Brumby (DE 1044) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 40 text:

forms making Athens the first democracy, When Athens' superior navy repulsed the Persians in 480 B.C., she emerged as leader of the Ionian Greeks. During the reigns of Cimon and Pericles, Athens flourished as a commercial center and experienced her great creative age. The dra- matists Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides lived at this time. The great comic playwright Aristo- phanes and philosopher Socrates also contributed to Athens' cultural growth. Athens surrendered to Sparta in 404 B.C. but maintained her stature as a center of culture and commerce. Athens was the world's university center while under the dominance of Rome. The country later' felt the influence of Byzantine, Catalan, Florentine, and Turkish rule. The last century has seen Greece become one of the commercial and cultural leaders of the world. World War II destroyed her industry and port facil- ities, but her spirit and ancient monuments were left intact. Tours were arranged and BRUMBYMEN were anxious to leave the ship for a few hours to see the birthplace of democracy. In Piraeus there was a restored Byzantine church and a modern outdoor theater patterned after the ancient ones near the Acropolis. The large harbor is busy with ships Of all nations and tourist ships pull in daily. Athens proper is five miles from Piraeus. Nearby at Daphne is an old church which containS

Page 39 text:

latest in women's wear in Greece was an unex- pected surprise. 'BRUMBY men know what they like. The Christmas show ended with the traditional carol, Silent Night . Christmas was going to be a lonely time for us so far away from home so we said Thanks to Bob Hope for the show he brought to us. The Fleet left Soudha Bay the next morning for operation in the Med. but already our minds were set on sailing for Greece and spending the holidays exploring that ancient country. On 21 December, the BRUMBY pulled into Piraeus, Greece under cloudy skies and occasional rain. Piraeus is Greece's busiest and most impor- tant sea port serving Athens which was builtinland for protection in former times. The two cities have grown together now and are incorporated as Greater Athens. Athens was the most powerful city-state and as she emerged into history she was governed by kings and the people were grouped into families and tribes. In the 7th and 8th centuries, the mon- archy was superceded by the. archons chosen by the aristocracy. Constitutional and economic re- forms were made in 594 B.C. by Solon. Pisistra- tus seized power in 560 B.C. and ruled as a tyrant for 33 years. His sons ruled until the democrats defeated oligarchs and Cleisthenes introduced re-

Page 41 text:

the finest examples of Byzantlne mosaics 1n the world The mosaics represent four events 1n the 408 B.C., is a combination of three temples dedi- cated to Athens, Poseidon, and Erectheus. Its con- fusion of styles may represent the struggle of these gods to be the patron god of Athens. Its famous south facade is the Caryatid Porch with its impos- ing female figures. The other structure on the Acropolis is the Temple of Athena. One of the most famous struc- tures in the world, it is called the Parthenon al- though only one of its rooms was actually the Parthenon. The Parthenon was completed in 432 B.C. during the reign of Pericles. It is a magnifi- cent structure 228 feet long and 101 feet wide hav- ing 8 columns at the ends and 17 columns on the Life of Christ. The precise techniques of the artists who created these mosaics has been lost with them and cannot be duplicated by modern craftsmen. Among Athens' ruins, the Acropolis ffortified hilly with its temples is the most famous. This fortified hill has one access called the Prophlaea fouter gatesb. Near the gateway is the small Tem- ple of Nike Apteros fTemple of Wingless Victoryj. It is in the Ionic style and is dedicated to the Athena of Victory called Nike. It was destroyed in 1687 and reconstructed in 1835 with the original ma- terials and again in 1930 when the foundation be- came weakened. The Erechtheum, completed in