl in the wild.
Next we journeyed to Mycenae itself. Our goal? To discover the bathtub where Clytemnestra had her revenge upon Agamemnon. I'm sorry to report that the bathtub is no longer in existence. I'm not even sure if the site we visited was actually where the deed occurred. We did, however, walk through the lion's gate and climb to the top of the hill where the palace was. We descended into the dark cistern with only our cameras as flashlights. There is a small puddle where the cistern would have been.
There is something really special about visiting sites like Corinth and Mycenae. I love the thrill of putting images to the places I've imagined. When I read Paul's letter to the Corinthians I am better able to understand what Corinth was actually like. When I read about Agamemnon and Clytemnestra, I know what the landscape of Mycenae is really like. It's the same excitement I feel after completing a difficult puzzle; now I know how all the pieces fit together.
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Temple of Poseidon
Today we had the morning free to catch up on sleep, homework, or whatever else had gotten away from us amongst all the excitement. Ellie and I slept in until 10:30, which was a trip record for us. We woke up too late for breakfast, so we searched the neighborhood for some local cuisine. We managed to find a small bakery that had pida, and that made an excellent lunch.
In the afternoon we traveled to the temple of Poseidon. Our driver, Odysseus, drove us down the Poseidon highway. I thought this was a little ironic, especially considering the winding drive which was a little bit rough on some of us.
The temple itself was not particularly grand, but the views were amazing. We could see miles of ocean. It felt like the real temple at this site was the landscape itself. For years tourists have carved their names into the temple, and one such tourist was Lord Byron. Don't worry, i took a picture of this epic signature.
In the afternoon we traveled to the temple of Poseidon. Our driver, Odysseus, drove us down the Poseidon highway. I thought this was a little ironic, especially considering the winding drive which was a little bit rough on some of us.
The temple itself was not particularly grand, but the views were amazing. We could see miles of ocean. It felt like the real temple at this site was the landscape itself. For years tourists have carved their names into the temple, and one such tourist was Lord Byron. Don't worry, i took a picture of this epic signature.
Athens day 2
Today we explored the city of Athens. First we went on the bus to pas by some famous sites. We saw the Olympic stadium where the special Olympics will be held in a few days. We also passed by the temple of Zeus.
After the tour we went to the acropolis. This is my second time to visit the acropolis, and I can't believe how much reconstruction work has been done in less than two years. The temple of Athena Nike was reconstructed, and the Temple of Athena had more pillars erected. The temple of Athena is named the Parthenon because it comes from the greek meaning virgin. Later when the Parthenon became a Christian church it was dedicated to the virgin Mary.
I find it really interesting that many of the worship sites we've visited have been used to worship different gods at different times. The Parthenon was used to worship Athena, Jesus, and Allah. It's interesting that once a place is a site of worship it tends to remain a site of worship.
Next we headed over to the Acropolis Museum. I was really looking forward to this part of the trip because I didn't get to visit the last time I was in Athens. I was not disappointed. This was perhaps the most amazing museum I've ever seen because it's a museum and an archeology site. The walkway to the entrance of the museum is made of glass, and underneath the glass an excavation is going on. Underneath us we saw an archeologist working on a mosaic floor. I thought it was a little bit sad that this beautiful museum is not in possession of all the Parthenon reliefs. A good portion of them are still housed in the British Museum.
The issue with the Parthenon reliefs is an interesting question of ownership. Technically, Lord Elgin did receive permission to take these relics. Does any one man or government have the right to sell away objects of their nations history? Do these objects belong to "the people"? Should such objets be returned to the country of their origin? Right now the Grecian government is fighting to have relics from the Parthenon returned, and it's hard not to have some sympathy for their cause. It seems natural to want pieces of your nation's history to be in your nation.
For dinner tonight we got to see a show. They sang some traditional songs and did some traditional dances. At one point this involved pulling audience members up on stage. I thought this was mortifying, but in hindsight it was kinda funny.
After the tour we went to the acropolis. This is my second time to visit the acropolis, and I can't believe how much reconstruction work has been done in less than two years. The temple of Athena Nike was reconstructed, and the Temple of Athena had more pillars erected. The temple of Athena is named the Parthenon because it comes from the greek meaning virgin. Later when the Parthenon became a Christian church it was dedicated to the virgin Mary.
I find it really interesting that many of the worship sites we've visited have been used to worship different gods at different times. The Parthenon was used to worship Athena, Jesus, and Allah. It's interesting that once a place is a site of worship it tends to remain a site of worship.
Next we headed over to the Acropolis Museum. I was really looking forward to this part of the trip because I didn't get to visit the last time I was in Athens. I was not disappointed. This was perhaps the most amazing museum I've ever seen because it's a museum and an archeology site. The walkway to the entrance of the museum is made of glass, and underneath the glass an excavation is going on. Underneath us we saw an archeologist working on a mosaic floor. I thought it was a little bit sad that this beautiful museum is not in possession of all the Parthenon reliefs. A good portion of them are still housed in the British Museum.
The issue with the Parthenon reliefs is an interesting question of ownership. Technically, Lord Elgin did receive permission to take these relics. Does any one man or government have the right to sell away objects of their nations history? Do these objects belong to "the people"? Should such objets be returned to the country of their origin? Right now the Grecian government is fighting to have relics from the Parthenon returned, and it's hard not to have some sympathy for their cause. It seems natural to want pieces of your nation's history to be in your nation.
For dinner tonight we got to see a show. They sang some traditional songs and did some traditional dances. At one point this involved pulling audience members up on stage. I thought this was mortifying, but in hindsight it was kinda funny.
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